LEGACY: WAR Q&A WITH JOHN OSTRANDER AND JAN DUURSEMA (HIGHLIGHTED SPOILERS ALLOWED)

John:

Can you explain the set up of the new Galactic Federation Triumvirate? Is this a continuation of the Galactic Alliance or something new all together? If it is part of a restored Galactic Alliance, does that mean the Empire is once again a member?

Jan:

When drawing a fleet battle like the one in the Fate of Dac issue, how do you plan and lay out each shot? Does John describe a particular battle scence in advance or do you have a free hand?

Secondly, is it harder to draw a large fleet battle or a lightsaber duel?

Thanks!

--Adm. Nick

 

Interesting question. We picked/created the era we worked in because we felt it would be interesting, fresh, and yield the most interesting stories. The biggest concern was that it didn't have the Big Three -- would enough fans be interested to justify doing the book?

Creating LEGACY wasn't nerve wracking any more than any other new launch was -- would fans be interested enough to follow the series? It WAS a little tough to deal with the fans who just rejected it without seeing the series; we felt that most fans would be like you -- they might have reservations to start but, if they tried it, they would like it. BTW, I have no problem with fans who DID try it and didn't like it. Not every series is going to satisfy every reader. As a creator, you just do your best and hope that enough people WILL like what you do.

And Jan and I hope that for the next project as well.

-- John

 

We put Luke's Force Ghost into our proposal to see if it would go through. It did. In the final issue, we laid the possibility that it wasn't Luke's Force Ghost at all but a voice inside Cade's head. That's also been a possibility, Whi8ch is true? Reader's choice.

I've heard reports that Lucas read the comics but I have no first hand confirmation. On occasion we may head broad pronouncements regarding SW that applies to all media but I can't remember anything specific to LEGACY.

-- John

 

1) Krayt came first as a concept. The question became -- who was he when he took of the helmet? It needed to be someone that was known in order to have sufficient impact. Hett emerged as the best candidate; he was created in DH comics and there was already a dark edge to him, we felt. It also gave a tragic touch -- Hett was a GOOD Jedi who had suffered a lot of loss. We felt there was sufficient motivation for him to turn to the dark side.

2) I was part of the initial planning for VECTOR. Jan and I wanted our VECTOR segment to also be a key LEGACY arc. Krayt's apparent death and disappearance from the series would be a key event for LEGACY (although we always planned to bring him back).

3) No plans that I remember to bring in any more characters from the past (although with visions -- who knows?). We had enough characters to juggle with just using the ones we created!

-- John

 

I use a lot of soundtrack music when I write and not always what you would suspect. I prefer music without words because I'm trying to generate a feeling that might yield an image which might yield a story or plot concept or character or something. Do I sometimes use SR music? Of course -- John Williams is always inspiring. But there are also other composers I use such as Jerry Goldsmith, John Newton Howard, Randy Newman and others. It depends on the scene.

-- John

 

Yet to get my copy, but whatever I end up posting about it, this is fascinating reading - thanks for taking the time.

 

Thanks for five wonderful years, John and Jan. I can finally get off the edge of my seat and touch a chairback that's been gathering dust since June 2006.

I feel like I should have a million questions, but nothing urgent comes to mind. Everything I needed to know was written and drawn on Legacy's pages. I guess I'll just ask something minor and inconsequential about this week's issue. Is that Gunner standing next to her pop during the funeral? With the long hair and the downcast eyes? That's all.

 

On a subconscious level, I'm sure there was but I can't say there was on a conscious level. I wanted to have someone from the GA as part of the mix, I wanted an alien admiral, and I wanted someone who wasn't perfect. And he was willing to do almost anything to win (witness sacrificing his flagship). He was also created just as a one-off -- a supporting character to appear one time. The Admiral didn't sit for that. If I was to compare him to another fictional character in a different series, I guess i would say he was like Adm. Adama in the reboot of Battlestar Gallactica, And I don't think even that was exact.

-- John

 

1) We knew, of course, that there would have to be a final showdown between Cade and Krayt but I don't know as we had all that many specific places to go with the characters. We try to create precise characters when we start a series but there's a sort of organic process as well and, for me, that's been true in all my writing. There are some places that the characters WANT to go and, if you're smart, you follow them.

2) I think we might have paced it differently if we knew there was a specific end number. OTOH, the market changed a lot since the series began and, sometimes, you have to be ready to deal with that. The reality is -- you can be cancelled at any time. Just a reality not only of comics but TV series as well.

-- John

 

I don't mean to sound rude, but he always struck me as a more Pattion (sp) type, with a bit of De Gual in there. But then I never really watched the New BSG anyway. So I just saw more of these guys in him any way cool to know.

 

That's fine, AusStig. Everyone brings their own frame of reference and that's valid. Heaven knows I've seen the movie PATTON often enough that it could be stuck in the back of my brain. I certainly wanted to create an iconic figure and Patton certainly was one.

-- John

 

I don't think that Nyna=Morrigan=Cade's mom was there from the absolute start but it certainly was there before we finished the first arc. By the time Morrigan appeared, it was already set -- Jan designed Morrigan so that she and Nyna could be the same person. We knew that we would need Cade's Mom accounted for at some point and this seemed like the most interesting idea. It certainly added that extra layer to Nyna that really made her interesting. IMO.

-- John

 

I think the Nyna/Morrigan character was one of the things that made LEGACY so interesting. These kind of stories usually only focus on the main character's father, with the mother either absent or long-dead and unimportant. It seemed that it would be that way with LEGACY at first... but then we learned Cade's mom was a secret Imperial agent. Then we learned she had a dual identity as the cold and calculating Moff Nyna Calixte, and was partially responsible for the One Sith's rise to power. Yet despite working for the bad guys, she loved her son, and risked everything to rescue him, and eventually came around to the good guys. Also, Morrigan/Nyna showed that a NON-Force-sensitive character can still be a formidable opponent or ally, something that has been sorely missing from Star Wars lately. LEGACY was great, but I don't think it would have been nearly as great without this character. So glad she lives.

 

Rereading some of the old issues, there's one thing that didn't fully click with me so I figure I'll ask for some clarification:

Was Nyna always meant to be Roan's spy? It seemed like you were leading us towards another character like Rus.

 

I've got one, though it's a much smaller question than some of the others that have been asked.

Who's idea was it to briefly put Nihilus in the comic? KOTOR and KOTOR II are arguably what made me like SW, even more than the movies, so of course I was happy to see him. I think he's a really interesting character, and was glad to see him referenced outside of the games. Well, thanks for whoever it was

 

Thank you John and Jan for making the most original and epic Star Wars series ever. It?s really sad that this is probably the end for the Legacy era. The Imperial Knights, The Hidden temple, The One Sith, Luke the force ghost, Cade and Krayth, and all the other wonderful ideas you have given us in the last five years, will be truly missed.

After seing ep. 3(which dident work for me at all) I had lost all interest in Star Wars, Legacy made me like it again.

Thank you.

 

Actually I was just about to ask that. Also, on that note what happened to Rus? Did he indeed disappear as Veed mentioned or was that just to keep Nyna off guard. Also did the rest of the Moffs join the Fels?

 

Guess that's all the answers we're going to get

 

We apparently aren't asking the right questions.

But I've got one: What is Cade's favorite colored death stick?


And a less serious one I forgot to ask earlier: Chak the Wookiee -- he hangs out with Devaronians a lot. Back when the series first started, I had wondered if Vilmarh Grahrk would ever make an appearance, or at least have a mention. Was there ever any plan to expand on Chak's story, or was he always meant to serve as a cameo-type character?

 

Cade's fave deathstick color -- Blue.

RE: Chak

We always wanted to use him more but you have to follow the story and see where it goes and the opportunity to work more of Chak and Kee in just didn't happen. Would Villie have got a mention, let alone an appearance? never know now. Sorry.

Answering more questions? We're awfully busy on our new project so -- I don't know. I can't go back over the thread looking. Again, sorry. If I see one like this I'll do what I can.

-- John

 

Why didn't we SEE Attatag Gossem? The first issue #0 hyped him up pretty well, and we got simply a throwaway line in War that he was there.

What would his role have been?

 

Again, we never had a story into which he fit and we had a large cast as it was. His role would have been defined by the stories he was in.

-- John

 

whoa..talk about bumping up a dead bantha!!! guess its time to reload on some LEGACY questions..

Did A'Sharad Hett fathered a child? (You would think he would desire to extend his seed in honor of his dad..heck..even Wyyylok has Sarai..just curious..or this is a "no-no question"?)

Shadojoker

 

Actually we DID see him, in LEGACY: WAR, on the Wheel.




So many questions... I don't expect all answered, but even a few would make my day.



3 General Questions:

*Who was the woman standing next to Yage at the end of WAR #6, during Roan's funeral? Was it supposed to be Gunner, with the long hair? Or someone new?

*Were those Tr'a Saa's children growing at the site of the Hidden Temple, at the very end?

*Did you always know how Roan Fel and Krayt were going to die, and did you always plan on those characters surviving that did (especially the villains Nihl, Maladi, Talon, Havok, Chalk)?



3 Sith Questions:

*The big surprise for me is that Nihl already had plans in place for Krayt's death, he told all One Sith to retreat to the predetermined coordinates (Krayt didn't seem like he had a Plan B in mind at the end). Did Nihl forsee this ending, and was simply biding his time through the last six issues?

*Can you explain Krayt's vision to me, and his plan with Cade at the end? I'm not sure I understand Krayt's vision... How are Sith immune since they're not a species? Or is he saying that the Sith would live on in spirits, then recreate and heal their bodies, like Krayt did?

*Was Hogrum Chalk in on Maladi and Krayt's plan?




Oh, and I would absolutely buy a Morrigan/Kol novel written by you! Or any Legacy era novel written by you! I know you must be really busy with two new comics, just saying...