When Greg Pak was announced as the writer of Dynamite Entertainment's new Battlestar Galactica series, based on the hit Sci Fi Channel TV show, a lot of other writers envied him the assignment. Others, though, weren't so sure. The show has clearly resonated with its fans, but it was really tightly written. Would it even be possible to write in-continuity stories for a show that was that taut from episode to episode? We asked our own Executive Editor J.C. Vaughn, no stranger to firm continuity as the writer of IDW Publishing's 24 to ask Pak about the ups and downs of such projects.

Scoop: Though they're in totally different genres, Battlestar Galactica bears comparison to 24 in how tightly it's plotted and scripted. Where I have a lot of room between days (or seasons) in writing comics based on 24, though, Galactica has basically been one continuous story since the mini-series. How difficult was it for you coming up with a plot that the show's writing staff might not render moot with future episodes?
Greg Pak (GP): The challenge is to tell stories that matter but which can fit into the continuity of an ongoing show. I had a big idea for a story which would follow up on one of the major emotional storylines from the first season - namely, the death of Commander Adama's son Zak and its impact upon the relationships between Adama, Starbuck, and Apollo. And I had some big ideas for stories which would take us to the next step in understanding the Cylons and their origins and motivations. Everything fell into place when Ron Moore suggested the middle of season two as a good place to stage our tales. Knowing that our stories would take place after the return of Kobol but before the arrival of the Pegasus meant that I had the full cast I needed and that the stories fit into a real place in the show's continuity, thereby helping create a seamless link between the show and the comic books.

Scoop: How long did it take you to fully develop it? What was the process from pitch to fruition?
GP: The initial pitch came together over the course of about a month, in the middle of which the folks at Dynamite and I had a great phone conversation with Ron Moore. I remember being on pins and needles before that phone call - we had no idea what ideas Moore would approve or disapprove of. The fantastic thing was that he was totally willing to let us explore all the shows big character conflicts and themes. He gave a few key pointers and we were off. Over the next few weeks, I refined the treatment and then started churning out scripts - all of which have been approved by Universal with only minimal questions or requests for clarification. I've said it before - I still can't believe they're letting us tell the stories we're telling. It's a huge amount of fun and I'm very grateful to be working with folks who are so open to new ideas.

Scoop: What kind of reaction have you had from Universal or the show staff?
GP: I haven't had the chance to meet any writers yet, alas. But all of our scripts have been approved so far.

Scoop: How quickly did you take to the new Battlestar Galactica? Did you like it right from the beginning?
GP: Loved it from the first ten seconds of the miniseries. It's honestly the first show since the Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk series that I changed my schedule in order to watch.

Scoop: Were you a fan of the original series or did you come straight to the new one without the trappings of the old one?
GP: I was a giant fan of the original series as a kid. Loved the epic, mythic storyline. Loved the Cylons with their roving red eyes. Loved the weird bug people in the pilot. Loved the design and look of the ships and tech. It's nice that a show I enjoyed so much as a kid has been re-imagined in a way that lets me love the new version just as much as an adult.

Scoop: Adama's voice, Baltar's, President Roslin's and Starbuck's particular manners of speaking have a tremendous role in the way their lines come across. As a writer working without the benefit of sound for the audience, how important to the storytelling process is nailing their dialogue?
GP: It's critical for a few reasons. First, the readership of a comic like this is likely to come primarily from fans of the show. And if the voices of the characters in the comic book don't match the voices that fans have learned to love from the show, we won't keep a hold of them for long. So I've worked very hard to nail the nuances of the various characters' voices in order to make the comic as satisfying to fans of the show as I can. But there's an even more critical reason to strive to nail those voices - the show works in a large part because the actors put their own subtle spin on their brilliantly written dialogue. So when I succeed in nailing a nuance of a character's voice, it usually also means that I've found another level to the scene, another, more subtle way of conveying some aspect of a conflict or relationship. In short, the show's so good that if I succeed in finding ways to sound like the show, I'm usually stepping up the level of storytelling in the comic book.

Scoop: How much do t the characters' likenesses have to do with successfully pulling off a good Battlestar Galactica story? Is the art or the script more important?
GP: We made a conscious decision not to go for photographic likenesses with the art. Instead, the penciller, Nigel Raynor, is striving to represent the emotional essence of the characters. I think it's a smart plan - it keeps us from falling into the kind of stiffness which might result by going for photographic realism. And Nigel's nailing all the emotional moments beautifully. Nigel's a pleasure to work with because he truly understands the story and the nuances of each script and each moment. He's working with pretty subtle moments and he has a great instinct for when the camera should be close or wide, for what kinds of angles will be the most powerful, for how much to show on characters' faces and how much to leave hidden.

Scoop: Do you find the amount of detail required in this kind of script liberating, constricting or not a factor?
GP: When I first started writing comic book scripts, I thought it was exhausting. I'm trained as a screenwriter, and screenwriting tends to have far fewer detailed descriptions of camera angles and framing. Those are the details which are worked out in preproduction and on set with directors and cast and crew working face to face. But comic book collaborators may never meet in person. We'll email each other -- if we're lucky, we may talk on the phone from time to time. But that's different from working side by side every day the way collaborators do on a film set. So I've found that the most efficient way to make the process in comics work as smoothly as possible is to front-load the script with all the relevant details about framing and camera placement and costumes and props and locations. It's like a film script plus director's notes. Things always change as the artist comes up with fresh and better ideas, but it's important to get the information out there to get the process started on the right track. Like I said, when I first started, I found all that detail exhausting to write out. But now I'm used to it - it comes pretty naturally and it's satisfying to find those ways to describe what needs to be described as efficiently and elegantly as I can.

Scoop: Who's your favorite character to write thus far?
GP: Adama. I love his less-is-more dialogue, his wry sense of humor, and his ability to make the ruthless, hardcore decisions when the survival of the fleet depends on it. Although I'm starting to work with Baltar more in subsequent issues, and I have to say, he's pretty darn fun. He's one of those glib characters who's constantly playing with words, cracking wise, and outright lying. It's a lot of fun as a writer to cut loose a bit with his dialogue, although then you have the new challenge to stay in control and not get too clever for the story's own good.

Scoop: What should readers expect from this series?
GP: An emotionally and intellectually epic storyline which delves deep into the most wrenching conflicts among the series' most beloved characters while exploring the big questions of who the Cylons are and what it means to be human.

Scoop: What else are you working on presently?
GP: The first issue of X-Men: Phoenix - Warsong hits stores on September 6 - it's the sequel to the X-Men: Phoenix - Endsong miniseries I wrote back in 2005, and it's going to be crazy. I highly recommend that anyone who was a fan of the Grant Morrison New X-Men run check it out - we're delving into some dark corners of those issues with special emphasis on three eerie blondes known as the Stepford Cuckoos. It's going to be creepy, loopy mind-blower with some gorgeous art by Tyler Kirkham.

I'm also the writer of the “Planet Hulk” storyline in the Incredible Hulk comic book. It's a huge science fiction epic in which the Hulk is exiled to an alien planet where he becomes a slave, then a gladiator, and finally a rebel leading an army against the wicked Red King. Issue #98 hits stores on September 13.

For the latest on all my comics and film projects, feel free to visit www.pakbuzz.com.

+ click to zoom