Acclaimed actress Claudia Christianwell known for her role in Babylon 5is releasing a compendium edition of its captivating universe of Dark Legacies through Zoop! Co-written by Christian and Chris McAuley, This edition showcases stunning artwork by industry legends Glenn Fabry and Staz Johnson.
We at The Beat reached out to Christian via email to discuss her new project, how it came to be, and what inspiration she used to write this new sci-fi story!
DIEGO HIGUERA: What inspired you and Chris McAuley to create the Dark Legacies universe, and how did the collaboration come about?
CLAUDIA CHRISTIAN: Chris and I talked about a sci-fi project with hope and with fallible characters, not your typical heroes. We also agreed that there is a fan base out there of a certain age that wants to see relatable characters of a similar age dealing with similar challenges that they have in their lives; deception, family issues, trust, politics, the decline of their country or planet and a sense of moral obligation to live the truth. I also wanted to have a strong, female-driven arc and Chris kindly worked with me to write the superb characters of Jessica and Rebecca Steele for Pat Tallman and myself.
HIGUERA: Can you tell us more about the storyline and main themes of Dark Legacies?
CHRISTIAN: In a dystopian future where corporate greed intertwines with alien technology, Major Jessica Steele, haunted by a tragic past, investigates a series of brutal murders linked to a dark military experiment. As she uncovers a conspiracy within the United Planetary Alliance, Steele must confront her own demons and the lethal consequences of humanity’s dark legacies to save the galaxy from a relentless force with unimaginable powers.
FIG: What can readers expect from the first two chapters?
CHRISTIAN: The first story is an action sci-fi espionage tale which introduces the world of Dark Legacies, Jessica’s character, and a spec ops soldier who appears to be enacting brutal acts of revenge. The second issue delves into more of Jessica’s past and the trauma of witnessing her parents die at the hands of her sister – but all is not what it seems like as an alien invasion threatens life as we know it.
HIGUERA: The artwork in Dark Legacies is created by industry legends Glenn Fabry and Staz Johnson. How did they become involved in this project, and what unique elements do they bring to the story?
CHRISTIAN: Chris was very keen to get Staz on board as he was a fan of his style in 2000AD and thankfully Scratch Comics were able to entice him onto the project due to their shared love of sci-fi action stories. He brings powerful storytelling and precision to issue #1. The word legend; It’s used a lot in comic book circles but Glenn Fabry epitomizes that term with his detailed and expressive line work – he channels some Mobeus in issue 2 with the alien design.
HIGUERA: The campaign for Dark Legacies is an amazing endeavour What kind of response are you hoping to receive from fans and backers?
CHRISTIAN: I’m hoping that fans see the familiar faces they loved in Babylon 5, Star Trek, and other classic genre shows and get a kick out of that! I’m also hoping they feel that violence and action and human conflict are the tension that provides the basis for a great payoff in the form of hope, light, and change. It is not superfluous violence; It is used as a way of illustrating some of our greatest challenges as humans and the opportunity for us to reflect on choice: do we choose to fight or do we fold to evil?
HIGUERA: You mentioned that backers will have an opportunity to receive original art from Glenn Fabry. Can you share more details about this exclusive offer and what makes it special?
CHRISTIAN: Glenn Fabry still works traditionally and so all of the hand-drawn pages from the book are available and The Zoop campaign gives fans the opportunity to own some of those pages. There are also opportunities to get art commissions and one-off sketch covers from the artist. These will be extremely limited as Glenn puts a lot of work into his sketches and commissions from him.
FIG TREE: As an actress well known for your role in Babylon 5, how has your experience in the sci-fi genre influenced your writing for Dark Legacies? Are there any particular elements from your acting career that you’ve incorporated into the story?
CHRISTIAN: I seem to be cast as strong women often, must be my deep authoritative voice and height! Jessica certainly fits the bill of a character I would like to play in real life, conflicted, intelligent, and yet very vulnerable, scarred. Chris has a way of understanding that the most interesting characters are flawed and have had huge personal struggles and have come to some sort of peace with it or are still making their way through these struggles, the fallibility and sensitivity of these characters are key, in my opinion, to resonate with the fans who love good writing and great characters to lead them through the stories.
HIGUERA: Is there anything you would like to share with your fans and readers?
CHRISTIAN: I want to say “Thank you”….truly, thank you. Throughout my career, my fans have been so utterly supportive. Through my struggles and subsequent formation of my nonprofit, the making of my documentary film, One Little Pillthe writing of my books on addiction and my nonfiction….the fans have been with me, loving and kind the whole way. Dark Legacies is one way to honor them and their steadfast loyalty. I wanted to get a lot of my friends, and their favorite genre actors, together to make them smile and remind them of their favorite shows. I hope Dark Legacies brings them a little
joy!
Don’t miss out on Christian’s campaign now live on Zoop!
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