Chabon?s impressive list of other works includes The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, A Model World, Wonder Boys, Summerland and Werewolves in Their Youth. His work has appeared in the New Yorker, Harper?s, Esquire, and Playboy, among other places, and in a number of anthologies, among them Prize Stories 1999: The O. Henry Awards and Best American Short Stories 2002. His most recent project was guest editing and contributing to McSweeney's #10, -AKA McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales. He lives in Berkeley, California with his wife Ayelet Waldman, also a novelist, and their children.
Michael Chabon was gracious enough to take some time out to answer a few questions for Dark Horse about the upcoming Escapist comic!
Who is the Escapist? Does he have powers or is he more like Batman?
The Escapist is the greatest living champion of the League of the Golden Key, a secret global brotherhood dedicated, from ancient times, to the furthering the cause of liberation and freedom from oppression and slavery, whether physical or psychological. He has been trained in the ancient art of escape and is a master of locks, chains, ropes, ties, knots, and fastenings of all kinds. Prison walls, iron bars, steel restraints, such things are child?s play to him. In addition, thanks to the mystic power of his Golden Key, he has greater than normal strength and agility.
Will comics fans be able to enjoy The Escapist comic without having read Kavalier and Clay?
If they aren?t, then I have failed miserably in my goal, which is simply to produce a character and a cycle of stories that can stand, on their own, with the best of them.
What about his rogues gallery, any cool villains?
Over the years the Escapist has fought a number of fell agents of the dreaded Iron Chain, ancient enemies of the League of the Golden Key. These include but are certainly not limited to Kommandant X, the Iron Gauntlet, the Saboteur, Wotan the Wicked, the Panzer, and the sinister team of fifth-columnists and terrorists known as the United Snakes of America.
Who is Luna Moth?
Luna Moth was the second great creation of the team of Joe Kavalier & Sam Clay, after the Escapist. She is a mystic traveler of eldritch realms, endowed with the powers of the ancient moth goddess Lo.
Are you a comics fan yourself or did you just find the subject matter interesting?
I am a second-generation comics reader. I fell in love with comics at the age of six or seven and was a passionate fan until my teens. When I began work on the novel, I rediscovered the joys of comic books and have since returned very happily to the fold.
How involved will you be with The Escapist comics?
I have written a story for the first issue and hope to write stories for subsequent issues, as well. In addition I am overseeing or taking a hand in everything from the choice of writers and artists to character design, story planning and overall look and feel of the book.
What super power would you rather have, flight or invisibility?
Well, if you were invisible, you would be blind. So I guess I choose flight.