IDW group editing Heather Antos supervise everything StarCraft. So you better believe that us Star Wars fans our hearts skip a beat every time we get the chance to ask her about her work on our favorite series!
We contacted Antos via email and asked her all about her personal history StarCraftabout the series being nominated for the inaugural Eisner Award in 2023, and about the 2024 Eisner Award nominations “StarCraft: Blood Day” – Shax’s best day.
AVERY KAPLAN: It’s been a long road from there to here. In your own words, can you tell How has your previous editing experience impacted your work at IDW? StarCraft?
Heather Antos: Oh my god, how to sum up the comics publishing in the past 10 years now… Well, ha! I like to think of myself as an observant person – someone who is able to carry with me knowledge and experiences that I find beneficial and learn what not to do in every chapter of my career.
My experience in self-publishing taught me how to be hands-on in the trenches. I learn as much as I can about each character in the comic-making process. From writing to art to production to marketing…my philosophy has always been that in order to best collaborate with others, respecting the characters and being able to use the language is crucial. It also helps me step in when necessary.
When I got into direct market, I learned a lot about not only how direct market works in the realm of retailers and fans, but also how editorial and creative vision drives it all. Not only did I learn how to execute a well-crafted single issue, I learned how each issue played a role in its own run… each run in its own group… each group within the overall story universe. I learned how good events are planned…how not-so-good events are received. I learned which battles to choose, when to ask for forgiveness, and how to truly advocate for the team’s vision. I learned how to work with outside partners and how to align their needs for the franchise with our needs as a publisher to create the best comics we could…and how to do it within a budget and Complete all of the above and more on time.
So with all of this in mind when I was asked John Barber (Our former EiC) Which IDW license interests me the most? StarCraft is the immediate leader. It’s a series with such a long history – both in and out of print – but no one seems to know that the comics (and some really good ones!) exist. They’re almost treated like an afterthought across the industry, and I really want to change that. Show the world how cool and fun it is StarCraft Stories can. I wanted to create a series of comics for comics fans, not just StarCraft fans (and of course still give StarCraft fan level trek story! I wanted to build our own comic worlds, engage and interact with each other…and give the books real stakes and impact. Doing things they could never do on the show. I think we have!
Kaplan: Can you tell us about your personal experience? StarCraft?
pain: StarCraft This is actually one of the earliest shows I remember watching as a kid. replay new generation Often featured in syndication, this is one of the few things my dad has seen that I also find interesting! As much as I love comics, I really can’t remember a moment in my life StarCraft Not part of it.
KAPLAN: What type of collaboration does IDW work with? StarCraftlicensor? what is Participate in the work process StarCraft Canon (and Beta Canon)?
pain: Everything we did went through the good folks at Paramount (and Secret Hideout when necessary) multiple times. From high concept to pitch, from outline to script, from layout to pencils, inks, colors and letters… character designs and cover concepts… it’s all reviewed, discussed and documented. This is a highly collaborative process. We meet once a week via Zoom to go through all the art-related content that comes in and review every page, panel, sketch, you name it. We always have multiple email threads discussing any nitty-gritty details of individual projects.
Very dedicated! That’s why these books are of such quality! Teamwork makes the dream come true, right?
Kaplan: We are StarCraft: Celebration Ranked #1 on The Beat. what was invested Does this anthology go together? Can we expect another one next year? A shot in the cards?
pain: Ah, thank you so much! StarCraft: Celebration It has been in the works for a long, long time and was one of the first projects I launched when I took over the license.
StarCraft is a franchise that has long been associated with celebrating its more diverse characters and ideologies, and it was important to me to continue that in the comics themselves. Doing an event for Pride Month that focuses on Trek’s characters in the queer community seems like the most agreed-upon way to launch between both partners (IDW and Paramount), and I’d love to see it Celebrations Keep growing to be able to celebrate in other months.
Kaplan: Congratulations on the Eisner Award nomination StarCraft: Bloody Day – Shax’s best day! am i right StarCraft Nominated for the first Eisner Award Did you receive any editorial guidance from you last year? Can you tell us about the origins and Executing a memorable and hopefully soon award-winning Shax hit Best day?
pain: Thank you so much! Last year, when the film received not just one, but two Eisner nominations, I was sure this would never happen again. I was truly humbled when the announcement came out!
Shax’s best day Honestly, it started as a joke. Jackson, Colin, Keith, and my then-former editorial assistant Vanessa were all at the IDW offices in Los Angeles, and we detailed DAY OF BLOOD during a two-day writers retreat. At the time, our pitch for the second installment of the flagship series was under review with Paramount, including our request to use Shaxs as a cast member. And because we weren’t yet confident we’d be able to use him in the series, we were careful not to make Shaxs a key factor in any major plot points of the event, in case our request was denied.
It became a running joke in the room: “While Sisko and Wolfe went to fight Kallus, Shax was having his best day fighting the fascists!” While Ra was debating what it meant to be a hero, Shax was having his best day ever, blowing up the Warp Core “ETC.
As we wrapped up our two-day stay in the room, I turned to my then-boss Jamie S. Rich and asked, “Do you think they’ll approve it?” The rest is history. I pitched the idea to Ryan North Because he just finished writing the script change your own way He gave it his all. Chris Fenogliowho drew the original picture? lower deck The miniseries is busy drawing twist your own Wayso I asked the legendary artist Derek Chaim Join the team and well, here we are!
KAPLAN: So do we. Star Wars: Lower Decks miniseries, looking for Forward change your own way Fall 2024. Making fun of this graphic novel?
pain: change your own way It was truly a creative labor of love for all involved. I myself was a huge fan of choose-your-own games as a kid and always wanted to try making one.
after first success lower deck I pitched this OGN idea right away for the 2022 miniseries, and two years of blood, sweat, and tears later…here we are! 200 pages of truth Cerritos confusion! Ryan, Chris, Charlie and Jeff have done some of the best work of their careers here… I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that they’re just getting started…
As for the graphic novel itself, prepare to be exploded multiple times, sucked into a black hole, destroyed by a Greek god, and killed by a genocidal maniac before you find your way out of Kobayashi Maru. Did I mention there’s math involved? It is completely uninvolved.
Kaplan: What’s your favorite StarCraft Series, episodes and characters? bonus, maybe More Challenging Questions: Favorite StarCraft comics?
pain: It’s hard to pick an absolute favorite episode, and I’m sure many people will agree. But I always say if I had to pick just one episode StarCraft To represent the entire franchise, I choose strange new world Season 2, Episode 2 “Ad Astra Per Aspera”.
Favorite series….well…it’s a tie original series, TNG, lower deckor strange new world. Sorry, can’t narrow it down further.
Favorite character…Beverly Crusher was my number one favorite character growing up, second only to Princess Leia. Strong redhead doesn’t take shit from her peers? love it. But right now, I feel most similar to a sailor. And Buggy. Buggy is the greatest StarCraft The character has been created and I won’t be documenting it any further.
As for favorite manga…I have to choose StarCraft #400. It holds a very special place in my heart because it was the first StarCraft Any “Heather Antos” vision for the series. It was this question that started this whole crazy ride. I will be forever grateful to this issue and to the people who believed in it and wanted to be a part of it… and the fact that it received its first Eisner nomination in 50 years of publishing. I thought it read well too!
Kaplan: What can we expect? Star Wars: Starfleet Academy (Series) Comics? There’s something else StarCraft What other comics should readers look forward to in the future?
pain: Now, now, you know I can’t talk about anything that we haven’t officially announced yet! All I have to say is be sure to keep an eye out for any news coming out of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. I hear we’re going to be discussing some exciting stuff there…
Not to mention monumental StarCraft #500 will launch in September! Reaching 500 issues is an amazing feat and we are very excited about it. Including some new stories we’ll be teasing in the future…
Kaplan: What would you order from a food replicator?
pain: Probably drinking a lot of coffee. Or Pizza Hut breadsticks. Those things are delicious.
Kaplan: Is there anything else you want me to add?
pain: I think a big misconception people have about licensed comics is that you have to be the biggest fan of the brand to like the comic…and while that may be true in some cases, I think overall that’s simply not true -especially for StarCraft comics.
These comics are made for comic book fans first and foremost. If you like stories about down-to-earth and complex characters in surreal and far-flung places, fighting for the greater good and hoping to create a better world for all…then these are the stories for you. If you love world art, laugh-out-loud panels, and high-impact stakes? Then you will definitely like these comics. period.
Learn more about IDW StarCraft Comics on the publisher’s website.
Keep up with all things The Beat StarCraft Coverage here.
Cover image source: Robbie Cook Variation is Shax’s best day ever.
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