I think we get really lucky here at TwelveFingers sometimes. Today’s 5 questions interview with writer M. Zachary Sherman (Shrapnel, Maelstrom II) is no exception. Mr. Sherman has penned comic scripts for Marvel, Radical, Image, and Dark Horse and is currently working on America’s Army: The Comic based on the game as well as the second book in is SOCOM: SEAL Team Seven trilogy. This is one busy man. I have no idea how he found time to share his experience with us, but he did and I for one am very grateful.

1. Tell us about your comic. What’s it about? Why is it cool?

Shrapnel is essentially “Joan of Arc” in space. How much cooler can you get than that?! (Laughs)

Shrapnel focuses on a future where humanity has reached out and colonized the Solar System and a Solar Alliance governs the planets similarly to the way ancient Rome dominated over their territories. Venus, the last free colony in the system, is doing what it can to remain neutral throughout this conflict of planetary war, but finds itself in trouble when the Alliance finally comes knocking. To do what it can to battle the domineering Marine forces of the Alliance in order to remain sovereign. Unbeknownst to the Marines, or even the Colonists themselves, one of the Alliance’s greatest heroes has exiled herself on the lost planet, hoping to escape the life she once knew as a warrior. Now, pulled back into the fight, she got to teach the Colonist how to fight for their freedom and come to terms with her own past.

At the heart of the book is Samantha, the heroine of the book, who’s struggling with this and more; her guilt comes from the fact she was in command when several hundred civilians got killed on Mars. As an Alliance Marine, it was her job to protect and serve the people’s interests, but at the same time, her feelings start to get in the way of her duty. Once she understands the guilt, she’s able to overcome it and push forward, helping Venus to fight for its freedom from the Solar Alliance’s tyrannical rule.

The book is truly about the struggles we go through to forgive ourselves for the actions we’ve committed in the past. Most of us have something we regret; whether it was hurting someone emotionally, doing something dishonest, whatever it is, the only way to make amends for it is to first forgive yourself for that act and do what you can to make up for it. Shrapnel, at its core, deepest concept is about forgiving yourself and moving on with life.

Thanks, Dr. Phil… Why is this book cool again? (laughs) Okay, okay, it’s got awesome space battles, sci-fi technology, kick-ass ground wars and amazing art, too. That’s really what makes it cool. The art is amazing! I love the epic feel of the book; the Imaginary Friends artisits have done a stupendous job capturing that real “Laurence of Arabia” “Ben-Hur” epic feel to the images I had in my head when writing this type of story.

2. Who are your biggest influences?

For me, several immediate names come to mind–

For comics, it’s writers like Chuck Dixon and Mark Waid, screenplay writers Lawrence Kasdan and James Cameron are huge, novelists like Patrick O’Brian and Philip K. Dick and playwrights Robert Shaw and Neil Simon top the list. Wheh! Maybe I need to go outside more… Separately, they are all very different types of writers, but together they all have something in common I’ve been trying to capture my entire writing career: a real strong grasp on character and motivation.

Obviously, science fiction is a big part of my life, especially having worked on all three of the new Star Wars prequels at Industrial Light and Magic, but all of that really needs to take a back seat to the characters in the story. If you don’t create interesting people we want to become invested in right from the outset, then no one’s gonna care about what setting you put them in. People are the driving force behind any story and we need to care about those people from the get-go or your story is moot.

The new Battlestar Galactic was so good at capturing this and following through with it from the very beginning of the show to each week. They really created a cadre of emotions that flowed deeply from the souls of those characters that millions tune in every week just to see where their relationships will go next. Fantastic stuff…

3. On a more personal note: how did you end up where you are today? What lead you to comics?

It wasn’t a straight shot, that’s for sure… I started in film, doing everything I could to learn the business the best I could. I had some great friends that did everything from costumer, prop maker to editor that really helped me to learn as much as I could. That type of education you really can’t get n a class-room, so I started working in film as quickly as I could doing everything from Production Assistant all the way up to First Assistant Director, but all of that really took a back seat to writing for me.

On my own time, in the car, in the bathroom (sorry for the visual), I really tried to come up with interesting stories that people would like. Then the advent of computers in VFX really took off and it seemed the right place to be– for a time. You just can’t fulfill yourself creatively working on other people’s projects, and film can be limiting by budgets and time, but comics? Open slate because if the artist can draw it, there it is! No miniature fx budget blown when I destroy an entire planet with a comet! So I started trying to write my own…

Bob Shreck from DC (at the time) was a huge influence on me early on. Speaking with him at a WonderCon show, I asked him what I needed to do to write for comics. He was very helpful with advice and even kept in touch with me, offering to look over some stuff I had written. After some brutally honest critiques, I just kept refining my style.

But it was Kieron Dwyer and Larry Young who really pushed me to do my own stuff and stop playing fan-boy. I really, really want to work with the big two, trust me, but you don’t stop writing just because you haven’t gotten that job yet. They told me to write my own books, focus on creator-owned content so I could prove to a Marvel or a DC I could actually do what I wanted to do. With a project under my belt, I’d be able to approach an editor at Marvel or DC, hand them a book and say, “I’d really like to work for you, here’s something I’ve done in the past.”

4. What advice would you give to someone trying to break into comics?

As a writer, I have to say this–

“To write” is a verb. A verb is a word that describes an action or an occurrence. Get off yer duff and do it. You need to write! And please, don’t think because you can type an email to someone that automatically makes you a writer! You need to actually write. And don’t talk about what you’re going to write with your family or your buddies– No, they’re not going to rip you off, but it takes the POWER away from the idea and the more you TALK about it, the less time you’re taking DOING it!!

You just need to write! Once you have that done, you need to show it to people. Go to cons, email editors, but do it in a professional manner. Don’t bombard them, be pro about it. But you need to WRITE.

5. What’s your all-time favorite movie?

Now that’s not fair, but if I REALLY had to choose, it’d be a tie between Casablanca and Raider of the Lost Ark. Maybe I should have been born in the 20’s, who knows?

Learn more about M. Zachary Sherman at his website: www.mzacharysherman.com