Science Fiction Trading Card Spotlight - John Jackson Miller
Our next Trading Card Spotlight features John Jackson Miller, who currently is displayed on card number 335, from the Science Fiction Collection. John is a New York Times Best Seller, who has a passion for Science Fiction and Comics. In 2003, John became a professional comic book writer with Crimson Dynamo for Marvel. He spent a year writing Iron Man. This led him to work for Lucas Films where he wrote Star Wars novels. Video Game novels such as Halo, Mass Effect and The Simpsons are also on his resume of work. You can see more of Johns work as well as order your own copies at www.farawaypress.com
How has writing today changed from when you were younger? What do you like or dislike about the changes?
Certainly, the idea of writing on deadline is something I never faced when I was doing things for myself. But that means I actually get the books finished. One reason I have mostly done tie-in stories in other people’s sandboxes is exactly that: it is much easier for me to focus on finishing something if I am writing it for someone else, rather than writing it for myself.
How early in your life did you know you would be a writer?
I was writing and drawing my own comics stories from age six, at around the same time that I started reading them (and collecting trading cards). Later I started using my parents’ typewriter to write stories, and they eventually let me keep it in my room full-time. By the time I got my first computer at age 15, I had a whole file cabinet full of stories. I still have it — and the computer still works!
What are your favorite type of books and why?
I read a lot of Hollywood biographies and books about the history of television, as it is one of my few hobbies that I have not tried to turn into a job! I have very few pursuits that I have not tried to incorporate into my work somehow.
What are your favorite hobbies today?
There’s the above; I also play a lot of turn-based computer games of the Civilization variety. I also do a lot of research into comic-book history for my website, Comichron.com.
How has your involvement in the writing profession been important to you?
It’s put food on the table for most of my life, so I’d say it’s been critical!
What does it take to be a professional writer today?
Dedication, patience, resilience, and an ability to hit deadlines. Pretty much the same as it always was!
What do you think about electronic books that you can download versus the actual physical hard copy?
As a writer, I am glad that people have options. As a reader, I spend enough time looking at screens, so I always prefer the physical version. I feel the same way about trading cards — electronic cards never made much sense to me!
What authors do you admire today and who did you look up to as a child?
Today, it’s too many to mention — everyone that I’ve talked writing with over the years has had some impact on me. As a kid, I was a fan of Arthur C. Clarke — and the slew of creators behind the comics that I loved.
What are your favorite books past and present?
Another huge question. I’ll say that the comic book that probably most influenced my Knights of the Old Republic Series was Dreadstar, by Jim Starlin.
Who is your favorite celebrity and what makes that person special?
Maggie Thompson, the cofounder of comics fandom with her husband Don, worked with me for over a decade at Comics Buyer’s Guide, and I learned a huge amount about comics from her. I am still learning from her. I want to be Maggie when I grow up!
Did you play video games growing up and what were some of your favorites?
Yes, my first system was the Mattel Intellivision. They had the first Civilization-style game for a console, Utopia. And their Tron Deadly Discs game is one I still play today.
What are your opinions about today’s generation of science fiction books?
I wish they were shorter, so I would have time to read more! My to-read stack is several bookcases by now.
Do you believe some science fiction movies are too violent and lead to violence in America today?
Not every movie is my cup of tea, but I do not believe in blaming movies any more than I thought comics needed to be blamed in the 1950s.
If you could own only one book that was not written by you, what would it be and why?
It would need to be a book that tells me how to cope with not being able to own any books. I would certainly need it!
Did you ever think when you were younger you would be on a trading card?
Certainly not, and I collected a lot of trading cards. As a kid, I actually designed a few of my own — but never one with me on it! I was on one a few years ago that the 501st Legion, the Star Wars costuming group did, and it was a thrill then. I ran out of those cards years ago, so it was exciting when Walter Day invited me to appear on one.
When did you first meet Walter Day and where was it at?
That would have been August 2021 at Planet Comicon in Kansas City. My fellow Star Trek author Dayton Ward introduced us.
If you could describe Walter Day in one word, what would that word be and why?
Creative. This is certainly a very clever passion project that he has started.
Are you still involved with writing today, and what role do you play?
I am a full-time novelist and comics writer. Over the last decade I’ve written several novels each for Star Wars and Star Trek, and original comics for licenses including Mass Effect, Halo, Conan, Battlestar Galactica, The Simpsons, and The Lion King. The role differs by medium: as a comics scriptwriter I am more like a TV or movie screenwriter, whereas in prose I am also the director and cinematographer, explaining what everything looks like to a greater degree than when I have artists to work with.
If you did not become a writer, what would you be doing?
That’s an interesting question, because most of the things that I looked at doing besides writing still involved writing in some manner. I certainly did not have the math chops to be an engineer, as I found out in a very short flirtation with astronautics as a pursuit. I guess I would probably be a stockbroker or something!
What do you see yourself doing in the next 10 years?
Trying to hit my next deadline! Thanks for the interview.