GOOD-BYE TO Y I: BRIAN K VAUGHAN, I

[MattBrady]

by Zack Smith

In the summer of 2002, a plague of unknown origin destroyed every last sperm, fetus and fully-developed mammal with a Y chromosome…with the apparent exception of one young man and his male pet.

For Yorick Brown, a would-be magician, it was the beginning of a quest across this new “Unmanned World” to rescue his girlfriend Beth, trapped in Australia at the time the plague hit. Aided by Agent 355 of the mysterious Culper Ring and Dr. Allison Mann, a scientist whose cloning experiments might hold the key to saving the human race (if they weren’t responsible for its downfall in the first place), Yorick and his helper monkey Ampersand found themselves journeying through a world turned upside-down.

They were pursued by Alter Tse'elon, an Israeli military leader seeking to capture the last man, and Yorick’s own sister Hero, who had been brainwashed by a cult determined to wipe all traces of patriarchy from the Earth. As the journey stretched on for five long years, Yorick and his friends found themselves battling for survival, discovering new possibilities for the future, and confronting their inner demons. Yorick’s quest forced him to do things he’d never imagined…and, in the process, helped him truly become a man.

And this week, the saga of Yorick Brown reaches its end.

With issue #60 of Vertigo’s Y: The Last Man hitting stands this Wednesday, Newsarama is doing its part to help the series go out in style. We’re dedicating a special week of interviews to Y, beginning with an in-depth look back from series writer and co-creator Brian K. Vaughan.

Vaughan was an up-and-coming writer with several Marvel and DC series to his credit when Y hit. The book helped propel him to the ranks of fan favorite, leading to such other acclaimed works as Ex Machina, Runaways, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ultimate X-Men, The Escapists, Pride of Baghdad, Doctor Strange and the upcoming Logan…not to mention a writing and producing gig on a little series called Lost, whose fourth season coincidentally premieres the day after Y’s final issue hits stands. There’s also a film in development from Disturbia screenwriter Carl Ellsworth.

Known as “BKV” to his fans, Vaughan answered some of our burning questions about Y and his other works over the course of several rounds of questions over the holidays. In the first part of this interview, Vaughan discusses how both he and the book evolved over the course of its run.

By the way – this interview covers elements from all 59 issues published to date, so SPOILER WARNING - okay? And if you haven’t read the series yet…well, you can always start with the first issue.

Newsarama: Brian, where were you, as a creator and a person, when you originally developed Y?

Brian K. Vaugahn: I guess I was an unemployed post-collegiate twentysomething living in a crappy Brooklyn apartment, not unlike Yorick in our first issue.

I’d just tanked the Swamp Thing franchise for Vertigo, and my random Wonder Girl fill-in issues hadn’t exactly cemented my position in the industry.

Basically, I was a winner.

NRAMA: But Y definitely turned things around. How much material went into your proposal? Was it just a basic outline, or did you provide the extended overview of how the Earth had changed, where the storylines would go, that sort of thing?

BKV: Because I had destroyed the aforementioned crown jewel of the Vertigo Empire, I really worked hard to fool everyone into thinking I knew what the hell I was doing, so my original proposal for Y must have been thirty-odd pages long, filled with all sorts of useless information about every detail of the unmanned world. It’s the kind of pitch that newer writers should absolutely never write, but there you go.

NRAMA: How far ahead did you outline the series? Were all of the storylines set in stone, and if not, how many major beats did you plan ahead?

BKV: From the very beginning, the series was plotted all the way through the final issue, at least in broad strokes about where the characters would end up geographically and emotionally.

NRAMA: How many drafts of the first-issue script did you write?

BKV: I don’t think the original editor, Heidi MacDonald, really asked for any changes, but how many drafts did I do for myself before I showed it to her? I don’t remember. Twelve? A lot, anyway.

And then I turned in my script on September 10th of 2001, and had to write a whole other draft to change a scene that was originally set in Afghanistan and featured a then-obscure group called the Taliban. Watching the towers fall from the roof of my apartment obviously also changed the way I looked at how ordinary people dealt with unthinkable tragedy.

NRAMA: Regarding Ampersand – what made you decide the last man on Earth needed a monkey?

BKV: Well, there are a lot of boring personal and thematic reasons, but at the end of the day, I knew Yorick would need someone to talk to when there were no other humans around. And dogs are kinda overused and cats are dumb.

Plus, monkeys on covers sell comics. That’s a rule as old as time.

NRAMA: You apparently did some interactions with real Capuchin monkeys in preparation for writing Ampersand…what did you find out about dealing with them?

BKV: They’re loud and greedy and horny and awful and just like us.

NRAMA: Getting into the other main characters – 355 is of course first and foremost. You’ve explained in the past how you found out the Culper Ring was a real historical organization. How did you come across this knowledge, and how did you develop this character?

BKV: I knew that Yorick was frequently going to be the damsel in distress and would need a protector, and I thought female spies had been cool since World War I and the Mata Hari.

But then I started researching the history of women in espionage and stumbled upon the Revolutionary War-era Culper Ring, which is pretty much the best thing of all time.

From there, 355 honestly just wrote herself, whatever that means.

NRAMA: Given the events of the last few issues, was the book always intended as a love story between Yorick and 355?

BKV: I’m not sure if “love story” is the right phrase… but yeah, maybe it is. Anyway, it’s always been about their relationship, which I’ve found most female readers picked up on by the end of the first trade, and most male readers – to make a sweeping sexist generalization – were completely oblivious to.

NRAMA: Now, you’ve said elsewhere that you liked the idea of a villain named “Hero,” but I’m also curious as to how you came up with the name “Yorick.”

BKV: The book was called Y both because of the chromosome and the question it seemed to pose, so I wanted a protagonist with a unique name starting with that letter.

And since the central character was an English major and son of a professor, the Shakespeare route made sense. And as Yorick took shape in my mind, naming him after a “fellow of infinite jest” felt right.

Plus, “Yossarian” was already taken.

NRAMA: How did you come to the decision to make Yorick an escape artist?

BKV: There are lots of thematic reasons, but escapology is also a world I’m familiar with, stupidly enough. At first, some people thought it was too much of a gimmick for our everyman hero, but the problem with trying to write an everyman is that if they’re too generic they start to feel like no one. I don’t know why, but specificity is the key to universality.

NRAMA: In the past, you’ve said that Yorick is the character in your works that is closest to your own personality. What aspects of yourself do you see in the character, and what traits does he have that are very different from yours?

BKV: Oh, I guess we have a few surface similarities, but really, Yorick is relatively handsome and outgoing, while I am a ghoulish shut-in. But I’m hopefully somewhat less annoying and suicidal.

NRAMA: What kind of research did you do for Hero, Victoria and the Daughters of the Amazon?

BKV: They’re largely products of my imagination, but I did read a lot of Andrea Dworkin, as well as the countless feminists who disagree with her. I also recommend Valerie Solanas’ SCUM Manifesto for a good time.

And I know some readers think the Daughters of Amazon were supposed to be “angry lesbians,” but Pia (Guerra) and I always made it clear that the vast majority were completely asexual. They were just starving, terrified people exploited by a deeply sick individual.

This wasn’t our critique of feminism or anything like that, just our dramatization of how much damage a small band of carefully manipulated extremists of either gender can do.

NRAMA: Something the series occasionally hinted at is that the late Professor Brown was a major influence on Yorick and Hero’s personalities. You often see Hero trying to assert herself and gain some control and Yorick acting…well, if not macho, at least trying to position himself as more of an active hero figure in lieu of common sense. He thrusts himself into action situations where 355 is clearly more qualified, and displays a lack of understanding as toward what some women have had to do to survive. What role do you see Professor Brown playing in shaping his children’s attitudes, and how would you characterize Yorick’s mindset at the start of the series versus where he winds up by the end of the last storyline?

BKV: Those are fantastic questions, almost all of which will be addressed in our final issue, even the importance of Professor Brown.

NRAMA: Fair enough, but that excuse only has two more days of shelf life… Now, did you ever get tired of explaining the concept of the book to people and having them, go, “Lucky….”?

BKV: Not really. I was afraid everyone was going to think that Y would devolve into a bad Cinemax movie when they heard the premise, but most people immediately saw the same potential in the idea that Pia and I did. Audiences are actually smart and like to be treated that way.

NRAMA: You’ve said you conducted a study prior to the start of the series that provided much of the statistics listed in the first issue. Could you explain some of the details of this – where you went, how long it took, and what kind of information you were looking for?

BKV: Saying that I “conducted a study” makes it sound like I went door to door with census forms. No, I just sat in a small Brooklyn library with homeless people or read research books for free in the Park Slope Barnes & Noble. I studied sex-based statistics like that for about a year, until I realized I should probably just learn how to use a computer.

NRAMA: How did the series surprise you as it went on? What were some directions the characters went in that you didn’t anticipate?

BKV: Hero constantly surprised me, right through the final issue. I’d rather not say how.

NRAMA: Were there any characters you wish you’d had room to do more with?

BKV: Not really. Part of me always regretted not bringing the supermodel garbage woman from Issue #2 along for the ride, but even minor characters like her eventually got their moment in the spotlight.

NRAMA: Along those lines, here’s a completely silly question – your wife is from Canada, one of the areas you didn't explore in the course of the series. How do you think Canada fared in the unmanned world?

BKV: Stay tuned for the final issue, eh?

NRAMA: You’ve been very adamant about not doing spin-offs or sequels to Y. What was important to you about keeping the series self-contained?

BKV: For me, there was never a narrative justification for spin-offs. The only reason to do them would have been to make more money, which is a good reason, but not quite good enough.

NRAMA: Does it ever seem unrealistic to you, how big the series got in terms of popularity and recognition?

BKV: Totally. Our first trade has been through more than seven printings, and that’s just in English. We’ve been published in several languages and in countries all over the world, including France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, and Indonesia. Indonesia! It’s bizarre and very humbling.

NRAMA: Y obviously brought you to new prominence as a writer, but what are some of the other ways it changed your life?

BKV: Yeah, I’m a socially awkward misfit, but Y has kind of served as my ambassador, and the book has helped me meet a lot of amazing people who mistakenly believe they might like me just because they like the comic I write, guys like Damon Lindelof, who accidentally gave me a job before he realized how insufferable I am to work with.

And to be crass, the comic also bought my house. That’s just the comic, not optioning the movie rights or anything. And I know that makes me sound like a douche, but I only brag in the hopes of inspiring some of my colleagues who think that the only way to provide for their families is through corporate-owned superheroes.

I love those characters, and would never begrudge anyone who wants to write or draw them, but I’m always shocked by my fellow creators who are reluctant to make their own characters solely because they don’t think that creator-owned books can be profitable.

I was paid very handsomely to write Top 10 books like Buffy or Ultimate X-Men, more money than anyone deserves to be paid for work that fun, but it was definitely a pay-cut compared to what my artistic collaborators and I make over the long run for relatively lower selling work that we own, which will be taking care of us in various forms for years to come.

Plus, what’s more fun than making something new?

Certainly, there’s no guarantee of success with starting a creator-owned book in this marketplace, but I’d venture to guess that established creators like Robert Kirkman and Brian Bendis and Mark Millar are probably making more from the books that they co-own with their artists than they are for the excellent work-for-hire stuff they do for companies like Marvel and DC.

So if you’re even a somewhat successful mainstream writer or artist who’s looking to “sell out,” it’s time to create something of your own! I don’t think Y was an anomaly. You can do this, too.

Next at Newsarama: BKV on Pia Guerra, Dr. Mann, Beth, “Safeword,” his fans and what he thinks really caused the plague.

[Ricky222]

Wow. BKV and Brubaker interviews on the same day. Newsarama's really knocking it out of the park today..Love this book btw.

[GuitarSmashley]

For the last 2 months I get teary eyed when putting together my Pre-order list and don't see Y #61 on the list. So I am over compensating by adding any title I think might fill the hole left by a series I have read and loved for the last 5 years.

[Kid Impulse]

I have never anticiapated a comic more, Thursday can't come soon enough. BKV is my absolute favourite writer and everytime I read something of his, I'm just blown away. I'll miss Yorick, Ampersand and co, it's been a fantastic run.

[Punchy]

I only just got into Y, I have bought all nine available trades in the space of a month, I just love it to bits, probably one of my favourite series' ever.

I've had to avoid spoilers like crazy since I got into it, and I just know it's going to be worse waiting for volume 10.

[Tanjint]

Originally Posted by Punchy

I only just got into Y, I have bought all nine available trades in the space of a month, I just love it to bits, probably one of my favourite series' ever.

I've had to avoid spoilers like crazy since I got into it, and I just know it's going to be worse waiting for volume 10.

sort of. character development wise maybe, but all the big reveals are in the last few trades i thought.

-T

[AllPwrflStev]

Honestly, is there anybody out there who doesn't like this book?

[Madscience]

The sadness I feel at Y ending is only mollified by the fact that I dont think Ex Machina is going anywhere soon....at least I hope it isnt

[grphxkindaguy]

Originally Posted by AllPwrflStev

Honestly, is there anybody out there who doesn't like this book?

Most people I know either love it or have never even heard of it.

I'll have to wait to read this BKV interview to avoid the spoilers, as I was waiting for the last issue to drop so I can read the last arc all in one sitting (like I've been doing all along for YTLM).

Great job on the book to all those involved, this run was legendary!!!

p.s. isn't Pia Guerra a woman?

[Punchy]

Originally Posted by AllPwrflStev

Honestly, is there anybody out there who doesn't like this book?

Nolanjwerner

Originally Posted by Madscience

The sadness I feel at Y ending is only mollified by the fact that I dont think Ex Machina is going anywhere soon....at least I hope it isnt

Ex Machina is scheduled to run up until about #50.

Originally Posted by grphxkindaguy

p.s. isn't Pia Guerra a woman?

Yes

[grphxkindaguy]

Originally Posted by Madscience

The sadness I feel at Y ending is only mollified by the fact that I dont think Ex Machina is going anywhere soon....at least I hope it isnt

Ex Machina supposedly ends at #50, per BKV...

for you...

[xdemon]

NRAMA: Fair enough, but that excuse only has two more days of shelf life… Now, did you ever get tired of explaining the concept of the book to people and having them, go, “Lucky….”?

BKV: Not really. I was afraid everyone was going to think that Y would devolve into a bad Cinemax movie when they heard the premise, but most people immediately saw the same potential in the idea that Pia and I did. Audiences are actually smart and like to be treated that way.

Very true.

When I first heard the description, it sounded like a dozen bad movies I had seen before. It wasn't until I read an interview with BKV that I saw this was going to be a whole lot deeper.

I'll miss Y.

[HieuLeBui]

Originally Posted by grphxkindaguy

Ex Machina supposedly ends at #50, per BKV...

for you...

Oh man, I love this book. Why is BKV ending everything he's writing? "Lost" is only going to run for two more seasons.

[Blackbeard]

I hate to see it end.

Having said that, he is right on about creator-owned books. If the "big boys" were to venture out of their comfort zones and create something wholly their own, it would be a very good thing for the industry--and ultimately a good creative/financial experience for them as well.

[samnoir]

Vertigo really needs to collect BKV's Swamp Thing into trades. Hopefully there will be a new audience for that gem.

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[mattyjay]

I might be in the minority on this, but I think BKV's creator-owned stuff suffered once he really had hit the big time and added the Lost gig. The final Y story arc has taken a year to get published and hasn't been compelling at all, aside from feeling sentimental about saying goodbye to the characters. Just one long year of decompresssssssssssion...

That said, as a whole, it's an excellent series and I look forward to reading it from beginning to end. Highly recommended to those who somehow have not gotten on board with the trades in the past 5 yrs...

[grphxkindaguy]

Originally Posted by HieuLeBui

Oh man, I love this book. Why is BKV ending everything he's writing? "Lost" is only going to run for two more seasons.

He's doing a Logan (Wolverine) limited series for Marvel, and I heard he's planning to do more creator-owned work in the future...

[PhoenixFacto]

Wow. Brian K Vaughan is my favorite author. His Mystique was the first comic i ever bought in single issues. He made me a believer in the magic of comics as a monthly medium and writes statisfying single issues like no one else. Since then I've followed everything he writes with a passion. Y however maybe my all time favorite book. Yorick is a phenomenal character who will be missed yet live on forever on my bookshelf. The nuanced and well researched work I hope will go down as one of the greatest stories of comics. I hope to research more into the culper ring and include it when i start teaching about the American Revolution. Also, Brian once did an amazing favor for a friend of mine by signing several comics for me as a surprise. Thanks again.

[PhoenixFacto]

opps double post.

[Special K]

This is my favorite book of forever. I would seriously recommend it to anyone.

[KirkWarren]

Why for you no ask if hardcovers / absolutes coming?

[shifty]

-sniff- The first 30 or so issues are perfect comics. One of the most consistently entertaining books ever.

And I knew who he saw at the end of the safe word arc. Why would you not show it unless...

[XtonyXstarkX]

Originally Posted by KirkWarren

Why for you no ask if hardcovers / absolutes coming?

Damn, i'd pay for an Absolute edition of Y for sure.

Seriously, one of the greatest pieces of fiction created in this decade. Really sad to see it go.

[Ex-Villian]

damn 'm going to miss this book...

as a fan (or reader, at this point) of main stream comics like X-Men, Spider-Man, Batman, Avengers, and FF, this book was an escape and breath of fresh air. It has always been better on a consistant basis than the other more popular comics I enjoy. No other comic month to month has been this good. All with no super powers or over the top battles.

Absolute Edition would be great...

[rwe1138]

I can't believe it's almost over. Such a great series. I'm eagerly anticipating read the whole thing all the way through in just a few sittings, though.