MEET THE MEDSTAR CREATIVE TEAM

One is an Emmy award-winning screen-writer, one is a best-selling scribe, who also happens to be an accomplished martial artist, and the other is former architect from Boston who is a self-described "fanboy." What do they all have in common? The Star Wars: Medstar Duology, a set of two Clone Wars novels due out this year. Michael Reaves (co-author), Steve Perry (co-author), and Dave Seeley (cover artist) are the three men that made Medstar happen and TUCWS has the exclusive interview with the trio.

MICHAEL REAVES, co-author

Michael Reaves is a New York Times best-selling author and Emmy award winning screen-writer and story editor. His recent novels include Hell on Earth, Dragonworld, and Voodoo Child. He is probably best known for his work on Batman: The Animated Series where he won an Emmy in 1993 for writing. Reaves was also the the author of best-selling prequel era Star Wars novel, Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter.

Mr. Reaves has been invited back to co-author (with Steve Perry) the Medstar Duology: Battle Surgeons and Jedi Healer. These novels take place during the Clone Wars and feature Jedi Apprentice Barriss Offee.

For more information on Mr. Reaves and his other works and accomplishments, check out his official website HERE.

TUCWS: At what point did you decide that writing was the profession for you?

Michael Reaves: Probably in the 3rd grade, when I shamelessly plagiarized a story from the magazine "Boy's Life" and passed it off as my own. Reading it out loud won me the attention of the entire class, and I was hooked on the concept. My enthusiasm was slightly dampened when I learned that writers were, as a rule, expected to come up with original material, but the idea of sleeping in late and not having to punch a time clock was still too enticing to resist.

TUCWS: Who's your favorite Star Wars character and which film do you like the most?

MR: Well, outside of my own characters ...

Like most people my age, I have to go with classic Star Wars. I really can't narrow it down to one person, because Luke, Leia and Han work so well as a team. Like Kirk, Spock and McCoy in classic Trek, they're the perfect triumvirate.

And, as far as the movies go, again, it's the original for me. A lot of people name Empire as their fave, for good reasons. But Ep IV is structurally superior, stands on its own better, and keeps the team together all the way through. You have to remember that these movies are, put together, the biggest Republic Pictures Saturday afternoon serial ever made. It's hard to judge them as individual films when they're chapters of a bigger whole. Ep IV holds up the best as a self-contained story, since at the time George didn't know if he'd get to make the rest of them.

TUCWS: Your first Star Wars novel, Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, was action-packed. Can we expect more of the same with Medstar?

MR: I think MedStar will surprise a lot of people. I had different marching orders going in than I did in Shadow Hunter, and as a result it's different kind of story that Steve and I told. It's structured and paced quite differently than either Shadow Hunter or [Shadows of the Empire]. We're both very proud of the story.

TUCWS: When writing Shadow Hunter, did you ever intend to try and "humanize" Darth Maul, and do you think that a character like him (or, for that matter, like Palpatine/Sidious) can be "humanized"?

MR: Absolutely. There has to be more to his character than just being a killing machine; otherwise he's boring, both to write and to read. No one ever thinks of himself as a villain; everyone's got a reason for what they do. Everyone's on the side of the angels in their own mind. As far as Maul was concerned, Sidious was God. How can you be wrong if you're on a mission from God?

TUCWS: Will we see elements of Shadow Hunter in Medstar? I-Five, the laser beaming protocal droid, is primed for a cameo appearance.

MR: Yes, I-Five is back. I was too fond of the character to let him be mindwiped at the end of Shadow Hunter, so I just implied the possibility of it; you never saw it happen. So, for those of you who like uppity droids, be of good cheer.

TUCWS: Your work on Batman: The Animated Series won you an Emmy. Ever plan to revisit the series?

MR: I did quite recently, in fact; the result, which I'm very pleased with, is a movie called Mystery of the Batwoman, available wherever fine DVDs are sold.

TUCWS: Have you seen the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated micro-series? If asked, would you write episodes for future seasons?

MR: I've seen a few episodes; usually I'm too busy writing. As far as writing for the series; I'm open to the possibility. So far, no one's asked.

TUCWS: I've read that Medstar is Star Wars meets M*A*SH. Did you pull from the movie and show to write the books?

MR: Well, the books were pitched to us as a sort of "M*A*S*H in space" concept. The idea was to do something that would have a different focus than the campaigns and battles of other books, the cartoons, comics, etc. It appealed to us. Steve has a medical background. I'm not a doctor, but I play one around the house; with three kids it's necessary sometimes.

TUCWS: Does Barriss Offee dump her Jedi Master, Luminara Unduli, and ascend to the level of Jedi Knight in Medstar? <grin>

MR: Welll, she doesn't "dump" Master Unduli, although she is no longer part of a team -- she's now undergoing her Trial. As to whether she achieves knighthood -- you'll have to keep reading.

TUCWS: You and Steve Perry have worked together before. How is it working with another author on a full-length novel? Were there a lot of disagreements?

MR: We work together quite well, because I'm always right. Seriously ... we've worked together a lot, mostly in television, although we have done five previous novels as a team, and we're in the process of developing another one. The fact that we live a thousand miles apart is either a hinderance or a help; I've never been sure.

We seldom disagree; we're both very pragmatic, and believe arguing to be counterproductive. When we do disagree, we compromise. Our esthetics aren't that far apart. As for the mechanics of it, we work up an outline, either by phone and email (we've lately been using an audio-visual internet connection; much cheaper). Sometimes we'll get together for a week or so to hash things out (I usually visit him, as Oregon is, by and large, much more pleasant than LA). Generally Steve does a bare-bones first draft, and then I "gild the Wookiee", so to speak (flesh out characters, descriptions, sensory data, like that). On this book, since it wasn't as plot-driven, there was a lot more give-and-take in the process than usual. Every project is different.

TUCWS: Any hints on Jedi Healer?

MR: Well, the title should clue you that Barriss is more center stage in this one, although it's still an ensemble piece. Expect more medical and emotional crises, more Machiavellian plotting involving Black Sun, and a welcome (at first) change of climate. More Jedi philosophy, sabotage and chicanery, how not to use a lightsaber, a few new faces, and an inebriated droid. Plus: entertaining the troops, hospital hijinks, the finer points of sabacc, and true love (or a reasonable facsimile). It's all there. Or, as Jos Vondar says, "When it comes to original disasters, we set the bar."

TUCWS: You ready for Episode III?

MR: I've already bought popcorn.

Medstar I: Battle Surgeons is in stores now! Click here to purchase it from Amazon.com.

Conducted by Brian Gates and the TUCWS staff, with contributions from JTS and Quest

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