When educators and other adults are attempting to figure out ways to get children and young adults interested in STEM and STEM-related subjects, we’re always looking for avenues to pique their interest and ignite the spark. One in-road to spurring that creativity is using science fiction and science fact, especially with the media of animation, graphic novels.
That’s what the creators of the young adult graphic novel Space Chasers are hoping for and, judging by the reviews for Volume 1, they’re off to a great start. Written by real-life astronaut Leland Melvin and comic creator Joe Caramagna and illustrated by Alison Acton, Space Chasers follows young Tia Valor and her unexpected–at least to her–acceptance into a middle school-centered space program sponsored by NASA. Melvin, who is a character in the comic, acts as a guide to Tia to encourage her and her fellow program admittees to reach their full potential. Grounded in science fact and injected with heart, Space Chasers reaches for the stars and achieves that goal handily.
I spoke with Joe Caramagna recently about the idea behind Space Chasers, working with Leland Melvin and Alison Acton, his favorite part of working on the graphic novel, and what he hopes readers will take away from the story. I’ve read the first volume and it’s just a joy to take in. I talk later in the interview about what Mr. Caramagna wants readers young and old to take away from the book, and I can say that, at least for me as an adult in his middle age, I drew inspiration in my daily struggles as well as a renewed curiosity in delving into the space sciences.
Editor’s note: This interview was conducted last year. Due to technical issues, we had trouble getting the interview to post. Now that has been resolved, we are publishing the interview in full, with minor changes to reflect the time that has past between now and the interview.
SPACE CHASERS Volume 1 cover
FreakSugar: Before we get into the book itself, how did you get involved with the Space Chasers book?
Joe Caramagna: I had been writing graphic novels for a publisher for a couple of years, and one day my editor told me that Leland Melvin was pitching him a graphic novel and, with my experience in the field, thought we’d make a good team. I spoke with Leland and we hit it off. He showed me what he had so far and before long we had a whole new version of the pitch. My editor had to pass on the book for a bunch of reasons, so we sold the pitch to First Second. In fact, they wanted not just one, but a whole series of books.
FS: What can you tell us about the conceit of Space Chasers?
JC: Space Chasers is the story of a team of middle schoolers from all walks of life who get the chance to become the first kids in space and “study abroad” on a new nuclear-powered space station. When they get there, they find themselves in serious trouble unsupervised and have to learn to work together to survive.
FS: Who are some of the characters we’ll meet in the book?
JC: The first character we meet is a girl named Tia who doesn’t like school at all and would rather spend her days working at her brother’s auto shop. She decides on a whim to take the test to become a space intern and to her surprise, she gets picked. She believes undeservedly. We also meet Tia’s classmate Indira, who everyone expects to be picked but isn’t. Then there’s Bradley who wants to be picked, but doesn’t want his dad to know. Then there’s Andromeda who’s the artist and Steven whose cerebral palsy has always made him interested in biology. And of course Leland is in the book too! He’s the astronaut who runs the program.
FS: What was the collaboration process like with Leland Melvin? What was that back-and-forth like?
JC: Leland and I talk a lot about everything. It’s no wonder that he worked in the education space for NASA after his astronaut career was over because he has a real gift for explaining complicated things in a way a dummy like me can understand them. Our conversations about the past and future of manned space missions—and just about life in general—turned into the plots of our stories in a real organic way. I’d usually start by writing out a basic plot that we’d discuss over the phone. Leland would fill in the blanks with real world science and his own personal experiences, and I’d flesh the story out with more details. Then we’d discuss and write some more, and write and discuss some more, until we had enough story for a 200-page graphic novel.
FS: Alison Acton’s art is so much fun! What were talks like with her about the look of the book?
JC: Isn’t it fun?! We were very lucky that Alison was available. At first I was suspicious when our editor was pushing her on us a little too hard. But then I saw what she could do, and they were right. She’s a perfect fit with us. Her style complements the tone of the books so well, but she’s also a really great storyteller. I value her insights on all aspects of the book, not just the narrative art.
FS: This book seems like it’d be a ball to work on. What’s been your favorite part of working on it?
JC: I love the creative process in general. There’s a magic to taking an idea from nothing and turning it into a real book that you can hold in your hand. It never gets old. For Space Chasers specifically it’s the amount of learning that I do. Leland is a fascinating guy to talk to. He’s experienced so much that I never will. I’m also learning from the characters we’ve created. Like I said, these are characters from all walks of life. My writing process is to learn as much about the characters as possible so I can put myself in their shoes, and then I place them into situations and let them tell me how they react rather than the other way around. These characters opened up my eyes to some of my blind spots.
FS: Besides being entertained, what do you hope readers—young and old—get from the book?
JC: That space—and the future—belongs to everyone. When we first started sending humans to space we had to choose from a small pool of people—military test pilots. At the time, that happened to be almost all straight white guys. By the time we got to the space shuttle program, we still needed those pilots but we more than doubled the crew, which made room for mission specialists—scientists and engineers like Sally Ride and Guy Buford, the first American woman and Black astronauts in space. We’re at a time now where the dream of people living and working on the moon—even on Mars—long term could be a reality. That opens the pool of candidates up to all types of people who keep a society going. We all have something to offer. We all have the right stuff. And I hope this series inspires kids to dream big and take an interest in space science.
FS: What are you reading right now?
JC: I read (and watch) mostly nonfiction, which might be weird for a fiction writer to say, I don’t know. I love to learn even though I have no ability to retain any of it, haha. Maybe my hard drive is too filled up with hockey trivia. Ask me about the late ‘80s Winnipeg Jets next, haha.
I’m reading a book called Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster On The Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham. The Challenger explosion was a moment in my childhood that really jarred me. I guess it made me appreciate what an achievement space travel was, how dangerous it was. Now this book is making me appreciate how far we’ve come even since then.
FS: Are there any other projects coming down the pike you’d like to talk about?
JC: After Space Chasers on February 4, I wrote a middle grade novel with the folks at FGTeev for Harper-Collins out on March 4 which is the first of a series called Campfire Tales #1: The Cursed Campground. And after that there will be more Space Chasers! Stay tuned!
FS: If you had one last pitch for Space Chasers, what would it be?
JC: It’s the first series of graphic novels cowritten by a real life astronaut! It’s not fantasy—it’s very grounded in real science and technology both current and soon-to-be current. It’s also grounded in real issues of the day for humans, especially our kids. Space is truly for everyone and we are excited to show you how.
Space Chasers Volume 1 is on sale now from First Second.
From the official graphic novel description:
When a team of brilliant kids-turned-astronauts find themselves in serious trouble in outer space, they must work together to get back home. This is the first book in an incredible middle-grade graphic novel series created by real life astronaut, Leland Melvin!
Launch into action in T-Minus 3, 2, 1…
When Tia Valor takes a test on a whim for an exclusive NASA program for middle schoolers, she never thought she’d pass. After all, she never really fit in at school. In fact, she’s been skipping school most days to work at her brother’s auto shop instead. But Leland Melvin, a famed astronaut, sees potential in Tia, and before she knows it, she’s part of a team of other talented kids training to launch to an advanced space station orbiting the earth. But the perils of space are unpredictable and Tia finds herself with only half her crew and no adults around to help. Now she must rely on her instincts and the quick thinking of her fellow kid astronauts to save the space station and their lives!
Created by real-life astronaut Leland Melvin, Eisner-Award nominated comic creator Joe Caramagna, and brought to brilliant life by Alison Acton, SPACE CHASERS is a space adventure like no other.