Pink Raygun Interviews

When I was a kid, I didn’t think it got any dreamier than Dirk Benedict as Starbuck. I also thought that Jimmy Carter was solely responsible for canceling the original Battlestar Galactica and was ten before anyone told me otherwise. Luckily, when I grew up, I took civics classes and got cable, which obliterated my misguided thinking. Who could possibly be dreamier than Dirk Benedict? Tahmoh Penikett, that’s who. Penikett plays Lt. Karl ‘Helo’ Agathon on the new Battlestar Galactica. Helo is one of the few characters who has maintained a moral compass and acts on it, which often pits him against the fleet. Here, Penikett talks about his current film projects, and the challenges of playing Helo. (more…) Related PostsPink Raygun Gallery Image 004 - Stephanie LesniakRude Dude Productions announced Nexus 99: Space Opera Act 1 of 4 is now on presale.February and March Interview Roundup

Gareth Powell is a speculative fiction writer from the UK whose work has been published in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. In January 2007, his novelette The Last Reef was nominated for a BSFA award; the novelette also placed in the 2006 Interzone Reader’s Poll for best short story. His first printed collection of short stories will be published in August 2008. Powell recently participated in the ongoing discussion of gender and genre on BBC Radio 4 and at Eastercon. Here, he talks to Pink Raygun about gender and sci-fi, smart dust and what he’d name his space ship. PR: You seem to have become a “go-to guy” in the debate about gender and genre in the UK. How did that come about? GLP: It happened completely by accident. Back in February, I got an email from a producer on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, asking if I’d like to appear on the show the following day to talk with Liz Williams about “whether or not science fiction is a

PJ Haarsma, author of The Softwire and creator of Rings of Orbis is taking his ideas beyond the world of young adult books into multiple forms of media. There is already a beautifully executed online role playing game, a comic book series is in the works, as well as a movie. Here, he talks to Pink Raygun about his plans for the series. Pink Raygun: Is science fiction something you’ve always enjoyed, even as a child? PJ Haarsma: It was. I actually started reading horror. I went from comic books to horror novels and then I got my hands on an Orson Scott Card novel, Ender’s Game. After that, it was all about science fiction for me. In school I was a big science geek - I have a degree in science - but I was lousy in English; it was my worst subject. I wanted to be a doctor, so as soon as I could stop taking English, I did. I didn’t like what they made me read and I couldn’t spell. Therefore, the whole idea of writing, especially in the sci-fi world, always f

Cally Tyrol is either the toughest or the luckiest woman in scifi. She’s looked down the barrel of many guns, has been in front of a Cylon firing squad and even got thrown into deep space without a space suit. Nicki Clyne, the woman who gives life to Cally on Battlestar Galactica, talks about the challenges of the role and how it’s changed for her over the years. Pink Raygun: What drew you to acting? Nicki Clyne: I’ve always loved performing, from playing dress up to doing dance routines in my back yard; I think acting grew out of that natural desire to express myself as well as my curiosity about why people do what they do. I also feel very lucky to have had a drama teacher in high school who encouraged me to explore the power of theatre to move people and also to understand myself better in the process. PRG: You’ve worked on the Battlestar Galactica mini-series, TV series, and the webisodes. How was working on each different? NC: When we filmed the mini-s

I met Judith O’Dea very briefly at a local theater’s all-night horror movie marathon. She may be best known for playing Barbara in the originalNight of the Living Dead, but there is far more to her than that role. Ms. O’Dea has had a prolific career on stage and turned her acting skills into another career in oral communications training. Here, Ms. O’Dea talks to Pink Raygun about her original screenplay and her career after zombies. Pink Raygun: You own and operate O’Dea Communications. What does your company do? Judith O’Dea: I’ve had the company for eight years now. Its specialty is oral presentation training. I help corporate employees or anyone, for that matter, organize, visualize, and deliver an effective, powerful, persuasive presentation. I also train trainers. Let’s say, for example, that you have a certain expertise that you’ve been asked to teach, but you aren’t a certified instructor. My course gives you the trainin

We came across Traci on our MySpace, saw her costumes, and immediately hit that “Add Friends” button. Traci is an avid and talented costumer with some elaborate costumes to her credit. ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Not every comic can successfully make the leap from the page to moving pictures. Shannon Wheeler’s Too Much Coffee Man, which he has been writing and drawing since the 1990s did better than... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Monica Staggs could kick The Fall Guy’s ass and could probably do it while wearing high heels and fixing her lipstick. You’ve seen Staggs perform stunts in over seventy projects in film... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

For Part One of this interview, Click Here. Steve Rude turned the tables on me in the middle of our conversation and interviewed the interviewer about working in comics. In part two, The Dude talks... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

So yeah, there's a definite tie in. For people who have read it, you have to get them ramped up again and remembering things about the book, and for people who haven't read it, this is a way to get... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Diane Pharaoh Francis is the author of the high fantasy adventure novels Path of Fate, Path of Honor and Path of Blood, which make up her fantasy trilogy, The Path Series. Francis is also a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Diana Pharaoh Francis is the author of the high fantasy adventure novels Path of Fate, Path of Honor and Path of Blood, which make up her fantasy trilogy, The Path Series. Francis is also a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Jessica Barone digs vampires. And what’s not to love? Have you ever seen an unnattractive vampire, other than Nosferatu or the creepy blue one in Salem’s Lot? Barone’s novels,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

We came across Ruby’s profile on Comicspace, and immediately thought that she’d be a good subject for Pink Raygun. Here was a girl with some insanely great costuming abilities, and not... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Amanda Visell and Michelle Valigura are building a toy army in Los Angeles. Robot Girl, shown to the left, is the first member of that army. For six years, Visell and Valigura worked in... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]