A few weeks ago, I went to a Comic Book Literacy film screening followed by a panel that included my absolute favorite comic book creator in the history of comic books, Terry Moore.
Yes, I worship a man. I will wait for those of you who want to deduct points from my lesbo score.
Earlier in the week, Terry had asked his FB followers if they wanted an Echo sequel or a Strangers in Paradise sequel. So, after the session, I asked if he’d decided on his next project, since Echo‘s last issue is on the horizon. If he doesn’t destroy the horizon when the series ends, that is.
He smiled impishly and said, “Well, I can’t really tell you anything. But this week I did buy the katchoo.com domain.”
I squeed — quietly since we were in a museum — with the thrill that only a Strangers in Paradise fan can understand. Katchoo and Francine were coming back to me! Or so I thought.
Since then, I’ve been daydreaming of all the ways Terry could bring back the SiP universe. For sure, I didn’t want him to disrupt the happily-ever-after ending of the original series.
But SiP is a rich world, prime fodder for back-story. Katchoo was once a high dollar call girl. She was in love with a woman who died of AIDS. Her half sisters also were Parker Girls. We only saw glimpses of Kat’s previous life and I’d love to know more.
We also learned recently that an SiP character (no spoiler) is involved in the Echo story, which puts both series, are in the same universe, opening even more possibilities.
Wednesday, Terry tweeted “I’ll announce my new series this afternoon.” There went my day — all I could do was keep refreshing his blog page, waiting impatiently. When the announcement came, I felt a little let down. Had this man I worship misled me? Seemingly, yes.
THAT IS NOT KATCHOO. Sigh.
OK, here’s the story: Terry has always loved horror – not the gory, slasher variety but the creepy, scary kind. His very first story (at age 11) was a horror tale and now he’s ready to give the genre a go in comic form.
Rachel Rising is a new ongoing series with brand new characters and a story that Terry can’t get out of his head. (He apparently doesn’t care that I can’t get Katchoo out of my head.)
“I’m very excited about it,” he told Comic Book Resources. “The stuff that’s coming and the scenes in my head are like – I get really excited when I have a scene in my head that I haven’t seen on TV or in a movie, and I have a bunch of those for this. It’s like the time that Katchoo set a grave on fire for her stepfather who had raped her. I had never seen that scene anywhere in media before, and I was so excited to think of it and draw it. I have several of those in mind for the first three issues of Rachel Rising. And the title is very apropos of all that.”
I trust Terry, I really do. I was very slow to the Echo fan club when he started that series, but now I can’t wait to see what happens. Granted, I’m not in love with the characters in the same way that I fell for Fran and Kat, but I will be sorry to see Julie and Ivy and Annie go. And I do hope they aren’t blown to pieces in Echo #30.
So, I’ll follow him into Rachel world and see what happens. And I hope to meet a lesbian or two along the way. Even if Katchoo isn’t one of them.
What do you think about the news? Will you add Rachel Rising to your pull list?
