Vaughan, Brian K. 1976-(?)

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VAUGHAN, Brian K. 1976-(?)

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1976, in Cleveland, OH. Education: Graduated from New York University Film School.

ADDRESSES:

Home—San Diego, CA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

CAREER:

Writer.

WRITINGS:

"Y: LAST MAN" SERIES; GRAPHIC NOVELS

Y: The Last Man: Unmanned, illustrated by Pia Guerra, DC Comics (New York, NY), 2003.

Y: The Last Man: One Small Step, illustrated by Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan, DC Comics (New York, NY, 2004.

OTHER

(With others) Green Lantern: Circle of Fire, illustrated by Norm Breyfogle and others, DC Comics (New York, NY), 2002.

Also author of other comic book series, including Ex Machina, with artist Tony Harris; Runaways; Mystique; The Hood; and a prequel for the X2 series. Author of issues for comic book series, including Batman, Swamp Thing, and Chamber. Also author of For Art's Sake.

SIDELIGHTS:

Comic scriptwriter Brian K. Vaughan, author of the "Y: Last Man" series of graphic novels, became interested in writing for the comics genre when two editors from Marvel Comics came to visit New York University, where Vaughan was studying filmmaking. The editors met with students and taught them about comic book script writing, and Vaughan submitted some writing samples. In an interview with Nolan Reese on the Movie Poop Shoot Web site, Vaughan recalled, "[The editors] liked some of my samples, so they threw me little assignments, scripting gigs and whatnot. And I sort of crawled my way up the latter after that."

In Y: The Last Man: Unmanned, Vaughan presented the first of his ongoing novels about "Y," or Yorick Brown. In the novel, which is composed of the first five books of a comic series and illustrated by Pia Guerra, a mysterious plague has wiped out every male animal on Earth except Yorick and his pet monkey Ampersand. Although Yorick has survived, he is on the run from an Amazon-like tribe formed by women who want to make sure the last man on Earth is captured. As he tries to evade his pursuers, Yorick searches for a cloning researcher to find out why he survived and who can help him repopulate the world. In an interview in Titan Magazine, Vaughn noted, "Y was inspired by something I used to daydream about in third grade, that the pretty redheaded girl who sat across from me would fall madly in love with me … as soon as every other boy in the class dropped dead." Writing in Booklist, Gordon Flagg noted that the "yarn introduces a large number of intriguing characters and plotlines as it lays the groundwork for what promises to be a compelling series." Library Journal contributor Steve Raiteri said the book's "appeal is its fine story, well scripted with dryly humorous touches by Vaughan."

The next book in the series is titled Y: The Last Man: One Small Step, once again featuring Yorick and Ampersand. Yorick is still being hunted, this time by a group called the Culper Ring, whose aims are to study Yorick. As they track him across the country, they protect him from an Israeli strike team that wants Yorick for its own unsavory purposes and that is being aided in its hunt by the female president of the United States. In addition, a space station carrying two male astronauts is about to fall into a Kansas cornfield. The plot is further complicated when Yorick and his bodyguard from the Culper Ring appear to be falling in love. Writing in Publishers Weekly, a reviewer commented, "The stakes are high, and Vaughan masterfully interweaves story lines." The reviewer also noted, "This book is complete and utter comic gold."