Imagine that the only chance the human race has of surviving is a wise-cracking escape artist, his pet monkey, a lesbian geneticist with relationship issues, and a black double agent deadlier than Bond. All this in a world where the entire population of men—save for Yorick Brown, the last man on Earth—have died from a mysterious plague.
Throw in some religious fanatics, plenty of humor, pathos, a love story worthy of a chick flick, killer cliffhangers, and you have what comic book writer/creator Brian K. Vaughan calls a “feel-good postapocalyptic series.” That comic series, Y: The Last Man, will be ending its five-year run on January 2 with issue number 60.
Call it hip. Chic. Social commentary. Sci-fi. Women's-lib lit. A comedic tragedy. At its most frenetic and challenging, Vaughan's monthly comic book is a little of all these things. Born from a sci-fi staple sprinkled gingerly with post-9/11 angst, Vaughan, with artist and cocreator Pia Guerra, has realized a unique vision of the ultimate “what if?” tale. Over the past five years, our hero, Yorick, has grown from boy to man in a world run entirely by women. Some people think he’s a myth; others want him dead. But if the scenario was reversed (one woman in a world of men), Vaughan doesn’t believe existence could have lasted as long as it has in Y.
“If all the women had died, I don't think there would be a society one year later,” Vaughan says. “I think pretty quickly the bombs would start flying as people made accusations about who caused it. Yes, the world would be much worse off.”
Vaughan had just started writing Y when from the roof of his apartment he watched the Twin Towers fall. “That day had a profound effect on the tone of the series. I think the way that we dealt with our fear, anger, and frustration was humor,” says Vaughan. “You can't have horror without humor. There's always that balance.”
Vaughan hopes to end the series it as explosively as he started. He’s currently writing the film adaptation of the comic for New Line Cinema.
"It's difficult. There are days when I'm certainly excited. It's been this five-year journey, and part of me wants to desperately reach the finish line. And there are other days where it's kind of heartbreaking to think that it really is going to have this definitive ending and these characters that I've spent nearly every day with for years are going to be gone.”
These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.
Be the first to comment on this story.
If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above.
All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.
See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.
Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.
Home | Contact | Current Issue | LGBT Community Partners | Staff
Jobs | Help
Subscribe: Print Edition Digital Edition | Subscriber Services: Print Edition Digital Edition
Visit our Websites
Out.com | OutTraveler.com | HIVPlusMag.com | Alyson.com | HereTV.com | GayWired.com | SheWired.com
Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Community Guidelines | Legal Notice
Advocate.com © 2009 Regent Entertainment Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.
