Starstruck (comics)
| Starstruck | |
|---|---|
Starstruck #1, Epic Comics (February 1985)
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Heavy Metal, Epic Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date |
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| Number of issues | 7 serialized stories (Ilustracion+Comix Internacional) 9 serialized stories (Heavy Metal) 6 (Epic) 4 (Dark Horse) 13 (IDW) |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Elaine Lee |
| Artist(s) | Michael Wm. Kaluta |
| Inker(s) | (Galactic Girl Guides:) Charles Vess |
| Letterer(s) | Todd Klein; (Epic: Ken Bruzenak, John Workman) |
| Colorist(s) | Lee Moyer; (Epic: Elaine Lee, Steve Oliff) |
| Creator(s) | Elaine Lee, Michael Wm. Kaluta |
| Editor(s) | Archie Goodwin (Epic), Randy Stradley (Dark Horse), Scott Dunbier (IDW) |
| Collected editions | |
| Starstruck Deluxe Edition (2011) | |
Starstruck is an American comic book series. It was inspired by the off-Broadway stage play with the same name written by Elaine Lee, with contributions from Susan Norfleet Lee and Dale Place.
The Starstruck creator-owned illustrated science fiction serial has been produced at various intervals since 1982 by writer Lee and artist Michael Wm. Kaluta; their primary collaborators are colorist Lee Moyer and letterer Todd Klein. The series, epic in scope, has been carried across multiple comic companies, but primarily by Epic Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and IDW Publishing. It was collected in a revised and recolored hardcover book form as Starstruck Deluxe Edition in 2011.
Starstruck is set in an anarchic future in which Humanity spans the universe. The Great Dictator has fallen and a power vacuum sparks a chess game of eccentric players scheming for control. The seriocomic stories follow Captain Galatia 9 and her running partner, Brucilla The Muscle, as they navigate madcap scenarios and surreal misadventures in between the galactic infighting.
Since its inception, Starstruck has built a cult audience and critical acclaim from peers, periodicals, and fans for the sophistication of its storytelling. Most noted is the predominantly female cast, portrayed by Lee with a range and nuance that confounds gender stereotypes. Kaluta, an esteemed veteran of comics and illustration, is often commended for the virtuosity and imaginative detail of his artwork. Also, the series is cited for the progressiveness of its rich and complex structure: Starstruck preceded Watchmen in using innovations like nonlinear storytelling, overlapping dialogue, multiple story threads, back-up text, unreliable narrators, adjunct stories, underlying themes, recurring symbols, and an almost symphonic interconnectedness.
Elaine Lee herself played the adventurous lead, Captain Galatia 9, while Susan Norfleet Lee played her rowdy pilot, Brucilla the Muscle. Noted illustrator Michael Wm. Kaluta played a major role in visual aspects of the play, working on sets, costumes and promotional material. The story is set in the future, and features several strong female lead characters. A strange and gleefully corrupt future version of the Girl Guides, the Galactic Girl Guides, are introduced in a subplot that leads to the climax. The Starstruck play was produced in 1980, with another staging in 1983.
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Wikipedia