MIKE JOZIC: How exactly did you come to be the writer on The X-Files series for TOPPS?

STEFAN PETRUCHA: I fell in love with the show after the first episode. After the second, I thought it would make a great comic, and, given my predilection for the paranormal, I thought in particular it would be a great comic for me to write. So, I called the editor of Topps, Jim Salicrup and suggested he try to get the rights. He saw the show and agreed. Apparently during the negotiations, Ten Thirteen and Fox were impressed with how knowledgeable we were about the show. There was some talk early on about getting a "name" writer to do the book, but I yowled and howled and stamped my feet - and got the assignment.

JOZIC: The comics series was just barely into it's first year when the second season "boom" happened on the show. Did you find all of that attention distracting or intimidating?

PETRUCHA: The comic "boom" happened with the first issue - which sold out the first day it hit stores. So we were getting a lot of attention from day one. I was never intimidated, I was thrilled! This is exatly the sort of thing writers pray for.

JOZIC: I've heard a lot of stories from the Star Trek camp of writers as to the limitations imposed on them by Paramount when they're writing their stories. Did you find FOX to be fairly cooperative with The X-Files, or did you butt heads a few times?

PETRUCHA: More than a few times. There were a variety of major discussions over various issues in the comic. As the sucecss of the series grew, I felt more and more boxed in. It was an odd situation in that my editor, Dwight Zimmerman would talk to Fox and Ten Thirteen, and then I would hear from Dwight. I stayed out on advice from Topps. I realize now this was a mistake and I should have been in on the conversations from the beginning. It may have avoided some problems later on. Then again, it may have caused them sooner. All in all, though, I'm still very pleased and proud of the results. The characters have since changed a lot in the series, but the comic stands as my particular take on the characters.

JOZIC: Sometimes a writer or artist will want to put their "stamp" on a licensed property, and in doing so, often lose the essence of what made the property so appealing to begin with. Was it difficult to remain "true" to the show and it's characters?

PETRUCHA: We received over 300 letters a month, and most of them started by saying, "It's great how well you have the characters down! I can hear their voices as I'm reading!" I felt I remained true to the show and the characters, and apparently a lot of readers did, too. In the end, the only ones I know of who didn't, unfortunately, were the owners of the property. Both Ten Thirteen and Fox felt I didn't have either down - a difficulty that let to my dismissal.

JOZIC: Were there ever any stories you wanted to tell, or ideas you wanted to take further, but couldn't within the context of The X-Files?

PETRUCHA: There are many. When I first got the assignment, I scribbled down about a hundred vague plot ideas - of varying quality, but a chunk of them are stories I'd still like to tell.

I'm currently working on a proposal for a series of paranormal novels where I hope to use many of these ideas.

JOZIC: Why was the decision made to make an X-Files Graphic Novel?

PETRUCHA: It was at the height of the comic's popularity - I was always looking for more space and Topps wanted to experiment with other artists outside of the monthly. An extended graphic novel seemed ideal.

JOZIC: Jill Thompson was not the sort of artist I would have expected on an X-Files project. How did she come to be involved with 'Afterflight'?

PETRUCHA: If memory serves - Topp's editor Jim Salicrup noticed that Jill mentioned the X-Files as a dream project of hers - and he enjoyed her work. I think she was a great choice, and enjoyed working with her.

JOZIC: While originally skeptical as to whether or not Jill Thompson was the right artist for the job, I thought she did a beautiful job on it. I did, however, have a problem with the conflicting art styles on the faces and figures. Was FOX pushing for more "accurate" likenesses of David and Gillian, or was this a TOPPS decision?

PETRUCHA: It was FOX.

JOZIC: If I'm not mistaken, 'Afterflight' was delayed for quite some time. Was that a factor in the overall lateness of the book?

PETRUCHA: 'Afterflight' was delayed solely because FOX and Ten Thirteen would not approve of the artwork.

JOZIC: 'Afterflight' was a wonderful story, but not your most conventional X-File. Where did the idea for the story originally come from?

PETRUCHA: My mother-in-law was just diagnosed with multi-infarct dementia, a condition which mimics Alzheimer's, so it was on my mind a lot. I'd been dealing with the concept of the self becoming "alien" or "other" throughout the series - so it seemed like a natural extension, and a good way to express the thoughts I was having on the subject. I'd also wanted very much to do something with the 1896 UFO flap.

JOZIC: So, after a very popular two-year run on the series, why did you decide to leave?

PETRUCHA: Well... heh-heh. I decided to leave right after they fired me. To be honest, knowing the extent of their objections, it was getting harder and harder to drag myself over to the word processor and produce what I thought was a good script. My tenure and the relationship probably ended at just about the right time.

JOZIC: Out of all the stories that you've written for the series, which one would you say is your favourite?

PETRUCHA: Oh, there are things I like about them all - but maybe the three part 'Firebird' and 'Trepanning Opera'. I thought 'Firebird' made a better comic than it did a script, and 'Trepanning Opera' a better script than it did a comic (ie - it read a little better than it plays out - no fault of the artist) - but those are my faves. And maybe the last two parter, 'Home of the Brave'.

JOZIC: What's your favourite X-Files television episode and why?

PETRUCHA: Oh - 'Beyond the Sea', because it captures the essence of a type of faith that doesn't require big showy miracles and 'Humbug' because it's funny and intellectually devilish. There are a lot of others I admire as well. All of Darin Morgan's episodes are wonderful.

JOZIC: You've also done other work outside of comics, like your self-published novel, Making God. Could you tell us a little bit about the story?

PETRUCHA: An eccentric genius writes a book he hopes will start a new religion. His fundamentalist parents find it and throw it out. Learning his life's work is gone, he goes insane. Meanwhile, a street schizophrenic finds it and starts reading it in public. When a power mad public relations man hears her, he helps transform the book into a major new religious movement. And of course, the eccentric genius is released from the asylum to find his work incredibly successful, only no one knows it's his. It's also a very philosophical novel - and takes a stab at defining the nature of identity and God in Western Civilization...

JOZIC: Why the decision to self-publish it? It's something that's fairly common in the comics field, but you don't see too many authors doing it with novels.

PETRUCHA: Actually, with the mid list vanishing and most publishers spending all their money only on major sellers, self-publishing is getting bigger and bigger. I decided on it for several reasons. First, I had something I really wanted to see published. I tried a few publishers, but most felt it was too short or too quirky or whatever. Since the novel also involved the millenium, I had a kinda deadline going. Ultimately, it was put up or shut-up and I really couldn't let it stay on my shelf. It's been a great experience, but it requires a lot of work - and the hard part starts after you get the books back from the printers.

JOZIC: While some people may think that the novel draws on subject matter that was introduced to you while working on The X-Files for TOPPS, you have, in fact, been interested in the "weird" and "bizarre" long before your involvement with the series, correct?

PETRUCHA: Yep. Meta-4, a series I did for First comics also dealt with the paranormal. The second issue featured a history of the UFO phenomena. I've been interested in the strange and unusual ever since I picked up a copy of Chariots of the Gods when I was 13. Sometimes it's a hobby, sometimes an intellectual obssession, sometimes, when I'm lucky, a profession.

JOZIC: Are you hoping that fans of your work, as well as fans of the series, will be attracted to the novel?

PETRUCHA: Absolutely - I know it will appeal to anyone who enjoys reading my stuff. The subject matter is certainly related to the XF material, but in Making God I was able to explore certain ideas regarding belief in a much more in-depth way than either the XF series in specific or comics in general would have allowed.

JOZIC: What sorts of projects can we expect from you in the future? Any more comics work?

PETRUCHA: a) The comic industry is pretty depressed b) since I'm pegged as "The X-File" writer my phone isn't ringing off the hook c) I'm pretty happy with the personal projects I'm working on right now and would rather not work my butt off on proposals that'll just wind up on some editor's desk for a year or more.

So - a qualified "no."

If someone did call me tomorrow and the project was right, I'd certainly be into it - but I'm not holding my breath.

Meantime, I am hard at work on that paranormal prose series, and I'm about to start shooting my second video - Those Wacky UFOs, a satire on UFO documentaries. My first video, Really Strange Stories, which featured an XF satire has gotten some attention and a lot of favorable reviews, so I'm hoping to go even further with this one.