Ep. 279 - Major Thomás and Chronic (w/ Omar Morales)

We’re talking to write Omar Morales today about this graphic novel Major Thomás now available exclusively on Comixology! With art by Serg Acuña and Mau Mira

“A Mexican-American farm worker becomes a NASA astronaut and just as his dreams begin to blast off, he gets lost in the middle of a space war, marooned with crushing regret about his life choices.”But first, what were our first blush reactions to the comic? Is this being marked as a young adult book or is it for a broader audience? Was this comic created by an all-Latino creative team? How did Omar link up with his creative team? Did Omar’s life inspire some of this comic? How did Latinos involved in NASA inspire this comic? Did Omar play against Tom Brady in high school? How did Omar get astronaut Jose Hernandez to write a forward for Major Thomas? What kind of back matter is included in the deluxe edition? Is a physical print release planned for Major Thomas? How did Major Thomas start off as a project? Is there a study guide for educators in this comic? What is Creators Assemble? Are libraries a great way to read comics both physically and digitally? Is this the perfect comic for a middle-schooler? Is the comic’s title a David Bowie reference? Did songwriter Peter Schilling allow Omar to use lyrics from “Major Tom” in this comic? What message does Omar want readers to get out of Major Thomas? Does Omar have a second and third volume of the series planned? Is Alf hidden somewhere in this comic? What other Easter Eggs appear in Major Thomas? Is the character Lisa influenced by anyone in Omar’s personal life? How is Oakland represented in the comic? How did the band Shiny Toy Guns inspire Major Thomas? Is this comic a mix between La Bamba, Lost in Space, and Guardians of the Galaxy? Did Omar have a soundtrack in mind for this comic? Does Major Thomas have Saturday Morning Cartoon vibes? Did Omar break a Guinness World Record in 2015 for largest comic in the world? Why did Omar decide to release Major Thomas as a graphic novel as opposed to single issues? What was the process like getting this comic published by Comixology? What fan fiction has Omar worked on? What was Omar’s biggest obstacle in making this book? How did Omar contribute to Mad Cave Studios LA Strong anthology? What other projects does Omar have on the horizon?