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Fanboy Comics Interviews Caseen Gaines, Author of ‘We Don’t Need Roads’

The following is an interview with Caseen Gaines, author of the recently released book, We Don’t Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy. In this interview, Fanboy Comics Managing Editor Barbra Dillon chats with Gaines about his inspiration for taking on trilogy, the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the creative process, why the Back to the Future films were impactful to him personally, and where readers may purchase their copy of the book!


Barbra Dillon, Fanboy Comics Managing Editor: First and foremost, congratulations on the recent release of your latest book! While your respect and passion for all-things Back to the Future was clearly evident from the book, what inspired you to make the iconic trilogy the focus of your latest book?

Caseen Gaines: Like all Back to the Future fans, I have been anticipating 2015 since the first time I saw Part II. As I got older and started looking deeper into the making of the trilogy, I found the story to be fascinating. The three films were an enormous success, but each had unique challenges to be realized on screen. Back to the Future easily could have been a train wreck, no pun intended, but it wasn’t, and I believe that’s due to the creative team and their faith in this project. When I was thinking about what I wanted to write on for my most recent book, Back to the Future was a no-brainer.

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BD: In interviewing the cast and crew of the films and conducting your research for the book, what did you find to be the most challenging and/or rewarding aspects of your creative process?

CG: The most challenging aspect of interviewing is always the timeline. I spoke with close to 75 people associated with the trilogy over the course of about 19 months, and everyone has a busy life and full schedule. As a result, we just couldn’t work out the scheduling for a few people who were interested in participating. In terms of the rewards, I had the opportunity to speak with some of my heroes who contributed to cinematic history on these films, but also a lot of other movies I love and respect. When you get to chat with Christopher Lloyd for an hour or so, that’s a big reward for sure!

BD: The book cites the incredible script by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the talented cast, and the captivating characters of the BTTF films as the reasons for their success and staying power. Why have the films been most impactful for you?

CG: Back to the Future has remained impactful to me, because it’s a franchise with a lot of heart. At its core, the movie is about relationships — a teenager grows to appreciate his parents, his parents grow to appreciate each other, two friends grow to realize what their friendship means to one another. The DeLorean is awesome, hoverboards are great, the music and effects are spectacular, but there is nothing better than the story and characters for me.

BD: What do you hope that readers will take away from their reading experience of We Don’t Need Roads?

CG: I hope readers will come away with a greater appreciation for all that went into making these films magical. Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, and their team often took the difficult way out of situations, but they did it to the benefit of their films. For diehard fans of the franchise, there are plenty of new details in the book to whet their appetite, and for casual fans, learning more about the behind-the-scenes aspects should be a real trip.

BD: In providing an in-depth look at the making of the Back to the Future trilogy, do you feel that We Don’t Need Roads would appeal to both avid fans of the films, as well as those with only a passing knowledge of the films?

CG: Absolutely. That’s always the goal with something like this. You want to meet fans at the middle. If someone picks up the book and doesn’t know Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty McFly before Michael J. Fox, they’ll find that information interesting. If someone already knew that, there is plenty of information and new interviews to explain exactly what it was like working with Eric, and how the transition was from Eric to Michael. That’s just one example, but even if you have just a passing interest in Back to the Future, there is something in the book for you!

BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you are able to share with our readers?

CG: I have a project I’m working on, but can’t go too far into it at the moment. I wish I could! To be continued . . .

BD: What is the best way for readers to learn more about We Don’t Need Roads and your other work?

CG: We Don’t Need Roads, and my other two books, are available wherever books are sold. You can find links to purchase them at my website, www.caseengaines.com. I’m also on Facebook, as well as Twitter and Instagram, both @caseengaines. Connect with me! I love to hear from people.

Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief

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