The following is an interview with Trevor Mueller regarding the upcoming release of the young reader graphic novel series, Secret STEAM Society, with Papercutz. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Mueller about his shared creative process in working with artist Gabriel Mayorga to bring the world and characters to life on the page, the themes that he hopes may resonate with young readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of the Secret STEAM Society series! What can you tell us about the premise of this incredibly imaginative series?
Trevor Mueller: Secret STEAM Society is a brand-new line of books from Papercutz that focuses on educational adventure. Think Magic Schoolbus, but with a group of really smart kids that have access to super secret alien technology to allow them to explore a topic through time and space!
When Papercutz approached me to work on this new series, they wanted an animal book to kick the series off – and my daughter’s favorite animal is Horses! But other books in the series will cover other topics, like Space, Music, Water and more!
They haven’t announced all the books in the series just yet, but I’ve had the pleasure to work on several of them – and I’m very excited about this new world and these fun characters exploring STEAM topics through adventure stories!
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with artist Gabriel Mayorga to bring these incredibly fun and educational stories to life on the page?
TM: Each book in the series has a different set of skills and boxes to check for our creative team, and for the Horses book it was “can they draw horses well?” And Gabriel over-delivered!
The process of working with him has been a joy, and part of that is because of the unified vision from the editorial team. They let us put in normal horses, horses in suits and ties, horses in superhero outfits and so much more! The characters in this story explore horses through time, space, and at the microscopic level – and everything in between! And Gabriel had to draw ALL OF THAT.
He’s drawing different breeds, different evolutionary states, and different horse-like creatures from global mythology. It’s been incredible to see how versatile and talented he is when it comes to drawing these animals. Throughout the process, the editorial team has been connecting us to weigh in on accuracy, references, and representation from not just our country and culture, but global cultures as well.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that each story may connect with and impact young readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that they may inspire?
TM: With Secret STEAM Society, I wanted readers to not just learn about the topics in a fun way, but in a way that was memorable. That would stick with them long after they read the story. And in a way that was fun and adventurous to read about. There’s no lecture in these stories – but you learn fun facts while shrinking down to the size of a microbe and exploring the animals from the inside and out.
But another topic that was key for me was for readers who are interested in DOING something with the topic, exploring jobs related to these topics. For Horses, sure there are trainers, ranchers, breeders and more – but there’s also jobs like vets, dentists (yes, horses have dentists), metal and leather workers, drivers (transporting horses), scientists and biologists, and so many more! There are jobs that involve working with animals and not.
It was important to include that so readers knew there were a lot of options when it comes to jobs they may want to do when they grow up.
BD: What makes Papercutz the perfect publishing partner for this story?
TM: Papercutz developed this series, and were kind enough to let me play in this world and write stories about topics I’m passionate about. This is a brand-new initiative for them – launching an adventurous educational line of graphic novels that kids actually want to read, and will learn something after they’ve read them. The focus here is on the fun and adventure, while still checking the STEAM boxes.
They not only had us undergo editorial review for story, but also educational review for accuracy. Topical experts in their fields were looking at our bibliographies, reviewing scripts, and weighing in to ensure everything in the book is accurate and up to date.
Papercutz has been a huge supporter of this project, and it’s been a blast to be a part of it!
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
TM: Oh so many projects! But I can only talk about a handful of them.
From myself and Papercutz, be on the lookout for more volumes of:
- Bat Pat – the adorable adventures of a talking bat and his friends solving mysteries that involve real monsters – but the monsters aren’t scary, they need our help with something and don’t know how to ask for it. Volume 2 drops in April!
- Secret STEAM Society – many more topics are coming both from myself (Music drops in April!) and other amazing creative teams!
- And a few other projects that haven’t been announced yet!
Just from me, I’m working on a few books:
- Witches of E Wick BLVD – a suburban fantasy / coming of age story about two sisters with magic powers trying to stop evil forces from invading their town.
- Los Ojos Volume 2 – The conclusion to the supernatural action series about a hitman who sees his targets as monsters when he looks them in the eyes. Is he crazy, or do monsters walk among us? Find out when the epic graphic novel conclusion drops later this year!
- Demon City volume 2 – the post-apocalyptic buddy cop series continues with a new mystery for detectives Sheila Garcia and Horace Nightingale to solve. But how do you investigate a murder with no body, no evidence, no witnesses, and no crime scene?
- And several more projects that are in the early stages!
BD: What is the best way to learn more about Secret STEAM Society and your other work?
TM: Please join my newsletter or follow me on social media! @trevoramueller is me everywhere, so please find me, follow me, friend me!
