Legendary Comic Artist Steve Rude Shares His Experience As A First-Time Writer On ‘Thuneworld’

When you're new to the act of writing, expect the unexpected and balance things accordingly.

The big surprise to longtime Nexus fans is the name of the author. Steve Rude, normally the one who draws the Nexus comic, is now making his debut as writer and artist.

How this bizarre event unexpectedly came into being was not anticiated by myself or Nexus creator, Mike Baron. After working together as a writer/artist team for over 30 years, this change seemed to come about out of necessity. In a rare example of two creators amicably solving the dilemma of future story direction, we decided to do the the unexpected by putting out two versions of our Nexus characters.

So how does one with no actual prior experience go about learning the art of writing?

In my case, I simply and logically gathered 5 or so of my favorite comics and dissected them. I wanted to discover why these particular books affected me so much...

Everyone has it in them to tell stories, but I found that if you think too hard about it and let yourself be smothered by fear and intimidation, I suggest hitting the gym or getting out the yoga mat. Breath in, breath out. It becomes even worse when you start the comparison game. There will always be hundreds of superior talents that are miles ahead of you.

My solution was not to think too hard.

Since I know people are going to ask about some of those books that helped teach me the

craft of writing, here's a sampling:

• Kamandi #2 by Jack Kirby/DC comics 1972

• Fantastic Four #75, by Stan and Jack/ Marvel comics 1968

• Magnus Robot Fighter #6/Gold Key comics 1964

Other sources came from some of my favorite

• TV shows, such as the first season of Star Trek, 1966, and the Kung Fu series from 1972.

For those who see everything in life as a day-to-day challenge, it seems clear that I would one day have to learn how to write my own stories. So after a few obligatory starts and fits, and a few moments of being scared spitless for good measure, I finally began to pick up that inevitable momentum that rewards those who have passed the starting gate.

Now that I've got a few captions and word balloons under my belt, the process of writing is becoming less

daunting and more fun.

Stay tuned as the journey continues! 

- Steve Rude the Dude

Order Rude’s Latest Nexus Release, The Battle for Thuneworld, HERE!

Who’d You Recommend This Book To? Download and share the first 32 pages free to get a first-look before purchasing - https://www.steverude.com/products/battle-for-thuneworld-miniseries-issue-1