The name of the American author Tom King is well known to comic book lovers. He collaborates with major publishers of this genre - "Marvel" and "DC Comics". The writer believes that comics are extremely important to people. He calls them the modern successors of Westerns, which, in turn, took over from mythological subjects. And Tom sees the main task of the comic book author in creating that chaos and tension that does not allow the reader to break away from the exciting narrative ahead of time.
Biography
Tom King was born in 1978 in a family of Jewish Americans. He grew up in Los Angeles, California. Since childhood, the boy wanted to become a writer. Tom's mom, who worked at a film studio, was skeptical of his passion. King also considered a law career, but eventually enrolled at Columbia University, where he studied history and philosophy. He received his diploma in 2000.
Tom did not completely abandon his dream, so he went on an internship at Marvel and DC Comics, specializing in comic books, to gain experience. He learned the basics of the profession from the famous writer Christopher Clermont, who invented many characters in the X-Men comic strip. This author also owns the best-selling comic book of all time.
King's plans changed dramatically after the infamous September 11, 2001 attacks. He was so shocked by what happened that he went to the CIA website, spurred by the need to act and help. Tom soon worked at the CIA's counterterrorism unit. In an interview, he called this experience “terrific” in his life.
King stayed at the CIA for 7 years. Thinking about a job change was prompted by personal circumstances. Tom's wife was waiting for their first-born, and he had an annual overseas trip. He realized that he would not be able to stay away from his family for so long and agreed on an annual vacation. So the writer had time to return to his beloved business. He worked on his first novel about superheroes and enjoyed fatherhood.
Just a year later, he had an agent who represented Tom's interests in negotiations with publishers. And he had to make a difficult decision to quit the CIA. “There are things that I love, and there are things that are impossible. When I think about leaving my children, it’s impossible, ”King commented on his decision over time.
Since then, in the writer's personal life, everything has been developing remarkably. He lives with his family in Washington and has three children.
Creativity: debut novel
Tom King’s first (and so far only) novel, “Once Crowded Sky”, was published on June 10, 2012 by Touchstone. Illustrations for the book were made by Canadian animator Tom Fowler.
The novel takes place in the city of Arcadia. The world is once again saved from the apocalypse. All superheroes united to fight evil, but to win they have to part with their magical powers.
One of the main characters - the robot hero Altimeit - is trying to get used to the life of an ordinary person, leaving behind the battles won and lost friends. When a new threat looms over the city, he rushes to help without hesitation. Alas, without its amazing abilities, Ultimate is virtually useless. But he has a former friend and ally Penaltimet, who refused to sacrifice magical power in order to save the world. Now he has become the most powerful man in the world. Ultimate is forced to turn to the only superhero who is still able to influence the outcome of the battle.
One of the readers of A Once Crowded Sky wrote in a review of the novel: “Most of all, it looks like a beautifully written love letter to the very art of comics with a narrative that tells how it feels to live in a world covered by an endless status quo, so common in comics. " Another fan called King's work “a deeply sad, exceptionally original study of personal costs and moral dilemmas created by the loss of superhuman strength.” In general, the novel caused mixed ratings among comic book fans, although it definitely did not go unnoticed.
