For South Surrey author Steven Scott, comics were the one thing he could count on as a kid. It didn't matter what city the "military brat" was living in, or even the continent he was on 鈥� "there was always comics."
"I remember always telling my mother when I was real little, getting into X-Men and Spider-Man, I was like, 'One day I'm going to grow up and I'm gonna move to New York City and I'm gonna write and illustrate for Marvel,'" Scott said in a recent interview.
"It was one of my big dreams when I was a kid."
Now 41, Scott has been living his dream for well over a decade, interning at Marvel before notching his first paid writing gig with Archie Comics 鈥� where the thrill that came from putting words into Jughead's mouth officially marked his start as a professional writer.
Over the years since, Scott's roles have included director of publicity and marketing at Archie Comics, staff writer at Epic! Originals and creator of G'Day Yank, his own comic-strip memoir. The father of two has also earned his share of awards and nominations celebrating creative and inclusive achievements.
Scott's name currently graces more than a few published works, including Time Buddies (released April 2025), Cat Ninja: Heart of a Hero and The Magic History Book, not to mention a soon-to-be released four-book series he co-created, Sixth-Grade Shape-Shifter, about a kid with the ability to turn into any person or object.
But it could be said that a particular pair of non-fiction tomes bearing his name puts him in a league that is out of this world 鈥� collaborations created alongside George Takei; perhaps best-known for his role as Lt. Sulu on Star Trek, but more recently as a social-justice advocate and author.
The two first connected in 2012, when Scott was working at Archie, and Takei guest-starred in a Kevin Keller comic. Keller was the Archie world's first openly gay character. He idolized Takei 鈥� who came out as gay in 2005, at the age of 68 鈥� and in issue No. 6, the two icons meet.
Through the process of promoting the issue, Scott "kind of developed a rapport" with Takei and his husband Brad.
"He is a real people-person," Scott recalled, of his first impression of Takei. "Unlike some celebrities, really treats his fans with a lot of respect鈥� like they're the special ones."
He never expected he'd ever reconnect with the celebrity, until a colleague 鈥� Justin Eisinger 鈥� suggested Takei's childhood experiences in a Japanese internment camp during the Second World War would suit a graphic memoir. The idea came at a time when they were paying close attention to the likes of books in that medium, such as the March graphic-novel trilogy; about congressman John Lewis' struggle during the civil rights movement.
"The reactions they were getting and how they were being used in schools to teach on the subject," Scott explained. "And we thought it would be a good idea to continue books in that vein."
Scott reached out to Takei to see if he'd be interested and, "as it turns out, he was." The rest, in more ways than one, is history.
They Called Us Enemy 鈥� a collaboration by Takei, Scott, Eisinger and artist Harmony Becker, published in 2019 by Top Shelf Productions 鈥� became a New York Times bestseller.
Last month, the team's second collaboration, It Rhymes With Takei 鈥� another graphic memoir, sharing Takei's coming-out story 鈥� hit the shelves. In sharing the news with PAN, Scott noted its release was featured on Good Morning America, and that the book was one of the last featured on the iconic Times Square marquee before it was moved.
The 336-page memoir's introduction features Takei being interviewed on The View, when, in response to a comment that someone cannot be groomed to be not gay, he says society "groomed me to be closeted."
"To show the world a character鈥� that was almost my full self, but not quite. Something similar, but not the same. Almost like a rhyme," Takei elaborates.
In sharing his story of coming out, he continues, "I fill in that gap I secreted away鈥� I am the whole George Takei."
The memoir was a few years in progress, and the Virginia-born Scott 鈥� who planted his roots in South Surrey in 2018 鈥� initially worked on it while helping the South Surrey Kumon Math & Reading Centre with promotions and marketing.
Now writing full-time from home, Scott said he "never dreamed" he'd one day write about "a real-life superhero," or even be associated with the genre.
"But I do think it has proven to be a really good teaching tool," he said.
"I loved seeing They Called Us Enemy being used in classrooms to educate people and students on this subject of history and include it in their curriculum. It was mind-blowing to me as an air-force kid to see the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado adopt it into their curriculum as well, and hand out a copy of it to every single cadet. I don't know if that would happen today, but it happened a few years ago."
Scott noted They Called Us Enemy is "still making waves," most recently in June, when a Tennessee county school board voted to ban it. When Scott shared that news on social media, reactions ranged from upset and defensive, to pats on the back. Such distinction, he said, is considered almost "a badge of honour" in the book world: "you must be doing something right."
Graphic novels, he continued, are an ideal medium to teach about more challenging subjects 鈥� ones "that are a little bit harder to kind of wrap your head around" 鈥� because they present the material in a format that is easier to connect to, especially for reluctant readers.
The impact is further broadened when someone like Takei is putting their face on it, said Scott.
It "really makes this subject feel all that more real鈥� hits harder reading it, because you can really put yourself in these characters鈥� shoes."
Scott said it remains to be seen whether It Rhymes With Takei will find its way into educational settings, as a tool for teaching students about LGBTQ history. It would be "wonderful" if that does happen, he said, adding a teachers' guide has already been created so that it can spark conversation in the classroom.
But, he's not holding his breath.
"I do hope that people will adopt it as well into their schools, but I could also just as easily see it being banned."
It Rhymes with Takei is available through various retailers, including on Amazon and at Indigo. Scott's Sixth-Grade Shape-Shifter series is due for release on Aug. 1.
