The Crew.

I’m putting a crew together. Who’s in?

Jul 03, 2023

Hello, again! I’ve been threatening to do this for a while, so as you’ve dropped by, I thought I’d tell you a little bit about my new book. But don’t worry, I’ve got a fun gimmick, so it’s going to be FUN.

The Hard Switch is a science fiction graphic novel, but if you’re sceptical, don’t let that put you off. It’s essentially the story of a found family, in a world where everything is falling apart, with the crew of a small cargo freighter trying to make ends meet and navigate moral hurdles in the face of an impending apocalypse. Sound fun? Well, hopefully it is, yes!

Don’t worry though, your way in is through the crew of Ada, Haika and Mallic (an extractor, pilot, and engineer, respectively), and as I was thinking about this central trio, I started musing on ‘crews’ in general, and thought I’d do a quick run-down of my Top 5 Fictional Crews in Film and Television.

The only rule I’ve got is that they have to be in charge of some kind of vehicle (although you’ll see that I stretch that definition), otherwise it’s a ‘team’, which is a different proposition. Anyway, you’ll get the hang of it, let’s go!

Alien.

It’s important to start big, and it’s hard to think of any sci-fi that it’s not been influenced by Alien since its release in some way, but the crew of the Nostromo are almost the perfect definition. It’s a proper working ship, and everyone onboard is there because of the job they do. They have to work together and get on as well as possible for the good of the ship or mission at hand. There are alliances and irritations, even before the titular alien shows ups and really starts testing those relationships, as well as their metal and the ship’s actual integrity... Would like to think I’m Ripley, but I’m probably John Hurt’s unfortunate, Kane.

The Hunt for Red October.

Two crews for the price of one! This really drills into the essence of a crew, as there isn’t even any distracting scenery in this underwater cat and mouse chase. What I like about this one is how competent both crews are, with the renegade Russian officers of the Red October clearly all cold war veterans, adept at playing this deadly game of underwater chess. Any cockiness comes from pure experience, (‘Give a stopwatch and a map, and I’ll fly the Alps in plane with no windows’ murmurs the navigation officer Kamarov, as they turn their twenty-five-thousand-ton nuclear submarine into an underwater canyon network), but they’re equally matched by the crew of the USS Dallas. Piecing together scraps of information and chasing this seemingly invisible foe, this doggedness is exemplified by Jonesy, the radar operator with hunch, who flies in the face of ridicule to prove his maverick theory. It’s also a great look how the two captains are only as good as their crews, and the smart choice comes from using everyone’s unique skill set. I would like to think I’m maverick radar operator, Jonesy, but I’m probably the apprentice, Seaman Beaumont.

Twister.

Okay, hear me out on this one. I might be breaking my own rules a bit, but I wanted a land-based crew, and although not technically a single vehicle, the convoy of storm chasers move as one. So I’m counting it, and it’s my list. This crew is the definition of a ‘family’, with all the ramshackle infighting that you might expect (‘All I’m saying is don’t fold the maps…well Kansas is a mess, there’s a big crease right through Wichita…ROLL the maps’), headed up by the endlessly bickering and clear ‘parents’, Jo and Bill. The dysfunctional, but ultimately affectionate family dynamic is exemplified by the stoner uncle character of Phillip Seymour-Hofmann’s, Dusty. Endlessly pricking about and in it for the ride, but more than ready to lock-in and do whatever’s necessary in the pursuit of extreme weather data collection - just like the rest of them. It’s also a better film than you remember. Would like to think I’m Jo, but I’m probably Rabbit.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Could easily be mistaken for a two-hander between Capt. Jack Aubrey and Dr Stephen Mauturin (Crowe and Bettany), representing the warrior and leader vs the enlightened man and surgeon. But in fact, all the crew are placed somewhere along that spectrum and part of a self-contained ecosystem navigating through foreign waters and times of social change. It’s great at selling the feeling of that delicate balance between discipline and reward that keeps a ship afloat when it’s so far from home. Difficult decisions for the greater good are never made easily, and every action has a reaction when your world is so fragile and reliant on those around you. The young officer in waiting, Blakeney, is the perfect cypher for showing this subtle balance, dutifully losing an arm for King and Country, when he’d probably sooner be studying beetles in this beautiful and brutal world. Would like to think I’m 1^st Lt. Tom Pullings, but I’m probably Midshipman Blakeney.

Futurama.

The gang of misfits that populate the Planet Express delivery service are the perfect way to it experience all the madness of the year 3000. Considering that Futurama has borrowed, aped and ridiculed pretty much every sci-fi trope and film over the years, it means that the show itself has almost become an archive of future visual language that now has its own influence on everything that’s come after. As a comedy, the crew are designed for their humour roles, but there’s more to it than that, as we’re very much back where we started with Alien. Everyone is there for a reason (however ridiculous) and even when it seems like Bender is actively working against them, they’re pretty much always there for each other. Even if your captain has become obsessed with hunting down and four-dimensional space whale. Would like to think I’m Leela, but I’m probably Ziodberg.

Honourable Mentions.

The Matrix – It so grim onboard the Nebuchadnezzar, that the crew only seem to have any fun when they are back in the delusional hellhole they just escaped from. But still, humanity isn’t going to save itself, is it?

Firefly – Probably should have been in the top five, it’s just a great crew all round.

Fury – Brad Pitt in a tank. Not a good enough film to make the cut, but the land-based vehicle crews are hard to find, so it’s made it on a technicality.

Galaxy Quest – I’ve never really got into Star Trek, which some would consider the ultimate crew, so my concession is this affectionate piss take. And everyone is having a lot of fun too.

The Guns of Navarone – Yeah, okay, it’s a ‘team’, but they do all go on a boat at one point, and there’s some great stuff going on between them all.

Space Sweepers – Maybe there’s nothing particularly original going on here, but it pushes all my buttons in very pleasing way. I’ll never get bored of seeing some scrappy underdogs pulling off the impossible.

Treasure Island – Possibly the original crew. And possibly never bettered.

So, there we have it. I’m sure you disagree, or have your own, but that the beauty it, there are no wrong answers! Anyway, this has all been a very roundabout way of saying that The Hard Switch is now up on Kickstarter, and there are some lovely exclusive extras for anyone who gets involved. Thanks to anyone who has backed it so far, the response has been staggering.

Still not convinced? Then watch this trailer. It was put together by the great Jack McIroy, and the music is by James Buchanan. Check them both out too.

And for those of you who are just here for the kiosk and company, here’s a space kiosk instead. You’re always welcome there too, but the coffee is a bit weirder.