After five years in cold storage, Biff Straker and Spaceways is about to get retconned.
Biff has a close place to my heart. I've loved Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers since I was a kid. I watched Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as a kid, and read a ton of pulp through the years. When I first wrote Biff Straker and Spaceways, I had a dream of making it fun for all ages. A story that kids could sink their teeth into, something 20 somethings would find kitschy and a show that those who are old enough to remember the great days of radio would feel nostalgic for.
Buck and Flash inhabit the heart of fantastic adventure- stories that were short on science, and high on action. If Flash wasn't fighting off an exotic creature or fleeing from Ming the Merciless each week in his comic strip, then there was something wrong with the world.

Buck and Flash represent the square-jawed action oriented, not extremely brilliant yet clever adventurers of the past. We've stepped away from that kind of fun space fantasy for the most part, but I think its time for a renaissance.
While Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow didn't do as well in the box office as we all might have liked, it showed there was an engaged and growing audience for steam punk.

My first attempt at Biff Straker was well received, but far more farcical than I eventually was happy with. Following the lead of Gregg Taylor's Red Panda Adventurers, I took a look at how to recreate Biff in a way that focused on the things I loved about Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.
The truth is, those characters took themselves seriously. Buster Crabbe never gave a wry wink to the crowd when he faced down the beasts of Saturn, and neither should my Biff. There shouldn't be clear double entendre or comic pauses, and there shouldn't be ridiculous storylines. People can smirk and laugh at the cheesiness of Biff Straker just fine without the actors giving extra cues to do so.
But most of all, the universe of the Spaceways must make sense. It must have its own internal logic even if the rules of science are bent, broken, or smashed. They must work within Biff's world to keep any sense of believability.
So I ruminated. I had an idea how to rebuild Biff from the ground up. He'd still be a little stiff at times, but certainly not dumb. He'd be filled with all the flaws of the past, but also maintain that sense of hope that so enriched the original idea.
So, Year 0 is now set to debut in September. I've written the Biff Straker Bible, or at least set up the framework for the universe in the Bible. It will continue to grow and expand as I keep writing stories.
And the storylines come easily. Currently, I have a six year arc. I expect Biff to be ten episodes of about 15 minutes an episode each and every year.
Long live Biff Straker and the Spaceways!