We are Alyssa Milano, Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, creators of Hacktivist in the Humble BOOM! Bundle. Ask us anything

Alyssa, what is your opinion on Edward Snowden?

I believe Snowden did what he did because of a deep love for his country. His intentions were pure. There are certain people, whether it be through fate or tenacity that stir the pot. He took this risk for what he believes to be the betterment of his country, regardless of what his critics believe, to get an outcome that would change how the government functions. What happens to him now is clearly a gray area. But I believe if it wasn't him, it was only a matter of time before someone else was a "whistleblower".

Alyssa, I am a big fan and had a major crush on you growing up. Could you and Arnold make a sequel to 'Commando'?

Write the script, get Arnold on board and I'm there.

so who was the boss?

Mona.

Are more issues coming?

Yes!!!!! We are so excited to be producing more issues of HACKTIVIST.

Alyssa, beyond enjoying "Hacktivist" what can we do help protect or secure our internet freedoms?

Fight for it. Don't sit behind your computer and bitch about it. Write and call and make your voice heard.

Collin and Jackson, I've heard you are really into tabletop roleplaying games. What roleplaying games do you play? Does roleplaying help you at all with your writing or with inspiration/brainstorming?

Alyssa, have you ever played a tabletop roleplaying game?

Jason - You've heard right! Collin and I currently play a few different tabletop games. We've just started a Pathfinder campaign (with some awesome comics luminaries), we used to play World of Darkness, I currently play in a long-running Star Wars campaign, and I've even played a homemade Pulp-based system that absolutely blew me away. The largest one we're involved with is a Star Trek game I run personally - and whose mechanics I built myself. It's got about 27 player characters, it's been going for 105 games, and it's completely out of hand.

And yeah, suffice to say, it has inspired a LOT of Collin and I's work.

I guess my invite is in the mail?

Hi, Alyssa! Longtime fan of yours. Do you have any more signings booked in the future? I know you've been doing Hacktivist signings around NY and California, and I was just wondering if I were to get in contact with a comic book store would you be open to making an appearance? Granted if it's the right time! Toronto would love to have you! :)

Always open to supporting HACKTIVIST any way I can.

To Jackson & Collin, considering Alyssa's best known as an actress, were you guys at all skeptical of her idea for Hacktivist as a graphic novel?

Not at all. Our first meeting with her was enough to disabuse us of any notion that this was a vanity project or a "celebrity book". The first conversations about Hacktivist were entirely about what was happening in the real world - it was Alyssa grilling us on our opinions re: infosec and listening to us go on about the Green Revolution. When we got home from the meeting - as confirmation that we'd landed the gig - we received massive black leather folios filled with hand-marked research. She was ahead of us from the beginning and we just needed to catch up.

And don't forget about my crazy research package that I used to woo you!!! :)

I think a soundtrack makes or breaks any piece of art for me. Be it music played at a gallery showing, photography exhibit, a game etc. This question is for All of you: if Hacktivist was produced as a film who would you want to compose the score? What songs and artists inspired you while writing/drawing/creating this piece? edit: typo

My dad and brother are both music editors for films!! I LOVE THIS QUESTION. Trent Reznor!!!!

Thanks for doing this AMA Alyssa. I've been a fan for years. One of my favorite movies is Double Dragon. How was it filming the movie? Any on bloopers or pranks you care to share?

This was actually a tough movie to shoot. The producers in the middle of production told me they wanted me to lose weight. That was quite devastating for a 20 year old to hear. Not my favorite experience.

Those producers were dicks. How would you handle the situation differently if you were given the chance? Would you have turned down the role or told the producers to go to hell?

I would have told them to go f*^# themselves.

Jerks. Was your short blonde hair done for the movie, or just a personal choice you made at the time?

It was like that when they hired me.

Alyssa Milano, I've noticed you in UNICEF commercials lately and wanted to commend you on your charity work over the years. What do you think is the most effective way for the average person to contribute to charity? What organizations do you see doing the most good and what are other activities (besides giving money) that could also have a big impact?

I don't think you have to contribute financially to a charity to contribute to the betterment of humanity. Do what you can to be a better person and help others. If that means donating money, then great but it could also mean donating time or a talent. Whatever takes you outside of yourself and allows you to see past your own nose on your own face, I think is important.

Alyssa, if you and Kevin Smith had a battle to see who's a bigger hockey fan, who wins?

Me. Duh.

Alyssa: Did you know that the ship in Guardians of the Galaxy is named after you... How do you feel about this?

Also can you tell how it was working on the set of Charmed?

Ummmm… Pretty much the coolest thing ever!!! The set of CHARMED was an incredibly special place to be. It was like going to work everyday with your 75 closest friends. I miss it.

V for Vendetta or Watchmen?

And what are your favourite comic books / graphic novels?

(When I was a kid I used to love the slightly weirder comicbooks like Uncanny Tales, Astonishing Stories, Tales of Suspense, they had loads of stories that stay with me all my life, like the couple who spend 7 years of misery suffering bad luck after breaking a mirror and then in the final frame, break another mirror while celebrating the end of their ordeal, or the scientist who thinks he's found the secrets of the microscopic world and shrinks himself only to discover that inside the atom is another universe just like the original with a scientist thinking he has the secrets of the microscopic world...)

Why can't I love both?

"Y The Last Man" - LOVE. When will this be made into a movie???

I love anything Archaia puts out.

Many Charmed Conventions are happening in Europe this year. I know you're very busy, especially now with the new baby, but is there a chance you'll attend one in the future? (There's one happening February 2015 in Paris.)

Someday. I need to be home for a while though with the new baby on its way.

I'd love to know more about the creative process of Hacktivist! I've seen many comics with a "creator" who has name recognition but isn't listed as a writer, so it's unclear what their involvement is. How did you initially conceive the story, Alyssa? How did you choose Jackson and Collin as your writers? Did they take the story in any unexpectedly awesome directions? Comics are such a collaborative process that it's always interesting to hear how everyone's contributions make a story into what it is.

Conceiving the story was an evolution that began with the protests in Iran and ended with an unhealthy obsession with Anonymous. I thought, "what if all of anonymous was just one guy hiding behind a group? Who would that guy need to be? And what set of skills would he need?" The only person I could think of was... Jack Dorsey. In my head, that then became, "What if Jack Dorsey created twitter as a front to change the world and use that company as his own tool to organize and implement change?" And it just took off from there. I then pitched the idea to Archaia and with their guidance we put an amazing creative team together to sculpt a real specific story.

To keep going, skipping over J and I's word doodling, two of the lesser sung heroes of the book are Ian Herring and Derron Bennet, our colorist and letter. Ian had this concept to tell the entire story just in color - because of his deft ability to set the location and mood with just his palette, the entire book really soars. Then, Derron came in and crafted an ENTIRELY NEW kind of word balloon that let us be truthful to the languages spoken across the globe, rather than assume everyone spoke English, or forcing us to us use artificial editing devices. Everyone, EVERYONE involved in this book brought their A game, but it was Alyssa's drive that fueled us the entire way.

And behind the scenes of the whole jam: our editor Rebecca "Tay" Taylor, one of the most incredible individuals we've had the pleasure of working with. Best story notes we've ever gotten, plus a die-hard professionalism that brought the book to life step-by-step. If Alyssa is the Nick Fury to our Avengers, Tay is Maria Hill.

Tay truly is the unsung hero of this whole process. She is a genius.

Hi guys, thanks for doing this AMA!

Two questions: 1.) Why did you guys decide on the Pay What you Want format for the Humble BOOM! Bundle?

2.) You have been sentenced for a crime you did not commit. What would you choose as your final meal?

My mom's Sunday Sauce.

What are the key ingredients to your mom's Sunday Sauce??

Love and guilt!

Hello All, What is the most recent album you purchased?

The entire Beatles collection on iTunes.

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The day I had my headgear and braces removed. ;)

Hacking culture is pretty intense, is your graphic novel intended to be serious or more on the entertainment side?

Both.

Hello everyone! My question today is for Alyssa. I understand you've travelled to places such as Angola and Kosovo with UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador. Are there any stories you can share with us of your experiences there?

Thanks again for doing this AMA!

So many insane experiences on my UNICEF field visits. I always come home from those trips a shell of a woman. But… I will say this, each trip has taught me that regardless of who we are and where we come from and what we have to overcome…we are all the same. We are all looking for our happily ever after and all have the same innate ability to dream for a better tomorrow. I want for every child to have a normal, happy childhood in a peaceful territory.

This question is for everyone here: what are the top 5 podcasts that you would recommend for a theoretical cryogenic space trip where you could still hear and understand but be otherwise unconscious?

I feel like YOU should be making podcast recommendations to us based on that question.

To All, - What sort of research went into creating this book? - Did you have to learn about hacking and hacktivism? - What is the most interesting or craziest thing you learned in researching the book?

I started saving articles on hacking about 4 years ago. I recognized that no one was telling this story yet. I truly became obsessed. We also had a hacker on speed dial that answered any technical questions we had. And… I had a couple of members of Anonymous that I bounced ideas off of.

I'm so excited to hear that more issues are coming! Any chance of seeing Sirine, Ed and Nate on the big screen in the near future?

I think it would make a great tv show too….But honestly, I'd be ecstatic to see it in any format...

To all: How do you relax after a stressful day?

Play in my son's tree house.

Easy one: DC or Marvel and why?

Boom! and Archaia!

Hey Everyone!

• Alyssa, if Charmed was set in today's social-media-driven society, how would that affect the Halliwells?
• To all, as a comic reader, I'm interested in why you guys chose this medium to tell Hacktivist?
• Alyssa, I host a podcast in LA with Birdemic's Whitney Moore in which we make pizza and talk comics. Would you be interested in being a guest for an episode?

Thanks of the AMA and look forward to your responses!

If CHARMED was on the air today in this social media driven society, I have no doubt, we would've been on the air for another few years. Our fans would have fought to keep us around through social media.

Alyssa, which comic books do you read?

Currently reading CYBORG 009.

Alyssa, what was it like giving Julian McMahon a lap dance in charmed? Was heavenly to watch.

Awkward.

Alyssa, you've launched a few things; Touch, specifically, comes to mind. How does this project differ from anything else you've done in the past?

Also, this leads into my next question: Project wise, is there something else you'd like to get into that you haven't yet?

This project was the scariest thing I've launched simply because the comic book world is so hard core and I didn't know if I would be accepted. That is one of the reasons I wanted Archaia to publish it. I knew they would surround me with the best team and give the book the best chance of success.

Alyssa, who's your favorite Dodger?

Vin Scully.

And Jackie Robinson.

hi, I am literally watching Charmed as I saw this! ^{_^} - awesome! - so question to Alyssa, what's been the worst struggle with being an actress? - if any? and what would be your favourite thing about being an actress?

Struggle, is the instability. My favorite thing about it is the voice it has given me to affect positive change.

Hey Alyssa, Season 10 of Charmed (comic book) is starting this October. Are you excited?

Yes.

Can you tell us if Mistresses will have a season 3 and if you have any new projects in the making, like a new movie? (It would be awesome if you played in a superhero movie!!!)

As of right now, we don't know what will happen with MISTRESSES. The only new project I am working on at the moment is growing this baby in my belly. I just wrapped my hosting gig onPROJECT RUNWAY ALL STARS. Very pregnant. It will start airing in October on Lifetime.

Alyssa do you plan to write more comics now that you started with Hacktivist?

I'd like to do beautiful children's series. Milo is 3 now and just started getting into this world.

Hey Alyssa, any funny behind the scenes stuff on the set of Hall Pass you could share?

Just the fact that I was wearing prosthetic boobies was crazy...

For Alyssa: is it true that Tony Danza pressured you into turning down the part of Danielle in Scorsese's "Cape Fear"?

What? I don't think so. Holy shit that would be a great story.

Alyssa! Long time fan, never get to see you in Central NC and an taping of YES CenterStage was canceled. I've wanted to get you to sign anything from a baseball to a Dodgers hat for years! How can I do that?

Love your shows and the causes you support. Blessings!

Talk to @coachkall on Twitter. We will work it out.

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Pea soup and Lentil.

Alyssa, if Hacktivist is made into a movie, would you want to be in it?

Nah. I would just want to produce.

Alyssa, when you were working on Who's the Boss did you ever get to touch Tony Danza's hair? If so, how did it feel?

I know this is not a relevant question to your current project that you are promoting but I've always wondered this and this may be my only shot to have this question answered.

Soft and silky.

For Alyssa: what other past roles did you not get that you wished you had got?

I really wanted the Winona Ryder role in Beetlejuice.

Alyssa, you always keep yourself busy with TV shows, Hacktivist, Touch, while being pregnant and having Milo and a family. I'm in awe of everything you accomplish. You're a true inspiration. :) How do you manage to have time for everything and how do you stay motivated?

While this is obviously an Alyssa question, I just wanted to chime in - Alyssa is single-handedly one of the hardest working, most evenly keeled human beings we've ever met - celebrity or not. I have yet to ever see her ruffled. She's not just an inspiration to you - she's an inspiration to us as well.

Collin, you make it all easier for me and I appreciate that.

Oh darling… everything is a work in progress. I just try to do the best I can. I try to be kind to myself. And the most important thing to me is my children. They motivate me in ways I can't even explain.

Hi Alyssa! Q1:Even if you have never seen it, If asked to star in either a sequel or a possible TV series of Killer Klowns From Outer Space would you do it or pass on it?

Q2:Since this is kinda a klown related question from the movie If they trapped you inside a giant bubble what type and color would it be? 1.soap bubble 2.bubble gum bubble 3.balloon or 4.plastic bubble

1. Yes
2. I live in Hollywood, therefore, I already live in a bubble. ;)

That's very true but what color would it be?

Rose colored, of course.

Alyssa, who is your favorite comic book hero?

Batman...

Alyssa, any chance you can take over as commissioner of Major League Baseball when Bud Selig retires? And what changes would you make to the game if you were the commish?

During inter league play I would make the home league play by the visiting teams rules to give the home fans a true inter league experience (for instance, designated hitter at Dodger Stadium against the Angels). I would go back to the ASG just being an exhibition game and not have any stakes. And I would apologize for the steroid era.