SECTOR 7 ARCHIVE — DECLASSIFIED TRANSMISSION
Behind the Counter
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Behind the Counter: A Conversation with the Creator of Retro Rocket Cafe
45 years behind a camera. One stolen spaceship. A retro 1950's coffee shop on the Moon. We sat down with Barry to find out how it all happened.
Jack & RB — Booth #42, Retro Rocket Cafe, Mare Tranquillitatis
You spent 45 years in the trenches of real-world photojournalism before turning to sci-fi worldbuilding. Most people in your shoes write a straightforward memoir or publish a photography retrospective. What specifically made you decide that your creative chapter in retirement needed to be an ex-NASA engineer who steals a spaceship, bribes a launchpad guard with PBR and donuts, and opens a retro 1950's coffee shop on the Moon?
I wanted to do something completely different from anything I had done before. I also wanted to return to a childhood dream of mine to become an astronaut. I wanted it to be fun, and I remembered going to the Saturday morning movies at the Air Force base I lived on with my friends. We loved the old black-and-white sci-fi films that scared the bejesus out of us. Those were good days.
Most people writing sci-fi default to heroic space battles, grand galactic empires, or slick cyberpunk grit. You chose a very specific brand of deadpan, blue-collar comedy: Jack isn't saving the galaxy; he's dealing with inventory paperwork, teaching an overly literal repair robot named RB what "Joe" means, and serving coffee while the Earth gets incinerated outside the window. Where did that specific comic tone come from?
Jack and RB are most likely two sides of myself. I'm a lot like both of them.
When the asteroid hits and wipes out Earth on Grand Opening Day, the story could have pivoted into grim survival horror. Instead, Jack's immediate reaction is to brew an entire pot of Galaxy Blend, put a twangy record on the jukebox, and sit at the counter. Why was it important to you that the end of the world was met with coffee, a comfortable booth, and rockabilly rather than panic?
Well, I'm hoping if it comes to that, I'll be able to have one last cup of coffee and wait for the shock wave. Cool tunes don't hurt either.
You spent serialized posts building out this world — from stealing the Venture and dodging NASA's messages, to RB's literal-minded banter and discovering Tharos and the Verdigrisians frozen in stasis. Looking ahead, where does the journey go from here?
Well, I don't want to give away too much, but let's say there will be many more adventures in the future. Jack and RB seem to find a way to get themselves into all kinds of situations. And, of course, aliens.
A lot of storytellers stop at words on a screen. But you went several steps further: you recorded Suno-powered rockabilly and lounge tracks for the diner's jukebox, created motion clips and vintage sponsor brands like Zotz, and even have physical, heavy ceramic diner mugs in daily rotation. When someone discovers Retro Rocket Cafe, what kind of experience are you hoping they step into?
I would like them to experience — or relive — what it felt like for me as a kid hitting those old movies: being scared out of our wits, talking about spaceships and monsters, and having the time of our lives. That is the nostalgic part. The other is fun music in a cool setting — what could be better than the Moon? — and awesome music to enjoy an out-of-this-world cup of Andromeda Brand Coffee. And to do all this with friends from around the world.
For anyone weary of doom-scrolling, tired of sterile modern websites, and looking for a corner of the universe where good stories, atomic optimism, and a hot cup of coffee still matter — what is your official invitation from behind the counter?
Sometimes we just need to get away and chill with a cup of joe and twangy music. I'm thinking Retro Rocket Cafe at 240,000 miles away is a good distance. I am from the generation of those not forgotten times, and I welcome everyone from every generation and place — even off-planet — to stop in and have a cup.
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The coffee is always on.