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Interview: “WolfCop” Creator Lowell Dean Talks New “Atomic Victory Squad” Comic

“The weirdest, craziest heroes you’ve ever seen.” – Lowell Dean

WolfCop” creator Lowell Dean has a new upcoming project, this time switching lanes from the rabidly popular Lycan fun-horror film franchise to the comic book medium for “the Atomic Victory Squad.” Though this is not his first foray into the comicbook industry, with his light involvement in the off-chute “WofCop” comic, “Atomic Victory Squad” will be Lowell’s first non-Lycan venture. We talk with Lowell as he’s preparing to launch his indiegogo campaign for “Atomic Victory Squad,” check out the full interview and get a glimpse of the “Udder-ly” epic cover after the jump.

 

 

Coming off the rabidly fan-adored “WolfCop” and upcoming “Another WolfCop,” did you make a conscious effort to deviate from that hair-raising brand of humor and bad-assery?

Honestly, this feels like a very natural progression. WolfCop was partly inspired by my love of comic books and comic book style films and the Atomic Victory Squad is very much in that wheelhouse. On the surface, it’s less dark than WolfCop (which flirted with horror) but believe me, this team of superheroes is VERY messed up. There will still be excessive violence and questionable love-making, rest assured.

The fun and colorful cover art is “udder-ly” amazing! What was the biggest challenge when picking a design aesthetic for your characters? Did you do any mock-ups of the superhero team in other styles (i.e. anime, etc.)?

Like most comic characters, hopefully there will be many visual incarnations as we move forward. Issue #1 is illustrated by Joel Hustak, a Saskatchewan artist who’s work I’ve long admired. For the cover of issue #1, we approached Mike Anderson, another talented artist. What’s been really fun is seeing these characters come to life in the hands – and styles – of different artists! I’d LOVE to see an anime take on the team!

Atomic Victory Squad deviates from the typical mainstream superhero team in almost a “Mystery Men” fashion, and the tagline “They’re Not The Best… They’re The Rest” says a lot. In an increasingly openly imperfect world, what made you decide to focus on a motley crew of “not so super” superheroes?

In comics, many teams are created based on the “superpowers” of each team member, and how they will compliment each other. I created the Atomic Victory Squad roster around personal issues that each team member could represent. As the series goes on, you’ll see that each character reflects issues like race, gender, mental health, addiction… the list goes on. All packaged in the guise of a fun, ridiculous comic book of course!

“Mystery Men” is a fun comparison, but unlike those characters – who each had “weird” powers – the Atomic Victory Squad actually each have GREAT powers like flight, super strength, transformation, etc.. It’s their PERSONALITIES that are holding them back. They barely keep it together as individuals, let alone as a team.

As Triangle Master pensively says, “Don’t Do…Tri”, what made you want to “Tri” the comic book industry? Was your lighter involvement with the “WolfCop” comic series something that made you more fond of the medium, or has making an “Atomic Victory Squad” book been a long-awaited passion project or yours?

This is a long time coming for me. I’ve been dreaming and drawing these characters since I was a teenager. After the WolfCop comic hit shelves, I realized I wanted to get more into comics in a serious way. Emersen Ziffle (the FX artist behind WolfCop) loved the Atomic Victory Squad characters and suggested we crowd fund a comic to get the ball rolling.

A Maquette of Invincibull... one perk of the upcoming "AVS" crowdfunding campaign.
A Maquette of Invincibull... one perk of the upcoming "AVS" crowdfunding campaign.

 

Given the booming comic book adapted movie industry, do you have any plans to eventually pitch “AVS” as an animated feature or series? If so, which studio/network would be you consider to be the dream home for such a project?

This comic is an important first step to test the waters. Frankly, I’d be overjoyed to see the Atomic Victory Squad wind up as an animated series. I see shows like Futurama and Venture Brothers and Bojack Horseman and I just KNOW the world is ready for this messed up team. I’d love to do is as a more adult cartoon – you know, due to the violence, sex and mature issues they face. A Netflix style series would be amazing.

Does “Atomic Victory Squad” operate within it’s own stand-alone world, or is it part of shared universe… one that may eventually crossover with our favorite not-so-friendly lycan, Lou Garou?

More WolfCop comics are in the works too… and I’d be all for a cross over, or WolfCop appearing in the AVS universe. For starters, when they are assembling the team I’d love to see him make a “X-Men: First Class” style cameo, if you know what I mean.

The “Udder-ly” amazing cover of “The Atomic Victory Squad!”

Judging from the cover alone, “AVS” is far from your typical superhero squad. What inspired the “AVS” concept and characters? Which is YOUR favorite character on the team?

It’s hard to pick a favorite – they are like my children to me- but Invincibull stands out because he’s the leader. He’s the character has been in my brain since childhood. The series is influenced by my love of true blue comic book superhero teams like the Justice League, X-Men, the Ninja Turtles, the Avengers… but I always felt those teams could be a bit weirder. Hence, the Atomic Victory Squad. I know they aren’t real, but they are like a family to me already!

In the new TLDR age, audiences are overwhelmed by so much new content from day to day that they often miss out on potentially “Victorious” content in wordy articles. To satiate the short-attentioned millennial market, how would YOU describe “Atomic Victory Squad” in seven words or less?

The weirdest, craziest heroes you’ve ever seen.

Find more weirdly awesome superhero squad-dom at AtomicVictorySquad.com and stay tuned on how you can help bring this ATOMIC superhero team to life.

 

Pooya: Since his wee lad-dom, Pooya has been a sommelier of cinema. It was likely some acting bug, fallen from the dust riddled ruby curtains of an enchanted old stage that did it. Those cinematic scarabs must have burrowed deep into his brain, irreversibly altering his mind, turning the poor boy down a dismal path. From his earliest years the strange boy would aimlessly wander the aisles of countless video rental stores, amassing his trivial knowledge with vigor. These actions befuddled the boy’s parents, who still would lovingly oblige his unusual attraction to the motion picture. Often seeking refuge in the cushioned seating of his local movie theater, the odd adolescent would immerse himself in the scripted and effects riddled realities unfolding on the screen before him. During his collegiate years, he was twice spotted on stage performing bizarre theatrical rituals before awe-struck audiences. When he departed from academia, he left behind his youth in exchange for a labor routine, but the strange young man never lost his long-cultivated love of film. Recently, Pooya was approached by FilmFad.com to join their budding team of entertainment bloggers. After hours of coaxing and an undisclosed number of honey jars, he accepted their offer. Finally he had come full circle. Finally, at FilmFad.com, he was home.
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