Interview with Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti talking about Superzero

Pedro Monje: What kind of story and genres will the reader find inside ‘SUPERZERO?

Amanda Conner: The basic tone is set and rooted in reality. Our world where doing stupid things have their consequences and where a family and friends can be supportive to our insanity. We play with the fact that some of the readers will be familiar with the themes and ideas of other comics and move our character through very recognizable set ups that deliver in a real world fashion. The key to all of this is we create characters you will care about and want to watch as they go on their journey through the story.

P.M.: Who is Dru Dragowski and what does she want?

A.C.: She is a normal extremely intelligent and curious 19 year old who thinks the world around her is delivering to her exclusively some messages and ideas that she tries to explore. Dru is looking at pop culture, comics, games and movies as a message to be decoded to become a super hero and is more absorbed in the pursuit of this than she is with anything else going on in her life. Because of this obsession, her grades and school life has suffered and she has been left back a few times, making her the oldest senior in her school and looked upon as a bit of an outsider which we all can relate to in some way.

P.M.: After Harley Quinn, Power Girl and Starfire in DC (even the Pro and Painkiller Jane back then), what is the appeal for you to create and work with another characters like this? What are the differences we will find? Does she takes herself more seriously?

A.C.: Well each of these characters move to their own beat and are nothing like each other, so that’s always the challenge is to give them their own voice and make them their own people. With Dru, she is totally different as she is younger and does not live in a world of other superheroes. The book is pretty grounded up to a point, as are the references and actions going on. Dru’s character is searching for something bigger than herself while I feel most of the characters are trying to fit in or adapt to their surroundings.

P.M.: You have worked in many publishers over the years… so… Why did you decide to publish this series in AfterShock? Was it a pitch you did or did they get in contact with you?

A.C.: They got in contact with us and they are friends, so the conversation was easy, the pitch was simple and the details of the deal were written so we were all happy. After working so many years in the field, you try to work with people you trust. Unlike other alliances I have made in the past, this one is really working well for us.

P.M.: Did they put you in contact with Rafael de Latorre or was your choice? Why is he a good fit for this comic? As artists yourselves, how is the collaboration with Rafael?

A.C.: We were given a whole lot of artists to choose from and his work spoke to us like none of the others did. We wanted a grounded and realistic look and most important of all, some serious storytelling skills. Rafael had all of that and more and as the book goes, with issue 3 coming out soon, its so obvious we made the right choice all around.

 AfterShock Comics
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