BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO Class is back in session this month, and we've got some crib notes from Professor Hugh Sterbakov about what his students are up to in the Top Cow ongoing, Freshmen II Fundamentals of Fear.
THE PULSE: When you had the first trade paperback of The Freshmen in your hands, what was that like for you to have it in your hands and see how it all came out?
HUGH STERBAKOV: The entire process has been a dream come true. Every time a new issue comes out, I geek out on it and read it from cover to cover. The Trade was especially exciting, because not only did it have the 10-page back-up story I wrote, but it also had all of the corrections and final fixes that made the whole thing feel complete. Seth and I first saw the trade while we were in Florida for a signing, and we both just took a half hour to love it before we started signing.
THE PULSE: How long has the sequel been in the works and what factors led to it coming out now?
STERBAKOV: The roots for the sequel's story were set during the first series, but the plot mechanics came afterward. I finished writing the first series around the time the second issue came out, so as I worked on finalizing the rest of the issues, I played around with the sequel in my head. We knew early on that sales of the trade would indicate whether we'd do a sequel, so I had some time to really play around with the story elements. Once the series was a go, a few weeks after the trade was released and it was clear that sales were through the roof (we're about to reprint the trade, actually), we set about finding the right time to release the sequel-- looking at the market and promotional opportunities, and now was the right time. I'm really excited to be back on the shelves.
THE PULSE: Which members of the "class" are featured in Freshmen II Fundamentals of Fear?
STERBAKOV: Norrin and Annalee, of course, are the stars of the show, along with the Beaver. Liam has about the same level of attention that he had in the first series. But Renee and Brady, the bickering Drama Twins, and Charles, the Green Thumb, step up and share the spotlight with the stars. At the same time, Jacques and Paula take something of a backseat for this story. It's just the way things have to be, since we only have six issues (and I needed the Internet issue, #1.5, to tell all of the subplots).
THE PULSE: What do you like the best about writing these characters? I think they seem like a fun group that I wouldn't mind hanging out with ... at least most times.
STERBAKOV: They're really driven by realistic emotions and feelings. I love getting into their heads and their hearts and watching how they react to each other and their nemeses. I love that they're in the real world, as opposed to a big super-hero universe, and I really enjoy watching them pick on each other.
THE PULSE: How many of your friends traits are present in these heroes? What elements of yourself is in each?
STERBAKOV: There's an element of me in each of them... I'm the geek who couldn't fit in, I'm the lovelorn kid who couldn't find a love, I'm the person needling people to understand why they do what they do, and I've had some awful toxic relationships. The Puppeteer is designed after a friend of mine, and I use a lot of her mannerisms in writing that character, but, for the most part, they're all me.
THE PULSE: How tough was it for you to get into the comic writing groove and master the page script form?
STERBAKOV: It's very hard -- particularly hitting the 22 page count exactly. It's a discipline I'm not necessarily used to, and I tend to be more ambitious with story points than I really have room for. It's something I'm continuing to work on. I think the readers actually benefit, because Freshmen issues tend to be packed with a lot of character development, but I have to find a level of comfort so that I'm not struggling against space in every single issue.
THE PULSE: What challenges are facing the group this time around?
STERBAKOV: Well, they're starting their second semester, and off the bat, they're facing academic issues. The Intoxicator almost failed out last semester, and this year he's on academic probation. Renee and Brady's relationship is worse than ever, and Brady has had just about enough-- that's something we'll be exploring some more, the drive that keeps people in relationships that are bad for them. And Norrin has been seeing a stranger in his dreams, Mr. Fiddlesticks-- he's a character from a series of children's' books who has been freaking Norrin out, and making him wonder if he's going crazy. Not to mention that Annalee's father is back on the scene, sniffing around his investment in the Ax-Cell-Erator, the machine that exploded and created our kids' powers. All of this adds up to some major mayhem brewing on the very near horizon.
THE PULSE: What's the pacing like for this continuing series?
STERBAKOV: The first issue is mostly build-up, and then we move to the Internet issue, #1.5, on the http://www.freshmencomic.com website. Issue #2 develops some of the stories, while exploring the life of the Green Thumb. The action really takes off in the third issue, and continues through issues #4 and #5. Issue #6 is something of a spectacular epilogue, it takes the story in a whole new place that, I think, will really freak people out. I can't wait for the spring!
THE PULSE: What's it like collaborating with Will Conrad?
STERBAKOV: Fantastic. Will has ramped up the series in a sexier, darker direction that really suits the new, darker direction for the series. Mister Fiddlesticks is, ultimately, a character who could come from a horror film, and Will jumped onto that angle right off the bat, creating mysterious, thick environment that quickly convey the dark new world our kids face in their second semester. It was tragic to lose Leonard Kirk, but Will has stepped in to save the day.
THE PULSE: What do you enjoy the most about working in the comics industry?
STERBAKOV: More than anything, I appreciate the fact that there's little story interference. In Hollywood, there are always absurd notes and rewrites that have more to do with ego than making a story better. But in the comic industry, for the most part, you get to deliver the story your way under your terms in your voice. That's why, I think, the medium is so attractive to powerful writers who are making much more money in other places.
THE PULSE: Since Freshmen co-creator Seth Green is working on so many other projects outside of comics, do you find yourself working with him on any of his more animated works?
STERBAKOV: I am-- I'm a co-creator on a new show that we can't talk about yet, and I wrote for an upcoming Robot Chicken special that, you got it, we can't talk about yet. And Seth and I are always collaborating on new things. But right now we're mired in a lot of business, trying to put the final touches on deals. I really think 2007 is going to be a huge year for us, though, and for Freshmen.
THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on in or out of comics?
STERBAKOV: I've pitched to work on a couple of films, including some franchises everyone has heard of, and we're developing these new shows, but, unfortunately, I can't jinx anything at this moment. It looks like I'll have at least one more comic book on the shelves soon, though, and I'm still beating on the door at DC and Marvel to give me one of their characters so I can reach a bigger comic audience. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Freshmen II # 1 is in stores this month.
Posts: 21256 | From: PA | Registered: Aug 2002
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And for you Freshmen fans, check this PRESS RELEASE OUT:
Seth Green & Hugh Sterbakov Freshmen Signing at Atomic Comics!
Popular Duo Appear at Mainstay Arizona Chain on December 13th!
Seth Green (Family Guy, Robot Chicken) and Hugh Sterbakov (Freshmen, Robot Chicken) will be appearing at Atomic Comics Chandler Fashion Center on Wednesday, December 13th 2006 from 5PM to 7:30PM. The popular duo will be appearing at the legendary comic book retail chain to promote the release of their new series Freshmen II, which Green and Sterbakov co-created together. The event will coincide with the release of Freshmen II #2, which will debut in comic shops across the country that day.
Freshmen II continues the story begun in the original Freshmen mini-series published by Top Cow Productions Inc. in 2005. Cast out of the main dorms and forced to live in temporary housing in the Boughl Science Building, 14 members of the freshmen class of Freese College have been imbued with miraculous superpowers by the explosion of a mysterious device called the Ax-Cell-Erator! Now, the second series picks up where the first left off and is back with an all-new adventure that will quickly teach the Freshmen what's at stake when you put on a costume! Wannabe, the powerless team leader who has always dreamed of being a superhero, is having visions of the eccentric Mr. Fiddlesticks, a character from a series of childrens' books. But what does it mean? Is Mr. Fiddlesticks warning Norrin of danger, or bringing it himself? Freshmen is an uproarious combination of superpowers and college…with a talking beaver!
Atomic Comics, the World's Greatest Comic Superstores, is a four store chain in Arizona. Atomic is a leader in the retail comic industry, well known for its innovative events and high profile signings over the course of its 20+ year history. Fans and industry followers may recall Atomic Comics was hit hard last month when a young couple drove their car through the front window of the chain's flagship location, the Mesa Superstore. The damage was greatly increased due to the car hitting a water main in the shopping complex, which dumped several 100,000 gallons of water into the comic store. Owner, Mike Malve, and his dedicated staff are working diligently with their insurance company to inventory the damage and hope to re-open a revamped and improved Mesa Superstore in mid-December. The Green and Sterbakov signing, originally planned to take place at the Mesa store, was quickly moved to the Chandler location.
“Atomic Comics has been a vocal supporter of Freshmen since the beginning of our first series, and we're thrilled to finally get our rumps out there to support them in turn”, said co-creator and writer, Hugh Sterbakov, “We really enjoy checking out comic stores run by folks who love comics, and nobody loves comics more than Mike Malve and his crew at Atomic”.
“Freshmen is a very personal project for Hugh and me. We love the opportunity to meet fans face-to-face and share in their personal experience”, added an excited Seth Green, “We're coming to Arizona, we've got wrist braces and a whole sack of Sharpies”!
“We're very fortunate we have four stores and are able to pick up an event like this and relocate. It's been a crazy time, but it's been fairly easy with Seth, Hugh, and Top Cow being so accommodating and willing to change up details on the fly. We've hosted some of the biggest talent in comics in our 20-plus years and we expect this to be one of our best events yet”, commented Mike Malve, owner of Atomic Comics.
Copies of Freshmen Vol 1 TP, Freshmen II #1, and Freshmen II #2 will be available for purchase at the signing. For additional details on the signing and directions to the Chandler location as well as an interview with Green and Sterbakov, fans can go to www.atomiccomics.com. The official Freshmen comic website is www.freshmencomic.com and additional information on the series can be found at http://www.topcow.com . Freshmen #1 is currently available for free at http://www.drunkduck.com/Freshmen
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That limited cover is tacky sexist psuedo-softcore crap. It screams "tits and ass". Why stop at one ass and two pair of breasts? Why not draw dozens of each?
On the bright side, there will only be 500 copies of it.
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