By: Nicole D’Andria
Ever
wanted to watch The Bachelor, but
with superheroes and something (even more) sinister brewing behind the scenes?
You’ll get that and more with the Kickstarter for The S Factor graphic novel. I talk with creator/writer
Samuel George London about his foray into the superhero dating game!
The S Factor was created and written by Samuel George
London after his friend convinced him to watch The Bachelor… and he enjoyed it. He works with illustrator Chris
Panda on the book. Chris has worked on IDW Publishing’s Micronauts and ROM as
well as his own art
books, Kicking Ass & Wearing Heels.
Sam is
looking to reach a $6,549 goal (calculated from £5,000). The S Factor will be successfully funded
if it reaches its goal by November 2, 2018 at 7:59 PM EDT. Rewards include
digital (£6) and physical (£) copies of the graphic novel, posters (£12/15), game card packs (£20) and more. Learn about
other reward tiers on their official Kickstarter page.
I talked
in-depth with Samuel George London about his Bachelor, Jupiter’s Legacy, and
Batman: A Death in the Family mash-up!
 |
| Samuel George London |
Me: You were inspired to combine a dating reality
TV show with superheroes after watching The
Bachelor with you friend. What did you enjoy about that reality TV show
that made you so inspired?
Samuel
George London: It
was the most recent season of The Bachelor, which was quite a controversial
one, as the suitor chose someone but then after a couple of weeks he broke up
with her and got back with the "runner-up". I think this controversy
got my storytelling brain cogs turning and I just started to imagine all of the
contestants as superheroes and the story started to form in my head from there.
Me: You mention The S Factor will
especially be fun for fans of Jupiter’s
Legacy and Batman: A Death in the
Family. What is it about these two titles that makes you relate them to your
graphic novel?
London:
The
relation to Jupiter's Legacy is the clash between the older generation
and newer generation superheroes wanting to go about things in different ways. The
S Factor has this in the relationship between Greyfox and Darkfox. For Batman:
A Death in the Family it's also about the relationship between our leader
superhero (Darkfox) and sidekick superhero (Greyfox), but it's slightly reversed
in that Greyfox feels underappreciated and leaves Darkfox to become his own
superhero, The Symbol. At the same time though, and I don't want to give too
much away, but it's also about how high the stakes are with the supervillain
behind it all.
Me: How would you describe Greyfox’s (now The Symbol’s) personality and his
relationship with Darkfox?
London:
Greyfox's
personality is good-natured but hot-headed at the same time. Meaning that he
intends to do the right thing but needs some guidance on how to implement that
ethically. When we start this story Greyfox and Darkfox have been a superhero
duo for a decade, which started when Greyfox was only 18. And so, Darkfox is
like a mother to him. However, as with most mother and son relationships, the
son is always going to rebel at some point. And speaking from personal
experience, it's usually because the mother is too caring and the son wants to
walk his own path.
Me: If you had to be a sidekick to one superhero, who would you pick and why?
London:
Hmmm...I
really had to think about this one, but for me it'd be Doctor Strange. He's not
my favourite superhero, but I think he'd be a good teacher. Plus I really dig
magic!
Me: Could you give each notable contestant in The S Factor reality TV show a
one sentence description?
London:
I
couldn't leave any of them out, so I did all 12...
Madame
Fantôme - She grew up in Paris without any family or friends, and now she seeks
to protect and serve those who aren’t fortunate enough to have powers.
@SohoPunkChick
- One of the biggest YouTube stars in the UK, @SohoPunkChick cycles around
central London making sure that the streets are safe.
Alice
Wala - She won’t talk about it in detail but Alice came to possess her
powers after her “walkabout” or temporary mobility.
Spero
- The first ancestor of the Roman superhero legend, Invicta, to manifest
powers. Spero means hope in Latin.
Princess
Mawu - Heiress to the Kingdom of Dahomey, Princess Mawu was given her
powers through an extraterrestrial family heirloom that gives a worthy
possessor the ability to manipulate hard-light.
Cryo -
She gained her powers after a nuclear power plant accident in northern
Russia, and was recruited as an agent of the Russian government.
TN2000
- After breaking into a research facility, TN2000, was exposed to a
technological virus.
Sheranee
- Growing up in the jungles of northern India, she was discovered by locals and
is worshiped as a goddess.
#HOLO -
The biggest YouTube star in the world, #HOLO has holographic powers that enable
her to visually change the immediate environment to whatever she wants.
Anuket
- Awoken in 2015 after a 3,000 year slumber, Anuket is literally the
ancient Egyptian goddess of water.
Chantico
- Her fire powers have been handed down from generation to generation for 700
years.
Lotta-Donna
- Originally an MMA fighter, she has super strength and size-shifting powers
that enable her to grow up to 12 metres tall; but the taller she is, the less
time she can stay at that height.
Me: Say you were the star of the reality TV show The S Factor, who would you
want to be the super-contestants vying for your hand and why?
London:
If I
were the suitor of The S Factor, I think my final 3 would be @SohoPunkChick,
Lotta-Donna and Alice Wala. For @SohoPunkChick, she's a London-girl, so
she doesn't take crap from anyone, which I find attractive in a woman. For
Lotta-Donna, she's an ex-MMA fighter, which is hot, as well as the shaving the
side of the head thing. And finally, for Alice Wala, she's very otherworldly
and incredibly angel-like, which just makes me think that she would be an
amazing partner for life.
Me: Chris Panda is the artist on The S Factor, and you mention on your
Kickstarter page that his superhero art really captured your attention in his
Kicking Ass & Wearing Heels books. What elements of these books made you
realize he was perfect for your comic?
London:
Chris
is a fantastically talented artist, and his books stood out because of the
large amount of variety that he was able to come up with. Each of those books
has a ton of different outfits for female superheroes, which takes him ages to
research and develop. This meant that he has a strong foundation in female
fashion and would easily be able to transfer this into The S Factor.
Me: What is the number one reason why you think people should pledge money to
your project?
London:
The
number one reason is because this is a story for the modern world that we live
in. When I was researching for The S Factor, I was surprised that no one had
really done it, but I think it's about time that someone brought this into the
world of superheroes. Because I think that if we did actually live in a world
with superheroes, it would happen.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for aspiring writers?
London:
Read a
variety of subjects, fiction and non-fiction, and try to bring those elements
that have not been explored yet into the world of comics for everyone to enjoy.
Me: Thanks for sharing your super powered dating
expertise! If you’re reading this and interested in The Bachelor meets Batman,
check out The S Factor Kickstarter here.
Do you have
a Kickstarter? Want to be interviewed about it and have the project featured on
"Kickstart the Week?" Let me know in the comments below or message
me on my website.
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