Who is Doctor Omega? Writer James Aquilone and artist Zac Atkinson are about to educate a whole new generation of fans on the early science fiction character’s legacy, as well as many other classic characters from 19th and 20th Century Literature in their upcoming The Omega Eleven comic series.
The series is currently available to back on Kickstarter, and Aquilone and Atkinson spoke to Conskipper recently all about the new series as well as “Who” the heck this mysterious Doctor is in our exclusive interview with the creative team.
What are the origins of your The Omega Eleven series?
James Aquilone: Zac had the idea to do a comic where Doctor Omega would gather a bunch of public domain characters to pull off a heist. He pitched me the idea and here we are.
Zac Atkinson: I really wanted to do a comic featuring a pulp-era hero team made up of legends in the public domain. Discovering Doctor Omega, and making him a time traveller, allowed us to use anyone we wanted. The heist gave us a direction and the excuse to use all the rogue characters that will eventually show up in the series.
What can you tell fans about Dr. Omega and his roots in early science fiction?
Aquilone: Doctor Omega first appeared in a novel published in 1906 by French writer Arnould Galopin. It was translated into English only about 20 years ago, so he’s not well known here, but he was supposedly an inspiration for Doctor Who.
Was it difficult to pick the eleven characters from over a century of fiction?
Aquilone: The biggest difficulty is that we have so many great ideas for characters, so it’s a matter of whittling it down and using the characters with the most interesting takes we could come up with. We’ll have characters that go well past a century. Once we started looking, we realized many of the great characters throughout literary history are thieves…Robin Hood, Aladdin, Conan, Arsène Lupin, Professor Moriarty,, etc. You’ll definitely see some familiar faces in the series.
Which of the eleven are you most excited to write and bring to life?
Aquilone: The Artful Dodger, which is the only member of the Eleven we’ve revealed, is an interesting character. I liked the idea of taking a character from literature and not the pulps. Dodger is a bit of a wild card. He’s unpredictable and prone to violence and mischief. I can’t wait to see where he goes throughout this series.
Many fans thoroughly enjoyed your work on the recent Kolchak project. Any possibility of another one?
Aquilone: You’ll have to check back with me in a few months.
What did your collaborator Zac Atkinson bring to the project?
Aquilone: Zac brought the initial idea. When he pitched me the idea, he already had a bunch of great illustrations. And throughout the process of creating the series, his artwork only got better. He’s done three amazing covers, including Rick & Morty and Calvin & Hobbes homage covers, a T-shirt, stickers, and of course the interior art. He’s been a powerhouse and you can see the enthusiasm he has for this project in his work.
Atkinson: I had a bunch of ideas but no coherent story. I reached out to James. I knew it’d be right up his alley. He really brought the characters to life and gave them personality and purpose.
Any exciting perks for those who back the project on Kickstarter?
Aquilone: Another big reward is Monstrous #2, the second issue of my horror comic magazine. It has a time travel theme and includes a gorgeous cover by Russ Braun and a new Morlock comic inside. The campaign also has original art, and Doctor Omega trading cards.
The Omega Eleven is currently available to back on Kickstarter until Thursday, March 7.
