Interview: Ales Kot Examines Warfare in ZERO

This September, prepare to see another side of the effects of war. In Zero, Ales Kot tells the tale of Edward Zero, a killer hired to get jobs done no matter the mess or cost. Kot was kind enough to take time with Comicosity to discuss his new project and what fans can expect from Zero.

Aaron Long: Let’s start at the very beginning: how did Zero come to be? Have you been developing this title for awhile?

ZERO#2COVERAles Kot: Zero arrived sometime in 2011 or very early 2012. I am not sure when exactly. I suspect it arrived as a result of a build up of bleak energy created by holding on to various traumas and disappointments in my life. A way to work through them.

I love container-series like Global Frequency and Northlanders, so when I realized that Zero fit the format, I knew I had it right. One artist per issue, one mission per issue…and a larger story that forms as we follow the character.

AL: The series focuses on Edward Zero who is described as an “execution machine”. Can you discuss what missions Zero runs and who he runs them for?

AK: Zero uses, steals and kills for the Agency. He does it because he believes it’s the right thing to do. He believed it ever since he was nine years old.

As for the Agency…well, if you brainwash children and turn them into killers, that’s a clue in itself.

AL: The first issue of Zero will focus on the retrieval of a device. Can you discuss who and what Zero will be up against in this issue?

AK: The Agency lost a device. The device is inside a Palestinian operative. The Palestinian operative is engaged in a fight with an Israeli operative. In the middle of a Palestinian city, with the area mostly cordoned off by soldiers.

The thing is, the device doesn’t officially exist, so Zero gets dumped in the zone and has to retrieve it. From the Palestinian’s chest.

It’s Universal Soldier meets James Bond. Zero doesn’t have any modifications and – just determination and creativity. And lots of bleak power that he directs the one way he knows.

ZERO001_CompRev05med-1_Page1AL: How did Michael Walsh and the other artists get involved with Zero? How has it been to see the world of Zero coming together so far?

AK: I simply emailed the artists I wanted to work with. Thankfully, most of them said yes.

As to how it’s all coming together…I love every second of it. It’s a creative process unlike any other. The ways in which the artists depict the world and characters influences my writing, that feeds back into the art…it’s a feedback loop continually enhanced by the expanding roster of the artists. Thematic unity is brought by Jordie Bellaire’s colors, the lettering of Clayton Cowles and design sensibilities of Tom Muller.

For example, I was writing a scene in #4 a certain way specifically because of the artist, Tradd Moore – and that brought feedback into #2, illustrated by Mateus Santolouco, an issue which was only half-written at that moment. There are plenty of moments like this, and I love being guided by my emotions, thoughts and by my collaborators. #2 is set in China, #3 in Brazil, #4 in Northern Ireland…and they all connect but can be enjoyed as stand-alone stories as well.

AL: Any final words or teases for Comicosity’s readers about Zero or your other upcoming projects?

AK: What if the world’s best secret agent realized the Agency he works for is a lie?

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