Malley Simpson talks about THE ELITE WARRIORS

Malley Simpson, the creative force behind “The Elite Warriors” has stopped by First Comics News. As the mastermind behind this new comic, Malley has crafted a thrilling world filled with action, intrigue, and unforgettable characters. Join us as we delve into Malley’s creative process, exploring the inspiration behind “The Elite Warriors,” the challenges of bringing this epic tale to life, and the exciting future that lies ahead for fans of the series.

First Comics News: Who are the members of The Elite Warriors?

Malley Simpson: The founding members are Marvelous, Plasma Fire, Stretchsika Band, Blamurai, Do-Gooder, and GhostWing.

1^st: Can you discuss the dynamic between Elite Warriors and Marvelous in the series? Marvelous has met each individual member separately during his solo run and each member has a signature personality that works surprisingly well with each member of the group: Marvelous is an old-school style black hero like Luke Cage or Black Lightning, Plasma Fire is a feisty but caring woman, Stretchsika is the plucky comedy relief, Blamurai is more of a dark loner at times but acts as Team Uncle if necessary, Do-Gooder is more a redeeming rebel who trying to repent for his past crimes back when he was a mob enforcer for notorious businessman Gordon “Big Gun” Bigelow, and GhostWing acts as the conscience or the voice of reason went certain situations about to go “south” immediately.

1^st: What themes do you aim to explore through the series?

Malley: Teamwork, individuality, family, acceptance, and friendship

1^st: How do the personalities of the heroes complement each other in their teamwork?

Malley: Depending on who the focus character or characters are and the type of story I’m telling. For example, if Blamurai and Stretchsika are the main focus in an issue Blamurai would be the straight man to Stretchsika’s wise gal persona meaning their dynamic would have a Wolverine and Morph chemistry.

1^st: Who is the artist on The Elite Warriors and how does he contribute to the storytelling?

Malley: The first four pages of issue one are done by David Jaxon and the rest of the pages are done by Zilson Costa. As of issue 2, Zilson Costa will take over for David Jaxon who gives his blessing to his successor. Zilson will give his unique spin on the storytelling of the series which I guarantee with be awe-inspiring.

1^st: How does The Elite Warriors tie into the events of the Team SupremUS saga?

Malley: This takes place sometime after the event of the Team SupremUS saga and Marvelous meets each individual just months before the event.

1^st: What makes Lord Technium a compelling antagonist for The Elite Warriors?

Malley: Lord Technium is a response to a challenge by a friend and fellow creator Kipp Rodd, the writer/creator of ShadowWalker, who dared me to create an intergalactic villain for my universe and I accepted the challenge. Technium is the result of what happens when you cross Brainiac from Superman and The Leader from The Incredible Hulk and that is where I came up with Lord Technium an intergalactic warlord with the intelligence of a supreme high super genius and the ability to mentally control any electronics within the universe with his thoughts.

1^st: Who is doing variant covers for the comic?

Malley: Cristian Santos, Rully Akbar, Oliver Dela Cruz, Nascimento Alexandre, Marcelo Salaza, and Carlo C. Garde.

1^st: What role does comedy play in balancing the action and drama in the series?

Malley: Comedy plays a strong role in the series to help balance out scenes that might get too dramatic or too over-the-top action-packed. In Marvelous’ solo series is more action-comedy while The Elite Warriors I brings in that action-comedy vibe but balances it with some drama. I humbly decided to take my friend and fellow creator Mike Spagnola and my mentor Carlos Raphael’s suggestions at heart to make it not too over-the-top violent or dark and not watered down but a balance of action, comedy, and drama.

1^st: Can you discuss the influences of Batman and the Outsiders and The Mighty Crusaders on The Elite Warriors?

Malley: The Mighty Crusaders had always been my all-time favorite non-Marvel/DC comic of all time and some of the adventures are cheesy but enjoyable to read at times Batman and the Outsiders (the original run not the current one) is what spotted my influence for the series plus Carlos Raphael’s challenge to make my team that seriously seal the deal. The way Batman left the Justice League to form his team in the first issue of Batman and the Outsiders was a real game-changer and a massive inspiration.

1^st: What can fans look forward to in the upcoming issues of The Elite Warriors?

Malley: Despite being a spinoff series from They Call Him: Marvelous, expect a combination of action, comedy, drama, team dynamics, and plenty of awe-inspiring stories ahead.

1^st: How do you plan to expand the universe of The Elite Warriors in future storylines?

Malley: The Elite Warriors is part of a shared universe with American Revere/The New Remarkables, Bolt & Co., The Avant Guardians, TurboxThrust, and ShadowWalker which means half the time the team will guest star in those respective series I mentioned and visa versa characters from those series will guest star in The Elite Warriors depending on the plot or storyline.

1^st: Can you describe the chemistry between the characters in The Elite Warriors?

Malley: Marvelous is more well-rounded.

Plasma Fire is caring but feisty.

Stretchsika is more surreal than others.

Blamurai is a humble but brutal individual.

Do-Gooder is laid back but sometimes down to earth.

GhostWing is a textbook example of the term “cool nerd”.

1^st: This is an ongoing series, how many issues are planned per year?

Malley: Yes. Depending on funds.

1^st: What’s the URL for the campaign?

Malley: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theycallhimmarv/the-elite-warriors-1-ongoing-series

1^st: What is the minimum pledge for a PDF copy?

Malley: $5

1^st: What is the minimum pledged for a physical copy?

Malley: $10

1^st: What makes The Elite Warrior so cool no true comic fan should miss it.

Malley: It is a series that makes it feel like a superhero team series without the hidden agenda or “go woke or go broke” garage just a series with a perfect combination of action, comedy, drama, a couple of life lessons, or two, and awe-inspiring storytelling.

About Author

Rik Offenberger

Rik Offenberger has worked in the comic field as a retailer, distributor, reporter, public relations coordinator, writer and publisher since 1990. He owns and operates the e-mail bases Super Hero News service, and his published works in print can be seen in The Comics Buyers Guide, Comic Retailer, Borderline Magazine, and Comics International. On the internet he has worked as a writer and/or editor for Silver Bullet Comicbooks, Comic Book Resources, Newsarama and First Comics News. He was the Public Relations Coordinator at Archie Comics for a decade. He is currently the Editor-In-Chief at G-Man Comics. For TwoMorrows Publications, Rik co-wrote The MLJ Companion with Paul Castiglia and Jon B. Cooke, charting the history of Archie’s superheroes, and for Gemstone Publishing wrote chapters of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide to Lost Universes.

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