ZEUS COMICS MEDIA ANNOUNCES NEW WEB COMEDY, ‘THE VARIANTS’

New show promises to take you behind the counter of a comic book shop

Dallas, TX—Zeus Comics Media (ZCM) in conjunction with Stepladder Productions today announced the launch of their new web comedy series THE VARIANTS (http://www.thevariants.com), a show about the war waged between retailers at your typical comic book store and their customers.

“Crazy stuff happens at the comic shop,” said series creator Richard Neal, who owns Zeus Comics, the show’s setting. “Something about the mix of nerds and retail leads to some absurd situations that just get funnier when you retell them. I thought there was something there, so I called my friends to help me document it.”

Many of those crazy situations have made themselves into episodes, such as the time Zeus bought a dead man’s comics from his friends to fund his funeral. Or the customer who refused to call red-haired Keli anything but “Mary Jane,” after Spider-Man’s girlfriend.

Neal called Joe Cucinotti and Ken Lowery, who between them have a multi-discipline background in comic writing, radio and theater, to help bring THE VARIANTS to life. The trio quickly determined that they didn’t need to deviate far from the mundane to make something both hilarious and memorable. They would, in the parlance of our times, keep it real.

“Our set is the actual store. Other than Ken and myself, our main cast consists of the people who really work behind that counter,” said Cucinotti. “Many of the extras and minor characters are played by loyal customers of the store. While we exaggerate some of the events, the presentation is still very authentic.”

Comic book aficionados may already know the name Zeus Comics. Zeus is the winner of 10 local awards including the prestigious Best of Big D by D Magazine. In 2006 Zeus won the Will Eisner Spirit of Retailer Excellence award, the highest recognition given to comic retailers internationally. From 2005-2008, Zeus hosted the Comic and Pop Culture Expo (CAPE), the largest Free Comic Book Day event in the country. Cucinotti and Lowery co-hosted the popular pop culture podcast Joe vs. Ken, archived at joevsken.com.

THE VARIANTS’ first season will update monthly starting August 5 at http://www.thevariants.com. Journalists interested in more information or in setting up interviews can contact Ken Lowery at ken@thevariants.com.