Episode #128
E.P.I.C. #2: Arise Alphas - Building the Dark City Universe with Lo Plater
One hero was only the beginning. Lo Plater, creator, writer, and founder of Dark City Comics & Multimedia, returns to the Council of Nerds to discuss E.P.I.C. #2: ARISE ALPHAS - Part 1 and the expansion of the Dark City Universe. When Lo first joined USDN, we introduced Chris Tayborne, a young archaeology student transformed by the ancient cosmic technology known as the Alpha Bands. Since then, E.P.I.C. #1 has gone from Kickstarter campaign to fulfilled comic, giving Lo firsthand experience with the realities of producing, crowdfunding, and delivering an independent comic. Now the story is getting much bigger. The activation of the Alpha Bands has awakened the mysterious Alpha Strand , triggering the emergence of super-powered Alpha Humans around the world. Some will become heroes. Some will become villains. Others will fall somewhere in between. Lo takes us inside the mythology behind the Alpha Strand, how Chris responds to discovering that his transformation wasn't an isolated event, and why building the Dark City Universe means creating a world that extends far beyond E.P.I.C. himself. We also get into the realities of independent comic publishing: Kickstarter fulfillment, unexpected shipping costs, communicating with backers, building the right creative team, planning rewards, printing and distribution, direct-to-consumer relationships, supporting fellow indie creators, and why Lo believes creators are ambassadors for independent comics. With multiple characters and projects already being developed across the Dark City Universe, ARISE ALPHAS - Part 1 represents the next step toward the larger world Lo envisioned when he first entered the Council. E.P.I.C. #2: ARISE ALPHAS - Part 1 heads to Kickstarter in September 2026. Follow the E.P.I.C. #2 Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkcitycomics/epic-2-arise-alphas-part-1?ref=23uxfb Dark City Comics & Multimedia: http://www.darkcitychq.com Find everything USDN: https://linktr.ee/usdnpodcast Support USDN through BCW Supplies: https://www.bcwsupplies.com/?acc=usdn Use code: USDN Affiliate Disclosure: USDN may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through our BCW affiliate link at no additional cost to you. The USDN Podcast - Where indie comics come to life.
