DEAD FUTURE KING - A COMIC WITH SOME RING-A-DING-DING

What would be the last thing you'd think of if you were visiting Disneyland with your kin? A dictionary complied by Paris Hilton perhaps! Or maybe Lindsay Lohan's new range of contraception! Better yet, why not conjure up something like my creative mate, David Flores, did -- Zombies fighting the legendary King Arthur during medieval times! Yeah. No word of a lie. Here, check out this conversation I had with David only the other day, whilst waging a war against Mickey with an army of loose women.


Dead Future King On Graphicly

1) What are your own origins David?   Geographically -- I'm originally from New York. Physically -- well I suppose I began as a zygote like most other people.

2) What inspired you to create your comic book, ‘Dead Future King?   I was at Disneyland with my family and wondered what would happen if it were suddenly invaded by a horde of zombies. Somehow King Arthur came into the mix. The combination of the two just really intrigued me: Arthur returning to the future to save the world from a zombie plague. And then, it occurred to me that the legend of Arthur included his eventual return to reclaim his kingdom and to heal the land. Almost the entire visit to Disneyland was spent on my smart phone searching for all things Arthur in an effort to kindle the spark of this idea -- as well as enjoying the day with the family.

3) In your own words, how would you describe this story? Plus what formats does it come in?   Thematically the story is about the power of unification. The world that Arthur comes back to is one of hopelessness, which has divided survivors many of whom that have all but given up. The zombies aren't the worst of it -- it is those living beings who have exploited the zombie plague to spread fear, intimidation, and suffering to the disaffected masses. It is Arthur who, by the pureness of his faith, that inspires the hearts and minds of a new kingdom of followers. Part of the inspiration of my take of Arthur comes from classical themes of the Arthurian legend, but in a contemporary world: I loved the film 'Excalibur' as a kid, so I wanted DFK to capture the same mystical enchantment mashed with a post-apocalyptic environment similar to Danny Boyle's '28 Days Later'.

I printed a limited run of Issue #1 more so for promotion. Right now the first issue is available for digital download at Amazon and iTunes. It can be accessed through www.deadfutureking.com, which links to the ebook stores through graphicly.com.

4) If ‘DFK’ was a piece of music or an object, what would it be and why?   Jerry Goldsmith's movie score for 'Alien': it's not only spine-tingling, but soaringly beautiful.

5) If you could cast a movie based on your creation, who would you cast, and again, why?   Hugh Jackman or Michael Fassbender as Arthur. Both are very talented actors who did a phenomenal job portraying characters from my favorite comic growing up -- The X-Men. There is a character in the upcoming issue named Julia Tenet who was physically inspired by the actress Hayley Atwell -- strong, vulnerable, and very easy on the eyes.

6) The only story that springs to mind which mixes 'The Dead' and a 'Old English vibe' together, is the horror movie classic 'Army Of Darkness'. Is their any comparison between your comic and this movie? Plus have you based your fictional story on any real history?   For the most part - no. My story is not campy or played for laughs. That said, there are similarities with regard to time jump for the protagonist to an unfamiliar world, as well as a climatic battle between the living and an army of dead.

DFK isn't based on any real historical events, rather more of the legend of Arthur as provided by authors like Sir Thomas Mallory and T.H. White. What readers may notice is that geography plays an intricate part to the story: actual historical locations like Portchester Castle in Portsmouth and Fort Nelson for instance are represented.

7) What was the first comic book you ever read? And do you still read mainstream comic books today?   First comic I remember ever holding was an 'Avengers' when I was six: The Vision just intrigued the hell out of me. I'm not following any comic series at the moment, but I'll usually pick up anything illustrated by John Paul Leon or Tommy Lee Edwards. I just read 'The High Cost of Happily Ever After' by Jim Krueger (Earth X) which I really enjoyed. I'm looking forward the paperback of 'The Savage Hawkman' by Tony Daniels, Philip Tan and James Bonny as well as Mark Millar's 'Nemesis'.

8) If you could get a well-known personality to promote ‘DFK’ – either living or dead – who would it be and why?   Orson Welles. Ever see his commercials for Paul Masson wine? Sure it verged on self-parody. But no one can argue he didn't have a magnetic way of speaking.

9) During your time as a creator, what is the one thing that has kept you in good stead?   My admiration for Arthur as a symbol of hope. I love the character. I love what he represents. He's inspired me to undertake this story -- my wish is that I do his legend justice.

Ka-CHING! Very powerful words indeed, my good buddy David. And that's precisely why I'd encourage all my dear readers to clink on www.deadfutureking.com today. Plus do the honorable thing and follow him on twitter and facebook as well. Go on. It'll be good for you.

Dead Future King On Graphicly