Stefano Vietti Gets Lost in The Cloud with Life Zero
Feb 08, 2022
Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen
Where were you when the cloud arrived? Where were you when the world changed forever? Where were you when people started dying?
Stefano Vietti and Marco Checchetto invite you to discover the answers to these questions about world at the limits between science fiction, action, and horror with Life Zero!
With Life Zero #1 (DEC211185) in comic shops this week, we talked with series writer Stefano Vietti about this anticipated new series from Ablaze. Lets see what he has to say...
Catch us up to speed, what is LIFE ZERO all about?
Life Zero was born from the chatter of two cartoonist friends during all the hours spent playing their favorite First Person Shooters. Walking through the rubble of a destroyed city, killing as many enemies as possible with a joypad in our hands and a headset in our ears, Marco and I talked about Life Zero for weeks.
This is how the characters, the environments, the events and the story came to life before we started writing and drawing. We wanted a story that hurt, where no one was safe, full of zombies (they have always been our passion).. and bullets. Then came the months of hard work ...
So is this more a sci-fi story or horror story?
Life Zero is horror and science fiction at the same time, but I prefer to think of it as a story about characters who suddenly find themselves surrounded by a horror to which perhaps they were already used to, but that at some point goes beyond what they can bear. And in fact they all give up, one after the other, showing the worst of themselves.
Tell us about The Cloud. How does this change the world and the people in it?
The Cloud is yet another narrative pretext to tell about a sudden change in the world, in everyday life, in people's lives. The Cloud comes suddenly, like so many of the things we are scared of... sudden and lethal... for which we are not prepared. The cloud distorts the world of Life Zero and reveals the true colors of the survivors.
What has the process been like with artist Marco Checchetto?
Marco and I started collaborating twenty years ago on various projects, including Spider-Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, both series for the Italian market. We immediately became great friends, and we found out that we had many passions in common.
Life Zero came when we felt we had the adequate work experience to face it, and a friendship solid enough to withstand the inevitable problems of such an intense artistic commitment. We often met during the production; I'd get a room in a hotel near Marco's house, then we'd lock ourselves in his studio to create.
I remember Marco's first drawing: the silhouette of a crashed helicopter, next to an armed character moving away in a snowy landscape. We consider it the first Life Zero artwork, as well as the symbol of the series.
In terms of audience, who is LIFE ZERO for?
Life Zero is an intense comic. The protagonists are ugly people in a very bad environment. No discounts are given. You’ve been warned!
Looking forward, what can readers expect from LIFE ZERO?
Marco and I often talk about what we'd like to do next… a sequel? A prequel? We certainly left some cracks that could give life to further stories in this narrative universe.
Special thanks to Stefano Vietti and Marco Checchetto.
Discover more about Life Zero #1 (DEC211185) from Ablaze below. Available in comic shops this week!
Where were you when the cloud arrived? Where were you when the world changed forever? Where were you when people started dying? Ablaze is proud to present Life Zero by Stefano Vietti (Dragonero) and Marco Checchetto (Daredevil, Avengers, Old Man Hawkeye, Wolverine), with colors by Andres Mossa (Wolverine, Avengers, Secret Wars 2099). At the limits between science fiction, action and horror is LIFE ZERO!
Getting Captain Shako out of a prison filled with infected inmates is difficult enough, but when the team's extraction goes to hell, survival may not be an option. It's kill or be killed as they scramble to find safety and establish who is in charge.
The team makes their way through the city in search of Derek and Laura's daugh-ter, but finding themselves surrounded by the infected puts their lives and their unit cohesion at risk. Can they hold it together long enough to save an innocent life?
Keep an eye on PREVIEWSworld.com's Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram for more insight into your favorite creators!
****
Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. He is also the Consumer Marketing Manager for Geppi Family Enterprises. Troy's comics work includes MF DOOM: All Caps, Public Enemy's Apocalpyse '91, the Glyph Award-nominated Fight of the Century, the Harvey Award-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Award-nominated Magic Bullet.
