With the release of The Adequates #1 from Comixology Originals today, we are delighted to be joined by Lee Loughridge and Marz Jr. Lee is a colorist and writer who has written comics including MidState and Standstill. Marz Jr. is an artist whose recent work can be seen in the Transformers: Worst Bot Ever comic.
Hi Lee and Marz Jr., it’s so wonderful to have you both here with us.
Could you introduce yourselves to our readers?
Lee – I am Lee Loughridge, mostly known as a colorist for over the past 30 years, but as a writer this decade.
Marz – I’ve been an illustrator/artist for the last 20 years. I’ve done magazine work and showed paintings in galleries in NYC, LA, and even Singapore. I’ve also worked as a storyboard artist for a bit.Â
Can you tell us about the origins of The Adequates?
Lee – I always wanted to make a superhero spoof, every superhero had already been created, so why not some sort of half-baked heroes with Ironically awful powers. I just started creating characters that I thought were funny. There are a bunch we didn’t even use in this story…too many to spotlight.
Marz – Initially Lee had the story skewed slightly older, but my wheelhouse and maturity level is more or less high school. Lee and I met in Savannah, Georgia for art school, and we thought that was a great backdrop for the story. Savannah in the 90s was known to be a little quirky and full of supernatural happenings.
Who is Principal Myers?
Lee – The better question is Who is Mr Woods?  Mr Woods is our kids favorite history teacher. The kids consider him as one of their own. We’ve all had that one teacher in high school that just gets us. Mr Woods is that guy. Later in the story he will be playing a pivotal role when things begin to go wildly sideways.
Could you introduce us to The Adequates?
Grey/Futuro – Grey can see 15 seconds into the future, the only catch is that he has a 14 second stutter.
Chad/Flight – He can fly…well more like float. Around 5 feet above the ground with a top speed of about 3 MPH
Pam/Panama – Pam can control insects, unfortunately, she is terrified by them.
Julie/Cheetah – Julie has the ability to run up to 74 miles per hour but only for about 40 yards.
Randy/Peepers – Can see through anything, however his vision is 20/80
What has it been like collaborating on The Adequates?
Lee – Marz Jr and I have known one another for over 20 years, so we really wanted to do a true collaboration on this story. We discuss every aspect of story and art in tandem throughout each issue. It can be tricky at times, but I think we have perfected a formula that keeps us from killing one another.
What can you tell us about The Adequates?
Lee – This is the ultimate underdog story about a group of misfit kids that acquire partial powers placing them in a spotlight they want no part of. Â They ultimately have to embrace these powers and work as a team to deal with an even bigger threat to their school, far bigger than any clique poses.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
Lee – The Adequates is a fun read from start to finish. If you are a fan of ironic high school comedies laced with superhero DNA, then this book is for you, I mean the art alone is a treat.
Marz – We wrote the story so the reader will discover the Adequates’ fates along with them. So stick with your crew and try not to get your head flushed down the toilet – The Jocks seem to be everywhere!
We would like to say a big thank you to Lee and Marz Jr. for chatting with us, and wish them the best of luck for the release of The Adequates #1.
