In your own words, what is The Freshmen about?
Hugh Sterbakov: Freshmen is about a group of kids who are thrust out of the only lives they’ve ever known and into two completely new and absurd situations: college and superpowers. They’ve left their friends and their families—their entire comfort zones—and they’ve come to school. I left Philadelphia to go to upstate New York for college, and it was almost a complete reset to my life. I had to learn a whole new language, meet new people, and find out for the first time who I was so I could represent myself and meet like people. And the conditions could not be more adverse—freshmen share small rooms and don’t have any privacy. Our kids don’t even have a real dorm room. They’re housed temporarily in the science building until the overflow drops out. On top of all of this, a genetic-tampering machine explodes and they’re given superpowers that are difficult to control and, in some times, completely embarrassing. The story gives equal merit to the kids’ life struggles as it does their superpowers, and, as a result, we’ve got some really fun, multilayered, emotionally fragile characters facing the world as would-be saviors.
Seth Green: You've got these kids who are all away from home for the first time, dealing with being outcasts or misfits of one kind or another, and then you add the physical deformity of super powers. It's those kinds of stories that interest me. It's people afflicted with superpowers and what their real lives are like [dealing] with that.
So, why do a second Freshmen series?
Green: In the midst of trying to absorb the overwhelming response to the first series, Hugh pitched me the plot and secrets for Freshmen II. After I collected myself, I called Top Cow and begged and screamed until they promised to let you guys read it. They said I could stop calling, because they already agreed to do it.
Sterbakov: We have so many great characters, each with developing stories to tell, that it would have been a terrible shame not to continue. Freshmen develops in real time, with each series serving as a semester of college, and the kids have barely begun to scratch the surface of their super powers or their developing adulthoods. We have new relationships in this series and a new villain, but most of the themes we’re working with are elaborations from the groundwork we set in the first series.
Green: We were thrilled with the reviews and the fan reaction. As for the 2nd run, we’re hopeful, and we’re also exploring our options with taking Freshmen to another medium, like TV. We’ve been meeting with producers and show runners trying to find a good creative fit for this type of project.
What's the main difference between this second series and the first?
Sterbakov: Freshmen II is going to be darker and scarier than our first series. We have a great new villain in Mr. Fiddlesticks, a character from a series of childrens' books, who is haunting our heroes, and a couple new romances to stir things up. There's a great twisting mystery at the heart of this series, which will further explore some of the threads we set-up in the original, like Annalee's father's interest in the Ax-Cell-Erator, the device that created our team. Also, some characters who were in the background of the original series come to the fore, like the Green Thumb and the Drama Twins.
Green: Freshmen II is definitely going to be much darker and scarier, as we see our heroes battle their new, more powerful foes and their own greatest fears. There will be epic battles, both physically and emotionally. Brace yourself!
Sterbakov: This series is also more action-packed than the first series, where a lot of the conflicts were more internal. In Freshmen II, a turn of events puts the kids in a life-and-death situation that reminds them of the adversity they’re going to face if they are truly going to become heroes facing evil. By the end of the series, a lot of them won’t ever want to use their powers again, perhaps not even return to school.
We also have a new art team in place, who are poised to deliver a darker, more frenetic and desperate storyline. Will Conrad, veteran of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Serenity comics, is handling the pencil and inking chores, while Blond is coloring the new series. I’m convinced these guys are among the best in the business, and this series is absolutely going to prove it.
That sounds pretty intense. You are both known primarily for your work in comedic projects in your TV and movie careers. Will The Freshmen and Freshmen 2 appeal to fans of your comedic style?
Sterbakov: I think Freshmen represents us perfectly. It’s comedy with heart, it has something to say and it’s entertaining. Seth is known for his great character work, and all of these characters are well-drawn and full of heart.
Green: Funny? Did we mention the talking beaver?
Which of the characters do you most relate to?
Sterbakov: I think the Seductress’ story arc in the first series is something anyone can relate to—here’s an overweight girl who feels like she’s unloved and doesn’t fit in. She struggles with self-image and nothing anyone says can make her feel better. And then suddenly she’s given a superpower that lets her take a shortcut to her wildest fantasy, but, of course, there’s a price to pay.
In the second series, the Green Thumb faces a similar struggle in that he’s isolated because only he can speak to plants, and they’re very unhappy. And Brady, who shares his telekinetic powers with his abusive girlfriend, Renee, is at a crossroads in his life, wondering what he can make of himself, and whether this relationship is right for him. Obviously, I’ve never had superpowers, but I’ve certainly been through these emotional crises, and I think most others have as well.
Green: I love Paula (Seductress). But I am really interested to see Norrin evolve after the first six issues. He's grown so much in the first mini series- I'm looking forward to seeing him come into his own.
What’s the easiest way for fans to get a hold of The Freshmen if they’re interested?
Sterbakov: The trade collection of the first series is available now right here at Powells.com.