Otaku Dome had the opportunity to interview the team at DC Comics who are behind the comic book adaptation of Rooster Teeth’s popular animated series gen:LOCK which is currently in season two. Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing were available to answer questions sent in:

1) Can you explain some of the story and background for gen:LOCK?

LANZING: gen:LOCK is a comic book continuation of the hit animated series from Rooster Teeth, which follows a group of five pilots who download their minds into giant robots in order to help fight a losing war in the not-to-distant future. It’s an action-packed cyberpunk mecha story with a diverse cast and some hard-hitting themes about what it means to be human as we transcend our physical state. The show stars Michael B Jordan, David Tennant, Maisie Williams – a whole cavalcade of amazing actors – and our story picks up in the aftermath of the recently-completed Season One. gen:LOCK will take audiences into the long-awaited next phase of the gen:LOCK story.

2) Can you explain gen:LOCK’s world and characters for those looking to jump into it?

KELLY: As Jack said, the world is being carved up by war. On the one side, the techno-fascist hegemony of The Union; on the other, the diverse and varied futurists of the Polity. Our story follows the members of Vanguard – the Polity’s defense force – and their experimental team of mechas and their pilots, known as Gen:LOCK. Made up of Yaz, a Union ex-pat, Kazu, a former Japanese Polity soldier, the gender-fluid sniper Valentina/Val, gamer/tech-head Cammie and their leader, Julian Chase, who lost his body during the Battle of Manhattan, the Gen:LOCK team doesn’t just pilot their mechas – they upload their minds directly to their machines, allowing them to be the ultimate force to stop the Union’s onslaught!

3) How does gen:LOCK fit into the general DC Comics universe, or is it more so its own thing? Similarly to the imprint titles?

LANZING: gen:LOCK is very much its own separate universe, whole unto itself. You don’t need to be a DC Comics reader to read gen:LOCK – but comics readers will find a unique take on the giant-robot genre they might love in TRANSFORMERS or ROBOTECH.

That said, now you’ve got me thinking about how we could cross this over with Justice League. Hmmmmm…

4) The comic is an adaptation of the Rooster Teeth series, can you explain how the two connect?

KELLY: We like to consider it a season 1.5, picking up just weeks after the first season, with our team still shaken by their losses, but ready to once more leap into action. As for how it may fit into whatever may come next… that’s for the fans to discover.

5) Have you discussed having some of the comic stories being adapted to screen with the team of the series?

LANZING: Never say never! We’re just excited to be telling the next story in the gen:LOCK saga.

6) How were you approached to write the comic after DC picked it up? Has Rooster Teeth reached out to you on suggestions for the comic?

KELLY: It actually happened pretty organically! We’d been looking to work with editor Andrew Marino for quite some time, and after our experience with the digital-first series Gotham City Garage, it only made sense for him to reach out. But I think what landed us the gig was the fact that, between that call and when we got on our first call with Rooster Teeth, we both binged the series… and fell in love. We have always been passionate about giant mecha fiction, and when you take into account GL’s exploration of post-humanism, coupled with characters that stretch across the cultural, emotional and yes, gender spectrum, it was easy for us to share that passion with the RT team. As for suggestions, absolutely – in all of our initial concept meetings, we were all free-jamming the coolest ideas possible, and the cream of that crop is the story being told.

7) Are there certain differences between the comic and animated series that you like/dislike?

LANZING: Comics are simply a different medium than writing in animation. We love writing comics – so figuring out how to use the storytelling language of comics to continue gen:LOCK is a fascinating challenge. The biggest drawback to bringing gen:LOCK to comics is losing the distinct voice cast that makes the show so powerful – but Collin and I have a lot of experience bringing the voice through regardless of the actor’s presence, so it’s been an exciting challenge.

8) Are there characters currently exclusive the comics? If so, will they appear in the series in the future?

KELLY: Our comic certainly introduces new characters to the world – not only the people who make up the background of Kazu’s past (including his parents, whom we think fans are going to love), but the villians at the heart of our story – but will they show up on the show in the future?

That would be #Spoilers.

9) Is there currently a stopping period for the comic series, or is it expected to be long-form?

LANZING: Currently the series is slated for seven issues, but with the fantastic reception of gen:LOCK #1, who knows? We’re excited to keep playing with these incredible characters and essaying the enormous world that’s only been glimpsed on the show.

10) Was it challenging getting the show’s art style into comic form? Can you explain the process a bit?

KELLY: All we can do is speak on artist Carlo Barbieri’s behalf, but from the early stages of this book Carlo’s work has exemplified what makes the show so kinetic and fun. He may be sick of drawing highly detailed and completely awesome mechas by the time we’re done with him, but while he’s doing it, every page we see only gets us more excited.

11) Do you have any current goals set for what you want to accomplish with the gen:LOCK comic?

LANZING: In all honesty, our goal is to invite the wider gen:LOCK readership into the world of American comics – and hopefully tell them a story that resonates with them on the same frequency as the series. We’re fans as well, so we’re eager to make sure that this series sparks inspiration in the Rooster Teeth community, gives them insight into the wider world of gen:LOCK, and digs down on the characters in a way only comics can. And if we can bring a few DC fans into the Rooster Teeth community along the way? All the better.

gen:LOCK issue #1 is available for purchase now and be can bought at this link here.