Everyone loves a good supervillain, except for those stinkin' commies. Even better is a really, really AWFUL supervillain--not "awful" in the sense of his capacity for evil, but "awful" in that he's just not very good at what he does.

Nearly Infamous Zango tells the tale of one such lazy villain. The creation of Rob Osborne, Zango is on a never-ending mission to recapture past glories...as long as it doesn't involve him getting up off the couch. Rob was good enough to take a few moments to answer a few questions about Zango's origins and future.--Matt Springer

Heavy Ink: To start, give us the quick pitch: What is The Nearly Infamous Zango, and why should we read it?

Rob Osborne: The Nearly Infamous Zango is the story of the laziest villain alive. Lord Alfred Zango, Jr. was once the most feared man in Metrotown. He razed entire city blocks and crushed superheroes beneath his heel. But he’s fallen on hard times.

Now Lord Zango is a malcontent couch potato. He pursues a steady diet of daytime television. In bunny slippers and bathrobe, Zango gorges himself on junk food and rages about the media attention other super baddies receive.

In issue #2, Lord Zango learns that his longtime rival has a new arch nemesis. Zango’s temper explodes and things catch on fire. He’s sick of being underestimated and taken for granted.

In an effort to reclaim his notorious reputation, Lord Zango enlists the macabre talents of Deacon Dread. They conspire to turn ordinary produce into a monster army. When the experiment goes fruity, they must face-off with a bad apple of their own creation.

Comic book readers who are intelligent, witty, and attractive will naturally gravitate toward this book. Its sense of irony, humor and brilliance will resonate with you, the cream of the comics-reading crop.

And I suppose, if you’re a lethargic nincompoop, then you’ll enjoy this book too. It feels good to read about someone who makes you look like an ambitious world-beater.

HI: You've already released two graphic novels through AiT/PlanetLar, and my understanding is that they're not exactly spandex escapades. What made your mind shift into the superheroic realm for Zango?

RO: My first graphic novel, 1000 Steps To World Domination, tells the story of a megalomaniac cartoonist with visions of conquering the world through comics. Incidentally, this is my personal story. I’m the dangerous, pen-wielding cartoonist in the book. And yes, I want to conquer the world.

Sunset City, my second graphic yarn, is hardcore retirement noir. It explores the breathtaking excitement of a senior citizen community. In Sunset City there is gunplay, dirty words and folks over the age of 60. People die, and not always from natural causes.

So you’re right, neither of those reads like a spandex escapade.

After finishing Sunset City, I wanted to tell, yet again, a different kind of story. I wanted to move my work closer to the comics mainstream. I love Sunset City, but it’s an exclusive readership that picks up that book. Not many comics fans long to read about a grey-haired protagonist.

Also, I love superheroes. Or in this case, supervillains. Once the feisty, vindictive, tormented character of Lord Zango began stomping around in my brain, it was clear that it was time to take the super-powered leap.

Now, I wasn’t about to plunge headlong into a story that could be plucked directly from the pages of a typical superhero comic. This had to be something different. As the idea germinated, Zango became something that merged my love of sitcoms, family and the mundane with the big egos and pulpy action of a superhero book.

HI: Are there any characters or stories in superhero comics that provided any specific inspiration for Zango?

RO: When I was growing up reading comics, I loved the Larry Hama-penned G.I. Joe. Plus, I watched the G.I. Joe cartoon religiously. So for me, the closest supervillain inspiration for the character of Lord Zango would be Cobra Commander. Though G.I. Joe isn’t a superhero comic, Cobra Commander possesses numerous supervillain qualities. Monstrous ambition. Greed, envy, jealousy. A tyrannical temper. Good costuming. And henchmen.

The experienced superhero comics reader may see other inspirations in the characters of The Nearly Infamous Zango. Already, reviews have suggested similarities with some Jack Kirby New Gods. Does Van Freako remind you of Kalibak? Perhaps, in appearance, but Van Freako is a blundering monster-man. Who does the scientific straight man, Deacon Dread, remind you of?

The Nearly Infamous Zango is also about family. Familial relations are rich soil that I want to explore, and it’s no accident that Lord Zango, Nebula, Deacon Dread and Van Freako are four members of a dysfunctional supervillain family. The Super Un-Fantastic Four, perhaps?

HI: You mentioned in the letter column of your first issue that you specifically wanted to do Zango as a regular floppy comic book, as opposed to just a webcomic or graphic novel...what's the allure of the periodical format for you, and especially for this project?

RO: I love the anticipation of getting the next installment of my favorite stories. As a creator, I want to experience that same thrill. I want to enjoy the exhilaration of diving into the next scintillating episode.

Back in the day, when I first started reading comics, they could be found at the grocery store. You would find comic books in wire racks at the check-out, where you’d find magazines today. I would go to Lucky’s with my dad, and snatch up my favorites.

It’s the fulfillment of a childhood dream to make comic books. Sue me for being just a little nostalgic. Actually, all this nostalgia is making me feel a little sick. Let’s move on.

HI: What makes your average supervillain so worthy of mockery?

RO: Who says a supervillain should be mocked? And who says that Lord Zango is average? I concede there’s a wealth of intriguing, humorous and derisive potential in Zango. But nobody mocks Lord Zango. Not even me.

HI: Going forward, you plan on a bi-monthly schedule...will these all be done-in-one issues? What kind of stories can we expect in future issues?

RO: The first two issues work as done-in-one stories. That was a conscious creative decision to make the book accessible to new readers. In issue 3, the story threads that began in issue 1 and developed in issue 2 are beginning to be more fully explored. By issue 3, a new reader will know that they’ve missed something. And ongoing readers will be rewarded for taking the journey.

In Zango I want to continue exploring how the comic book functions as a self-contained tale and doubles as part of a story arc. But to thicken the plot and delve into the numerous emerging storylines, that will take Zango, at times, away from the done-in-one yarns. Can you say “cliffhanger ending”?

In future issues, Lord Zango will be haunted by a ghost from his past. Romance will bloom in the Castle Of Cruel And Unusual Occurrences. Appendages will be ripped from the body. Monsters will roam the city streets at midnight. Heroes will die. Fruit will attack. Heads will, quite literally, roll. Putrid stenches will waft from the laboratory of Deacon Dread.

So go get yourself some Zango. The coolest, smartest and hottest comics readers are into The Nearly Infamous Zango.