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What happens when you mix the worlds of vampires and superheroes with the real business of running a 24-hour diner? You get the new digital-first comic book series The All-Nighter (opens in new tab) from writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Jason Loo. The series, which debuted Tuesday on Amazon platforms including comiXology, is a follow-up to their previous series Afterlift (opens in new tab), which won a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for ‘Best Digital Comic.’
In The All-NIghter, a clan of vampires has found a place for themselves in society as the owners and workers as a diner open 24/7. But one of the vampires, Alex, wants more: so he becomes a superhero, which makes things more complicated for him, his fellow vampires, and the humans who are simultaneously their customers, their food, and, you know, people.
WIth The All-Nighter #1 and #2 available now, Zdarsky and Loo have shared the concept art for the main characters and a little more about the story.
“After we won the Eisner for Afterlift, Jason and I became absolute monsters. Which made us realize that our next project should be about absolute monsters,” Zdarsky tells Newsarama, tongue-in-cheek. “I’ve always wanted to do a proper vampire story, but I also wanted to tap into Jason and my experience writing and drawing superhero stories, so The All-Nighter was born!”
Loo is the one who came up with the diner as a primary setting for the project, as well as the idea for vampires – it was Zdarsky who thought that the vampires would be running the diner, while also adding the superhero element.
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The All-Nighter character designs by Jason Loo
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“I really had to dig deep into each monster’s personality and figure out how creative/inventive they would be with their superhero identities and costumes,” Loo says. “Geeky vampires like Alex and Joy would look as good as cosplayers at a comic convention.”
Loo made sure to keep an air of realism in the designs, thinking about what the monsters would be able to create and make themselves – something mainstream superhero design may not necessarily consider.
“Other monsters’ costumes are hastily done. Not everyone can be a good tailor when you have massive hairy hands,” says Loo. “But even if these monsters come off looking dorky in their tights, they’re still very terrifying underneath their mask.”
Zdarsky, an artist in his own right, has big praise for Loo’s work in The All-Nighter.
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“Jason showed with Afterlift that he can draw anything. It’s his superpower! So having a story with so many fun elements felt like a necessity,” says Zdarsky. “Our cast of characters all feel so perfectly unique thanks to Jason’s amazing designs. He really imbues everyone with distinct personalities. And his superhero designs are so much fun! Everything feels outlandish and grounded at the same time.”
Zdarsky and Loo are joined in this by their Afterlift collaborators, colorist Paris Alleyne, letterer Aditya Bidikar, and editor Allison O’Toole.
The All-Nighter #1 and #2 is available now on comiXology, and is free for members of comiXology Unlimited, Amazon Prime, and Kindle Unlimited. The series will continue digitally, with The All-Nighter (opens in new tab) print collection scheduled for February 15, 2022 from Dark Horse Comics.
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