Three years ago, I had the immense pleasure of reviewing the indie superhero short film Captain Zero: Into the Abyss Part I for ComicsXF. Over the holidays, I attended a virtual screening for Captain Zero Part II and recently sat down with creator, director, writer and voice actor Z Cher-Aimé to talk about the past, present and future of the project.
Penn: The screening was an amazing look behind the scenes of the project. One of the things that make Captain Zero: Into the Abyss a unique superhero project is how Xerxes, the protagonist, subtly recounts his superhero misadventures to his therapist, Dr. Niobe. Why did you decide to frame Xerxes’ story this way?
Z Cher-Aimé: The project has gone through many permutations as the story (and myself as a writer/director) has evolved over the years. The decision to make the project framed through his therapy session came about six years ago. Mental health was always at the heart of this narrative, but I wanted to give the project something that would make it unique in HOW we told the story.
If I remember correctly, it was a conversation between my writer partner Andre and I where we were talking about prestige television like The Sopranos that made us go, “HMM! How interesting would it be if we told this story of a young boy’s mental health journey THROUGH his actual therapy sessions?” and it was history from there.
Penn: That is amazing! Just to clarify, Captain Zero Part II takes place after the events of Part I, correct? I noticed that Xerxes is still lying to his therapist, and I remember that she saw through him at the end of Part I, albeit via the extra footage. If so, how will Xerxes’ relationship to his therapist evolve over time?
Z Cher-Aimé: Part II is kind of a soft reboot to Part I. It’s more of a direct sequel to the YouTube version where we leave off on the fact that Xerxes is still lying. In the director’s cut, there’s additional footage that shows Xerxes coming clean — or rather, being discovered by Dr. Niobe.
In Part II, we retread some of the same water in Part I, but this time we’re more expansive. I did this because I knew the update in the animation quality would draw in more viewers, and it’d be likely that this version would be some people’s first time seeing this world and characters. So I wanted to give them enough info to catch them up — and then move onto seeing more of his world.
We start off Xerxes and Dr. Niobe’s relationship from where it left off in Part I of the YouTube version, but we do see their relationship grow over time. This is showcased in greater detail in the upcoming feature film and eventual TV series.
Penn: Thank you for the clarification! I hope that Dr. Niobe and Xerxes can grow to the point where Xerxes can see himself in a better light, especially as a superhero. As a superhero name, Captain Zero stands out compared to other superhero names like Superman and Captain America. Zero, as a number, represents the absence of value and a void. How does this meaning factor into Xerxes’ character?
Z Cher-Aime: The name is very intentional. Zero, like you mentioned, is often associated with an absence of value. In the feature film, it’s actually revealed that his original superhero name is not Captain Zero; it’s Captain Hero. And he’s given the name Captain Zero by online trolls who can’t/won’t bother to remember his ACTUAL name and use it as a way to ridicule him. This becomes a point of contention for him as he tries to prove just how “heroic” he really is — to disastrous results in Xerxes fashion lol, but in the short we opted to have his name already be Captain Zero to familiarize people with the brand. The movie takes the meaning of his name to a whole other level.
Penn: Wow, that is very creative (and heartbreaking for Xerxes)! The main cast in Captain Zero are voiced by talented actors, including yourself, Angela Ross and Keith David. When did you decide these were the right people to bring these characters to life?
Z Cher-Aimé: Keith was ALWAYS my number one pick for the Depression Demon. I never had a second or alternative option. When I created the character — a smokey, goo-like personification of all of Xerxes’ deepest insecurities who would challenge him every step of his journey, I KNEW only Keith David could embody such a character.
It was the exact same thing with Angelica. I designed that character with her in mind specifically. I made a random post on Twitter @-ing her stating that I would love for her to voice the character, and to my surprise she responded! Next thing I know, we were taking a meeting with her voiceover agent who asked me about any more attachments I wanted to make to the project, and I immediately said “KEITH DAVID,” to which she smiled and informed me that he was actually one of her clients.
The only person I didn’t have anyone in mind for specifically was Buttafly Girl. I took a trip to L.A. to do a casting call with the help of an amazing casting director and fellow Full Sail alumni Loretta Troutman, and it was during that casting session (in 2017) that I came across Zolee Griggs, who is now the voice of Buttafly Girl.
Penn: That is fantastic! Both Captain Zero Parts I and II showcase an ever growing cast of characters that include Xerxes, Dr. Niobe, Xerxes’ friend Daisy aka Buttafly Girl, and Xerxes’ Depression Demon. What can we expect to see from them in future installments?
Z Cher-Aimé: You can expect to see more of Xerxes’ home and school life, more deep conversations and personal revelations with Dr. Niobe, more hilarious and insane hijinks for Captain Zero, more badassery from Buttafly Girl and Oblivion, and a wide array of great villains. Oh, and of course, more soul-crushing taunts from the Depression Demon!
Watch Captain Zero: Into the Abyss Part I on YouTube and Part II, Act 1 on the official website.
Latonya Pennington is a freelance contributor whose comics criticism can be found at Women Write About Comics, Comic Book Herald, Newsarama and Shelfdust, among others.
