Adam Hughes Joins Kesel & Grummett With "Women of Section Zero" Print

05/18/2017 02:00 pm EDT

Fan-favorite artist Adam Hughes (Betty & Veronica) will contribute a "women of Section Zero" print to the forthcoming trade paperback collection of the Gorilla Comics series Section Zero when it is officially funded via Kickstarter.

The series, which ran in 2000 from writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett, launched a crowdfunding campaign two weeks ago to complete the original story and create some new content featuring the characters. Hughes is the latest in a string of big-name artists contributing pinups to the campaign.

"Karl Kesel and I were trapped near an Aztec pyramid, and, well, in life-or-death situations like that, sometimes…well, sometimes you agree to help out a Kickstarter," Hughes joked.

Originally released as part of Image's "Gorilla Comics" imprint alongside books by Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, George Perez and others, Section Zero is about a secret team of experts and explorers investigating the strange and unknown.

Only three issues were published, however, before it was shelved; Kesel describes it as a reluctant decision made for "personal reasons," but the Gorilla Comics imprint didn't last long, so even in a perfect world where Kesel and Grummett could have quickly come back to the project, it's possible there wouldn't have been a publishing infrastructure available to help them finish it.

The creators have always wanted to revisit the world, and there has always been fan interest. Unpublished pages released online created a lot of buzz, and the questions continue to come up at conventions.

There is no official art yet for the print, although given its name, the image is likely to mirror Hughes's "women of DC" pinup from years ago.

Asked to tease what the image might feature, Hughes had a surprising answer: "DUDES. I just want to draw big hairy DUDES," he said. "Haha, I kid, I kid. This cough syrup I'm on makes me crazy! I'll draw the prettiest ladies I possibly can."

For his part, writer Karl Kesel said that characters in the print would be Lava, Section Zero team leader Doc Challenger, the mysterious shop owner Curio, new team member Reagan Atomic, and a Selkie who reluctantly helps the team in Part 2. Founding Section Zero member Sarina Ursari well as Tele Moteka from the 1970s team may also be included.

The print will be 11x17, full color, and a Kickstarter exclusive.

"Needless to say, to have Adam Hughes draw your characters is a dream come true for Tom and myself— for any comics creator, obviously," Kesel told ComicBook.com. "We already had a powerhouse list of artists drawing pin-ups of the Section Zero team to be included in the book itself, and it's hard to think of anyone who could take that to the next level— but I believe Adam is on a very short list of people who can."

Hughes said that it was the talent involved in Section Zero that drew him to the project.

"Some of the best talent in the business, doing a book they love," Hughes said. "That always sounds pretty special to me."

The project is about halfway to being funded with two weeks left in the campaign. You can see more details at the campaign page here.

The collection will also feature an introduction by Kurt Busiek, behind-the-scenes material, and a gallery of the various Section Zero characters by an murderer's row of artists. Look for pin-ups by Walt Simonson, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Terry Dodson, Chris Samnee, Ben Caldwell, Matt Clark, John Paul Leon, Kelly Jones, Jerry Ordway, and Dave Gibbons.

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