{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The United States Department of Nerds Podcast","title":"E.P.I.C. #2: Arise Alphas - Building the Dark City Universe with Lo Plater","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/4f1923db\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4874,"description":"One hero was only the beginning.\n\nLo Plater, creator, writer, and founder of Dark City Comics & Multimedia, returns to the Council of Nerds to discuss E.P.I.C. #2: ARISE ALPHAS - Part 1 and the expansion of the Dark City Universe.\nWhen Lo first joined USDN, we introduced Chris Tayborne, a young archaeology student transformed by the ancient cosmic technology known as the Alpha Bands. Since then, E.P.I.C. #1 has gone from Kickstarter campaign to fulfilled comic, giving Lo firsthand experience with the realities of producing, crowdfunding, and delivering an independent comic.\nNow the story is getting much bigger.\nThe activation of the Alpha Bands has awakened the mysterious Alpha Strand, triggering the emergence of super-powered Alpha Humans around the world. Some will become heroes. Some will become villains. Others will fall somewhere in between.\nLo takes us inside the mythology behind the Alpha Strand, how Chris responds to discovering that his transformation wasn't an isolated event, and why building the Dark City Universe means creating a world that extends far beyond E.P.I.C. himself.\nWe also get into the realities of independent comic publishing: Kickstarter fulfillment, unexpected shipping costs, communicating with backers, building the right creative team, planning rewards, printing and distribution, direct-to-consumer relationships, supporting fellow indie creators, and why Lo believes creators are ambassadors for independent comics.\nWith multiple characters and projects already being developed across the Dark City Universe, ARISE ALPHAS - Part 1 represents the next step toward the larger world Lo envisioned when he first entered the Council.\nE.P.I.C. #2: ARISE ALPHAS - Part 1 heads to Kickstarter in September 2026.\n\n🚀 Follow the E.P.I.C. #2 Kickstarter:\nhttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkcitycomics/epic-2-arise-alphas-part-1?ref=23uxfb\n🌆 Dark City Comics & Multimedia:\nhttp://www.darkcitychq.com\nFind everything USDN:\nhttps://linktr.ee/usdnpodcast\n📚...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/jK77dc0vRU6rdQe3lGzQeHxWXmC-iqPIYcsRvu3WnRw/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xMDE0/NzI5MzBlZGRiOGQ2/MzFlNGI2NzJiMzc2/MTczOC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}