Interview: Depravity is 'SOKO'
Apr 18, 2023
Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen
Hitting comic shops this week, Sumerian Comics' SOKO gives readers a front-row seat into "unimaginable depravity." Billed as a crime-drama, SOKO follows two Serbian cops as they follow a dark trail that leads to corruption, betrayal, and much more.
Co-writer Steve Ekstrom explains why his new mini-series will grip you from page one!
Troy-Jeffrey Allen: Tell us about SOKO. What’s it about?
Steve Ekstrom: SOKO is a crime-drama and police procedural set in Serbia about systemic corruption and human trafficking. If you have enjoyed stories like HBO's The Wire and Martin Scorsese's The Departed, this is a story for you.
TJA: What can you tell us about the two beat cops at the center of the story? Why do we follow them?
Ekstrom: LAZAR VUKOVIC and MIHAJLO "SOKO" SOKOLOV are partners. Lazar is the older, veteran cop who has "seen some $#!t" and Mihajlo (the title character) is his protege and the conflicted protagonist of the story.
When Vanja Miskovic and I were developing these characters, we wanted a sense of familiarity within the static nature of these two characters and their archetypes since the majority of our readers in the Western comic audience wouldn't be all that familiar with an exotic locale like Serbia. Couple that with life's everyday complexities and you've got yourself the right balance for some compelling dramatic storytelling.
TJA: Is this more of a crime-drama or are we going down a Saw/Se7en type of road?
Ekstrom: Definitely crime-drama which can certainly have horrific, pearl-clutching moments like a suspense-thriller or horror movie. I can say with certainty, I co-wrote this bad boy, and that there are some really pulse-pounding moments that should have readers rocking back in their seats.
TJA: How did that project come together?
Ekstrom: Oddly enough, I was hired to letter an 8-page short for Vanja who was making the valiant effort to "break in" to comics. I had been writing comics independently for about a decade and lettering and editing for a few years professionally when we met. It was originally a simple crime story about fuel smuggling--something that is a MUCH larger issue in other parts of the world but not necessarily something relatable in the States. We started talking about making the story more complex and we sort of organically stumbled onto the plot by talking about shows and movies we both liked with similar thematics and how Serbia is in a region of the world that acts as a "filter" for human traffickers.
I slowly went from lettering to lettering and editing to Vanja saying, "Hey, why don't you co-write the book with me..." and I jumped at the opportunity because, shockingly, I had never considered writing a crime book much less a procedural and it's been a lot of fun.
TJA: Tell us about your collaborators on the book. Who is on the art team?
Ekstrom: I grinned when I got this question because this project is stacked with talent. Front and center, we have veteran artist Antonio Fuso (G.I. Joe, WYRD, Stargazer) whose passion for art bleeds through on every page. We have two colorists who are incredibly talented, Stefano Simeone (MEGA MAN: FULLY CHARGED) and Emilio Lecce (DR1VE) and we have covers by rising stars Francesco Tomaselli (Spawn), Lorenzo Tammetta (Murderworld: Game Over) and industry legend and Serbian artist, R.M. GUERA (Scalped).
If that doesn't whet your pallet for an indie comic, I don't know what will. As a creator who has been a lifelong fan of the medium, I almost get teary-eyed looking at our line-up.
TJA: Looking forward, what can readers expect from SOKO?
Ekstrom: Hard-hitting, fast-paced storytelling and gritty, naturalistic art and colors, first and foremost; but, most of all, I really hope SOKO entertains readers and introduces them to something they'll enjoy and recommend to their friends.
When the shelves are 95% filled with capes and masks, it's hard to be a standout with a genre fiction project like this. We want to defy the odds and be that book that breaks readers into something unique that continues to expand their reading tastes.
TJA: Who is SOKO for?
Ekstrom: Teens who want to try genre fiction and adults who have a wider range of tastes, certainly. While the book has adult themes and spicy language (and maybe a racy scene or two), I would comfortably say that teens could enjoy this book if they want to experience a sordid world of criminality. Like I mentioned earlier, if you're a fan of The Wire or The Departed, you'll definitely love SOKO, which, for the record, loosely means "falcon" in Serbian.
I hope everyone will give us a shot.
SOKO is available now at your local comic shop. Reserve your copy with PREVIEWSworld Pullbox.
Corruption from within a Serbian police department begins to destroy a cop's relationship with his partner as a local gangster's human trafficking operation is revealed. BOOM! Studios Publisher Ross Ritchie calls SOKO a "well-illustrated police procedural."
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