Question about Atomik Lad...

[Moridin]

I know writers are asked this question alot, but is he the character most like you? (Minus the super powers, unless of course you're hidng it from us, ya jerk) His outlook on life seems to be the most in sinc with what I've read on the news blogs and anything else you've put on the site.

Just wondering...

[Kurosen]

Well, I'm sorry to admit that I'm honestly more like Nuklear Man. Atomik Lad is more like what I ought to be/try to be so my friends don't dump me for being such a deplorable, nonstop jerk :)

Really though, Atomik Lad was set up to be the most "human" character, the one the audience would have to most identify with. So I had to make him the most realistic and consistent. I don't know anyone as well as I know myself, so I became kind of a model for Sparky.

What I mean is: when he was confronted with a situation, I didn't think "What would I do?" but rather "What would I do if I was this good person with these abilities and his history in this world?" By the same token, Rachel is a lot like me too. She likes video games and food and she's constantly hitting on Sparky. It's basically how I act toward Lydia but I think she stays with me because she isn't aware that it's not an act that will eventually stop.

Poor, poor Lydia.

And, yeah, Sparky is probably a lot like me, but that's because I was writing him. All authors invest some of themselves in their characters, it's the easiest way to convey realistic characters. Angus and Nuke and Shiro and Dr. Genius and Dr. Menace etc. are all a lot like me in their own ways too, but perhaps it's less obvious because everyone that isn't Atomik Lad is also a little crazy and those elements are played up.