Interview — Talking ‘BicentenniKILL’ With Writer Ed Kuehnel

Writer Ed Kuehnel is one of the creators of the upcoming comic book BicentenniKILL. This interview is occurring because BicentenniKILL has a current Kickstarter campaign. The premise of this comic is a sheriff and his daughter fighting back against election corruption while robots attack in 1976. Kuehnel is also one of the writers responsible for the comic book mini-series Invasion from Wrestletopia (2017-2022). He also has various writing credits in the video game industry including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Gang Goes Mobile (2019) and Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (2004).

Benjamin Hall: Is BicentenniKILL more a satiric comedy or a horror-comedy?

Ed Kuehnel: It’s both. The antagonists in BicentenniKILL are violent, cruel, and calculating — horror fans should be pleased, yet our story is grounded in political satire. Given the violence inherent in politics the genres actually work quite well together.

Benjamin: Is this set in the same universe as Invasion from Wrestletopia?

Ed: It is! There will likely be an easter egg or two for our readers, though no crossover or anything. By keeping things grounded in the same universe, we keep the door open for something like that in the future.

Benjamin: What are some of the non-obvious inspirations for BicentenniKILL?

Ed: The vastly underrated 1984 zombie flick, Night of the Comet is one. Our love for Wisconsin is another (I went to college in Milwaukee and Matt, while a Chicagoland native, has strong ties to “America’s Dairyland”).

Benjamin: Why a sheriff and his daughter for the leads?

Ed: One aspect of this story that appealed to us is that it involves a power grab by our antagonists in the form of a special election they try to manipulate through coercion and violence. We liked having a sheriff as our protagonist, because this experience forces him to reexamine his role as a politically neutral enforcer, something he takes seriously.

Hall: Since the premise relies on politics as one of its themes, and the leads are black, will civil rights as a topic see exploration?

Ed: The story takes place in the United States in 1976, so obviously civil rights, the counterculture movement, etc. was a big deal. Our sheriff is a realist, and perhaps a bit jaded, but also he has earned a lot of wisdom through experience. His daughter is young, passionate, smart, and sees things as very black and white. There will be generational conflict over the civil rights movement in our story, as well as ideological differences explored.

Benjamin: What demographics are you targeting for this mini-series?

Ed: This book will be more violent than Wrestletopia, but would still be appropriate for anyone ages fifteen and up. I’d say that if you have a pulse, and if comedy/sci-fi/horror sounds right up your alley, you’re in our crosshairs.

Benjamin: Why set it in America in 1976 instead of say the 21st century or another country?

Ed: 1976 was America’s Bicentennial celebration — its two hundredth birthday, so that was appealing as it was a big deal back then. Plus, America in the 70s seemed fun (I was seven when they came to a close, but I can vouch for the cartoons). We also fancied setting things in a small town in Wisconsin and lampooning American historical figures, which is always fun (I’m sure it’s fun to poke fun at Italian or Moroccan politicians, too, but we don’t know as much about them).

Benjamin: Thanks to Ed Kuehnel for his time and answers!