GVN Talking Comics Review: Mad Cave Studios ‘Under The Influence’ Issue 1

Viral Challenges

In the age of social media, it has become prevalent for someone to set what are called challenges to others who follow them. The viral challenges can range from ones that raise money for special causes like the Ice bucket challenge for ALS, to ones that are considered dangerous and foolhardy like the Birdbox challenge, where people attempt to do everyday tasks while blindfolded. (Named after the popular film The Birdbox.) There have been numerous studies about the susceptibility of young people to these types of challenges and whether they are safe or not.

The Hot Dog Challenge

It is this concept that creators Eliot Rahal and Stefano Simeone have explored in their new Mad Cave Studio series, Under the Influence. In this scenario, a young man is streaming live his attempt to follow the latest social media challenge trending: The Hot Dog Challenge. This requires those participating to steal Barnubus Brand Hot Dogs from stores. The reason to do so is pretty much just an opportunity to get attention. Likes, follows, reposts and subscriptions are the coin of the realm in the social media world. The fact that it is dumb doesn’t seem to register.

A Tragedy Caught Streaming Live

But as the young man in question is streaming his attempt, he is being watched. Which IS the name of the game after all. However, things take a bad turn when the young man is caught by the clerk, and he is chased out of the store. Right into the path of a tractor trailer who ended his challenge…permanently. A tragedy that was watched by his live audience and the two people who were commenting on his progress.

Meet Paul Kozac

This, of course, inspired more speculation by the media about such challenges and the danger they represent. The source of this particular challenge, they lay at the feet of Paul Kozac. A young man who first came to fame, ironically enough, due to a picture of him eating a Barnabus brand hotdog at 13 years of age. The meme went viral, Barnabus Hot Dogs sales exploded, and Paul had his 20 seconds of fame. Now, nine years later, he is a social media influencer and the instigator behind the “Hot Dog Challenge.” But that is not all his influence has affected.

The Government Reacts

Soon, other media outlets are running stories on Barnabus Hot Dogs. Discussing what they are made of (a popular subject when it comes to hotdogs). The conditions at the Barnabus Meat Packing plants and their supposed deleterious effects on our young. All of which caused the stock prices of the company to make a downward spiral. Needless to say, there are those in the government who are concerned when social media appears to be taking a major company down.

Cara Cole

In this case, they decide the best way to understand what is going on is for someone to infiltrate Kozac’s internet cult following. Someone who is fluent in the language of clicks, posts, streams and likes. But most importantly, someone that Kozac and his nerd brigade would not suspect as working for the establishment. Their first and only choice is Agent Cara Cole.

The reasons for this are not made clear as of yet. But something from Agent Cole’s past made her the obvious choice for this assignment. At this point, they need her to get in close and try to learn what makes Paul Kozac tick. What are his motivations and does he and through him, his followers have any malicious intent. Cara is reluctant. She didn’t become an agent to spy on kids. Her goal was to save them. For Agent Marcus Hall, who is trying to recruit her for the assignment, he believes she can do just that. IF she takes the job. Her cover will be as a teaching assistant for Professor Marcum’s class of Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire. But her REAL subject will be Paul Kozac and his legion of “zealots” (as the government would refer to them) A.K.A followers.

Alex Russo

Part of Cara’s undercover work requires her to work with a surveillance agent, Alex Russo. But to her way of thinking, Alex is no different than most men she has had to work with. He believes he is an expert…on EVERYTHING. No matter. If he stays out of her way and does his job, they will be just fine. Although it does mean she will be inundated by his opinions on all matters. Even ones that have NOTHING to do with their case.

Fitting In

Once Cara is put in place at the college, she begins the work of trying to fit in and gather as much information as she can on Paul and those students similar to him. At first glance, Paul Kozac appears normal. In fact, all of the students she has seen do. At least initially. But once she meets Charlotte (or Char), the young lady who was selected to show her around the campus, she starts to see some of the behaviors that her bosses were concerned about. Like her and her friends all taking some form of pill at the same time every Tuesday. Synchronized Group behavior? Check! Although Cara must have made a good enough impression that Char invited her to a party. One hosted by the aforementioned Paul Kozac. Should prove to be informative and allow for some snooping on her part.

Party Time

Later, at the party, Cara makes her appearance. Making sure to not be too early as Char told her not to. Not Cool to arrive early. She also made it appear that she was already loose and uninhibited. Like she had already started her party BEFORE she had arrived. All the better to fit in. Char was the first to greet her. She too looked like she had a party head start. Which by her own admission was a liberal amount of cocaine.

Cara wanted to search the house but would be hard pressed to with Char being her over stimulated shadow. Fortunately, a reported need for the bathroom gave Cara the distance she needed. She was just lucky that Char wasn’t one of those girls who believed a bathroom break was a group affair. With that opportunity, it gave her a moment to look around a bit. All the time wondering how many of these kids were intertwined in Paul’s circle. Perhaps without even realizing it.

Stop Me!

But as she turned a corner, she ran into the man himself, Paul Kozac. He grasped her arm, seeming to recognize her. At the same time, someone on the street took a baseball bat to the window of Alex’s surveillance vehicle. Cara asked him through their earpiece if he was ok. But Paul pulled her toward him, telling her that Alex was alright, and he knew who she was. But he needed her help. He needed her to stop him. What??!!

Thoughts

With the current influence of social media in all of its many forms, Under the Influence creators Eliot Rahal and Stefano Simeone have tapped into a great story resource. Through this first issue, they examine the way some young people feel the need to share everything in their lives. While at the same time, revealing society’s predilection to attempt to read too much into it. Unfortunately, this tends to happen when a tragedy befalls us. A scapegoat must be found and it’s easy to point the finger at the most obvious. Even when it’s too early in the narrative to see what is actually going on.

That is the government’s view of things after a negative social media blitz seems to take down what was once a thriving company. Attacking hot dogs of all things. It has to be the work of a social media cult. At least that is the working theory and is what Agent Cara is trying to uncover. But judging from her target Paul’s call for help, SOMETHING is happening. The fact that I want to know what that is means that Rahal and Simeone have done their job well! Looking forward to seeing what transpires.

Mad Cave Studios Under the Influence, Issue 1 by Eliot Rahal, Stefano Simeone and Frank Cvetkovic is available now on the Mad Cave Subscription site and where all great digital comics are sold.