DF Interview: Lee Loughridge reveals how one man’s revenge leads to worldwide chaos in ‘Standstill’

By Byron Brewer

Meet Ryker Ruel, an enigmatic, lecherous and clinically insane sociopath who is suddenly in possession of a top-secret device that can freeze time. Now, as the bodies of world leaders pile up, famous works of art go missing, and other strange crimes dominate the headlines. Only the device's creator, a run-of-the-mill science geek, knows what's happening and sets out to stop Ryker's seemingly endless revenge tour. If you could stop time, what wouldn't you do?

From Image Comics comes Standstill, written by Lee Loughridge with art by Andrew Robinson. I chatted with the scribe about the coming comic.

Byron Brewer: Lee, I cannot wait for your coming miniseries Standstill. Why has it been nearly nine years in the making? What was your muse, its inspiration?

Lee Loughridge: Nine years… I know. But now we are here! The inspiration came from a conversation I had one day with artist Shawn Crystal at SDCC. We were discussing what we would do if we could stop time. After going through the normal tropes, we kept landing on morals and accountability.  Then the question became “what wouldn’t you do?” I thought it would be cool to write a story with two very different characters. The antagonist who would do nearly anything and the protagonist who would be far more careful and calculated. After beating the idea around with my friend, Rick Remender, he suggested I lean into the worst case scenario of someone with this device.

I did just that.

Byron: Introduce readers to Ryker Ruel. Who was he, who is he when we meet him in August in issue #1, and what are his motivations/goals for his latest achievement – the theft of a time device?

Lee Loughridge: Ryker is a mystery for the first several issues. The reader will get to know him and his motives as we move through the story. I don’t want to give too much away at this point. I will say he is on a redemption tour… most of the time. Sometimes he f*cks with people and things out of sheer boredom. You’d have to imagine after having this ability for some time the allure would wear off. Apathy sets in and it takes far more to get the dopamine firing.

Byron: What can you tell us about the stolen time device’s creator? What motivates a “run-of-the-mill science geek” to set out to stop Ryker’s plans? As a ROTM geek myself, our kind are usually introverts. 

Lee Loughridge: Colin Shaw was the device’s lead designer. Kate Sharman, his close friend, was on his team. Colin bled over this device, he and Kate worked for years on its creation and just before its trials, the project was shut down and speculation of the device’s whereabouts began to grow. Colin has spent years obsessing over the possibility that someone is using the device.  The fact is, Colin wants it back. Period.

Byron: Without spoilers, can you explain the properties of the stolen time device? No techno-babble necessary, just what the invention does and why it was originally created.

Lee Loughridge: The device gives the user the ability to stop and restart time. At will. It was created for the good of mankind. It could help with medicinal cures, crimes, accidents, wars… the list is endless. They in no way invented it for theft and murder.

Byron: What is the seed behind Ryker’s madness? For what occurrence(s) is he seeking revenge? And what is that motivator’s connection to the high-brow world of art?

Lee Loughridge: The reader will learn of Ryker’s motives, as well as just who he is as the story progresses. It’s tough to answer without giving too much away. The story is a slower burn.

Byron: This  miniseries centers mostly on a clinically insane sociopath and his wants and “needs”. As a writer, talk about how you make such a character have that point-of-view through an extended series like this.

Lee Loughridge: Ryker wants to avenge the death of someone very close to him. He believes this will fill the gaping hole in his heart. The closer he gets to finishing his revenge tour, the more he begins to realize his quest didn’t fill that hole in any way. Instead he just created more baggage to drag around with him. Trauma is trauma, it sticks.

Byron: Talk about the talent of artist Andrew Robinson and your collaboration with him on Standstill.

Lee Loughridge: Andrew and I have been friends for over 30 years. We met at SCAD, an art school in Savannah, GA. He was always light years ahead of everyone artistically. When I put the first issue of this together, he was the person I went to with it. Luckily for me, he accepted my offer.

Byron: Lee, what other of your coming projects can you tell readers about?

Lee Loughridge: I currently have a book – Midstate – with Comixology that is out. It is drawn by Mack Chater.

After Standstill, I have a book that is actually completed, art and all. The book is drawn by Danijel Zezelj. My goal is to have that come out after the last issue of Standstill. I’ve gotta keep this one close to the vest at this point.

More to come.

Dynamic Forces would like to thank Lee Loughridge for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. Standstill #1 from Image Comics is slated to be on sale August 21!

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