The creators of Weed Nation Soldiers transform Bobby into a stoner superhero.
I’ve always been drawn to comic books. The grand and complex tales of superheroes are like modern mythologies that fire the imagination. So you can imagine my excitement when the creators of the stoner superhero comic Weed Nation Soldiers decided to base one of their heroes on me.
According to writer Kareem “KB” Butler and artist Roc Peebles, Weed Nation is a global force fighting against corporate and governmental corruption. “The Nation’s mission is to expose the lies surrounding the criminalization of marijuana and to thwart the evil pharmaceutical companies that line their pockets by denying us our personal freedom,” states KB. “Getting high—whether for medicinal or recreational purposes—should be one of our basic rights as responsible adults. I mean, it’s a fucking plant!
“Weed Nation began with a bowl of Kush, my favorite bong, Bruce Banner, and an ever-increasing frustration about the hypocrisy of the anti-marijuana laws in the US,” he continues. “I thought about real-life weed heroes like Jack Herer, Marc Emery and Woody Harrelson—people who risk their freedom for our rights—and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we had a group of superheroes representing that fight?’”
The Nation is led by Captain Chronic, who developed a strain of SuperChronic that gave him meta-human healing powers. Also on the team are shamanic assassin Pegotta, ex-Marine Major Munchies, Chocolate Thai, Private Puff, C-Weed, Major Motta and Sergeant Spliff. The heroes don’t have secret identities, since their mission is all about stoners not having to hide anymore. What is secret, however, is the location of their “head”-quarters, Chronopolis—a state-of-the-art fortress complete with smoking lounge, 24-hour kitchen staff and, of course, a hydro garden.
“Since weed smoking is the catalyst for many of their powers,” KB notes, “being high is a necessity for the Soldiers.”
“Besides,” adds Roc, “being a hero is pretty stressful, and what better way to take the edge off than a toke with some superfriends?”
When asked about his creative process, KB replies: “Weed is the process. It’s to me what spinach was to Popeye—but instead of fighting Bluto, I’m fighting the munchies.”
The team is pitted against arch-nemesis Toby Straight, the CEO of Amrich Pharmaceuticals. “He epitomizes everything that’s wrong with our culture,” KB explains. “He’ll do anything to suppress natural medicine and keep innocent people hooked on Zoloft, Prozac or Viagra.” Toby’s minions include the robotic NARCs (Neurotransmitting Aerial Reconnaissance Commandos), who patrol the skies looking for grow operations, and a weed-hating cyborg called Buzzkill—the villain the Soldiers are battling when Weedlord (the character based on yours truly) makes his first appearance.
So what makes Bobby Black good superhero material? According to KB: “Bobby represents everything that the Weed Nation stands for. He’s like the Dr. Strange of weed.”
“Bobby already had the look and the knowledge that writes a great backstory,” adds Roc. “Here we have a playboy party pimp on the one hand and a superhero on the other. Plus there’s this whole layer of magic and spirituality. Put all of those elements together, and you get a character bio that’s sweeter than the Blueberry bud I’m smoking right now.”
That character bio goes something like this: Magazine editor Bobby Black enjoyed a life of parties, women and headbanging. Inexplicably unsatisfied, he yearned for a deeper understanding of the universe. He turned to shamanism, immersing himself in the study of magick and mind-altering substances. Then one night during a hash-induced trance, the goddess Cannabia appeared to him—infusing his body with “Chronetic” energy and bestowing upon him supernatural powers and a new name: Weedlord, protector of the herbs of the earth.
As a comic fan and a stoner, I’m honored to be joining the Weed Nation Soldiers in their fictional fight against intolerance and injustice. In the immortal words of Captain Chronic: One Nation, One Mission, One Plant.
