LeSeurdmin: Turning the Superhero Trope on its Head (Because the Hero Blacked Out)

“After a messy breakup and subsequent full-day bender in an old Halloween costume, Peter ‘Lizardman’ LeSeurdmin wakes up believing he’s half lizard. The adventure that ensues is one of bizarre shenanigans and, okay, maybe a little bit of personal growth. It’s sharp and irreverent with an old-school animation style that distinguishes it from its oversaturated, technologically self-satisfied peers.”

That’s the kind of press kit I like to read.

I had the opportunity to speak with the man behind it all, Nicholas De Fina, a Chicago-based filmmaker who quit his job to spend five years writing and animating this feature as a one-man crew. De Fina drew inspiration for LeSeurdmin from long-running riffs between his brothers about thinly-veiled superhero identities. The animated feature playfully answers the question, “What if some guy who wasn’t a superhero but whose name sounded enough like one went on a bender and woke up believing he’s a Lizard Man?” As a product of the 90s, whose formative years were largely spent watching The Simpsons and Ren & Stimpy, I’m on board. Paying homage to over-the-top action movies doesn’t hurt, either. The film is definitely not PG; but take a look at the trailer to see what I’m talking about…

LeSeurdmin is the result of five years of independent work; no studio, no financing, no crowdsourcing. But despite the budget (or lack thereof), based on one review in UK Film Review, LeSeurdmin does what it intends to do: make you laugh even while you cringe:

“Like a cross between Family Guy, South Park, and Kick-Ass, LeSeurdmin is outrageously funny and daring. The humour is incredibly adult, but in a way which (like Deadpool) stays on the side of being entertaining rather than infantile. The hokey animation is a bit of a throwback, but in a really enjoyable way for fans of this genre.” - UK Film Review

De Fina studied creative writing in Chicago. At the same time, he did a lot of improv and began delving into filmmaking, directing short films and comedic sketches. He explained that while he hadn’t specialized in animation, technological advances in the industry have made it far more accessible to someone without specialized training and expertise. We agreed that while it is, on the whole, good to be able to create things without extreme specialization, it can be a bit of a catch-22. On one hand anybody can do it, but that means anybody can do it. And while that might make it more difficult for up-and-coming creators like De Fina to make his way to the top of the proverbial heap, he’s definitely up for the challenge.

When I asked him what his biggest take-away in making the film was, De Fina noted the ‘sheer amount of time’ he devoted to it. And being that he has such a small team (he wears virtually all hats save for some voiceover help), it’s inspiring to hear his passion to create (and finish) a thing. In the case of LeSeurdmin, spending 5 years to create something sharp, cheeky, and ultimately, fun. Artists and creatives have to devote so much time and energy to something before it sees the light of day; maintaining focus and drive requires “the sickness,” as I call it. De Fina agreed, and noted that “the deep-seeded feeling of never being satisfied drives you to make some pretty crazy things.” That’s for sure.

To rent or purchase LeSeurdmin, visit https://vimeo.com/ondemand/leseurdmin. For more information visit, https://leseurdmin.com/ or http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6628298/