By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Never before in European basketball history had a club made use of the “Ninth Art” to design promotional material.
Until now.
Lokomotiv Kuban is creating the “First Squad” comic book series as part of the same-titled campaign ahead of the 2017/2018 season and the team’s ambitious efforts in both EuroCup and VTB League.
The concept revolves around the “First Squad”, a superhero group compiled by the players of Lokomotiv Kuban who are called to defend the city of Krasnodar.
Because, yes. There are things to defend against. After all, every superhero needs a powerful supervillain as adversary, right?
Furthermore, the team’s quest for EuroLeague, which Loko can join either by winning the EuroCup or advancing to the VTB finals, is also clearly illustrated.
At least that’s what we can deduce or at least imagine (and what are comic books if not fuel for the imagination?) by two pages of the first issue, published as a teaser by Lokomotiv Kuban’s Twitter account.
“This is a teaser for the global promo campaign based on the mash-up of basketball and the superhero comics world,” commented Denis Lagutin, head of marketing for the club. “The premiere of the “First Squad” itself will take place on the Basket Expo in Moscow July, 27, where characters and the whole idea will be presented.”
More details are expected to be revealed soon. But if we are to make a guess… can we expect head coach Sasa Obradovic to play the part of a character similar to… Professor X?
So here are the two “teaser” pages starring Lokomotiv Kuban president Andrey Vedischev, GM Aleksey Savrasenko and head coach Obradovic.
“This summer in Krasnodar…”
-The movements for strengthening the roster continue while an unusual movement is witnessed in Moscow, it’s outskirts and Saratov.
-Thank you, I want a full report every two hours, as always.
-Yes boss. Our next contact will take place at 17:32″
Attention #lokonation! To reach the highest goals we are forced to activate the secret protocol #FirstSquad. Stay tuned! #Superheroes pic.twitter.com/B6QgurEBt3
— LOKO ЛокомотивКубань (@lokobasket) July 7, 2017