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[[caption-width-right:164:Behind the counter of your favorite comic book store.]]

''The Variants'' is a web comedy series set in a fictionalized version of Zeus Comics in Dallas, TX. Zeus Comics' owner Richard Neal thought all the crazy stuff he saw in his store would make excellent fodder for a comedy series, and in early 2009 he approached Joe Cucinotti and Ken Lowery – longtime friends, writers and regulars at the store – to help him develop the series. They recruited Zeus Comics employees Keli Wolfe and Barry Fuhrman to play {{Flanderiz|ation}}ed versions of themselves, and filmed primarily at the store.

It can be viewed [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvI_Rxc8RnP36VS-XvmXddw here]].

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!!This series provides examples of the following tropes:
* TheCameo: [[Webcomic/SomethingPositive R. K. Milholland]] has his hopes [[spoiler:and iPad]] crushed in "Reboot", episode 5 of the 2nd season.
%%* ContinuityReboot: Lampooned heavily in above episode.
* CosmeticAward: The weekly ''Dallas Observer'' awarded ''The Variants'' its "Best Clerks Ripoff/Market Promotion" in its Best of Dallas awards in 2009.
* MagicRealism: With no explanation, zombies demanding movie passes swarm the store [[OurZombiesAreDifferent and infect one of the regular customers]], the season one finale shows [[spoiler: a man fly away on an umbrella Mary-Poppins-style]], and Vlad's plushies seem to be alive.
%%* SeriousBusiness: Obsessive Comics Fandom is the basis of the show.
%%* TabletopGames: Dramatized as live action in Season 2, Episode 4 "Roll for Initiative".
%%* ZombieApocalypse: Season 1, Episode 4 "Passholes"
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