We Spend Five Minutes With The “Who Wants To Be A Superhero” Star
We met at 6 AM before his workout. In fact, we had such a good time talking about the show, his goals, etc. that I suspect we ate up all the time he had set aside for his workout! Sorry, Quincy! I have to say, Quincy Sloan is one of the sincerest and nicest guys I have met in quite a while. As the captain of the local fire department, Quincy is a real-life hero with the strength of character of his comic book counterpart Ty’Veculus. Sit back and relax as we spend five minutes with E. Quincy Sloan…
Kettlebell.com: Today, we’re speaking with E. Quincy Sloan, one of the stars of the new Stan Lee reality television series, “Who Wants To Be A Superhero”, in which the winner of the show will get to see his or her superhero character featured in their own comic book by Dark Horse Comics, as well as in a Sci-Fi original movie. Quincy, thanks for taking some time out of your schedule to talk with us. Tell us a little about your superhero alter-ego, TyVeculus. What are his strengths, weaknesses, and so on?
Quincy Sloan: Ty’Veculus means protection and strength. His powers are unimaginable strength, great speed via perpetual portals, he is invulnerable to fire, and has the ability to hear the truth of the heart. TyVeculus comes from a strong heritage of integrity dating back 1800 years ago when a Roman General named Ti’Metheus and a female Ethiopian captive named Luna got busy. After years of refining, Nathanial, who is an alien from another world called Alloriax, perfects a metabolic technology that is based specifically on Ty’Veculus’s genes, in order to stop his sister Omexsis and the “Common Ones” from destroying the earth. Ty’s weakness is tied to his integrity… he has to make good moral choices or else his power weakens.
Kettlebell.com: We’re only into the second episode of the season. How has this new TV show affected your life so far?
E. Quincy Sloan: I’ve been given other opportunities to expand my character, which most likely would not have been possible without the exposure on the show.
Kettlebell.com: Have people begun to recognize you on the street? How are you handling this new fame?
E. Quincy Sloan: Not really. I try to stay humble and keep things in the proper perspective.
Kettlebell.com: That’s an excellent attitude. Enjoy your current anonymity… a few more episodes and people will begin to whisper to each other, “Hey, isn’t that that superhero guy?” So, anyway, how did you come up with your character, TyVeculus?
E. Quincy Sloan: While at work at one of the busiest firehouses in Kern County, I opened an e-mail that was an invitation to participate in a NBC contest. The email was from the Sci Fi network promoting the upcoming production of ‘Who Wants to be a Superhero’. After thinking long and hard on it, I submitted an application and took the plunge. I wish the application was all that was required to make the show, but the application was just the first step of many I would have to take in order to qualify for the finals.
Kettlebell.com: Where did you get his name?
E. Quincy Sloan: The name comes from Tyvek material, which is a material used to protect firefighters from hazardous exposures and I wanted my name to sound Trojan. So, TyVeculus was born.
Kettlebell.com: Very cool. What is your favorite moment during the filming of the show?
E. Quincy Sloan: The dog attack was my favorite part of the show. It was the only time I could really show what Ty’Veculus was capable of.
(Editor’s Note: The dog attack was in the second episode, just after this interview. I have to say, TyVeculus definitely rocked on this episode, courageously taking on two very large and downright scary trained attack dogs and beating all his fellow superhero competitors in that particular challenge.)
Kettlebell.com: Quincy, on the show, you are a superhero wannabe… but in real life, you are a true superhero, working as the captain of the Bakersfield fire department. What traits do you have in common with your alter-ego, Tyveculus?
E. Quincy Sloan: Well, I chose TyVeculus’ secret identity to mirror my own profession because I believe that firefighters are the epitome of courage. Ty’Veculus is an extension of all the qualities that I think the fire service should reflect: honor, dignity, and integrity.
Kettlebell.com: How does all this affect your family?
E. Quincy Sloan: It was hard being away from my family for the production, but it was because of them that I was there. I wanted to make my three boys proud. They were my inspiration for TyVeculus. Shoot, they helped me with my costume!
Kettlebell.com: What do they think of this whole TV superhero thing?
E. Quincy Sloan: My family is proud of me that I participated on the show.
Kettlebell.com: Now let’s talk about fitness… after all, Kettlebell.com is a website all about building strength! I’m sure that the viewers have all noticed that you’re a pretty big and cut guy. What do you do to get in shape?
E. Quincy Sloan: I work out three to four days a week, usually before work. I run a mile before I work out each body part,and I always end the workout with a hundred crunches.
Kettlebell.com: It’s just a little after six in the morning and plan to workout after we talk. What is your workout routine like?
E. Quincy Sloan: I do a ten minute jog, legs on Monday, upper body on the other days, and end with a hundred crunches after each workout. My workout last about a hour and I work every other day.
Kettlebell.com: What kind of diet are you on?
E. Quincy Sloan: It depends. If I’m trying to cut my weight, I lower my carb intake. If I’m trying to gain weight, I eat everything in sight!
Kettlebell.com: Do you work out with a kettlebell?
E. Quincy Sloan: I’ve never had the opportunity to work out with a kettlebell, but it looks very versatile. Many fire stations don’t have the space to put a lot of weight equipment, so the kettlebell is the perfect tool to have in this situation.
Kettlebell.com: Do you have any advice for weightlifters who want to be bigger than life like you?
E. Quincy Sloan: Stay dedicated, stay determined, and most of all stay humble!
Kettlebell.com: That’s great! One more thing before you go, tell us about the charity you support, the Bakersfield Burn Foundation.
E. Quincy Sloan: The Bakersfield Burn Foundation is a non-profit organization designed to help rehabilitating burn victims.
Kettlebell.com: How will you and TyVeculus be involved in helping burn victims?
E. Quincy Sloan: It is my intention to use a portion of my proceeds to donate to the burn foundation. It is my hope, that as Ty’Veculus grows in popularity, the amount of money donated to the Burn foundation will grow also.
Kettlebell.com: Thanks so much for taking some time out to answer our questions, Quincy! We wish you much success, not just on this show, but in reaching your future goals of promoting TyVeculus as well as supporting your favorite charity. If anyone would like to learn more about the Bakersfield Burn Foundation or would like to donate to a truly important cause, please visit them by clicking here. Also, you can keep informed with Quincy’s goings on at his website, TyVeculus.com. And, yes, he’s even on MySpace… check it out by clicking here. Make sure you let him know that Kettlebell.com sent you!
Click here to read our interview with Quincy’s alter-ego, Ty’Veculus, star of Stan Lee’s “Who Wants To Be A Superhero?”