Mad Vlad is based off of a real ice cream scooper on the Upper West Side in NYC. I fictionalized his character and transformed him into an angrier version of the real ice cream scooper. I’m drawn to characters who take what they do very seriously, and this ice cream scooper was on top of his game. ‘Ice Cream Robots’ came about when I wondered, what would he do if his ice cream scooping job was automated? I’m sure we would find a way to do what he loves, anyway he can.