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SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE for access and to receive updates and discounts on merchandise on blackberryjuice.net And,... don't forget you free desktop wallpaper!! SONS OF FATE,SPIDERMAN, BATMAN, IN A FIST FIGHT FOR READERS (Previously posted on 8/30/2015)4/21/2016 WHAT’S WRONG WITH INDY? I hear a lot of people talk about the demise of the comic industry. Books aren’t as good as they used to be, there’s no story continuity, The art is just ok, etc… Another thing I hear is independent comics are the new lifeblood of the comic industry. They are far more creative, the art is new and inventive ect… I have issues with both of these ideas; with some of what is being said I agree, and disagree with others. In the end I believe that it is a matter of personal opinion, BUT that opinion should be based on fact. I want to discuss these issues along with solutions I believe would help solve the rift within comics. Let’s delve. I’m just gonna say it. Mainstream comics aren’t what they used to be. I say that much like I say that movies, music, and other forms of entertainment aren’t either although TV is makin’ a hell of a comeback ( Thanks cable and internet network shows for raising the bar.) As an 80’s child, and now, with a child of my own, I am constantly making the comparison how what THINGS were like then in compared to now. Nine times outta ten, the older stuff wins. The 80 comics fall under that umbrella. I’ll say '80's to the millennium. It’s strange to me, with all the new technology, the mass use of the internet,and comic based movies one would think that the comic medium and industry would thrive. I can’t say that is hasn’t, but it has definitely EXPANDED. I was in the comic store the other day. In front of me was a massive wall of comics to choose from. I didn’t know where to start. Let me explain; I didn’t know where to start because there were so many comics, but because each title had sub-titles. Those sub-titles were not expansions of the main title (ok, some of them were), but most of them weren’t. These sub-titles were elsewhere books, alternate reality books or single character off shoots. Hears the problem: Hardly any of them carried continuity into and throughout the main book. What’s worse, a lot of the main stories have pivotal, and practically yearly events, wherein which a major BOMB DROP happens, only to have that event almost unwritten. With that, the event becomes meaningless, and alienates the reader, by making them feel like they wasted their time and money on said comic. Lastly COMICS DON’T STOP! There is no ending in sight. No changing of the guard, no climax, and most importantly, no resolution to why that said hero donned their outfit in the first place. I know, I know, evil never dies, but it seems neither do our heroes. In the end some are re-booted only to tell the same story again. Let me say this. I DO NOT believe that ALL mainstream comics ARE BAD, or even those who follow certain story arcs, reboots, and endless issues are bad. Some actually have really good reasons why they do what the do, THERE IS NUANCE IN EVERYTHING, but amass all the titles out there, picking a title to read can be dubious, while finding a new and original story amongst the wall is downright daunting. Ok, where mainstream failed, we have independent comics. Cool. INDEPENDENT COMICS, I don’t like saying INDY, ( and I’ll address that in a few) are a place to go to see new and original titles, a broader range of styles and a fresh take on what you would call a comic books. Here’s the rub: These books are hard to find. Most comic stores don’t carry Indy books unless distributed by Diamond Distributors, and most aren’t taken seriously. They get put in a separate section, away from the mainstream books and are most often glossed over. I mentioned earlier the fact that I didn’t like calling these books Indy. To me calling Independent Books ,” Indy” belittles them. Indianan Jones wasn’t called Indy by anyone in his respected fields ( except for close friends of course). Could you imagine in Raiders of the Lost Ark, where Bellock is giving that speech in the standoff between he and Indy ( see what I did there) when Indian Jones was going to blow up the ark? How powerful or meaningful would that speech been if he called him “Indy” anytime throughout?!?! That’s my point about Independent Comics. Respect earned is respect demanded. Image is an independent company. No on calls them an “Indy” company. Be like Image Comics, but that my friends fall within the individual making those independent books. It also implies what you think of your book. At least it suggests it to others , including potential customers. I’m an artist, FIRST AND FOREMOST. I want to sit down at my desk, and draw. I an ideal world, I make my art, and it magically goes to those who want and appreciate my efforts, CASE CLOSED! That is the ideal world. In the real world, I know and understand that there is a business aspect along with the art side. Truthfully, the business side is a lot more time consuming and VITAL to the masses even seeing my contribution to comic books. With that I understand that I am competing with not only other independent creators and their creations, but The BIG THREE, and ALL the other larger independent books out there. More importantly, I’m selling my books against INSTALL BASES in the MILLIONS that go back DECADES! Fuck it, I QUIT! Now, I am only kidding, but the realistic look at the situation is a dire one. HOW DOES MY BOOK, SONS OF FATE BEAT SPIDERMAN, OR BATMAN, IN A FIST FIGHT FOR READERS? How can I even compete when I love these titles? Titles I grew up on? Titles that taught me morals (other than my parents), and the difference between good and evil? How does my little, ONCE A YEAR BOOK, match up to hundreds of once a month books with a legacy that go back 50+ years? In places mind you, where most stores wont buy the book or because it’s not familiar, and therefore there is no guarantee that it’ll sell (My big-ups than humble thanks for those store who have bought copies.). Again, I’m not assigning blame nor am I blaming anyone for not giving Independent comics the serious look that we deserve, BUT there IS a culture. There is no one reason for this “ culture “ to exist. It’s more of a perfect storm of situations and circumstances. I’ll use my all time favorite Independent comic book , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) for example. When TMNT came out I was in fifth grade. My mom who wasn’t (at first) too keen on me reading comic books absolutely OUTLAWED TMNT in the house. She thought that it was too violent and bad lanuguage. For a 10-11 year old boy, she had a point( my mom is awesome BTW). So, what’s a young aspiring, hard headed, comic-loving adolescent to do? KEEP BUYING THEM AND HIDE THEM FORM HIS MOTHER. Let me stop right there and say this! Disclosure: I DO NOT CONDONE, NOR AM I SAYING THAT CHILDREN SHOULD HIDE ANYTING FROM A PARENT OR DISOBEY THEIR PARENT IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM!!!! My mom is fully aware of this, I have taken my licks and we have both moved on amicably and laugh at it today. ( Like I said before, She is AWESOME!) So back to the story, I kept buying the books and hid them from my mom. I was a BIG Marvel and DC fan spending about $10 a week in books ( at 75cents a book that’s a lot), but TMNT was a whole different world. It went places and took chances that even Marvel and DC didn’t do although back then when they were far edgier. TMNT held its own with those books and then some. Now we all know the story of Eastman and Laird selling of the franchise to survive, I get that, and I sympathize, and we know that they BOTH have landed on their feet and are doing well, BUT……. Their franchise was turned on its head. It went from a kiddie cartoon, to muppets ( not the actual Muppets), for their movie debut ( which ironically was the best of these attempts minus the pizza reference marketing ploy and outside of the 2007 TMNT animated movie), through comics, and each time in its re-imagining, slowly killed the kid who read those oversized beautiful black& white, curse filled, violent comics. That book carried A SERIOUSNESS to them in the absurdity that four turtles were trained in the art of Ninjitsu, by a rat, and took on a ninja clan that went back hundreds of years. To this day I haven’t seen a FAITHFUL adaptation of that great book. The movies are still geared towards kids and the ridiculous notion of changing the art to make a buck. The IDW book aren’t bad, and the BEST attempt toward a good story and art, but They don’t get my vote until they go to all RED HEADBANDS AGAIN! Oh, wait they did! ..GOOD JOB!!!!! WAIT, THEY WENT BACK TO DIFFERENT COLORS?!?!? Seriously?!?! That’s what Independent books are missing. Seriousness. Not in there art or the story either, and that’s the worst part. The seriousness in lost in demanding that the books that individuals put out should be regarded just a much as any mainstream book out there. PERIOD! Truthfully, a lot of independent creators are making their creations by themselves or with VERY SMALL TEAMS whereas the big three and other companies have a staff with each person dedicated to a task from the art to the marketing and business end. Personally, I am everything to the CEO to the janitor in the making Sons of Fate, and I’m here it tell you,….IT AIN’T EASY!!! Hell, it’s damn near impossible!!! So, in wrapping up, to the mainstream I say this to you: Whatever I am, whatever I do in comics is from the amalgamation of great ideas, and beautiful artwork I have had the IMMENSE PLEASURE in experiencing through your books. That, anime, and STAR WARS (especially Star Wars). You have challenged me, fought me, twisted and turned me. You have made me see what I am made of, and I express out that through the books I now produce. They are the result of those experiences from your pages into and through mine. With that said,…You are NOT lesser children of GREATER MEN. For the ones that don’t, MAKE BOOKS THAT REFLECT THAT FACT! Also, I know there is a notion going around that comics are for kids, or there should be a demographic based system. Nah, don’t do that! Books with adult content is fine ( i.e. MARVEL MAX), but as for the standard books please don’t sacrifice story for appropriateness. Look, I got it when Colossus had to come back from the Secret Wars and tell Kitty Pryde “I fell in love with an alien girl whom I only left because she was killed while I was away. Sorry” ,Sue Richards Running around With Namor ALTHOUGH she was still married, and lastly, one of the favorite X men story from creators, enthusiast, and critics alike, including me, Life Death: A Love Story. Don’t patronize kids thinking it may disturb them or they may not get it. I did and thrived from it. They will too. Plus, you’re an adult FAR LONGER than you are a child so you’ll appreciate those stories longer. I read Watchmen when I was 12. CHANGED MY LIFE! Sorry mom. She didn’t know that. To al my independent creators, I say this: I have met quite a number of you in my travels. You are all great people, your ideas are even greater and I commend you for following your dreams to completion; with or without help, support or acceptance (I empathize on that.). With that, I cannot express enough to demand the respect your creation deserves. Don’t be a carbon copy of another story already popular or has tenure. It is a waste of time. Who would buy Spider Man or the indy book Man-Spider ( My apologies to anyone who made a Man-Spider comic. It was unintentional, and just used as an example). Don’t call your book Indy, not even for short. We don’t call Lawerence Fishburne, Larry Fishburne anymore. I remember when he first changed his name to the proper. I was like, “ Who does he think he is?” Note to my past self,” He’s MORPHEUS, bitch!!!” Be like Lawerence Fishburne(Hell, I can’t even say Larry anymore.). If we demand to be looked at as equals, potential fans will look at our book as such. Liking it may well be another thing entirely.
Lastly, and I mean lastly, I asked earlier how could my book Sons of Fate compete with such beloved books which span our entire existence? The answer is simple.: I Do the BEST book I can. Is Sons of Fate in most comic books stores: No. Eventually I will distribute through Daimond… eventually. For the books that do. Have they sold? Honestly, it’s about 50/50. It’s hard buying a book you don’t know against a book you do know. Especially when the book is a whopping $25 graphic novel with characters and stories your not familiar with to a $15 graphic novel with characters and stories you are familiar with. It’s a hard Sell. Personally, I’d prefer the new thing, but I’m biased! Most of my sales are through shows, store signings and www.blackberryjuice.net NOT TO GO ALL DONALD TRUMP but I will say this: Those who purchased Sons of Fate LOVED IT, and they should!!! It is a great book, with great art. The story is unique and original and most importantly, I made it to be a book that help move the comic field forward not for just a profit. If I can inspire a kid to go into comics…. I’D TELL HIM TO RUN LIKE HELL!! Just kidding. If I could inspire a kid to get into comics just as past books and artist inspired me to do so. That would be enough. I’d put my book up against any graphic novel out now and ask you to decide. I believe in it THAT MUCH! After all, at one point, Spidey, Bats, Wolvie, and Supes were once Indy books as well. Thanks for listening. Rant over!! In the comic world today, our heroes deal with a range of situations, and from that emotions. Why wouldn’t they? After all, their consequences for their actions are usually something on the lines of global (or even in some cases) galactic devastation. That’s a lot of pressure on an individual (or team), and with that those situations probably have emotional consequences as a result right? Not too much. It seems that nowadays the hero (usually) or villain has no residual effect on what they have done or what has happened to them. If they do, in most cases, it isn’t long lasting and hardly has any effect on the story in the long run. That I don’t get. I understand that the heroes I’m talking about are larger than life and in that can deal with anything and everything thrown at them. I get it, but I don’t like it. It’s not enough. To me, if there is an emotional tie, it makes the character that much more interesting. My two favorite comic book character are without doubt Magneto and Batman. I know, I know, everybody likes Batman: Playboy billionaire by day, masked vigilante by night. No powers, but can beat Supes (strongest character in that universe) in a fight using nothing but his will and intelligence. What’s not to like? I like Batman and Mags (I going to refer to Magneto as that from here on in.) however, because they were molded into those larger than life beings by the TRAUMA they went through. Young Bruce saw his parents murdered whist helpless to do anything about it, as Mags (Erik Lehnsherr) who not only survived the attempted genocide of the Jewish faith (the Holocaust), but also the bigotry of mutant persecution which caused the death of his wife and love of his life Magda. Seriously, who wouldn’t be able to at worst SYMPATHIZE with Mags and why he is the way he is. These traumas in their lives are what give them the will to fight whatever fight they have. In that they are so much more interesting than most character s in comic books today. In creating Sons of Fate, I had the opportunity to take what I love best about storytelling and use them. Kamau’s scar he received while protecting his friend from an attacking cheetah is the physical manifestation of the beginning of that trauma. To him, it is a constant reminder of his failures in the story, although he received the scar actually doing something good. When in distress you will see Kamau stroke the side of his face. If you look throughout Sons of Fate (ORIGINS), you will see when he starts to do this and how this action coincides with the current situation. It is further explained and explored in the follow up sons of Fate (LEGACY). In the second of the three part trilogy, the trauma has developed, and the reader is starting to see the RESULT of that trauma not only from what we know that happened in the previous book, but the unknown events which helped him to get to Japan. In short, Kamau has PTSD. I wanted my protagonist to not know where the line is and in sometimes cross it. The events that happen in his life have profoundly affected him in a way where he is so focused on what he believes is the right thing to do, he misses whether he should do it or not. The reason of the immaturity in his actions are a result of that trauma happening early on in his life and only having sporadic moments of guidance. In short, he has to figure things out by himself as he goes on, not making the wisest decisions because of that fact. For me that is the only way the character will grow. Trained by some of the greatest samurai, but not emotionally stable to fully utilize those skills to make the world better. The one thing he wants to do. With that, the burden, and responsibility of carrying the weight fate has unwittingly burdened him with. Forging the history of Japan. I know, I went all heavy in the end. well, …IT IS HEAVY.
In the end, Sons of Fate could be called a morality tale. There are consequences, and those consequences not only play out to those involved, but also have a long lasting and far-reaching effect. There are lessons to learn. I wouldn’t call it a morality tale however. To me it is just a life in the lives of many. A situation we all face (although not a grand and far reaching. To me, it is life. An ordinary story wrapped in a Western Samurai Epic. In the ongoing documentation of the journey of creating Sons of Fate (LEGACY), wanted to discuss idea of emotional content with in the comic industry. After all, with out emotion how would there be conflict? There has to be some sort clash of ideologies between two forces to spark what we pick up and read everyday and read right? Without some sort of emotional base how can we have conflict? LET’S JUMP IN. There isn’t as much emotion happening in comics today. Don’t get me wrong, its still there and there are a lot of creators who execute this idea in their comics, but between the SHEER NUMBER of comics that get published (mainstream and independent), that idea has dwindled greatly. Before I get started let me say that I DO NOT consider comics to be something created to mindlessly entertain: style without substance if you will. Some of the most deep and engaging stories I’ve EVER read were comics books. Books in their own right have the magic of the reader imagining the world as they read them, but comics come with a visual interpretation that come along with the story. Like books comics CAN have a range of age appropriateness in mind, but at the base there should always be an engaging and at its core emotionally ground floor whether it be a story of revenge, love retribution, or even everyday affairs. In creating Sons of Fate I wanted to do just that. I want the reader to know and understand not only what is going on, but also WHY it is happening. For me the only way I can do that is to have an emotional core. I want my character to feel, I want the STORY to have feeling. I said before, without feeling, what’s the point? If the story can be tied to an overall reason, all the other things fall into place. That reason is usually from an circumstance or instance that sparks emotion and sets that story into motion. So, the other day, I got to a point in drawing Sons of Fate story that moved me emotionally. I knew it was coming, after al I wrote the story as well, but to finally put pen to paper became very hard to me. WITHOUT SPOILERS I will say that it was a sad moment. More than that, it was an emotionally pivoting point in the storyline. I was bothered to execute the illustrations that I created in the writing process, but was something necessary to keep the story going. It wasn’t done for shock value or just to add a twist for “twits sake”, it was necessary. As an illustrator of comics, I drawn a ton a number stories and I never experienced that before. It was powerful. And more importantly I don’t think it was because I WROTE IT, but then again it is because I wrote it. What I mean by that is my overall outcome is for the reader to sympathize ( or even empathize) with what is happening. If I can do that, then I’ve done my job as a storyteller. I think I did….. I hope I did. Anyway on a lighter note, I wanted to give you a little sneak peek of the pages I call “ the pages of 10,000 brushstrokes. I had a TON of fun with these pages. It was something so obvious, yet a “situation” I’ve never drawn before. Figuring out how to do it, I looked back at the past greats, in particular FRANK MILLER. Thanks Frank, for the inspiration! Gonna end it here with a sneak peek of Sons of Fate (LEGACY), in particular, one of the pages of 10,000 brushstrokes. Thanks again for listening( or reading). See you soon. On another note, Daredevil on Netflix is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!THE PINNACLE of what comic media brought to television SHOULD BE!!!!! True to the core of that story.
Story, …STORY, STORY!!!!! Thanks again Frank. He really is at that! As the production of SOF LEGACY, the second of the three part trilogy of Sons of Fate comes closer to a being finished and released, I’d thought it’s be a good idea to pull the “ creative curtain” back and give you a little behind-the –scenes look at what it is that makes Sons of Fate well… Sons of Fate.
Legacy, the second part of the trilogy picks up some time after the events of the first books sons of Fate ORIGINS. Truthfully, where Origins provided the groundwork, and back story for the base of Sons of Fate, LEGACY its where the story REALLY takes off. There you will see how our protagonist has grown (and suffered) in the time that has passed from his ordeals of his journey told in ORIGINS. In SOF LEGACY we not only get to see the growth of Kamau, but also the result and the toll of the events on his psyche. He is driven, he is skilled, he HAS BEEN PATIENT, but is he ready? Now in the nation of his Martial Maser’s birth and homeland Kamau now faces a new and foreign culture, hardly known to him as well as the immediate burden of “freeing “ himself of his more immediate circumstances that were set in motion in the conclusion of ORIGINS. But I digress. What we are talking about here, why you are really reading this is to know why the ninja is screaming at he woods. Well, here it is. Although an ACTUAL moment from SOF LEGACY, it also stands as a metaphor to what Sons of Fate represents. It is the answer that drives us on the journey, but it is the JOURNEY that is taken where we find out who we are and what we’re made of. Like that ninja, who is screaming at those trees, the mystery of what is out there is what drives us to look for the answer. Where Sons of Fate ORIGINS is the foundation of the book, LEGACY, is the intricacies inside. Where the first book dealt with what it means to reach your ultimate goal and the idea of realizing that not only are you the sum of your actions, but those same actions ultimately reveal your ultimate goal, Legacy is how that culmination is manifested and the results that follow. The telling of Sons of Fate LEGACY is the telling of a far grander tale. The consequences of ONE individual carve the history of not only those directly around him, but the nation of Japan as well. In LEGACY through the scope of the story, you will not only see all many of feudal Japanese society, but specifically their reaction to a foreigner “ brought to their shores. A foreigner who not only carries the WILL of one of their greatest military generals, but also determination forged through the testament of suffering to its conclusion. Why is that ninja ACTUALLY screaming at the woods? Sorry, you have to read the book to find out. “THIS IS IT”, I thought. The receptionist just told me that he was ready for me. I sprung up with excitement and bolted to the door. Today was the day I was going to get that job at MARVEL COMICS….. SO BEGINS MY FUTURE!!! I entered the office. The walls were plastered with original comic pages the desk and chairs were stacked with comic books, scripts, and other comic related materials. It look just as I imagined it would. He said, “Nice to meet you Jean-Paul. My name is… his name was John Lewendiwski, (hope I spelled it right), and he was the talent coordinator with Marvel Comics. I eagerly sat down, and we got acquainted with each other for the next couple of minutes. I told him my background, how long I’ve been drawing, etc…, and he the same on what he did. He looked at me and said, “Ok, lets see what you’ve got! Here we go!”, I thought. He’s gonna see these pages and the I’m in. I went into my bag and handed him this…… He looked at them. I don’t know how well or even if he played poker, but his face didn’t change; not surprise, nor disappointment. He just looked at him. I couldn’t read him. There was nothing in the air, nor a sense of what he was thinking, therefore I didn’t know whether to be comfortable or not. As he opened his mouth, my eyes widened. “Well…”, he said. “ I can tell you put a lot of work into this, but there are some things you need to work on.” Those were the worse words an creator ( of any field) will hear. On a scale of a individual it could mean “You stink.”, or, “You just need to work on it more.”, ultimately, it means “ Today, YOU ARE NOT WORTHY!” And with that, Mr. Lewendowski started the deconstruction I would have come to known for my ENTIRE career as an illustrator. For my first official professional critique, it wasn’t bad. Although I didn’t get a gig, I left feeling his criticisms were not only on point, but were told to me in a way that helped me see and improve with the next set of pages. With that, and his great advise about how to improve myself, the work only got better. See… The work DID get better. But no gigs landed. I thought , hell I still think ( looking back at these pages), that maybe for at least SOME of these pages, I should have received some work. In time, I received work for the smaller companies with the improved work, but NOT from the majors. With that, the gentile and powerful whoop-ass from Mr. Lewendowski became less and less with others who saw my work. I received less what’s wrong, but more “ your just not ready.”, without a “Here’s why…”. For a while, like anyone in my shoes ( I think), that really bothered me…. Especially because it was work that I compared next to others, and through that it warranted a shot at being published. Batman sample ( my favorite) Now, I understand that art is SUBJECTIVE, and everybody has an opinion, HOWEVER at the same time, I received no answers on what exactly was wrong. Eventually that turned into ‘Why isn’t this worth publishing? ” Now for a illustrator, ..WAIT, SCRATCH THAT, a creator, hearing that your not ready, but not hearing why, is maddening. Maddening, being the nice way to say it. The kicker was that when I showed it to OTHER PUBLISHERS (small press guys), or jut other, some high profile artist and other creators in the field, I started to get the “ Why aren’t you working?” Witchblade sample Through the years, I’ve happily worked for a lot of smaller press publishers, even more indy publishers: All great relationships that grew as an artist. In the back of my mind however there was always a nagging idea of me not being well enough to be published by the big guys… and I didn’t know why. The work I was receiving was fine, but to draw the characters, that as a child I grew up watching on TV or read in comic books would be a dream come true. That’s child’s dream. Nothing wrong with children dreaming, but as an adult , I KNOW more about what I want, and therefore, I can dream bigger: Even better, I can plan, plot and execute actions for those dreams to come true. That idea gives me hindsight for the bigger picture and what happened in all the tries of getting into the club. I was honing my skills. I was expanding my skills. In doing that I BECAME a creator. In time and failure I learned to do this. Thundercats Let’s pretend with my first, 2nd, HELL, 20th attempt I scored a gig and started penciling for the bigs. If I did a good job, meet my deadlines (which I learned to exceed), and if the readers liked it, it’s safe to say that I would probably get steady work. Steady work, which is continuous, pays well, and keeps me busy. That sounds great,.. hell, THAT IS GREAT! It is, BUT in the end, after working non stop, not having time to test you limits or learn new ones, are you a better artist? When I started submitting and receiving rejection letters, I could do a page a night, standard page count for comic artist. I could ink, but that slowed down the work, but that was about it. Now I can draw THREE pages a day, inked, and lettered with a fully colored book within a week. That process I developed for myself only came through the failure to secure a gig. Through trial and error I was able to hone my skills unintentionally. In time, from doing this, I got curious about doing more. Creating my own book. I wanted to see what and if I could do it. I already written the story of Sons of Fate written out in its entirety (which is another thing I taught myself), but that was about it. My last gig was for Dynamite Entertainment. Damsels, (Mermaids)] was finished and the contract was complete. I decided then was the best time to start on Sons of Fate, especially because it was between jobs. January 1st, 2014. I locked myself in my studio and began work. I was done March 28, 2014. A 115 page graphic novel fully colored, inked, lettered, drawn and ……CREATED by me. With none of that done BEFORE January 1st. I owe all that to FAILURE! I cannot and will rate how well I am at this skillset, but I I’ll admit it would have been something I would have never have cultivated if I just drew pages, even if I was inking my own work. The best thing is in developing this I have not only become the creator but have discovered a hunger to create instead of anticipating work: which in short makes the creator more valuable to publisher. Even in terms of working with others, I can better direct, and when is needed, be directed. In short everything in terms on my artwork was improved. Again, I owe all that to failure, Now, if Marvel (Disney), DC or any others call me and offer me work, does that mean I won’t accept? Of course I will accept. But on a whole of what I want to do is a lot bigger than pencil Spidey (although that still would be awesome). But now, my ambitions are far larger than awesome. If the work itself is better, then everybody is happy. Remember all of the work that you have seen was submitted to multiple companies, none were accepted. Here’s the point! As with everyone who has created ANYTHING, we all know there are far more darker days than better days. Like you, I have had days when I just want to pack it up and leave. With that I say to you.. DO NOT DO THAT. No matter what, keep on going. Understand that you in the process you are perfecting your skills. In many cases you could grow past your first expectations. Pressure and time are the two things that move things the most. This was me at a time when I think I could’ve and should’ve received work: This is me now. This is one of the new goals…. See that shit?! STRAIGHT OUT OF HIS HEAD! I don’t know how close I am, I would say that I can kinda do that, but not as confidently as he does and successfully (yet). There is no ceiling. Know that you will never reach a summit. If you do it only gives sight to another yet to be reached. As a field, as a creator, with the growth of what you can do, comes the betterment of the industry on a whole. Would it be better to draw a few X-Men comics, of create your own series where you did more than that. THAT IS THE BI-PRODUCT OF YOUR FAILURE. Although it is a setback, sometimes a devastating setback, something that makes you want to stop, it is temporary. Keep pushing forward. In the end if you do you raise your bar, as well as your understanding about who you are as an artist and what you expect from yourself. Your temporary failure will become your ultimate success. Keep drawing! Keep creating, no matter what. SONS OF FATE (Origins)
Daiki, general of the grand Tokugawa fleet is sent out to charter new world and create trade routes between Japan and the New World. Bravely embarking in this daunting quest, he leaves behind his family in the service of his nation. Many years later, on his way home, with his path home now known to pirates and other plunderers, Daiki, boldly re-routes his path. This new unknown path takes the fleet into great peril and the fleet is subsequently destroyed. Being the lone survivor, he in marooned on the southern coast of the African continent. Saved from drowning by a child form a nomad tribe, Daiki is able to cheat certain death. Realizing the futility of getting back home, he settles into his new home. There, through sheer will he is impressed upon by a young child, who coincidentally saved him form drowning. Influenced by the child’s resolve in the face of certain death, Daiki decides to take him on as an apprentice and teach him the ways of Bushido. In this action, Daiki unconsciously creates a path that not only determines his fate, but that of his young apprentice, those around them, and the history of Japan itself. Sons of Fate is an exercise in storytelling. At its core it is the viewing of the amalgamation of choices made in a person’s lifetime, and the consequences that affect the people and events that surround them.. In this case, General Daiki, and Kamau our two protagonists are at the center of this ideal and their actions resonate outwardly throughout their universe. Before the first word was written or the first panel was drawn, I decided early on that this was a type of story I wanted to write. A story that has many intricate and inter-weaving details that the reader will only see in their completion once the ENTIRE story has been told. I want a second, third, fourth, read-through. Each time the reader reads Sons of Fate, they will notice something that is mentioned in the beginning part of the story is relevant at another point, far off into the same, or even the next chapter of the story. To me, the best stories are always the ones that when I go back to re-read, I notice something that I only see by having been shown the whole picture, which in turn gives me a better and deeper understanding about the people, and /or circumstances within. You will see things in Origins where you won’t know have meaning until the end of the complete series. You may not even see these “Easter eggs” unless you have another read through. There are things that are in the first book (Origins ) that are connected only to Fishing with my Father. Only those who read the web series will see and understand the meaning of. The universe that encompasses Sons of Fate will be a complete, all encompassing, and cyclical universe. |
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