Comic-Con Kid B. Promo
July 23, 2010, filed under: News, by LexIn honor of Comic-Con International, my publisher is offering the first Kid Beowulf Iphone App as a FREE download! So if you’ve got an Iphone, Ipad, or Ipod Touch get yourself over to the app store, and download part one of Kid Beowulf and the Blood-Bound Oath! Hey, it’s free, how can you go wrong?
El Cid: Intro Inks
July 21, 2010, filed under: El Cid, by LexComic-con International is upon us and for the first time in seven years I won’t be exhibiting! I’ll miss being behind a table and chatting up Kid B. with fans, but I decided to take a year off from the madness and instead focus on book three: Kid Beowulf vs. El Cid. I look forward to a long weekend inking pages. Speaking of which, here are the first three inked pages from the new book. This scene takes place high in the Pyrenees where Beowulf, Grendel and the Peers are putting down a Basque insurrection. Enjoy the pages and Comic-con if you’re going! (click to enlarge)
The Society of Unordinary Young Ladies
July 15, 2010, filed under: Studio, by LexI took a detour from Kid B. this week to work on some pin-up art for my friend’s comic book series The Society of Unordinary Young Ladies. Created by Wahab Algarmi, it’s the story of a group of fresh-faced and talented sitcom girls who are in fact secret agents! The story is set in the 80’s and features Punky Brewster, Small Wonder and Lassie (to name a few); it’s full of pop-culture references and lots of inside humor only a kid raised on TV and Corn Pops would know. The SoUYL has a long and proud history of agents and I decided to focus on the team from the 60’s. Can you name them all? (click to enlarge)
L to R: Mary-Ann (Gilligan’s Island), Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie), Jamie Summers (The Bionic Woman), Samantha (Bewitched) and Marilyn (The Munsters). Caught up in the Cold War the girls are betrayed by double-agent and their one-time mentor, June Cleaver, and become entangled in a dire plot by the Soviets who are mixing Tiki magic with Space Race technology to take over the world! (At least, that’s how I saw it in my head).
This was a lot of fun to do–thanks Wahab! The pin-up will be in the newest issue of The Society of Unordinary Young Ladies due out this fall.
El Cid: sneers, swash and buckle.
July 8, 2010, filed under: Characters, El Cid, by LexHere are few more cast members of Kid Beowulf vs. El Cid. For some reason I didn’t have nearly as much trouble coming up with these looks as I did Rodrigo’s. I especially like the look of this fellow below: Ordoñez.
He’s Rodrigo’s competition, as a knight and as a potential love interest for Ximena. Ordoñez has been in more battles than Rodrigo and is Count Gormaz’s lieutenant (Ximena’s father). He’s reliable and will do what you ask him; he does not confuse orders with moral clarity (something Rodrigo has trouble with). Ordoñez’s main goal is to best Rodrigo in whatever way he can.
Thankfully, Rodrigo has a few friends on his side including the fellow above, Pedro. Pedro is sometimes referred to as “Pedro the Mute,” though in the epic poem he does in fact speak–just not very often. I thought that was an interesting idea and am going to try and keep this Pedro mute through the book, to communicate he’ll draw images and signs on his slate breastplate. I’m not sure if this concept will work, but I’m going to give it a try and see what happens. It could result in some cool (and hopefully clever) iconography.
Along with Pedro, Rodrigo’s other close friend and confidant is Martín. Martín does speak–though his mouth sometimes gets him into trouble–he’s the quick wit or dry observation a grim story needs. In the original epic, both Pedro and Martín are bequeathed El Cid’s blades, Tizona and Colada, which they use in a final duel. Rodrigo inspires many men to his cause, but it’s Pedro and Martín who knew him from the start, join him in exile and keep him honest.
“I need a hero!”
June 25, 2010, filed under: El Cid, Sketchbook, by LexA little while ago I posted a first look at the hero of Kid Beowulf vs. El Cid: Rodrigo Diaz. Rodrigo was the first character design I came up with and at the time I liked it, but as I started to flesh out the cast around him I realized this first design wasn’t going to work.
For one thing it was just too complicated–the short cape wasn’t working, there were too many buckles and belts that didn’t serve a function (I was getting into “Liefeldian” territory), and I could tell that drawing and redrawing this particular outfit for 200 odd pages wasn’t going to cut it. In terms of time-period this outfit is all over the place; the armor doesn’t really say “medieval,” the stitching had a Roman flair that wasn’t right either, and the shoulder straps and black shirt were hard to read. In contrast to the other characters Rodrigo skewed a little too old in this design (he’s around 20 years old or so). So I decided to redesign him and came up with this:
This version was getting closer to the period I wanted to convey. I got rid of all the useless buckles and straps, changed his black shirt to chain mail, got rid of the cape and also changed his face in an attempt to make him younger. Even with these changes something still wasn’t clicking for me. I’m not sure what that collar is supposed to be and the gauntlets and shin-armor was too “comic-booky” (for lack of a better description). I lost something in his face though and he actually looks too young and also non-descript; his eyes are vacant and I couldn’t see this version of Rodrigo going toe-to-toe with the other characters, especially my Ximena, who I doubt would be interested in this guy. So I went back to the drawing board again and came up with this version:
I did more streamlining and refining; I liked the chain mail shirt and modified the breastplate, giving him an emblem that features both the kingdoms of Leon and Castile, one part of the other to symbolize Rodrigo representing ALL Spain. I changed the gauntlets to look more functional and natural, and did the same for the boots. His skirt has been modified and accented with a “castle” trim that reflects Rodrigo’s current allegiance to Castile. He is holding Colada–a blade he inherits from his father (his other blade, Tizona, will be won in the book). I changed his face again and brought back some of the features from the first design and given him more definition in the eyes and a determined demeanor.
I like this version; I see maturity but also a capacity for change which is what Rodrigo will be going through in the book. This version feels right for the book and the character. I don’t normally do so much working and reworking on character design, but in this case it was needed and I think Rodrigo’s better for it!
El Cid–Page 1, Panel 1
June 18, 2010, filed under: El Cid, by LexIt’s still early goings for Kid Beowulf vs. El Cid, but I liked how the pencils turned out on the opening page and thought I’d post it (click to enlarge). The opening takes place high in the Pyrenees in the midst of a snowy battle…
The Kid B. Open!
June 11, 2010, filed under: News, Studio, by LexFor those of you in the North Bay looking for some fast fencing action and comic book fun this weekend, be sure to come to the first ever Kid Beowulf Open! The event is a book signing and fencing exhibition held at En Garde Fencing here in Santa Rosa; I’ll be doing free sketches and talking up the book while Jim Liebich, owner and maestro of the club, will be giving a free lesson to attendees. Since I put fencing into Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland (and I’m an avid fencer myself), I thought it would be a fun way to cross-promote the book and the club! To give you a taste of the action you’ll see, below is a clip of me fencing with a friend from the club (I’m on the right), followed by the official press release. Hope to see you there!
PRESS RELEASE–The Kid Beowulf Open!
En Garde Fencing proudly presents the first annual Kid Beowulf Open–a graphic novel fencing tournament! Saturday, June 12, cartoonist Alexis E. Fajardo will bring his all-ages graphic novel series, Kid Beowulf, to the En Garde Fencing Club in Santa Rosa, California. The event begins at noon and club owner and fencing instructor Jim Liebich will be conducting a free class for all attendees.
“I’m very excited,” says Jim. “Kid Beowulf is a great story, and hosting this fencing tournament is going to be so much fun.” En Garde Fencing marked its one year anniversary in its new location in May and continues to bring the sought after Olympic sport of fencing to the North Bay. The club features a wide range of students and fencing prowess; girls and boys, all ages and every level from beginner to seasoned amateur. It’s a diverse group of swash and buckle!
Among those fencers is cartoonist Alexis Fajardo, creator of the graphic novel series Kid Beowulf, which features its own brand of swords and sorcery. Inspired by the epic poem BEOWULF, Kid Beowulf follows the journey of 12-year-old twin brothers Beowulf and Grendel as they travel to distant lands and meet fellow epic heroes therein. Published by Bowler Hat Comics, book one “Kid Beowulf and the Blood-Bound Oath” debuted in 2008 and this spring marks the release of book two, “Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland”–which features fencing.
“Part of the story for the second book is Beowulf learning how to swing a blade, so I incorporated some fencing into the book,” states Fajardo. “I’ve been fencing almost as long as I’ve been drawing Kid Beowulf, in fact I based one of the lead characters in the new book on my old fencing instructor and I’ve also got a few well-placed cameos of my fencing buddies from the club here. It seemed like a great way to cross-promote the club and the books. I’m looking forward to the event!”
The Kid Beowulf Open takes place Saturday, June 12 from noon-1:30pm at 917 Piner Road in Santa Rosa. The event is free and open to the public. Fajardo will be sharing his work with attendees, signing books and doing sketches, while Moniteur Jim Liebich will conduct a free class for all attendees. And winners of the beginner tournament might just walk away with the much sought after Kid Beowulf Open Trophy!
--Comic Buyer's Guide
"Kid Beowulf fights the good fight with comedic timing and flair!"
--sequentialtart.com
"It's fun classic literature combined with modern pop-entertainment."
--Gareth Hinds
The Collected Beowulf
"Kid Beowulf is totally enjoyable. I highly recommend it to would-be adventurers of all ages!"
--A. David Lewis
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