Roland: Behind the Scenes
April 29, 2009, filed under: Roland, by LexI am now 3/4 of the way done with Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland and I can almost see the finish line. This one’s been a long time coming…
Believe it or not, this book has been in the works since 2004. I rolled right into Roland after I finished the first Kid Beowulf GN (a self-published version, much different from Blood-Bound Oath). At that time, the Kid B. series was looser, jokier, and not nearly as focused dramatically as it is now. The artwork was much cruder too. I was working on Roland when I signed with Bowler Hat Comics but had to put it on hold as I redid book one. At the time, I figured I’d be way ahead of the game when book two came around since I already had so much of it done.
When I came back to Roland after Blood-Bound Oath, I realized that a good chunk of what I had already done was completely unusable. Not only were some of the plot points going to be different, but my art style had changed considerably during that time and I just didn’t feel comfortable using some of the older art. Only 60 pages were still usable from the 176 pages I had already done for Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland. So all that time I thought I gained for already having done book 2? Bogus.
The part I just completed was Chapter 3 in the first draft, and was originally published as a stand-alone preview book for Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland. I didn’t have time to redraw the entire chapter, so I decided to keep 20 pages or so and integrate it with the new story. This chapter effectively becomes the the bridge between my old, “chunkier” style and where it’s at now. There were a couple of pages that featured Beowulf and Grendel that I needed to redo entirely, simply because they were too “off-model” (Grendel in particular, has slimmed down A LOT). Below are comparison shots (click to enlarge):
Maybe one day the “never before seen” footage from the first draft of Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland will see the light of day (for those of you who are really curious you can find some of it in the Ambition Studios Anthology). For now, it will remain hidden, tucked away, and visible only in certain spots of the new and improved version.
Bradamante
April 24, 2009, filed under: Characters, by LexThe original pitch for Kid Beowulf & The Song of Roland involved Beowulf going to France to learn how to fence, where he and Grendel would meet Charlemagne and his famous knights and Beowulf would fall in love with Joan of Arc. It was completely anachronistic for Beowulf to fall in love with the 15th century maiden, but at the time I wasn’t familiar with any other 15 year old warrior women and it was important to have a female character. The 700 year span between Charlemagne and Joan of Arc never sat well with me though, and I had trouble convincing myself it would work. The book needed a strong female lead however, so Joan stayed in the picture.
As I did research on the epics and legends of the time, I discovered that in fact, there was another girl knight of tremendous stature and her name was Bradamante. She appeared in Ariosto’s epic Orlando Furioso, and had many fantastic adventures. Better yet, she was a contemporary of Roland’s and the sister to another of Charlemagne’s knights, Rinaldo. She eventually falls in love with the Moorish prince, Rogero, whom she eventually marries. The more I read about her the more the clunky pieces of the original draft began to smooth and fall neatly into place. In Kid Beowulf & The Song of Roland, Bradamante is part of the French Resistance, doing what she can to thwart the evil Lord Ganelon and get vengeance for her brother’s untimely death. She also happens to be the best fencer in all of France, second only to Roland. The page below shows her descending into the catacombs beneath Paris where the Resistance is headquartered…
War Music
April 21, 2009, filed under: Epics, by LexLast week I was lucky enough to catch a performance of War Music at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Based on the book by Christopher Logue and adapted for the stage by Lillian Groag, War Music is the Iliad come to life. I have not read Logue’s adaptation but have heard whispers of it (most recently here). After seeing it in action, I am eager to read it, as Groag did a terrific job with War Music.
Whether done as text, stage, or screen, any adaptation of the Homer’s epic is an ambitious undertaking. Groag and ACT do a terrific job bringing Logue’s words to life and envisioning Homer’s world. Logue’s poetry bristles and his occasional anachronisms only strengthen Homer’s ageless themes.
I was particularly struck with just how much of the Iliad was in this adaptation. The play is close to three hours (the first act only takes us to the duel between Menelaus and Paris). At the same time the play ends abruptly, the final scene shows Achilles in his new armor, finally taking up his spear (when asked why it ends here instead of Hector’s death, apparently this is where Logue’s adaptation ended).
Despite the ending everything is there: the counsel of the gods, Helen’s recollections on Troy’s ramparts, Hecktor’s march on the ships. For a classicist who’s read the Iliad countless times it was a real treat to see it come alive and adapted so beautifully. More information on the performance can be found here and even better photos here.
Kid Beowulf Wins PubWest Award
April 16, 2009, filed under: News, Studio, by LexKid Beowulf & The Blood-Bound Oath won the PubWest Silver Award for “Best Graphic Album, New Material.” A little about the awards…
“PubWest Book Design Awards were developed to recognize superior design and outstanding production quality of books. Originally, our design awards were limited to publishers in the West, but as we strive to promote the importance of book design and production in our industry, we have opened our awards to publishers throughout North America.”
The overall book design came from the template of the original Kid Beowulf graphic novel, but I’m pretty sure the cover color work by Brian Kolm and the fine-tuning on the layout done by my publisher Bo Johnson and designer Alan Dubinsky put the book over the top. Big thanks to all these talented folks!
Our 16th President, David Duchovny?
April 15, 2009, filed under: News, by LexAt least, according to Cracker Jack.
Last night I went to a ballgame (my beloved Red Sox got trounced by the Oakland A’s). Despite the score, a live ballgame is always a treat and no game would be complete without some Cracker Jack. And here’s the prize:
At first I thought they were describing a scene from Deliverance, but then, being the student of American History that I am, I realized that it was good ol’ Abe Lincoln.
But my lovely and astute companion, saw a striking resemblance to someone else…
At least he’s getting some work.
Rollie & Ollie
April 8, 2009, filed under: Characters, by LexThere are many French heroes in Kid Beowulf & The Song of Roland, but only one of them gets top billing. Roland is Charlemagne’s nephew and the step-son to Lord Ganelon–the man who orchestrates Roland’s demise. For me, Roland is very similar to Achilles: a terrific fighter who everyone admires, but who is stubborn and headstrong, often acting before thinking.
Every Achilles needs a Patroclus and Roland has his in the steady hand of his best friend, Oliver. In the original epic Oliver is one of the last men standing during the ambush at Ronceveaux and he’s the one who keeps telling Roland to call for back-up (which Roland never does). In my story, Oliver is already a part of Charlemagne’s court, and a squire to the Peers.
The original epic introduces Roland and Oliver as full-fledged heroes but there are many stories about their early adventures I wanted to highlight. One such story tells us of Roland’s origins, growing up as a street urchin, not fully aware of his lineage until he steals food from Charlemagne’s train. Another story tells about the first time Roland and Oliver meet, fighting one another for one full day in combat, one never overtaking the other, the duel finally ending in friendship. I decided to blend these two stories together. Below is a page from that sequence (click the image for a better view):
Another early Roland story features his battle with the Saracen giant, Ferragus. It’s a David and Goliath story and features Roland’s cunning when dealing with a larger foe. For my purposes I decided to use this tale as Roland and Oliver’s first adventure together, to show how the two characters approach the same problem. This is also the sequence where Roland’s iconic weapons (his sword Durendal and his Oliphant) are first introduced. Below is a page from that scene (click the image for a better view):
Kid B. In Extra Sequential
April 7, 2009, filed under: News, Studio, by LexThe latest issue of the online comics magazine Extra Sequential features a story on Kid Beowulf! Check out the issue or download the PDF for an interview with yours truly, along with never before seen artwork from the upcoming Kid Beowulf & The Song of Roland. The mag is over 80 pages of comic goodness!
