“I need a hero!”
June 25, 2010, filed under: Characters, El Cid, 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!
Abd Al-Rahman
June 8, 2010, filed under: Characters, El Cid, by LexThere is a passage in El Cid when Rodrigo’s pet lion gets loose in his tent at night. Rodrigo’s future sons-in-law, frightened at the sight of the big cat, scurry away and Rodrigo’s men aren’t able to deal with the loose lion either. Rodrigo wakes from the commotion, sees that the lion is loose and calmly takes the beast by the scruff of the neck and puts him back in his cage. The passage is meant to illustrate the cowardliness of his sons-in-law, but there is no other mention of the lion in the rest of the poem. As far as I’ve been able to uncover, there is no explanation of where the lion came from or how it became Rodrigo’s pet. And thus, the window for exploitation has been opened!
In Kid Beowulf vs. El Cid I’ve given that lion a name and a past. He is Abd al-Rahman, named after the first great ruler of Al-Andalus (Moorish Spain) and is owned by Ibn al-Fajar, a general who longs for the days when Spain was a place where Christian, Muslim and Jew all lived in relative peace. Al-Fajar named the young lion in honor of a lost past; an ideal that a young, principled knight named Rodrigo also believes in, and must one day be the caretaker of. (click images to enlarge)
The Kid B. App–now available!
June 1, 2010, filed under: News, Studio, by Lex
For those of you with an Iphone or Ipod Touch who always wondered how a 200 page graphic novel would read on the device, we’ve now got the slickest answer for you: The Kid Beowulf App! The first of three Kid Beowulf Apps is now available in Itunes. I’ve been working on this app for awhile and with the help of my developer, Martin Robaszewski of Bioroid Studios and my publisher, Bowler Hat Comics, I think we’ve created a very unique app that works and reads quite nicely for the Iphone (the following images have been scaled to fit this blog).
I wanted to create an app that was more than just the comic and took advantage of the Iphone’s capabilities, including its access to multi-media and the internet. Each app features links to the Kid B. YouTube trailers, Amazon to purchase the book and other off-app links. I also wanted to make it as intuitive as possible and easy to use–above is the main menu page.
Instead of cramming an entire comic onto one tiny screen, we created a way to read the graphic novel that was tailored to the device. The entire app is read in landscape mode and scrolled through right to left. I wanted to take advantage of the wide display so I cut-up each comic page to feature one panel per screen (one 60 page chapter equals roughly 400 screens). To help navigate through all those screens readers can scroll ahead in 1, 10 or 100 panel intervals. The app also has a nifty bookmark feature so you’ll never lose your place if a phone call tears you away.
We wanted to make the app interactive too, so we placed “easter eggs” throughout. Whenever a new character appears an “info” icon will appear that reveals who that character is and some background on them.
The links to the various Kid B. trailers open up automatically in YouTube. Each app is a little different and features its own unique content, including links to Facebook, the Kid B. Cafepress Store, Bios and other goodies.
Here’s the real deal: each app is going for a mere 99 CENTS! How can you go wrong? Part 1 is available in the App Store now, so go ahead and give it a try. If you like it give it a good rating and spread the word. We’ll be releasing Parts 2 & 3 in the comic weeks and will announce them on the blog. Start downloading for your Iphone now, with some FREE Kid Beowulf Wallpapers!
