Never Been Kissed
July 30, 2010, filed under: El Cid, Sketchbook, by LexHere are the most recent pages inked for Kid Beowulf vs. El Cid. I realized as I finished the scene that this is the first kiss I’ve drawn in the series (there’s generally not a lot of room for romance from a 12 year old Swede), but El Cid is one of the more romantic epics (as I mention here) and for all the elements in my story to click, I really have to sell the fact that Rodrigo and Ximena are in love. The following scene is early in the book, after Rodrigo has gotten a drubbing in a duel and Ximena is nursing his wounds. It’s in this scene where the two of them talk about their hopes and dreams and all that other lovey-dovey stuff, while Rodrigo’s famed horse, Babieca, snickers in the background. (click to enlarge)
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.