Judas Khemical -Title Sequence

A Title sequence created for my my comic book project using Premiere Pro, Illustrator and Photoshop. The music was mixed and arranged by me using sample tracks to create a modern yet haunting sound.

I've been developing a comic book story called Judas Khemical. It's set in a mobile city that roams what's left of our planet.

The main character Judas is a Simulant or a product-designed humanoid; who has flipped his programming and gone on the run. But when you live in an enclosed space, how long is it until you have nowhere to go?

It's a long fall from Mars...

Meet Xemos Heck; he's lithe, three-fingered and always found in a bio-suit.

He's also the proud owner of Cydonia, New Utonia's premier quasi-legal resort, arena, boudoir, bar, dance-hall and all-round entertainment complex.

If it's an experience you want to have have resonating in your cerebral cortex for the next few months then come and enjoy the best that modern technology has to offer.

Xemos is the best of hosts, his distractions carry the course form digital and analog, for both meat and machine.

Of course there's a lot of talk that this little green man is actually from Mars, but don't pay too much heed. There's talk around that he started that rumour himself...

Online for your perusal...

Well the comic preview has been submitted and on display at my end of year exhibition at college.
The opening went well with a decent turn out of people (out of the corner of my eye I kept checking to see if they were browsing through the comic).

As a companion to the exhibition I posted the website online. It's not only the comic but also an early indication of where I would like Interactive Comics to lead into. Regardless of my dreams for a mash-up between Comics an Animation, I though it best to share the site with everyone.

You'll find it at: http://art.tafe.vu.edu.au/sbreese/judas/

From here on I'll be posting some of the production art (as promised) but also hunting for funding.
The next part of the script is also being edited and re-edited and should be ready for illustrating in January. Wish me luck, and if anyone knows a patron who wants to support a new form of art I'm right here waiting...

Cheers!

Three is the magic number...

The simulant gestation tank in the first panel was based on the organic shapes of orchids and tulips. I've had that set in my head for more than a few years now. So when I saw Geoff Darrow's magnificently detailed pod designs for The Matrix I was both blown away and gutted. Even though there is a visual similarity I figured "bugger it, that's how they always looked in my head -that's what I'll publish".
I'm just glad that my brain was on a similar wavelength to Darrow. I consider him to be right up there near Syd Mead when it comes to concept art.

This page also introduces three major characters. Xemos Heck, the stranded Martian tourist. Fae, the ambassador for the Faelien species, and Suce, the enticeing and devilishly brilliant business woman. And 'the Makers' from the first panel? I'm not telling yet.

Attack of the Second page.

I was pretty pleased with how the Cyber-Swat troops in the first panel turned out. One at your doorstep would be imposing enough. With three coming you know it's not a good idea to stick around.

Enough talk - bring me the comic!

The next posts will show the completed interior pages and credits page for the preview.
It's not quite the same as hearing the dialog play with the page's soundtrack, but that day is coming. So far the preview can be read as a Flash based pageflip of a pdf slideshow.

Of the two I prefer the slidshow, each page lasts onscreen for ten seconds and is accompanied by a looped soundtrack. Still, I haven't given up on the magic of Flash or Java riddled XHML.

That's enough talk for now, you saw the cover at the last post. Now here's the first page...

Judas Khemical preview Art complete!!!

Despite death, plague and disaster the artwork for Judas Khemical is now complete. In the next 18 hours it will be combined with the ICR (or Interactive Comic Reader). In the meantime here's a view of the front cover artwork.

The final project will be part of the end of year exhibition for my interactive multimedia course. If all goes well the comic will be viewed with an interface that allows you to swap from page to panel views (and vice versa) with up to three pages or panels on screen at a time.

The reader will be able to listen to a soundtrack and/or dialogue to accompany the images. In this way I hope to allow readers to bridge the gap between comics and animation while being able to choose how they experience the story.

Fate willing...

How long is a piece of quantum string?

Recently I was asked how long it takes to make a page. I must admit I was stumped, effectively there's a big difference between when I'm in a groove and when I have to push things through.
Time wise I find that when the pencils, inks and photo-shopping are all working together then I can get a whole page done in less than two days.

But if the tornado you're trying to draw looks like a bad mechanical arm made of irish stew, then it holds up the inking. That leaves you with not much to digitally enhance and can stretch out a single panel into a three day stress-fest.

Still, the golden rule of the creative process is: There's no room for 'Can't'.