Death Nell is an erotic horror comedy (in the Beetlejuice vein) comic published by Bad Bug Media in early 2023 after a successful Kickstarter campaign of their first issue in the summer of 2022. Issue one is written by Bill Stoddard with Cammry Lapka (Cat Tails, Black Market Heroine) doing art, Bruna Costa on colours, and Erek Foster (The Surgeon) providing lettering.
Nell, her undead cat, and April.
The titular Nell is a twenty-two year old student at the Deus Mortem school for necromancers where she spends her time sleeping during class and fantasizing about her teacher, Professor Reinhart, instead of paying attention. At the suggestion of her best friend, April (who is a half troll), Nell visits the buxom school nurse (curse lifter?) Madame Flowers. It turns out that Nell’s sleeping issue is from exhaustion due to her insatiable desires despite a regime of self pleasuring. An alchemy spell later and the root cause is discovered: Nell is part Succubus and she needs to om nom nom on the sexual energies of others. Thankfully there happens to be a party coming up that promises lots of action…
Grave digging attire.
As a playful, lighter fare, Death Nell can be placed in a similar camp of monster-school stories such as Nicholas Doan and Gwendolyn Dreyer’s Monster Elementary, the Monster High media franchise, and even the prequel film of Monsters Inc., Monster University. Death Nell’s art reflects its comedic tone, as the colours are vibrant (the fun gothic colours of purple and black) and the characters realized in an anime/manga-inspired fashion (drool, bonks on heads, pursed lips, etc.). The women of Death Nell do adhere to a specific type of depiction: eye liner as big as bats and hips as thicc as gravestones. It’s a fun style that juggles sexy and cartoonish – Hot Topic patrons will definitely approve (and mimic!).
Madame Flowers.
Death Nell’s comedy falls in line with school sex comedies of the 80s and the 2000s. This can be both a blessing and a curse depending on perspective. Because she’s an attractive succubus, the faculty of Nell’s school begin to lust after her (the aforementioned Madame Flowers, the graveyard undertaker Edgar) with only professor Reinhart seemingly immune to her passive powers. In reality, this, of course, is a big no-no in classroom power dynamics, yet it is also an extremely common plot device in pornographic stories (“teacher, there has to be something I can do to pass this class!”). The tone of Death Nell is much too lighthearted to even approach levels like David Mamet’s Oleanna, but might find itself in “Penny Pax spends times in detention” territory. The nudity and sexual acts are presented in wanton abandon.
NSFW version of the issue one cover with art by Lapka and Costa.
As is SOP with mature comic books made possible via crowdfunding, the first issue of Death Nell comes in a variety of alternative covers, with nude variants of each. The campaign to fund issue two of Death Nell (which ends February 15th) follows suit.
There was also additional, fun swag that came with copies of Death Nell issue one:
Art prints
Art Prints that have a crossover with Bag Bug’s other erotic series, Vanya.
And cards.
The first issue of Death Nell is fun-n-flirty, school sex comedy. Nell has to deal with typical college problems of being socially awkward and get good grades, while also finding out who she is as a person. Er, succubus.
We’ve all been there.
For more information on Death Nell, check out these links:
It’s been one year since Princess Giaris led a victorious attack on the Argives and won over the Sparta populace as their future queen. In the time since, Giaris, her father King Cleomenes, and warrior Mor all led successful sorties against the enemies of Sparta. While Cleomenes is satisfied with his daughter’s development into a skilled warrior, he sends her off to his advisor Aurelia to continue her training – the arts of suggestion and seduction.
Born of Blood #2 standard retail cover by Ruth Lucas.
Aurelia puts Giaris through a regimen of bedding Spartan warriors to improve her sexual prowess and to make her able to read men’s bodies in order to seduce and then command them. She is taught other arts of intrigue, such as using different perfumes to accomplish near magical effects.
Meanwhile, Cleomenes is visited by the Klepthes who demand land as payment for the information they provided to Giaris to the whereabouts of the Argives (see issue one). Cleomenes furiously rejects their demands. That night the Klepthes kidnap Cleomenes and hold him ransom and murder Mor in the skirmish. Giaris tortures one of the surviving Klepthes to find their camp by ripping his foot off.
Giaris leads a small army of women armed with intoxicating perfumes to the Klepthes’ camp where they proceed to charm and murder its occupants. However, they are too late for Cleomenes had been impaled to a rack, tortured, and killed.
After the King is buried next to his wife during a funeral attended by Leonidas, Aurelia spits on his grave, revealing herself as the orchestrator of his demise.
Born of Blood #2 variant cover (in foil) by Lauren Wright.
While the first issue of Born of Blood was heavy on combat, issue two takes the toga and sandal approach by focusing on the political and intrigue aspects of the neo-peplum genre (with an strong emphasis on the seduction). Issue two borrows heavily from the porno-pepla of the late 70s and early 80s (Caligula, Caligula the Untold Story, and Caligula and Messalina) with wanton nudity and sexual acts. Blood is not the only bodily fluid that flows in abundance in the panels of issue two.
These two panels sum up issue two.
The artwork depicting Aurelia in a rather sinister format foreshadows her treachery at the issue’s end. It’s an obvious cliché. However, the throwback to the first issue’s encounter with the Klepthes, which only occurs in one (seemingly) throwaway panel was an unexpected element of intrigued that strongly ties both issues together.
The emotional angle of issue two is on the idiosyncratic side. Giaris mourns for the loss of her father during a rainy funeral, yet has no reaction (during or immediately afterward) when finding Mor’s body. He is only brought up offhandedly at the issue’s funeral conclusion. Giaris isn’t that cold hearted (yet?), instead it feels like a panel of acknowledgment is missing.
Issue two of Born of Blood is certainly graphic, both in its violence (ripped off limbs) and nudity, but it provides a backdrop of severity and intensity for Princess Giaris in her story to become a fierce Queen of Sparta.
The Kickstarter that funded the production of issue two concluded in June 2022 with issues shipping in the late fall. As with other MERC Publishing crowdfunding endeavors there was lots of swag, add-ons, and alternate covers which also had their own variants (foil, metal, nude/non-nude, etc.).
These included bookmarks.
And Magnets.
Stickers, poker chips, and other loot.
All the Kickstarter loot for my pledge.
The Kickstarter .PDF of issue two stated that issue three would be hitting stores back in November. This didn’t quite happen as it looks like crowdfunding for issue three will begin in early 2023. The Kickstarter waiting page can be found here.
In the meantime, please check my other articles related to this write up.
The Astonishing Adventures of Alicia Carter and Robot is a brand new comic series by Tristan Vick, with Chris Awayan on art and Mirza Wirawan on colours. The debut issue of Alicia Carter and Robot (ACaR) was Kickstarted in February 2022 and released by Vick’s own publishing imprint, Regolith Comics.
SFW cover for ACaR by Karen Darboe (for preview/thumbnail purposes)
ACaR is described on its Kickstarter campaign as an “action-packed sci-fi adventure” in the vein of classic pulps such as “Northwest Smith, Flash Gordon, and John Carter of Mars” with comedy thrown in. The Edgar Rice Burroughs’ character homage is immediately noticed in Alicia Carter’s last name. The comic shares the sci-fi pulp DNA in the same vein as Star Wars does.
Personal copy of ACaR with NSFW Toshio Maeda-inspired cover by Awayan.
Carter is an infamous space thief whose latest escapade has her stealing a crystal from the reptilian criminal Klaven Skullvek and the two bounty hunters in his employ: the cybernetic Armitage and sniper Kira. While being pursued, Carter crash lands on Junk World, an entire planet converted into a garbage dump by Nova Corp. Amnesic from a head wound during her rough landing, Carter is rescued by Garbage Disposal Unit 3 (GDU-3), a bipedal robot that salvages treasures from the refuse. Together, Carter and GDU-3 team up to evade Skullvek and his henchpeople and escape from Junk World.
Alicia Carter.
Carter as a character is a fun, rogueish heroine in the Han Solo/Star-Lord sense. As a sword and planet character, much like John Carter, she appears to be incredibly agile and able to leap large distances – or at least within the gravity on Junk World. If Carter has any fault it is due to the temporary amnesia she only suffers from for a handful of pages. If anything, this selective amnesia robs her of precious character development as it otherwise doesn’t advance or effect the plot at all. On the other hand, Carter is extremely animated and emotive. She pops off the comic’s pages with gestures and facial expressions that make her both endearing and easy to read, which is definitely in part due to the art and colour work of Awayan and Wirawan respectively.
GDU-3 (The Robot).
GDU-3 is quite fleshed out as a robot character. While he has protocols he must follow, he exhibits numerous human-like traits, such as he collects books and other trinkets for his own collection. His relationship to his parent company, Nova Corp, is very like that of Robocop to OCP – he follows his directives, but with the help of others, is able to overcome some of his programming to be more capable and free.
The art of ACaR is excellent. The Awayan and Wirawan team are able to make the muted, drab garbage planet of Junk World look interesting. All the characters look distinctive, at appropriate times stepping into cartoonish territory, but only for added comedic affect.
No expense was spared on issue one of ACaR. The comic clocks in at thirty-six pages of content including a gallery of all the alternative covers. The back cover of the comic has a bit of texture on it as well. In addition, folks who contributed to the ACaR Kickstarter received a plethora of fantastic loot as part of the campaign’s stretch goals.
Trading cards.
Firstly, there was six trading cards, one for each character. The backs of the cards contain stats (strength, speed, charisma, etc.) along with a biography of the pictured character. Hopefully the trading card trend will continue in successor crowdfunding campaigns. They are fun but they also provided paratextual information to supplement the world and character building in the comic.
Stickers and magnet.
Next, two chibi-styled stickers of Carter and GDU-3 along with a magnet of their ship were part of the stretch goals.
Foil art print by Shikarii.
Finally, a holofoil art print of Carter looking bad ass by artist Shikarii is also part of the package.
The Kickstarter campaign was also an avenue to pre-purchase exclusive cover variants of ACaR done by different artists, with most covers also having a NSFW incarnation. Interestingly, most Kickstarter comic book campaigns that have numerous NSFW covers also have corresponding content that is adult in nature (nudity, sex, and violence). Though ACaR has a handful of risque covers (see personal copy above), the comic proper is fairly PG-13. There’s no nudity and barely any profanity (swear words are replaced: “helios” for “hell,” “frack” for “fuck” and so on). The violence is cartoonish, with only one scene showing blood (on a regenerative character at that).
ACaR is off to a great start. Carter is a fun heroine and GDU-3 a shocking fleshed out, unique character. Unknown if future issues of the series will be episodic in nature, with a different adventure in each comic, or one large arc spanning multiple issues, but the intergalactic antics of Carter and GDU-3 look promising and exciting.
More information about Alicia Carter and Robot and the team behind it can be found at the following locations:
I Am a Barbarian™ is a sword and sandal novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs that was published posthumously in 1967. Due to its historic antiquity subject matter, the novel is an outlier when compared to Burroughs’ speculative fiction bibliography of Tarzan®, Barsoom® (John Carter of Mars), and Pellucidar® novels for which he is most famous. In the 2010s, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. began posting a webcomic adaptation of I Am a Barbarian at their website, written by Tom Simmons with art by Mike Dubisch and lettering by L. Jamal Walton. In early summer of 2022, the entirety of I Am a Barbarian was published in an ornate, hardback collection. Simmons and Dubisch have graciously allowed an interview about the I Am a Barbarian project.
How do you get into Edgar Rice Burroughs? Do you have a particular fondness for I Am a Barbarian?
Mike Dubisch: I loved Tarzan and John Carter of Mars as a kid, and of course his works were a favorite subject among the classic fantasy illustrators who shaped me. Anything about hidden fantastic worlds and strange adventures fascinated me. While I knew and loved the original cover painting, I’m not sure I ever read I Am a Barbarian before the project.
Personal copy of I Am a Barbarian with slip case.
What were some of those illustrators that shaped you?
MD: Oh, it’s the usual pantheon: Frank Frazetta, Richard Corben, Hal Foster, Michael Whelan, Burne Hogarth, Wally Wood, Alex Nino, Nestor Redondo, John Buscema, in terms of artists who worked on ERB or ERB-like products. Otherwise, fairy tale and book illustrators like Arthur Rackham, H. J. Ford, Edmund Dulac, and the Brothers Hildebrandt. Pulp illustrators like Hans Bok and Virgil Finlay. I love studying the wood engravings of Doré illustrations, and the engravings of Albrecht Durer. Other comic book artists, particularly Europeans like Moebius, Jordi Bernet, Jose Ortiz, Tanino Liberator, as well as Charles Burns, Robert Crumb, Dave Stevens, Jack Kirby, Bernie Wrightson, and Basil Woolverton.
What was the genesis of the original I Am a Barbarian webcomic?
Tom Simmons: I wrote an email to Jim Sullos, President of ERB, Inc., in 2012 offering to write a gratis screenplay (I’m a self-taught screenwriter); the script I wanted to adapt was the original Tarzan at the Earth’s Core. Jim replied that the character was “taken” by a licensing agreement at the time, but he must have been impressed by my offer to do work for free because when the online strips launched in 2013-14 he suggested I toss my proverbial writing quill into the ring and put together a collaborative team to do one of them; he even provided the name of an artist who had contacted him about getting involved with the online strips project. I Am a Barbarian is actually the third online strip with which I’ve been involved, and still am in the case of one of the three: The Outlaw of Torn. I chose Barbarian because it was available to adapt as a strip; I thought it would be a challenge to adapt (it was), and I’ve always had an interest in ancient history (I have a Bachelor’s degree as well as Master’s work in history).
How was the creative team formed?
TS: Regarding how our creative team was formed, the artist I originally worked with on The Monster Men™ strip (which was among the first ERB, Inc. placed online in 2014) referred me to letterist/graphic designer/artist Jamal Walton of Durham, NC (full name: Larry Jamal Walton but he goes by “L. Jamal” or simply “Jamal”). As it transpired, Jamal has been involved in all three of the ERB, Inc. strips I’ve adapted, and was also the letterist for my 2015 e-book Crispus Caesar, which, indeed, is yet another “Swords and Sandals” story, adapted by me from my 2010 screenplay of the same name. My collaboration with Mike Dubisch came about when Mike contacted another ERB online strip artist and asked how he could become involved with the online strips; that artist referred Mike to me and the rest, as the cliche goes, is history.
MD: After a period of trying to focus only on my own work in the comic industry, I decided it was time to seek out professional commissions again to advance my career. ERB was one of the markets I approached right away and fortunately Tom was manning the lines of communication and snatched me right up for his project. I knew instantly that I Am a Barbarian was the right fit because it would be a comic with the word “barbarian” in the title!
What were some of the challenges encountered when adapting the original novel into a webcomic format?
TS: The writing challenge for any adaptation to strip format (or any other, for that matter) is about scale/scope: we didn’t want the strip to continue indefinitely, set an end goal of roughly 225-245 weekly episodes (about five years of the strip being presented online), and worked toward that end. The second phase of the project after the online adaptation was complete was always to produce a printed graphic novel encompassing the entire online strip, and we achieved that goal. Apart from considerations of scale/scope, I did a thorough re-examination of Caligula, aided by a recent biography by Anthony Barrett. While there is little doubt Caligula was very likely a mentally unbalanced individual prone to cruelty and outright bloodthirstiness, the sources ERB used (historians Suetonius and Dio) also had a vested interest in painting an “over the top” picture of the assassinated ruler; I’d compare their accounts (and neither was an actual eyewitness to events) to Shakespeare’s lambasting of the Yorkists. Lastly, for me Barbarian is a love story wrapped around a tragedy; to dwell on Caligula’s misdeeds would not only have been a gratuitous waste of time but it would have obscured Brit and Attica’s character arcs. That said, I still included plenty of outrageous and bloodthirsty Caligulan behavior!
MD: For me the adaptation is from Tom’s script into the art for the strip, and so the re-imagining the scene from the book as comic pages has already been established when I start in. My biggest challenge is remembering to refer back to my historical architectural and costume references.
What would you say you each brought that is distinctively “you” to the comic?
TS: Mike and I formed a natural collaborative team, in my opinion. I did most of the historical research and (of course) writing the actual adaptation, but largely relied on Mike to place his own unique artistic stamping on the panels themselves. I know Mike will be speaking to his many projects currently underway, but for me he stepped up and out of his mostly Lovecraftian/horror mold to draw the history-based I Am a Barbarian, although those influences can be seen in many panels, in particular the scenes involving dungeons, prophecies and strange people.
Mike Dubisch. Photo courtesy of Dubisch.
MD: I have a bad habit of only looking at reference when I don’t know how to draw something, and I know how to draw just about everything, and if I don’t, well then I usually know how to draw something after referencing it only once or twice. So, what you see with my work is devised almost entirely from my imagination, and that is why everything I do has a distinct style. Additionally, I tend to use a lot of black on the pages, using bold core shadows on figures and props, creating a feeling of dynamic lighting and adding volume, and bringing weight to the page.
Setting aside (since it is not a John Carter or Tarzan story), what do you feel is unique about I Am a Barbarianwhen compared to Burroughs’ other work?
TS: As far as I’m aware, Barbarian is the only ERB story in which the female protagonist dies. Overall, it’s a “darker” story than most of ERB’s work, and is likely a reflection of the dark period the writer was experiencing in his own life when he wrote the story in the spring/summer of 1941: his second marriage was on the rocks, he was drinking too much, and he was in and out of the hospital with health issues that year.
MD: For me it’s the danger and trauma of Brit’s life; he loses everything and lives under the threat of torture and death his whole life. This seems a far cry from ERB’s superhuman heroes who rule their secret worlds.
TS: Good observation about Brit’s travails, Mike. If you want to test (and grow) your protagonist’s character arc, toss said protagonist under as many proverbial buses as possible.
Signed bookplate. I’m lucky number 7!
I Am a Barbarian has just been released in a luxurious, oversized, hardback edition in a slipcase. This is a stark contrast to how comics are normally collected in a trade paperback release. What were the reasons for going the “Roman Decadent” route for the comic?
TS: I wanted the IAAB graphic novel to be an instantly recognizable, collectible classic and used this approach when we designed and produced the book over a 10-month period starting in June, 2021. For me, we achieved that goal. It’s a “pandemic book,” however, and as such it ended up costing considerably more to produce. I had no choice but to increase the price commensurately, and it turns out we’re working with little or no margin. As often is the case with these projects, IAAB is a true labor of love, not money.
ERB stories have seen many comic adaptations across many decades by a plethora of publishers: Marvel, Dynamite, Gold Key, American Mythology, and so on. Is there any particular run of a Burroughs comic that you hold in high regard?
TS: I’m so old school re: comics I’m probably not relevant; the first actual comic books I read (other than the newspaper version) were Classics Illustrated. That said, for me old school illustrators and writers like Hal Foster, Alex Raymond and Russ Manning were always my favorites.
MD: I recall OBSESSING on a big treasury edition sized Tarzan comic adaptation that I read to shreds as a kid – I no longer have it and can’t identify what edition it was. I do love Joe Kubert’s work on the character. I never really read the John Carter comics, but I love what I’ve seen in issues drawn by Gil Kane. I haven’t kept up with anything modern – I’ve enjoyed seeing Joseph Michael Linsners Dejah Thoris® cover art.
TS: If we’re talking about Dejah Thoris, for me Jay Anacleto and Michael C. Hayes are tops.
Deja Thoris by Jay Anacleto. Image provided by Simmons.
Deja Thoris by Michael C. Hayes. Image provided by Simmons.
I Am a Barbarian can be considered a sword and sandal story. Is this a genre you have appreciation for? If so, any particular texts over the years that have left an impression on you?
TS: The film Gladiator is a recent standout for me. I also very much liked Spartacus and Ben-Hur.
MD: Oh man, Old Testament Biblical epics were one of my favorite things to watch as a kid, and Biblical comic adaptations were always a favorite as well. I loved Conan and Kull too, especially the comic books, but also the Robert E. Howard stories. While I was drawing I Am a Barbarian I streamed the Spartacus TV series, which was also very entertaining.
TS: Also, thinking of further S&S influences for me, I loved Colleen McCullough’s First Man in Rome series of novels as well as the 2005 Rome TV series.
Tom Simmons. Photo courtesy of Simmons.
What projects do you have on the horizon that you’d like to share?
TS: I’m continuing doing the online strip adaptation of ERB’s other historical novel, The Outlaw of Torn. I’m currently working with Benito Gallego, who does the art, colors and letters for the strip. The plan is to do a printed version of this story as well when it’s completed in 2024. The book will form a “companion volume” to the printed I Am a Barbarian graphic novel, and I envision a matte red board slipcase with silver foil lettering for the book which will have two parts, one containing the art of Jake Bilbao and the other that of Benito Gallego. I also have ongoing screenplay projects; this summer I’ll finally complete the pilot for an 8-part miniseries entitled The Nessus Shirt, a WWII story told from the German point of view through the eyes of an ordinary soldier who becomes involved in the pre-Valkyrie plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
MD: My primary focus has been Forbidden Futures Magazine and the Forbidden Futures Book Club, where I am the illustrator of an entire line of books and magazines working with premiere science fiction and horror writers, that goes out as a quarterly package to our subscribers through Oddness Books.
We are currently printing Forbidden Futures issue #10 which is a double issue with new fiction by David Gerrold, creator of both Star Trek’s Tribbles, and the Sleestacks from the Land of the Lost TV series. The issue also presents the first fully illustrated publication of Philip K. Dick’s “Tony and The Beetles,” a new sci-fi comic story I wrote and illustrated, and contributions from John Shirley and Cody Goodfellow. Forbidden Futures will be reissuing several of my out-of-print comics and graphic novels, including my Cthulhu Mythos SF graphic novel Weirdling, body horror underground comix Mystery Meat, and a collection of short graphic stories “The Wet Nurse and Other Tales of Conception and Re-Birth.” We have been publishing illustrated novels and novellas under the “Forbidden Futures Presents” banner, and I have my own illustrated prose projects planned for that line, including a soon to be announced SF novella. Finally, we are also debuting a bi-yearly chapbook “In Human Skin: The Mike Dubisch Journal of Illustrated Verse,” which pairs my series of surreal drawings on black paper with my own written verse.
Additionally, I continue to contribute to Diabolik Books Adventures of Professor Dario Bava comics, with the epic graphic novel tribute to Italian horror films and mod culture, “Murder Vibes from the Monster Dimension” still available and the new “Orgy Of The Blood Freaks” out now with new issues on the way.
Sincere thanks to Simmons and Dubisch for this interview. Their release of I Am a Barbarian can be found in two editions – with and without a signed bookplate – at Cedar Run Publications. Consider checking it out!
Born of Blood is a neo-peplum comic published by MERC Publishing, written by Dolan, edited by Murphey, lettered by Joel Rodriguez, with art by Carlos Beccaria and colours by Sebastian Gonzalez. The first issue of the comic was successfully crowdfunded at the very end of 2021 with happy fans receiving their fulfillment orders this Spring (my write up of issue one and the associated Kickstarter look can be read here, check it out!).
On Friday, May 27th, MERC publishing continues the tale of Giaris, future queen of Sparta, by launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund Born of Blood issue 2. What follows is an interview with Born of Blood writer Dolan interspersed with images from issue two provided by Murphey who also coordinated this interview. Sincere gratitude to them both.
Cover arts provided courtesy of Murphey.
What was the genesis of Born of Blood?
April of 2021, Murphey had the idea to do a story about a Queen of Sparta. I did some research and found that king Leonidas’ wife, (who had a relatively untold backstory), would be a great choice. It made sense that the greatest warrior would have an equal in a wife.
That same day, I started doing research into the history of Sparta as well as the king’s daughter who in reality was named Gorgo. I told Shawn [Hudachko] and he said, “No that sucks, change it.” So, I researched the Mediterranean for a sexy name and discovered an island called Giara and said, “How about Giaris?” Shawn replied, “Perfect.”
So, I spent about two weeks nailing down a pitch for one comic and then I was asked to extend it to two issues, and three, then four, then five… And finally six. We were effectively done with the first issue by, I would say June, so it took me about a month with edits from Murphey and Shawn.
An immediate thought when reading Born of Blood is that it looks to take inspiration from 300 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. What sources would you say Born of Blood are inspired by?
There is some inspiration from 300 but a lot from the region and nation’s history itself. I did a lot of research into the timeline, historical figures, nations, battles, and events. There are a lot of historical elements but we did have some veering from history. I don’t know what Assassin’s Creed exactly is, is that a movie?
Cover arts provided courtesy of Murphey.
What are the challenges you’ve encountered, or conversely, something learned, when creating a comic set in antiquity compared to a contemporary setting?
The challenges were trying to nail down exact dates, familial lineages, and deaths. There’s a lot we know but at the same time, there’s a lot that’s left to speculation and guessing. At the same time, another challenge was telling someone’s life story over six issues and making them exciting. I hadn’t done that before so that was challenging in itself.
Cover arts provided courtesy of Murphey.
There’s quite a few sword and sandal comics out there, especially from crowdfunded endeavors. What do you feel is unique about Born of Blood that distinguishes it from others of a similar ilk?
What makes this unique is that we’re taking historical figures and events, but setting them in the Merc Publishing world. We’re going to see how this was the foundation for everything to come with Deathrage, Miss Meow, and Katfight. On top of that, we’re not pulling our punches with the violence and gore. The bang will be worth the buck on every issue.
Lastly, this is a female character who won’t be perfect in every way like in modern Marvel and DC Comics. She will be hurt, she will fall, she will fail, she will need help, but she will grow and eventually become Queen. I recently read a new Marvel comic off the stands where the female character knocked out a 250 pound man with one punch. It is completely disingenuous. When Giaris fights, it’ll be grounded in reality.
Sample pages provided courtesy of Murphey.
What are your favourite sword and sandal texts and how have they left an impression on you?
The Odyssey, to me, is the greatest sword and sandal story ever told. I remember reading it in middle school and was just blown away by it. The Iliad is a close second. Others would be Spartacus, 300, The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, and Jason and the Argonauts.
The larger than life aspect of these stories truly blew me away when I was younger, especially The Odyssey. A virtual life long journey to different islands with colorful villains with our hero’s hope of eventually making it home to his wife. You never forget stories like that when you’re young.
Sample pages provided courtesy of Murphey.
What was the soundtrack/music you listened to while creating Born of Blood? And what is the recommended music for fans to crank it to while reading?
The PERFECT soundtrack would be the soundtrack from the film Conan the Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
MERC Publishing is an Indiana-based comic book publisher that came onto the scene in 2020. Taking an approach similar to CrossGen in the late 90s, MERC’s ambitious goal is a shared universe of comic titles with aesthetics of a magazine (complete with faux adverts and story line titles on the cover) and a heavy emphasis on powerful women, such as mercenaries and Spartans. The three MERC product lines so far are Miss Meow, Deathrage, and the neo-peplum comic, Born of Blood, all funded via crowdfunding campaigns.
Born of Blood issue one completed its Kickstarter on the last day of December 2021 with backer awards being shipped in early May 2022. With numerous stretch goals realized, backers were treated with a treasure trove of Born of Blood and MERC-brand ephemera. The following is a showcasing of all the swag (in no particular order) packaged with the release of the first issue of Born of Blood followed by a few observations about the comic proper.
All pictures taken of the loot from my collection from backing the campaign.
First, for the non-Born of Blood MERChandise, is a sew-on badge for one’s battle vest and an enamel pin and poker chip that has the MERC mercenary logo adorned on them: a skull with wings giving the people’s eyebrow atop a rank insignia.
There is a trading card for Princess Giaris, the protagonist of Born of Blood. The front of the card displayis the cover art by Jay Ferguson (which is featured prominently on many of the stretch goal items) that gives Giaris a modern-gothic, vampiric look. The back of the card gives a brief bio along with her stats (she’s super strong, fast, and stealthy).
There is a Born of Blood lanyard, with blood-red lettering in a stylized typeface evoking antiquity.
In addition to the MERC pin, there are also two Born of Blood pins/badges (all which would look snazzy on the aforementioned lanyard). One pin has the Ferguson cover art while the other has the Leirix cover art.
There are four magnets included in the loot. Three display cover arts by (left to right) Sorah Suhng, Shikarii, and John Royal. The fourth magnet is a 2022 calendar with the Ferguson art.
There are three paper bookmarks as well.
And a paper coaster, though it looks a bit too small to be practical. It could function as a giant pog though.
There is also a Kickstarter sticker which adds an element of exclusivity. Most of the swag at this point is probably destined to be used as promotional items and giveaways by MERC at future comic cons and bonuses in website purchases, but the sticker is nice and distinct for campaign backers.
What is a welcome item in the Born of Blood package is the separate gallery booklet that contains all the Born of Bloodcover variants, both clothed and nude versions. Many comics have a cover gallery in their appendix, but Born of Blood goes the extra mile by putting all variations (and variations of the variations) into its own physical booklet which adds an appreciation factor. The Born of Bloodcovers are all works of art done by some fairly talented illustrators, and having them all consolidated into a booklet creates an experience akin to when one looks at art books from publishers like Taschen. Each page in the cover gallery booklet also displays a QR code to its respective artist’s online presence, adding functionality to help promote the Born of Blood’s artists even more.
That’s me!
And finally, no crowdfunding endeavor wouldn’t be complete without a perk to have one’s name immortalized in the final product. This is always a fun thing to do: seeing one’s name in a comic is a highlight and adds a personal touch between buyer, creator, and end result.
Two variants were plucked up during the Born of Blood campaign: the standard Sorah Suhng variant and the nude virgin (no letters/logos) Mike Krome variant. Of all the covers, the Suhng cover conveys the most sword and sandal iconography with its army of Spartan soldiers standing behind Princess Giaris – it’s quite evocative of Frank Miller’s 300.
Image from 300 found via Google Images.
The Krome variant is the most alluring and seductive of all the covers. The clothed version has Giaris looking akin to sword and planet heroine Deja Thoris from the John Carter universe.
Deja Thoris status from my personal collection.
All in all, the Born of Blood issue one Kickstarter contained a treasury of fun trinkets, beautiful art, and a transgressive neo-peplum comic.
Born of Blood issue one is the origin story of Princess Giaris who will form one of the pillars of the MERC shared universe. The first panel of the comic grabs a reader’s attention immediately as it depicts a blood covered Giaris (in a very Kill Bill Vol 1 fashion) having dealt a mortal blow to an Argive warrior, right to his exposed genitalia.
The sword and sandal genre is perhaps the most body-centric narrative genre out there and Born of Blood leans into this facet with wanton abandon. The men channel the traditional Hercules strong man portrayal that has been a genre staple since the original Italian run of films in the early 1960s. Princess Giaris goes through a body transformation herself, somewhat parodied by one of the issue’s faux advertisements, from lithe and slender to muscular yet very much feminine.
An interesting aspect of Giaris is that within the story proper, she only appears nude once, in a bathing scene as she is recuperating from her injuries while undergoing forced combat training against Spartan warrior Mor. Her body is very much on display, usually in a gown or a Red Sonja-esque bikini armour, but she isn’t overly sexualized in the comic’s pages. It is the issue’s various cover arts that depict Giaris in different states of undress and poses, be it seductive, commanding, or both. The plethora of variant covers adds a new aspect to pepla’s relation to the body: for a consumer of sword and sandal media, one not only can gaze at the body, they can also control/select the desired body to be gazed at, in this case via the covers. (Note: a similar concept can be found in video games that has a character creation process).
Body portrayal aside, Born of Blood borrows quite a bit from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, specifically from the character of Kassandra. Both characters have similar noble Spartan backstories and combat abilities, juggling stealthy kills to more brute force, mercenary tactics. Kassandra has more autonomy than Giaris who is thrown into a dungeon by her father, Spartan King Cleomenes, to endure months of combat training with the hopes she endures and becomes a hardened Spartan Warrior (she does). Kassandra has choices (though dictated by the player), while future Queen of Sparta Giaris has the illusion of choice of what she wants to become. If she had not been thrown into the dungeon, should would’ve have been content to live a simpler, royal life.
In the final panel of the comic, after putting her strength and wits to the test by defeating a regiment from Argos, Giaris is depicted as completely transformed in attitude and body as she waves to her subjects, the people of Sparta, from the center of a coliseum in an excellently executed panel. Since the rest of the MERC universe takes place in modern times, it will be fascinating to see Princess Giaris’ journey to be incorporated into fold while at the same time contributing to the greater neo-peplum canon.
Excellent, commanding portrayal in the ending page.
More information about Born of Blood and MERC Publishing can be found at the below websites and social medias:
The past decade has been extremely kind to bringing Vikings (as a historic mythology and a distinct narrative genre) to the pop culture spotlight, beginning with the History channel debuting its original series, Vikings, in 2013. Comics, video games, music (the Viking metal genre had been popular in the extreme music scene since Bathory in the early 90s), books, films, and so on, followed in the wake of the series’ critical success. With the release of Robert Eggers’ The Northman in the spring of 2022 combined with reoccurring appearances of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, interest in Vikings remains kindled.
Cover art provided courtesy of Michael Nunneley.
Seidr is a three issue comic miniseries that adds to the burgeoning Viking canon. Created by Michael Nunneley (writer) and Tosin Awosika (artist), Seidr aims to distinguish itself from other Viking neo-peplum stories by incorporating elements of horror into its fold. Viking armadas, grandiose battles with undead warriors mixed in, beheadings galore, and a vengeful, magic-wielding seeress, if all this sounds violent, epic, and maybe even a little metal, the feeling is intended. Per Nunneley: “I am a pretty big Amon Amarth fan and I actually listened to the Twilight of the Thunder God album before each interview I did about Seidr #1 to get in the mood. The Vikings show and Vikings: Valhalla were big inspirations for me. I basically wanted to capture the same spirit of the Vikings shows and make [something] paranormal, mythological.”
The first issue of Seidr is told in flashback. Viking warrior Björn Ulrichson stands on trail for murdering King Ingvar’s son Eric and brother Lars. The events leading up to the deed are recounted: Ingvar and his army lead a raid into King Victor’s lands, but encounter a greater resistance army thank expected. However, the tide turns with the arrival of the seeress Völva who resurrects all the dead to fight for King Ingvar. The Vikings may win the battle, but there is a darker future in store for them when Völva becomes vengeful.
Page art provided courtesy of Michael Nunneley.
Violence and Vikings go hand-in-hand, and Seidr is not short on depicting bloodshed. Vikings and soldiers are immolated, bombarded with arrows, slashed and beheaded, all while falling slain into pools of blood. And yet with all this violence, Seidr (at least issue one) is surprisingly chaste and does not steer into visceral territory. There’s no prolonged suffering (like in a Blood Eagle depiction) or drawn out dismemberment with an emphasis on gory entrails (like one would find in an Avatar published comic). Seidr may draw its action from violence, but it draws horror from elsewhere. Nunneley took the approach of a “slow burn build up” before turning to “violence, gore, the undead and the paranormal.”
Page art provided courtesy of Michael Nunneley.
Sans the splatstick element, Seidr has quite a bit of common with the Evil Dead/Army of Darkness series. Aside from the resurrected army of the dead in both the comic and in the film and buckets of blood, there’s quite a bit of horror drawn from the loss of autonomy when possessed by a malevolent, unseen force. This facet of Seidr works extremely well. The Viking genre has often dipped into the fantasy and sword and sorcery genres (intervening Norse gods, shamans, and so on) and Seidr parlays this aspect successfully by harnessing the innate (but not often explored) horror elements.
If there is a flaw with Seidr, it is the over reliance on narration boxes to tell the story as actual dialogue between characters in scarce. Though the story is told in flashback, it does devalue the other characters by taking away their voice by relying on the disembodied narration of King Ingvar. Telling, not showing – which is unfortunate as the mise-en-scenein the panels does a great job at conveying the Viking excursion and subsequent confrontations, be it human or paranormal.
Seidr is planned to be a three issue mini series with big plans, and it is off to a promosing start, building on a unique premise for the genre. Per Nunneley, “things just get more crazy and out of hand with each issue” cumulating with the destruction of the Church of St. Cuthbert in the final issue. Aside from Seidr and eventually collecting it into a trade paperback, Nunneley is also writing Omen & Gallows Men and has “a brand new martial arts-fantasy/superhero called Dragon Girl/Albino Warrior #1 coming to Kickstarter in July.”
For well over a decade, D. J. Kirkbride has been writing some of the most creative and unique comics to have hit the market. From Amelia Cole to The Biggest Bang, from Never Ending to The Once and Future Queen, Kirkbride has a signature light-hearted wit that compliments his fun and engaging speculative-fiction stories. His latest comic book series is Errand Boys – a sci-fi adventure that sees two brothers as interplanetary couriers – and was originally published as a five issue run at Image Comics. This spring season sees a release of a trade paperback version of this comic from Dark Horse Comics.
Trade paperback cover for Errand Boys.
What was the catalyst for Errand Boys? How did the comic come about?
The story started with me working out something personal in the only way I know how: wild and weird comic book adventure tales filled with lots of aliens and absurd technology and shenanigans.
I have a kind of Brady Bunch times two or three family, and the relationship between brothers who share one parent but didn’t really grow up together was definitely something I wanted to explore. Different types of families and what it means to be family. Dealing with loss was a big part of the story, too. The comic is not at all literal or a one-to-one with my experiences, but they’re all present or represented in some way.
The ever-growing gig economy, people working not just weekly paycheck to weekly paycheck, but gig payment to gig payment, with no real infrastructure or insurance or any of the things I grew up thinking was everyone’s goal was another aspect of it. That kind of uncertainty can sometimes lead to a lot of us making hasty decisions with potentially heavy consequences.
D. J. Kirkbride, photo courtesy of Kirkbride.
What is the primary goal you wanted to accomplish with Errand Boys?
Entertainment is always the goal! Wage inequality and the devastating environmental impact of big corporations along with family tragedy and stepping up for those in need is all in this story, but if it’s not a fun ride that keeps readers turning the pages, it belongs scribbled in my diary, not in a beautifully illustrated and designed book from Dark Horse Comics, you know?
Cyberpunk stories, such as Snow Crash, Johnny Mnemonic, and the video game Mirror’s Edge, prominently feature couriers and, despite the super presence high tech, take the low tech, sneaker net approach to delivering goods and information, something echoed in Errand Boys. Do you have any sort of affinity to the cyberpunk genre or has it had an influence on you?
I just started reading Snow Crash a few days ago, oddly enough. I’m digging it so far, but, suffice it to say, it wasn’t an influence on this Errand Boys. Also, and this is strange given what I write and watch and read, but I don’t really play video games, so I don’t know Mirror’s Edge. Johnny Mnemonic I saw in the theater when it came out, but I’ve not read the source material.
Having said all that, so much of this type of work is in the culture, and influences influence other influences to the point that I’m sure echoes of all of these stories made it into my over-caffeinated brain.
No one in Errand Boys is as cool as Keanu Reeves in Johnny Mnemonic (or Keanu in any other movie), though. Jace doesn’t even own a snazzy suit.
What are texts that you feel have their DNA in Errand Boys?
In the original pitch, I put forth the idea it could be looked at like a story about the type of characters in the background of Star Wars movies, the ones who don’t have any Jedi friends and aren’t fighting in giant intergalactic skirmishes. These are the folks just trying to get by and afford the occasional blue milk and all that.
Someone, either a review or a comment, said Errand Boys seemed inspired by Futurama to them, which didn’t occur to me until I read that. I see it now, though.
The best intergalactic settings have unique planets and a variety of memorable non-human characters. How did you and artist Nikos Koutsis work together to accomplish this aspect for Errand Boys?
Originally, I pictured this more as almost a science/speculative fiction world designed like a Wes Anderson movie. The story was a little more static and introspective. Co-creator/artist Nikos Koutsis, genius that he is, took the script for the original pitch pages, and made them into a budget-less blockbuster movie. Suddenly, and happily, where I originally saw mid shots and formal framing, we had action-packed angles and crazy energy.
When I write, I try to figure out how much description to give to each artist. Nikos would take something like, “Bear is Jace’s heavyset, cigar chomping boss who always has a stain on his shirt,” and make him that amazingly designed alien creature that he is. Nikos did that with all the characters and the tech in Errand Boys.
He influenced the writing and pacing, too. Lots of conversations went from taking place in a room or something to happening while being chased or running or jumping off of all sorts of structures way too high for people to jump off of, and it made the book so much more exciting.
He’s a great collaborator and became a friend as we worked on this book. I hope to work with him again.
You’ve written quite a few speculative fiction comics. What would you say is the most distinguishable, uniquely you, aspect about your writing?
That might be for others to say. I’m not the best at intellectualizing what I do or why I do it, if that makes any sense. My hope is that the comics I work on entertain readers and make them feel some emotions. Even the all-ages fun stuff has real stakes that I hope affect readers young and old!
What were some of the new challenges, or perhaps learning something you didn’t know before, that you encountered with Errand Boys?
The background, kind of nuts ‘n bolts of comic book publishing, how much it’s changed since I started working in comics, was, and continues to be really eye opening. Our experience with Errand Boys has been a long and winding road, filled with surprises and challenges that ultimately made me realize that, for the types of stories I like to help tell, the trade format is probably better than single issues. I grew up on single issues, and there are titles I enjoy buying that way, but I don’t know if the market is conducive to that publishing style for my work or level in this zany industry.
What are you most proud of with the comic?
In terms of writing, it was a big breakthrough for me. I always weave in some personal details and whatnot, but this one was the most honest while also being silly and fun, I think. That our characters truly grow and change from the start to finish in ways that feel organic and true was nice, and hopefully readers of the trade will take that journey. Nikos along with color flatter Mike Toris and letterer/logo designer Frank Cvetkovic, all brought the story to life beautifully, and I’m really proud of it.
In one of the scenes of Errand Boys, there’s an alien chilling poolside with a multi-straw libation. This is a perfect segue to ask you how you got into tiki culture and what your favourite tiki cocktail is.
Ah, hmmmmm… my partner introduced me to a nice little place called Ventiki in Ventura, CA. I’m sure I had a tiki cocktail or two before that, but that opened me up to a whole new world of tasty, fancy, fun drinks! It’s become a must visit when we’re near, and we like finding tiki bars in other towns we visit. I enjoy the style and happy vibe of most of those places, but I’m fairly ignorant of the actual culture that inspired this style. It’s something I need to read up on and learn more about, actually.
As for my favorite drink, that’s a tough one! A Mai Tai, in almost all of its variations, is always good to try out when visiting a new place. There’s a drink called the Jet Pilot that I also really like, as I’m a fan of cinnamon.
What are upcoming projects or news you’d like to share?
Nothing set in stone at the moment. One pitch is being pitched, and another is being lettered now, and I have some ideas scribbled in my notebook, so… hopefully more soon!
Finally, and most importantly, (but not related to Errand Boys), why does Amelia Cole eat tacos from the top?
That’s a question for artist/co-creator Nick Brokenshire. Once he drew her eating a taco like that, though, co-writer/co-creator Adam P. Knave and I acknowledged it as perfectly in character and noted it in the script the next time she had a taco for lunch.
Sincere thanks to D. J. Kirkbride for allowing me to interview him. The trade paperback edition of Errand Boys will be published April 13. Errand Boys can be ordered via your favourite brick and mortar comic book store, or check out these purchasing options listed at Dark Horse Comics.
Kirkbride can be found at his website and his other publications can be found at his Amazon author page.
First things first, it’s been since January since we last talked. How are you, and aside from Band of Warriors, what has been going on?
What a year!? I’ve been busy badgering away on some other comics I’m pitching to publishers but also my son was born a few weeks ago. He’s our second child, so it’s been wonderful to see them interact but it’s also a game changer in terms of time management. On the whole though, I’m good and looking forward to seeing what 2022 brings.
The first issue of Band of Warriors was released earlier this year. What has been the feedback and comments you’ve received thus far?
The feedback on BoW #1 has been really positive. The general feeling seems to be that it’s a strong start and people are looking forward to seeing where it goes. Pipedream Comics gave me a positive review which I’m really happy about.
Since issue one has been out for a while, spoil away! What has been the most delightful thing for you personally about that issue?
As you say SPOILERS AHEAD, but the most delightful thing for me about issue one was killing off who seemed to be a main character. I think most people thought that King Minos would be sticking around but unless they find a cure for decapitation, that isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
Has there been any experiences, encounters, something read, watched or learned in the last few months that has had an impact on Band of Warriors?
I went to visit my in-laws in France over the summer and we visited a beach that inspired the front cover of issue two. It’s always good to base things off of experience when you can.
Any new obstacles or hurdles encountered while trying to get issue two up and running?
Haha… The only thing was my son being born the week before. I was in a mad rush to get everything ready, so that I could just press the launch button. I almost had everything ready but hadn’t got round to the video. I managed to cobble something together, which does the job.
Your Kickstarter has some new characters mentioned. Tell us about them!
We know Gaia and Girogos a little already, although we’ll find out more about them in this issue. The main difference is that we’re ten years in the future from the previous issue, so they’re ten years older. The other two main characters in this issue are Sarpedon and King Brutus. Starting with Sarpedon, he’s King Minos’ brother and chief of Aremorio, which is where Gaia and Giorgos reside and is located in modern day Brittany, France. King Brutus hails from Cornovii, which is modern day Cornwall, England. He has an interesting back story to say the least but you’ll have to read issue 2 before finding out what that is.
Whats been your soundtrack while writing Band of Warriors? What do you suggest as a soundtrack for your readers?
When writing I usually listen to the same music whatever I’m writing, which is Tycho. It doesn’t distract me but helps boost my thought process. If I was to recommend a soundtrack for BoW #2 though, it’d be traditional Breton music. If you watch this video closely you’ll see that in the background there’s a triskell symbol, which you’ll also find on Giorgos’ shield.
You’ve been contributing to the canon of neo-pepla with your comic. The genre seems to thrive on in other medias except for film nowadays. What do you feel the sword and sandal genre needs to do in order to stay relevant?
Relevance is always difficult to a handle on but people just need a compelling story they can relate to. I’m hoping that this and the next issue (#3) of BoW does that through the journey that Gaia and Giorgos are about to go on.
A little outside scope for Band of Warriors, but still relevant to you: you have a podcast called Comics for the Apocalypse. Can you tell us about this endeavor?
Comics for the Apocalypse is a lot of fun. I interview other comic creators about what comics they’d take into an apocalypse. I started it a few years ago and I now have over 130 episode with the likes of Charlie Adlard, Alison Sampson, Mark Waid, and Rachael Smith having been on the show.
As spoiler free as possible, what are some amazing things readers can look forward to in issue two of Band of Warriors? The main thing is that readers will get to see who Gaia and Girogos are. In the first issue they were being protected by their parents, but now they’re all on their own.
Thank you very much for this second interview, wishing you and all your endeavors continued success!
S.P.Q.R. is a neo-peplum comic created by Riley Hamilton whose first issue released in early 2021 after a successful Kickstarter campaign. S.P.Q.R. takes a different approach to the subject matter when compared to other indie/crowdfunded peplum comics as of late; it eschews mythology and the more fantastical elements to instead ground itself in historic events. The comic takes places in 69 C.E. during the Year of Four Emperors with the first issue focusing on a band of nomads in the Roman province of Moesia who are trying to survive in the wilderness while also avoiding the attention of the Roman military machine.
Hamilton has graciously allowed an interview about S.P.Q.R.
S.P.Q.R. Logo used with permission from Riley Hamilton
Tell us a bit about yourself and what got you into writing and comics.
I have been writing stories for as long as I can remember. The earliest memory I have of writing was when I was about 6 or 7, when I was writing my own Captain Underpants stories. The first comic book I remember getting and reading was Ultimate Spiderman #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, that I got on Free Comic Book Day, when I was in my [local comic book store] looking for Yu-Gi-Oh! cards.
After getting that book, I was completely hooked and started writing and drawing my own comics about a superhero called Energy-Man. The comics were four panels and drawn on printer paper that I took directly out of the printer. I stopped reading comics regularly in junior high and only started getting back into them when I was studying at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I saw that there was a comic book club on campus and decided to join.
When I joined, I assumed that the club would be talking comics and comics-related media, but they were in the process of making their own series. The series was called Gael Force and was about a superhero team made up of university students from different faculties. They had already written the first issue when I arrived and I helped the club president, now one of my closest friends, Brendan Montgomery, with lettering the first issue. I co-wrote issues 2 and 3 with another club member and helped with some editing, here and there. We completed the series just as I was finishing up my undergraduate degree and leaving Queen’s, so the timing worked out nicely for me.
What was the genesis of S.P.Q.R.?
With Gael Force I got an in-depth look into the process of comic creation and how much planning and effort goes into a single, 24-page floppy. I really enjoyed working on Gael Force and was getting back into reading comics and the thought crossed my mind about writing my own book. I did not start to seriously think about creating the book until I got some feedback from a couple of friends, Brendan being one of them, who thought I had something good and should give it a go.
The main catalyst for the format of the book really took shape after I read Brian Wood’s Northlanders, a historical comic set during the Viking Age. The structure of that series is the blueprint that I want to follow with S.P.Q.R. Rather than follow one set of characters throughout the entire series, which I find incredibly daunting to even think about, each arc followed a different set of characters, in a different location, and time within the 250-year period of what’s considered the Viking Age. One of the small arcs in that series centered around the Viking raid on Lindisfarne and crafted an entire story about a real historical event that is not well understood.
What sort of research did you do prior to creating S.P.Q.R.?
I was reading Tacitus for a paper and came across a passage about Legio III Gallica massacring 6,000 Roxolani horsemen in Moesia in 69 CE. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but once I read Northlanders that short passage immediately jumped back into my mind.
Apart from that I read a few books on the Roman legions and on their prisoner-taking practices. Legion by Stephen Dando Collins was a massive help, especially simplifying the convoluted history and organization of the legions. I also read a few research papers such as Dr. Jason Wickham’s PhD thesis “The Enslavement of War Captives by the Romans to 146 BC.”
Standard cover of issue #1. Photo used with permission from Riley Hamilton.
What were some of the main obstacles you encountered while producing S.P.Q.R.?
I had been playing around with the idea of writing a historical comic since I had read Northlanders in 2016. I also knew, speaking to some artist friends, that I wanted to be able to pay anyone who I worked with, so I did not have the means to make the book when I first came up with the idea, so I sat on it for a couple of years. By November 2019, I felt that I had saved enough and had a feasible plan in place to pay for the production myself and then went looking for artists.
One interesting note was the title, which was originally going to be Pax Romana, which I really liked as a title. However, it turns out that Jonathan Hickman had released his own miniseries, through Image, with that exact title. His story was completely different, about a group of commandos who time travel to 312 CE on a mission from the Vatican, but I did not want to tempt fate, or Image’s legal team, so I changed it to S.P.Q.R.
One option would have been to launch a Kickstarter to cover the production costs of the book and deliver it to backers a year later when it would have been finished. I spoke to a friend who had done this for his book but had his artist ghost him and disappear, leaving him with no artist and backers waiting for their books. I did not want to have something like that happen to me and have to deal with that kind of stress, so I decided the fund the production out of my own pocket and use Kickstarter to cover the printing and shipping.
The production of the book ended up being incredibly smooth sailing and I’m grateful to my penciller, Samrat Das, inker, Rowel Roque, and colourist, Lucas Aparicio, for making the experience a pleasant one. There was a hiccup in printing that was my own fault for not checking a layer on the variant cover properly, but it was a learning experience, and hopefully the next one goes smoother.
What are your favourite sword and sandal texts?
It seems the catalyst for a lot of people that I’ve talked to about their interest in Classics, whether other creators or people I went to university with, is Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. I didn’t see Gladiator until I was in my 20s and was already a sword and sandal fan.
My introduction to the genre was through video games, and Creative Assembly’s Rome: Total War. I loved that game as a kid and even though I can look back on it and see its many flaws, I still love to boot it up and play for hours when I get the urge. I loved playing as one of the patrician families and growing the empire before turning on the Senate and fighting a brutal civil war. It blended the turn-based games that I loved like Axis and Allies and mixed it with real-time battles like Age of Empires and StarCraft, without all the tedious base-building and resource gathering.
I’ve also sunk many hours into its sequel and have looking forward to the remastered edition which is coming out at the end of the month (April 29). In high school I got the boxed sets of HBO’s Rome and watched them religiously, I liked the performances from Ciaran Hinds, Kevin McKidd, and I really loved James Purefoy as Mark Antony. I also checked out the new German series Barbarians, which was a fun retelling of Arminius’s story and the battle of the Teutoburg Forest. My enjoyment of the series may have been influenced by the fact that I’m a sucker for the Roman characters speaking Latin.
What are your general thoughts about the present-day state of sword and sandal media?
I can honestly say that I am not up to date on the happenings in the genre. If I stumble across something, new or old, I will check it out but most of the stuff I’ve seen and read has been enjoyable. I still feel that the genre does not have the same grasp on the public’s imagination that the World Wars or the Cold War have in popular media. I think the reason for that is largely because people has a direct connection to those events, whether they lived through them themselves or have close relatives who did.
The sword and sandal genre seems more abstract to people than more modern stories, but I think shows like Game of Thrones, despite being set in a fantasy world, have shown that people love a gripping story with interesting characters. I think that a show set during the Crisis of the Third Century or the Augustan Civil War, or many of the tumultuous events of Antiquity could become a huge hit, if you have the right people working on it.
What do you feel differentiate S.P.Q.R. from other peplum/historic epic comics out there?
I always knew that I wanted to tell a story that was one that was grounded in history and real-world events. Most of the comics I have read that are sent in Antiquity, like Britannia by Peter Milligan and Frank Miller’s 300, have a heavy focus on mythology and fantasy as opposed to being strictly grounded. I knew that I wanted to tell a story that someone could read and learn that these people really did exist and could learn about things in my book without dismissing it as entirely made up.
What is the primary goal you want to accomplish with S.P.Q.R.?
The biggest thing for me was proving to myself that I could write, letter, and successfully self-publish my own book. Launching the Kickstarter was very intimidating and there are moments in the mid-campaign lull where I felt like the Kickstarter was not going to make it. Once we funded and reached our stretch goal, I felt very satisfied, at this point I am just looking to tell an interesting story and hoping people will read it and like it. The Kickstarter also showed me that there is an audience for this genre and that it does not need to be a fantasy series or have a heavy emphasis on mythology to succeed as a comic.
S.P.Q.R. issue #1 variant cover. Used with permission from Riley Hamilton.
What has been the feedback you’ve received on S.P.Q.R. since its release?
I haven’t received much feedback to be perfectly honest but the feedback I have gotten has been positive. As a first-time creator, who has never published my own book before, I had no idea what sort of reception the first issue would get but it’s been good so far. I hope it continues as more people read the book and when issue two comes out.
What are your next big plans?
Right now, issue two is in production and I’ve got some great ideas of where I want to take both Ara’s story and others going forward. I am still working to streamline the work process with my collaborators so we can hopefully start pushing issues out more regularly. I have a few other irons in the fire that I can’t go into too much detail about right now.
Lastly, I am a contributor to Sequential Magazine, a print magazine focusing on the Canadian indie comics scene and Canadian indie creators. We just released our mega-sized March issue in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the first comic book that was made and published in Canada, Better Comics #1. This issue of the magazine covers the history of Canadian comics and contains interviews and chats with creators in every part of Canada, from Newfoundland to British Columbia. You can order a copy on Sequential’s Gumroad store.
