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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Kickstarter page for Born of Blood issue 2 can be found here. Born of Blood issue 1 can be purchased at the MERC Publishing webstore.
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