Tag: Cleopatra

G. A Lungaro is YouTuber and a fantasy author, best known for his Covenant of Souls series. He is also the writer and creator of Isidora and the Immortal Chains, a comic series that combines elements of neo-peplum and the Lovecraft mythos. The first issue of the series was successfully Kickstarted in 2020 and tells the story of Isidora, a super-powered lady from ancient Pompeii, existing in a modern day metropolis, acting as the herald of the King in Yellow. Lungaro has graciously allowed me to interview him about his newest endeavor. 

How did you get into writing?

I have always had a fascination with writing and creating worlds. My first attempt was a terrible fanfiction of the Nintendo game Metroid back in 1988 when I was 14. I even made a cover, cut it to paperback size, and bound it with glue. 

During those teenage years, I also picked up and read my first full length (I should say complete trilogy) fantasy novel, Dragonlance’s Legends trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Those books opened my eyes to a fantastical world and compelled me to want to create my own world. Concurrently I was also a big comic book collector, my mainstay being DC comics.

The love of the fantasy genre prompted me to read Tolkein and GRR Martin’s works that ignited the passion for writing that began with that Metroid fanfiction. My first serious attempt began around 2004 when my wife (at the time) and I were playing an online browser-based RP game, which planted the first seeds for my fantasy novel Souls of Magic’s Dawn. After many re-writes, start overs and hair pulling, I finished it in 2010. It wasn’t until 2018 that I began the publishing process in earnest and hired an editor. Shortly after, I ran a successful Kickstarter campaign.

What was the genesis of Isidora?

With comics and fantasy being two of my biggest passions, I successfully entered the world of fantasy writing. I had still not tried my hand at comic writing, mostly because I had no idea how to get an artist and write in that format in which most, if not all, the exposition is visual. 

The indie comics movement and my position as a YouTuber put me in place to start networking and talking to people who are involved with comics. I went on a writer’s stream with Preston Poulter, learned some of the comic writing format basics, and learned online tools to write in that format correctly.

With that, the fun part began. I am a child of Italian immigrants, a first-generation American; this prompted a love and appreciation for Greco-Roman history, art, and mythology. I wanted this character to originate from that time. Fun fact, the name Isidora is a Roman name that is also the lead character’s name in my fantasy novel.

How did you go about designing the character of Isidora? She is quite progressive for both genres: the peplum genre confines women to bellydancers and damsels unless you’re Xena, Red Sonja, or Kassandra from Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, and in Lovecraft’s work, women are practically absent. 

Yes! This was of extreme importance to me when creating and writing this character. Being a man, there are experiences, motives, and perspectives of a woman’s life that I will never understand. I have seen those tropes many times. While they can be entertaining on some level, eventually, they become cliché and not very appealing to many readers, especially women. My partner Marie and my daughter Alexandra played a significant role in helping me create this character. My editor is also a woman, and she helped tremendously with the final touches.

Being from ancient Rome, I will show some of the reality women faced in those times. Realities that did indeed make them very strong in their own right. There will also be some devastating truths and events that happen to her because she lives in a very male-dominated world. All of this plays a critical role in her development and the powerful woman she has become as an agent of the Old Ones

Any plans for flashback sequences for Isidora to explore her sword and sandal roots in subsequent issues?

Yes, most definitely. It will be mostly relegated to Isidora’s character development and provided a glimpse of her past that has molded her to what she is today 2000 years later. There are some essential elements in that very short mortal life that she lived that play a significant role in her outlook on the world and her place in it.

How did you get into the writings of H. P. Lovecraft?

I did not discover Lovecraft until my mid-30s. I knew of things like Cthulhu but never really read any of the stories and lore that grew from that world and mythos. I began reading works like The Dunwich Horror, which fostered a curious appreciation for those worlds. It wasn’t until the TV show True Detective mentioned the King in Yellow that my curiosity reached new heights. 

I was fascinated with this mystery that popped up on a contemporary TV show. I researched it and discovered more of the Lovecraft mythos and its history going back to Robert W. Chambers’ plays. It was a sandbox I knew I wanted to play in one day but didn’t quite know how until I began dabbling in comic writing.

Since you have your feet in two different genres and fandoms (Lovecraft and pepla), what are your thoughts on the current state of media coming from both camps?

I have to say I have not seen much recently concerning peplum. I loved shows like Spartacus, Rome, and of course movies like Gladiator. I heard about Ridley Scott making a sequel to Gladiator, but I feel that may not live up to the original. Cleopatra coming up with Gal Gadot looks intriguing; however, I wish there was more as it seems to have fallen from popularity recently. As for Lovecraft, it seems to be on a pretty significant upswing. Unlike peplum, Lovecraftian Mythos can be adapted for any time period, locale, and setting and make a story from it, much like the recent Lovecraft Country, which I thought was spectacular.

There are lots of (indie) Lovecraft comics out there. What aspect of Isidora do you think sets this comic out from the rest?

Starting with Isidora and the Immortal Chains #1, I planned to make something as unique as possible and add a new paradigm to the Lovecraft Mythos. I feel this stands out in the Mythos because it is a mashup of multiple elements all put together in a genre I call “The Lovecraftian Dark Heroverse.” I am taking features of the broader horrific Lovecraft Mythos and bringing in elements of classic cosmic and mystical hero comics. Think Lovecraft meets Constantine meets Silver Surfer. She [Isidora] is a herald to the King in Yellow, much like Silver Surfer to Galactus, and weaving in characteristics exhibited by characters like John Constantine, all set in a Lovecraftian world. 

The neo-peplum element comes from a few places—my Italian heritage for one and a literary perspective. One of my favorite authors outside the fantasy genre is Anne Rice and her Vampire Chronicles. The ancient vampire Marius, who was born during the Roman Empire, always intrigued me. The idea of an immortal beginning their life in Greco-Roman times like Marius and living through history to end up in the modern day was an interesting perspective I wanted to explore in the pages of this comic.

What was your soundtrack while creating Isidora? Conversely, what is the suggested soundtrack to readers while reading the comic?

I never get asked this question; thank you so much for asking it. I know for many writers, a musical accompaniment helps drive the writing process. Certain verses, tones, and beats can set me on overdrive in the writing process. I am also going to say my soundtrack and the suggested soundtrack are going to be the same.

Anything Evanescence and Within Temptation, specifically “And We Run” by Within Temptation, “Away from Me” by Evanescence, and also “Undeniable” by Seckond Chaynce.

What is the main thing you want to accomplish with Isidora?

In the Lovecraft Mythos, the spotlight and focus are typically on a very human element, madness, and at the end, a hopeless and powerless feeling of powers we cannot understand or comprehend. My goal is to tell a story from the viewpoint of an agent of the Old Ones, who once was human at one time, finding that there can be hope and a way to overcome these powers. I want to display this in a very gritty and real light that does not hold back in a visceral nature and inspires the sense that there can be hope in a world where, even if it is only one person, can stand up to be a hero.

What were the some of the major obstacles you encountered while creating the comic?

Right at the start, the biggest challenge was finding artists that can both share the vision I have and also present it beautifully and accurately. It took a lot of searching and researching, but eventually, I ran across Alper Gecgel, a young artist from Turkey. When I viewed his portfolio I was floored by the haunting beauty of his work. It has a gritty simpleness to it but conveys the feel I want the reader to get while reading it. 

The challenge didn’t end there. English is not Alper’s first language, and all of our communication was over Facebook messenger. There were many times I had to make awful sketches to convey what I wanted to see on the pages. The fact he understood and brought those ideas to life is a testament to his dedication and skill.

Aside from those challenges, just attempting to create a crowdfunded, indie project is a daunting task from the start. It was an uphill battle to find that core audience to build a fandom around to get the grassroots effort started. I can’t thank some of my Youtube friends enough for promoting it and extraordinarily loyal and generous subscribers to my channel that supported this project.

Since its release, what has been the reception of Isidora?

The dreaded feedback all writers fear but also crave as much as life itself. I am always terrified something I create will not be received well by people outside of close friends and family. I suffer from Imposter Syndrome as much as any up-and-coming creative person.

I will say that the reception has been overwhelmingly positive so far from my backers’ word of mouth. I also just ran a survey questionnaire, and currently, it is at about a 4 out 5 average as an overall rating. This is better than I could have ever.

What are your next big plans you’d like to share/promote? 

I don’t have anything currently to promote other than my nerdy YouYube channel, The Grey Council. The channel plays an integral part in my social interaction, promoting any new projects I am working on and building a geeky sweaty nerds community who loves things from Star Wars to comics to fantasy. My fantasy novel that I published in February 2020, Souls of Magic’s Dawn, is also available on Amazon.

However, I am currently working on [Isidora] issue #2, which I am about halfway through writing, and hope to launch a crowdfund campaign by this summer.

Links for G. A Lungaro:

• The Grey Council YouTube channel 
• Homepage
• Twitter
• Amazon Author Page
• Isidoria Kickstarter