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| No comic's complete without a spit take. |
I'm growing impatient for our groundbreaking comic anthology, Cartozia Tales, to start getting the recognition it deserves. It's world creation as a creative game. It's so fun to make, it brings out the best in all its contributors, resulting in a really delightful product, packed with inventions, surprises, and fun features. If you haven't seen any of the issues yet, I have to tell you, you're really missing out.
I'd like to share with you one of the chapters I've contributed, this time for Issue 5, set in sector 7, the frozen southwest corner of our imaginary world. Every issue, editor Isaac Cates calculates and casts dice to assign each contributor the task of continuing the ongoing story in what's, for them, a new sector of the map.
In the first issue, cartoonist Jen Vaughn initiated the sector 7 story, "Vagabond." It introduced a girl, Sylvia, and her pet Jenks, who are traveling to the southern islands. Sylvia is known as a "war child" but her passion is for music and she wants to learn the Frost God's Song.
In issue 2, the cartooning team of Isaac Cates and Mike Wenthe have Sylvia acquire two traveling companions: incompetent magician Ibbacod, a bird person from the distant north who seeks employment from the Red Clan chieftain, and Voren, a sword fighting Phibbit who rarely speaks. Voren fends off an attack by a Mask Bear and the team acquire its enchanted mask.
In issue 3, Lupi McGinty has Voren don the mask and find the mysterious Library Stairs, guarded by singing Aria Sphinxes. The ancient librarian sends him away with a scroll containing The Song of War.
Shawn Cheng, in issue 4, has the team befriend Donar of the Red Clan, a Snow Devil prince, who leads them to the village he inhabits in the trunk of a Mother Tree in the hope that Voren, a master of ancient languages, can help treat his ailing father.
Which is where I took over and treated our heroes to a bit of dinner theater:
I like to work little artistic and literary allusions into my comics wherever possible. A special "no-prize" (ahem) will be due the first person in the comments to peg the inspiration for Donar's father.
These characters have had more adventures since. Issue 7 is just now coming out. Come see.
4 comments:
Hardly a contest. Clearly, the character is based on Fin Fang Foom.
Wait, no! MODOK! I meant MODOK! ;)
Well done! Of course you're right-- this was an easy one.
Next tell me the inspiration for the Funesians and the High Brainard in issue 4.
Well, the High Brainard has an early Toad motif going on. The Cleansing Beast... That's a toughie! The closest I can think of are "Wendy's Friends" from that one issue of Fantastic Four where Aunt Petunia showed up. My next guess might be one of Magik's demons?
You're barking up the wrong tree this time. These allusions are to the names, not the designs, and don't allude to Marvel comics.
Great try, though!
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