Announcing Riddle of the Loremaster, an all new original comic series written by Melanie R. Meadors, with art by Nicolás Giacondino! Here is a sneak peek at some of the promo art:
Riddle of the Loremaster is a comic for mature readers set in a fantasy world full of adventure and romance, mystery and laughter. Keep your eyes open as it is set to premiere at the beginning of August!
SHOGUN KNIGHT DYSON V is the next project we’re publishing through OUTLAND.
Anybody who has been following OUTLAND the last year or so will know that we’ve partnered with Mat Nastos on a variety of projects, AEGISTEEL, ELFLORD, and the re-release of The Barry Blair Library. Almost since the beginning of our partnership, Mat has been talking about an idea for a giant robot book. Well, SHOGUN KNIGHT DYSON V is it.
From Mat –
This is one of my favorite pieces of work I’ve ever done, and is based on my love for the giant robot comics and cartoons of the 70s and 80s. If you love Shogun Warriors, Tranzor-Z (or Mazinger Z in other countries), Giant Robo, Big 0, Grendizer, Getter Robo, or any of their cousins, then you will be blown away by SHOGUN KNIGHT DYSON V! Not only is it full color, but it is printed OVERSIZE at 9″x12″!! The book is a beast and simply beautiful.
Written and created by Mat Nastos, with artwork from Nicolás R. Giacondino, Mat Nastos, and Chunlin Zhao and letters from Ed Dukeshire.
Here is the official blurb –
With the corrupt Titan, BLACK ODIN, on a rampage, it is up to Lieutenant Jonathan “Hightower” Harmon and his team to awaken the guardian robot, DYSON-V, to stop him. Full color, Super Robot action in the vein of Shogun Warriors, Mazinger Z, Giant Robo, and Grendizer.
You see a preview of the first six pages below –
It will be premiering at the Amazing Houston Comic Con September 4 directly from Mat Nastos, but will be ready for pre-order from OUTLAND soon!
Writer or scientist: Jeremy Tolbert joined both on his science fiction works. Now venturing into fantasy and time travel, Tolbert is writing for a range of different audiences.
Where did you come up with the concept for Nightfell?
The core of this project from the beginning was a handful of concept sketches that Nic had prepared, along with a title. They had some general ideas about something involving the undead, and Nic had some great sketches of undead warriors. This was our starting point, and from there, it was up to me to build a larger concept.
For me, the main thing I wanted was to do somewhere where the undead weren’t the bad guys. Traditionally, bunch of rotting corpses, you think, okay, yeah clearly these are the evil dudes. This time, I wanted a story where it made sense that the zombies and what-not were fighting for the side you could get behind, at least at first.
But as I thought about that further, I realized I don’t really like the typical black/white morality of the old school epic fantasy. In the post-Game of Thrones era, you can’t just paint one side all good or evil, so I started thinking about my other side, the berunmen, and from there, a lot of the other concepts of the world, such as the Nightfell itself, developed.
How is it to collaborate in the creation of a story? Is there too much compromise?
My ideas are not that precious, and I basically saw my role on this project as a collaborator who brought a certain expertise with story to the table, but beyond that, I was willing to listen to any feedback. Nic’s made changes here and there to page layouts and so on, but in my opinion, he’s improved the project every single time from whatever my lesser vision was.
Collaboration for me has been a wonderful experience, overall. I really hope to work with everyone involved more in the future. As a short story writer, I spend a lot of time in my own head. I find working with others to be refreshing.
Did you always envisioned it as a webcomic?
I wrote it to be structurally flexible. The 9 panel grid we used lended itself well to the webcomic format, but I also structured it in 10 12 page chapters so that it could either be collected as a single graphic novel or broken into 2-chapter issues. Our goal was have some flexibility there.
There’s a whole debate around comics becoming digital. Do you think webcomics are the gateway for this new digital world?
I’ve been reading webcomics since the early days of Sluggy Freelance back at the dawn of the internet. I think comics don’t care what the medium is; sequential art can tell a story on a cave wall or a digital screen equally well. The medium might present some interesting challenges here and there, or even some new tools or advantages, but fundamentally, I think comics can survive and thrive on anything.
Do you find yourself more driven towards a specific genre(s)? Which one(s)?
I’m more of a science fiction guy than just about anything else. I’m a pretty logical thinker so even in my more fantasy-ish worlds like Nightfell, I tend to think in very scientific ways about the world-building and so on.
What was the first thing you ever wrote?
I wrote a 20 page “book” of the adventures of a elf wizard and his sentient cougar sidekick in the 1st grade. I’ve wanted to be a writer for about as long as I can remember. I also wanted to be a scientist. So science fiction was a natural choice.
What was the first book you ever read (or was read to you)?
I honestly can’t recall the first. It was probably something by Dr. Seuss. I do know the very first science fiction book I read –Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey.
And comics: which were your favorite ones?
I was late getting into comics. Most of my reading growing up was via the library, as we were very poor and didn’t have a lot of money. So I was in my late 20s before I started actively reading comics. My gateway drugs were Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis – pretty much anything by that guy floats my boat. Y: the Last Man was another big deal for me early on.
Nowadays, what can we find you reading?
I get a handful of comics every week – I’m the kind of guy who likes to pick up the first issue of just about any series with a concept I find interesting, so a lot of Image books. I am also reading 365 short stories this year, mostly science fiction and fantasy, so you’re likely to find my nose in the pages of a science fiction magazine. Figuratively speaking – I read everything that’s not comics in electronic formats these days.
Are you a person of idols?
Sure.
Who were your childhood heroes?
Charles Darwin, Arthur C. Clarke, Anne McCaffrey, Gary Gygax, and so many others.
And today? Who do you look up to?
Anybody who works for a living, honestly.
What made you enter the comic universe of storytelling?
I was fascinated by the opportunity to have an artist interpret the pictures in my head and draw them. Collaboration between different artists is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I really love the more cinematic storytelling style of comics, as compared to regular prose work like I usually do.
Of all the projects you’ve worked on, is there one that stands out from rest? Why?
Well, as my first comics project, Nightfell stands out for sure. Working with everyone, watching as each new page from Nic has come in, has been a dream come true. I hope my story work can live up to the amazing artwork!
And now a peek into the Future. Can you tell us what project(s) are you most looking forward to?
I’m really looking forward to a young adult time travel novel I’ve been working on for several years. It’s kind of like Jurassic Park meets Treasure Island.
Thanks Jeremy for letting us get to know you a little better!
S.G.
P.S.: If you enjoyed reading this interview take a look at the other ones we have from illustrators to writers, passing through game-designers and authors.
Nicolás Giacondino is a talented Argentinean artist that has taken Outland Entertainment by storm. His unique style fits unseemingly into a vast array of projects without ever losing its authenticity.
You’re working in several comics here at Outland Entertainment. From being the artist in Mars2577 to co-creator and illustrator of Nightfell and N0.1R.
How is it to collaborate in the creation of a story? Is there too much compromise?
Collaborating with other authors (be it writers, artists, colorists, etc.) has to be an organic and loose experience. You have to be open to the ideas sent your way and offer what you think are valid points to improve the story. And yes, there’s a level of compromise, but always to the work itself; you never have to become too attached to your own conceptions and ideas so much so that they’ll clash with the others’ or create tension. If it’s better for the story, then you have to incorporate it.
Speaking specifically of the projects I have here in OUTLAND, the back and forth between all the parts involved in the creation process has been amazing. Everyone’s extremely professional and at the top of their game in their respective areas, offering great advice and also knowing when to give the other the upper hand if something will work better for the saga. In my case, being the artist, I will provide visual cues and ideas for the writers to interpret and reimagine. They then send me their own takes and I’ll assess the suggestions and improve the material so that we’re all on the same page.
It’s my opinion that collaboration is the best experience when making comics. It forces you out of your comfort zones and exposes you to new and radical ideas, which help you to evolve your artwork.
Does it help or hurt knowing in advance that you’ll be the one giving a concept its visual life?
Definitely helps. I’ve dabbled a bit in writing (I have a published graphic novel penned by myself), but my primary concern has always been the artwork. So, being able to focus and work solely on the visual aspect lets me do my best knowing the other parts of the project are taken care of.
I also love to give the writers or collaborators in all the projects I tackle the utmost respect to their vision. I have a very unique style, but I’m open to it bending to the requirements of the story. You can never get something illustrated 100% as the writer imagined it; but I try to come to at least 99%.
Did you always envisioned these projects as webcomics?
Well, I always envisioned them as comics.With the climax of the digital age all around us, webcomics were the default option to get the project out there in the world. That said my intent is that we may be able to see these stories in print too.
Ours is such a strong medium, so full of possibilities that I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
There’s a whole debate around comics becoming digital. Do you think webcomics are the gateway for this new digital world?
Webcomics have taken things a step beyond in that they allow a larger number of artists and writers to express their vision without having to go through the filter of a major publisher or a ‘house style’. For me, personally, that’s been very advantageous and liberating. My style isn’t what you’ll usually find in the cover of the big companies, but published independently it has found a great audience that luckily grows larger every day.And I’ve seen the same happen to other artists and creators, who are able to reach a much more massive audience than they could’ve dreamed of.
Do you find yourself more driven towards a specific genre(s)? Which one(s)?
I’ve always been very passionate about science fiction and have been fortunate to be able to tackle projects related to it through the years.
However, that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy working in other genres, such as Fantasy or Steampunk. I’m always curious and willing to try things out and my style is very adaptable to many different kinds of stories. Horror, for example, isn’t something I’d done. But through Outland, I was able to illustrate two tales in that genre that were very exciting!
Why Science Fiction?
Science Fiction, for me, allows you to contemplate very interesting, radical ideas and philosophical issues with more ‘purity’ than in any other genre. The far future or the dystopian near future peels our preconceptions on any given subject so that the message is carried across with more strength, allowing the reader to think about the implications of the narrative devoid of his personal stakes in it. For example, cloning is a very tricky subject in the contemporary world; there’s lots of ethical and moral questions being addressed and everyone has a political, human or religious view. If I transport them into a distant planet or time, cloning then becomes something abstract, an idea that can be dissected within the boundaries of that new world. Yet, the consequences and realizations that you bring back with you when the reading experience is over are carried into our contemporary world, hopefully giving people a new perspective on the matter.
When did you begin to show your artistic capabilities?
As I always say, I started drawing as soon as I was old enough to hold a pencil. And, asking my parents about my passion, they tell me it goes indeed that far back. I had a few other interests during my teenage years, but drawing is what’s always driven me.
What’s your favorite childhood moment related to comics or drawing?
Well, living in Argentina, sometimes we didn’t have access to all the latest material being published in the US. But there was a point in the 90s, when the arrival of comics would be almost instantaneous upon release, which caused me to open up to some major influences.
I remember a day in particular, when I was walking down a street from school and came across a newspaper stand and amongst the magazines and usual comics, there was the first issue of Jim Lee’s run on X-Men. I flipped quickly through the pages and dredged up whatever money I had in my pocket and bought it. Inside, there was an interview with Lee himself, talking about his process and whatnot and that’s when I decided I’d wanted to do this for a living. Up until that point, drawing comics was a hobby, but that issue of X-Men and Jim’s words changed my mind completely and set me on my path to become a professional.
Growing up, did you read a lot of comics or were there other activities that you preferred?
Like I said, there wasn’t a lot of material back when I was growing up. Mostly old DC paperbacks and some indie stuff. Argentina once had a huge comics industry and a lot of amazing talents came from here south into the international market, but after the dreaded dictatorship of ’76, it was all but dismantled. In fact, my hometown only had one comic-book store, which I discovered when I was 18 years old. But I was always interested in whatever I could find, so yes, I did read a lot of what was available.
As for other activities, I also enjoyed music passionately. I played the drums in bands all through high school and considered it a career option at some point, but as I said earlier, drawing always kept me coming back. Whenever I’d have to design a poster or CD cover, I’d remember why I loved it so much.
What about beloved artists? Any childhood idols?
Jim Lee was my absolute hero, as I mentioned before. But I also followed the work of other classic artists that helped me shape my style a lot, including Jack Kirby and Bruce Timm, two of my most important influences.
Later in life and as I found more and more material to read, I found the likes of Frank Miller, Neal Adams, John Romita and so many others. From my country, I also loved the work of Carlos Meglia and Enrique Breccia, both of whom I had the chance to meet personally. The latter became my mentor when I participated in one of his illustration and comics seminars.
Did you always want to work on this creative field?
At first, I didn’t even know that was possible. I’m not sure it is now either, haha!
I always sort of took comics for granted. I mean, I knew they had to be drawn and written by someone, but I never dug deeper into what professionals in the field actually did; I just enjoyed them and figured there were a few lucky fellows who were able to work on these amazing magazines. It wasn’t until the boom of Image Comics and artists making a big splash away from the major publishers that I realized this was something you could do for a living. So, upon that discovery, I started reading and studying more and more, trying to find ways to make it as a professional comic artist.
Going back to your own work: illustrating, coloring, lining,.. Do you have a favorite?
I enjoy the whole process, from pencils to colors. But inking has always been the part that I enjoy the most. In fact, Outland has given me the chance to work a lot in black and white and showcase my artwork as such, which has been a huge pleasure. Line weight, spotted blacks, crosshatching… those basics of inking make me truly happy when I’m doing a page.
And projects? Is there one that stands out from the rest?
They all have unique qualities that I think make them amazing, but if I had to choose one in particular I’d say Nightfell is the one that stands out the most.
Why is that one different?
Because it flips a common trope which we all know: that zombies eat the living. In Nightfell, the undead actually protect us and are our last line of defense against darker, more sinister creatures from below. That basic premise brings about uniqueness to the work that I think makes it truly original.
Also, it has deep roots in the Sword and Sorcery genre and it was conceived to be read as either a regular comic-book or a strip (which is how it’s being released in the website). That is also something that hasn’t been seen for quite a while and a format that both Jeremy Tolbert the writer and myself enjoy enormously.
From making the pencil sketch to applying the last smear of color what is your process?
My take on a page usually starts with reading the script and making a mental image of how the composition should work. I visualize the panels and what the writer’s vision is and then I map that out in panels across the page.
Once the panels are laid out, I go in very quickly and sketch out the basic perspective and character interaction and make sure everything works and is where it should be. When I’m satisfied with the storytelling, I tighten up the pencils and send them to the Editor and writer for approval.
If approved, then I move onto the final inks. With Outland, this has been the final stage in many projects and so once it’s done, I send it as a hi-resolution scan for it to be colored and lettered.
If I’m illustrating the whole, then I take special care to not outline certain things I will leave specifically for color to define. I then go in and add the volumes with grayscale and once that’s done I’ll put in the colors and details.
Do you follow a painfully strict plan or is it a more of organic process?
I’m very strict in the process. I found out that it is the best way to meet the deadlines and focus properly on every step.
So… can you tell us what project(s) are you most looking forward in the short run?
I’m very much looking forward to showing audiences the projects we’ve been working on so hard. Especially Nightfell and N0.1R, a crime story set in a world where organic life is nonexistent and robots rule in a mimicry of our 1940s.
There’s always something else in the pipeline, but I can’t really reveal much other than there’s exciting times ahead!
Thanks Nicolás for giving us a small peek into your creative world!
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the stories we’re working on!
S.G.
This year, the London Book Fair celebrated Graphic Novels and as such I was gladly presented with a huge array of seminars on the topic.
[Of course, I blistered my feet running through Olympia to get from talk to talk. From Mexican culture, to the progress of VR, AR and digital publishing, passing through matters such as “Publishing for Boys & Men”, the fair managed to cover an range of subjects sure to pick anyone’s interest.]
The Comics!
The speakers were passionate about the discussions, laying bare preconceptions and stereotypes. From the need to establish graphic novels as an artistic medium to the more farfetched possibilities the digital format allows, all of it was thrown towards the audience in an urgent need to stir further debate.
Everyone defended this world and some have as their life goal to make Graphic Novels not frowned upon, like Neil Gibson, founder of T Pub. He currently acts as a sort of ambassador for the medium, stating it is one of the most efficient ways to communicate stories. His mission to get more people reading comics involves advocating how to use them in work and study environments.
Neil Gibson talking about the pacing of Comic books.
With Paul Gravett – renown British comic book critic – we reflected on “What can comics do that other forms can’t”. A lively overview of several international projects: “Pablo” by Julie Birmant & Clément Oubrerie, “Death of the Artist” by Karrie Fransman and “There’s No Time Like the Present” by Paul Rainey. It’s interesting to see extremely different approaches of the medium on a conceptual and visual way. From freely drawn black & white cartoons to photography and full pages reinterpretations of famous works of art, you get but a tiny scope of what the Graphic Novel really allows you to explore.
“What can comics do that other forms can’t” panel.
A final but quite controversial discussion about the digitalization of comic books left everyone still in doubt of what the future holds. Bringing together Sam Arthur from Nobrow, Sam Humphrey from SelfMadeHero, Leah Moore from Eletricomics and Russell Willis from Sequential, moderated by South London Hardcore Podcast’s Steve Walsh.
Does the reader want extra content: interviews, audio commentaries? After the early flop of motion comics it is safe to say everyone is thinking (or at least trying to) go for subtlety instead of bells and whistles.
Everybody agreed that we don’t want to disturb the readers experience. The aim is to create a new way, nearly a new medium which has graphic novels at its very core. A more immersive – but not invasive! – medium to experience stories.
“Graphic Novels go Digital” panel.
Outland Entertainment was part of the innovative addition of the Sequential app at the LBF15. The upcoming graphic novel N0.1R [created by Nicolas Giacondino and Scott Colby. writen by Colby & illustrated by Giacondino]” is an old school whodunnit starring a cast of really cool robots. Artist Nic Giacondino does an amazing job bringing both the characters and the setting to life.” Scott Colby states.
You can get N0.1R‘s preview as well as the whole catalog from #LBF15 exhibit at the Sequential app using the code LBF15 – LBF15 – LBF15.
Attendees browsing N0.1R at the Sequential app corner.
The games panels were also incredible insightful with a special shout-out to the funny and incisive Jo Twist [@doctoe] UKIE CEO and to the creative Rob Morgan [@AboutThisLater], freelance game writer and narrative designer.
Bottom line: the LBF offered insightful seminars on a varied assortment of topics. Three intense days that allow you to get an overview not only of the publishing industry but of what is being done in the whole entertainment sector.
And one cannot forget that it was the 1st London Book & Screen Week! An event that complemented the whole experience by consolidating the idea of this increasingly cross media world.
SG
Press Release: Outland Entertainment launches its own line of webcomics
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUMMARY: Outland Entertainment launches its own line of webcomics with five titles.
TOPEKA, KANSAS, FEBRUARY 24, 2015 — Outland Entertainment is proud to announce the launch of its new line of webcomics. The comics will update at least one page per week in black and white on their websites.
“I’ve felt for a long time that webcomics are the new frontier of comics and sequential storytelling and I’m extremely excited about the line of works we’ve developed”, says Outland Entertainment’s Jeremy Mohler.
Ithaca [created and written by Emily Hall, illustrated by Dean Kotz and Jeremy Mohler] and Mars2577 [created and written by Gabe Schmidt, illustrated by Nicolas Giacondino] are available as of today, while other projects will be launched during the following weeks:
Remnants [created, written and illustrated by Alec Morgan] – March 2nd;
Nightfell [created and written by Jeremiah Tolbert, illustrated by Nicolas Giacondino and Jeremy Mohler] – March 9th;
N0.1R [created by Nicolas Giacondino and Scott Colby. writen by Scott Colby & illustrated by Nicolas Giacondino] – March 23rd.
“Ithaca is an homage to the Midwest. There’s no better way to discover the strange beauty of a place than to go on a journey through it. Artist Dean Kotz perfectly captured the gritty, moody atmosphere I was going for”, says Emily Hall, creator of the modern, Tarantino-inspired retelling of The Odyssey, Ithaca.
“Remnants is a project very near and dear to me. It’s the first story I ever wrote myself and the first comic I produced entirely on my own (with a little help with the lettering from Owen Staley). I hope other people will enjoy reading this first issue as much as I did producing it! (Hopefully it won’t take them as long!)”, Alec Morgan tells us .
“For Nightfell, we began with a basic premise: what if the undead were the good guys? With that simple question, the world of Nightfell was born — and there, nothing is quite what it seems at first. The artwork on the page may be black and white, but the moral tones of Nightfell’s characters are more varied than that,” states Nightfell creator, Jeremiah Tolbert, a story that challenges the preconceived meanings of light versus darkness.
Gabe Schmidt mentions, “As someone who has been a fan of webcomics for years and graphic novels for far longer, I am excited at this opportunity to be involved in the melding of the two.”
And Scott Colby adds “N0.1R is an old school whodunnit starring a cast of really cool robots. Artist Nic Giacondino does an amazing job bringing both the characters and the setting to life.”
For more details, visit outlandentertainment.com or the individual pages of each webcomic [linked above].
So last October, I came across an ad looking for an art team for a new comic project called Dark & Day: Soldiers & Knights. Little did I know when I reached out just what a really cool project this was.
Here’s the basic premise –
A distant future Earth is now split into permanent Ends of night and day. The night/Dark is a culture of machines, technology, soldiers and logical science (science fiction style). The Day is a culture of magic, mythical creatures, knights and belief in wonder (fantasy style). Both sides fear the other and want to protect their people and their way of life.
Jake Grey, the creator, and I started talking and he began to share some of the concept art for the project he’d already developed and scope of the world started to come into focus. I was really floored. If I hadn’t been sold on the premise alone, seeing it brought to life and getting a sense of where Jake wanted to take the project really brought it all home. I knew that this had to be an Outland project.
You can read more about the project and see more art samples over on the project page.
Jake is also currently running a Kickstarter to help fund the next book of the project. You should go over and check it out and help fund the project!
Check out the project and help fund it!
JM
It’s been a year or two ago at this point, and I don’t recall exactly how we connected. Whether it was through an ad I answered online or if he found us, we’ve now worked on several projects with Martin Smith of Attackosaur Comics.
Martin has not only been a pleasure to work with in both instances, he’s also an extremely talented writer and designer. His stories are pretty fun and tend to be short, self-contained books, which I think is great. He’s not weighed down with trying to stretch a story out over a long period of time and he can release each book all at once. I think that’s a great way to self-publish comics and I love the fact that you can pick up the book and get a full story.
If you would like to read more about the project and see more samples of the artwork we completed, please head over here or check it out on our portfolio page!
Thanks!
JM
Another project we’ve been working on for the last couple years is a webcomic called Flight of the Binturong from writer Sal Crivelli. Outland was hired to handle the art for this project. Here’s a little bit about the project –
IT’S THE FUTURE
But don’t worry. A lot’s still the same.
No evil Empire. No oppressive theocracy. No galactic struggle. The government’s too bureaucratic for all that noise.
The Binturong is a mechanic ship with a crew of four. In the heyday of interstellar repairs, if your ship needed fixing, rigs like The Binturong would come to you, make repairs, and send you on your way. Nowadays, newer ships (along with most technology made in the last few years) have self-diagnosing AI that assesses, isolates, and self-repairs. It makes for safer, further space travel (and longer unemployment lines).
Flight of the Binturong is a once-a-week comic, which will update every Tuesday.
Inspired by the works of James Cameron, John Carpenter, and Joss Whedon, we’re hoping to bring you a comic that invokes that old feeling of cool, gritty space, while hopefully taking you on some new, exciting adventures.
If you would like to read more about the project and see more samples of the artwork we completed, please head over here or check it out on our portfolio page!
Thanks!
JM
Hello folks!
One thing that I’m going to be doing is moving my own personal projects and blogs over to the Outland Entertainment site. I won’t be pulling any of the old blogs down off my site, but from here on out I’ll be moving any posting over here.
With that said, I’m resurrecting some old images I did several years ago for the old Baeg Tobar project. I always liked these, though they never saw the light of day. They were also some of the first images I completed using my Cintiq 21UX. I was impressed and excited about the flexibility drawing on the screen and directly into Photoshop gave me. I’m also a big fan of landscapes, so getting to work with landscapes in general was a lot of fun too.
I don’t post many of my rough drawings, so here’s a chance to see some of my very rough work.
These were meant to be header images for the old Baeg Tobar site, hence the reason for the horizontal format. Additionally, they were meant to just be sketches that I handed over to an artist to finish off. In this case, I commissioned Nicolas Giacondino, and he did the final linework.
I think Nic did a pretty good job staying true to the original sketches that I completed.
Anyway, I hope we find a use for these at some point – it’s a shame that we never used them! They were fun to work on!
JM