Archive for Beholder Series

Beholder Series #17: Blueprint Magazine, “Queer Issue”, Nov 2011

February 7, 2012 Beholder Series, Comic Stuff

In the November issue of Blueprint Magazine, the theme was “Queer”. I knew right away that I wanted to make the story in this month’s comic one that commented on alternative-partner-choice lifestyles.

Instead of depicting a relationship that would be easily correlated to a real-world partnership, I went in a completely “alien” direction… literally. I wanted to introduce concepts that (I believe) are at the core of alternative choice lifestyles. That core is one that represents the emotional bond between partners, the acceptance of one another as individuals, and the importance of happiness in one’s life.

Live and let live, I always say.

Read the “Queer” Issue on the Blueprint Magazine Website
Read other Beholder strips!

Beholder Series #16: Blueprint Magazine, “Nature Issue”, Oct 2011

November 8, 2011 Beholder Series, Comic Stuff

The October issue of Blueprint Magazine, volume 11, issue 3, focused on the theme of “Nature”. I was about to do something concerning the preservation of wildlife, but instead was led to explore the concept of how much mystery Nature still keeps hidden from humanity.

There is no place on earth more mysterious than the vast unexplored territories beneath the sea. I’m constantly fascinated by the strange creatures discovered still today; especially those that exist at such depths and remote locations that make it impossible or near impossible for humans to even explore.

The sea anemone is just one of those lifeforms that leave me baffled. It’s difficult for me to hold back my imagination from believing a higher-intelligent sea plant is down there somewhere. A large monstrous one that consumes sharks if they get too close.

Could be fiction. But maybe it just hasn’t been found yet.

Read the “Nature” Issue on the Blueprint Magazine Website
Read other Beholder strips!

Beholder Series #15: Blueprint Magazine, “Borders Issue”, Sept 2011

November 8, 2011 Beholder Series, Comic Stuff

The September issue of Blueprint Magazine, volume 11, issue 2, focused on the theme of “Borders”. A couple concepts came immediately to mind. There was the obvious “macro” definition that related to countries and therefore things like political and cultural boundaries. More physical ideas like the Great Wall of China, the old defensive walls of Constantinople (of which the Sanctuary walls are kinda based on), or the Berlin Wall came to mind.

I wanted to use this strip to explore this notion of “borders”, or “gates”, aka anything that restricts one thing while protecting another, as having a counter-intuitive relationship with freedom and protection. I understand the perceived need in historical times to build walls to better keep the enemy at bay; this strategy will never go away I think. It’s basic logic, especially when there’s an active threat to defend against.

As with many of these strips though, I like to add a bit of a twist in concepts just to provoke the “meaning” of things, not just the popular literal definition of them. In this case it’s the fact that Heaven as a Gate. It amuses me that a place so “good”, so “holy”, so “divine” would still “keep souls out” to review if they are worthy. Sanctuary is an almost literal manifestation of this concept on the World of Hellmouth. To me it represents a very primal notion that places fear above all other beneficial intentions. Fear always wins on the macro scale. Borders just help segment and modularize the control of it.

Read the “Borders” Issue on the Blueprint Magazine Website
Read other Beholder strips!

Beholder Series #14: Blueprint Magazine, “Home Issue”, July 2011

October 12, 2011 Beholder Series, Comic Stuff

 The July issue of Blueprint Magazine, volume 11, issue 1, focused on the theme of “Home”. It’s likely no accident that this magazine fell into the hands of university students spending their summer “at home”; in some cases even outside of Waterloo, back to the place of family and childhood memories.

I tried to look at the concept of “home” from a different perspective. Using a fiend, an imp to be precise, as the point-of-reference, the idea of “home” existed as a place normal mortals wouldn’t fathom going. I liked exploring the idea that “foreign territory” could be considered another person’s “home”, and vise-versa. It re-affirms the concept that “home” is really defined on an individual basis–be it a physical shelter, a town or city, or a country (or planet or plane of existence!).

Home is where you feel in your element; comfortable in the safety of familiarity. It’s the place you go when you need a break from the unknown. I like that.

Read the “Home” Issue on the Blueprint Magazine Website
Read other Beholder strips!

Beholder Series #13: Blueprint Magazine, “Spirit Issue”, March 2011

March 31, 2011 Beholder Series, Comic Stuff

The March issue of Blueprint Magazine, volume 10, issue 7, focuses on the theme of “Spirit”.

The direction could have gone in a couple directions, but I stuck to a little short short story that I kinda liked having in the back of my mind.

It’s not a grand idea (at least to me considering the abundance of horror things I’ve read), but one I thought would be fun to capture on Hellmouth. The basic idea is that, instead of a crazy old necromancer, or a skull faced undead lich, or some shadow entity demi-god, playing the role of “battle field warrior recycler”, it would be a religious man intent on fulfilling some sort of faith-based quest… and he and his faith need all the help they can muster up! Even if it’s the dead to rise again! DUM DUM DUM (lightning crackles overhead followed by a crackling boom of thunder)!

Seriously though, it also captures the idea that “with great spirit, no battle is challenge to great to face”. Not like the dead haven’t risen before in religious scripture anyways… why not fill them with the holy spirit of zombieness, right?

Read the “Spirit” Issue on the Blueprint Magazine Website
Read other Beholder strips!

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