AWESOME CON SATURDAY PANEL: “Legendary Comics: Monsters & Myths” (Chobot! Barrowman! “Firebrand”! “Cursed”!)
Legendary Comics served up two new stories in this panel discussion, and I’ve gotta say I’m interested in getting my grubbies on both of ‘em.
The first was Jessica Chobot and Erika Lewis, who talked about their new webcomic, Firebrand: The Initiation of Natli Presano. A story with its beginnings in Basque country, about witches who fight evil in modern-day Seattle? Yes please and thank you. (You can read the first three chapters FREE here.)
The “sizzle reel” looked really good, with gorgeous art by Claudia Aguirre. Chobot and Lewis chose Basque country as “a way to explore non-western” mythologies and ideas, by using “an area that hadn’t been represented [in America].” Chobot’s favorite character? Selene “reminds me a lot of myself”, someone “no-nonsense” by “compassionate”. Lewis and Chobot dished that they aren’t immune from crushing on their own characters, with “Zieger” (man I hope I’m spelling that right, because Google’s laying a goose egg…) being their fannish main guy.
As for creating things and worrying if people will hate it? That happens “all the time”, Chobot says. But the trick is to let it roll off you. “There’s always gonna be someone” out there who will be a killjoy, or worse. “…so just keep doing what you’re doing”, Chobot says. The fact that Firebrand is made by “…three women, we’re really proud of that”, chimes in Lewis.
The second was Cursed, by Carole and John Barrowman. And before you can ask? Yes, John made his usual amazing and glorious entrance, kilt a-kiltin’. “There ain’t no Underoos under there!” he joked. Maybe it was a joke. Anyway, back to Cursed. It’s filled with Celtic myth (hence the kilt), and has an interesting spin on the usual Cursed Family trope, because with magical items shaking up history, things also rip apart in modern times. “With these talismans, time will shift,” John said, and as a result the characters will be thinking “Whoa, wait a minute. We need to fix this.” John asked folks to think about how you’d feel if it’s your “40th birthday and your world falls apart.” Not just in an emo kinda way, but well and truly, out of nowhere.
Of course, with the Barrowmans at the helm, expect a lovely blend of saucy and funny. Legendary Comics mod Robert Napton says Cursed will be full of a “delicious, wicked sense of humor”, to which John added that it’ll be a “dark dirty comedy.” Many jokes about John, Carole, Erika Lewis (who will be co-writing this story as well), and a lot of wine during the creative process were made. But the idea of a flawed hero trying to piece together not only his world, but history? Adding this to the “check this out” queue. Expect an announcement on the artist selected to draw this story “soon”. As for when it’ll come out, and in what format? That’s also being discussed. Right now the story’s in process…and I can’t wait to see it.
But what’s a Carole/John joint without some fun quotes? Have at it, y’all!
- “There will be no singing in the comics!” – Carole, after John ad-libs “Time in a Bottle” to jibe with Cursed‘s mythology.
- “Hey! If it continues, there’ll BE a musical!” – John, in response.
- “I don’t have kids at home, and I completely ignore my husband – Carole, when asked how she’s able to work on how she does it all.
- “We probably have too much fun together…[but] life’s too short” – Carole, on working with her brother
- “I still pin her down, lick her face, and spit on her forhead. I’m serious!” – John, on his relationship with Carole
- When asked what makes good SciFi, Carole said it all “starts with story…then we go to world-building from there.”
- “We’re SciFi non-conforming; you don’t have to pee in one place!” – John, on picking a genre for Cursed.
- “Gotta run – I’ve got photo ops with David Tenant!” – John, as he licks his lips and adjusts his kilt.
Panel grade: A-friggin-plus
Tl;dr: there are two really interesting stories coming from Legendary Comics. Firebrand and Cursed. By the time SDCC and NYCC hit, I’m sure there’ll be more info. But genre fans game for supernatural and/or mythological stories? Get pumped.
