OUR newest title ROSE BLACK: DEMON SEED was given its biggest public outing since its official release through Diamond Comics earlier this month.
The graphic novel was on show at the Glasgow Comic and Toy Mart - and this was our first opportunity to engage with its potential readership; exchange notes and gain a temperature reading of its popularity in the market (We've spent the last month doing PR at comic shops around the UK).
Without any doubt, Joel Carpenter's startling cover design is an instant attraction. You'll surely have noticed it on our Facebook page and may have seen it has attracted plaudits from industry professionals all over the globe. It's quasi-religious design depicts the titular heroine being dominated by the celestrial, winged figure of the story's 'big bad' ... the Amazonian she-devil Eloise, all pale-skinned and dead-eyed.
We found many new readers who hadn't seen the first book and became intrigued by this dynamic cover attraction. So far ... so good.
Everyone who enquired, it seemed, were intrigued by our story concept of vampires NEVER existing.
That's the underlying premise of the Rose Black saga.
It outlines the idea of Rose being the last of these celestrial beings who 'drank from the body of man' to rid them of disease.
These creatures have been written out of biblical records by a sinister cabal who are now housed in the Vatican, and have been influencing folklore over the centuries; rewriting history with their own nefarious ideas of bloodthirsty demons preying on mankind.
I light-heartedly offered the notion of shadowy figures visiting FW Murnau, Bram Stoker and Joss Whedon in our alternative storyline ... and was relieved when one true Bram Stoker afficiando didn't sprinkle the idea with garlic.
For the second book, we tried to develop a new scientific break-through in theology: and introduced our concept of 'Organic Divinity'. In a nut-shell, we basically throw out the bible ... and replaced it with pure science. Not weird science. Just the notion of god being a collection of molocules in one big test-tube.
I wouldn't imagine we'd get any strong debate about this at the Glasgow Comic Mart, but we're expecting the Mark of Cain from a section of the American Right.
There was some healthy debate in Glasgow ... and I'm glad to see many of our West of Scotland readership still retain their sense of humour.
Joel's interior artwork follows on fitting from Book One's Jaeson Finn. Jaeson, I've told you in previous posts, now works solely in the film industry; designing the storyboards for films such as the Liam Neeson thriller Unknown and the outrageous comedy opus Your Highness.
DEMON SEED's art, which is coloured by Glaswegian Derek Dow, maintains Jaeson's cinematic style ... especially in the climatic battle between Rose and Eloise. But I'm not going into ANYMORE about the conclusion ... there's a definite cliffhanger.
I'm looking forward to promoting the new book around the rest of the UK, including a big event at our big 10th birthday showcase at Thought Bubble in November. Keep your eyes on the Rough Cut Comics Facebook page for more events in 2011.
If anyone wants to buy a copy direct, you can do by checking out
www.roughcut-comics.com/pages/frames.html
and clicking on STORE.
