Back in my college days, so figure I was 18 at this point, an experimental sketch happened: Daffy Duck drawn with blue and white hair! Throw on a pair of pants, add weapons and arm braces, and you have the start of an anime-traditional hybrid.
That's basically what he turned into: an anime hybrid.
Now, the picture above is old, but it reflects the final concept pretty well. The hair on his head has since been shortened, but the ponytail and braids remain. And I'm proud to say that this story, under the title Electrified, is finally coming to the final stages of development - after 7 years!
This story has to be my absolute favorite to work on, as it delves into a lot of deep concepts, such as forgiveness, love, reconciliation, friendship, the dangers of pacifism, etc. Due to my inexperience with the real world, I initially planned on writing this as a TV series (after thinking of making it a comic book). Well, that idea didn't fly, so it got revamped into a written story. That didn't work out so well either, as the pacing didn't make much sense and was too drawn out. Finally, within the past two years, Electrified underwent its third revision into comic format (the original intent), and I don't regret that decision.
The comic version flows much more smoothly, and has all the grace of a manga that I was trying to accomplish. Of course, I haven't released the completed pages yet, but those are in the works, being mostly sketched. The only indication of its existence lies in my Deviant Art profile, but I'll share the final title page here:
Basically, this story consists of 3 parts: 1) Rise of the Firebird, 2) Reign of the Firebird, and 3) Return of the Lightning Empire. I won't give specifics on these three parts, but the titles are a good indication of what will take place.
Getting back into this has me feeling giddy, mainly because Electrified is such an awesome story! The inspiration comes from various sources, such as Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sonic X, Fantasia 2000: The Firebird Suite, and The Chronicles of Narnia.
So let me explain the main character a little: Zen-shira is more or less a male version of me. (His name is inspired mainly by Japanese names, but he speaks a totally different language. Zen-shira translates to "Blue Flame.") Zen is a fearless fighter, and will stop at nothing to protect the innocent and exact justice on criminals and evil people in general. Zen's witnessing of death and murder in his younger years led him on his current path in Part 1. Despite being a fighter, he also has a wise, gentle side. This side doesn't show much, and tends to surprise his friends.
In a way, I've always wanted to be like Zen-shira. And in a way, I guess I am. Having been friend-zoned many times growing up, I became a little bit cold towards people (but not too cold, mind you). This life experience is what led me to create Electrified in the first place; it's a fantasy where everyone learns how to deal with things and not let their own ideas or misconceptions get in the way of understanding. This is not to say that everyone just gets it right off the bat. Certain things take time, like forgiveness, or accepting someone who has a different outlook on life, or dealing with anger and hatred.
I believe everyone can master these concepts, but only if they take the time to. Does it mean everyone will? Probably not. My hope is that, when this story is out, Electrified will challenge people to question their motives for behaving a certain way, and/or how they treat others. Humanity is in such a dark predicament as it is, so why not create a story that sheds light on some of the most basic concepts? I mean, there is so much energy wasted on gossiping, lying, and being nasty. Think of how much less energy you use being kind, and not getting mad because you created a misconception about someone and poured all your heart and soul into hating them.
Maybe my ideas seem a little far-fetched to some, but I don't think so. In time, if we learn to understand life from a more objective point of view, we might actually start moving forward.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 - For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
No comments:
Post a Comment