Exordium is a project that explores the prologue of The Paradox of Theseus, strictly based on the realm of science fiction. The project is a two-part comic zine that goes in-depth on the backstories of the Cyborg, Theseus, and Astraeus, the alien. I approach the two backstories differently to reflect the characters' personalities. Theseus has a bold illustrative style with heavy contrast and shadows, showcasing the brutality of his former military occupation juxtaposed with the whimsical organic compositions of Astreaus’ homeworld. The stories take inspiration from retro-sci-fi magazines Fantastic Planet (1973), Humanity Lost by Callum Diggle, All Tomorrows, and many Science fiction novels. I also wrote a research paper analyzing transhumanism, posthumanism, and the Human condition. While I presented The Paradox of Theseus at the surface level, I aim to use this project to display the intricate details I included in the creation of these characters, ranging from the political structure of Theseus’ home world, the mechanics of their cybernetics to Astraeus’ entire evolutionary line, the language they speak, and the animals I have combined to create this species. Exordium is an exercise in making comics and narrative storytelling as I continue to broaden my portfolio.
Exordium One is a zine that features Theseus’ backstory during his time as Soldier 476. Throughout his backstory, the tone is dense with bold shadowed compositions, jewel-toned backgrounds, and sets reminiscent of 70’s sci-fi art. The themes of this story are based on Blind Sight; I also take inspiration from soldiers telling their stories to understand better the military experience as it is now. The narrative follows 476 as he goes on his planetary missions, excavating resources from alien planets and fighting off their defenses. The humans in this distant future have transformed their baseline humanity with cybernetics and genetic modifications as they have evolved across the galaxy. In turn, for their service, they are promised a spot in Genesis’ artificial afterlife, ‘Heaven,’ a bastardized Valhalla where human consciousness is stored and uploaded to live eternally within a simulation. While the cyborg soldiers revere their commander and follow his every will, 476 is at odds with his purpose, the meaning of life, and the importance of perpetual human expansion.
While the first part of Exordium is a commentary on war, colonization, and the human condition, the second part explores the alien planet of Cnidaria. Cnidaria on Earth are classified as invertebrate marine life, such as jellyfish. The aliens in Astraeus’ evolutionary line take inspiration from the aesthetics of cnidarians, especially with their bioluminescent transparent skin and the presence of cnidocytes (specialized cells that sting prey and release venom). I also combined mollusks and crustaceans into the design of the aliens. Their appearance is bug-like despite being confined to the oceans. The aliens use their technology to capture potential invaders within their orbit and take their prey to experiment and extract DNA to contribute to their artificial evolution. Astraeus is the product of such experiments and, due to complications, is not able to survive on this planet without accommodations. The story comments on unethical experimentation, inaccessibility, and overcoming impossible odds.
This project will be compiled into a webcomic which can be published into a zine. The budget for this project is determined by the printing costs, which have yet to be determined, but depending on the printer, I can order one hundred 24-page zines for about 180 dollars. Each character can have 12 pages for their stories. If I wanted to expand on their stories, I could order the zines for about $200. Setting aside $300 for print would be good. Either way, this comic will be promoted online as a webcomic with no additional budget. With the popularity of science fiction and fantasy, this project can capture an audience as I continue to work on this personal project.
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