DevaShard - HK's 1st International Comic

News Coverage: "A Couple of Pirates Board the DevaShard Production"

2009-10-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

www.fluid-comic.com

Following the great news the other day that David Venghaus (Pirates of the Carribean - Assistant Director) and Eric McLeod (Pirates of the Carribean - Executive Producer) announced that they would be joining the DevaShard Production as Executive Producer and Producer respectively, the press and blogs immediately started reporting on it, using the evocative title: "A Couple of Pirates Board the DevaShard Production".

Here are a few examples of the coverage:

Screen Daily

Comic Book Movie.com

The Comics Waiting Room Newswire

Pirates of the Carribean Executive Producer Eric McLeod Joins DevaShard Film as Producer!

2009-10-05T01:02:00.000-07:00

As if we hadn't already had enough great news with David Venghaus (Assistant Director of Pirates of the Carribean) and Kevin Grevioux (co-creator, writer and actor in Underworld) coming on board the DevaShard project, I am now extremely happy to announce that one of the most successful Producers in Hollywood has confirmed he will be joining the DevaShard film project as Producer

Eric McLeod, Executive Producer of Pirates of the Carribean and producer of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Tropic Thunder and the upcoming BioShock has yet to have a miss in Hollywood, producing successful films one after another, year after year.

Having handled enormous budget movies in the past with excellent results, studios, financiers and of course our own Fluid Comics all have great confidence in him to do a great job with the film.

You can see DevaShard listed at the top of Eric's IMDb page , as well as a list of all the many projects he's worked on over the years. I've put a short screen grab of it for reference here:

Pirates of the Carribean Assistant Director David Venghaus Comes on Board DevaShard Film!

2009-10-01T20:53:00.001-07:00

www.fluid-comics.com

More amazing news continued to stream in this week, as Assistant Director to the world famous Pirates of the Carribean films, David Venghaus confirmed that he would be joining the DevaShard project as an Executive Producer.

David specialises in motion capture technology and on integrating animation and CGI seamlessly into live action film, as you can see from his work with Captain Davy Jones on Pirates. We look forward to seeing the same kind of expertise applied to the DevaShard film.

I have included a short list of his films from his IMDb page and as you can see, DevaShard is already listed. Have a look through the other exciting projects he has worked on in the past and ones he has coming up.

MTV Covers DevaShard

2009-09-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

www.fluid-comics.com

The excitement continues to build as MTV.com becomes the latest site to cover the DevaShard comic to film story!

You can see the full article here: DevaShard on MTV.com

And here is a screen-grab which gives the essence of it:

DevaShard in Variety !!!

2009-09-21T00:29:00.000-07:00

www.fluid-comics.com

Last week the DevaShard film project hit new heights, as we put out a press release announcing that Kevin Grevioux had come on board as Screenwriter and Executive Producer and no less than Variety , the de facto newspaper of Hollywood covered the story!

You can read the article here: Variety.com

And here is a screen grab of the article:

Screenwriter & Executive Producer for DevaShard

2009-09-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

www.fluid-comics.com

Kevin Grevioux creator, co-writer and actor from the Underworld series has agreed to come on board to the DevaShard movie project!!!

He will be overseeing the script-writing process and Executive Producing the film.

His first duty on the project will be putting together a new treatment for the project which will draw on his wealth of experience as a fantasty / mythological Hollywood screenwriter as well as his background in comic writing and as a long time fan-boy.

Hanging out with Kevin Grevioux of Underworld fame at Comic Con 2009

2009-08-10T00:26:00.001-07:00

www.fluid-comics.com

One of the most entertaining aspects of Comic Con this year, is that I was lucky enough to be able to spend an afternoon together with Kevin Grevioux of Underworld fame.

Kevin was the original creator of the Underworld storyline and was the co-writer of the screenplay for Underworld and co-writer & co-producer for Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. He also played the role of the Lycan Raze in those two films, as you can see from the photo below:

He now has several other properties that are in different stages of development including:
ZMDs: Zombies of Mass Destruction
I, Frankenstein
The Pale Horsemen

It was pretty crazy trying to move around with him at Comic Con, as he is a huge hit with the many thousands of fan-boys and fan-girls at the convention. Every 30 seconds we had to stop whilst he took photos with different fans.

This was the best moment when two sisters turned up, one dressed as Selene from Underworld and the other as Sonja from Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. Needless to say they were overjoyed to have bumped into the creator, co-writer, actor and co-producer from the series. It also made for a great photo:

Check out Kevin getting his photo taken and the people crowding round to take his photo:

Finally away from all the crowds, we managed to get our own photo session with Kevin at the Marriott. From left to right it's Heather Kenealy, writer for CastleBright Studios, me, Kevin Grevioux, Nav Gupta, co-founder of CastleBright & Vanquish Studios and Jay Douglas, co-founder of CastleBright & Vanquish Studios:

The Girls of Comic Con

2009-08-07T02:55:00.000-07:00

www.fluid-comics.com

Of course Comic Con would not be complete without the many girls in costume.

Here are some great examples of what I mean:

Like all predators they often travel in packs:

And of course I'm not one for passing up a photo opportunity:

fun fun fun!

Fan Boys of Comic Con 2009

2009-08-06T00:46:00.001-07:00

www.fluid-comics.com

Comic Con could never be complete without the tens of thousands of hardcore fans who travel from all over the country and in some cases from overseas to be there.

Many of them express their love for all things comic, game and film by dressing up, often very elaborately, as their favourite characters.

Check out some of these mildly insane fan boys here:

A typical incongruous Comic Con shot:

Thor meets Heather:

The entire Super Mario family on a day trip:

Comic Con 2009 - San Diego

2009-08-02T19:35:00.001-07:00

www.fluid-comics.com

A couple of weeks ago I looked at my calendar and once again it was that time of year: Comic Con!!!

For a comic, game and film lover like me, that has to be the most exciting time of the year. Now add into that the fact that we publish our own comics and now you are really talking about an unbelievably cool experience.

There was definitely plenty of exciting stuff to see there and I thought I would post up some of the funky photos here (courtesy of Derrick Fong , so you can all get a glimpse into the awesome mayhem which is Comic Con.

First of all check out Iron Man 2:

How about these awesome G.I. Joe life-size models:

Turtles were there of course:

And so was their creator Kevin Eastman:

Everywhere you looked was all the latest, greatest stuff from the comic, film and game worlds.

Keep your eyes peeled. I'll be uploading some pics of the crazy fanboys in my next blog.

DevaShard Script

2009-05-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

fluid-comics.com

CastleBright Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal have commenced work on a full movie script for DevaShard.

First attachments for the movie production to be announced within the week!

Adhiratha

2008-11-27T23:31:00.000-08:00

www.fluidfriction.com

Adhiratha, the brave and selfless charioteer who finds Karna at the river banks and risks his life for him and the child Heerusama. Taking them into his house, he raises Karna as his own son, though Heerusama leaves to pursue a different fate, to be reunited with Adhiratha and Karna only years later and under very different circumstances.

Adhiratha is noble and kind. A good husband to his wife Radha and an inspiring father to both Karna and his adoptive younger brother Shon. In the early years of Karna's life, he plays an important role both in teaching Karna about the world and in raising him to be humble and generous in spirit.

Though Adhiratha has enjoyed no formal training in arms, he is exceptionally strong from years of dedication and hard work and has made a formidable opponent to those who threaten the people he cares about when it has been necessary to defend them.

Na-Mina

2008-11-27T03:21:00.000-08:00

www.fluidfriction.com

Daemon-Queen of Dahka, wife to Heerama and mother to Heerusama, Na-Mina indirectly plays an important part in the unfolding tale of DevaShard.

Born in the rich and corrupt trading ports of Nysathor, her father was a wealthy trader known for having a hand in the slave smuggling business, taking daemons from Umbra and Dahka to Nysathor to be sold. She was to originally to marry Heerama’s father, before a series of unpredictable events led her marrying Heerama in his stead.

Beautiful and dangerous, it is not wise to cross the Daemon-Queen of Dahka or those who serve her. It is said that a blood curse runs through her family line and that many of that descent are tainted by it's touch.

Heerama

2008-11-25T02:08:00.000-08:00

www.fluidfriction.com

Also known as the 5-tailed Daemon-King, Heerama is the Daemon King of Dahka, father to Heerusama and son of the previous Daemon-King of Dahka.

Son of a long line of daemon-King warriors, Heerama took the throne when a small group of Im-Himnan elite warriors stormed Dahka to take the life of his father’s concubine, Na-Mina. He later married Na-Mina.

A sombre and quiet man, his motives often remain a mystery to all but those who are closest to him. However, he has fought and risked his life many times to hold the borders of Dahka and keep back the great evil that looms ever in the shadows across the great bridge.

His closest associate is Aduri, the 4-armed healer from Uundan whom he trusts with his life and closest counsel. As he is too often called away to battle and the defense of Dahka, the care of his son Heerusama falls often to Aduri.

On the field of battle, Heerama is implacable and few in the world of Bhumi could hope to stand against his fury for long.

Heerusama

2008-11-23T23:35:00.001-08:00

www.fluidfriction.com

Daemon-prince of Dahka, son to Heerama and Na-Mina. Heerusama’s powers are great, but he struggles to tap into them because of the blood curse that has fallen to him through his mother’s bloodline. His skills require calm, clear thinking, but his blood curse blocks that, instead filling him with rage and bloodlust.

Aikoh

2008-11-19T01:01:00.000-08:00

www.fluidfriction.com

Aikoh, who is also generally known to our in-house team as "bird-girl" is one of the main characters throughout the entire DevaShard series.

The closest associate of Heerusama, the Daemon Prince, they have been friends since his earliest childhood years. For reasons that remain clouded at the beginning of the series, they are very closely bonded and for much of the books remain inseparable. Not without power, she users her skills to support Heeru in all that he does, even when his motives seem a little questionable.

Concept Art - Characters

2008-11-19T00:56:00.000-08:00

www.fluidfriction.com

Wanted to focus in a little more on some of the different concept art we put together whilst developing the characters and our world and thought I would begin with the character art.

First entry coming up...

India Launch

2008-11-12T22:18:00.000-08:00

www.fluidfriction.com

DevaShard: At First Light - Out in India now!!!

It is now available in all major bookshops across the country.

For the Indian market we designed this special cover in-house featuring our interpretation of Surya the Sun God:

A couple of weeks ago we reached a major milestone in our worldwide roll-out and I wanted to write something about it...

Feel free to give your feedback.

Aduri - the Dahkan Healer

2008-11-03T23:56:00.001-08:00

www.fluidfriction.com

Aduri

Originally from Uundam, little else is known about Aduri's past. With 4 arms and standing at over 7 foot he cuts a very impressive figure. Highly trained in fighting arts, he is extremely skilled, yet by profession he is a powerful healer with the ability to cure many diseases and speed recovery from all but the most fatal wounds.

Heerama's oldest friend and greatest ally, he spends much of his time training, looking after and where necessary protecting his son Heerusama, the Daemon Prince.

Below you can see the development of Aduri's appearance from the earliest pencil sketches, through to more finished drawings, the addition of inks and then the final colouring stage bringing him truly to life.

Pencils - Keith Burns
Inks - Keith Burns
Colours - Johnny Tam

DevaShard: At First Light - Trailer

2008-08-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

www.fluidfriction.com

For those of your who haven't already seen it, this is the trailer video for DevaShard:At First Light , the first book in our comic book series.

Cosplayers of Comic Con

2008-08-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

www.fluidfriction.com

Comic Con definitely wouldn't be complete without the cos-players and there are definitely a hell of a lot of them!

Here are a few pictures for your general enjoyment:

The Villains...

Spidey and the Black Cat

Of course the girls of Comic Con

And cute/annoying/ridiculous

San Diego Comic Con

2008-08-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

www.fluidfriction.com

My apologies this has taken me so long to get up, as everything has been really hectic in the last 2 weeks since I got back, but I thought I would finally put up something about my trip to exhibit at San Diego Comic Con.

Comic Con is kind of an insane experience! People call it the geek convention of the world, but in reality it goes far beyond that. No doubt it holds more than it's fair share of lifelong comic fans (often referred to by misunderstanding non-believers as geeks), however nowadays Comic Con goes way beyond the small and focussed fair to promote comics and artists and bring hardcore fans together that it was years ago. These days it is the premiere international bridge between the comic, games, movie and merchandise industries. An incredibly vibrant event, it is full to bursting with everyone from your neighbourhood kid, to the world's most famous stars, producers, directors and of course the ever amazing Stan Lee.

Walking around the booths you are quietly amazed at the unbelievable range and extent of creativity which is showcased across these 4 industries, with more and more often the original inspiration and creativity coming primarily from the comics field. Gone are the days when comics where adults only read in the hidden quiet of their spare rooms while their wives slept, guilt and enjoyment hanging equally over them, now comics are the driving force behind the most original creativity to hit films, games and merchandise in years and it's all there at the SD Comic Con!!!

Now enough blathering, time for some photos!

A glimpse of a typical corridor of the event. Now imagine 13 halls full of this:

Yours truly working hard:

Homer:

Star Wars is always HUGE at these events:

DevaShard Interview in US

2008-08-01T18:54:00.001-07:00

www.fluidfriction.com

Here I am being interviewed on Shazap.com about DevaShard

Part 1:

click here to see more videos like this

Part 2:

click here to see more videos like this

Viilal - the life stealer

2008-06-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

www.fluidfriction.com

The assassins from the spine of the world instil deep fear into the hearts of men throughout the lands of Bhumi. Not truly alive, they exist only to take the lives of those they have been hired to. Unwavering focus and unshakeable resolve leads them relentlessly towards their assigned targets. Only the sun god has the power to strike fear into the life stealers.

Viilal is a member of this ageless clan from the land of Shyatha and his target runs fearfully in front of him...

The appearance, movements, clothing, weaponry and expressions of Viilal were developed over sometime. Here is a breakdown of some of the stages:

Firstly our penciller Keith Burns builds the basic stature and movement style of the character through rough sketches known just as "roughs"

Then we develop some of his more advanced and unusual movements in roughs

After that, we produce more detailed pencil sketches of his face. Pencils are usually done intitially in blue, as it is easier to remove the lines later if they are in blue.

Then we produce pencils of his upper torso

And eventually his entire body

Then we move on to the inking stage, where our inker Ken Cheung paints black ink onto the pencilled drawings in order to add in shadow and light, bring out important aspects of definition that have been created by the penciller and in some cases, outline the strongest lines.

In this case we also experimented with adding in a little red colour to create an unusual effect

This last inked image of Viilal that we used for our Character Design Competition is both sinister and somehow amusing at the same time

Finally we scan the inked images into the computer and our colourist Johnny Tam paints the colours in using a WaCom touch screen. In our office we call him the Wizard.

Characters of DevaShard

2008-06-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

www.fluidfriction.com

For the next few blog entries I will be going into detail about some of the major and minor characters that we have created for the DevaShard storyline.

As much as possible I will also be uploading artwork which showcases the development of these characters from the earliest rough pencilled sketches all the way to the finished people. In this way you will literally be able to see the individual characters of the graphic novel series coming to life from earliest concept to final realisation.

Please drop comments and give me your feedback!

Creatures of Bhumi

2008-05-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

www.fluidfriction.com

Beyond the animals that roam the lands of Bhumi, there are older, darker creatures that have taken this land as their own since before human memory.

Terrifying Ice Dragons scour the open tundra of Im-Himna occasionally ravaging the nearby settlements and terrifying the inhabitants.

Further South beings have harnessed the giant insects that roam the lands and are now commonly known as the insect riders.

In the bowels of the Earth nameless blind and grossly deformed monstrous creations make their home.

Whilst in the land of Umbrastra rumours continue to persist of a great bone dragon whose impossible life continues to strike fear into the hearts of all...

Ice Dragon

Insect Riders

Creatures of the Underworld

Bone Dragon

Animals of Bhumi

2008-05-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

www.fluidfriction.com

What kind of world would it be that didn't have animals living in it? Well an empty and rather boring one for a start.

Bhumi in fact is a world filled with a myriad of animals and other creatures. Many of them are similar to those of the Earth (as Bhumi itself represents Earth in an ancient mystical time, before the world was torn) and some of them are vastly different.

I don't want to reveal all the different exciting animal inhabitants of Bhumi now and spoil the excitement of discovering them in the books to come, but here are some of our early concept drawings of a snow dog:

The Lands of Bhumi

2008-04-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

www.fluidfriction.com

After putting together our map of the world and then separating it down into different lands and looking at what the characteristics of each land and it's people would be, it was then time for us to start working on our concept art.

Of course this meant creating the actual close-up look and feel of all the different lands, so that we could have our main characters traveling through them and interacting with the people of each land.

Today, I am featuring some of this concept art so you can see for yourself how we envisaged these areas in our mind and put them together on paper.

Im-Himna the icelands

The Half-Light City

Broken MoonGate

Bridge from Dahka to Umbrastra

The Province of Dahka

The City of Rhimn

Bhumi

2008-04-06T09:44:00.001-07:00

When first working on the concept of our new series DevaShard, one of the earliest decisions we took was to create our entire world first before working on the stories in detail.

This meant drawing up a map for the full world, then we had to work out the trajectory of the sun and three moons we had decided on and what effect this would have on the weather patterns and climates of the different parts of the world. Through this process we could decide whether different areas would be green and fertile, covered in ice or raw deserts. Finally we divided the world up into the different lands and outlined the appearances, clothing, customs and history of the various peoples of our world.

We decided to call it Bhumi , which in Sanskrit means both the ground and the Earth.

The images that follow are the full map of Bhumi and then a close up on each of the different lands.

The Creative Process

2008-03-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

What lies behind the full creation of a comic?

This is something I myself wondered about many times when I was a kid.

As an adult my questions got a little more detailed. Did Jim Lee draw and colour his pictures? What on Earth did an inker do? Did Stan Lee write every comic book? Who comes up with the ideas for all these comic titles? And a whole bunch of other stuff.

Well it wasn't until one year ago when I was lucky enough to be one of the few people in the world to get the chance to work in a comic company that my questions were finally answered.

Well now I'm here, I thought I would share with everybody else exactly how the creative process of creating a comic book from scratch works. Heck I even got myself into a few of the pictures...

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

East Meets West

2008-03-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

What makes our product unique? That is simple, DevaShard is the first ever graphic novel series to be produced by a team half made up of professional artists / writers from the Eastern comic industries and half from the Western comic industries.

Working side by side on a daily basis, they have developed our product from the first seeds of an idea to the finished issue 1 which will be hitting the stands soon. Sharing experience gathered from working on small circulation independent graphic novels to mass circulation comic titles on both sides of the globe, they have been able to produce a truly original book with high quality artwork and intricate storylines.

To read more about our unique comic book team, check out our bios at:
FluidFriction.com

Ken - Inker

Johnny - Colourist

Keith - Penciller

Zen - Writer

Introduction

2008-03-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided to start up this blog as we have been working on developing our very own series of graphic novels for the last year and that seemed like a pretty interesting thing, so I thought people might like to read about the process and what goes into creating a comic book / graphic novel from scratch.

Our first series is called DevaShard and this is an image of Issue 1: