Myth Shadow Chronicles

Yaaaawn. Huh? It morning already?

2008-10-29T07:29:00.004+02:00

Now I know what you were thinking. The Myth Shadow team has gone to sleep, right? Wrong!

Truth is each team member took a little bit of a sabbatical to sort out stuff in REAL LIFE!

One of us even had a baby! Like gave birth & everything. I'll even give you a hint as to which member it was: it wasn't one of the male members. :)

So yes, you've been waiting for quite a bit to get news about our developments, so as a reward you get to see an old favorite renewed - in technicolor:

Also, watch this space closely over the coming months. Something BIG is gonna go down. Exactly what, I'm not saying. Just something that will shake the very foundations of our reality, sending waves of otherworldly energy tearing through the layers of Ether that encompass the known Universe!

Like I said. Watch this space...

The envelope please...

2008-10-02T14:14:00.003+02:00

Announcing the winner of the Myth Shadow be-in-our-comic-contest:

RKB, one of the members of Zuda Comics website!

Congrats man...

You cannnot forget what you had never known

2008-09-10T08:47:00.006+02:00

a definition of Mythology: "A body or collection of myths belonging to a people and addressing their origin, history, deities, ancestors, and heroes."

What would happen if there existed an ancient civilization that had no traceable origin, history, deities, ancestors or heroes?

What if that civilization had deliberately removed traces of it self from know history?

What if a document revealing this ancient civilization had been discovered...

...what if it where carbon dated and the ink was found to be 14 000 years old, but the paper is only 2000 years old?

Be in our comic contest!

2008-09-05T15:20:00.007+02:00

Yup. The title does not lie. The Myth Shadow Team is holding a contest. The prize: an appearance in our comic!

Specifically in a bar fight scene. We're going to have bystanders occupy the background while our heroes mix it up in the forefront. They don't need to be fighting. They can be saying something prolific like: "Can't we all just, get along?"

To be in the contest all you have to do is send two photos of yourself (one of your face up close & another full body shot) so our artist (Leon) can portray your visage in the scene. Also you must include a brief writeup of what you want to be wearing (eg: pirate clothes with a red bandanna & eyepatch) and what you would like to be saying (eg: "Die bastards!").

You do have to answer 2 quick questions about our comic though (the answers are within this blog):

What is the real name of the character "Poppy"?
What weapon was used to slay Hector in our version of his backstory?

There are of course some rules with the submission:

You're email must possess the subject line "be-in-our-comic-contest" to be considered. Using any other subject line means we may miss your submission. You don't want that now, do you?
You must specify in the mail if you wish to be fighting or not.
You're clothing must fit that of a bar patron (within reason). Pirate getup is fine. Ninja getup is not. Sorry. That may work in another contest at another time though...
You're speech (what you're saying) must be a quick one liner. No soliloquies. And no profanity.
Don't forget to include your Name (real or screen-name. your preference) so we can credit you properly.
You have no rights whatsoever to the character we create in your likeness. None.
There can be only one! Winner that is... So get entering!

What's that? I haven't mentioned the email address to send the submissions too? Oh. Sorry. it's realm.of.the.q@gmail.com

Just in case you're still unclear about how you're email must look, here's a picture. And no. Those are not the right answers to the questions:

Note: Entries for this contest close at the end of September.

Doubly Delicious Desktops

2008-09-01T13:45:00.011+02:00

A treat for you today dear readers. A two for one special...

First, you get to see a rendition of our comic's lead character: Xander (see second point).

Second, you get this awe-inspiring sketch as a wallpaper. And in two delicious resolutions to boot. Isn't he just the most adorable protagonist you've ever seen?

1280 x 800

1280 x 1024

By the way, the character of Xander is based of one of the comic's contributors. My co-writer and our comic's inker: Duran Alexander. Yes. Captain Exclamation Mark himself.

Two points if you can guess how we came up with the name Xander for the character. I'm sure it had nothing to do with Duran's surname. Nope. Nothing at all...

The end to his beginning

2008-08-19T23:16:00.000+02:00

Before continuing, you may want to give these a quick read: Part 1 and Part 2 of Hector's backstory.

Hector of Troy, Back Story - Part 3

From his weapons cart, Achilles drew The Thorn of Artemis (which he had never before used in battle). Within moments, Hector lay slain. The enchantment on the weapon drew into it Hector’s soul. Hector experienced torment & pain unlike anything he had ever before. The ordeal rendered him unconscious…

Hector “awoke” a day later only to find himself still entombed within the sword. To Hector, it was if he was in a dark place, devoid of all light, with faint whispers of the outside world creeping in. Over time Hector learnt to focus on the whispers until he could hear them as clearly as spoken voice. Though he could not converse with those around him, he could clearly hear and even see what transpired around him. As even more time passed, Hector learnt to control his circumstances to a limited degree, and was able to pass from one vessel to the next…

The years have not been kind to Hector’s psyche. The solitude has scarred his capacity for rational and cohesive thought. He is now little more than shadow of his former glory, a being of pain and torment. Though something deep down in the recesses of mind tell him he is more than he has let himself become. He tells himself that perhaps with even more time, he can learn to not only pass from one vessel to the next, but to eventually manifest as his former self.

Hector has no superhuman traits, yet he can fight with superhuman ability. He possesses no otherworldly ability to manipulate spirit energy, yet he has leant to propel his spirit from vessel to vessel. Hector is an anomaly. A mortal who has achieved things no mortal should be able to do, because of his true ability: sheer force of will. Hector is able to do what he has thus far, because he wills it so.

There's two sides to every coin

2008-08-13T23:12:00.002+02:00

For every yin, there is a yang.
For every light, there is dark.
For every Achilles, there is Hector...

You see, I saw an eye-sore

2008-08-08T19:18:00.007+02:00

Is your desktop looking tired? Maybe it needs a pick-me-up. Here's the wallpapers I made for the LAN in two delicious resolutions:

1280x800

1280x1024

Click the images to open up full size. Then right click the full size image and choose "Save Picture As...". Pick a place to save it (My Documents is fine) and click "Save". Lastly open the image up on your computer, right click it and choose "Set as Desktop Background". Presto...

The saga continues

2008-08-05T21:39:00.003+02:00

Before reading further, I would strongly suggest that you read Part 1 of Hector's backstory. Maybe you even want to give this poem a quick read too as it sheds some light on his psyche...

Hector of Troy, Back Story - Part 2

After consuming a copious amount of wine, one of the Trojan diplomats boasts that Troy had the most skilled warriors in Greece, even more so than the Spartans. Naturally, the Spartans where not pleased with his idiocy and wanted him dead. Hector steps in and tries to calms things down. The Spartans demand that Hector admit that Spartan warriors where superior, which Hector nonchalantly refuses. Hector is then challenged by the Spartans to fight a warrior from Sparta in an exhibition bout – the demigod Achilles…

Surprisingly, Hector was able to fight Achilles at his level, trading blow for blow with the same otherworldly strength that Achilles himself possessed (until this fight, Hector never exhibited anything other than mortal strength and speed). As the heroes fought for close to half a day, no clear winner could be established and the exhibition was ended. Achilles walks away from the fight with a smile. He had never faced an opponent quite like Hector…

Over the years to come, relations between Sparta & Troy would deteriorate. Several events take place that lead to an all out war between the city states. Each side has its hero: Achilles for Sparta, Hector for Troy. The conflict eventually reaches fever pitch when these two warriors meet on the battlefield in single combat. Every soldier in the Spartan & Trojan armies fervently watched their heroes locked in epic combat. Exactly as it was years ago, the battle raged for hours with no clear winner. Each hero drew weapons only to be disarmed a moment later, with the weapon sometimes being destroyed in the process. It may have continued on for hours more, until both men dropped unconscious from sheer exhaustion, but Achilles drew a weapon that could not be disarmed…

It gives you wings

2008-08-05T08:12:00.004+02:00

Exciting things are going on within the dimly lit corridors of our haven:

Our first public appearance was a huge success! Most of the gamers were over the moon about the small peek at the comic. Plus we gave away our first signed T-Shirt as a prize. Oh yeah, that brings us too the next point...

We have T-Shirts! Just a few to start for the team and for some family members & one for the prize. It's a print of Achilles on the front (the same one on the blog) & our logo on the back. We've got ideas for more in the future.

Also, we're trying to expand the reach of the comic by attempting to promote it using different media. We're looking at Magazine, TV & Radio as possibilities & have started discussion along some of those avenues. Though nothing is set in stone just yet, it looks like a promising pursuit.

Though most importantly, work on the penciled panels is charging forward like a bull. A red one. Inking & coloring are also progressing at a steady pace, meaning that we will be starting ballooning & lettering very soon. Meaning submission time is drawing ever closer.

As for the blog, I'm awaiting pictures from the LAN of the T-Shirt winner to post to the blog. Tonight I'll be posting Hector's backstory part2 & a desktop wallpaper we distributed at the LAN. Check back later on...

We're all going on a summer holiday

2008-08-01T09:00:00.007+02:00

Excitable Youth: You do realize it's winter don't you?

Me: Yes. Yes I do. The heading was merely for effect. It wasn't literal.

Excitable Youth: And it's not a holiday. It's a LAN.

Me: Yes. I do realize such. Like I said, It wasn't meant to be taken literally. It was just a catchy way to introduce this post...

Excitable Youth: Plus it's not the whole team! So it shouldn't be "We're all going on a summer holiday". It should be "All the team members except Raksha are going to attend a LAN during winter." Yes! Change the heading!

Me: First off, no. Secondly, it would be too long. Thirdly, have you been drinking?

Excitable Youth: Not really. Does water count?

*and from the darkness of the void a hand appears and slaps the Excited Youth. He is no longer Excited*

Ordinary Youth: I have to go now...

Anyway. As you've no doubt gathered, some of the Myth Shadow team will be making our first public appearance at a LAN I'm attending. Were gonna spread the word & stuff... Plus there's some wallpapers we'll be distributing!

We'll bring you updates later... Peace Out for Now.

Round and round she goes

2008-07-31T21:48:00.005+02:00

The real life. She is getting to pulling the strings. The team is backed up. Like busy. Really busy. Plus any shreds of free time are going towards panels for the actual comic.

The blog is gonna go through a dry period for a bit, in terms of art - but fear not! I have some writing to keep you company for a while. A little treat for you all: A part of the back story for Hector of Troy:

Hector of Troy, Back Story - Part 1

He was born to a family of Trojan nobles whose bloodline could be traced back to Tros – the legendary founder of Troy. It was stated that from the bloodline of Tros would come the greatest warrior Troy would ever know. According to the legend, the warrior would deliver Troy into an era of prosperity that would rival every nation in the known world. Though Hector’s eventual fate at the hands of Achilles ended in his defeat, many Trojans believed that Hector was this warrior of prophecy. They believed that the prophecy was not fulfilled, as dark forces interfered with Trojan destiny…

Hector’s early life was unremarkable until the late days of his childhood when a caravan he and his family were part of was beset by brigands. The guards fought valiantly, though they were eventually slain. A few of the nobles within the caravan were slain as well, including Hector’s parents. Hector picked up a sword of one of the slain guards and dispatched the remaining brigands. Most amazing about this situation was that Hector had no formal combat training up to this point. Additionally he was only twelve years old…

After the incident, Hector lived with his uncle and was schooled in the ways of combat. Hector’s instruction in the ways of war would be thorough and gruelling. By the time was eighteen, he had surpassed many of his teachers in raw combat skill. During his early adulthood, Hector toured the Greek city states with a group of Trojan diplomats as captain their personal protectorate – during which time he met and learned from many warriors of varying stature in different city states, including: Athens, Alexandria, Delphi & Sparta. Though his time spent in Sparta would have the most impact on him.

I peer into the dark beyond

2008-07-28T19:47:00.000+02:00

Weeks into months into years;
Slowly the warmth wanes.
As my mind dwells on my fears -
The blood goes cold in my veins.

I try to remain ever awake;
To find a way to break this state.
Now I know, it was a mistake -
The fight brought nought but hate.

I peer into the dark beyond;
The hope is dying fast.
It was I who broke our bond -
To late to dwell in the past.

I should perhaps end my life;
It would be easier than this wait.
But I have endured the strife!
THAT SHALL NOT BE MY FATE!

I will free myself from this place;
I will not sever my nape,
Until then, I exist without trace -
I shall leave. I shall escape...

-Hector of Troy-

Ready your breakfast & eat hearty

2008-07-24T19:56:00.012+02:00

It's gonna be one wild night - Achilles just joined the party...

As always Leo (Betty) [pronounced Bet-tea] {Yes. Betty} has outdone himself!

I tell you, that man's a great magician with a pencil.

If you drink the dirty water...

2008-07-22T23:00:00.016+02:00

...you get to see the colors*

Here is Popcaptl (pop-ca-pet-al) [a.ka. Poppy] , in all his glory colored by the upto now unmentioned member of the group: Raksha.

In fact the group would be on it's last legs right now if it wasn't for this amazing women. She's the binding that holds the tome together. The thread that's woven into the fabric of the comic. The individual who prepares the food...

I am ashamed that I did not mention her earlier. All I did was eat her mash... (It was good mash by the way)

The woman is amazing. She did the coloring on our logo too. She is also Leon's "friend" and the mother-to-be of his baby.

Yes, dear readers. We three were standing in awe gaping into the chasm of the well which held the dirty water, afraid to take a sip...

...then Raksha brought the cups.

*Okay. You've noticed every post has a reference to somthing right? This one does too. Although it's the most obscure thus far so I shall explain it. Don't be expecting this every time. In future it's upto you to marinate in your own creative juices to come up with the reference.

This is from an old infamous game for PC called Diablo (the one with the rogue, wizard & warrior). There were these wells see; and if you drank from them your health would replenish. There was this bug (or feature. I never found out really) that caused your screen colors to flash and change rapidly when you drank from certain wells.

My brother and I always thought that if it the water could do that to you, it must not have been very clean...

Like I said; Pretty obscure...

Repeatingly Repetitive Repetition

2008-07-21T12:22:00.004+02:00

Dear Blog Readers,

As you may have already seen, the logo has been happily uploaded from my PC at work. This means either one of two things:

1. Blogger was issued last night and the issues have been fixed

-OR-

2. My laptop is full of the gooey brown stuff

Either way, the blog is starting to take shape. In the days to come each of the comic contributors (Duran, Leon and Myself) will be posting a bit about our involvement in the comic.

We'll also include juicy tidbits for the fans out there (concept art, perhaps videos & stuff).

One more thing Jackie... It appears that I am the admin of the blog. Any questions and the like can be sent to me via e-mail at realm.of.the.q@gmail.com

Peace Out,
Ziyaad

There's a ghost in the machine

2008-07-20T22:35:00.006+02:00

I don't know if it's my laptop or what, but I can't get our logo in the Header on the blog. It keeps error-ing out.

Also, when we created the blog earlier, we couldn't edit the fonts & colors. I had to download the template file, manually change the colors in the xml doc and upload it again to finally change them.

Perhaps it's Blogger itself. Or worse - it's some unseen force of such a magnitude of sheer malevolence that Charles Bronson himself would have to enlist the aid of Master Windu in order to curb such an evil...

*SHUDDER*

Anyway a temporary fix is just to add it to this post. Here you go:

That's how we roll

2008-07-20T17:09:00.007+02:00

It has begun! By the power of Greyskull! In a galaxy far, far away - there can be only one...

*Dramatic Instrumental Music Plays*

The world has changed. I can feel it in the water. I can smell it in the air. All that once was is now forgotten. The era of Myth Shadow has now begun...

And now, a taste of things to come: