Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, kickstarter

Cutting Deep

Published Sun, 30 Aug 2015 11:00:34 -0500

Cremisi: Issue 1, Isaac Fox, Sayako Rush, Bradley Wynn, Brent Rynders. Close Date: 9/21/15. Publishing Date: 8/29/15

by Isaac Fox

We're all used to the formulas, right? The villain attacks, makes some evil proclimation, then someone with a neat and trim look shows up, talks about the virtues of doing good, and stops the villain. Often going out with some zingy "crime never pays' one-liner. Or, a big bad arrives on the scene forcing our heroes to dig deep and find that hidden power that gives them just enough to win. All to find out later the guy they just beat is nothing compared to the next guy. As predictable as they are, I for one love these formulas. But, what about a story that slices these ideals away? What about a comic that cuts a bit… deeper? That's what the space-western comic, Cremisi, is all about.

The first thing anyone will notice about Cremisi is its black and white style with a somewhat visceral touch. Shades of red, or crimson, are used as highlights like bold lettering in a news article. I've always enjoyed the over-exaggerated blood spatters and sprays we get in our comics and manga. I feel it helps strengthen the severity of a situation within the reader's mind. In Cremisi, I believe this helps the reader understand the shock the character's go through when faced with violent situations.

The universe of Cremisi is as emotionally rough as it is visually smooth. We're dealing with characters possessing flaws and imperfections, who are emotionally or psychologically damaged. Characters who, while may or may not be essentialy good, behave in ways which blur the line between what we understand as right and wrong.

"The devil's real. And his name is… Cremsi."

Cremisi chronicles the adventures of spaceship Captain Shay and the crew of the ship Purgatory some 15 years after the massacre of a small, planetary colony at the hands of a being known only as Cremisi. The issue 1 debut takes place on a backwater planet just beyond human-controlled space. While taking some time to indulge himself, Shay happens upon information leading to a small-time bounty hiding just outside town. Looking to make the job even easier, he teams up with a local law marshal to track down his target. Throughout his "easy" hunt, it quickly becomes clear something's not right about this whole thing. Why would a small town crook steal biological transport materials?

I was a 90's kid. I came home from school everyday, read a few comics, then sat down and watched the golden years of Cartoon Network's Toonami. Batman, Outlaw Star, Gundam Wing, and Dragon Ball Z were my childhood. As a young man, these shows inspired me. I'd watch reruns while making notes about their stories and characterizations. It's been my goal with Cremisi to capture that fast-action style with characters a viewer can relate to on a personal level. I've been writing on this story for many years and have never spent more than two days without diving into some aspect of the Cremisi universe. Most of our main cast are non-humans and I really think that'll give our viewers the opportunity to see things beyond our normal perspective.

My team and I are running a kickstarter to help us get Issue 1 finished up, printed, and out the door. It's been one week and we're alreayd well over half our goal. I dont' think words can describe how amazing it feels to see people interested in my work. With a little help, we can bring the universe of Cremisi to life. If we can reach 90% by Monday night, we'll toss in a special print for every backer receiving a physical reward. Or, a digital version for our backers who prefer only virtual rewards.

You can check out our kickstarter here.

Thank you to everyone who's supported us!