Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Blanche the Baby Killer, Comics, Elf, entertainment, kickstarter, Metalocalypse, Songgu Kwon, Xeric Grant

Former Metalocalypse Lead Designer To Do Graphic Novel

Songgu Kwon writes for Bleeding Cool:

Elf, a fantasy graphic novel

Elf is firmly rooted in the classic European high-fantasy genre of Tolkien and Dungeons & Dragons. Within its pages, you'll find a blend of surreal humor, emphasis on authentic depictions of medieval combat, and even poignant tragedy. As one of my readers enthusiastically put it:

"If you're into comics…
great artwork…
great storytelling…
and a good punchline…
If you're into military history… old weapons, fighting stances…
If you ever considered owning a Monster Manual, Player's Handbook, or DM guide….Songgu Kwon's web comic is worth the read! If the campaign is successful, the comic will be available in book form, and you NEED IT! Check it out!"

Elf has also been described in one instance as "Tolkien meets Monty Python". I would say this is a fair description. This comic is recommended for mature readers, less for the gory violence, harsh language, nudity, and sexual content that pepper its pages, but more for its mature and complex themes that some younger readers may not fully appreciate.

The goal of my kickstarter campaign is to produce a hard bound book of exceptional quality which will collect all of the stories in the series, along with a wealth of additional materials like concept and pin-up art, as well as an exclusive story which will not be featured anywhere else. The emphasis here is on making something that's really well made and substantial.

Many of the readers that have supported my crowd funding campaign so far have been from the UK and Europe. I am extremely grateful for this, because it means that despite the steep overseas shipping charges, they have chosen to back me anyway.

I've always been fascinated with the myths and fables of Europe and I have greatly admired the works of European masters of comic art, such as Milo Manara and Moebius. This has obviously influenced my work and it's been my impression that many European readers appreciate my comics for that. I will endeavor in the future to try to make more comics for the European market.

A fellow comic creator and friend, Daniel de Sosa of Oi!, who lives in London, recommended that I try to submit my project to Bleeding Cool. He's currently helping me to promote my project by distributing flyers to various spots in the city. If I should meet my crowd-funding goal, I will, in honor of my friend and the readers of Bleeding Cool, cut a watermelon in half with one of my swords and post the video on my Kickstarter page. I will do this! :O

About me:

Ever since I was a little kid, I was strongly drawn to comic books. In 2nd grade, I played hooky from many a Tae Kwon Do lesson to take refuge in the local comic book shop to read comics!

When I was in 8th grade, my passion for mythology, heroic fables and drawing was given a new outlet when my friends introduced me to the world of tabletop fantasy role playing games.

I am a comic book artist/writer and freelance illustrator. I also teach character design at Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood, California.

I published my first graphic novel, Blanche the Baby Killer #0, in 2001 after winning the Xeric Grant for indie comic artists. Blanche #0 was translated and reprinted in French by publisher Wetta Worldwide in 2007. I subsequently contributed comics to Heavy Metal Magazine as well as a number of independent comic anthologies.

In 2007 I took a hiatus from the world of print, when the opportunity arose to work as lead character designer for the popular Adult Swim animated show, Metalocalypse. The show ran from 2007 to 2012, during which time I designed and drew well over 1000 unique characters.

Later that year, I decided to return to my first love, the graphic novel, and started drawing Elf. Taking advantage of the Internet to post a page every week, what began as a series of one-page gags has slowly evolved into more expansive and complex story arcs. More than two years after inking the first page, I've decided Elf is ready to go to print.

The link to the Elf Kickstarter page:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/330163472/elf

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