[ENGLISH] KHASMATA - A dark fantasy / sci-fi graphic novel

 

We are currently in the proccess of making an original graphic novel at least 200 pages long, completely hand-drawn and digitally colored, planned to be finished within the term of one year in digital format. Created by chilean artists Jorge Olavarría (Script, drawing) and Macarena Aravena (Color).

The script is already 100% finished and a 20 pages demo is ready to be read and enjoyed. Currently, we are working on a crowdfunding campaign to fund the complete graphic novel.

The Story

Synopsis

Ozer is a lonely and selfish automaton technician who is sent to a remote border city for a job under the promise of a considerable reward. In this strange land, he finds himself under the crossfire between the colonizing forces of the Nation of Ulvura and the inhabitants of the most indomitable place in the planet: the Khasmata region.

However, the tensions and violence of a disputed land are interrupted by a new threat whose brutality could change the course of history forever: Ozer discovers the first sightings of unknown beings watching from above and thrashing everything on their way without any opposition. Everything seems to point that these uncanny beings come from an unexplored place where no one survives, the Great Rift located in the very heart of the Khasmata region.

Into the jaws of danger, Ozer will have everything he ever knew and believed challenged in living blood. With the company of Mave, a young city guard volunteer and Soral, an orthodox monk from Khasmata itself, Ozer will face tough decisions and unthinkable experiences. Loyalty and betrayal have lethal consequences in this cruel and indifferent world. What’s the path to choose as an insignificant man amidst the chaos caused by those who pull the strings from above?

The main cast

Ozer

Protagonist, an automaton factory employee from the city of Druine. A young man, perceptive and witty, but often unscrupulous and selfish. While well-intentioned and peaceful most of the time, he has a strong tendency to cheat and steal from people he doesn’t like. Ozer usually speaks sarcastically and lacks ambition beyond monetary gratification.

Mave

Co-protagonist. A young volunteer from the Civil Guard in the remote border city of Cretha, and second in command after Captain Polat, her mentor. Mave is idealist, diplomatic and altruistic, but very emotional and sometimes hot-tempered; although a little naive and over-trusting. She meets Ozer at a complicated moment, mourning the recent and misterious death of the foreign explorer Rivael Sienna, her former closest friend.

Polat

The captain of the Civil Guard of Cretha. Respected by his allies and appreciated by his peers, Polat is an imposing man, assertive and determined; but lacks a lot of emotional and social intelligence, which makes him cold-mannered, inexpressive, avoidant and overly pragmatic. Having to deal with big responsabilities and tough decisions, he has forged his character under the principle of the common good, even when it means recurring to make questionable sacrifices or cruel tactics.

Soral

A young monk from the Mundurian nation, the rulers of Khasmata. He carries his devotion for the goddess Matriade through his path of learning beyond the limits of his monastery and his land. Soral is gentle, willful and loyal, but he’s a dogmatic thinker and very distrustful. Because of their beliefs and advocacy for violence, the mundurian monks are considered terrorists by most of the Ulvurian people and their ways are widely misunderstood.

Junika

Main antagonist. High member of The Watch, Captain of the expansion operation on the southern area of the states of Ulvura. A severe, ruthless, cruel and aggressive woman; part of a faction inside the ranks of The Watch which is known for an authoritarian and vengeful project. She has had to transform into a fearsome figure in order to earn her place, but at a high cost: the excessive violence that she enforces and exposes herself is slowly feeding her growing neurotic states.

One of these guys is under this armor. But i won't tell who it is yet. 

Sample pages

What is Kickstarter?

"Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform where people can raise money for creative projects. Creators share their ideas with backers who pledge funds in exchange for rewards or to help make the project a reality. If a project reaches its funding goal within the campaign period, the creator receives the funds."

Each Kickstarter campaign sets a funding goal, which has to be met usually 30 days after the launch through the pledges of the community, and the rewards are set after the amount of money that the backer pledges.

Our campaign

Our Kickstarter campaign intends to collect the money needed for the production of the full graphic novel, offering as reward the possibility to be featured in the final product, from a mention in the credits page, to custom illustrations and appearances inside of the story pages.

While we have done considerable advances into the making of this graphic novel, the quality and the detail that this extensive story requires doesn’t allow us to afford a stable work pace nor a realistic deadline using only our spare time. Currently, most editorial companies don't invest in the production of graphic novels, only publishing and distribution of already finished works. So, after exhausting our previous options, the most feasible course of action is a crowdfunding campaign.

We understand that the absence of a physical book can be a bit of a turn-off for some backers, but we decided to propose the campaign in the most feasable and realistic way for this stage: To deliver a quality story from beginning to end, ready to be read and enjoyed. A steady first step with the least risk possible.

What are the rewards?

Since there will be no physical books at the time, only the production of the graphic novel in digital format, the reward will be to offer the chance for every backer to leave their mark into the project. And when the time for publishing a physical book eventually arrives, all of these marks will be carried along.

How can I pledge?

Currently, we are in the "pre-launch" stage. You can enter our campaign page by clicking this image:

The "pre-launch" stage usually takes one month or two, depending on the promotion we achieve and how many people have signed in advance to be notified when the full campaign launches, allowing people to pledge money and choose their rewards. 

In this pre-launch page, you can sign for notification through the black button on the right side of the page, as shown in the example image below:

We deeply appreciate you signing in for notification in our Kickstarter campaign. This also helps us calculate when will be a good time to launch the full 30-days campaign.

Will I like this graphic novel?

If you think this Project looks good enough, but you´re not so sure on the story, I am here to present you some leads that might tell you what to expect.

Influences and inspirations

The format of this graphic novel has a lot in common with japanese manga, specially Kentaro Miura’s Berserk. If you love slow-burning drama, enough lenght to focus on the characters and a worldbuilding that doesn’t need to explain itself before things start to happen, I’m sure you will like “Khasmata”.

Through the character’s experiences, this story explores themes related to Chilean and Latin american history, re-imagining and creating parallels with events like the invasion of the American continent, the colonizing process, foreign power’s interventions, and the resistance of the local communities against violent occupation.

With that being said, one of the main inspirations for how these themes are presented is the classic sci-fi masterpiece El Eternauta, by the argentinians H.G. Oesterheld and F. Solano López. The clash between the familiar and the unknown, the invasion of a mysterious and vicious power, and the communication between these two sides, is something masterfully displayed in El Eternauta. The thoughts and feelings of the characters in these situations can be extrapolated to the narration of the first contacts of the american natives with the Spanish Conquistadores, a part of history in which this Project is heavily inspired.

Many of the character archetypes presented in "Khasmata" are based on roleplaying games. These characters grow, learn and polish their skills as the story unfolds. If you’re familiar with Dungeons and Dragons, or videogame sagas such as The Elder Scrolls and Knights of the Old Republic, you might find yourself in familiar territory.

Visually speaking, many influences converge into the designs for “Khasmata”. The diverse landscapes of Chile, indigenous and pre-colonial attire and architecture from South America and Africa, retro sci-fi illustration, etc. But if i had to summarize all of it, i would quote a friend who recently said: “It’s like a mix between Moebius and Morrowind.” I wish i was half as good as Moebius though, but i will do my best to deliver the most from my abilities.