We try to keep a certain tone to the book. We get together and he shows me the script, and we go over things he or I would want to see to make certain pages visually interesting or dynamic. PREVIEWSworld: What’s the creative process like between you and Neil?
#KAGE MEANING MOVIE#
Ha! If I had to go back and rewrite the logline that I used to pitch to publishers I’d say “Imagine an old school side-scrolling fighting game based on a Kurosawa movie with a Wu-Tang soundtrack.” Side-scrolling fighting games on the original NES like Double Dragon and Streets of Rage. The fact that Hachiro is one of seven samurai is a nice nod. PREVIEWSworld: The book definitely has roots in the samurai genre. Hachiro’s enemies and trials mean different things to me now that I am older but I see some of these fears in my kids so I think these interpretations can still be relevant.
Later, he faces the embodiment of guilt, then a God-figure, and so forth. The apparition of a father that isn’t in the picture anymore is so on the nose that it's a little embarrassing. The giant ONI in Hachiro’s first encounter is the archetypal bully. They are so obviously an allegory for the fears and worries of an awkward, nerdy kid. However, it would take a psychologist less than a minute to identify where the beasts, demons, and evil things came from in my original script all those years ago. Is this going to be heavily supernatural or lean more towards action? PREVIEWSworld: The descriptions mention demons and beasts. Someone who puts duty before personal needs. I would describe him as being very skilled and resourceful. The main arc of this story is the things he has to face to succeed. Hachiro is just the version of that character we put in the story. I think initially Neil's story followed a "ninja-type" character through different obstacles, etc. Why do we follow them through this story, specifically? I have been a friend and fan of Gus’ work for a long time and once I told him he’d be drawing Samurai lopping heads off, he was in. I said we should do something with this and the comic idea was born. Then a few years ago, Michael sent me a letter and I was surprised when I opened it to find he had copyrighted the character on our behalf. I’d put our main character into impossible situations and then to continue the story, he would have to come up with a way to write the character out of his predicament then do the same to me. We had notebooks that we would draw and write the story in. Neil Davis: I wrote the basic treatment in high school with my friend Michael. PREVIEWSworld: How did you both get involved in the project? However, the setting of most of the story takes place in a mystical 'Realm' where the scenery and characters are different for everyone who enters. Gus Mauk: I guess I would say the setting would be the Edo period. Neil Davis: It’s Japanese and it means Shadow of Death. PREVIEWSworld: So what is the definition of “shi no kage?”
#KAGE MEANING SERIES#
It conjures up thoughts of dramatic journeys, of loyalty, honor, revenge.insurmountable odds! And if you consider yourself a fan of this treasured genre then Blackbox Comics' Shi No Kage ( NOV201169) is right up your alley! PREVIEWsworld cornered Shi No Kage's artist and writer to find out why their new series does this beloved genre justice. The samurai genre has a very storied history and carries a lot of weight with a particular type of fan.