Silent Devil is set to get medieval on comic fans come September with the company’s new release Runes of Ragnan – a comic series that is steeped in the violent history of the Norsemen and the Viking mythology that ruled their lives. Ty Gorton writes the series with art by Josh Medors and colorist Jay Fotos.
In an interview with Monsters and Critics, the three creators discussed the ends and outs of the book, what they had planned for the series, the unique aspects they hope will draw readers to the new comic, and the secrets that await readers when the #1 issue hits stands.
THE STORY:
Although they were reluctant to revel too much of the story behind the Runes of Ragnan (RoR), the basic plot is an epic battle between two immortal brothers that spans more than a thousand years. One brother, Eldjarn, represents the more noble aspects of the god Odin, while the other, Gunnarr, embodies only his ruthless lust for battle.
Gorton revealed that the origin of these two brothers is the true essence of this series, and he plans on making sure readers will have to wait and experience that knowledge as they read.
“In terms of the larger, overall concept, there are elements we are unwilling to reveal at this time,” Gorton said. “It is very important to me that readers discover the truths about the characters in RoR as they read each issue, rather than knowing everything before they peel back the first page.”
Other clues to the story and what is happening can be found in the amount of research that went into the title to ensure that it was somewhat accurate to the true history and mythology of the Vikings. The creators also wanted to make sure that they lived up to the term “epic” that was being used to describe the book.
“I know that Ty really took his time and studied Norse mythology,” Medors said about Gorton’s devotion to making sure the book maintained its historic aspects. “People who have studied this time period will definitely be able to point out parts of the book that hold true to what little is know about this time period. We have thrown in little things here and there just as a nod to those who have also done their research.”
“Yes, it was very important for me that the book have authentic Viking lore incorporated into it. I put a lot of effort into making that happen while not beating people over the head with it,” Gorton said concerning his efforts on accuracy. “Readers that have some knowledge about Vikings will no doubt get a little more out of the story and art…because they'll be picking up on things as they go, things that aren't necessarily explained in the text. That's the way we wanted it.”
As far as maintaining the epic feel to the book, that was more of a struggle for Gorton, but one he felt was needed once it had already begun to describe the title.
“The tricky thing about an epic concept is…once you establish something concretely for your characters and/or your ‘reality’, you're pretty much stuck with it,” Gorton joked. “You could cheat your way out of it, but I'm not one to do that. So I had to be sure that these characters and the world in which they lived were pretty well fleshed out right from the start…so I didn't trap myself in something I'd regret later on.”
Runes of Ragnan blends fantasy and history
In addition to creating an epic with a more accurate historic feel, Gorton and the other creators were determined to keep the book from feeling like a fantasy title - such as Dark Horse’s Conan title or a Lord of the Rings. This determination rooted the book in a more physical, brutish reality. The creators describe the book’s battles as “in your face” and “flesh against flesh, steel on steel blood fests.”
Even with its focus on historic accuracy and less fantasy feel, RoR will also feature a world of dark magic and other elements that will help create a more interesting environment for the characters. It just won’t dominate the storyline or readers perspective of the book.
Gorton describes the books mix of history and fantasy as more of a natural blend rather than something he was forced to create to meet requirements for a certain type of genre.
“Viking mythology has a fantasy vibe to it on it's own, it really didn't need much help from me,” the writer said. “With giants walking their underworlds and dwarves springing up from the ground and gods messing with the affairs of mankind…it really isn't much of a stretch to incorporate some of the more classical fantasy elements.”
Even with the amounts of historic research, epic qualities, and fantasy elements that are within the title, the foundation of the book’s story remains the origins of the brothers Eldjarn and Gunnarr. The writer maintained the story is about them, their eternal confrontation, how it affects the world, and how others interact with it.<!--page-->
THE ART:
Once the concept was established, the creators began the work of fleshing the brothers and their world out and making sure it was all just the way they wanted it.
Gorton said he knew Medors would be perfect for the book from samples he had seen of the artist work when Gorton ran a Spawn fan website. Medors had sent in artwork for a competition the site ran, and Gorton knew that he would want to work with Medors at some point on a project. When the RoR story began to take shape, the writer knew that Medors’ medieval art would fit in perfectly with the tone he wanted for the book.
Medors and Fotos art matches the story's theme
Designing the art of the story would require more research, this time on the part of Medors – who found there wasn’t a lot of refrence about the Vikings and their culture available. This gave the artist, and his colorist, the ability to “go nuts” with the world they were creating and make it as gloomy as the story needed.“There wasn’t an enormous amount of reference available,” Medors said about the research he did. “The characters evolved through out the creation of the original five pages (yes there are five original pages that no one has seen) I have a feeling as I work with the characters more and more they will continue to grow visually.”
Fotos used Gorton to help him decide on how the colors of the book should reflect the story. This collaboration, along with Medors’ stunning pencils, helped him get the mood set for each panel.
“Talking mostly with Ty about it, he wanted it to be ‘like it really is’ dirty, gritty and gloomy....true to the story,” Fotos said about the book’s feel. “Josh's art just makes it that much easier. I think it's really important to communicate to make sure everyone is on the same page.”
To help maintain the book’s harsher mood, the artist worked hard to stay away from what Fotos described as the "candy coated" style, which is popular in many comics today.
Medors also wanted to stay away from what other artist were doing in their books, even the fantasy ones, and purposely didn’t read those hot titles while working on RoR. He admits the book still has some touches of the other artist that influence his work, and he is used to getting compared to them.
Although he used to get frustrated when his art would be compared to others, he said that now it is a compliment and that he has stopped being concerned about it. Instead, Medors is focused on the pages of RoR, which can sometimes take eight hours to finish a single page, and letting the art speak for itself.
The artist also relies on Fotos to help bring the artwork and overall look of the book, along with the story, to life. The two men have worked together on different projects in the past and are able to trust each other man’s instincts on how to get the job done right.
Runes of Ragnan promises intense action
“I know when to leave something out, because Jay can make it look a lot cooler than I can with the color,” Medors said about his art partner.
“Josh is very good and only getting better, he's still a newcomer and you'll have to agree we all expect good things for him,” Fotos, who can sometimes finish a book in two days, said. “There is nothing that I hate (about the details of Medors’ pencils). I like Josh a lot, he has no ego and in this game is very important and smart way to go.”
The book’s writer is also extremely pleased with the outcome of the art that Medors and Fotos have sent him. It maintains the harshness of the time period he wanted to capture and it also captures the fantasy elements that are needed without letting them dominate the story.
“That it (the art in RoR) has a hard edge to it is just a reflection of our respective styles as creators. Josh loves doing horror comics and intense medieval carnage…and anyone that has read any of my stuff knows it tends to dwell in a darker place,” Gorton said about the book’s art style and tone. “We definitely had zero intention of trying to outdo anything else, we simply created the type of book that we'd be excited to read. RoR is the natural result.”<!--page-->
WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THE BOOK:
The creators of Runes of Ragnan have delivered a book that has a solid story that hits you over the head with action, brilliant pencils to bring the characters to life and colors that not only set the mood of the book but also bring it into reality.
Runes of Ragnan #1 back cover
The question still remains why should comic fans take a chance on a new book when the comic market is overflowing with solid established books that range from superhero tales to fantasy and crime stories.This is a question that all three creators feel they can answer. They don’t say to check out the book because it is like Thor or Conan. They don’t say give the book a try because its artwork is similar to the darker titles like Spawn or 30 Days of Night.
Instead, they say check out Runes of Ragnan because it is more than a comic and the book is created by more than just big name comic writers making a quick buck.
“The dedication put into this book was insane. I know what it takes to do a monthly comic with a large company, it gets handed from one creator to the next, and they earn their paycheck. All of the creators involved in this project worked for free,” Medors said about the amount of work that went into creating the epic. “They worked because of their love of comics, and their belief in the project. It’s quite amazing when you think about all of the time put into each page.”
Not only did the creators design a solid plot and stunning art to thrill their fans, but also a game that will allow the book’s readers to continue the adventure. The game was added to the comic in a direct attempt by the creators to make sure that fans are getting more for their money and also being able to become more involved with the title.
Medors and Gorton both believe this level of fan involvement is one reason comic fans should give the new title a chance, and is a way of reaching a broader audience. There are other items hidden within the comic that will also keep fans busy until the next issue hits.
“Runes of Ragnan offers fan involvement. We do things in the book that gets the fans involved, such as contest, hidden messages, D20 gaming stats, as well as our favorite zombie killing hillbilly and his dog, ‘Jack and Bastard’ in the back of each issue,” Medors said. “When fans finish reading the book, it doesn’t stop there. There are ways the fans can win original art, and even get published in the book. It’s not simply a comic book.”
Runes of Ragnan poster
When Runes of Ragnan hits the stands in September, comic fans will have the opportunity to experience a new title that the creators have taken their time to deliver in an attempt to bring something they can all be proud of to the public. The story is full of action and the art’s dark tone reflects the world that the three men worked hard to create.
They hope that it will catch on with comic fans and plan to see it continue past the first initial story. They are all guarded about the details of the story, but, as comic fans themselves, that is done so that the fans can get the rush of the story as they read it rather than knowing what is going to happen before the book is even bought.
Still, being a true comic writer, Gorton can’t help but tease about things to come and leave all wanting a little more information for what he has in store for the title.
“As far as hints for the future…yes, there will be an incredibly attractive and strong female lead coming soon…and NO, she will not be wearing some weak ass coconut bra for armor,” he joked. “Beyond that, expect Viking mythology to come to life in countless unexpected, creative ways. We've got things planned that literally make me cackle.”
Visit Silent Devil for more information about Runes of Ragnan.
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