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The Dark Tales Of The Brothers Harrow – The Next Step In Graphic Novel Evolution?

The Brothers Harrow write for Bleeding Cool:

What do Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, and Neil Gaiman's Sandman have in common?  Besides existing as amazing works that have defied the rules of the genre and art form, our mission was to find the answer.

Princess Mononoke's wildly imaginative world and dark themes took us to new places, awakened deep mysteries etched inside us that we didn't know existed.  There were no clear villains and heroes, each character haunted and affected by the pervading themes of industry vs. nature.  The medium of animation was used in a way we didn't even know was possible, while staying accessible to young and old.  The framing and lighting of Blade Runner were both provocative and evocative.  The blend of noir and science-fiction heightened the story's complex themes of humanity and isolation.  Sandman was a dense, beautiful, and literary experience without being pretentious.  It felt like a novel, but read like a comic.  Each of these works forged their own road for aspiring creators to follow.

On January 14, 2013, we set to launch a Kickstarter introducing our work, the intersection where these influences meet, The Dark Tales of The Brothers Harrow – Volume I.  This is a volume comprised of two separate stories that highlight the talents of two professional concept artists, Alex Charleux (Remember Me)  and  Levente Peterffy (Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty).  Our goal is to create a comic with the lighting and framing of a feature film, full of poignant mature themes and wildly fantastic imagery, all the while delivering a meaningful and unforgettable story.

Avalon Promo ImageAvalon – The World Within (art by Levente Peterffy) is a dark fantasy epic about a man lost amidst a quarter-life crisis. At his darkest hour, he awakens to the reality of a mysterious fantasy world that mirrors earth, Avalon. It is here where he encounters uncanny creatures and finds himself at the center of a conflict between six gods vying for the rule of Avalon. Imagine the journey of the Wizard of Oz with a Neil Gaimanesque approach to fantasy.

Delta Promo 1The Delta – Descent into The Black Inferno, (art by Alex Charleux) is the story of a self-righteous military veteran and firefighter that awakens from a coma, twenty years after the chaos of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is now a dangerous post-apocalyptic nightmare and the hero, in search of his missing son, must fight his way through the dystopian Underworld to investigate his son's abduction only to discover that the answer lies in the darkness of his past.

Delta and Avalon are really parallels of each other, opposite sides of the same coin.  They both capture the emotional and physical conflict of two male characters both shaped by their past and come to self-realization through a type of boundless fantastic journey that you usually get in really heavy literature.  Avalon (The World Within) is wider in scope and the main character delves into a world that's massive, full of lore and history.  Whereas The Delta is more intimate, following the Dante's Inferno template and seeing the world through the main character's eyes and experiences.

Levente and Alex were the perfect partners and collaborators in helping us reach our goal of pushing the medium of comics.

"I was just amazed by the blend of inspirations that build the world and the story of The Delta, inspirations that are also part of my own universe actually," said Charleux. "It makes discussion about the preproduction fluid and efficient as we share common references."

Peterffy adds, "What really peaked my interest with this project is that we are going very cinematic with the paneling in these novels and I absolutely love cinematography. The story is quite unique and the world that is being written is just so inspirational for me as an artist."

   

Those comic lovers (that means you, Bleeding Cool readers) that pledge in the first week and help us reach our $6,000 first week milestone, will receive exclusive promotional hi-res wallpaper.  The Kickstarter offers a number of rewards and prizes ranging from digital wallpaper, personal art from the concept artist, and a deluxe art book featuring concepts from the industry's leading artists.

Like our predecessors in story, we do not simply aspire to create a work, but we are taking on the role of modern mythmakers.  The Dark Tales stories are for comic fans that wish to immerse themselves in new worlds and seek out novel voices in a flooded medium.

The comic book series is available for pre-order on Prefundia .

The Brothers Harrow

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brothers.harrow

Levente Peterffy http://www.artoflevi.com

Alex Charleux http://eyellusive.cghub.com/

Avalon Promo 2 Avalon Sample Page Delta Promo 2 Delta Sample Page


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Dan WicklineAbout Dan Wickline

Has quietly been working at Bleeding Cool for over three years. He has written comics for Image, Top Cow, Shadowline, Avatar, IDW, Dynamite, Moonstone, Humanoids and Zenescope. He is the author of the Lucius Fogg series of novels and a published photographer.
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