Alexis E. Fajardo's Blog, page 3
February 16, 2022
The Lay of the Last Survivor
November 3, 2020
INTERVIEW – Smash Pages
I’m taking all these disparate elements about the foundation of Rome and spinning it in my own Kid Beowulf fashion. For me that’s looking at the relationship between Romulus and Remus and how that mirrors Beowulf and Grendel. And then throwing in sword and sandals elements as a nod to those great movies like Spartacus and Gladiator. If you’re going to go to Rome, people want to see some of those elements – or at least, I wanted to play around with those tropes.
– Alexis Fajardo, Smash Pages Q&A
There’s more to this interview I did recently with Alex Deuben at SMASH PAGES.
October 30, 2020
PREVIEW – Book Four “The Tarpeian Rock”
In this action-packed graphic novel, twin brothers, Beowulf and Grendel are lost in ancient Italy, trapped as slaves who must fight for their freedom in the gladiatorial games. There in the arena the brothers will battle fearsome warriors, deadly beasts, and meet another pair of twins, Romulus and Remus. It all leads to the founding of the world’s most epic city: ROME!
If you’d like to keep reading, then join the adventure on the Patreon page where the story is being released episodically every week. There are currently over 40 chapters (150+ pages) available to read right now! If you prefer to read in issue form digital editions are available on Comixology.
The print edition of The Tarpeian Rock is slated for a Spring 2021 release. If you’d like to get updates please join the mailing list!
October 1, 2020
September 29, 2020
Tarpeia 3D Sculpt
We’re knee-deep into the Kickstarter month and I wanted to share one of the special reward tiers I developed featuring the hero of book four – Tarpeia! I love creating 3D sculpts of my characters and years ago I worked with sculptor Pam Drucker to create Beowulf, Grendel, and Hama – she did a marvelous job bringing the trio to life.
At the time these were done as traditional sculpts, which meant creating a cast out of rubber and pouring resin into the mold. There was a fair amount of sanding and polishing and I had each of these hand-painted too. They turned out great and what few I have are being offered as upper tier rewards on the kickstarter.
In the time since I did these 1st Edition sculpts, 3D printing has come a long way and I wanted to do another sculpt for the newest book using a 3D printer. First though, I had to find a sculptor who could bring Tarpeia to life and I was lucky to find digital sculptor Josh Hall. Once Josh and I synced up on what pose would be best for the sculpt and for printing I worked up a model sheet for Tarpeia and her pal, Pici the woodpecker.
After several rounds of back and forth, fine-tuning and editing the sculpt, we got her where she needed to be. The rendition below is a turnaround of Tarpeia as she’d look printed in gray resin.
When the model prints, it will be printed in pieces that can be painted and fit together. Below is what the “keyed” model looks like and how the pieces fit together.
When put together and painted she would like similar to this fully rendered version Josh did below.
This was a really fun project to work on and I’m excited to offer this as a reward tier on the kickstarter. The Tarpeia 3D Sculpt level gets you the following when you pledge $75 or more to the kickstarter. There is still a long way to go on the campaign so please spread the word and consider pledging if you’d like bring Tarpeia and the graphic novel The Tarpeian Rock to life!
August 10, 2020
The Tarpeian Rock – Part IV
The latest installment of book four, The Tarpeian Rock, is now available online at Comixology and Gumroad!
With his twin brother Grendel incapacitated, it’s up to Beowulf to shoulder the burden of fighting alone in the Arena. If he fights well enough, and survives long enough, he might well win them their freedom. Meanwhile, a captured Remus makes a fateful choice to save his people, unaware that his own twin brother, Romulus, has made a decision that is sure to doom them. Finally, out of the fog of time and memory, a figure returns to the Tiber River Valley to witness the change, whether it be for good or ill.
For those of you who have been reading and subscribing to the book on Patreon, thank you! This issue comprises Episodes 14-23 and will be available to you FREE as part of you subscription, so keep any eye out for that link to download your reward.
If you’d like to read the story as it happens, consider subscribing to the patreon, for just $2/month you’ll get weekly installments of the new book (we’re up to Episode 32) as well as other great rewards!
July 28, 2020
July 1, 2020
The Tarpeian Rock – Part III
The latest installment of book four, The Tarpeian Rock, is now available online at Comixology and Gumroad!
Remus is captured by the Sabines after a failed assassination attempt against the brutal King Titus and is locked away in the bowels of the Arena where he meets an unlikely ally. Meanwhile Romulus tries to recuperate from a savage wound inflicted by Grendel at the only haven he’s ever known: the Lupercal. Finally, with her friends in dire straits but her duty to the High Priestess in question, Tarpeia must decide where her loyalty truly lies.
For those of you who have been reading and subscribing to the book on Patreon, thank you! This issue comprises Episodes 14-23 and will be available to you FREE as part of you subscription, so keep any eye out for that link to download your reward.
If you’d like to read the story as it happens, consider subscribing to the patreon, for just $2/month you’ll get weekly installments of the new book (we’re up to Episode 25) as well as other great rewards!
May 20, 2020
The Tarpeian Rock – Part II
The latest installment in The Tarpeian Rock is now available online at Comixology and Gumroad!
Twin brothers, Romulus and Remus lead a quiet life as shepherds in the hills of Latium, but the seasons are changing and the neighboring Sabines have begun their annual Festival of Mars – a time of the year when they take a young Latin to be sacrificed to the blood-thirsty crowd in the Arena. Meanwhile, waiting in the wings of the Arena and ready to prove themselves at the games comes a new pair of fighters: Beowulf and Grendel!
For those of you who have been reading and subscribing to the book on Patreon, thank you! This issue comprises Episodes 6-13 and will be available to you FREE as part of you subscription, so keep any eye out for that link to download your reward. Everyone else – consider subscribing to the patreon, for just $2/month you’ll get weekly installments of the new book (we’re up to Episode 21) as well as other great rewards!
