Review Fix chats with “Zaidura Chronicles†author Christian Martin, who lets us know what inspired the series and his goals for it in 2019 and beyond.
Review Fix: What inspired this comic?
Christian Martin: It was a combination of a few different things. So when I was young I was really into this series of toys called Bionicle. So it’s about this island that’s being taking over by an evil spirit called Makuta and there are six heroes that are sent by the gods to beat him. There’s more but I’m summarizing. So besides the design of the toys what pulled me in was the story and lore behind them. I was caught in the epic tale of good and evil with heroes who controlled elements, which was exciting to me. I remember buying the toys and reenacting stories of their exploits from the comics they had and from the online game and sometimes I would come up with my own stories with those characters. So I guess you could say that was what started me down the path or writing. Once I grew out of toys I turned to books and my mother introduced me to The Lord of the rings and Star Wars. The Lord of the rings took me by storm, I spent a lot of time just reading through Tolkien books and when I got older I took a deep dive into the Silmarillion and the unfinished works. Tolkien is one of my greatest inspirations and his world-building has always been something I’ve deeply admired. Star Wars was another series that inspired my comic, mostly the villains. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy the Jedi and other aspects of his world but I love the Sith and think they’re some of the coolest designed characters Lucas has helped create.
Review Fix: How is it different from other comics out there?
Martin: I feel that two things are going to make my comic stand out. One would be the world itself. I’ve learned a lot from reading Tolkien and watching Studio Ghibli films that a good world is just as important as the characters that are in it. Second would be the main character himself. Erebos is very much a flawed character, he isn’t someone I would classify as a hero. He does many heroic acts however he himself isn’t a hero. I hope what pulls people in is how relatable he is. Erebos through-out the story is going to struggle with his baser nature and many times it’s going win out. I want to show people that the people we think are Heroes have the same struggles that we go through every day and that just like us they don’t always win those battles.
Review Fix: What makes this comic special?
Martin: This is something of a lifelong goal I’ve had, since high school, it’s what I’ve always wanted to do. To write comics.
Review Fix: What creators do you think have influenced you the most?
Martin: I’d have to say, J.R.R. Tolkien, George Lucas, George R.R. Martin, Hiromu Arakawa ( Creator of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood), Masashi Kishimoto ( Creator of Naruto), Eiichiro Oda, Jeff Smith ( Creator of Bone), Hayao miyazaki. These people have influenced me in one way or another wither it be through their story-telling, their characters or the worlds they’ve created. Each of the mentioned creators has helped me create the world I have today. One day I hope to be that person for someone else.
Review Fix: How do you want it to be remembered?
Martin: I aspire to be remembered as one of the greats but honestly if one person picks up my comic and enjoys the hell out of that and falls in love with the characters and the world then that would be enough for me.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Martin: Finishing Zaidura Chronicles and working on spin-off series of the work. They’re as follows: Zaidura Chronicles: Origins, Zaidura Chronicles: 5 years, Zaidura Chronicles: Legacy and Zaidura Chronicles: Rise of the Sun. I also would like to continue with a space fantasy story I’m working on that takes place in the same universe as Zaidura.
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