This one is for Peter Richardson, co-creator of the brilliant Cloud 109. He and writer David Orme are going the right way about bringing their brainchild into the world: they own it, they have total control of it, and they're building an enthusiastic following by showing it off for free online. If you haven't yet latched on to the exploits of Cary, Gina and Rabby then head over and start reading here and pick it up here.Anyway, Peter mentioned recently the vertiginous effect of some of the scenes in Mirabilis, and that set me to noticing how many instances there are in the story of our heroes teetering on high places or falling from a long way up. A glance through the Silver Age covers will show you what I mean, and that's just a (long) drop in the ocean compared to what we've put Jack and Estelle through. I hope they have a better head for heights than I do.
Take the panel above, from the start of Chapter Five: "The Darkest Hour". Now I know what you're thinking - ah, that's just a dream. But no, it's actually a lot stranger than that...
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Ulp!
ReplyDeleteWhat can I say apart from you're way to kind Dave - seriously!
Many thanks for the ongoing support and encouragement you're giving us, it makes the fun of working on "Cloud 109" even more rewarding.
Now then chapter 5 - this is something I haven't yet encountered with my delving into the ongoing epic that is Mirabilis and that's even with cheating and arming myself with one of those rarer than a snow leopard's spots, copies of Mirabilis from you know where.
I'm even more intrigued as well as being highly flattered!
We completed nine chapters in all, each comic-book length, ie 20-25 pages. And that was still just scratching the surface of the Mirabilis story really, as I worked out that the final page of chapter nine ("Everything Changes") took place on January 20th of the Year of Wonders. So we could have gone on for another eleven books at that rate!
ReplyDeleteWell I'm up for all eleven of them - so git to it guys!
ReplyDeleteBut I am just amazed at the epic sweep of Mirabilis and the way that the whole book just sucks the reader in - really stunning production all round.
And still love that sequence of Jack and Estelle at the Gare de l'Est (I Presume) with the railway tracks running between them.
Fabulous and so beautifully orchestrated.
Now I have to say that you're too kind, Peter. It's feedback like this, that shows that Mirabilis's readers have spotted and appreciated all those little touches like the railway tracks, that make all our efforts over the last year worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteI and Leo would *love* to have gone on and done the other books - more than anything - but unfortunately, lacking control of the rights or indeed any news if/when it would be published, we had no choice but to shut our little team down after book one. And we don't even know if that will ever appear - certainly not before mid-2011, by which time I doubt if we'd be able to pick the story up again.
Still, at least we move on to new projects a little wiser. Well, hopefully a *lot* wiser!
The railway scene is one of my very favourites.
ReplyDeletePoor old Jack and Estelle - their love may be forever unrequited. On the other hand, at least they will never know disillusionment, instead remaining forever young and filled with hope and imagination. Which I guess is what Mirabilis was all about!
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