In my latest internet excursions I stumbled across a treasure trove. Una the Blade is a comic being developed by cartoonist, Steve LeCouilliard. So far it is absolutely fantastic. The concept is a barbarian mother who is trying to raise her two small children in a harsh Conan like universe. The style is simply out of this world, remaining true to its cartoon roots while rendering a very serious, often violent landscape. The characters are full of emotion, with facial expressions and body movement that tells the story beyond the dialogue. Needless to say, I am very impressed.
I’ve collected a few of the choice bits below for those who don’t want to wade through the blogs. Chapter 1 is what got me hooked.
- Una Prequal
- Una Chapter 1
- Una Chapter 2
- Una at Sea
- Additional Una art here, here and here. Oh and some more here and here.
You can find a few chapters of the story and more artwork on his blog . This is also part of a new Live Journal community called Illyham.
The idea is that all the stories will surround the town of Illyham, a port town set in a generic fantasy universe. Any style of fantasy is welcome in the mix. Japanese RPG, Sword and Sorcery, 80’s cartoons, D&D, whatever. It’s completely open, so anyone can contribute. There are a few simple rules posted on the site. Ultimately, we plan to collect and publish the best stories that come out of this. I hope some of you guys feel inspired to contribute.
Another very promising story from the community is Lawrence of Illyham, Cooper. I know less about the creator for this one but it too has a ton of charm and personality. The art style is quite different than Una but also well worth checking out.
Note that these links may ask you to verify your age. I don’t believe there is anything NSFW in either Una or Lawrence but there are a few pieces in the community that are less than work safe.
Welcome
I am Michael Sigler and this is my blog. I am a designer, artist, art director, writer, dungeon master and all around geek. I live in Portland, OR with my wife Joleine. During the day I work for the fine folks at Jive Software.
On the interwebs
Projects
These are the communities and projects that I proudly help lead and maintain.
Dragon Avenue
A community and news site for fans of Dungeons and Dragons and other role-playing games.
Refresh Portland
A monthly gathering focused on spreading a little design knowledge to the dark corners of Portland, OR.
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