Broken Frontier

South of the Border, Eh?

No, it’s not a Mackenzie Brothers sequel nor is the NHL relocating one of its teams. Its Arcana Studio’s president, Sean O’Reilly, making the trek from Canada to Mexico for El Ersenal: Beer, Bullets, and Rock n Roll. On December 9th, Monterrey will be hosting a music festival where bands will play some El Arsenal inspired rock n roll.

Music was the inspiration behind the comic book series published by Arcana Studio, so it is only fitting that they now play host to a music festival in their honor. Series writer, Salvador Vasquez has stated his stories are created by song. He listens to a song and then starts to visualize the characters, dialogues, situations... The next thing you know you have El Arsenal. There’s the power of rock n roll. The comic series even opens with a lyric (“In this land of strangers, there are dangers, there are sorrows…) from the Pixie’s song Silver.

Joining Sean and Salvador at the bash will be none other than Salvador’s El Arsenal co-creator and series artist, Daniel Perez. Inker Tatto and Ezra artist, Alfonso Ruiz, will be on hand as well at an event that will not doubt only help Mexico’s reputation as a full-blooded party destination. It’s a happening that looks like it could have come out of the mad world created by Vasquez and Perez.

El Arsenal, which has been compared to maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s earliest films, follows the story of Simon Templas Masiosare, the best mercenary in the business, who accepts a mission to steal a powerful biological weapon. However, Simon quickly realizes that his timing couldn’t be worse. When he arrives at "Las Tristezas de Tutankhamen” he realizes that a bounty has just been put on his head. Now, every top mercenary is looking for him. This is just the beginning of a story full of twists and strong characters like the beautiful (and deadly) Zazil, the fat Elvis-impersonating mercenary Godzukee, and death himself.

The El Arsenal bash is a precursor to what is shaping up to be a busy 2006 for Sean O’Reilly and company. Arcana Studio already has a full convention schedule planned for an upcoming year in which they hope to keep the momentum built from a successful campaign in 2005.

If you are planning on being in Monterrey on December 9th, stop by for some good music and some cervezas with some of your favorite comic book creators.

El Arsenal Website:

www.elarsenal.com

Arcana Studio Website:

www.arcanastudio.com