Broken Frontier

Scorn #1: Obsessed , the first part of a four-issue series, went on sale recently from Septagon Studios, written by Kevin Moyers and with art by Philipp S Neundorf. Below Kevin Moyers gives BF a unique insight into the events of the opening issue.

The solicitation for Scorn #1 reads:

On a quiet July night in Chicago, 19 year old Michael Riggs witnesses the murder of his best friend at the hand of notorious gang leader Robert Torres. Michael becomes obsessed, and nothing can stop him on his vicious and bloody rampage of vigilante justice.

KEVIN MOYERS: Though the vigilante storyline is not a new one, it is one that I have always wanted to explore. Scorn was my opportunity to take that story on a different path. Instead of the usual ex-cop or ex-Navy Seal, the story follows a nineteen-year-old Michael Riggs. I began to create the story when I was nineteen, and it was easy to insert myself into the story. Michael looks like I did at that age. He is thin, has long blonde hair, and is very dark in his emotions and thoughts. The anger he carries is drawn from me. I am in every bit of the character. In fact, Michael is my middle name, and no, that’s not a coincidence. I really feel like I need to get in a character’s head when I write, so it often becomes an emotional experience. I think that comes out in each of the following pages.

Page 1

This page really shows the yin and yang of modern life. At the top of the page we see a happy family with the newborn baby Michael, and at the bottom we see a violent struggle between a man and two officers. Artist Philipp Neundorf made a great decision in splitting these scenes 50/50 on the page.

Scorn #1: Obsessed Pages 1, 2 and 5

Page 2

Of the four books we have completed, this is my absolute favorite. It is visually stunning. The gunman is crazed and firing randomly. At the top we see the family’s mood turn from joy to terror. At the bottom left we see Michael’s mother falling to the ground, still clutching him. In the bottom right corner we see the now nineteen-year-old Michael, waking from this horrible nightmare that just happens to be reality.

Page 5

This page sets Michael’s dark and lonely mood. Here we meet Glenn, the only true friend Michael will ever have in life. It was tough to imagine this type of solitude. I’ve always made friends very easily. Michael had to be the complete opposite. It made the friendship more important to Michael

Scorn #1: Obsessed Pages 6 and 11

Page 6

When I was in little league, from ages eight through twelve, we would show up to Hanson Park every July 5th to find a burnt out car in the middle of the field. It was always filled with spent fireworks and just charred inside and out. The local gang would steal a car and do this every year. I thought this was a great way to start the conflict. Glenn hears the theft and tries to intervene. Glenn’s car is modeled after my Dad’s 1969 Dodge Challenger. When he first heard about it, he was excited. When he finally read the book, all he could say was, "You blew up my car. Why did you blow up my car?" (See page 11.) On a side note, my Dad’s Challenger was recently driven by Reggie Bannister in Phantasm 5, which just wrapped in Colorado. I guess that car was just meant for stardom.

Page 11

I knew I wanted something big here, and I am a huge fan of the splash. Though I’m sure the automobile fireworks displays at Hanson Park were never this spectacular, I was looking for a big bang. Michael cradles Glenn’s dead body as he watches they’re work go up in flames. This is the point where Michael starts to turn and focus on revenge.

Scorn #1: Obsessed Pages 14 and 15

Pages 14-15

At this point, Michael is hell bent. A van filled with bad guys and a helpless victim pulls up, and Michael now needs to make a decision to take that first step toward revenge or not. This is truly a pivotal moment. His decision will change his life forever. He makes his jump, literally and symbolically, and he takes a life for the first time. I don’t know that anyone would ever recover from something like that.

Scorn #1: Obsessed Pages 20, 21 and 22

Pages 20-21

Michael discovers the identity of his target via newscast. For the first time since he started his quest for vengeance, he can put a name to the face. Michael also discovers that he is now a fugitive wanted for murder. This sets up the appearance of two new characters in book 2. I used Fox News here, because in Chicago, I used to watch the morning news on the local Fox station. It was anchored by a man named Bob Sirott, who I have always found to be very entertaining. In hindsight, I wish I had used WGN, which is a nationally known Chicago superstation.

Page 22

Sammi is about to give Michael the ultimate thank you in the last page of this issue. Michael reacts thinking that he never imagined his first time to be like this. This page restores some innocence in Michael. It also takes some innocence away from Sammi. No average girl would make such an offer so easily. Of course, showing that Michael is a nineteen-year-old virgin could also help to explain why he has so much pent-up rage.

Scorn #1: Obsessed from Septagon Studios is out now priced $3.50