Broken Frontier

The Winter King is the story of Gage, an isolated man who clings fiercely to the old beliefs of the Norsemen, living in the last bastion of rural existence.  So when a billboard is placed on his land advertising the impending urban sprawl, and a talking raven appears to him and informs him that someone has usurped the name of Odin, he reluctantly accepts his role as a messenger for the gods.

The story marries Norse mythology with urban fantasy.  It shows the often wide disparity between the natural world and the manmade one, and tells the story of Gage's attempt to reconcile the two. Think steampunk meets Thor and you’re on the right track!  It includes (but is certainly not limited to) talking animals, traitorous gods, insurgent punks, media moguls, corrupt politics, divine realms, and some very important trees—all in gorgeously stylized black-and-white art!

The Winter King started as a kernel of an idea I had almost a decade ago. It was an expression of how I envisioned old ideas colliding head first with new attitudes. It was also something of an exposition on how happiness requires simplicity, but life is often too complex for that. Finally, it was a love affair between my adolescent readings of Bulfinch's Mythology and my more mature consumption of Pink Floyd (hence the title of the first chapter).  And artist George Zapata is bringing his enormous illustrative talent to life in the pages of The Winter King.

But we need some help! I'm trying to raise the needed funds on Kickstarter to get the first chapter completed, printed, and set up for digital distribution—but the fundraising has been slow-going.

Here are two sample pages from my script and George’s finished interiors:

PAGE 13: Four Panels

13.1 Gage looks at the Raven in surprise.

GAGE: You speak?

THE RAVEN: ‘Couse I do.  An’ I don’t ‘ave a lotta time so I suggest you let me ‘ave at it.

13.2 Gage and the Raven continue their conversation.

THE RAVEN: We know where Draupnir is.

GAGE: The Truest Ring should be on the finger of the Allfather.

13.3 The Raven.

THE RAVEN: Should be, but ain’t.  An’ ‘asn’t been fer a while, truth be told.  It sorta went lost there fer a bit.  Dodgy business, that, but we found where it is an’ who’s got it now an’ we want ya ta get it back.

13.4 Gage.

GAGE: “We?”

PAGE 14: Three Panels

14.1 Gage and the Raven continue their conversation.

THE RAVEN: Listen, we ‘ave spent a lotta time tryin’ ta find you, and it ain’t been easy without The Truest Ring workin’ fer us.  If ya don’t know who we are, well I ain’t gonna be the one what tells ya.  I’m jus’ the voice, and right now you need ta listen…

14.2 Close up on the ODIN ENTERPRISES written subtly but convincingly on the billboard.

THE RAVEN (OP): …’cause it looks like we got a common enemy.

14.3 Close up on the Raven.

THE RAVEN: You ever seen the lights o’ the big city, Gage?

Learn more about The Winter King on Kickstarter.

Please visit the websites of Christopher Moscardi and George Zapata to learn more about their work.