ThE BEST FANTASY AND SCI-Fi AROUND THE WORLD
ISSN 2052-4056
APRIL 2013 ISSUE 1
COMIC Rourke & The Enchantment
Agency
Article THE RETURN OF THE FAIRY TALES
KINGDOM OF ART Claudia SGI & Agustin Garriga
www.diegopublishing.com www.facebook.com/KingFantasy
Kingdom of tales Casting is Believing & Blue Caladium
Interview FEDERICO MEMOLA
Dear Friends, Welcome to the first issue of our digital magazine. I can’t believe how much stuff we have going on with Kingdom of Fantasy magazine. Abi has her hands full with her monthly column and KOF fantasy glossary. Marcella runs the KOArt showroom, selecting illustrators for our stunning covers. All three of us, with the help of Marco and Pia, write the most entertaining and fun articles and select new short stories for you. Pia will open this first KOF issue with an article which illustrates the return of fairy tales on big and small screen. Marcella will introduce for the first time to the English speaking reader Federico Memola the author of the comics Rourke and The Enchantment Agency – you will find them in the second part of the magazine. Marco will tell us about the figure of the witch from the ancient time to the more classical image. Abi will introduce the Kingdom of Tales section with two short stories that give us two different interpretations of witches. Yes, witches are the protagonist of this first issue. How could it be different in a magazine called Kingdom of Fantasy? That magic will play an important role in our magazine doesn’t mean we will not digress into other genres of fantastic, as you will already see in the two comics above cited: Jasmine and Myriam live in a futuristic world where magic is real; while Rourke will show us the scary side of magic. Our magazine couldn’t be complete without a section dedicated to artists of fantasy. Marcella has selected for you a Spanish illustrator for KOArt, while Claudia SGI will show the making of her wonderful cover. She has really done a great work with this interpretation of the most famous wizards and witches of the world.
COMING SOON
EPUB APRIL 2013
BEST FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION
This is Kingdom of Fantasy magazine. We are confident you will appreciate our work.
Dear friends,
Let me take the opportunity to thank the editorial and artistic team who make it possible: Marcella, Abi, Pia, Marco G. Alessandro, Umberto, Claudia, Denise, Marco V. Teresa, Juliet; the graphic designers who gave a shape to KOF, Jose and Itziar. But I can’t forget to thank them who have supported and trusted in us, Federico, Manfredi, Stan, Joe, Scott, my parents Diego and Carolina, my sister Lorella, my best friends Sebastian and Mariann, all who follow us on the social networks and, the most important person in our Kingdom of Fantasy family, You, our reader.
DieGo Comics Publishing is preparing a great selection of emerging authors epub, directly to your eBook Reader...
Thank you and have a happy reading! Giuseppe
TEXT
Evelitaquis apid quis ma solupta quiatassed quatust
Giuseppe Pennestri Editor in Chief
April 2013
Marcella was born in Italy in Reggio Calabria. At an early age she had such passion for drawing; it has been described as a “sacred fire of art.” Unto which it is a passion that cannot be tamed, especially when a girl decides that as an adult, she wants to draw.
EDITORIAL
Staff Giuseppe Pennestri Abi Kirk Marcella Pennestri
Art Director
Marco Guadalupi
Editor Translator
Synthesis International Translator
Jose A. Gregorio Itziar Lizarraga Cover Artist
She painted and studied the most important artistic techniques: incision, sculpture, foundry, followed by studies in Visual Arts and Performing Arts with an interest in photography. Ending that chapter in her life, Marcella has now embarked on a new adventure with Diego Publishing Comics, where a new chapter of reality within fantasy, art and pure literature, truly exists.
Author/Copy-Editor
Editor
Juliet Haydock
Marcella attended an Art and Architecture school, but her desire for free Art, with no patterns or impositions, showed that she’d rather prefer the Academy of Arts than the Faculty of Architecture.
Editor-in Chief
Pia Ferrara
rt Creative Director Graphic Designer
Rourke :CHapter one Moon Worshipers
Claudia Sgi
Publisher DieGo Comics Publishing Ltd 9 Seagrave Road SW61RP, London, UK www.diegopublishing.com
MARCELLA
Set in the picturesque scenery of Ireland, Rourke will lead you into a dark world where witches roam invisible among us and where a secular war is fought without anyone know it in the darkness of the night, will forever change the lives of Rourke and his daughter.
Read the first half of Chapter One in page
PIA
Graduated in Communication in 2007, Pia landed Magazine willing to spread the fantasy across the Web 2.0. Enthusiastic of cinema, comics, and fantasy literature, has managed to produce two thesis on semiotics about Harry Potter. She also has written on many online and offline newspaper and is currently working with the digital magazine Speechless and as press officer for Lunatica, fantasy fair in Southern Italy. On alternate days she enjoys creative writing – she has published two short stories, L’urlo di Minerva and Il ponte oltre la pioggia in two different anthologies and would like to rule the world through social media.
MARCO
OZ
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz VS Oz, the great and the powerful. The land of Oz of the past and the present one, an exclusive journey following the Yellow Brick Road
LILITH
Marco has worked since 2006 with Fantasy Magazine, an Italian online magazine, of which is currently active editor. Moreover he’s responsible of the department for writing and communication of the Italian Magazine Lunatica. He’s author of “Dark Rock Chronicles”, a fantasy novel.
INTERVIEW:
FEDERICO MEMOLA The Italian author of many fantasy, science fiction and horror stories answer our questions about his comics characters and what it means to present them to a new audience of readers.
Lilith, woman, demon, an issue about the first of the damned.
WORKSHOP
This Italian artist is not new to us, we admired her works for years. Consequently entrust Claudia the illustration of this first issue was a natural choose for us.
Our Art Director selected a Spanish artist to open KOArt: Agustin Garriga.
KOPEN OART SPACE Marcella Pennestri
“KINGDOM OF ART” Kingdom of Art will open a space to all artists, professional and amateur who loves art. KOArt will be an exhibition space, a showroom, but also a open road open to the freedom of expression for those who
want share their work, their artistic idea using any technique and interpretation. We know who we are and why we do it, “help yourself” from KOArt, “nurture” the KOArt admiring the talent, desire and passi.
Table of Contents Interview WITH FEDERICO MEMOLA
Marcella has encountered for us the author of ROURKE and THE ENCHANTMENT AGENCY
Page 14 Kingdom of tales: Casting is Believing & Blue Caladium Our Abi Kirk will open KOTales with a story set on the old England, while the young American author Nila N. Brown will take us to a fantastic world where witchcraft play a key role.
Page 22 Kingdom of ART: claudia sgi & Agustin garriga
The Spanish illustrator is the first guest of our art showroom, open to artist from around the world. Few artists can master the digital painting as Claudia. The illustrator from Rome will show us some of the secrets of her stunning cover in the workshop.
Page 35 THE WORLDs OF FEDERICO MEMOLA: THE ENCHANTMENT AGENCY AND ROURKE
The worlds of Federico Memola are populated by elves, ogres, wizards, witches. All spiced by irony and a look of current worlds issues. Everything is possible in Federico fantastic worlds!
Rourke Page 40-91, Enchantment Agency Page 94-105, 106-117 The return of fairy tales
2012 has definitely been the year of fairy-tales. Find out why with Pia Ferrara!
Page 8-11 Any statements made, expressed or implied in Kingdom of Fantasy magazine are solely those of columnists or persons begin interviewed and do not represent the editorial position of the publisher, who does not accept responsibility for such statements.
ABRACADABRA... WITCHES!
Wizard and Witches in folkloristic culture!
Across the Issue
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Hello readers of fantasy. My little column, within the Kingdom of Fantasy, addresses all sorts of questions within the fantasy genre, its sub-genres, its relations to books, most preferably, and also films. Within the magazine I shall examine the themes of each edition and procure a suitable question to discuss. Or if you wish for me to discuss a question or issue for you, just drop me a line. I hope you find my column entertaining.
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ONCE UPON A TIME
The Return of Fairy Tales by Pia Ferrara The year of 2012 has definitely been a year of fairy-tales: let’s think of the two blockbuster movies Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsmen, both inspired by the popular tale of the Princess Snow White, hunted by the Evil Queen who wants to be “the fairest of them all”.
The main fairy-tale from which Once Upon a Time is inspired, is Snow White, but there also are hints of other stories as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, Rumpelstiltskin, Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland and even Frankenstein, which is not a fairy-tale of course but something more similar to a myth in the field of gothic literature.
MIRROR MIRROR Produced by Relativity Media, directed by Tarsem Singh and starring Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen, Lily Collins as Snow White and Armie Hammer as the Prince Charming, Mirror Mirror was quite entirely based upon the performance of Julia Roberts and was rich in irony and was sometimes even grotesque. The Snow White of Lily Collins (now back on set for the adaptation of Cassandra Claire’s trilogy The Mortal Instruments in which she plays the main character, Clary Fray) was a fierce girl, able to fight thanks to the teachings of the Seven Dwarves.
GRIMM NBC’s Grimm, starring David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch and Silas Weir Mitchell, is about a detective from Portland who finds out he is the last known descendant of the monster hunters called Grimm. Grimm is currently into its second season.
ABC’s Once Upon a Time, starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Joshua Dallas, Lana Parrilla, Emilie de Ravin and Robert Carlyle, is currently in his second season. Created by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz (both screenwriters of Lost), the serial takes place in the small town of Storybrooke, in which the characters of the fairy-tales live without memories. The evil queen Regina is the mayor of Storybrooke and instead of Snow White, it is in fact the Prince Charming who is asleep after an accident that puts him in coma. The main character is Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison, former Dr. Cameron in Doctor House), an “almost” detective who arrives at Storybrooke with her son, Henry. However, Emma gave him up for adoption soon after his birth and he becomes the foster son of Regina, who is extremely jealous of him. Henry is intuitive and understands that everyone in Storybrooke is not what they appear to be and that Emma is the only one who can save Storybrooke from the oblivion.
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMEN Produced by Universal Pictures, directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth, Snow White and the Huntsmen, as the title suggests, enriches the role of the Huntsmen, who is the real «prince charming» of the tale. Snow White and the Huntsmen can’t help falling in love, and he is the one who teaches her to fight against the Evil Queen and awakes her from her sleep. The movie pays more attention to the character of the Queen Ravenna, superbly portrayed by Charlize Theron, and explains the reasons why she hated Snow White. A sequel for the movie is scheduled, but for now we don’t have any release date.If it’s not enough, what about TV serials as, for example, ABC’s Once Upon a Time, NBC’s Grimm and CBS’s The Beauty and the Beast?
THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
REASONS WHY
CBS’s The Beauty and the Beast, starring Kristin Kreuk (Smallville) and Jay Ryan, is the remake of a namesake tv serial broadcasted in the eighties on CBS and is loosely based on the classic fairytale. The plot is about the love story between policewoman, Catherine Chandler (Kreuk), and a former soldier, Vincent Keller (Ryan), who was exposed to secret experimentations by the Government which now believes him dead. Ryan is something like a metropolitan hero, willing to save people. Ten years before the start of The Beauty and the Beast he had saved Catherine’s life and now, when their paths cross again, starts helping her with investigations to find out who killed Catherine’s mother during an assault, ten years previous.
Apparently in these months we’re seeing a big return of fairy-tales; if you’re asking me why, I’d say that the reasons lie in the current financial crisis that pushes us to look for guarantees somewhere else. The fairy-tale’s world has a very strong opposition between Good and Evil and even if the Evil seems stronger, it is the Good that will always win in the end. Even if, for example, a witch has magical powers, the princess will prevail thanks to love, friendship and a certain moral superiority. And in 2013? Well, the first months of this year have been full of interesting cinematographic releases: one of them was Oz: The Great and the Powerful produced by Walt Disney Pictures, and the other one was Jack the Giant Slayer, produced by Warner Bros.
JACK THE GIANT SLAYER The movie, directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men series), stars Nicholas Hoult in the main role (X-Men – First Class, Warm Bodies), Ewan McGregor (Star Wars new trilogy, Big Fish), Stanley Tucci (Captain America, The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson and the Olympians – Sea of Monsters), Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Warwick Davis (the unforgettable Willow, Harry Potter series), Ian McShane (Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides) and Eleanor Tomlinson (Alice in Wonderland).
is threatened, as a young farmer leads an expedition into the giants’ kingdom in hopes of rescuing a kidnapped princess”.
The movie is freely inspired by the popular fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk, in which the main character is an extremely poor farmer who sell the last cow in exchange of some magic beans which, once planted, will produce a tree-stairway leading to the world of the Giants, where a goose lays golden eggs. It’s curious that last year a plot very similar was shown in the spin off from the According to the Internet Movie Data Base, the popular Shrek saga, Puss in Boots, in which the official synopsis of Jack the Giant Slayer says that Puss, voiced by Antonio Banderas, found himself the movie is “a modern day fairy tale in which the in a very similar situation as Jack. long-standing peace between men and giants
JACK THE GIANT KILLER Jack the Giant Slayer, released on March 1st 2013, has something in common with Jack the Giant Killer. Released in 1962, Jack the Giant Killer, directed by Natan H. Juran and written by Orwille Hampton, starring Kerwin Mathews, Judi Meredith, Torin Thatcher and Walter Burke, it is the story of a simple farmer named Jack who, by chance, saves the life of Elaine, the Princess of Cornwall, from the assault of a giant sent by the evil wizard of Pendragon, who secretly wants the throne of Cornwall. The heroic accomplishment earns Jack the reputation of “giant killer”. The first element to leap to the eye of a modern viewer is the “vintage” taste of the film. It makes us think about the way technology has developed in recent years and has affected the current cinema, not only regarding special effects, but also, more generally, the costumes and set design. In addition, when considering screenplay, within an hour and a half, the film is bursting with events. it seems that after the first half hour that the Princess Elaine was rescued by Jack from a first giant, everything then looks as though it is going to end well, but the plan of Pendragon, to seize the throne of Cornwall, is only the beginning. The truth is that when there’s good quality screenplay, a movie doesn’t need elaborated visual effects. We can see this in Jack the Giant Killer and we hope we will see it from Jack the Giant Slayer.
Just one little book, not more than 150 pages, written in 1900 by Frank L. Baum. With so few hints the majority of readers have certainly understood which book we’re talking about: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF
Oz by Pia Ferrara
First published in 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz can thank its fame from the movie adaptation The Wizard of Oz in 1939 starring Judy Garland. The book has already been adapted in other short movies produced by Baum himself in 1910 and 1914 and in 1925 with Oliver Hardy starring as the Tin Man. The story is about a little girl named Dorothy, who after a storm finds herself with her dog, Toto, in a parallel universe. The Land of Oz is divided in four smaller lands, named after the cardinal points: the North, the South, the East and the West, and each of them have its own Witch – good (North and South) or wicked (East and West). In the middle there is the capital of Oz, Emerald City, homeland of the most powerful Wizard and the only one who can give Dorothy the opportunity to go back to her beloved home in Kansas.
Soon after her arrival in Oz, Dorothy
finds herself in trouble because she accidentally kills the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy becomes the legitimate owner of the powerful silver shoes of the Witch. But someone else wants the shoes, the Wicked Witch of the West, who starts looking for Dorothy in order to get the shoes back and to take revenge of the memory of her beloved sister by Dorothy’s killing. During her journey to Emerald City following the Yellow Brick Road, Dorothy finds friends, allies but also enemies. First of all, the brainless Scarecrow, second the heartless Tin Man and thirdly the coward Lion: they became her companions, and together they head to Emerald City where they hope to receive from the Wizard of Oz respectively a brain, a heart and courage. Along their journey, unfortunately, they meet little flying monkeys who attack and capture Dorothy and her friends, the Munchkins. According to some allegoric interpretations, each of the companions of Dorothy represents something else, a new light over the book, adding deep economical and political meanings. Dorothy represents the traditional American values, the Scarecrow the peasants, the Tin Man the working class and the coward Lion the democrat nominee at the 1896 Presidential elections William Jennings Bryan. During the last years of the 19th century there was a financial crisis between peasants of the west and the eastern banks (which explains why the wicked witches were from East and from West while the Witch of the South and the Witch from the North were the good ones). The Gold Standard, represented by the Yellow Brick Road, was not the solution according to Baum, nor was the faith in the uncertain power of Washington (Emerald City), which was rather a trick. The only possible solution was the silver free coin, represented by the silver shoes used by Dorothy to come back home. It is interesting to underline that in
the movie of 1939, the shoes become red instead of silver. This is because red was more visible on the big screen. Directed by Victor Fleming (Gone with the Wind), The Wizard of Oz won two Oscar Prizes in 1940: Best Soundtrack and Best Original Song (Over the Rainbow, sung by Judy Garland). The movie even received a nomination for Best Visual Effect: the peculiarity of The Wizard of Oz was in fact the turnover between Technicolor (used for the Land of Oz) and blackandwhite (for Kansas and in general, our world).
Oscar wants to stay in Oz because he understands that this could be his chance to change his life. As Marvel’s comics remind us, “great power comes with great responsibilities” and Oscar finds himself obliged to help solving the problems of the inhabitants of Oz, becoming not only a better Wizard but also a better man.
The deep impact Baum’s novel had on the collective imagination shows its effect even nowadays. On March 8th Oz The Great and Powerful will debut in US’s cinemas. Produced by Disney in Imax and digital 3D, it stars James Franco (Harry Osborn in SpiderMan trilogy by Sam Raimi). Directed by Sam Raimi himself, Oz the Great and the Powerful, starring Mila Kunis as Theodora the Wicked Witch of the West, Rachel Weisz as Evanora the Wicked Witch of the East, Michelle Williams as Glinda the Good Witch of the South and Zach Braff as Frank, is a prequel of the story of The Wizard of Oz: the focus is on the main character, the magician Oscar Diggs (played by James Franco), who finds himself without exactly understand how, in the wonderful Land of Oz, which he reaches with an hotair balloon.
witches, Theodora, Evanora and Glinda. Oscar wants to stay in Oz because he understands that this could be his chance to change his life. As Marvel’s comics remind us, “great power comes with great responsibilities” and Oscar finds himself obliged to help solving the problems of the inhabitants of Oz, becoming not only a better Wizard but also a better man.
Everyone in the Land of Oz seems to think that Oscar is the magician they all were waiting for, except the three witches, Theodora, Evanora and Glinda.
BIOGRAPHY
KOF presents
FEDERICO MEMOLA
Federico
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as born in Milan on October 8, 1967 and graduated from the Language High School, where he then enrolled in the Faculty of Literature. In 1989, Federico met Antonio Serra, an editor of Italian comic book. One year later, he joined the editorial staff of the magazine “Fumo di China.” It was a job that unfortunately forced him to quit his university in 1990. During the cooperation with the magazine, Memola created the series “Moon Police Dpt.” At this time he composed several stories for the magazine ‘Intrepido’. Then in 1993 Federico began to work with Bonelli Comics as an editor and an author of a few stories and scripts for Nathan Never. During this time Federico worked as an assistant to Alfredo Castelli, Italian author of the series Martin Mystere comic book, then becomes responsible of the Zona X comic collection. For the later he created and wrote the mini-series “La Stirpe di Elan” and “Legione Stellare”.
During his experiences with Fumo di China and Zona X, Federico developed some ideas that he used to establish his next series ‘Jonathan Steele’, where they were then published by Bonelli Comics, between April 1999 to July 2004, (64 comic books).
Memola Also for the Bonelli Comics, he created the scripts for a few stories of Martin Mystere and a special edition of Legs Weaver, both comic books. ‘Jonathan Steele,’ continued a few months after the decision of Bonelli Comics to end the publication of this series, with the publisher Star Comics as a monthly series until March 2009 (53 comic books). Immediately after, Federico published Rourke for the first time, which can now be read in English in KOF. In 2006 he created Harry Moon, the man of two worlds, with the artwork created by Giovanni Pueroni, an illustrator who was already part of the staff for Jonathan Steele, in Bonelli and Star Comics. In April 2010 this new comic book was published by Planeta De Agostini. Federico is married to an illustrator Teresa Marzia, who was the creator of the graphic series Jonathan Steele and who will draw the third cover for KOF, beginning her cooperation with DieGo Comics Publishing ltd.
Memola created the series ¨Moon Police Dpt¨, ¨La Stirpe di Elan¨and ¨Legione Stelare¨.
Federico Memola 8 October 1967 Milan, Italy He began his career in comics in 1989, has since created numerous comic book series: Legione Stellare (Star Legion), La Stirpe di Elan (Sons of Elan, a high fantasy with a touch of steampunk), Jonathan Steele, Rourke, The Enchantment Agency and Hanry Moon.
es-es.facebook.com/imondidifedericomemola
The collaboration between Federico Memola and KoF began through a first virtual meeting on Facebook with our Editor in Chief. Federico is an Italian cartoonist, who has worked for the magazine Fumo di China, and Italian publishers Bonelli Comics and Star Comics. The “meeting” on the social network brought them to the exciting handshake at Lucca Comics and Games, a cartoonist fair which is held annually in the Tuscan city of Lucca. Just one question: why have Italian comics never been translated into English? And here we are with two works of Memola translated and published by DieGo. Happy reading to all. 1) Please introduce yourself to the English public: Who is Federico Memola? Federico: I am Italian and have been a comic book writer for the past twenty years. I have worked with various Italian publishers, including Bonelli Comics and Star Comics, for which I created the heads of Jonathan Steele, Real Spells and Rourke.
2)You attended the Linguistic College and the Faculty of Letters. We know from your biography that you left your studies to devote yourself entirely to work. How were you introduced to the comic world? Was it a fortunate case meeting with Antonio Serra (another Italian comic author)? Federico: The meeting with Serra (one of the creators of ‘Nathan Never,’ the most important science fiction series comic in Italy) was decisive because it offered a professional opportunity, but my passion for comics goes back to my childhood. My parents read comics, and I grew up with Barks, Gottfredson, Foster, Raymond, Goscinny and many others ... The comic strip has always been part of my life, in fact. 3) You are a script and screenwriter; do you also have other “talents” for art? Have you ever made a first drawing of an artwork or have you just imagined the story? Has it ever happened when the artwork didn’t fully represent your “story”?
Federico: I’m denied the drawing, but then I completely trust the illustrator. There is a different person who acts out my scripts, so the result will never correspond exactly to what I have in mind. Indeed, often the result is even better than what I had in mind! Then it depends on the affinity with the illustrator: with some of the rapport is also of friendship, as well as professional, so there is a greater dialogue that benefits the final result. 4) A drawing is an image of a story in itself, where narration and symbolism have an immediate understanding, regardless of the country. Consequently may a writer find it more difficult to be “understood” than an illustrator abroad? Federico: Yes, definitely. The drawing is a “universal” language so it’s not necessary to be understood as they share the same language. An illustrator can show their tables or illustrations to a person from any country and receive an immediate opinion. On the contrary, also the simplest text requires a translation before they can be read by someone who does not speak your language. This simple and obvious truth becomes a further obstacle in the path of a writer who wants to present themselves to foreign publishers. But,
paradoxically, it is even the lesser obstacle. The main obstacle that a writer encounters when seeking to present their work in a foreign market (or, even worse, when it is proposed professionally), is the belief, on the part of the publishers, that “only their authors like to know their audience.” This was confirmed to me by many illustrators working for French and American publishers: an illustrator can also come from the other side of the world, but the story is preferable to be written by a writer who knows the tastes of the local reader, which then has its own culture and “sensitivity”, creating a greater harmony. I think that it is within this context, the comment that I received a few years ago by a Spanish publisher, after reading the first issue of a comic book that I had written for his publishing company. He told me candidly “after reading a few of Bonelli’s comics, I was expecting a story very wordy and boring, but it’s nice.” Overcoming this bias is very difficult, because we return to the problem of a language barrier. It is true that the familiarity of a writer has with their own language, nuances, word games; the speech of the characters. However, much of this can be lost in
translation, of trivializing the text. As just one example, ‘Myriam and Jasmine’ are also characterized differently in the use of language, so that a scene can be identified even without being in the field; instead just reading their dialogue. It is a matter of the choice of words and expressions where I have no idea how they will be rendered in the English translation! 5) Can a comic created for a young Italian audience adapt itself for the foreign market, such as the case of DieGo’s Anglo-American? Which advice will you give to DieGo’s readers for a better understanding of your work, specifically The Enchantment Agency and Rourke? Federico: I have no idea, to tell the truth: all fiction, comics and movies that I have “absorbed” during childhood, and even today, came from all over the world and have influenced the way I write. I don’t think that my stories can be classified in the classic Italian tradition and neither do they require special tips for their understanding. 6) The Enchantment Agency, which was born as a spin-off of Jonathan Steele, is a sort of
contemporary fantasy, and indeed the presence of elves, goblins, etc. refers to the fantasy genre. In regard to this, could you give us your personal interpretation and definition of “contemporary”, what makes this series contemporary, perhaps the implementation of quotas for women? In the series the main characters are women and let’s not forget the irony and the tip of eroticism ... contemporary women then? Federico: Quite simply, it is a fantasy series because, as is the tradition, there are magic wizards, elves, goblins and various fantastic creatures. It’s contemporary when all of these elements are placed in a modern context; it’s as if the world of the Lord of the Rings had evolved with technology to become our own, but without losing the magic. In this context, classical fantasy characters move with the two protagonists, two (apparently) normal girls of today who were emancipated and dynamic, but they also possessed magical powers.
7) Let’s now talk about Rourke: Irish setting within Dublin and the typical rural landscapes of the island. There is a character, once again surrounded by the magic, who has the incredible gift of drawing upon himself the curses that plague third persons ... a character like Dylan Dog (an Italian horror comic book, editor’s note). The presence of witches, spells, curses is typical in your comics. What draws you to create the characters and the structure of the stories? What are your favourite readings, fantasy, gothic or folklore? And why did you choose Ireland as a setting?
the so-called “Normal people”, while Rourke is a single father of a teenage daughter (with all the problems it comes with) and would rather avoid the “gift” that allows him to make his work and because of which he often seeks solace in alcohol. Ireland was chosen as the setting for his strong Catholic tradition, which is very relevant within the series. From this point of view also Italy was able to run as a backdrop, but the Irish people is much more related to ancient folklore, which made Ireland a choice in line with the contents of the miniseries.
Federico: What Rourke and Dylan Dog have in common is that they both belong to the horror genre, but the rest could not be more different: Rourke is a mini-series with a narrative structure. The characters and situations change dramatically from start to finish, while Dylan Dog is a definitive character in the series. Dylan is younger, a womanizer and is more comfortable with the monsters of
Now enjoy the reading of our new friends Rourke, Myriam and Jasmine on KOF magazine every month!
The witch by Marco guadalupi
Lilith
Beliefs and Myths in different cultures
W
hen we think of witches, there are only a few images that come to mine. Usually it’s a group of shrivelled, old women bent over a cauldron of steaming pewter or perhaps it’s of three fantastic sisters in an elegant, centuryold house reading an ancient book of magic, though it depends on what you believe, or what you are passionate about. In any case, whatever your mental representation, the figure of the witch is rooted in the deepest folk beliefs in almost every culture on Earth. An ancient archetype that, even today is constantly evolving; thanks to the many new interpretations offered by various entertainment media, from television series, to novels and even comics. According to mythology and folklore, the witch is considered a supernatural being with feminine features and great powers, powers such as practicing the occult and black magic. According to others, however, the witch is a criminal; a repulsive social parasite, who is devoted to the most abhorrent practices and is closely linked to secret organizations who are the enemy of the Church. In other cultures, it is a heavily rooted belief that some women were demonically possessed and were murderers and cannibals and would seek out men to kill. Being the ‘enemy of the Church’ is the classical terminology that represents the witch as the one who undermines the word of God. It even extends to meditating revenge, an act that is represented by the action of weaving the threads of fate, a metaphor of human destiny. The witches are also known by the name of sorcerers; represented by older women who, in spite of the evolution of civilization, continue to be joined in the art of magic in an attempt (futile or fruitful) to dominate powerful natural energies to sustain their body. In addition, just looking at the origin of the term, ‘witch,’ we understand that there is a traditional fundamental belief around the world. According to some studies, the word "witch" derives from ancient Greek. In some parts of Italy the witch is even known by a different name for each region. The Salento area of land affected by Greek culture uses the term "Stiara" that is in fact evidently derived in typical fashion always from "strygos" meaning person of the night’. Witch and witchcraft, that in the more conventional form, is a typical phenomenon of Christian Europe and has antecedents and parallels in preChristian civilization as well as in primitive societies. In the latter which is still alive to this day in Africa, but also spread elsewhere, there are people, with special powers. These powers, apparently magical, cause evil to others or to the community. Some African peoples believe that if an elderly person is offended, they can induce the spirits to punish the guilty.
In Malaysia, it is believed that even the power to cause disease or death is linked to the "possession" (knowledge of spells suitable, even salable and transferable). In western Sudan witchcraft is linked to hereditary powers, none of which the holder is aware of. Reactions towards people labelled as "witches" and "sorcerers" are generally negative and come up with death as the punishment. Often the person is subjected to a test of such an ordeal, for example surviving a poisonous drink. However, the aversion to the witch (or wizard), is not always the prerogative in these cultures. There are, in fact, benign versions, such as shamans, who still considered wizards that have roles that are related to care and healing and have beneficial consequences towards the whole community. They become a positive figure which would result from some cultural icons, such as the “Befana” in Italy, a kind of good witch tied to the anniversary of the Epiphany. According to folktales, in the night between the 5th and 6th of January the witch dispenses sweets and gifts to children also and according to some, she would ride on the classic "broomstick" transportation, one of the objects closely related to the figure of witchcraft. Still Italy, a country very close to folklore, boasts a large number of events (some based on true stories). In the south there are several places located as gathering places of witches, like old crossroads, trees, or simply places the Salento peninsula had forgotten and considered energized. In the local dialect, witches are known by the term Masciara (Masciare the plural), lonely outcasts who live outside of society, who know of black magic, both for personal use and for third parties. In Piedmont (Northern Italy) the witch is known as the noun of Masca, indicating both a woman with magical powers and also a mischievous ghost that lives in the woods and that scares travellers. Historically witches (apart from rare cases mentioned above) have never boasted a good name. Think of the persecutions of the sixteenth century in Europe. Only with the passage of time, the figure of the witch has been reassessed, redefined and used as a source of inspiration. It follows a classic, old, icon who makes potions in front of a cauldron, who is indispensable tool for witchcraft and has characteristics that have fuelled the Celtic traditions. According to ancient legends, spells of all kinds blossomed from cauldrons: strength and wisdom, or the fusion of raw metals from which to obtain pure gold (alchemical process, the philosopher's stone). Between history and myth, ancient models, like the witch, continue to live and be perpetrated in cultures all over the world. A continuous evolution.
The Origins of the Night Demon
S
o God has remained alone; as happens to many, He has not been able to endure solitude and resist temptation and has taken a mistress. Do you known who? Her, Lilith, the shedevil, and that was an unimaginable scandal."
Hecate and Persephone in the act of receiving the damned souls of the dead. These descriptions of Lilith linked to darkness and mystery which have been traced back to the source where the name Lilith derives from the name Laila, a term which in Hebrew means the night.
This is how the Italian writer Primo Levi described Lilith in his "Lilith and Other Stories" (1981).
Though most of the legends of Lilith derived from Jewish folklore, the she-devil appears in other cultures and legends: Iranian, Babylonian, Mexican, Greek, Arabic, English, German, Oriental and Native American tribes. Sometimes Lilith is also associated with legendary and mythological characters such as the Queen of Sheba and Helen of Troy. In medieval Europe she was proclaimed wife, concubine or grandmother of Satan. It is also believed that Lilith represents a succubus (lover, in Latin) because of the nature and the seductive sexual relations she has with humans.
Lilith is one of the many mythological and folkloric characters that over time had suffered contamination and evolution of hundreds of historical sources, which have allowed her to become part of modern culture as for other supernatural begins. According to historical sources, Lilith is commonly represented as a demon with feminine features (often beautiful with redfire hair). She is usually a nocturnal demon who flies in search of babies to kidnap and strangle. The shedevil is also known to be a seducer of men, an act that would grant her the ability to procreate and give birth to new demons. Legends of Lilith are ancient. The rabbinical myths (the birth of Lilith is mostly connected with Jewish traditions) speak of the shedevil as Adam's first wife, before Eve. Lilith was created from clay to be attached to the First Man, who rejected her because she refused to obey, than she was forced to leave forever the Garden of Eden. Muslim legends say that after the expulsion of Adam, Lilith had joined carnally with Satan, thus creating the demon Djinn (Arabic demon, an ancestor of the modern "genie"). Also according to the legends, it is said that after leaving Eden, Adam had complained to God, who has ordered three angels (Sanvi, Sansanvi and Semangelaf) to bring Lilith back to the garden, but the she-devil rejected and cursed the angels. Near the Red Sea, Lilith became the lover of many demons, with which the shedevil gave birth to one hundred children a day. When God found it out, He snatched the children from Lilith, unless she will return to Adam. Of course, the shedevil never returned to the Garden, and God punished her, then handing Adam a more docile woman: Eve. In some myths, Lilith is portrayed and associated with the figure of the Great Mother, the female deity connected to the earth and mediator between the human race and the divine. Other reflections and speculations reported a connection between Lilith and the Etruscan divinity faceless Lenith; waiting at the gates of the Underworld with
Some people who had nocturnal emission, in fact, believed to have been seduced by Lilith, a controversial figure who drove many men to sin and dries their vital energy through the sexual act without consent. In other stories, the relationship between man and the succubus was used to subtract the seed and reuse it to fertilize and create other demons. The link between Lilith and the children is widespread in many beliefs. Around 1700AD, it was common practice to protect new mothers and their children with the use of amulets to ward off the shedevil. Males were the most vulnerable during the first week of life, while females during the first three. Sometimes a magic circle was drawn around the bed of the unborn child, with a beam etching including names of angels. The amulets were scattered to the four corners of the room. The laughter of a child during sleep reported the presence of Lilith; only by touching the child on the nose could break off the contact and warded off the shedevil. More recently, the curvy, elegant figure, with red fiery hair, has been revisited and considered a symbol of women's emancipation, recalling the conflicted relationship with Adam, from which the she-devil turned away for not submitting to his will. Lilith is also significant in the field of astrology. Also in this case it refers to the myths and legends, especially in Judaism. In modern astrology, the Dark Moon represents the mysterious and dark aspects of the human soul; outlining the unconscious impulses, passion and eroticism. This emphasizes once again the strong link between Lilith and the carnal intercourse, in common with most of the traditions.
Witches:
Good or Bad? by Abi Kirk
In today’s society are witches classed as good or bad? If we take out practicing witches, i.e. Pagans and Wiccans and also the underlining tone of the ‘Three Wave Feminism,’ which I shall address soon, we have a raw understanding of a woman who covets with the devil, casts spells and uses bad spirits against people for personal gain. Putting aside religious texts, I want to first look at Shakespeare; the three witches, aka the ‘Weird Sisters’ cackling over their cauldron in Macbeth. The women have a power of prophecy and with their knowledge set the wheels in motion for the downfall of many a character within Macbeth. They are also a parallel to the Greek Fates, of Past, Present and Future. Seeing and knowing all they spin the threads of life for all mortal men (and women). The Weird Sisters, in my eyes, are neither good nor bad. They just have knowledge which, depending on how you use it, could turn out good or bad. They are neutral in their line of work. Yet they could be classed as the instigators for the tragic events. My second look at witches is from the classic and lovable tale of Dorothy in ‘The Amazing Wizard of Oz.’ Published in 1900 it is an original book in a way that it shows a line between good witches and bad ones. Good witches are dressed in white, they want to help, they are pretty and they have a soft voice. Bad witches are dressed in black, they want to harm or kill, they are ugly (green with a big nose) and have a harsh screeching voice. The book and film tries to show a divisional live between good and bad and does so quite strongly. Since then, there have been other literatures and also films which show the line between good and bad; to name a few, The Worst Witch, Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and I am glad that we have seen no use of green, wart ridden skin to show a bad witch; instead it is based on how they act! The books
I have named are, quintessentially, new. So what happened in the past one hundred years? Where did the change from green witch to normal witch happen? I thus, give you, the ‘Three Wave Feminism.’ Feminism plays a big part in the development of witches in both literature and films. The First Wave of feminism began in the late 19th century early 20th century with the marking of the Suffragette movement which became an almost global movement for Women’s Rights. It was during this time that books that pertained to characters of the women gender were seen in two ways. Good and bad, and this was clearly shown in ‘The Amazing Wizard of Oz’. The good witch was demure, quiet and clean, the bad witch was loud, unmanageable and mean. The good witch showed a woman in her place, the bad witch, the complete opposite and not only that, Dorothy shows a typical character for the 1900’s woman. “Small and meek,” with the needing of men to help her, however Dorothy rightly stands up for the men, during the confrontation of the Wizard of Oz, and demands that her male friends, are given what they so deserve. The Second Wave of feminism began in the mid 20th century. Here we see clearly the next pushfor witches and for women and another distinguishable change between good and bad witches. Bewitched. The show was a wonder for women. We saw Darren have a hard time because she was a witch and we saw Samantha trying to “fit in” within a man’s world, while being a witch and doing what Darren says because he is mortal. Not only that, we saw the mean “tricks” from her relatives, on a mortal man. But yet Samantha did her best and was a good witch and even tried to instil her goodness and the “proper” use of magic on her child. Take the magic
out of this show and you have a typical 1960’s drama of a couple living within this era. Man goes to work, woman lives at house and juggles house work and a family. Simple! Then thirty years down the line came the Third Wave. The 1980s/90s were the final push for women rights and a new way of dealing with good or bad. Buffy, Charmed, Lord of the Rings, The Worst Witch, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Practical Magic, The Craft and so many others, has shown a witch being good or bad and realising that their actions have consequences; regardless of their power. If you take their magic away, you have typical people and human morals; morals which have been instilled in us from the beginning. So are witches good or bad? Books and film have shown that the witches of today look human, so you cannot distinguish them by the green or warty skin, and if so, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover! Witches are either good or bad by the actions they take against others. Though they are magical, they must judge with their morals, what is good and what is bad and act accordingly. As the famous quote from Voltaire, “With great power, there must come great responsibility.” I believe if you have good morals, then they show how you act in certain circumstances. Though witches have been classed as evil, I think their persona has changed over the century. They are good, but as with everyone on this planet, they have the potential to be bad.
BLUE CALADIUM KINGDOM OF
BY NILA N. BROWN
TALES
I
beseech you to be swift of foot,” Queen Halaema said, pressing the Blade of Taenaran in his strong and capable hands. “The task you undertake is of the most urgent.” “The Vandorien Knights have sent you to aid us,” she said. “Nissa will be your traveling companion. She is an apprentice witch but she is stronger than she appears and her magic shall be enough to sustain you both.”
BLUE
CALADIUM
Kissed by the sun and bathed in the moonlight the caladium is beautiful, but to the Eloen Witches of Sabeynia it is deadly. The witches are bound by blood to protect the Three Moons of the Nerinx. Betrayed and on the verge of death, Queen Heleama dispatches the Knight, Darcassian, and the witch apprentice, Nyssa, to find the black unicorn before the moons fade and darkness roams Nafelahar once more.
CASTING IS
BELIEVING
In an age where witches are frowned upon, the orphan Alma lives alone in a little cottage on the edge of Dartmoor. One day she meets two women. Taking them into her home, strange and mysterious happenings surround them. Satan’s Hell Hounds are on the loose. Alma’s soul is in danger. What will be her fate?
Darcassian bowed, crossing his arm over his armorplated chest. “It shall be done, Your Grace. Nissa and I shall fly swiftly on the winds to find Sotiris and extract from him the antidote. This world shall not be allowed to die.” She walked over to the palace window. The Well of Mladris, which sat in the center of the City of Sabeynia, was life to all those who lived in the city, but the apprentice wizard Galzuth placed a curse upon its crystal clear waters. Before dying the previous equinox, the elder witch Tinder Pogwilly, who had the gift of divination, had instructed Halaema to place a protective spell around the well because she didn’t trust Galzuth. Halaema did not heed Tinder’s words, trusting in the young apprentice’s seemingly kind disposition and the fact that Tinder had turned feeble; now all of those in Sabeynia are paying the price for her foolishness. Trying to concentrate on the upcoming quest, Nissa Rainsage was distracted by the suffering of the Eloen Witches and the people who lived within the village. How dare Galzuth curse them? There was nothing to gain from poisoning the Well of Mladris but chaos and confusion. Did he want war and suffering like there had been in the dark days? Why would he want this?
while all those around her were weakened or on the verge of death. She would find the black unicorn and save them. There was no other way. “Nissa,” Halaema said, calling her from her thoughts. “Do not despair for all is not lost. You will fare well on this quest. The Three Moons will align in the sky in a fortnight. You must return before this occurs.” “Blessed be, my Queen!” Nissa cried, rushing to her side and kneeling down before her. “I shall not fail you or my sister Eloen. We shall rise and the traitor Galzuth and his dregs will suffer greatly for this injury against us!” Halaema helped the apprentice witch to her feet. “This is not the time for vengeance, young one. Take what potions and herbs you can carry. The rest you shall receive through the generosity of Nafelahar.” She turned to Darcassian. “Galzuth knows that you must seek Sotiris and will use the Molthurg elves to strike you. You must avoid all main thoroughfares. The Molthurg can take the form of ordinary beings as long as he remains on the ground. If a being is suspect, lift him in the air and his true form thus revealed.” “Your strength sustains us all, Your Grace,” Darcassian replied. “Nissa and I shall cut through the forest and take to the lowlands.” “That may be best,” Halaema said. “Is it true that Galzuth has a dragon at his disposal?” Darcassian asked. “Perhaps I shall ride out and engage the beast in battle first.”
“He is in alliance with Favnir, the Bane of Bazur,” Her heart was racked with sorrow; had she not Nissa replied angrily. “He patrols the Weeping dawdled and spent three days at the home of the Forest and we must be on guard for his trickery old witch Shalana Entwisle in the southern Forest at all times. It is for this reason we must travel by of Meriel, she would have suffered the same fate. foot.” All beings living in Sabeynia took water from the well and, even after the Eloen cleansed the “Nissa is correct,” Halaema replied. “You must caladium, the townsfolk were still afraid to drink travel to the land of Uphinia in the east, where from it. She felt guilty for being in gentle health Sotiris was last seen. He may hear the approach
of hooves and think this to be threatening. Black unicorns are more spirited than their white counterparts and more suspicious. If you are worthy in his eyes, he will allow you to come hither. You must remember not to use a spell to subdue him; only of his free will shall he aid you.” She took the crystal scrying stone from around her neck and placed it around Nissa’s. “You have not fully entered into your true strength but you are intelligent, strong of heart, and the blood of our coven flows within you. Take my scrying stone with you. When you are near Sotiris, the stone will glow brightly. Wrap it around the Blade and it will guide you to him.”
black unicorn, their only hope, in the vast landscape of Nafelahar. She looked up at the moons, her heart filled with sorrow. Upidor, the shadow moon and that which was closest, maintained its mystical dusky hue, while the cobalt moon Kalphelia had a faint grey tint to it. It fared worse for the third moon, Gardenoea. Its auburn light was nearly extinguished. Once Gardenoea faded, Kalphelia would slowly fade next, leaving only Upidor to nourish the Eloen. The moons aligned once a year to form the Nerinx Star, which stayed in perfect alignment for two days before starting their yearly cycle around the planet.
“Thy will be done,” Nissa said. “We shall leave through In the past times, Nafelahar was plagued by evil forces the main gates and onto the road that will lead us that pillaged and killed throughout the world, its through the forest.” inhabitants living lives of despair. With the arrival of the Vandorien Knights from the Ishterion Galaxy, the “You shall leave through the dungeons as you have demons and trolls were finally defeated. been when you are visiting Shalana.” She delicately arched her eyebrow as the apprentice witch blushed. To protect Nafelahar, a powerful witch named Farryn “Yes, I know of your visits to her.” Moonshade formed the coven of the Eloen Witches and together they created the Three Moons of the “I apologize to you, My Queen,” Nissa replied softly. Nerinx, entrusting their descendants to safeguard the “It was not my intention to be deceitful.” worlds by assuring that the moons would never die. “As I did not take you to be deceitful,” Halaema said. “Had you been here when Mladris was poisoned, you The coven drew their strength from the moons’ auras would have suffered the same fate as all of us in Sabey- and their combined harmony in turn protected the nia. I suspect that, when you come into your full pow- moons and all who lived on Nafelahar. Now that they ers, you will have the gift of clairvoyance and I shall were dying, though, the Moons of the Nerinx would be pleased to nurture your full gifts. Now go and fulfill die with them, plunging Nafelahar into darkness and your duties and your destiny.” giving rise to evil once again. Nodding, Nissa and Darcassian quickly headed down to the pantry, retrieving a few supplies before they headed toward the dungeon. Queen Halaema sighed, turning and quickly ascending the staircase that led to the bedroom of her daughter, Alora. She sat next to her and placed a cool cloth on her head. The young witchling was no more than seven moons but she was holding on; better than some of the witches with longer lives than she. Still, the poison of the blue caladium was working its evil magic on her. Galzuth had mixed the sweet nectar of the kerria bellflower to mask the slight bitterness of the caladium, making the poison undetected until it was too late. Galzuth and his underlings, the Molthurg elves, were nowhere to be found, no doubt waiting for the plunge into darkness. Now, with almost everyone ill or dying, it was up to Darcassian and Nissa to find the
Since no spell could undo the poison of the blue caladium, it fell to Halaema to find an antidote. Since she could not leave the city, however, she summoned the Order of the Vandorien Knights to aid them in their quest. Alora moaned softly; her skin almost translucent as she fought the poison. Halaema chanted a gentle spell to help the witchling breathe easier. If it came to it, she could cast a spell that would put the Eloen in a deep sleep until Darcassian and Nissa returned. Suddenly she felt a twinge of pain. She had used her gift of transference to cast the effects of the poison temporarily to her familiar, Syndra. The cat was faring well but she could still feel its suffering. However, the spell would reverse itself in a fortnight and return to her, possibly killing her. “Rest easy, my child,” she whispered, kissing her on the forehead. “Your suffering will end soon.” She
looked out of the window at the sky. “Our moons shall not fall by Galzuth’s hand. We are the Eloen, the Three Moons of the Nerinx Star entrusted to us above all beings, and they shall shine brightly when all the stars in the heavens have faded.” Nissa led Darcassian down through the dungeon to the underground cavern that would lead them out of Sabeynia unseen. Once down the ravine, they quickly made their way past the willow tree grove. Her heat thumping wildly, Nissa kept stride with the taller, stronger Darcassian. Glancing at him, there was something about him that did not ring true. Not that she believed him to be deceitful as Galzuth but the knight was concealing something. “Do you wish to speak, witchling?” he asked, catching her eye. “I am not a witchling, Knight!” she snapped. “It would be wise for you to remember that!” He laughed heartily. “If you say so, but you look like a witchling to me. Keep your stride for I shall not be your wet nurse on this quest.” Nissa grimaced angrily. “And what do you think that metal plate on your body will do to protect you, Knight? We will see who is strongest!” With that bold declaration, she sprinted past him and launched into the forest, spurred on by her desire to help the Eloen but more so to prove herself. She knew herself to be headstrong and her pride got her into trouble. This quest meant that she had to
put those brash inclinations aside and work with the knight. Darcassian wished he had left his breastplate back at the castle. The chain link armor and sword were heavy enough but this was excruciating. He hadn’t had to run over open ground in a long time and, truth be told, he would rather be elsewhere than on this planet full of witches and the demons who hated them. Still, Galzuth had betrayed them for his own petty ambitions and, with this betrayal, brought shame to his family. It was an audacious move which put the lives of all within the galaxy in danger. It would only be a matter of time before Galzuth’s deluded visions of grandeur grew and destroying Nafelahar would only be the beginning. He had always found a way to destroy everything he touched. It was hopedthat by sending him to Sabeynia, the Eloen Witches would harness his power and teach him to nurture his gift of sorcery. It was the least Darcassian could do to help, but his burden was heavy. Perhaps Galzuth’s true target was not the Eloen but something else. He glanced at Nissa. The witchling seemed to sense something. If she was truly clairvoyant, the way she looked at him just now was unnerving. He had to keep an eye on her before she could discover his secrets, but the truth of his quest was undeniable. He never thought for one minute that he would have to destroy his own brother.
BIOGRAPHY Nila N. Brown is a self-proclaimed Sci Fi Honey who has written more than 50 fan fiction stories and poems before branching out into the publishing world to focus on Paranormal Demon, Science Fiction and Fantasy works that includes action/adventure, western, and romance genres. She has self-published “The Cold Darkness of Night” and “The Mirror’s Edge” and has “Kurai Utopia” coming soon; a sweeping trilogy of intrigue, betrayal and forbidden romance in a future world ruled by demons and where humans are third class citizens. A native St. Louisan who always makes time for 4:00pm tea, she currently resides in Roswell, Georgia with her daughter, Charlene.
CASTING IS BELIEVING BY ABI KIRK
T
his story began a long time ago when a little girl was adopted at an orphanage in Cambridge in 1752.
The little girl whose hair was golden as the sun, whose eyes were as blue as the Indian Ocean and whose skin was as white as porcelain, was named Alma. She was brought up into a wealthy family of merchants, who couldn’t have a child of their own, but sadly when Alma turned nineteen in 1769, her adopted parents had tragically died. Alone in the world and left with a lot of money, Alma moved to the South West and lived on Dartmoor at the edge of a wood. Two years past and Alma was known as the Kind Mistress on the Moor. Alma cared for some of the local children who had got lost in the wood and knowing it like the back of her hand, guided the children safety back to their homes. Unmarried and living off her adopted parents’ money, she was living a very comfortable life until one summer’s evening when two travellers stopped by her home. They were dressed in ragged clothes and looked halfstarved. Alma was not a cruel person and so welcoming them into her house, fed them and offered them a room for them to sleep. The following morning as the three of them were sitting down to breakfast, Alma found out that they were mother and daughter and who had been cast out of a village in the south. She didn’t press them on why they were cast out, but she was grateful for their company. It was very lonely on the moors.
that if Mary and Cornelia felt safe, then it didn’t matter to have the little wooden signs around the house. And Cornelia kept Alma company when she was to go into the village now and again for additional materials for the house. But the village people whispered behind Alma’s back and called the two new mysterious women, witches. But as the end of June approached, Cornelia and Mary were growing distrustful and jumpy. Alma found that they would leave the house in the dead of night and come back the following morning with their hands cut and Alma’s livestock depleted. Then on the 4th of July Alma had found them at the back of her house sprinkling something in the dirt. A dead headless chicken was beside them. ‘What are you doing?’ Alma yelled in shock, placing her hands on her hips, looking disgusted. Cornelia jumped at the sound of her voice, but her mother replied for them both. ‘We are warding against the devil. The Hell Hounds are approaching us tomorrow night; we must defend ourselves as best we can.’ ‘What?’ Alma scorned them. ‘There is no such thing as the Hell Hounds. I’ve lived in this wood for two years. They do not exist.’ ‘But it is your 21st year. They will come for you!’ Mary pleaded with her. ‘I want you to stop this, whatever it is you are doing. You are frightening me.’ Alma wasn’t a stupid person, but she was naïve and after storming off back into her house, she decided to take down all of the signs that the women had placed in her house and burnt them in her fireplace.
The mother and daughter, named Mary and Cornelia who always kept their hair hidden under a beige cotton cap, stayed with Alma and helped her with the running of the house, field and garden and after a few days, Alma gave them the option of living with her. That evening, just as the sun was setting, Cornelia and Mary decided that they should leave. They would find ‘You have nowhere else to go,’ she told them, ‘you have sucker elsewhere if need be. been so helpful, you can stay here with me.’ ‘It is not safe here,’ Mary told Alma. ‘We have brought a The mother and daughter didn’t hesitate and happily, curse upon you and we are sorry.’ they agreed. Over the course of a few months, Mary had shown Alma new ways of cooking food, or heal‘I do not understand,’ Alma said in shock as they ing cuts and bruises and even warding off evil spirits. packed up their belongings. Cornelia sighed and takAlma didn’t really believe in evil spirits, but she felt ing hold of her cap pulled it off revealing luscious, long,
golden locks. Mary copied her daughter, revealing the same coloured hair. It shocked Alma as their hair was the same shade as hers. Mary then moved towards Alma and gently took hold of her hands.
lines of black ink began to spread across the pages, like tendrils of vines crawling around the bound parchment. To Alma’s shock, she saw the lines merge into legible writing, writing that turned out to be spells.
‘Once, many years ago, I had a baby girl. She had lovely golden hair and deep ocean eyes. But when she was one years old I got a vision which told me that if I did not give up my daughter, she would die in my care. To save my child I gave her up for adoption and a few years later, I found that she was adopted by a wealthy merchant couple. Many years went by and I decided to check up on my daughter just two years ago and I discovered that her adopted parents had died and she had moved… to Dartmoor.’
‘It’s a book of spells,’ she gasped. Inquisitive, she read through the book and saw that the some of these spells she already knew. Like how to cure cuts and bruises and warding off evil spirits, but Alma gasped in horror as she saw that Mary’s cooking was prolonging her life.
Alma gasped in shock, backing away slightly from her. Alma had never thought to ask about her family, she was happy with the people who loved her through her childhood. It was what Alma thought mattered the most. But this encounter with her family had hurt Alma then she could ever think possible. She felt deceived by these people, people who claimed that they were her family and now she had found out that they had given her up was because of a vision? Utter nonsense. Alma watched them leave her house. She had nothing to say to them, but Mary had one last thing to say. ‘Magic is real, witches are real. The devil’s hounds, the Hell Hounds, will come after you if you do not protect yourself. They will be after you because you are the first born of a witch; the hounds will be after your soul tomorrow night. Remember the things we taught you and you may live through the night.’ Mary kissed the back of Alma’s hand then moments later vanishing before her, Mary and Cornelia had gone.
Throwing the book aside she felt sick. Mary and Cornelia had betrayed her hospitality, had broken her trust, how could she believe their heeding words that the devil’s hounds will be after her? The following morning on the day of 5th of July, when Alma got out of bed she reached for her hand mirror but it slipped and fell, cracking all over the floor. Upset, she went to try and find a brush to clean it, but stepped on the broken shards, cutting her foot. Annoyed with herself, she hopped to the kitchen to find a cloth to wipe the blood away but slipped on something and fell over, hurting her shoulder and back. Trying not to cry from the pain, she managed to bandage her foot but when she turned her attention to what she slipped on, she paled. There on the floor amongst several paw prints were splodges of drool. She looked to the front door and found it was closed.
She had no animal to create this mess in her home, was it the Hell Hounds that Mary had spoken of? It was the 5th of July, the day in which she said they would be after her but wouldn’t they come at night? Alma didn’t know of the story, but she knew that some of the villagers might. Dressing quickly, she left for the village. It normally took two hours there and back, but with her pained foot and back, it took longer. Half way there she realised that she had left her shawl behind and a second later, it Alma had thought she had gone insane and slamming started to rain. She felt as though she was cursed by bad the door to her house, went to the living room and tried luck. to reason with the things she had seen. By noon and soaked to the skin, Alma reached the vil‘People do not just vanish. It must be a trick.’ But as lage and found that a lot of the houses were boarded Alma was about to head into the garden, there came a up. Approaching some of the villagers they turned thunk! Curious, she searched for where the sound came away from her and headed into their homes, refusing to from and found an old book that had fallen to the floor. speak. It wasn’t a book that belonged to Alma; it must have ‘Please can someone help me?’ she called out to the vilbelonged to the girls. As Alma picked it up, she felt a lage. strange sensation in her hands, yelping she dropped the book shaking her hands of this strange warn feelHearing a door squeak open, there stood an old woming. The book opened as it hit the floor, naturally falling an; it was the old village crone. She beckoned Alma open. As first the pages were blank but seconds later, with her gnarled finger; hesitating Alma didn’t have
anything else to lose and went into the crone’s house. It was dark inside and it had an unpleasant smell. The crone offered her a chair, Alma sat in silence.
like. The day was fading fast and if what the crone had said was true, the hounds will be after her as soon as the light was gone from the sky.
‘You are the first born of a witch.’
Making concoctions of herbs and spices in her large cooking pot, killing her precious chickens and draining their blood, twisting braches into figures of men, Alma worked for five hours straight and worried more as the day’s light waned from the summer sky. By the evening Alma had done what the book had said but still she felt scared. Doing all this witch craft would damn her soul, surely? But as Alma had forced herself to believe that all of this was untrue, she heard a deathly sound of a howl coming from over the moor.
Alma frowned at what she had said; she didn’t know how to reply. The crone laughed which turned into a loud hacking cough. ‘You do not have to be afraid of me. Witch hunting is not in my blood. I helped one you know,’ she smiled a toothless grin. ‘But you need help. The hounds are coming for you tonight. You have had much bad luck this past morn.’ Alma nodded. ‘You must place spells around your house, you must act and believe that they will protect you, if not, the hounds will come and claim your soul.’ ‘Why?’ Alma whispered. ‘People believe that witches are Satan’s worshippers, bah!’ she exclaimed. ‘Witches are people with power to do good in the world, but what people do not know, is that the first born of a witch is always the most powerful and with it could harm the devil himself.’ ‘But people claim that witches are evil, that they cast spirits upon others?’ She laughed her hacking cough, shaking her head. ‘The devil possesses those who do ill towards others and the witches are there to stop them. Those who managed to prosecute a witch are influence by the devil.’ She snickered, ‘people are too naive to know differently. They know from what they see and hear from those who are in power. Witches are always good.’ Alma sat patiently and listened to what the crone had to say, told her about the hound and what they would do to her. They weren’t there to kill her, they were there to drag her from the house, if it was not protected, but they would do anything to get at her.
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‘They’re coming.’ Alma closed all the doors and windows, marking them with the protective symbols the book had described, she blew out the candles and marked the floors of her home as the crone said if they could not get through the door then they would come up from under the house. She went to her bedroom, closing the door and marking it with a protection symbol, then moving her bed away to the wall drew a circle in white chalk on the floor and marked out the points of the compass all the while chanting a spell to ward away evil spirits.
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She sat in the middle of the circle just as another howl sounded close to her house. The windows rattled by a strange forceful wind and then she heard several large thumps, coming from her roof. She felt sick; she hadn’t placed protection symbols on the ceiling. It was such a stupid mistake. The hounds began scratching the roof, getting deeper and deeper into the wood. The ceiling began to rip away and she saw their blood thirsty eyes. She wanted to run, wanted to bolt from her house but she remained still. Crouching into a ball, she saw the hounds snap at her from above, drool flecked her cheeks as they inched further into the room, but she continued to chant, to will them away. ‘I’m staying here! I will not go with you!’ she repeated and after a while, the snapping stopped. She looked up into their dead red eyes.
When Alma returned to her home, she felt frightened and ‘You will not take me. I am a good witch. Go back to your alone and wished she had not destroyed the spirit wards master!’ Growling, the hounds withdrew their heads and her family had made for her. They were only trying to help leaving a gaping hole in her ceiling, left her house alone. her, that’s all. The hounds never came to claim her soul again and since Reaching for the book, Alma searched through all of the then Alma has saved many a first born witch from the spirit wards and fretted. She needed different types of Hounds of Hell who still live on Dartmoor to this very wood from trees that she didn’t know what they looked day.
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ROURKE THE
ENCHANTMENT
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KINGDOM OF ART
Agustin Garriga
Illustrator from Badajoz, Spain. He started drawing at age eleven with the painter Francisco Morรกn Cruz. For seven years was formed in drawing and painting art. He later took courses in graphic design, learning to use digital tools for illustration. He has done comic projects, fantastic illustration, children's illustration, scientific illustration, story board ... working as a freelancer for companies like Norma Editorial, Ubisoft or Planet D'Agostini and the Gobierno de Extremadura and Confederaciรณn Hidrogrรกfica del Guadiana ... He currently works as a designer and illustrator for the company A0 digital in Badajoz.
Hi everyone, I'm Claudia and welcome in my first workshop for KOF magazine. This workshop is going to show you how to manage different skin tones and how to mix a lot of colours in a single illustration.
COVER ART
WORKSHOP by CLAUDIA SGI
Tools needed: supporting digital painting. Hardware: a graphic tablet Creativity, patience and fun!
Important! This is just a sample explanation: you don't need to paint the same stuff I made, just try to follow my tips on your personal drawings!
d)
e)
Then add a bit of colour hue, fading with the face main colour (you can use the low opacity of your brush to create a nice gradient). (d). The picture will work better if you keep the right face with red/orange tones and cooler ones on the other side of the face. Start painting the face and working with the “light” choose lighter colours and build up the facial features. Start defining the background, add some sun rays and even if the main background colour is a cold colour, always mind that adding some warm, pinky and peachy undertones on the clouds, for instance, will help you to build up a calm atmosphere; contrasting with the storm on the left side (with grey blue and cold colours) (e,f).
Colour layout Once You’re done with your lineart (a), before painting any other element of your composition, put down all the colours you need for your picture. This will help you to have an overview of the complete illustration; you can balance better colours and saturation. The main peculiarity of this cover is the contrast between characters and background atmospheres, so balancing colours is the most important thing. (Remember that you are literally telling a story with colours, using them in the right way is one of the secrets for good pictures) I did very few layers for this illustration, because this way of painting reminds me of the traditional painting way, but you may use all the layers you need. Next, choose your favourite brush (you need just one for almost for everything), and the gradient tool to help you with colour shades and soft variations. (b)1 rough round bristle and 3 gradient tool and (c)
Let’s start with Oz I decided to put him on a cloudy sky background, with a warm sunset light. His face is against light, so you’ll have a strong light source from the right side that creates a pale yellow/white glare on his face. Use a medium dark colour all over the face and start to paint the sunlight reflection with a strong stroke (keep the opacity of your brush at 100%), defining your volumes.
Let's start painting and don't forget the most important thing: having fun!
Software: Photoshop/Corel Painter or any software
1
2
f) a)
With the gradient tool, use the overlay mode (this will create a nice undertone) and a very low opacity and select a yellow greenish colour, and enhance the light of his face, layering until you’re satisfied.
b)
3 c)
Let’s paint Theodora For her palette I decided to use very warm and healthy colours for her skin tones; dark hair, a mix of red and greens that remind something savage and mysterious at the same time, but not creepy.
Inspiration I was inspired by Mila Kunis (Theodora in the movie), but I wasn’t suppose tomake a portrait, I preferred to keep a vague likeness (as for James “Oz” Franco).
h)
Let’s paint Theodora As usual, I do a colour layout, painting roughly the main light sources. I changed her hair colour and shape a bit, making them less dark (I choose a warm red brown, rosewood colour) (g,h,i,j).
For her dress, use dark green and purple colours, paint the feathers with different colour strokes, as blue or purples and light teal. This will give them an iridescent glow. Using the gradient tool, give a green glow on the right part of her whole body: this will help you to better integrate the character with the background (m).
g)
So then, select the hair colour with the magic wand tool, and with the colour picker menu, select the colour you like most, and with the “Paint Bucket Tool” fill your hair. Make the colour more vibrant by adding some colour gradients.
j)
About the dress, I wanted the bodice to look like it was full of large sequins and glitter. So take a medium green colour, and with the Colour/Linear Dodge brush mode, paint the glitter (this brush mode will help you to give a realistic light reflection). Alternate it with Multiply brush mode, to give the sensation of shades; dabbing with little strokes on the dress surface, following the natural shape of her breast. Focus on the highest point of the volumes for the highlights (n). Paint the background adding the evil winged creatures, which belong to Evanora, the dark rocks and mountains. This will help you to enhance the dark atmosphere around her.
i)
o)
5
k)
Then start “painting with light”, using lighter colours than the colour base, and build up her facial features. *CUE*: If you you’re not satisfied with the facial feature you’re painting, use the Liquify tool (Menu > Filters > Liquify) and modify the features as you deem fit.*END CUE* (h)
l)
She is in the centre of the main composition, so she is symmetrical. As usual, start painting with lighter colours than the base one, and roughly paint the light on her face. (o) . Start defining her facial features. For a porcelain skin effect, add cold light colour to her face such as aqua greens, lilac and cold greenish grey, to blend with the peach base colour. To intensify the pureness and skin luminosity, using the Colour Dodge brush mode, take a light pink colour and with a dotted brush (b (2 custom brush)), highlight her cheekbones and forehead. Keep the brush opacity low for a more natural effect.
As for Oz’ face, if you want to put a bit of atmosphere on your characters, use a mix of cold and warm colours. In this case, Theodora’s face’ left side reflects a teal light, giving her a mysterious aura (k). Add the background with natural elements, such trees, branches and leaves and keep the teal colour with green undertones (l).
4
Let’s paint Evanora She is the evil witch, in opposition to Theodora in this picture, so I choose cold and dark colours for her skin tones and dress, and a bright green light glare on the right side of her face, with a pinch of boldness adding a sensual magenta red for her lips. Build up volumes on her face by using a lighter colour than the base face colour.
Let’s paint Glinda
Glinda is the good witch, so I wanted to give her an angelic aura, choosing pale, luminous colours such as soft pink, lilac and light blue
p)
q)
Her hair is quite decorative and Art Nouveau reminiscent: my suggestion is, since she has symmetrical features, paint only a side of her hair, then copy, paste and flip horizontal (p). Add pearls, stones and feathers or whatever could increase the purity of this character. Paint a precious opal stone on her crown, starting with an oval shape. Next, roughly put in the lights and reflection and then have fun with brush modes and bright colours, creating a sparkly effect with the dotted brush ( q).
Inspiration
She is inspired by Rachel Weisz, but as for Theodora, there’s only a resemblance.
Finally, put a teal glare on the left side of her hair as we did on Theodora; the same on the other side but with the same acid green light used for Evanora. This will help you to merge all characters together. Finish up with background elements. You’re done!
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translator: Synthesis International Milan, Italy
GLOSSARY
Witches
COMING SOON
BY MARCY PENNESTRI
A woman who claims to possess supernatural or magical abilities.
First appearance
There have been many "first appearances" of witches. One of the earliest mentions of witches or witchcraft is from Ancient Egypt or indeed the Ancient Near East. Since then, witches have become widespread, indoctrinating themselves into every culture in some way or another, either good or bad.
POWERS
Typical powers for a witch, both good and bad is possession, conjuring spirits, effecting love, the weather, your luck. Most notably, witches are said to be able to curse without the use of herbs, wands or cauldrons or the like. Their powers are ethereal.
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Interview with
Scott Lynch Article
Common Denominator
Written or oral spells. In Ancient Egypt, spell casters, or tomb priests would carve curses on the walls of the chambers ensuring no one could enter, this has rung throughout many cultures; writing spells in front of your house, or under your house either to ward away spirits or to curse intruders still happens to this day. What isn't a common denominator is a wand, a broomstick or a cauldron. Not all witches had these.
A Game of Thrones | Season 3
Cultures of Witches
Global. You have practicing Wicca's, Pagan's, witchdoctors etc and all practice good magic. There are, unfortunately, Black Magic Cults around the western world, a few most notably in the UK in Clapham and Sussex when the heads of farm animals were taken from farmers, are also well known. It has been classed as tradition as there have been many magical acts around the UK as well as the rest of the world.
KOTales
Wizard always cheat & Psicothic love
nd
2
ISSUE
Fiction and Non fiction
Morgan Le Fay, Circe, Mother Shipton, Hecate, Hermione Granger, Mildred Hubble, Glenda... the list is long. Witches havetaken many forms in our history. They have been good and bad, impressionable and resistant, strong-headed and weak, kind and naughty, strong and fragile. Witches will still continue in our culture whether we believe in them or not.
Stonehenge, one of the seven wonders of the world, has been used by practicing Wiccans and Pagans for hundreds of years, when in actual fact neither practice was around during the construction of Stonehenge. This leads to believe that Stonehenge was instead created by a different form of religion which has long since been lost for the people of Britain. Some countries in Africa still believe that Witchcraft is rampant amongst small villages. People still believe in sorcery and witches are indeed killed because they send out evil spirits of possession or have turned people into animals.
Umberto Giampa’, Alessi Anghini & Riccardo Lo Giudice Comics
Rourke & Enchantment Agency Up on May, the third issue will be dedicated to warrior women! Some members of our editorial team, Abi, Marco G., Pia and Marcella are working on charming articles about warrior women in the centuries in different cultures, fron Xena to Buffy, not forgetting Wonder Woman!
Interesting facts
Harry Potter was banned in several parts of large countries including, America and Australia because of its "Witch themed" books. Many of the schools who banned the books claimed that it possessed evil magic and it went against the Bible.
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ISSUE ISSUE
We will also meet Manfredi Toraldo, author of the dreamlike fantasy comics Arcana Mater, who will also introduce us to the secret world of Tarot cards.
ThE BEST FANTASY AND SCI-Fi AROUND THE WORLD
ISSN 2052-4056
May 2013 // ISSUE 2
COMIC Rourke
& The Enchantment
Agency
Article GAME OF THRONES /SEASON 3
KINGDOM OF ART Alex Anghini, Umberto Giampa’ & Riccardo Lo Giudice
Kingdom of tales Wizard always cheat & Psicothic love
Interview www.diegopublishing.com www.facebook.com/KingFantasy
Scott LYNCH