I met some folks from Spider Forest who had a table next to mine at the Bethesda Small Press Expo. Nice people! I took their card, and later on I checked out their website. Of the numerous comics listed, Ten Earth Shattering Blows stood out, because of the nice artwork in the thumbnail, and also because of the crazy title. Very glad I clicked on it!
This comic begins with an incredible 360-degree tour of a lusty, primitive outpost, part Mad Max, part Star Wars. It’s familiar territory for a fantasy comic, but the artist, Nuclearpasta, makes it fresh with meticulous detail, stunning two-page spreads, a sincere love for depicting giant lizards, and an ironic tone throughout the proceedings.
The two main characters both are wearing masks when they’re introduced, and the camera zooms in for closeups when each of them is unveiled— Landa, a bratty but bold young noblewoman, distinctively dressed in the latest interplanetary style. And Joy, who is first introduced as “the monster”, being thrust into a cage match she easily wins. She escapes, and slays Landa’s protector with incredibly violent head butts. When her helmet is shattered, she is revealed as rough and unglamorous but nevertheless beautiful.
Joy abducts Landa and escapes the outpost in a furiously-paced sequence that leaves us gasping; and then the science fiction elements become even more mind-bending and weird.
Nuclearpasta’s art is a stunning combination of Moebius-style backgrounds with Kirbyesque action. The faces are expressive and perfectly carry the humorous tone. The art pays a lot of attention to portraying motion, which goes a long way to bringing the action sequences to life.
The website itself is especially genial and engaging, with lots of extra artwork to enjoy, a links page to the artist’s favorite webcomics, and more.
As to that title, the what or how of these earth-shattering blows has yet to be explained– and why ten of them? I can’t wait to find out!
