THE RASBENEK CHRONICLES

First Steps Towards Darkness.......

2008-07-05T12:51:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day of progress - up to now mainly discussions and more discussions about how to confront this quite huge challenge. We are not the great Steve Niles, but utter novices feeling our way for the first time with a story we firmly believe has all the makings of a great graphic novel - and more.

Shot List # 1 & 2 have been processed and are now undergoing the first sketch pass for content. Thereafter sketches revised, will become slightly more detailed before undergoing ' pen&ink' treatment. At this stage boards will be collated for the rough cut edit stage once the first novel (of two) is completed. Only once the edit is approved will those boards become the full bloodied colour versions, thereafter to be lettered for final approval.

It's an exciting time.

Nick

2008-06-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

THE RASBENEK CHRONICLES began life in 1999 as a feature script idea about the possible origins of vampiric law, and how catholic persecution of faith in the 13th century, during the period known as 'The Inquisition' was responsible for creating the very first vampire in the fortess city of Beziers.

The script, titled "AS TWILIGHT FADES" followed the early life of a catholic priest, Michel De Rasbenek, in his fall from grace, and how after exacting revenge upon his family's brutalisers he was excommunicated, and taken to a place of execution. There he was burnt alive. But in a bizarre turn-around, and most symbolically, resurrected after three days, he became the very symbol of hatred and abhorration that identified the religious persecution of the time.

As Twilight Fades followed Rasbenek's journey across continental Europe as he strove to find others like him, in the hope that 'community' would allow him the anonymity and shelter he craved, but which, seemingly in every village he encountered, seemed further and further away with every mile he travelled from Beziers. The story led Rasbenek to stow away aboard a tall ship for the Western Isles of Scotland where he proceeded, amongst the crofts and glens, to eek out a paltry existence, hidden from the eyes of the many, and finding tolerance amongst the few.

Time, as they say, waits for no man, and Rasbenek's life, haunted by the memories of past, and seeking to end the loneliness of his existence, is drawn into closer and closer contact with the living, not to fulfill any stereotypical need for food, but to end his isolated existence. To fill the loneliness. Decades, centuries, of life alone has created in him a being unused to interaction, making him reserved, shy, and withdrawn. It is thus, with reluctance that he is drawn out, into the 21st century, when his quiet existence is threatened by the activities of another killer.............and one more deadly than even he.

So, there you have an intro into what we hope will be a thoroughly engaging story, all set in a graphic novel world. It is our plan to use this novel as leverage towards maybe getting the feature film script into production sometime down the line.

I've no doubt your support will help us get there.

Nick

And so we begin...............

2008-06-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first blog in the epic journey that will hopefully chart the development of the new horror graphic novel "The Rasbenek Chronicles".

This is not a journey I will be making alone, however, though to be fair the writing side of the experience most definitely is. My fellow journeyman on this venture, is Steve Simmons, artist, designer extraordinaire, and most definitely a Samwise Gamgees to my Frodo.

We are, together, criminally insane (in a filmic way) and undoubtedly two of the most geeky, ambitious, and dedicated people in search of cinematic success I know.

And I know three!

So journey with us as we take the unusual step of creating a graphic novel from an existing film script in both the pursuit of literary success, and in a roundabout kind of way, of securing interest in the development of a feature film. Why not just pitch the script? I hear you ask. Well we could, to be fair. But how much better it will be to give investors and executives a graphic novel to read along side the script at bedtime. It's as though the movie is already made.

So, in the next blog I'll let you in on the history behind the creation of "The Rasbenek Chronicles".

Nick