Jazyl Homavazir a 2D Animator, Illustrator and character designer by profession is all set to launch the third volume of his weekly web-comic ‘The Beast Legion’ at Mumbai Films and Comic Convention 2014.
In his spare time, he runs a free to read weekly web-comic which is created in a ‘Manga’ style, something that he personally specialises in. Jazyl has been running his website for the past four years and has completed eight issues of the previous series and will be releasing issues nine to 11 in the upcoming volume.
Currently very happy with his job, Jazyl continues to dabble with his passion of creating comics for his fans for which he keeps returning to the Comic Con. AnimationXpress.com’s Niyati Handa spoke to the CCI Award winner about his new release and future plans.
What inspired you to write this comic? Elaborate on the story line as well. How are your characters different from others?
I do both the art and the story for the series. I’ve been focusing on art for as long as I can remember but I got into the Manga style of art only after watching and reading Naruto from 2007. I have been a big fan of fantasy adventure shows ever since I grew up. It started out with He-man and Thundercats and continues today with shows like Bleach and Naruto. The fantasy genre allows you to stretch your imagination to the very limits and I absolutely enjoy that space as it allows me to create some of the most diverse characters and create a completely new world. The only commissioned aspects are the covers for the printed comics as I love to see different artistes’ takes on these characters.
‘The Beast Legion’ is an ongoing series that focuses on the story of a teenage Prince Xeus and his quest to reclaim his home world from the tyrannical clutches of the Shadow Nexus led by the despotic warlock, Dragos. However to even stand a chance against the seeming insurmountable odds, Xeus must first tame and master his Guardian Beast alter ego to unleash the full potential of his powers. The story focuses in his internal struggle with his alter ego as well as his quest, as he makes new allies and comes face to face with a plethora of villains.
The characters have their own Beast Forms that they transform into, using various pieces of armour known as the ‘Beast Transfers’. Each of them have a unique personality and as the Manga progresses there will be a lot of character driven stories that intertwine as Xeus heads into the final battle. I plan to release at least 75-100 chapters along the way.
Volume three starts with Xeus taking on the Slave Master of the shadow nexus and his quest to master his Beast Form by searching for the last remaining Wizard hermit. However his new found ally Fyre is on the same quest but the hermit will only choose one apprentice.
How many people were involved in designing this comic?
Only I am involved in the comic. Since it is Manga, it’s black and white with greyshading. It’s a self published venture and I handle everything from story to art to lettering. At present Beast Legion is a passion to share my story and entertain people. It’s something I work on during my free time. Otherwise I work as an animation supervisor and character designer for an Animation start up.
How do you plan to market your venture?
At present being a self publisher it’s extremely hard to get a product on the shelves or on any website. I generally sell the printed comics exclusively at conventions or through orders that I receive on my website. My main focus with this project however, is to share my stories with as many readers as possible who understand the genre and that’s why the comic is also free to read online over at www.thebeastlegion.com. I have been running the website for over four years now and will continue to do so to the best of my ability.
Are there any alternate approaches you use to raise funds for this series?
Recently I have started a crowd funding campaign which helps me to raise funds to maintain the site as well as market the comic online which isn’t an easy feat. Here people can support my work by donating a certain amount each month and in return I give them access to various rewards based on the pledges they make. More of those details are mentioned on the Patreon page. It’s a very interesting platform where fans can directly support the creators and the work they love. The minimum pledge per month is $1 but the patrons can even set limits to the amount they want to spend a year. So it offers full flexibility.
How many more volumes are in the pipeline?
In the last three years I have released two volumes, consisting of chapters one to eight of the series. This year I’ll be launching volume three at the Mumbai Films & Comics Convention. It will be released in a single book consisting of three chapters (9-11) but unlike the previous versions, all the chapters are double sized full of action packed moments that I’m sure will entertain my previous readers and grip the attention of new fans.
Plus it has exclusive art and the covers are done by some very talented artists including the great Dheeraj Verma of Raj Comics and IDW fame who was generous enough to take time out from his busy schedule and create a cover for chapter nine. The covers for chapters 10 and 11 are done by illustrator Mark Bustamante from Philippines and our very own Krishna and Balram Banerjee (aka the Xong Bros) of Batu Gaiden fame.
How many pages does this comic consist of? What’s the price?
The current volume consists of a total of 165 pages, the biggest in the series so far and will be priced at Rs 200. I will also be carrying limited copies of volume one and two. I will be giving them on special discounts on a first come, first serve basis.
I plan on distributing a few random books from volume one to the audience present there so that they can get a feel of the comic and decide whether they would like to purchase it. I have also plans to release an e-book version through an online store in the coming months but the physical books will be exclusively available on Comic Con.
What are your future plans? Are you planning to create new comic characters?
Webcomics are something I do in my free time though Beast Legion is also a priority and something that is connected straight to my heart. I already have a job in the field of Animation, which I love and which pays my bills but at some point it is my goal to pitch Beast Legion for a proper Anime treatment though this will not happen in the very near future. But till then I will continue to launch more chapters.
Apart from that I have also been working on another fantasy web comic titled ‘The Song of Heroes’ which just released a week back, in collaboration with an American writer Patrick Ireland. I am handling the complete artwork for the comic and the colours are applied by the very talented Santosh Pillewar who has worked on several comic titles throughout his career. It’s been a fantastic team effort and I’m certain people will appreciate it.
Is there any new merchandising?
At the convention, I will also have posters of chapters nine and 11of the Beast Legion along with a few Naruto fan art prints that I’ve created over the last few months as I am a big fan myself. Hopefully in the future I would love to release T-shirts and limited edition statues of the series. That’s one of the reasons I have started the Patreon campaign.
What kind of response are you getting from your readers for your earlier comics?
So far all of them have been very positive. I have a very good global readership especially in the US but I have a lot of Indian readers who support my work very strongly both at comic con and on social media and I’m always grateful for that. I was shocked that at my first time in Delhi in 2012, I completely sold out halfway during day three considering no one had really heard a lot of the comic at that time apart from the fact that it won the Comic Con India award for best web series.
How do you plan to cope with a loss, if that happens?
Loss is a part and parcel of this business. That’s what happened in my first run. I try to keep a price where I can at least break even but loss is always a factor you have to take in especially once you get the comics printed. Today thanks to the comic’s success I have sponsors who handle part of the printing cost. But the important part is the exposure you get and the people you meet along this road, which in turn, become really close friends or support your work in various ways. In fact Beast Legion and my art style are what landed me the job which I am extremely happy with now.