Corsairs – An Epic Space Tale by Kid Monster Creations
The Kid Monster creative duo of Artist Charlie "FAB" Goubile and writer Daniel McNeal present Corsairs. A brand new space epic that's sure to turn some heads. Rebel from poverty stricken colonies are forced into space pirating for their very survival. I picked up a copy of the Corsairs: Captain Log recently at the Onyxcon event in Atlanta. The book contains some great concept/character art and having spoken to the artist, I know plenty of thought went into not only creating the characters but also to fleshing out the world of Corsairs.
Charlie "FAB" Goubile describes himself as a diehard Star Wars fan and he brings that passion to his artwork for this book. Fab's drawing style seems perfect for Corsairs as he's able to mix a highly technical almost mechanical draftsmanship when required, along with elegant character renditions. He's truly one of the elite artists out there in my opinion. When describing the story itself, Daniel McNeal explains that Corsairs is at its essence a variation of the classic Robin Hood tale. These space pirates are motivated by a need to help people who are desperate. In effect raising questions as to the roles of good and evil and what happens when these roles are swapped.
In an online article posted on Blacksci-fi.com McNeal explains "'Corsairs' is also an exploration of the human survival instinct—fight vs. flight. When you force individuals into certain situations, how do they respond? How do the roles of good and evil rotate and change position? What alliances form and what alliances crumble? What are the definitions of good and evil?". However, don't be fooled by the fantasy aspects of Corsairs. Much of the story is grounded in reality. Lessons that explored in the story could easily apply to things happening in the world today. For instance, why are there "pirates" off the Somalian coast of East Africa? What are their motivations and is there a solution to such a crisis? In addition, the crew of the vessel named "Hammerhead" contain characters of diverse races and are headed up by LaRue Antoinette Dalcour (or Red). The creators felt it was important to counter stereotypes by showing a captain who's not only black but female as well.*
As you can see, Corsairs isn't just your run of the mill space epic but a work with well thought out directions so be prepared to get onboard when the prologue is released in May 2012. More information can be found here.
*excerpted from Blacksci-fi.com article "Corsairs: A Different Take on the Space Epic" by Robert Jeffrey II.
"They're motivated by a need to help people who are desperate... raising questions as to the roles of good and evil and what happens when these roles are swapped."