Friday, January 13, 2012

Abede lovelace-T.E.M.C

This months cover,
photo by K.K.W, taken @
The D.I.Y show at
Dash Gallery Sept 2010.
Topcon auto 100, 56mm lens,
Ilford 400 film.
Abede Lovelace: T.E.M.C (The Earth Man Chronicle's). By K.K.W
Abede lovelace, photo
courtesy of the artist.
He's lived in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. He's seen the sun rise over the Mediterranean and roamed the beautiful night-time streets of Paris. A graduate of S.V.A(school of visual arts), he is one of the strongest supporters of comics, one of its toughest critic's, and an amazing artist. 
Main Character from T.E.M.C,
"The Earth Man".  Image
courtesy of Artist.

SPWhere did you get the idea for the chronicles?

AL: 
The Chronicles originally came about many years ago. At the time it had no name or structure just an awesome idea!! A good friend of mine actually came up with the premise. We were walking down the strip on the west side, over by where Tirbeca officially begins and China Town ends. We were talkin and he says that he had this idea for an amazing story. So he spits me this concept. The whole crux of the concept for me revovles around this being a Superman level character but the concept and the world was gritty and definitive; like our shared sensibilites. Literally the instant he pitched me the concept my mind started racing and we broke out into full development of the idea as we were walking. We never got further then that though. But the thing was so fresh that it was all still very much remembered by both of us. So fast forward  many, many years later and I have now turned the corner and in the process of completing my first mini series and I have this visceral compulsion to start my next project more or less. I felt that I finally was ready to do a project which was a super power based story and immediately almost in the same moment, I knew that I wanted and was going to do the Chronicles(which still had no name). And now began the task of actually building and creatings the series. From story to characters, to structure and format, to history, the whole damn thing! ha ha ha.



SP: The story seems more action oriented then "City of Walls",  
do you think that's a result of having worked on a story that's more drama?



AL: Not really. It certainly has an effect in terms of certain structural or format decision's. But all those are surface, nothing in terms of actual story and character." City of Walls" is a drama and I am very happy about that. The Chronicles are action oriented but its still dramatic, that's the glue that gives the action impact.

SP:  What's the basics of the story-line so far?

AL:  Hmmm how to do this without spoilers. Well the underlying force of the series is time and change. You have a man who at his lowest point after losing basically everything but his life, undergoes a quite miraculous journey at the end of which he has become much more then a man. In fact he is no longer a mortal man at all; and when he and his new found powers are discovered the reaction is immediate and violent. So that you have this situation in a world where too often, might makes right, is confronted with a force that is truly mighty!

SP:  Are there any elements of the story that separate the chronicles 
from conventional sci-fi/action stories? 



AL:  That's hard to say really. I definitely think so, but I'm the creator so I am biased. ha hah. I think what separates it most are the very real world physics of the series. Our main character is not a hero or even an anti-hero for that matter. In fact when u are introduced to him in the first Chronicle he is a soldier. And as a soldier his ideals on right and wrong and how one deals with ones enemies are that of a military man, at war, fighting for his side! And this soldier in particular happens to have powers akin to a demigod. But he still thinks, and often acts both fortunately and unfortunately like a man. Which makes for some potentially horrible consequences. I think that's the big difference. The world of the Chronicles mirrors the extreme, complex and disjointed world we ourselves live in. Very little is black and white; so very much is relative to the given characters point of view.There are definitely story and plot elements that are unique, how he gets his powers, the format of the series, which is out of sequence, but in time. But the real heart of the series which I think will make it stand out are the very real world physics of the environment itself and the entities involved. What happens when a mortal man finds himself with the powers of a god but still the mindset of a man of his time? What happens when the world reacts in a predictably fearful and violent fashion?  And, what happens then when this man-like god then reacts and declares war on earth? Everything is on the table. And I think that, and my skills as an artist are what the series will thrive on. 

SP:  Will the chronicles be a series, or just a mini-story included in "City of Walls", 
or on its own?



AL:  The Chronicles are completely separate from "City of Walls". The First Chronicle does make a cameo in one of the upcoming issues in the series. But it does so literally as a comic book one of the characters are reading. Just me having some fun and continuing a story telling dynamic in "City of Walls" that I've been doing since the beginning of that particular series. But other then that there is no relation between the 2 series. The Chronicles are an on going series without a real predetermined length. I know what happens and more or less how this journey eventually does end but the story takes place over a LONG time. And the format is moment to moment orientated; which allows me to really pick and choose my spots so that I can really dive into the many facets of this world and whats happening. From the seemingly mundane and unimportant stuff to the explosive battles to the very dramatic character moments. And again the format allows me to touch it all without the pressure of a categorically sequential narrative. I think it will make the series very engaging because the reader will get to taste everything and enjoy all the aspects and variables in the story; instead of potentially being mired down in a long but needed plot and character development,  stunned or shell shocked into apathy by endless over the top fighting sequences. 

SPLovelace, that was a great interview, and I'm looking forward to reading T.E.M.C and seeing it grow. Cheers! and thanks for taking time.

If you would like to know more, go to:www.facebook.com/earthmanchronicles "Art is the reason, art is the way"



T.E.M.C, image courtesy of the artist.
    

1 comment:

Studio Phoenix Blog-spot said...

One of the main things I like about interviewing Lovelace is the lengthy answers to almost every question. His current story sounds good and looks good. Cheers!

K.K.W