Holy Bak Kut Teh! The prequel comic to the local tokusatsu SACRED GUARDIAN SINGA project will be having its launch tomorrow, 12 September 2020 on local leading publisher AsiaPac Book's Facebook page!
The virtual launch party for the comic entitled SACRED GUARDIANS will begin at 3 PM. Writer Aydeel Djoeharie and artist Alan Bay will be appearing at the livestream (moderated by AsiaPac's Chong Lingying), ready to share their creators' journey in bringing this book to fruition.
“Writing Sacred Guardians was both challenging and fun. With inspiration from American and Japanese superheroes, the story blends in Southeast Asian history, heritage, cultures as well as positive values to create an exciting, relatable story for our young (and older) readers,” said Aydeel Djoeharie, who written and directed several film projects before.
As for the book's artist Alan Bay, “Sacred Guardians was a special project for me not only for its story and characters but because it also helped me get through the pandemic as I spent most of time staying at home and working on it.”
Just before tomorrow's launch, the five SACRED GUARDIANS poofed in unexpectedly into Red Dot Diva's lair with a present - a limited preview copy of the comic. They declined her offer to stay for tea, but said that she could share a little about their origin story to her readers.
Set in the landscape of historical South-East Asia, the SACRED GUARDIANS comic follows the adventures of Dev, a mystical immortal warrior, and five guardians whose special powers are imbued by their corresponding Sacred Animal Spirits. There is an evil brewing, bringing scourge and bloodshed to the region. So, Dev and the Sacred Guardians team up to battle these demonic forces in order to save the world.
Right from the first few pages of the SACRED GUARDIANS comic, one is transported into the heart of a vibrant South-East Asian fantasy world with familiar names, features and landscapes. It is so familiar that Red Dot Diva felt she could catch a whiff of fresh fish at the wet market scene.
The main protagonist Dev is an instantly likeable character, and very handsome too! His intuitive take on his surroundings and sense of urgency spurs you headlong into a quest with him. In the sample preview, Red Dot Diva also got to know Niena, one of the characters who will take on the mantle of a Sacred Guardian. Niena's spunky, skilled and best of all, adventurous. All in all, she's pretty awesome!
This is Aydeel Djoeharie's first foray into comic book writing, but he has managed to drive the story forward in a compelling manner. The dialogue is snappy, with thrilling action sequences and short interludes of anime-like funny moments. The story feels grounded and not contrived, with cringey superhero names, costumes and powers.
If one is used to the art style of Westernised superhero comics, the more cartoonish artwork by Alan Bay may need some getting used to. However, for a traditional, tokusaksu-style story meant to transcend boundaries and age groups, Red Dot Diva thinks Alan Bay's artwork is utterly delightful and refreshing. The palette is bright and eye-catching - just like what our South-East Asian costumes and cultural landscape are like, a spellbinding sea of colours. Alan has also managed to capture the facial expressions and movements of the characters in the different panels with his deft artwork.
SACRED GUARDIANSis the South-East Asian fantasy-superhero comic book Red Dot Diva has been waiting for. It sets up an exciting Sacred Guardians universe for all sorts of possibilities, and provides a new way of looking at our traditional mythical stories through a modern world's lens. Best of all, having it written in English and released here in Red Dot Island is a such big score.
Yes, there are already similar South-East Asian comics published in other countries, but they are usually written in their own regional language. She hopes that when SACRED GUARDIANS comic gains traction and proves to be popular, it can then be translated in other languages for many more fans and reader to enjoy!
To get a sneak peek of the comic book SACRED GUARDIANS, join the virtual book launch tomorrow and interact with the creators as well as fellow fans! The details are in the graphic below.
You can also check out the introduction of some of the key characters of the comic at the SACRED GUARDIAN SINGA Facebook Page!
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SACRED GUARDIANS is still available for at Asiapac Books' website. Get your copy here: https://asiapacbooks.com/products/sacred-guardians
Check out Red Dot Diva's interview with artist Alan Bay
- https://reddotdiva.blogspot.com/2020/08/alanbay-sacredguardians-singapore-comics.html
To find out more about about Alan Bay, check out his website here: https://www.smallguydoodle.com
For more information on SACRED GUARDIANS SINGA - http://sacredguardians.tv
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