/set-chronon-link
/establish retroactive disk connect
/Joey's PC 21:34 at 33 seconds. 19th September 2021 A.D
/scan event-disk for []query;"least viewed comic book"
/Result: 'Search For Catharsis #0 - The Anarcheologist's Study'
Mini rant from Joey:
Ain't hardly nobody even READ 'Search For Catharsis'??! But it kicks ass!!? Y'all read it now, y'hear?
Mini rant over. Begin article...
So here's a weird one. In the Freebies Package where you can get two digital comic books as tasters, the one most people seem familiar with is Ellie The Artist #1, and then the demo documents of the Acrylic Vent anthologies. But a good 95% of my fans seem to gloss over my most unique and drastically different series of all: Search For Catharsis. I guess it's because characters like Ellie and Sally immediately feel more familiar, but the front cover of the first Catharsis book only has an imposing tribal mask. So I'm gonna rectify that right now by writing this article about how cool my own book is.
What Even Is It?
When I was describing it to a friend's mum, I said "It's like Indiana Jones but completely different". For the last few years I've only made comics that show slice-of-life wholesome dramas with relatable people of all ages, in a mostly realistic and down-to-Earth setting. The Catharsis series is a complete 180 on that trope; it's adventure, mythical beings, guns, ships at sea, biplanes crashing over jungle, car chases in Rio, temples on fire, natives howls in Quecha over machine gun fire, an art style that screams "edge" and everything that subverts the expectations of folks who have already read That's How Sally Walks and Ellie The Artist.
Not to mention my regular touch of comedy that blends surreal with dryness.
In Episode #0 we see the setup for the rest of the series which is set for 8 episodic graphic novels (all split as two-parters). In 1963 on an alternate Earth, we follow two delinquent students who study archeology at university in England. One, Laurix Jones, a cynical Lancashire boy with a complicated family history that rides his name, and Daiho Kurosawa, a western-raised Japanese boy with a questionable sense of humour and an Elvis haircut.
Events following their misbehavior involving the skull of the (fictional) Phaoroh Alasehotep and a ghost costume, the two boys come face to face with an uncanny figure named Dr. Ian Platurius. They way he wears his face tells of someone older than his real age; a man with a permanently active psyche and a whithered set of eyes. He tells them of a mythical creature, whom he believes to be a real being: Catharsis.
The boys don't believe this man's ramblings, but he appears to have connections in high places. One of which being young Julie Cotten...
The 50s are over, and this story is set at a time when womens' rights were finally becoming more recognised. Julie is a person who left university a year early to become a global entrepenuer in many... shady places. As Dr. Platurius sets them up for a globe trott, Julie is the one who ransoms help from local military and organisations (both legitimate and not) from each country they visit. She's the lady in the tweed suit and the briefcase full of documents that can topple a government.
Their quest to search the world in an alternate 20th century for this unique creature begins at the end of Episode #0, which is available for free and always will be!
How It Started
One day while working at a resturant, the word "catharsis" came into my head. I didn't actually know what the word meant, I had just heard it in places. I kept repeating the word in my mind during my shift, I loved the word and visualised a gigantic stone/metal masked creature with glowing blue eyes causing tidal waves at sea. I see images when I hear something (not literally, I don't hallucinate. It's more like I have very specific thoughts when I hear words or music.), in my mind, every word has a short visual snippet. I don't even know what that's about, no idea if it's a form of synesthesia or anything else; I just have a very particularly visual mind.
When I got home from work, I Googled the definition of the word catharsis and saw that it meant "a sudden outbreak or relief of pent-up emotion". This gave me an excuse to create a monster, with a theme to base it around.
Catharsis, a being of perpetual screams and wild fury, because it feels exactly what the villagers felt in the second they were all absorbed by the storm. A body of seawater, lightning and oil; nature, energy and pollution.
What's The Deal With This Article's Title?
I firmly believe that the 20th century is probably the most unique period in human history. Ok, second most, I'm sure the 21st can only get crazier with every decade. But there are connotations to every century in western media, and I think the 20th is no exception.
18th century: revolutions, bayonettes, pointy tri-corner hats, that wig SpongeBob once insisted on wearing.
19th century: Victorian era aesthetics, more travel-sized weapons like revolvers, canes, a more connected world.
To me, the 20th century is a bit more freedom, less social restrictions, a very connected world by planes and steamboats, primitive computer technology.
What defines the 21st century? I'd say social media, digital advancements, a completely connected world with smartphones.
So with those connotations of the 20th, I immediately think of the great stories that can ONLY take place within its years: Tintin, Indiana Jones, Treasure of The Sierra Madre, and Casablanca. While many of these stories CAN function as timeless plots, they are clearly designed for and most suited to the era they were set in. Things like World War II, a heavier leaning on freedom, a sense of emotional hope, an urge to discover but not to conquer. I would love to see more people recognise the century as a genre in itself, just as I utilise it for Search For Catharsis.
When Is The Next Episode Coming Out?
Once I've finished Ellie The Artist #4 and have some free slots in my schedule, I'll certainly focus a lot of attention on bringing it to the Orbus Studios website. I'd imagine it'll be marketed in digital as Search For Catharsis #1 (Part 1) for £1 only. Until then? Read the 0th chapter!
Until then... have a page from the upcoming #1...
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