By: Nicole D’Andria
A comic
book over 10 years in the making, The
Damned Knight is a black-and-white origin story of a medieval knight’s
journey through life, death and the afterlife. I spoke with the writer about
his passion project.
The project
has already reached its $457 (£350) goal but will continue to accept pledge
until February 22, 2019 at 1:51 PM EST. Rewards include digital (£2/$2.62) and
physical (£5/$7) copies of The Damned
Knight as well as signed original artwork (£30/$39) and back cover art (£100/$131).
You can make a pledge on their Kickstarter page.
I spoke
with Nathan about The Damned Knight
below.
 |
| Nathan Webb |
Me: What is the personality of the fallen knight in
The Damned Knight like and why will readers enjoy going along on his
journey?
Webb: The Damned Knight is a fallen hero both
physically and spiritually. Once he was an ideological warrior who fought for
his beliefs; but death changes a person. Can TDK find redemption, or is he
damned to live an afterlife of hatred and violence?
Me: You drew this story over 10 years ago—why did
you decide to go back to it and put it on Kickstarter? And have you made any
changes to it since then?
Webb: I wrote and drew The Damned Knight over a decade ago, with the hope of having it
published in an anthology book, but sadly it never happened.
After a
stint in the Army I decided to return to drawing comics, which was a passion of
mine in my youth.
Last year
I did a Kickstarter, Britformers #1,
which was a collaboration with a friend who had experience with crowdfunding.
After seeing how simple and rewarding KS was, I decided it was time for me to
revisit a story I had never quite managed to get to fruition. TDK was always
meant to be an origin story, but it works well as a standalone story; if the
book takes off I may well write a sequel.
Upon
rereading TDK I realised just how bad my spelling and grammar was, so the first
thing I had to do was re-letter the entire book. I also had to redo the
cover title as graphic design has changed a lot in the last decade and the old
cover looked quite outdated. But the artwork itself has remained unchanged.
Me: For people unfamiliar with the Avebury stone
circle, how would you describe it and why did you decide to include it in your
story?
Webb: Everyone knows of the Stone Circle in Salisbury
(Stonehenge) but few people outside of my home county of Wiltshire have heard
of the Avebury Stones, which is actually the largest ancient stone circle in
Britain sporting over 100 stones and a circumference of several miles. I’ve
always been fascinated by Avebury and its dark and sordid history, which made it
all the more creepy because it still, to this day, is a largely undiscovered
tourist attraction.
Me: You went with a modest $459 goal. How did you
come up with this number and what will it help you achieve?
Webb: Having already found a printer familiar with
comics on my last Kickstarter, I had a fair idea of prices and my initial goal
was simple to cover at cost the minimum order and postage. Thankfully the
KS has already surpassed the minimum requirements and hopefully if TDK gets
enough backers to fund a larger print run I might actually turn a profit.
Me: What is the number one reason why people should
pledge money to your Kickstarter project?
Webb: Anyone who’s a fan of horror, fantasy or
medieval comics should find TDK a riveting read and the more people that back
it, the more likely it is I’ll be able to create the sequel.
Me: For people unfamiliar with your previous work,
what can you tell them about your last Kickstarter, Britformers?
Webb: My previous Kickstarter was a very different
comic in many ways, transforming robots in 1960s London. But as with TDK the
main character is an anti-hero, so maybe that’s a theme that both books have in
common. Anyone wishing to read Britformers
#1 can buy it digitally or physically from our Facebook page.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for
aspiring comic book writers?
Webb: It’s only taken a decade to get this book to
print but it’s made me realise I should never give up on a dream.
Me: Thanks for taking the time to answer my
questions, Nathan. If you’re reading this and interested in seeing a medieval
knight’s journey through life, death and the afterlife, check out the
Kickstarter for The Damned Knight here.
Do you
have a Kickstarter? Want to be interviewed about it and have the project
featured on "Kickstart the Week?" Let me know in the comments below
or message
me on my website.
Other “Kickstart the Week” features:
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