SONS OF FATE: ORIGINS - I'M GONNA CHEW YOU UP, AND SPIT YOU OUT

When I was a teenager, I remember my teacher telling me, 'Stop that you little sh*t! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH IT!!! Or else you will blow us all to kingdom come!!!!'. Ahhhh! Those were the days, weren't they? Those grand halcyon days when teachers told their pupils not to press any of the buttons housed within a nuclear power plant. Funnily enough, this encounter reminds me of a conversation I had with my pal, Jean, who I spoke to only the other day, whilst pressing... BOOOM!!!!!

1) What are your own origins, Jean? Plus what path did you take in life to get to where you are today?   Let's see, I guess it's really simple. When I was about three -- actual story -- my mom asked me to draw her a picture. From that point onward's, I haven't stopped.

As for the path I took, what can I say, I always liked to draw since I was little, and did so throughout life. There are always obstacles and distractions like we all face, and at times I've fallen off course. The true love that I had for drawing always and quickly brought me back to do it. I believe when you find that " thing", that thing that truly moves you, whatever hardships and difficulties you have melt away.

Through that, you find a way to make it happen. Fortunately for me, I found it at a very early age.

2) How did ‘Son Of Fate: Origins’ come about? It’s ‘secret origin’ so to speak.   I remember the first spark of the idea. I was in my kitchen washing dishes when I thought of it. It came out of the air -- TRUE INSPIRATION -- like from the stories of old. Instinctively I dropped what I was doing and wrote it down. From there, it was an amalgamation of principles, ideas, and themes set to the story of love, loss, acceptance, failure, and success covered with the idea that everything we do and happens to us is purposeful although we may not see it until the end. Wrapped in a swashbuckling samurai adventure.

It's not a 'Secret Origin' so to speak, but more of a fleshing out about the characters from the story that happens after. 

3) In your own words how would you describe this story?   The story is an eventful meeting between two forces who greatly have an impact on each other. Think of it as the 'unstoppable force meets the immovable object', and in doing so, they both affect each other instead of stalemating. The effect lays down a further path on influence.

OK, more like the unstoppable force hits the immovable object and merge, and in doing this, creates a path that not only affects those around them, but history itself. That is the" Origins" story.

4) What song would you say best represents this project and why?   Dragula by Rob Zombie. Ha! JUST KIDDING!!! That is a TOUGH question really. It, being set in the past, partly in Africa and then completely in ancient Japan, it would be hard to say. Harder still, it would have to be a song that has moments of quiet reflection, sadness, inspiration, then intense action. Even in choosing the music for the SOF Origins trailer, I had trouble finding a song that struck the right tone for which I eventually did.

I'd take anything out of the score of The Dark Knight Rises... .probably (mentally checking my music library... Check ing...CHECKIIIIING). RISE! Rise is a great song that captures the essence that is SOF Origins. So, thanks now it looks like I gotta go hire Hans Zimmer to create my soundtrack. Damn!

5) If you could get a celebrity – either living or dead – to promote your wares, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   Jesus Christ. Human perfection. Adored by billions. Created miracles. Went through strife. A true Son of Fate. BOOM!

6) Your artwork is great, Jean. To me, it comes across as a mixture of Andy Kubert and Tony Daniels's work. What would you say inspired you the most to draw in this manner? Plus what artists do you admire?   Thanks for the compliment! The manner in which I draw is just the style I developed through the years. Funny you mentioned Tony's and Andy's work, I like them both, especially Kurbert's early Wolverine, plus Daniel's Batman. Gotta throw in the greats like Arthur Adams, John Byrne, Golden, Perez, Lee, 'da Romitas, Sienkiewicz.... the list goes on.

My biggest influence has always been Japanese Anime, especially from the early nineties. A lot of people say I have a very anime style. I take that as a true compliment. 

 
7) What have you learned about yourself through this endeavor? And were there any unforeseen obstacles you had to contend with along the way?   I learned how much of myself I put into not only Origins, but also the story as it continues thereafter. There are a lot of personal trials and tribulations, success and failures, about how I feel about things, people, society, and even myself in the series. Every character has a little of me in it, good or bad. In short, 'Sons of Fate: Origins', is the idea of me put onto paper. My ideals, my goals, by beliefs, my mantra.

As for obstacles, I had a teacher who always said, 'It takes two people to do a painting. One to do it, and another to hit the painter over the head to tell him when to stop'. My writing is the same, except it is three, the first two and a third. The third hits the second guy to get him to hit the first because the second likes the first, who has fallen in love with what the first has done and doesn't want him to stop.

Really, when you think of it, it's five guys ... three for the writing, and two for the drawing. In short, I end up liking what I do so much it's hard for me to stop. 

8) During your time in this field, what is the one thing that has kept you in good stead?   That's easy. I love what I do. I forget to eat. I neglect my friends and family (not in a bad way).  I miss hours in the day, sometimes days themselves. Those close to me have learned to understand and appreciate it. They know that when I fall off the grid, I'm most likely drawing, and laugh with me when it happens. I call it "Tony Starkin it". Grow a beard and everything.

9) If ‘Fate’ had a motto, what would it be?   Oh! Fate had a motto! Its "Gonna chew you up and spit you out, to see if you're worthy!".

We all get asked at one point or another, and how we answer is how were treated. Obstacles, failure, all constructs made to see if you believe enough to overcome and only put there to see if you do. 

So there you have it, folks, My mate Jean and his new comic book, 'Sons Of Face: Origins'. When you have the time please check it out on Kickstarter, twitter, or Jean's very own creator-owned website. Go on. Click-click. I'm sure you'd get a kick out of it too.