A medieval fantasy comic/concept
As Above, So Below
Overview
For centuries, portals to another dimension have appeared sporadically across the land of Asabov, with terrifying creatures dragged into our world. Recently, the frequency of portals has increased, the Demons acting even more ferocious. Portals have even appeared in once-safe-havens like the city of Gothard.
The demons that appear are fantastically deadly, requiring specialized hunters to fight and take them down. These hunters fight using curse magic, the magic of Demons, which takes its toll on the hunters' bodies. Trained priests can also close the portals, but usually only with years of training, a magic object, and luck.
In the city of Gothard, a portal rips open in the city center. A young demon hunter steps up, and a fresh-faced priest is thrown into his first fight. Together, Alex and Dimitri successfully deal with the Demon outbreak and close the portal - to the surprise of many. Now, they travel the land trying to find a more permanent solution to the Demons of Sobelo... and discover the Demons' origins might be more human than they thought.
Characters
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Alexandra of Adelwynn
DEMON HUNTER
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Dimitri of Gothard
PRIEST
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Sirius of Gothard
GUARDSMAN
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Velos Andor
KING OF SOBELO
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Demons
MYTHICAL CREATURES
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Armin
MASTER DEMON HUNTER
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Kali
HEAD OF DEMON HUNTING GUILD
Reference Sheets
I’m very proud of my reference sheets! More detail and notes are given to my two main characters, but I enjoy designing sheets for secondary and background characters too.
The location for this story is heavily inspired by the Flathead Valley in Montana, USA. Asabov is a high-altitude mountainous valley, with landscapes that are filled with pine trees and snowcapped peaks, and the characters bundled for colder weather. I’ve created a basic map of the small country, with the main capital of Gothard and several villages that play a role in the story.
Beneath this country is a hellish plane called Sobelo, where demons reside. It’s a dark, rocky, barren landscape with green lightning storms. By contrast, the demons that inhabit this empty place are colorful, patterned-filled creatures inspired by alebrijes. They’re a mix of creatures - a lion-like mane and tail, alligator head, and dog-like bodies. I intentionally draw them in a variety of ways so keep having fun with the concept!
I enjoy drawing mock screencaps of the story, and below are a few that really highlight the storytelling I’m trying to achieve with them. I’ve most loved drawing character interactions, pushing expressions and poses to help show each character’s personality.
