{"id":119532,"date":"2021-06-02T06:29:37","date_gmt":"2021-06-02T05:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/?p=119532"},"modified":"2021-08-26T07:09:25","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T06:09:25","slug":"bloodlines-interview-with-creator-nick-percival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/books\/bloodlines-interview-with-creator-nick-percival\/","title":{"rendered":"Bloodlines: Interview with creator Nick Percival"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/books\/bloodlines-terra-virtua-launches-worlds-first-nft-only-graphic-novel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">haven&#8217;t already heard<\/a>, NFT marketplace <a href=\"http:\/\/tracking.vuelio.co.uk\/tracking\/click?d=0OrkYZzNC-J3G2rcyZ0qZK2Uoo8Av03FUUa8BTfIgwanxC7DH5W0VdX0ky_yrguS1YGQG61zIjGJnkmaKYLP4z-iKk_QbGnpQXrv4y1YyBMuujPPxhdR59vyAb3EeHnc8A2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Terra Virtua<\/a> has just launched the world\u2019s first NFT-only graphic novel \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/terravirtua.io\/marketplace\/cb_np_var7\"><em><strong>Bloodlines<\/strong><\/em> <\/a>from Nick Percival (<em><strong>Judge Dredd<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em><strong>Slaine<\/strong><\/em>). The series follows the journey of four characters as they fight to survive in a disorientating and bleak world, which sees human emotions take on physical forms such as fierce rage storms and sweeping floods of tears.<\/p>\n<p>Check out the trailer for the graphic novel here&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aHU_UjO5Onk\" width=\"375\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We sat down with Percival to talk about the series, working on <em><strong>Judge Dredd<\/strong> <\/em>and how he feels about <em><strong>Bloodlines<\/strong><\/em> being available as an NFT&#8230;<\/p>\n<h2>When did you first get the idea for <em>Bloodlines<\/em>?<\/h2>\n<p>I think it was around 2012 that I started developing the idea, so it\u2019s been kicking around my head for quite a while. I was working on it in between my regular comic book and film artwork projects. It was nice to able to take my time with it, initially creating a bunch of concept art so I could mess around with character designs and how I wanted to depict the world in which the story is set. Since it was something I was just doing for myself, there was no pressure or any time constraints, so I could just let the idea evolve.<\/p>\n<h2>If any, what were your inspirations when writing <em>Bloodlines<\/em>?<\/h2>\n<p><strong><em>Bloodlines<\/em><\/strong> deals with a lot of themes I\u2019d always wanted to explore \u2013 the effect of different emotions on people, the different moods we have and how they affect us. It got me thinking if these kind of things could be contagious, if we could somehow become \u2018infected\u2019 with different negative (or positive) emotions, character traits or feelings, just from being close to others and so on.<\/p>\n<p>The next task was to think about how to represent that visually in an interesting and dynamic way within the genre that I like to work in and in my own art style. Of course, it\u2019s also comics, so it has to be cool and entertaining!<\/p>\n<h2><em>Bloodlines<\/em> sees human emotion take on physical forms \u2013 what are some of the physical entities we can expect and why did you choose them?<\/h2>\n<p>This was the fun part. I was thinking of phrases and definitions of how we interpret or represent these emotions and feelings. So, I would take some of this literally when I was creating the environments and creatures of the world. We have \u2018Panic Attacks\u2019 \u2013 swarms of bizarre looking entities that \u2018attack\u2019 and then overwhelm their victims, causing them to be crushed with extreme anxiety, way beyond anything you could experience in our everyday world. We have areas that are surrounded by \u2018Floods of Tears\u2019 \u2013 a dangerous and violent tidal wave of fluids, lethal to all who end up in it. Different emotional creatures such as \u2018Deceit\u2019 and \u2018Despair\u2019 are kind of \u2018stealth\u2019 entities \u2013 infiltrating communities, manipulating them from within. The list goes on but all this ties into the wider story and world I\u2019ve created and this ongoing quest for things like \u2018love\u2019 and \u2018empathy\u2019 that now seem in short supply in this universe.<\/p>\n<h2><em>Bloodlines<\/em> is set in a dystopian future \u2013 why decide to set the story in this particular setting and what are your favourite dystopian future pieces of fiction?<\/h2>\n<p>The dystopian future is obviously a bit of trope and can be an easy way to quickly establish a world , since people are kind of familiar with the \u2018rules\u2019 associated with that kind of setting but then you have to be careful not to fall into clich\u00e9, so I wanted to subvert that somewhat. I do have elements of that traditional kind of storytelling but as the story expands and with some flashback moments, we\u2019ll discover that everything might not be as it first seems&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m a big fan of the author, Richard Matheson and his <em><strong>I<\/strong><strong> Am Legend<\/strong><\/em> novel is one of my favourite pieces of fiction (the film versions \u2013 maybe not so much!).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_119449\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-119449\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-119449\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/BloodLines-Image-300x180.png\" alt=\"Bloodlines\" width=\"300\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/BloodLines-Image-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/BloodLines-Image-600x360.png 600w, https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/BloodLines-Image-616x370.png 616w, https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/BloodLines-Image.png 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-119449\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em><strong>Bloodlines<\/strong><\/em> is set in a dystopian future where emotions take on physical forms&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>You\u2019ve also worked on established characters like Judge Dredd \u2013 is it easier or harder to work on characters you\u2019ve created?<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s easier to some degree since you have complete control over your own creations but then you also have to apply some self-discipline, as it can be very tempting to stay in your comfort zone and just do the things you like or find easy, so I tried to push myself with the storytelling and create some new visual techniques for the graphic novel.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s always fun to work on well-known and established characters like <strong><em>Dredd<\/em><\/strong> and <strong><em>Judge Death<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 I\u2019ve actually just finished painting my third <strong><em>Judge Death<\/em><\/strong> epic series and am currently doing some new <strong><em>Judge Dredd<\/em><\/strong>, so I never say never to those guys \u2013 I love those characters.<\/p>\n<h2><em>Bloodlines<\/em> is the world\u2019s first NFT-only graphic novel, can you describe to us what that is?<\/h2>\n<p>Yeah, this is new territory for me and the industry. <strong><em>Bloodlines<\/em><\/strong> will be an exclusive digital NFT, available through Terra Virtua. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are \u2018one-of-a-kind\u2019 assets in the digital world that can be bought and sold like anything else you own. Artwork (or in this case, the graphic novel) is \u2018tokenised\u2019 to create a digital certificate of ownership. A record of who owns what is stored on a shared ledger which is the blockchain. So, anyone that buys an edition of <strong><em>Bloodlines<\/em><\/strong> has it forever, can watch as it potentially increases in value and can trade or sell just like you can with any traditional comic book. It\u2019s just another format of selling, buying and owning content, whether that\u2019s comics, art, film, music, 3D collectibles and so on.<\/p>\n<h2>Why did you want <em>Bloodlines<\/em> to be available as an NFT?<\/h2>\n<p>I could have gone and was originally looking at the traditional publishing route but I\u2019d been working with Terra Virtua for some time, building a good relationship with them and looking at their unique technology and the exciting plans they had for the future in this space and more importantly what could be possible now. It seemed like a great fit to bring <strong><em>Bloodlines<\/em><\/strong> over to this area, to try something new and shake up the comic industry a little bit. The NFT format and particularly the original dedicated comic book reader that they\u2019ve developed for this release opens up a whole new avenue of possibilities for comic book storytelling. I\u2019m a big fan and collector of all comics\u2019 related stuff, so I have traditional comics, digital comics and now the world\u2019s first original NFT graphic novel with <strong><em>Bloodlines<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><em>Bloodlines<\/em> will also be available as a collectable, complete with extras and easter eggs \u2013 can you give us an insight on what some of those extras are?<\/h2>\n<p>Yeah, this is where the cool part of the tech kicks in and we\u2019re still only the early stages. For example, in some editions of the <strong><em>Bloodlines <\/em><\/strong>graphic novel, you can strip away the painted art pages without word balloons, down to the artwork as it was originally created, right down to all the original pencil artwork underneath. We have animated cover artwork, special FX elements in the art and all manner of extras in there including videos, teasers, etc \u2013 it\u2019s like the ultimate Blu-ray special edition. As things evolve and as I\u2019m developing the second volume, I\u2019m really going to dive deep into all this for ways to enhance the story for the reader\/viewer \u2013 stuff you can\u2019t do in traditional comics. It\u2019s an exciting time to be a creator.<\/p>\n<h2>What are you reading right now?<\/h2>\n<p>I don\u2019t read quite as many comics as I used to since I don\u2019t have the time but I still try and keep up to date (I have a massive collection and used to be manager of a comic book store, so it\u2019s always been something I\u2019ve been into). I\u2019ll always have a look at what Frank Miller does in the industry, people like Mike Mignola and so on. I\u2019m really into Marvel\u2019s <em><strong>Immortal Hulk <\/strong><\/em>series at the moment \u2013 a great horror take on the classic Marvel character \u2013 my kind of thing.<\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s next for you?<\/h2>\n<p>I\u2019m busy working on a new <strong><em>Judge Dredd<\/em><\/strong> storyline at the moment and blocking out the second volume of <strong><em>Bloodlines <\/em><\/strong>as well as various film-related art projects. I\u2019m also developing my own original film project that I\u2019m hoping to get underway later this year, so it\u2019s all storytelling as usual for the foreseeable future!<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Bloodlines is out now. Visit Terra Virtua\u2019s marketplace <a href=\"https:\/\/terravirtua.io\/marketplace\/cb_np_var7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>\u00a0to purchase a copy.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Human emotions take on physical forms in Nick Percival&#8217;s graphic novel, Bloodlines. We sat down with the award-winning artist to find out more&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":119533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"MSN_Categories":"Uncategorized","MSN_Publish_Option":false,"MSN_Is_Local_News":false,"MSN_Is_AIAC_Included":"Empty","MSN_Location":"[]","MSN_Add_Feature_Img_On_Top_Of_Post":false,"MSN_Has_Custom_Author":false,"MSN_Custom_Author":"","MSN_Has_Custom_Canonical_Url":false,"MSN_Custom_Canonical_Url":""},"categories":[1624,7],"tags":[7163],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/BloodLines.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119532"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119532\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}