Title: Comic Book Features : Sophie the Giant Slayer by Kay Carmichael
Author: Darth Zady Bun
Recovered Author: Darth Zady Bun
Published Date: 2016-11-09
Original URL: https://geeknode.co.za/2016/11/comic-book-features-sophie-giant-slayer-kay-carmichael
Wayback URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20170715195818id_/http://www.geeknode.co.za/2016/11/comic-book-features-sophie-giant-slayer-kay-carmichael/
Recovery Confidence: high
Categories: Comic Book Feature
Tags: Darthzadybun, Kay Carmichael, Local is Lekker, Proudly South African, Sophie the Giant Slayer, South African Comic Book, Zaid Hassen Motala

- Title Sophie The Giant Slayer
- Writer/s Kay Carmichael
- Artist/s Kay Carmichael
- Cover Artist/s Kay Carmichael
- Publisher tapastic.com/kaycarmichael
kayscomics.com
- Where we got our copy Kay Carmichael

- Darth Zady Bun

- 8 months ago

- 0 0

The problem with popular culture is that some ideas and general basic tenets become so popular that they fall off the platform into the realm of cliché.

It takes a masterful writer/ creator / artist to identify themes that resonate with us and craft them into something that is both familiar and novel.

Enter Kay Carmichael’s, “Sophie the Giant Slayer”.

This black and white, web based comic is created by local artist Kay Carmichael and details the adventures of the titular Sophie who is a young girl with a mysterious family history in a post-apocalyptic world beset by giant creatures given the nom de plume “Giants”.

A dark mysterious hero rises and saves an unworthy populace… Oh yess!!!

The story begins with a flash back to what may be “today” (as in a day in our lives) when a team of astronauts happen upon a creature which begins what can only be described as the end of days. This is only the first of many such creatures who come forth from the ether and devastate the world. All seems lost until a mysterious figure named Jack the Giant Slayer rises and begins to vanquish the beasts.

The story picks up again 30 years later in a colony of human survivors who live in fear of a time that has almost passed into myth.

We meet our protagonist, the young Sophie who is feisty and tempestuous and learn about her yearning for adventure.

#sheshowsthem #theygonnalearn

The story takes a dark turn when the Giants believed to have been a myth or alternatively a long vanquished foe (depending on who you ask) make a reappearance and Sophie is thrust into a maelstrom of intrigue, drama and epic battles.

Between the monsters, the weapons and the drama I found that the story blends the classic tale of a young girl’s journey to find her way in the world, set against the mystery of a dark family secret, which in an of itself is cast against the backdrop of what looks to be a corrupt government who seek to obtain an item of immense power for unknown (and if the “State of Capture” report is anything to go by, “ nefarious “- who says comic fans don’t keep up with current events?) purposes.

I found the story to be riveting and simple enough to get absorbed into. As highlighted above, one feels almost a sense of nostalgia when reading through the works. The story is fast paced without seeming rushed and the art work has a simple charm to it.

The story art is pleasant to behold and is interspersed with some truly beautiful spreads. I found it interesting that Carmicheal’s use of negative space creates an air of gravitas which is bolstered by the black, white and grey hues of his work. Its almost as if my brain is “painting” the pictures for me.

All in all a very entertaining read that had me hooked from page one.

In fact, I was so taken away, that I couldn’t resist trying my luck to get more information and reached out to the series creator Kay Carmichael (“KC”) to have a quick chat about the series and some other nitty gritties.

DZB : I have to ask… was the legend of Jack inspired in any part by samurai jack or the Beanstalk guy we grew up with?

KC: Sophie the Giantslayer is probably more based on the Jack and the Beanstalk story and some of Roald Dahl’s BFG, which I loved as a kid.

DZB : What happened to Sophie’s parents?

KC: Not telling.

DZB: Any chance of a spin off detailing the adventures of Jack from thirty years ago?

KC: Nope. Maybe. Perhaps it’ll be pertinent, but for now, I want to concentrate on Sophie’s adventure in the here and now.

DZB: Are the characters based on people you know?

KC: Jack is definitely based a lot off my own grandfather. He’s not a scarred up veteran, but he’s a hero figure to me.

DZB: Does your story have a predetermined end or are you learning about the characters and their journeys as the days go by?

KC: A bit of both. I definitely have an end in mind, but I’m having an interesting time trying to nail down the story in between the milestones.

DZB: Do you have other creations/ universes you are working on?

KC: Lots! I have a series of journal comics I post twice a week on my social media accounts and at kayscomics.com, as well as on Tapastic. I’m writing a film with Triggerfish as part of their storylab initiative, and I have a couple of one-shot ideas in various stages of completion. I’m concentrating on shorter stories and more limited projects since I was foolhardy enough to try a five-chapter epic on my first go.

DZB: Where can fans (including this one) get a hold of more of your stuff?

KC: Sure, I am on a couple of different platforms, you can find me here:

tapastic.com/kaycarmichael

kayscomics.com

kaycarmichaelcomics on Instagram

@Kay_Carmichael on Twitter

Sophie the Giantslayer page on Facebook

DZB: Any chance of a printed of collected edition for the less tech savvy?

KC: I haven’t collected the comics into a single volume yet, but the single chapters are available in print, from me, at conventions like FanCon and Open Book in Cape Town, and at comic book stores like Reader’s Den and The Book Lounge. There may be an online ordering option for the printed books up by early next year, but we’ll have to see what happens.

DZB: Sooooo… Is there any chance of a DarthZadyBun cameo in the epic that is Sophie the Giant Slayer at some point?

KC: Well I suppose anything’s possible when the artist’s getting paid.

DZB: Gotcha… (winks)

{Post Script: Dear Editor, can we find the budget for this somewhere, I need to get imortalised ASAP- DZB }

Ahem, and now back to our regularly screened programming…

All in all Carmichael is a solid bloke with epic tales to tell.

In the meanwhile, all I know is that I will be hitting the man up of a signed copy of this particular print when I see him…

Into the wild blue (black) yonder…

Seriously guys, go check this stuff out. You can thank me later.

– Z

The problem with popular culture is that some ideas and general basic tenets become so popular that they fall off the platform into the realm of cliché. It takes a masterful writer/ creator / artist to identify themes that resonate with us and craft them into something that is both familiar and novel. Enter Kay Carmichael’s, “Sophie the Giant Slayer”. This black and white, web based comic is created by local artist Kay Carmichael and details the adventures of the titular Sophie who is a young girl with a mysterious family history in a post-apocalyptic world beset by giant creatures given the nom de plume “Giants”. [caption id="attachment_153785" align="aligncenter" width="678"] A dark mysterious hero rises and saves an unworthy populace... Oh yess!!![/caption] The story begins with a flash back to what may be “today” (as in a day in our lives) when a team of astronauts happen upon a creature which begins what can only be described as the end of days. This is only the first of many such creatures who come forth from the ether and devastate the world. All seems lost until a mysterious figure named Jack the Giant Slayer rises and begins to vanquish the beasts. The story picks up again 30 years later in a colony of human survivors who live in fear of a time that has almost passed into myth. We meet our protagonist, the young Sophie who is feisty and tempestuous and learn about her yearning for adventure. [caption id="attachment_153786" align="aligncenter" width="666"] #sheshowsthem #theygonnalearn[/caption] The story takes a dark turn when the Giants believed to have been a myth or alternatively a long vanquished foe (depending on who you ask) make a reappearance and Sophie is thrust into a maelstrom of intrigue, drama and epic battles. Between the monsters, the weapons and the drama I found that the story blends the classic tale of a young girl's journey to find her way in the world, set against the mystery of a dark family secret, which in an of itself is cast against the backdrop of what looks to be a corrupt government who seek to obtain an item of immense power for unknown (and if the "State of Capture" report is anything to go by, "nefarious"- who says comic fans don't keep up with current events?) purposes. I found the story to be riveting and simple enough to get absorbed into. As highlighted above, one feels almost a sense of nostalgia when reading through the works. The story is fast paced without seeming rushed and the art work has a simple charm to it. The story art is pleasant to behold and is interspersed with some truly beautiful spreads. I found it interesting that Carmicheal's use of negative space creates an air of gravitas which is bolstered by the black, white and grey hues of his work. Its almost as if my brain is "painting" the pictures for me. All in all a very entertaining read that had me hooked from page…

Comic Book Features : Sophie the Giant Slayer by Kay Carmichael

Comic Book Features : Sophie the Giant Slayer by Kay Carmichael

2016-11-09

Darth Zady Bun

Slaying it South African Style

Total - 10

100
10

A fast paced, intriguing action/adventure yarn that is one part mystery, one part supernatural thriller, one part coming of age tale and all around awesome.

User Rating: Be the first one !

10

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Darth Zady Bun

Guest Contributor

Zaid is a story teller, traveller, artist, entertainer and comic culture geek of note.

Powered by chocolate, and guided by an ever growing bucket (and collectibles) list, he finances his addiction to geek merchandise, comic books, action figures and all the cold cast porcelain and PVC pieces of heaven he can buy by giving (mostly) legal advice. He is also rumoured to have once eaten an entire pack of Marie Biscuits with a single mug of Five Roses Tea.

Witnesses deny the incident.

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Article Tags:
Darthzadybun · Kay Carmichael · Local is Lekker · Proudly South African · Sophie the Giant Slayer · South African Comic Book · Zaid Hassen Motala

Article Categories:
Comic Book Feature · Comic Books
