Shrapnel: new comic featuring Syd Mead's designs

In other Syd Mead news, Shrapnel, a new graphic novel series featuring Mead's mecha designs, debuts at this week at Comic-Con in San Diego. The story was spawned from a video game by Mark Long of Zombie Studios. He ended up collaborating with Nick Sagan (Carl's son) and M. Zachary Sherman to turn it into a comic book. They hope a feature film will follow. I wouldn't be surprised -- the promotional video for the graphic novel is quite powerful. From Zombie Studios:

Shrapnel focuses on a future where humanity has reached out and colonized the Solar System and a Solar Alliance governs the planets similarly to the way ancient Rome dominated over their territories. Venus, the last free colony in the system, must do what it can to battle the domineering Marine forces of the Alliance in order to remain sovereign. Unbeknownst to the Marines, or even the Colonists themselves, one of the Alliance’s greatest heroes has exiled herself on the lost planet, hoping to escape the life she once knew as a soldier. Now, pulled back into the fold, she must teach the Colonists how to fight for their freedom and come to terms with her own past.

Shrapnel preview video (YouTube), Shrapnel site (Zombie Studios)

Previously on BBtv:
• Syd Mead with Joel Johnson, part 3: BLADE RUNNER.
• Joel Johnson interviews Syd Mead: part 1.
• Joel Johnson interviews Syd Mead: part 2.

[#1 posted by Skaramuche , July 23, 2008 10:38 AM]

That looks nifty, and I'm sure it'll be a great comic...but...isn't that the plot from the computer game Starsiege? Earth empire with Roman overtones rules solar system with iron fist, mistreats colony planets; greatest soldier of Earth legions helps colony resistance fighters while in disguise? While fighting in mechs? That's the whole first half of the game, until the robot army shows up.

[#2 posted by Mister N , July 23, 2008 10:47 AM]

MY EYES!!.. I RAISE MY VOICE IN DISBELIEF!!!....SWWWWEEEEEETT..

[#3 posted by Anonymous , July 23, 2008 11:04 AM]

yeah starsiege was fun, but that had to do with mistreated workers on mars, under a kingdom. and 2 brothers of the royal family who fought on different sides until the aliens came in, the nemesis I belive.

[#4 posted by MVLong , July 23, 2008 11:32 AM]

Hi Mark Long here. Never played Starsiege, but it sounds like there are some similarities.

Our themes are more Greek than Roman. We saw the struggle like the Peloponnesian war - two great rivals lurching towards a war that will devastate them both, egged on by the hot rhetoric of their politicians. Our Heroine is caught in between. Originally fighting as a Marine for Earth after she gained her freedom (she's a genetic have-not - a Helot, if you remember you're Greek history). She was involved in the infamous death of thousands of civilians and is hiding on Venus when the story begins. She is reluctantly drawn to fight and eventually leads an army of her former oppressors.

[#5 posted by Santa's Knee , July 23, 2008 12:52 PM]

Mark wrote:

"We saw the struggle like the Peloponnesian war..."

So, did Venus lead attacks against the Solar Alliance to provoke them, a la Sparta invading Attica?

[#6 posted by MVLong , July 23, 2008 2:11 PM]

More like Athens and Naupactus.

Earth takes the Helots off the Martian's hands to resolve the Helot revolt (the revolt starts on Mars) and gives them their own colony on Io. Its a strategic ploy to drive wedge in the solar alliance. Our heroine joins the Marines out gratitude. She fights for 5 long years before the incident that drives her into hiding.

When the series begins, the is war all but over. Venus, the smallest of the colonies is about to be invaded by the Marines and our heroine is on the verge of fleeing.

[#7 posted by buddy66 , July 23, 2008 5:21 PM]

When they make the movie, the return of Sigourney Weaver. With lots of doubles.

[#8 posted by Anonymous , July 23, 2008 6:03 PM]

Check out Turn A Gundam for Syd Mead designed anime mecha.