Issue No. 2 has arrived!

I am very happy to announce that the spanking new second issue of Folly Ground is finally ready to be read and perused after a long gestation period. You will find it waiting for you here. As is the case with many others who create comics and zines, Folly Ground is produced in my spare time, and as such is a labour of love. If you have friends and family whom you think they’ll enjoy reading it, please spread the word. A good recommendation goes a long way. I’d also be happy to receive any constructive feedback, if any, in the Comments section below. In the meantime, happy reading!

Trouble in dreams

Complicated matters of love and filial separation are brewing in far-away constellations. Yet another page of the currently in-progress second issue of Folly Ground, whose theme revolves around a cult scifi tv series (aka ‘Apparent Magnitude’) based on the myth of Pollux and Castor and a lucid dream of sorts that Luci has. The panels here relate to the two posts from 13 and 18 April this year that can be seen below. Progress is slow on this issue, but more will be forthcoming on this blog. Constructive comments always welcome.

FG#2_p18.jpg

Website cover page

The image below is (was) a design for a new cover page for the website. Sadly, given the responsive template I am using, I was not able to make it work well for all the different screen formats. So here it is on the blog instead. Regarding the cover page, I have had to resort to a much simpler design instead. If you haven’t seen it, just click on ‘Home’ on the menu above.

Copyright © 2021 Helena Lekka

Copyright © 2021 Helena Lekka

Apparent Magnitude redux

Artwork page from the still in-progress second issue of ‘Folly Ground’.

Last summer, I had written at some length about ‘Apparent Magnitude’, Folly Ground’s cult sci-fi tv show whose plot is based on the myth of Pollux and Castor. The idea was still in its inception at the time, but as work has progressed on this soon-to-come issue, the show has become a key element of the story. You can see the original post along with some initial artwork and rough drawings of Pollux and Castor here.

FG#2_10.jpg

Apparent Magnitude

Another week, another snippet from the currently in-progress Folly Ground #2. Apparent magnitude is an astronomic(al) term, and it measures the brightness of a star or any other celestial object that can be observed from the Earth. It is also the name of a cult science fiction television series in Folly Ground. The main plot is loosely based on the well-known myth of Castor and Pollux (Κάστωρ και Πολυδεύκης for Greek speakers), also known together as the Dioscuri (Διόσκουροι), only this time it is transposed in space. The twin half-brothers (they have different fathers, and one is mortal whilst the other immortal) have been forcibly separated, and they spend the series trying to reunite and get back home to the constellation of Gemini.

‘Apparent Magnitude’ is broadcast on TV615 on Friday evenings at 7 p.m., followed by a repeat at midnight. Although it is not the most popular programme on Folly TV, it has a very loyal, almost fanatical, audience which has allowed the current second series to be filmed and broadcasted. Below is a full-page TV guide advert for the series — naturally in black and white.

Apparent Magnitude poster.jpg

Unsurprisingly, Luci and Raf are avid fans of ‘Apparent Magnitude’, never missing an episode. Flo is too, although his priorities are apt to change from time to time if a promising date with an intriguing girl appears on the Friday night horizon. Each one of them finds something to identify with, be it the various dramatic subplots, the technological gadgets, or the degree of attractiveness/coolness of the actors who play the various characters in the series.

raf+luci_appmagnitude.jpg

Below are a couple of initial sketches of Pollux (left) and Castor (middle) as portrayed by the (fictional) actors Cirrus Reeves and Kirk Cumulus respectively. I should also add that their looks as seen here may or may not change as FG#2 develops. Click on the images if you’d like to see them a bit larger.

Finally, in case you’re wondering, I am only a science fiction fan in so far that I grew up watching ‘Star Trek’ (the original series) and ‘Flash Gordon’ on T.V., and the one film that has really defined my understanding of the genre has been ‘Blade Runner’ (of which I am still in awe of). Otherwise, I am, more or less, a complete ignoramus.

If you are sufficiently intrigued by Castor and Pollux, and would like to brush up on their lives and times, including their rather complex and frankly fantastical origin (twin half-brothers?! really?!), you can pay a visit to their Wikipedia entry.