Fractal Cascade is my new graphic novel, on Kickstarter June 12th - July 5th 2024!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
Music by Mari-Louise du Plessis
www.mirainterart.com/
mira6.bandcamp.com/album/emerge
Fractal Cascade looks at the question of what it means to be an intelligent life form confronting the abyss. From the end of the dinosaurs to the end of time, and from spontaneous technogenesis to the creation of lower-dimensional universes, our protagonists are faced with the macro and the mundane. Charles the Person, a biobot created by a race of aliens who evolved directly to technology, wanders a Tuscany on the cusp of the Renaissance. Forbidden from harming biologicals, he is an outlier in a traumatized society emerging from the Black Death. Meanwhile, 21st century explorers embark on a decade-plus mission to a bizarre rogue planet called Phaethon and its moon Aerion, as the objects move from interstellar space through our solar system. Needing to spend most of their time in gravity-simulating haptic suits, they train in immersive VR games run by the ship's AI, Zhu Zhu. As they approach the Phaethon system, it becomes clear that these are not normal worlds, and without profound modifications their mission will be impossible, as will their intimate connection to Charles the Person.
Fractal Cascade is a graphic novel in woodcut, ink, and watercolor. It grew out of themes that have been present in my woodcuts and previous comics, particularly on ideas of emergent phenomena and superorganisms, and what these subjects can teach us about ourselves.
The book debuted alongside the original art as an exhibition at Living Lab Gallery in Taoyuan, Taiwan from April 25th-June 10th 2024. A limited run of 60 signed and numbered hardcover books were created for the exhibit, each including an original woodcut print bookplate.
see more at www.jrenzella.net and patreon.com/jrenzella
Twitch.tv/J_Renzella
I livestream on Twitch every Tuesday and Friday 10am Taiwan time (GMT +8)
aka
Monday and Thursday 10pm on the east coast of the USA (an hour earlier when the clocks are turned back).