A nice substantial preview today of Andreas Butzbach’s Big-Ass Sword graphic novel, courtesy of publisher Rebellion…
Set in an unrecognisable futuristic wasteland filled with brutalist structures, struggling remnants of the natural world – oh, and a robot carrying a BIG-ASS SWORD – the English-language comics debut of acclaimed writer/artist Andreas Butzbach is available for pre-order now, and publishing this November!
In a world far from our own reality, a robot warrior wanders through a vast and hostile techno landscape, filled with strange lifeforms and mechanical beings left over from a long, forgotten war. At the robot’s side is a talking Skull. On his back? A BIG-ASS SWORD!
Told in a classic European sci-fi style, but distinctly its own instinctive and unpredictable creation, BIG-ASS SWORD is a thought-provoking futuristic mystery! Releasing on the 4th November, this original graphic novel will be published as a 96-page hardback from Rebellion Publishing, as they continue to push the limits of hard sci-fi and fantasy.
It’s a story filtered through creator Andreas Butzbach’s own experiences with isolation – the first Covid lockdown in 2020 provided an opportunity to turn his battle into something creative and fresh.
“I’ve seen a lot of zombie movies so I knew I would be in for a rather long time,” he says. “And I wanted to make good use of the time in isolation. I grabbed a pencil and an empty sketchbook and started to draw full comic pages right into it. The plan was, to just fill the book with comic pages. No scanning or adjusting, just like back in the old days when I was a kid: ideas straight onto the paper”.
Described as The Mighty Boosh meets Head Lopper, this Heavy Metal-esque original adventure from German artist/writer Andreas Butzbach will first appear in an exclusive one-off story featured in the weekly 2000 AD before the complete 96-page graphic novel is published through Rebellion this November.
“When I started with this comic”, Butzbach reveals, “I did not know where to go or where it would lead me – just like the robot who leads the story. I’m not telling one big epic story arc in the traditional way. This is not a ‘save the world’ comic: it’s more a ‘this is how the world is now, deal with it’ comic. I don’t want to tell you what is going on: you should read and think about it, make your own picture and then you can tell me”.
BIG-ASS SWORD takes influence from artists including Mike Mignola, Simon Bisley, Katsuhiro Otomo and more as it follows a wandering robot and the strange and unpredictable world he explores with his companion, a profane talking skull. Butzbach revels in the surprise of his world. “I love nature, but tech and industry is part of life as well. I enjoy the aesthetics of trees and flowers as much as I’m able to cherish industrial machinery and buildings. I’m inspired by Brutalism, with railings and huge pipes, twisting and bending where every pipe and hose has it’s purpose – just like tree roots or the veins running beneath our skin”.
The stunning result of Butzbach’s creative expression is a stark, startlingly funny comic which is filled with bright and stirring imagery showcasing a world fallen into ruin. Collected in English for the first time this November, this original graphic novel from Butzbach continues his partnership with Rebellion which includes The Thirteenth Floor, Smash!,, and The Treasury of British Comics Annual.
