You may recall that in our last exciting episode, I've promised to tell you more about my upcoming series, Mutant World, and even reveal the covers for the first three installments! Well read on!
First off, credit where credit is due (and blame where blame): What really ignited the prospect of Mutant World? Well, it was really some artwork by Luigi Castellani, known in some circles as Artikid Arts. He has a presence on DriveThru RPG and also on DeviantArt, where he usually does commision work for independent RPG publishers.
I saw some of the characters he's drawn over the years and I found them to be Terrific And Stylish! More than that, they were a spark of inspiration! So, I have arranged to use them on the covers for my stories!
I found the three figures that--in my mind--became Axel, Smogara and Biter, and almost immediately hammered out "Mistress of the Mutant Maulers". But that wasn't enough to satisfy the idea. It continued to grow, to evolve, to...mutate into something bigger and grander.
First off let me introduce you to my trio of heroes:
Axel is a normal (unmutated) human. He comes from a wandering barbarian tribe called the Free Way Men, who have a nomadic lifestyle following the ruined interstates and are all named after car parts. They are proud barbarians, and free men. Their way is the Free Way!As a post-apocalyptic barbarian, it may be difficult to distinguish Axel from similar characters like Thundarr or Kammandi. But I like to think of Axel almost as an anti-Thundarr. Axel is far more shallow and selfish and much less noble than Thundarr. He's likely to do "the right thing" by accident by following his own self-interests. He's also concerned with his fame, and claims he's on a quest to perform great deeds to prove to his tribe that he would make a good leader.
Smogara--pronounced smaw-GAR-uh--is a mutated human female with four arms. Apparently she started out in life as a mutant slave, and escaped when she was young. Her escape path took her through a radioactive swamp which made her ill. She was rescued and given to a priestess to heal and raise her. Eventually, she also set out on a life of adventure.As a mutant, Smogara has some natural resistance to radiation. She is far from immune to its adverse effects, but has a greater resistance than a normal human would.
Biter is a mutated badger. He has a humanoid body, stands about three feet tall, wears a black leather jacket and carries a shotgun. He has a mysterious background, but seems more competent with "ancient" machines and electronics than his companions. His personality seems to be a cross between Rocket Raccoon and Hannibal Smith (from the A-Team). He is an outspoken jerk, and though he has some loyalty to his friends, I can't help but feel that he might betray them if he thought it was in his best interests. After all, self-preservation and survival would almost certainly be your primary goals if you were stuck in a post-apocalyptic world.
Obviously, they make a dysfunctional trio of heroes. Now I'm sure you're wondering, if these terrible persons are supposed to be the heroes...what could the villains be like?!
Well, there are villains, of course. And other problems, too. But we'll wait and talk about that next time! Until then I wish you..
Good Adventuring!
Timothy A. Sayell
