The Master Thief
Yojimbo Influence
After many, many ideas and thoughts about what direction I should take my 'Master Thief' character towards, I remembered a film that I had heard about in college called Yojimbo that featured a lone samurai who was hired as a bodyguard. I have not seen this film, but considering my character is a weapons master and talented manipulator, I believed this was a good lead to follow.
Initial Ideas: Hood/Mask
As he is a thief a mask fits well. It also plays with the 'master of manipulation' - hypnosis. 'Day of the Dead' hype. Also samurai used to wear facial masks too. As he is also the 'love interest' of Briar-Rose, the whole 'dead' theme (yin-yang) may apply. Any suggestions?
Hi Heidi
ReplyDeleteThere's a bit of an Anime (Eastern) influence 'bubbling' underneath your work which is arriving through in your choices and drawing style. Also, as the project has moved on you've increasingly bouncing between East and West...It's there a little in Red-Rose and the Bear (both very minor), it's much more present in the Owl (lizard = Godzilla...See below), somewhat present in the Briar-Rose (although she is a little tribal too), but now its fully present in The Master Thief (full Eastern influence). However all of your characters come from Europe?...So there is a little bit of variation going on (It happens)....Before you plunge in to designing the Master Thief line up your characters on one page a see how they look together...do they belong together?...Do they feel like they all come from Europe? If not why not (Story)? And should you make changes (minor) to address the problems....You are close to designing a successful set of characters but you have to be careful that you don't lose sight of the source material...With that done...then think about The Master Thief...what would a master thief look like from that part of the world?....The East just seems too far away from the source material. Consider the Archetype too...Master Thief....for example Sinbad, or Aladdin - One is a pirate one is an orphan....they come from a 'broken' backgrounds....its where they get their cunning and 'criminal' skills /imaginations. Circumstances have meant that they are young (crime to survive), inventive, and physical....In your case an outcast/ orphan from a travelling show (gypsy circus) for example...Think the gypsy's from The Hunchback of Notre Dame meets Robin from Batman (the movie - an orphaned acrobat).
As I said you are close so keep going back and making small adjustments with the source material in mind. They will be minor but they will make all the difference. Some things may be solved by colour too. Such as Briar Rose being tribal.
Sinbad...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o5hRUWMjMw
Note: The Owl....I'm not sure why this type of character? It would make more sense if he were more flying gargoyle or something more western/ gothic.