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Thread: Fa Sheng: Origins by Immortal Studios

  1. #1
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    Fa Sheng: Origins by Immortal Studios

    Martial Arts Shared Universe Expands With Fa Sheng: Origins (Exclusive)
    Immortal Studios is expanding its new action-fantasy line up beginning with the tale of an outsider hero in the time of China’s Boxer Rebellion.

    BY ANDREW FIRESTONE
    PUBLISHED 5 HOURS AGO



    Coming from LA-based Immortal Studios, Fa Sheng: Origins is a new epic action comic designed to expand the publisher's shared universe based in the classic “Wuxia” story style. Based on the writings of the late famed author Shiao Yi and curated by his son CEO Peter Shiao, Fa Sheng: Origins will feature the mighty Shaolin warrior from Immortal’s previous 2020 series Adept as he battles through wartime China at the turn of the 20th Century as a hero for the downtrodden amidst the Boxer Rebellion. “There’s never been a better time than now for people to discover what makes Wuxia so excitingly relevant,” said Shiao in a press release, “it’s a thrill to honor my father’s legacy, as one of the pioneers of modern Wuxia.”

    The Wuxia genre is among the oldest and most influential styles of action story, originating in ancient China, and coming to the fore in popular culture in recent years thanks to its emphasis on larger-than-life heroes and stylish, imaginative martial arts action. “Wuxia is a fantasy genre of transformation and romanticism from the East that also has its roots in real history,” said Shiao. “It is the story of the commoner who becomes extraordinary, the outsider wandering hero, who is compelled by circumstance to stand against injustice and champion the common person.” According to solicitations, Fa Sheng will use his incredible martial arts abilities to fight against ruthless villains in an effort to empower the people to rise up against evil. Fa Sheng: Origins #1 will be illustrated by Dexter Wee, colored by Omi Remalante, Jr., lettered by Deron Bennett, and edited by Brian Cunningham.

    Immortal Studios has announced a new Kickstarter campaign to fund Fa Sheng: Origins, with details forthcoming at their WonderCon panel on April 2. In a statement to Screen Rant, writer and ordained Zen Buddhist monk Rylend Grant said that Fa Sheng’s journey will be one of struggle. "You’re not born into enlightenment. It’s earned. It’s fought for, tooth and nail, over time. It is too often a byproduct of tragedy and strife,” said Grant. “In FA SHENG: ORIGINS, we watch as our titular martial hero is forced through the meat grinder of the Boxer Rebellion, of China’s Warlord Era. He witnesses unspeakable evil is dealt horrible defeat, but he rises, in the end, from the ashes of the carnage, a changed man, a better man, an enlightened man with a mission, deputized by the powers that be in the fight against all that Dharmically ails us." Check out this exclusive first look at the cover:



    Dharma is an Eastern concept found in Buddhism and Hinduism which refers to the underlying cosmic balance of the universe, and the duty an adherent to those faiths needs to perform to be more in harmony with existence. The elder Shiao made a career on bringing the genre of Wuxia into modernity, including his featuring of women as protagonists, and including ****sexual relationships in his novels. Immortal Studios plans to continue on the same path.

    “We’re creating a new and different chapter for Wuxia, one that’s different from my father’s generation,” said Peter Shiao. “Our vision is to break new ground by creating dynamic stories set in the contemporary world. We’ll honor the past, and we’ll do that by crafting stories for the future and creating a modern Wuxia for a new generation.”

    But what bloody adventures await Fa Sheng in his quest for enlightenment? Find out in the upcoming Fa Sheng: Origins #1 from Immortal Studios with details to come at Wondercon 2022.


    COMIC NEWS
    About The Author

    Andrew Firestone (241 Articles Published)
    Andrew Firestone is a writer of sentences, paragraphs, chapters and words, cultural enthusiast and a hard news junkie from Allston, Massachusetts. An editor, audio engineer and evangelist of all things awesome,
    I might get involved in this one directly. Right now, I'm only involved peripherally.

    Immortal Studios
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #2
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    Kickstarter

    Project image for Fa Sheng: Origins #1 by Rylend Grant and Dexter Wee
    Project We Love
    Comic Books
    Los Angeles, CA



    US$ 6,557
    pledged of US$ 5,000 goal
    202
    backers
    20
    days to go
    Back this project

    Remind me
    All or nothing. This project will only be funded if it reaches its goal by Tue, May 24 2022 8:59 PM PDT.

    Fa Sheng: Origins #1 by Rylend Grant and Dexter Wee
    The epic journey of the death-cheating, mind-bending Shaolin Master begins here, in a thrilling, all-new wuxia comic.
    Launched yesterday. Already made goal.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  3. #3
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    Our latest exclusive interview

    Bodhidharma and the Boxers. READ Peter Shiao on FA SHENG: ORIGINS by Gene Ching

    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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    Our latest exclusive interview

    When a Zen Priest writes a Shaolin comic...READ Rylend Grant on FA SHENG: ORIGINS by Gene Ching

    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  5. #5
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    A review

    Pullbox Reviews Fa Sheng: Origins #1- A great stepping on point for a growing Wuxia-inspired comicverse
    Paul January 6, 2023 Comic Reviews, Independent, Kickstarter, Pullbox Reviews Comments

    Fa Sheng: Origins #1
    Immortal Studios
    Created by Peter Shiao
    Written by Rylend Grant
    Illustrated by Dexter Wee
    Colors by Omi Remalante
    Letters by Deron Bennett
    Fa Sheng: Origins is an all-new wuxia comic created by Peter Shiao, written by Rylend Grant and illustrated by artist Dexter Wee, about the humble beginnings of a great Shaolin Master. If you like Shang-Chi, Kung Fu, Warrior, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Ip Man, or The Grandmaster, this all-new series is for you.

    I discovered the awesome of Wuxia cinema at a pretty young age, with the introduction of “Black Belt Theater” on channel 18 every Friday night at 10 pm. The spectacle, the action, the drama, and the action drew me in and hooked me, largely thanks to the prolific efforts of the Shaw Brothers production company. Those movies started a deep-rooted love of a whole new (to me) branch of the action genre that’s going strong to this day.

    Now along comes Immortal Studios, a young publisher dedicated to bringing the world of Wuxia to a wider audience with stories ranging from the traditional to the contemporary. I’ve had the chance to check out a couple of their titles and jumped on board when I saw the Kickstarter for Fa Sheng: Origins #1. As a prequel leading up to and tying together other titles in a planned Wuxia universe, this is a great introduction to one of Immortal’s central characters.

    Peter Shiao, founder and CEO of Immortal Studios, has been in it from the beginning. An avid reader of the Wuxia novels that inspired him, several of which were written by his father Shiao Yi, Peter has been inspired by the spirit of those stories & is dedicated to keeping their ideals alive. Building on that foundation, writer Rylend Grant is crafting a story that builds on a premise as old as the Hero’s Journey: every hero has a past. Fa Sheng: Origins starts in the middle, giving readers a look at a young martial art adept following a charismatic leader against foreign invaders. We’re shown how loyalty and pride push the idealistic young warrior down a shadowy path, and then a turning point where he’s given a choice between zeal & true honor.



    Backing up a great script, artist Dexter Wee keeps pace with the character-driven narrative as well as the dramatic action scenes. I learned Wee’s name when I got hold of The Fuhrer & the Tramp, and have taken notice of everything he’s done since. In anything requiring strong and complex characters, Wee lets their quality show through in his designs. When the action starts, Wee lets it flow across the page with panel breaks and dynamic layouts. Building on that, colorist Omi Remalante gives Fa Sheng’s world depth & mood by accentuating what was started in the script and continued in the illustrations. There are comics where it looks like the artistic team just doesn’t have it together, and this is not one of those.

    Never forget the contributions of the unsung heroes of comics… the Letterer. Deron Bennett steps up to bat for Fa Sheng, & does a great job of laying out text and dialogue without interrupting the action. Just as important, at least for me, Bennett lets the script speak for itself without resorting to gimmicky fonts or patterns. In the past, I’ve seen great comics dragged down by lettering that doesn’t show that kind of restraint and it’s painful to watch. In one case, literally, when trying to read the comic gave me a migraine.

    Fans of Wuxia cinema, who are waiting for the next epic from Donnie Yen or are marking time before the next re-watch of Jet Li’s Once Upon a Time in China, should be itching to dive into the Immortal Storyverse. This is a great point of entry. Fa Sheng: Origins is everything that made the genre great, classic themes carried out with the love and respect they deserve.

    Final Score: 12/13
    There are more pix in the original review.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #6
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    New Kickstarter coming...

    UPCOMING PROJECT
    The Adept, Assassin G, Immortal Swordsmen, and Fa Sheng!

    Immortal Studios
    Project Creator
    Turning the Page on Superheroes - The Immortal Storyverse levels up with the next issues of each series, all in one amazing campaign!
    Immortal-Studios-Home-of-Essential-Wuxia-Stories
    The Adept by Immortal Studios
    Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen by Immortal Studios
    Fa Sheng: Origins by Immortal Studios
    Assassin G by Immortal Studios
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  7. #7
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  8. #8
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    Immortal Storyverse Pre-HolidayTown Hall



    Hey Immortal!

    Exciting news! We're hosting our first-ever Immortal Storyverse Virtual Pre-Holiday Town Hall Meeting today! It's a unique chance to delve into our universe like never before.

    Quick Glimpse of the Agenda:

    Opening: A warm welcome by Payhuan and a peaceful Starting Meditation Ceremony.

    Kickstarter Campaign Update: Exciting campaign highlights and an engaging Kickstarter video showcase.

    Immortal Shaolin Action and Reflection: Thrilling Kung Fu video clips and insightful dialogue with Gene Ching.

    Writer and Artist Segments: Engaging discussions with Charlie Stickney, Rylend Grant, Brian Buccellato, and insights from Jen Troy.

    Visual Artistry in the Storyverse: A look into the art world with Dexter Wee.

    Community Q&A Session: Your opportunity to interact and inquire.

    Closing Remarks and Call to Action: Final thoughts and ways to stay connected and support our journey.

    Can't make it to the live event? We've got you covered with a recording. However, joining us live brings the unique chance to engage directly with the creators!

    Be a part of this immersive experience and celebrate the essence of Wuxia with us!

    JOIN US!
    See you there!

    Immortal-Studios-Home-of-Essential-Wuxia-Stories
    The Adept by Immortal Studios
    Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen by Immortal Studios
    Fa Sheng: Origins by Immortal Studios
    Assassin G by Immortal Studios
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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