Story Overview:
Three unlikely heroes, bearing the powerful gifts of words, art and music, are approached by an unusual messenger: God Himself. His divine commandment: change the world He built with His own two hands. However, there is a price they must pay for the gifts they were given. What will they sacrifice in pursuit of His goals?
Rating:
This story is rated red for frequent use of bad language, drug and alcohol use, complex plots and characters, and real-world religion (and the modification thereof).
Spoiler-Free Author’s Notes:
Influences for this story include BlazBlue, Guilty Gear, and a little cyberpunk, plus a handful of conversations about copyright law and the true elements of Japanese law that influence Phoenix Wright. Is that schizophrenic enough for you?
If you haven’t figured it out, Graphite is addicted to absinthe, the infamous “Green Fairy” of many an 18th century writer and intellectual. How his Muse is tied to this reference, you will have to see. Please note that I have never tried absinthe. My references to it are based on the brief research I did of it online. It is not, as I understand, a hallucinogen as most people think; rather, it invokes strange and restless dreams when the drinker sleeps. If you have any detailed information or corrections about the subject, I’m all ears.
Music influences for this story so far are The Crystal Method and Juno Reactor, with a little bit of Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga soundtrack mixed in. Check out the song “Starting Over” by The Crystal Method for a good example.
This story bears some unintentional resemblance to the first episode of the anime series Mushi-Shi. I didn’t watch that episode until well into P&G’s creation.
The Blasphemer’s Bible is a compilation of fictional religious texts that claims to tell “the rest of the story” regarding the Bible and its creation. It is exclusive to the world of Pixel and Graphite, and is not based on any such thing in the real world. This is fiction, and it is intended to stay that way. I have been informed that there is a completely unrelated web comic going by the same name, however. You can find that here, if you’re so inclined: http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Blasphemy/Index.php
Team Pixel & Graphite, as created by LooseLeaf! Characters are, in order, from left to right: Graphite, Pixel, Echo, the red-haired reporter, Nick and Emily.