Revitalizing an Old Idea: Sir Dufius and the Knights of the Unnecessarily Trapezoid Table

This is actually quite old, just a banner for my 2009 web comic of the same name and general concept. It's not at all relevant but I thought it'd make for a nice little visual header-type thing. 

If any of you have been to my deviantART page, you may have stumbled across a little web-comic I was working on back in 2009 (back when I was still in high school... Wow, that was a long time ago) by the name of "Sir Dufius and the Knights of the Unnecessarily Trapezoid Table". It was supposed to be a very silly medieval mock-epic action/adventure comedy that centered around a half-retarded knight by the name of Sir Dufius. I didn't get very far with it (even after completing almost twenty pages of it), probably because I really had no idea about how to pace the thing. But things are different now. I haven't abandoned the idea, because I think it has a ton of potential, it just needs a few tweaks here and there, and probably a couple of re-imaginings. So, after about three years of incubating in the warm womb of my creative unconscious, I think it might be ready to take out of the oven.

One of the first real concept drawings of
the titular character. 

Before, back in 2009, the basic premise was that this dim-witted knight rescues this band of misfit fairy-folk, and would eventually go on adventures with them to find where they belonged. I soon realized that this premise wasn't going to work because what I eventually realized what I really wanted was a kind of episodic series where Sir Dufius and the rest of the Knights of the Unnecessarily Trapezoid Table could go on adventures or do just about anything. Having a gang of fairy-folk follow Sir Dufius around all the time would, I think, put a damper on the character, like little invisible anchors. And if I had decided on the other premise of him going off with the fairy dudes and dudettes, it would've taken screen time (or panel time?) away from the rest of the knights, whom I grew rather fond of over time as their character evolved.

The latest concept drawing of the
titular character

Now, in 2012, I have developed the idea into a working premise and format now. Instead of web-comics, I want these to be actual printed comics, preferably published somewhere (I've got my sights on Top Shelf Productions at the moment). These will be either monthly or bi-monthly depending on how fast (or slow) it takes me to get them done. Actually, it shouldn't take me too terribly long to crank these issues out as it would have if I had gone with the art direction of the web-comic, which was an attempt to make it look like a Saturday morning cartoon or something, very animation-y. To be honest, it's not a style that comes natural to me. I can't make smooth line work to save my life. So I decided to go with a kind of sketchier look for the line art, much like that from the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker art style, which I have been known to imitate. And throwing the texture over the image really gives it a more organic feel.

So, with that artistic obstacle out of the way, I can now focus on other things, like what I was trying to get at before until I went on that little tangent; the format. I want each issue to consist of two "episodes" and some little extras like "minisodes", 4Komas, character interviews, fake ads, and other little things like that before, between, and after each episode. I want to sort of simulate a broadcast television cartoon in a way, with the two episodes like the two halves of an episode of a cartoon, and with the extras like the commercials. I don't know why exactly, just thought it was a neat concept, and something I don't think I've seen before in comics.

Anyway, as for the basic premise, the story revolves around a knight of the Unnecessarily Trapezoid Table, the knightly order of Lord Everslothe, the lazy governor of Pyreshaw County of the Kingdom of Angland (kinda like England, but, um, more "A" than "E"). Perhaps I need to explain. Hmm, yes, yes I do. See, the World of Sir Dufius is something of a fantasy parallel to our own, so the basic land masses are all there, the basic peoples and cultures are all there, but there are still quite a few differences, such as the more corporeal manifestation of mythic beings, the purveyance of magic, and, since this story takes place in the 15th century, Renaissance clockpunk technology.

Well, anyway, this knight is Sir Dufius, who makes up in nobility and honor what he lacks in intelligence. He and the other knights, Sir Arrogante, Sir Gluteus, Sir Corn, Sir Hammond, and Sir Timaeus, are often sent on missions by Lord Everslothe, or just stumble upon adventure whilst questing. And that's pretty much it, except that Sir Dufius encounters this mysterious mute fairy girl who gives him a telepathic message that involves her needing his help in doing... Something important. And she starts following him around, guiding him to various places during quests. It's the only real overarching story line in the series. Most episodes will be stand-alone stories.

That's all I got for now. If you're at all interested then please stick around for progress updates, concept art (which I've been doing a LOT of recently), and any other goodies I can muster. So, have some artwork. Here are the rest of the Knights of the Unnecessarily Trapezoid Table.

Sir Corn, the perpetually angry knight with a weird hairdo and
affinity for maize. It is scientifically as well as magically impossible not to piss
this guy off. So see just how mad he can get. Go on, it's funny! 

Sir Gluteus, the pervy guy with a particular attraction to posteriors, so much so
that even his chin resembles his favorite fetish. 

Sir Hammond, the eternally hungry. He doesn't eat because he's fat,
he's fat because he eats. Lots.  

Sir Timaeus, the intellectual of the bunch. In case it isn't just glaringly obvious,
he's supposed to be a kind of parody of myself. But he isn't me. There's a difference. 

Sir Arrogante, quite possibly the most egocentric entity in existence. To him,
there is nothing in all the cosmos and beyond that is more beautiful than himself.