Covenantum — A New Take on the Biopunk Genre
In this short article, we will cover what the Covenantum universe is all about, who is behind it and their reasons for making it, and how comic books have anything to do with it.
What is Covenantum
Covenantum is a comic-universe and an international media franchise in the sci-fi and biopunk genres. At the core of the Covenantum Universe are stories about fantastic creatures, told on the pages of graphic novels and comic books.
A volatile mix of genres and styles has come together under the auspices of the Covenantum universe: science fiction, post-apocalypse and the forerunner — biopunk. The Covenantum universe is inspired by the Akira and Guyver manga novels and aspires to reach the scale of the Dune universe.
The development story of the Covenantum comic universe begins with the beginning of the creation of the first graphic novel Covenantum: The Great Ancestors in 2021. The comic is being created by a small proactive group of co-authors from Russia in the format of an ongoing series.
The pilot graphic novel is not only a work of fiction and not just a comic book. It is both telling an adventure story and acting as an advertisement for the entire Covenantum comic universe, as well as showcasing the skills and abilities of all its co-creators.
The mind behind the setting of the Covenantum comic universe is Ilya Denisov (ZingerNax). Ilya acts as the screenwriter of the pilot graphic novel as well as the producer and the conceptual inspirer of the whole comic-universe. For Ilya this graphic novel is his screenwriting debut.
The lead artist of the graphic novel, concept-artist and creator of the visual culture of the universe is Kardalak, an artist and comics writer known for her web-comics «Alice’s Box», SCP project art and other great works based on popular settings.
The graphic novel’s inker and colorist is Joe Duncan, known for his comic «Gut Baskets», Path of Exile inspired art, as well as his humorous images and sketches.
The development of the pilot graphic novel, as well as other supporting visual content for the time being, is based on voluntary donations. The main funder of the universe is its founder, Ilya Denisov. The comic-universe community can also support the work of the artists by purchasing paid subscriptions in our official community on Boosty.
You can read more about the pilot comic in a separate article — https://zingernax.medium.com/covenantum-the-great-ancestors-the-first-graphic-novel-in-the-covenantum-universe-33e769305fca
Our Mission and Values
The creators of the Covenantum Universe openly declare their values.
Our main goal — to create a full-fledged comic universe, bringing together artists and writers from the international community. We want to mark the beginning of a new chapter in the world of comics and create drawn stories that will enthrall the imagination of the audience.
We are creating a sci-fi universe. Among our main inspirations are Dune by Frank Herbert, Metabarons by Alejandro Jodorowski, Guyver and Akira manga, works by the legendary Moebius, as well as the works of modern comic artists and many other sci-fi titles of our time.
The key genre of the comic-universe is biopunk. We strive to popularize the genre of biopunk in comics culture on the same level as classic fantasy, cyberpunk, and space operas. We want to define the genre of biopunk in comics and expand its boundaries.
We are driven by a passion for ambitious and thought-provoking fiction. We are interested in creating big inspiring stories that will capture the minds of many generations. To deliver this, we are creating a grand and expansive setting, along with characters that won’t leave you indifferent.
We are creating a comic-universe, but it is not about superheroes. We are all about adventure, rather than the horror or psychological thriller that is often associated with the biopunk genre. We’re making a comic-universe that you didn’t expect, but one you won’t forget.
Our drawn stories will become the primary visual culture for the Covenantum universe and reveal a new approach to science fiction in comics and to the biopunk genre in particular. We will create a unique comic-universe, and then we will take it a step further into the world of interactive entertainment, literature, games and animation.
Ilya Denisov — the founder of the Covenantum universe
The World of Essence
The Covenantum setting is created as an independent fantasy realm and a work of fiction, with its own mythological folklore and dramaturgy.
The events of the Covenantum Universe unfold in the vast realm called Essence, a world where incredible biotechnology meets savage cruelty and religious cults.
Essence is inhabited by fantastic creatures and nations that were once united into covenants by the powerful and mysterious Great Ancestors. Each covenant includes several fantastic races that have unique abilities and distinctive cultures and morals.
The fate of covenant followers is tough: every day they fight for life and for life-giving pneuma, the only and scarce source of sustenance. Covenant followers worship pneuma, but it is also the major source of hardship and suffering because of its constant scarcity.
Essence was once a highly developed civilization, but all that is left of its former glory are the ruins of a destructive war that took place long ago. Essence is now filled with technogenic anomalies, sandstorms, earthquakes and floods, as well as dangerous monsters and mutants.
Essence is constantly challenging its inhabitants, but the greatest ordeal for them is yet to come. Dangers from the darkness of bygone times awaken from their centuries-long slumber. Day by day, the world of the past becomes more and more intrusive into the lives of the covenant followers, and one day it will put them to the ultimate test of their strength, will and intelligence.
Learn more about the Covenantum setting in a standalone article — https://zingernax.medium.com/features-of-the-covenantum-universe-6ba33fa7766d
Storytelling of the Covenantum Universe
The stories in the Covenantum Universe are grounded in the laws of the setting and deeply connected to the problems and conflicts of this fictional realm. The characters in our stories are not just fantastical creatures, but creatures whose desires and actions stem from their biology, their distinctive rituals, and their environment.
The stories in the Covenantum Universe depict battles, violence, and bloodshed, so they are intended for mature audiences and recent teenagers. At the same time, our stories are adventurous and generally accessible, and violence is only one method of demonstrating dramatic conflict.
To understand the Covenantum Universe, the viewer needs to know its cultural code. This knowledge can be gained by following the plot of the graphic novels, the fate of their characters, and by engaging with the concepts of visual culture and setting of the Covenantum Universe.
The stories in our comics and other informational products in the Covenantum comics universe do not advocate any political ideas, do not intend to offend anyone’s feelings, including the feelings of believers, and are not intended to discredit certain social roles or cause nationality-based controversy.
The comics and other informational products created in the Covenantum comics universe do not show sexual deviations and paraphilias and do not depict scenes of sexual violence.
Roadmap
The Covenantum сomic universe sets itself ambitious goals. To help our viewers understand where the comic-universe is headed, we’ve created a roadmap for our adventure. This map is public and is intended for viewers as well as current and future co-creators.
The first step of the adventure is the creation of a pilot graphic novel and its distribution in the domestic and international digital arenas. With the pilot novel, we’re going to showcase a new visual culture, introduce the viewer to the world of Essence, and create as many followers and collaborators around the Covenantum Universe as possible.
Then we will publish a pilot comic book and make every effort to find official support from domestic publishers, influencers and members of the comic book authors’ community.
When the comic universe gets enough attention and official support from publishers, we’ll start creating graphic novels that tell the key story of the Covenantum universe.
Covenantum is being created not only as a fictional universe, but also as a media franchise. The Covenantum setting allows the creation of a wide variety of informational and entertainment products: board and video games, literature and animation alike.
Today, the creators of the Covenantum Universe are at the very beginning of their journey. The future is vague and uncertain. Currently, we’re having a hard time due to the harsh cultural selection. But I am certain that one day the visual culture, characters, and philosophy of the Covenantum Universe will be known around the world. And so will we, its creators.
Ilya Denisov — the founder of the Covenantum Universe
Do you want to know more?!
We need you! Subscribe to our social media communities and become viewers! Don’t miss out on the opportunity of being part of the birth and development of a new entertainment culture.
Website: http://covenantum.eng.tilda.ws/
Boosty: https://boosty.to/covenantum-eng
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Furaffinity: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/covenantum
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/covenantum/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/covenantum
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLBdtu9fnX22ZpXz9vO01nw
