Contemporary Authors

• Judas - September 4, 2018 BOOM! Studios,

• Jakub Rebelka - http://shzrebelka.tumblr.com/url

  ABOUT
  Jakub Rebelka / SHZ

  born 31 July 1981 Poland.

  Comics creator and illustrator.

• 3D Total - https://3dtotal.com/news/interviews/meet-the-artist-jakub-rebelka-by-3dtotal-staff-interview-sci-fi#article-3dt-could-you-tell-us-a-bit-about-your

  QUOTE:
  I was born in Poland in 1981. My father is a painter and most importantly a teacher. Like most artists I have been drawing ever since I can remember. I always knew I wanted to be illustrator. I enjoyed playing with all the tools that where in my father's workshop.
  The important thing is to find your own way. Never just copy other artists' work; it will kill you. Obviously you will be influenced by artists you admire. That's natural and with time it will transform and become a part of your style. It's wise to copy from nature and draw real life – that is the best way to learn.
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  Meet the artist: Jakub Rebelka
  Jakub Rebelka
  Illustrator and comic book artist Jakub Rebelka is special guest judge for the 3dtotal sci-fi sketching competition this month so here we ask him a few questions to get behind the scenes of his own artwork!

  Topogun - model first, topology now!
  by 3dtotal staff on 16th September 2015

  8,630 0
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  Illustrator and comic book artist Jakub Rebelka is special guest judge for the 3dtotal sci-fi sketching competition this month so here we ask him a few questions to get behind the scenes of his own artwork!

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dtotal: Thanks for letting us ask you a few questions today! Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you first became interested in art?

  Jakub Rebelka: I was born in Poland in 1981. My father is a painter and most importantly a teacher. Like most artists I have been drawing ever since I can remember. I always knew I wanted to be illustrator. I enjoyed playing with all the tools that where in my father's workshop.

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dt: What drew you to comics?

  JR: 1980s Poland was a time of significant political and cultural change, so my artistic journey began with political comics, with famous political characters of the time like Lech Wa??sa, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, and Ma?gorzata Niezabitowska. I was 6 or 7 so I drew the faces I saw on TV.

  Also my father used to buy a Polish sci-fi magazine called Fantastyka. The magazine always had a few pages of comics and a gallery inside – it had major impact on my imagination. I also had some French Spirou magazines from the 1980s – that was awesome and a great lesson about comics.

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dt: Could you tell us a bit about your creative process?

  JR: I am not sure if there is a rule I have for this. Sometimes it just happens. Mostly it requires concentration, time, and a lot of patience. I always start with a sketch; it will grow into something I like or not. Sometimes I start in Photoshop
  and sometimes with pencil on paper. In my case it is always a mix between traditional and digital.

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dt: Are there any artists who you admire?

  JR: Yes! I admire a lot of artists, from Otto Dix through to Peter Andrew Jones and Moebius, as well as modern digital artists. I think admiring art is a very important part of being an artist.

  3dt: How do you find inspiration?

  JR: I never do. Inspiration is something that is supposed to find you. It can be anything from movies, books, and games to nature or a rainy day… you never know.

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dt: Can you offer any tips to beginner artists who are just starting out?

  JR: The important thing is to find your own way. Never just copy other artists' work; it will kill you. Obviously you will be influenced by artists you admire. That's natural and with time it will transform and become a part of your style. It's wise to copy from nature and draw real life – that is the best way to learn.

  3dt: If you were one of your character illustrations, who would you be?

  JR: The life of an illustrator is mostly sitting behind the desk. I often draw wandering characters surrounded by landscape so I'd probably like to be one of those!

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dt: What has been your favorite project you have worked on so far?

  JR: The project I am working on is always the one I enjoy the most.

  3dt: Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

  JR: Hopefully still behind the desk!

  Inspired? Make sure you enter the 3dtotal sci-fi sketching contest
  before it ends on 4 October 2015!

  Related links
  Find out more about Jakub Rebelka's creations in Sketching from the Imagination: Sci-fi
  Take a look at these 50 stunning sci-fi landscapes

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• Lambiek - https://www.lambiek.net/artists/r/rebelka_jakub.htm

  R
  Jakub Rebelka
  (b. 1981, Poland) Poland

  Oscar by Jakub Rebelka
  Oskar – King of Shadows

  Jakub Rebelka was born in Starogard Gdanski into a family of artists. He is one of Poland's most recognizable and original comic artists. His highly individual style is expressive and innovative with a tendency to the grotesque and horrific; his colour palette is extremely vivid.

  Rebelka studied painting at the Gdańsk Academy od Fine Arts, obtaining his MA in 2008. His diploma work was a cycle of paintings entitled 'Element of Chaos'. The cycle was later exhibited at the modern art gallery BWA in Wroclaw and BWA in Jelenia Gora (2010) with an accompanying art-book.

  Kikimora by Jakub Rebelka
  Kikimora

  Rebelka debuted as a comic artist when he was 15 years old by receiving the Junior Grand Prix at the Polish International Comic Festival in Lodz (1997). The following year he received the Junior Grand Prix a second time together with writer Dawid Ciechocki. In 2001 he was awarded the 1st prize together with illustrator/writer Benedykt Szneider for their comic 'Oskar – King of Shadows'.

  Comic art by Jakub Rebelka

  In 2002 his first book, 'Doctor Bryan', was published. The book received positive reviews and its author was compared to artists like Edvard Munch and Ted McKeever. After his debut Rebelka went on to create a row of dystopic and grotesque horror comics that could inspire movie directors such as Robert Wiene or Fritz Lang.

  Doctor Bryan 2 by Jakub Rebelka
  Doctor Bryan 2 – The Soul Archipelago

  His work has been exhibited many times in Poland and abroad (France, Canada, Japan, Croatia) and published in many comic anthologies and magazines. He has collaborated with Polish comic writers like Rafal Skarzycki, Dennis Wojda and Bartosz Sztybor. Among his books are 'The Ballad of Edward' ('Ballada o Edwardzie', 2003), 'Doctor Bryan 2 - The Soul Archipelago' ('Doktor Bryan 2 - Archipelag duszy', 2005), 'Ester & Klemens. The Three Heads of Professor Muri' ('Ester i Klemens. Trzy glowy profesora Muri', 2007), 'Dick4Dick. Zordax' Harem' ('Dick4Dick. Harem Zordaxa', 2009) and 'Element of Chaos' ('Element chaosu', 2010).

  Comic art by Jakub Rebelka

  Rebelka also worked on the critically praised video game 'The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings' (2011) as illustrator for the animated cutscenes and background/character designer. He is a renowned painter of public art murals and his work can be seen in Gdansk, Sopot, Warsaw and Bremen. He lives with his family in Gdansk where he works as an illustrator.

  Doctor Bryan by Jakub Rebelka
  Doctor Bryan

  www.rebelka.freshsite.pl

  Artwork © 2018 Jakub Rebelka
  Website © 1994-2018 Lambiek

  Last updated: 2013-09-15

• Paste Magazine - https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/09/exclusive-booms-judas-miniseries-explores-the-afte.html

  QUOTE:
  I don’t want to be too traditional, but since we are working on a comic book, it has a language with its own rules. But yes, medieval Christian art was always a huge inspiration for me, especially the art of Matthias Grünewald, creator of the most stirring crucifixion in the history of art. I was also inspired by the visions of Hell by Hieronymus Bosch. I am trying to incorporate some of those elements into the world-building of Judas.

  Exclusive: BOOM!’s Judas Miniseries Explores the Aftermath of History's Greatest Blasphemer
  Creators Jeff Loveness & Jakub Rebelka Put Judas Iscariot Through Hell & Back in “Bible Fan Fiction"
  By Sean Edgar | September 13, 2017 | 11:30am
  COMICS FEATURES JEFF LOVENESS
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  Exclusive: BOOM!’s Judas Miniseries Explores the Aftermath of History's Greatest Blasphemer
  Taken on purely literary merits, the Christian Bible flaunts a staggering number of complex characters worthy of further exploration. Ironically, though, the most intriguing figures often fail the moral doctrine of their source material. Need proof? Phillip Pullman unpacked the deception of Eve in his lauded fantasy trilogy, His Dark Materials, Henry Rollins played a modern-day Cain in the 2015 horror flick He Never Died and Satan has continually snagged starring roles ranging from John Milton’s narrative poetry to primetime cop dramas on Fox—much to the chagrin of old conservative dudes calling themselves a million moms.

  What makes these archetypal sinners so worthy of our fascination? They’re certainly more relatable, but they also tend to offer a more layered look into morality—spectrums of bittersweet grey more than binary black and white. And Judas Iscariot embraces that ambiguity more than any of his nefarious peers. The apostle is largely condemned for betraying Jesus Christ to the Romans, but without the Judas kiss—predicted by Christ at the Last Supper—the crucifixion and moral salvation of humanity within the Christian faith could never have occurred. Whether Judas is religion’s biggest narc or a celestial domino is a question that remains even after non-canonical gospels have suggested the latter.

  Exclusively announced today, writer Jeff Loveness and artist Jakub Rebelka will tackle that question in a gorgeous four-issue comic miniseries published by BOOM! Studios, set to start this December. The period piece picks right up where the Good Book left off, witnessing the titular character wake up in Hell after committing suicide. The project offers a new direction for Loveness, who honed his writing chops in comedy institutions including The Onion and Jimmy Kimmel Live! as well as Marvel superheroe titles like Nova and Groot. Polish artist Rebelka recently wrapped the reality-bending odyssey Namesake with writer Steve Orlando, merging chiseled figures against striking, surrealist world-building.

  Paste exchanged emails with the pair to discover more about this ambitious project and its origins.
  1linebreakdiamond.png
  Judas_001_Main_PROMO.jpg
  Judas #1 Cover Art by Jakub Rebelka
  Paste: After reading the first script, Jeff, this is a very informed sequel to the Christian Gospels. What’s your history with the religion? Was there any inciting factor to publish this story, or has it been percolating for a while?

  Jeff Loveness: I was raised in a very Christian home, so it was a huge part of my life growing up. But growing up, I always felt sorry for Judas. We’re supposed to look at him as this grand villain or ultimate traitor…but his role in the story seemed so predetermined and beyond him. Satan “entered” him. Jesus straight up told him to do it. Judas was trapped in this story, unable to be anything else.

  And then upon betraying Jesus, he feels immediate guilt and kills himself. The remorse of Judas always felt so tragic to me. No one cared about the turmoil he was going through. Nobody ever thought about the immense, cosmic burden placed upon this ordinary man. The fulcrum of the story hinged on him… but if he played his part, he’d be hated for the rest of history. The story was rigged against him from the beginning.
  I wanted to see what happened next. Judas waking up in Hell is such a striking image to me. At first, he feels immense guilt and dread, but that turns to hopeless rage toward Jesus, who knew all of this would happen—and let it happen anyway.
  So, basically, it’s a sci-fi comic about Judas Iscariot journeying through life and death, grappling with his place in “The Greatest Story Ever Told” and fighting for something between revenge and redemption.
  Think of it as a mix of the New Testament, Sandman, What Dreams May Come and Dante’s Inferno.

  Paste: Looking through your portfolio, Jakub, there’s certainly a regal state to your figures that recalls Renaissance-era Christian iconography. Are you going to employ a more traditional aesthetic here, or innovate in a different direction?

  Jakub Rebelka: I don’t want to be too traditional, but since we are working on a comic book, it has a language with its own rules. But yes, medieval Christian art was always a huge inspiration for me, especially the art of Matthias Grünewald, creator of the most stirring crucifixion in the history of art. I was also inspired by the visions of Hell by Hieronymus Bosch. I am trying to incorporate some of those elements into the world-building of Judas.

  Paste: What materials are you using? Digital verses traditional? Is there any color palette you’re emphasizing?

  Rebelka: My art is always a mix between traditional and digital, with different proportions of both according to what the image requires. Photoshop is like an art supply shop full of tools. I do most of my work in Photoshop, preparing pages, gutters, layouts, sketches and, later on, most of the colors. It also allows me to apply changes quickly.

  Painting and drawing traditionally allow me to do things that are difficult to achieve in Photoshop. For example, I can make things by accident—I can splash paint all over the page and discover interesting things there. I also work on line art traditionally—it’s just faster for me.
  For the color palette, I am using a lot of earth colors for this book, plus blue, turquoise, dark grey—cold colors—to illustrate Hell.
  Paste: Jeff, this is a vastly different direction from your comedy writing or superhero books. Stylistically, are you drawing inspiration from John Milton or the Bible’s numerous authors? Is it a different set of writing muscles to flex?

  Loveness: Yeah, I’ve written for Jimmy Kimmel, Marvel, award shows like the Emmys and Oscars, The Onion, sitcoms and my own original comics before, but this is a pretty big departure. It’s scary, but I think that’s important. It’s always fun to write something you’re nervous about. It makes you jump a little farther and try a little harder. It’s a completely different style of writing, but then again, 16 years of Sunday School and goatee’d youth pastor classes at Bible Camp are finally coming in handy.

  Stylistically, I’m trying to pool the deep imagery of Christian myth: Everything from Renaissance paintings to Dante to this insane Pilgrim’s Progress cartoon I saw when I was eight at Bible Camp. It’s a rich tapestry, and I really want to dive in with Jakub, blow it out, and run wild with it. The Bible has crazy stuff. Those alien spaceship/UFOs from the Book of Ezekiel are wild, man. That creature in Revelations that is all eyes and just hangs out with God all day? I want one of those.

  Paste: One of your notes from the script says, “Let’s unleash Christian myth to its full potential.” This line seems especially relevant to the character of Judas. How much are you digging into books outside of the canonical Bible, like the Apocrypha or the gnostic Gospel of Judas, which posits that Judas was working under instruction from Christ? If so, what are the most intriguing aspects of those works for you?

  Loveness: I’m mainly sticking with the canonical Gospels as the baseline, and exploring from there. Everyone knows this story, so the exciting thing is to flip it on its head and give it a fresh perspective. This is an original story—picking up right at the conventional end of Judas’ story in the Bible.

  I went through the Gospel of Judas for research and curiosity, but the Gnostic Gospels aren’t as widely read and don’t have the sheer cultural entrenchment that… y’know… the Gospel of John would have. People aren’t really holding signs for Judas 3:16 at football games. I think it’s more effective to come at it from the source everyone knows, and subvert it from there.

  Paste: One of the main environments here is Hell. What are your favorite takes on the locale and are there any specific atmosphere beats you focused on for your own interpretation?

  Rebelka: Jeff had the idea of avoiding the common visions of Hell, with all the fire and sulfur clouds. I also didn’t want to do the opposite thing, making hell look like Hoth, although it was tempting. Hell for Judas will be a hollow, empty, sad place with lost souls and demons doomed in shadows.

  Paste: There’s a thematic line that crosses from Lucifer, Adam, Eve and Judas, exploring the threshold between critical thinking and heresy. Do you think these characters got a bad shake? Is Judas more sympathetic than antagonistic?

  Loveness: He can be both, which is exciting to me. He can be a tragic anti-hero, like Magneto or Heathcliff. In comic book talk, the Bible has a pretty impressive “Rogue’s Gallery.” But when you look closely at those characters, maybe they were more sympathetic than portrayed. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened by God. Goliath was just fighting on his side of the war. Lot’s wife just looked at something. And Satan… we’ll go pretty deep into that. I have ruined many a Tinder date by giving my opinions on the literary richness of Satan in the Bible. At least I found an outlet for it here. I love Satan. Please use that out of context.

  I am not a theologian or scholar or religious person at all, but on a narrative level, I love the idea that all these people were trapped in the same story. Even Jesus in Gethsemane felt trapped. He didn’t want to go through with it, but there’s something beyond us, driving us toward this bitter, broken, awful, amazing grace. There’s something so depressing and possibly affirming about that. I go back and forth on it.
  Paste: Extrapolations of biblical characters—especially Jesus—can be met with controversy, à la The Last Temptation of Christ. Are you expecting any pushback over your interpretations? How would you advise readers to approach this material?

  Loveness: Ha. Well, hopefully my mom won’t kick me out of the family. But I guess I’ll leave that up to her. She’s the one I’m most concerned about.

  I’m not too worried. This is not a “religious” book, but I think this story lines up well with Christian doctrine—and challenges it. The essence of Christianity is compassion. We need to love our enemies and forgive, so shouldn’t we therefore extend that compassion to Judas? Who was there to forgive him?
  If you’re not religious, I’d say approach this story as a fun exploration of a character you’ve always heard about. If you are religious, look at this as a thought-exercise…and a story within the margins of the Bible. Some fun Bible fan-fiction. I always wondered what happened to Judas. Maybe this is it. The Gospels create such a beautiful, striking story. They’re the bedrock of Western storytelling. So it’s been a lot of fun to turn it on its head and give a literal Devil’s advocate approach to the same story.
  Paste: If this were an ongoing, are there any other characters/environments you think deserve further exploration? How would you visualize heaven past clouds, wings, halos and harps?

  Rebelka: I once worked on a visualization of Purgatory. It was a swampy place, an endless city built from waste with confused people living in its muck. Heaven is a difficult one. In my opinion, most artists fail to create an interesting vision of this “place.” The only portrayal of Heaven I’ve seen that was convincing is the one from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. I think when you show what Heaven or God looks like, you make it physical and it loses its magic and power. Working on my idea of the Garden of Eden would be awesome, though.

• 3dtotal - https://3dtotal.com/news/interviews/meet-the-artist-jakub-rebelka-by-3dtotal-staff-interview-sci-fi#article-3dtotal-thanks-for-letting-us-ask-you-a

  Meet the artist: Jakub Rebelka
  Jakub Rebelka
  Illustrator and comic book artist Jakub Rebelka is special guest judge for the 3dtotal sci-fi sketching competition this month so here we ask him a few questions to get behind the scenes of his own artwork!

  Topogun - model first, topology now!
  by 3dtotal staff on 16th September 2015

  8,631 0
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  Illustrator and comic book artist Jakub Rebelka is special guest judge for the 3dtotal sci-fi sketching competition this month so here we ask him a few questions to get behind the scenes of his own artwork!

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dtotal: Thanks for letting us ask you a few questions today! Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you first became interested in art?

  Jakub Rebelka: I was born in Poland in 1981. My father is a painter and most importantly a teacher. Like most artists I have been drawing ever since I can remember. I always knew I wanted to be illustrator. I enjoyed playing with all the tools that where in my father's workshop.

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dt: What drew you to comics?

  JR: 1980s Poland was a time of significant political and cultural change, so my artistic journey began with political comics, with famous political characters of the time like Lech Wa??sa, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, and Ma?gorzata Niezabitowska. I was 6 or 7 so I drew the faces I saw on TV.

  Also my father used to buy a Polish sci-fi magazine called Fantastyka. The magazine always had a few pages of comics and a gallery inside – it had major impact on my imagination. I also had some French Spirou magazines from the 1980s – that was awesome and a great lesson about comics.

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dt: Could you tell us a bit about your creative process?

  JR: I am not sure if there is a rule I have for this. Sometimes it just happens. Mostly it requires concentration, time, and a lot of patience. I always start with a sketch; it will grow into something I like or not. Sometimes I start in Photoshop
  and sometimes with pencil on paper. In my case it is always a mix between traditional and digital.

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dt: Are there any artists who you admire?

  JR: Yes! I admire a lot of artists, from Otto Dix through to Peter Andrew Jones and Moebius, as well as modern digital artists. I think admiring art is a very important part of being an artist.

  3dt: How do you find inspiration?

  JR: I never do. Inspiration is something that is supposed to find you. It can be anything from movies, books, and games to nature or a rainy day… you never know.

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dt: Can you offer any tips to beginner artists who are just starting out?

  JR: The important thing is to find your own way. Never just copy other artists' work; it will kill you. Obviously you will be influenced by artists you admire. That's natural and with time it will transform and become a part of your style. It's wise to copy from nature and draw real life – that is the best way to learn.

  3dt: If you were one of your character illustrations, who would you be?

  JR: The life of an illustrator is mostly sitting behind the desk. I often draw wandering characters surrounded by landscape so I'd probably like to be one of those!

  © Jakub Rebelka

  3dt: What has been your favorite project you have worked on so far?

  JR: The project I am working on is always the one I enjoy the most.

  3dt: Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

  JR: Hopefully still behind the desk!

• ArtStation Magazine - https://magazine.artstation.com/2017/04/featured-pro-portfolio-jakub-rebelka/

  QUOTE:
  In Poland you can not make comics your full time job so I was also storyboard artist for commercial agencies, it allowed me to earn decent money but I hated it.

  Featured Pro Portfolio: Jakub Rebelka
  By Sierra Mon - April 20, 2017
  Share Share on Facebook Pin it Pin it Tweet Tweet Share Share on LinkedIn Post Submit to Reddit

  Our weekly Featured Pro Portfolios showcase some of the most inspiring portfolio websites on ArtStation and give our readers the opportunity to get tips and advice from the artist themselves. This week we interviewed Jakub Rebelka, an illustrator, comic artist and concept designer living in Poland. His colourful and unique artwork tends to grab you attention on a page.

  ArtStation Pro enables artists to create beautiful looking portfolio websites in seconds. Jakub’s website is another great example of what can be done with the tools provided by ArtStation’s powerful website builder.

  Check out Jakub’s ArtStation-powered website.

  What is a portfolio “must-have” for you?
  A portfolio should be a collection of an artist’s best works. It should show an overview of their ideas, techniques and style. I think it’s better to think twice before choosing artworks for portfolio. Those artworks should be the ones that represent the craft of the artist.

  It’s important to pay attention to what you do. Trying to create good quality art requires time, passion and hard work that will become experience, and with that it will be easier.

  What tips do you have to stand out and get noticed?
  I am always curious what will happen when I publish the artwork, if people will like it or ignore it. When I started to share my works on social media I was not expecting anything. At the begging it was like throwing stones into water but in my case, a few of those “stones” woke up the beast and it noticed me.

  What kind of experiences/training landed you where you are today?
  Like most people on ArtStation , I always was a drawing kid. First I just wanted to draw “things” than I was fascinated by comics, witch remain my passion. In Poland you can not make comics your full time job so I was also storyboard artist for commercial agencies, it allowed me to earn decent money but I hated it. I also studied on Painting Department Academy of Fine Arts, trying to find my way in art and explore the subject matter. After my studies, I was hired to do the drawings for the second “Witcher” (animated stylized cutscenes) and I did similar work for “Shadow Warrior”. When my first son was born I started to work on more personal works and share it online. I think the most important lessons in art I received from my father who was a painter. Growing up and watching him work was amazing. I guess in my case there was a lot of searching before I realized I wanted to combine and use all those experiences in my art.

  Where do you go to find inspiration?
  Thats my favourite question! I always try to give a different answer and strangely enough, every time it’s true. I think it’s different depending on who I work for. In the case of my personal illustrations, the process of inspiration is to absorb stuff like comics, movies, games, books, and music but also random life moments, family life, nature, travels and I use this memory bank to do art. In case of working for clients, inspiration is more a craft. You have a mission and directives and you have to use proper tools and research.

  See more of Jakub’s work on his ArtStation Pro website. To find out more about ArtStation Pro portfolio websites, click here.

• Verge - https://www.theverge.com/2014/11/28/7301743/jakub-rebelka-art

  QUOTE:
  Jakub Rebelka's work is like a cross between a stained-glass window and a colorful manga — it's timeless, in a way, with a flat, intricately detailed style, but it also blurs the line between science fiction and fantasy in a way that's absolutely gorgeous.

  The surreal fantasy paintings of Jakub Rebelka
  'It is like creating jewelry'

  By Andrew Webster on November 28, 2014 11:00 am
  Jakub Rebelka's work is like a cross between a stained-glass window and a colorful manga — it's timeless, in a way, with a flat, intricately detailed style, but it also blurs the line between science fiction and fantasy in a way that's absolutely gorgeous. Drawing is about the only thing he ever imagined doing; Rebelka's illustrations have been featured in comic books and video games, but he says his favorite piece is whatever he's working on at the moment.

  "I am experiencing my illustrations only while creating them," he explains, "after I forget about it."

  Growing up in Poland, Rebelka drew inspiration from a huge range of sources, everyone from iconic French comic artist Moebius to Akira artist Katsuhiro Otomo to Polish painter Stanislaw Szukalski. But the big names weren't the most important influence on his career. "My father is an amazing artist," says Rebelka, "he taught me all."

  This broad range of influences has led to a distinct look, one that jumps between different styles at ease; his work can feel like a classic painting by way of Japanese and French comic artists. Like many artists, he uses a combination of real world techniques — in his case, acrylic paints and water colors — in addition to digital tools like Photoshop. His late night illustration sessions are fueled primarily by music and audiobooks. "I spend a lot of time behind the desk drawing," he says.

  Outside of comics, Rebelka's work has also been featured in several video games, which includes contributing to animated sequences featured in games like the fantasy RPG The Witcher 2 and strategy game Anomaly 2. But he doesn't have grand aspirations of building his own games or movies. Instead, it's the intimate relationship with a comic writer he prefers.

  "Working close with only one person allows you to create something exceptional," he says. "It is like creating jewelry."

• Paste Magazine - https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/10/steve-orlando-jakub-rebelka-channel-sci-fi-family.html

  QUOTE:
  The way you work on comics in the US is 180 degrees different than you do in Europe. For me it’s a jump into deep waters. I enjoy it and try to do the best work I can.

  Steve Orlando & Jakub Rebelka Bring Sci-Fi Family Drama Home in Namesake
  By Caitlin Rosberg | October 26, 2016 | 11:30am
  Main Art by Jakub Rebelka
  COMICS FEATURES STEVE ORLANDO
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  Steve Orlando & Jakub Rebelka Bring Sci-Fi Family Drama Home in Namesake
  In his comics-writing career, Steve Orlando has built a passionate fanbase through driving books that walk effortlessly between character and action. His first comic, the “queersploitation” Jamaican revenge epic Virgil, began as a Kickstarter project before being published by Image last year. His success with DC’s Midnighter solo title spawned not only an exclusive contract with DC last spring, but also a Midnighter and Apollo miniseries to follow it.

  BOOM_Namesake_001_Main.jpg
  Though he’s also working on Supergirl and an upcoming run on JLA, Orlando is making a single foray into creator-owned comics this year with Namesake, illustrated by Polish artist Jakub Rebelka and published by BOOM! Studios. In the new miniseries, Orlando addresses the story of a son trying to lay his fathers’ (plural) remains to rest. The creative team pushes that emotional concept into the realm of sci-fi/fantasy, as each of Jordan’s fathers comes from two very different worlds; our Earth and the magical realm of Ektae only connect for a few days every decade, giving Jordan’s mission a new extra-dimensional air of urgency as he also struggles with his own internal challenges. Namesake is a classic hero’s journey, complete with both punching and self-discovery, set in an entirely new and unique world. Paste chatted with Orlando and Rebelka to discuss the inspiration and process behind this startlingly original project.
  1linebreakdiamond.png

  Paste: Finding the right collaborator to work on a creator-owned title can be a difficult and lengthy experience. How did you two meet and decide to collaborate, especially since Jakub is relatively new to comics?

  Steve Orlando: The credit for connecting with Jakub for Namesake goes to our on-point editor Eric Harburn. Eric and I had been shooting concepts back and forth for years, but when the idea, the image of Jordan Molossus and his Urns popped into our heads, it was something we both latched onto. Like I said, Eric and I had been talking for years, trying to find the right concept. He is intensely dedicated to watching up-and-coming creators, and being there first. In my case, we had been talking since Undertow.

  And he is likewise dedicated to reaching out to new and exciting artists. Once Namesake began to come to life, Eric brought up Jakub, whose work I was not yet familiar with, and I couldn’t imagine the book without him on board. I can’t credit Eric enough for having his eye on the movements of comics and being able to visualize a team, then make it a reality. Jakub’s style is like nothing we’ve seen before in American comics, and that’s perfect to bring to life the world of Ektae.

  Jakub Rebelka: In my case it was Eric and [Assistant Editor] Matthew [Levine] from BOOM! who contacted me. They sent me the synopsis of Namesake written by Steve. I started to read: “Earth intersects with Ektae for seven days every seven years” / “Portals, Magic, Strange technology” / “Main character Jordan is on the quest from Earth to Ektae to deliver his parents’ ashes to their rightful resting place”—right away I started to picture those things in my head and there was no turning back. I had to illustrate this story.

  BOOM_Namesake_001_Incentive.jpg
  Namesake Variant Cover Art by Artyom Trakhanov
  Paste: Steve, you mentioned in a previous interview that you want to actively collaborate with Jakub, and the importance of trusting and being open to co-creators. What did the creative process look like for the two of you?

  Orlando: For me, working a different schedule on a different continent than Jakub, it’s exactly what you said, it’s about trust. That means giving wide berth for character designs and visual cues. I try to talk more about the feeling brought on by a design than what it actually looks like as much as possible. And it means opening up the script as much as possible when it comes to layouts, beats and storytelling, to let your collaborator flex their muscles and deliver something better than you could have ever imagined. And then you do the hard part: you let it go out into the world. You plant the seed, and let it grow in its own way. Every script that goes out is an undefined moment, and Jakub takes those moments and delivers more than 100% every time.

  Rebelka: Steve and the BOOM! team gave me a LOT of freedom in creating the characters and building the world of Ektae. I am very grateful for this level of trust. Being able to imagine all the elements of a different world, including vehicles, buildings and a way that those people are dressed is a dream situation for every artist. Steve often left some notes and references for me in the script. Those guides were very important for me because I knew in which direction he wanted to go; the way I was going to get there depended on me.

  Paste: Were there any challenges you encountered in that process that you didn’t expect?

  Orlando: The challenge for me is mindset and headspace. Contrary to when I was working on other creator owned books like Undertow and Virgil, I am now working on a fair amount of licensed characters at the same time as Namesake. And the work styles are complementary but different. Work for hire IP, to me, is like refurbishing a room in an old house, sometimes 75-years-old, sometimes more. Maybe you put on an addition even, but you’re building on and polishing what’s there. With creator-owned IP, you’re building the foundation—the work is different, challenging and exciting. You have to make sure the house can stand for years, potentially decades. It’s primal, it’s raw, it’s risky. It’s exciting. And so switching back-and-forth between the mindsets, the rules of work for hire and the rules of creator-owned (and make no mistake, there ARE rules, even if you have to create them for yourself), has always been the biggest challenge for me.

  Rebelka: The way you work on comics in the US is 180 degrees different than you do in Europe. For me it’s a jump into deep waters. I enjoy it and try to do the best work I can.

  Namesake_001_001_CLR.jpg
  Namesake #1 Interior Art by Jakub Rebelka
  Paste: Steve, you also said that Namesake was influenced in part by your love of Final Fantasy. Jakub, do you share his love for the game franchise, or did you pull from other sources of inspiration?

  Rebelka: I have actually never played that game :) I watched the trailer since Steve mentioned it in the script, but I could only guess what Steve meant by Final Fantasy. That’s the danger when your inspiration comes from games or movies. It can have a different meaning for both of us. I believe it’s better to trust the description of the world and story that Steve wrote; that was the true inspiration for me. It’s also the magic of this process—the interlacing of ideas and inspirations. The description of the world of Ektae: a strange world with magic and technology that is completely different than ours and evolved around the new, fifth magical force—was more than enough to inspire me. I wanted to make the world of Ektae more spiritual and organic rather than stick to the technological pragmatism of Earth. Those two worlds intersect and there is an exchange of ideas. For example, we have cars on Ektae that look like cars because a car is something that arrived there from Earth. It looks like a car but it is built in a different way, it runs on a different fuel, it’s built on Ektae’s magic.

  Paste: It was announced that Namesake would be a miniseries with monthly issues. Why choose that format instead of a graphic novel?

  Orlando: The choice for me is about the fact that people consume comics in different ways. Print, digital, periodical, mail order, graphic novels—the way people read comics is changing. And with a story close to me, with all stories really, because I wouldn’t work on a book if it wasn’t important to me, I want to do everything I can to meet every reader possible. And that means comic shop readers, but it also means distribution routes and formats that can appeal to people who perhaps don’t prefer to buy weeklies, or go into a comics store. If we’re trying to say something with comics, to excite people and show them wonder, we have to go to them in all ways. So in this case, a periodical and digital release will quickly follow to the graphic novel edition, so you can explore Namesake as you personally wish.

  Namesake_001_002-003_CLR.jpg
  Namesake #1 Interior Art by Jakub Rebelka
  Paste: BOOM! is probably best known for their comics with licenses from TV and a ton of all-ages books, so some people might be surprised to see what seems to be a more serious original title. Who are you trying to reach with Namesake? Is there a particular age range or demographic you had in mind?

  Orlando: Namesake, I would say, is a book for the PG crowd—perhaps a bit above that. PG-13? At the same time, we don’t have any scenes in the book that couldn’t appear on How to Get Away With Murder, IF that show was about magic runes and sorcerous murders. We are a visceral action book, yes, but we are not mature readers. Like most creator-owned work I do, it’s in some ways for a young me, in my teens, wondering if it was okay to be who I am, and wanting an adventure that showed me that.

  Paste: Steve, your previous work focused on queer individuals in Virgil and Midnighter. They were more about personal confrontations with identity and a sense of self. Namesake seems to be more focused on an individual in a queer family—are you aiming to achieve something different?

  Orlando: I would say the goal of all these books is connected. Jordan does struggle with who he is, his anger at feeling abandoned by his parents, only to find out the truth was much more complicated. But the real core of all these books is acceptance, acceptance by the narrative itself. These are books that strive to rivet, entertain and use queer individuals, or queer families in this case, as just another accepted part of the narrative. They’re not fetishized, they’re not one-dimensional, they’re an equal part of the fabric of the story. That’s acceptance, that’s inclusiveness and that’s the goal of all my work, regardless of if it’s in Gotham City, Jamaica or under the sea.

  Paste: It’s particularly interesting to think about a queer family story in the context of current events where a lot of queer people choose or are forced to leave their biological families and build their own “logical” ones. Is Jordan’s family a sort of aspirational example in contrast to that reality?

  Orlando: Well, Jordan’s family has problems like any other, certainly. I hesitate to say aspirational, as I wouldn’t cast judgement on alternative families in any way. Quite the opposite, Namesake is perhaps at the end about who we THINK family is, who we EXPECT it to be, and who it REALLY is. And that doesn’t always mean blood—it can mean much more. People that love you for who you are, regardless of relation. The hope for me is that reading the book, we feel that no matter what the expectations, family is what we make it. It can be anything, as long as it’s made with support and love.

  Paste: The theme of laying a parent or parents to rest, physically or psychologically, comes up quite a bit in a variety of forms. In comics you have Duffie Award winner M.F.K., Weirdworld, Southern Bastards, Fun Home; on the screen there’s Six Feet Under and Little Miss Sunshine. Even Shakespeare confronts it head-on in Hamlet. Why do you think this issue is so universal and enduring?

  Orlando: I think there’s innate, human mystery there. These are the people that existed before me. And it’s also the dinner bell on your own mortality. You look at the passing of a parent, think how old they were when they created you, and think, well, maybe that’s what I’ve got left. Maybe not. But maybe. There’s a great, deep emotional well of dealing with the loss of someone you love, and there’s a great, heavy memento mori, a cosmic horror almost, in realizing you’ll be there someday, too. It’s a fight. In Namesake it’s a literal fight, but it’s a fight for all of us—between hope and cynicism, faith and understanding, reason and illogic. It’s all right there in the moment when the people who created us are uncreated.

  But in Namesake, at the end of all things, maybe we create something new.

QUOTE:
fresh and possibly controversial examination in this thought-provoking
visual tour de force.
tapestry of well-conceived panel compositions and rich colors, which evoke stained-glass scriptures,
Print Marked Items
Judas
Publishers Weekly.
265.21 (May 21, 2018): p58.
COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Judas
Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka. Boom! Studios, $14.99 trade paper (112p) ISBN 9781-68415-221-6
Christianity's archvillain is given a fresh and possibly controversial examination in this thought-provoking
visual tour de force. After Judas Iscariot kills himself following his betrayal of Jesus Christ, his soul is
relegated to the realm of the damned, where he begins contemplating his fate and culpability. Realizing
Christ's godhood-derived omniscience, Judas questions whether Jesus was fully aware, as he founded his
ministry, that Judas would be destined as the traitor in the Savior's story. ("I tried so hard ... to believe. To be
good. I never had a chance.") Judas's doubts are compounded when the unnamed Lucifer takes him on a
guided tour through the all-star history of biblical villainy. Was Judas precast to sell Jesus out, his actions
led by a "redeemer" who was nothing more than a fraud? As the story unfolds, the answers are provided in a
tapestry of well-conceived panel compositions and rich colors, which evoke stained-glass scriptures, from
fantasy illustrator Rebelka. The introspective script by Loveness (Nova) both entertains and prompts readers
to approach Judas from an unexpected, sympathetic angle. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Judas." Publishers Weekly, 21 May 2018, p. 58. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A541012634/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8974dbe7.
Accessed 19 Oct. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A541012634

• AV Club
  https://www.avclub.com/judas-gives-the-biblical-betrayer-a-striking-redemption-1824095302
  Word count: 680

  QUOTE:
  As terrifying as it all is, there’s no shortage of beauty in Judas, and when Jesus eventually breaks free for his resurrection, Rebelka depicts his ascent with radiant imagery that illuminates a new path for the titular hero.

  Judas gives the biblical betrayer a striking redemption story
  Image: Boom! Studios

  Oliver Sava
  3/28/18 6:00amFiled to: COMICS PANEL
  43
  4
  If God is all-powerful, why did He create a world where people suffer? It’s one of the most commonly asked questions by challengers of Christianity, and Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka tackle it head-on in Judas (Boom! Studios), a four-issue miniseries exploring the relationship between Jesus Christ and his duplicitous disciple. The book wraps up just in time for Easter, and the creative team delivers a heartfelt exploration of faith, friendship, and forgiveness that turns Judas Iscariot into the savior of not only the Messiah, but all the damned souls of Hell. Artists have been fascinated by Judas’ plight for centuries, and Loveness and Rebelka put their own spin on the character by focusing on what happens after he hangs himself for betraying his friend. This act lands him in hell, where he joins other Bible villains like Moses’ Pharaoh, Goliath, and Jezebel, but instead of an afterlife of torment, Judas evolves into a saintly figure of the underworld.

  Lead
  COMICS
  Judas
  B+
  STORY
  Jeff Loveness

  ART
  Jakub Rebelka

  LETTERS
  Colin Bell

  PUBLISHER
  Boom! Studios

  In a twist that will piss off a lot of die-hard Christians, Judas also sends Jesus Christ to hell after he is crucified, where he loses his divine strength and is overtaken by the sins he died to absolve. The first two issues are a fairly standard recap of Bible events with some added fantasy elements, but once Judas and Jesus reunite, the narrative becomes deeper, stranger, and more provocative. At the core of this relationship is Judas’ resentment that Jesus knew about his inevitable betrayal and never tried to stop it, and Loveness brings up some very interesting points about predestination, Godly action, and trying to understand the motivations of a supreme Creator.

  Image: Boom! Studios
  Loveness uses scripture as the starting point, and he folds in Bible verses that inform the action as well as the emotional content. Demon descriptions are pulled from the book of Revelations, Judas recalls his mother singing Psalm 23 to him as a child, and in one of the most powerful moments of the story, a verse from the book of John is printed in white text on a two-page spread of solid black. Lettering plays an important role in the storytelling, and Colin Bell uses various typefaces for different effects. When Jesus is stripped of his power, the red text of his dialogue fades to black, and the clean round borders of his word balloons become wavering lines to reflect this major change.

  Image: Boom! Studios
  The thick inks and vibrant coloring of Rebelka’s artwork are reminiscent of stained glass, making him an ideal artist for a story rooted in Christian mythology. Judas has a black halo around his head, a simple graphic element that foreshadows where he’ll end up by the story’s conclusions while also separating him from traditional saintly imagery. Red and blue contrast is an integral visual element, and the landscape of hell is a chilly blue that is cut by the blood red of sin. This color contrast is used to devastating effect when Jesus is forced to endure the sins of all mankind, a sequence that dramatically changes the layout and rendering for a barrage of abstract visuals that accentuate the horror of Lucifer’s domain. As terrifying as it all is, there’s no shortage of beauty in Judas, and when Jesus eventually breaks free for his resurrection, Rebelka depicts his ascent with radiant imagery that illuminates a new path for the titular hero.

• Read Wildness
  http://readwildness.com/reviews/judas
  Word count: 554

  Judas
  by Jeff Loveness &
  Jakub Rebelka
  — Nicholas Nichols
  But woe to he who betrays the Son of Man. / It would be better for him if he had not been born.
  — Matthew 26:24

  Did I choose this life? Shit, I don't know / But fuck it, it’s life now, and it’s just how it goes.
  — YG, ‘Deeper than Rap’

  I was born to a cruel world, I live in a cruel world, and I will probably die leaving a cruel world. It appears, there will always be a growing tide of frustration on the horizon big enough for this to be the last time. When does it get easier? In death? No. That’s just when you can sit with the life you’ve lived and count the seconds more slowly.

  Cover features an illustration of Judas surrounded by golf-leafed thorns.
  Boom! Studios | 2018 | 112 pp
  In Judas, Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka team up to explore what happened to Judas after the crucifixion: Were they forgiven or did something more complicated occur? Loveness writes how Caravaggio painted; playing in the shadows to reveal what’s hidden in the light. The depths of who Judas was, and the role he played in the crucifixion, is explored in a way—creating sympathy for his character—that I haven’t seen since Milton’s Paradise Lost. In the larger scheme of the story of our lives, if God has preordained everything, he’s even set up the villains—aren’t they all faithful in a way? Loveness explores one of western literature’s most well-known traitors with a kindness that’s refreshing. In four issues, he removes his foot from the moral scale and makes peace with the complex nature of someone so far removed from the present I couldn’t help but forget I was reading a comic.

  Truth is not victory.
  — Lucifer

  All that work was compounded by the lush and vibrant illustrations of Rebelka. He uses tone as a clear indicator between heaven and hell; a useful tool to tether the reader in time as the dialogue continually shifts between the active present and passive memory. As mentioned earlier, if Loveness writes like Caravaggio, then Rebelka draws like Tintoretto. The expansive views he creates of hell made me think primarily of Tintoretto’s Descent into Hell—how could you even make hell look beautiful? Rebelka reminds us it’s also the image that informs the way we imagine the world. He sees a cruel canvas, but his art subtly suggests to us the beauty under the muck and mire of it all.

  Judas has inspired me to look at my life with kinder eyes. What active role have I played in the story of my life? How can I choose today and find some peace within? Also, where can I buy more from this duo? The book is for anyone who is trying to learn forgiveness, anyone lost in the backlog of the news, someone with a chip on their shoulder. Life has not been kind to us—that is true—but we can be more compassionate to one another. Isn’t that a miracle we can rejoice in?

  Boom! Studios

• Big Comic Page
  https://bigcomicpage.com/2018/09/09/review-judas-tp-boom-studios/
  Word count: 613

  QUOTE:
  A work of art both visually and narratively, JUDAS takes the established Bible story and gradually unpicks and expands upon its themes, delivering a fresh, raw and engaging look at one of literature’s greatest villains.

  Review – Judas TP (BOOM! Studios)
  Posted on September 9, 2018 in BOOM! Reviews

  Publisher: BOOM! Studios
  Writer: Jeff Loveness
  Artwork: Jakub Rebelka
  Letterer: Colin Bell
  Release Date: 29th August 2019

  Every story needs a villain, right? And in the case of Judas Iscariot, his role as one of the greatest bad guys in the “Greatest Story Every Told” has been well documented. But in BOOM! Studios series JUDAS, writer Jeff Loveness and artist Jakub Rebelka have opted to take an altogether different look at the man whose very name has become synonymous with betrayal.

  Picking up the collected edition of the four-issue series, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. Granted, there are books that have managed to subvert or adapt Bible stories into something fresh and different – Jason Aaron and RM Guera’s The Goddamned, for instance – but really I wasn’t sure from the get-go quite what approach Loveness and co. were going to adopt here, and quite how successful they would be.

  What’s perhaps most interesting is the way the story gradually evolves and shifts over the course of its duration. This isn’t a hard-nosed critique of Christianity any more than it is a cloying attempt to espouse its virtues. Instead, what Loveness and Rebelka have crafted is an exceedingly well-balanced and character-focused study on the nature of faith. Are we cast into the roles we play without having a say in the matter, and is there truly a bigger story being told that we’re little more than helpless characters in?

  Right from the very first page, there’s a real understated beauty to the artwork of Rebelka, where – without wanting to damn with faint praise – the sum of the parts far exceeds the individual parts themselves. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a ton of eye-catching detail and expressive characters on display here, but the real strength of JUDAS is the way everything hangs together so beautifully, with a frequently murky palette and more than a passing nod to classic Medieval Christian artwork throughout.

  Loveness uses his dialogue and narration sparingly, never drowning us in words but instead letting the story gradually unfold at its own pace. Dialogue is also kept to a bare minimum, with the troubled narration of Judas himself doing the heavy lifting in terms of delivering exposition and moving the story forward. It’s a remarkably light touch for what is a fairly heavy subject matter, but Loveness nails it perfectly, working in seamlessly alongside the visuals of Rebelka and the masterfully unobtrusive lettering of Colin Bell to create an utterly captivating read.

  There’s also something wonderfully thought-provoking about the way the creators tie things up here. The questions asked throughout the course of the book aren’t necessarily answered in any decisive way, but hey, isn’t that sometimes the best way? There’s a wonderful character arc for Judas himself, and the final page adds an emphatic underscore to the whole journey, providing a small amount of retribution for the renewed faith of our leading man.

  A work of art both visually and narratively, JUDAS takes the established Bible story and gradually unpicks and expands upon its themes, delivering a fresh, raw and engaging look at one of literature’s greatest villains. Highly recommended.

  Rating: 4.5/5.

• Downthetubes.net
  https://downthetubes.net/?p=100720
  Word count: 1597

  QUOTE:
  Rebelka’s art is perfectly suited to Loveness’s tale here – those aforementioned first two pages, the masterful economic but powerful few opening panels, the flashbacks to his mortal life as he becomes a disciple, often cast in warm, sepia and red tones, in contrast to the black and blue desolation of the Pit he finds himself in after death.

  IN REVIEW: JUDAS BY JEFF LOVENESS, JAKUB REBELKA AND COLIN BELL
  Posted on September 19, 2018 by Joe Gordon
  Judas by Jeff Loveness, Jakub Rebelka, Colin Bell - CoverJeff Loveness, Jakub Rebelka, Colin Bell
  Boom! Studios

  “No… Not here. I don’t belong here. But the voice comes… And whispers the truth:

  ‘Yes. This was always the end. This was always your story’”

  The most famous betrayal in history; two friends, inseparable then sundered in a violent, bloody scene. No, not friends, more, one a saviour, a messiah, even, the other his devout disciple turned betrayer. Judas Iscariot, condemned for all eternity for betraying Christ to the Romans. In the Inferno Dante condemns him to the ninth circle, the lowest level of Hell, a frozen wasteland where Lucifer is trapped in ice, eternally chewing on the body of Judas, perpetual torment, one betrayer to another.

  Or so we’re often taught – certainly the interminably dull Bible studies I was forced to go to on a Sunday as a child only ever gave out the simple, black and white, good and bad version of Judas and Jesus, and discussion or even questions about the more complex issues of morality, predestination and free will were not encouraged there. Not so in fiction, of course, where this tale has been retold and re-examined from many different angles, from Amos Oz and Tosca Lee to, more recently, Maxwell Prince and John Amor’s fascinating Judas: the Last Days published by IDW a couple of years ago.

  It’s not hard to see why, it is a tale rich with moral conflict and drama and questions which are hard to answer. Did Judas betray his friend because of an evil streak? Or because Christ had to be sacrificed, and that required him to be the one to hand his friend over to the authorities? And if the latter, did he betray Christ because he was asked by his friend to do it because it had to be done to facilitate that sacrifice (and don’t most of humanity’s gods just love a good sacrifice?), and he was the only one he could trust enough to do the deed, even though he knew he would be vilified forever by his actions?

  Judas by Jeff Loveness, Jakub Rebelka, Colin BellJudas by Jeff Loveness, Jakub Rebelka, Colin BellOr what if it was all God’s will, all pre-ordained that this was the role he was always destined to play? If so then how can he be held responsible for his decisions and actions, if he had only ever been a mere puppet on a string? Loveness and Rebelka’s Judas ponder these moral quandaries, and more, it delves into the personal relationship, humanises these two figures, especially Judas.

  The initial set-up is handled with deft economy – the bag of silver coins, the kiss (such intimacy laced with betrayal), the scourging of Jesus. This is a well-known tale and they realise they don’t have to tell all of that, it is signified by a mere three panels on the opening page, then the fate of Judas on the next page, bereft, guilt-ridden, the tree, the rope, all handled in only five landscape-format panels, each one successively narrower, suggesting a rush to the end, the walls of his world collapsing in on him, the colours suffused a blood-red by the setting sun. Those two pages are a wonderful example of the way in which the comics medium can use visual shorthand, just a handful of images and panels, to convey so much meaning, the reader filling in the rest, it’s a splendid use of the medium.

  But the final panel, hanging from that tree, silhouetted by the setting sun, a dangling black figure against the dying of the light of day, is not the end of Judas’ story. He opens his eyes again, but now he is in the most wretched place of all, the Pit. And another betrayer – perhaps the very first betrayer – the Fallen one who was once the Bringer of Light, Lucifer, is waiting on him. All his life there has been a second voice in his head, alongside the compelling voice of Jesus asking that he follow him, there was another, which sowed doubt like a farmer sows seed, and now Judas is face to face with him.

  Judas by Jeff Loveness, Jakub Rebelka, Colin Bell
  Judas by Jeff Loveness, Jakub Rebelka, Colin Bell
  He is outraged, he rails against his fate, being so condemned to Hell for eternity, he blames Lucifer, but Lucifer talks to him in a persuasive tone. I didn’t put you here, your God did, your best friend, your Saviour. He compares the life of Judas to his own, how neither of them every really had a choice or chance, that these were the roles God always intended for them in His unfolding story. And if they had no choice then how fair is it that they suffer for those actions for all eternity? And the wider question of the world and humanity, what of them in this story, because, Lucifer explains, the story is broken. And Judas can see his point, he had already wondered when alive, if my friend can raise the dead then why do so many of us grieve for lost loved ones, if he can feed the poor then why do so many starve?

  And then they are joined by Jesus, his mortal body dead, his spirit ascends not to Paradise but descends into Hell, weighed down by all the sins of the world he claimed to take upon himself. And here he has no power, he is just a dead man, and, Lucifer tells him, his father cannot hear him, or perhaps he can and simply does not care, it is just another part of this broken plan. And below the higher moral and theological questions, the personal: the damned Judas looks his friend in the face. “Did you know?” he asks. Was I always meant to play this role? How could you do that to someone who loved you? Why would you also then leave them in Hell, when you preach forgiveness, why not forgive him?

  For me it is that personal aspect of Loveness and Rebelka’s take that is the heart of it – the moral questions are fascinating (and ultimately, I suspect not ones any of us can truly answer with certainty), but the personal aspect between these two friends turned enemies is not just the dramatic meat of the story, it is the emotional heart, and it is indeed very emotional as they face each other in Damnation. And I will not risk spoiling anything by saying anymore on that subject…

  Rebelka’s art is perfectly suited to Loveness’s tale here – those aforementioned first two pages, the masterful economic but powerful few opening panels, the flashbacks to his mortal life as he becomes a disciple, often cast in warm, sepia and red tones, in contrast to the black and blue desolation of the Pit he finds himself in after death. There are some clever little detailed touches too – the old tradition, still practised in the likes of the Eastern Orthodox Church, of showing a saint’s halo like a golden disc behind their head is taken here, except the damned Judas has a black halo-disc.

  Judas by Jeff Loveness, Jakub Rebelka, Colin Bell
  The darkness of it hints at his eternal damnation, and yet the fact he still has a sort of halo also possibly infers a spark of the divine exists in him, the spark that made him a disciple when he was alive, and that in turn hints at hope, and hope may be the one force that can fix the broken story Lucifer told him of so bitterly. Colin Bell’s lettering is perfect, the speech bubbles from Jesus in a red ink, hinting at the compelling power of his voice (shades of Preacher?), and this is also used to fine effect in Hell where the lettering changes mid-sentence from red to a regular black as his power fades in Hell and he is just another dead human soul.

  This is a fascinating story, delving into deep moral and theological questions about our freedom of will versus the possibility of all of our supposed choices being pre-ordained, that we are just actors in a story laid down before we were born, and it that is the case then the Creator who decided that surely must be flawed… But at the deepest level it is a story about friendship, about betrayal, yes, but not just the obvious one of Judas (did Jesus, in effect, betray his friend, condemning him into this hateful role?), and ultimately about three of those most delicate and yet desperately-needed aspects of our lives, three qualities that are so closely related: forgiveness, hope and love.

  Joe Gordon

  The Woolamaloo Gazette
  The Woolamaloo Flickr photo stream