Indie Edge: Llexi Leon
Jul 23, 2017
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Please tell us a bit about yourself!
Most days I work with Iron Maiden as the Interactive & Creative Director of Phantom Music Management, but if we rewind a moment, I started out in comics around 2008 as the creator of the heavy metal fantasy series, Eternal Descent for IDW, and before that I was mostly rocking out with ESP Guitars and Marshall Amps as a pro guitarist. As a games producer, comic book writer, session musician, and animation director, I’ve been lucky enough to helm a diverse array of productions from music videos to video games, collaborated with many personal rock and metal heroes of mine, and worked on fan-favorite film and television properties from Star Trek to Evil Dead — so far it’s been a blast! I’ve always been an avid comics collector since I was a kid, so I try to ensure there’s always a comic book component to the interactive and animation projects I’m working on! Find me on Twitter @LlexiLeon
If you love heavy metal music and comic books, you might want to check out my foray into comics, Eternal Descent. I spent a few years (and a couple of graphic novels!) building out that gothic fantasy, and continue to expand the lore whenever time allows. I had an unexpected break from that world for a couple of years as I was caught up in this whirlwind of opportunity working with Iron Maiden, which has been incredibly rewarding and certainly keeps me on my toes (Eddie never sleeps!). But there was something hugely fulfilling about coming back to the world of Eternal Descent last year and still being so excited by those characters and their story, feverishly digging out old notebooks and sketches and feeling a rush of enthusiasm to continue world-building and expanding upon this larger-than-life fusion of heavy metal and high fantasy. It’s just been great to play in that sandbox again!
What are your favorite projects you’ve contributed to over the past decade?
Collaborative career highlight has to be creating the CGI music video for Iron Maiden’s “Speed of Light” single — depicting 40 years of Iron Maiden alongside 40 years of video game history — I got to create a new Eddie for the first time, which was monumental for me! In terms of my original IP, creating the Eternal Descent characters and ultimately seeing them jump from comic book pages to being printed on gorgeous Japanese made ESP guitars and inspiring other gear like amps and effects processors, was quite something, it all went full circle — creating a world inspired by guitar gods and metal legends, only to have it come alive through actual music events and equipment!
What are you currently working on?
There’s a couple of other titles that tie in with video games bubbling away at the moment. These days I spend a lot of time working on interactive projects and I strive to ensure there’s a strong narrative in the games I work on, so it’s always fun to develop those stories into stand-alone or companion comic books. We’re also putting together an original Eternal Descent graphic novel for 2018, and a few more one-shot books focusing on the pivotal characters in that universe.
What fun titles are you reading?
Well, first I have to mention Aliens: Dead Orbit (JUL170125), I’ve been enjoying this Dark Horse book more than the new movies, and James Stokoe’s artwork is just unreal. Its Aliens done right!
Rockstars: The Secret History of Rock & Roll (Vol. 1: Nativity in Blacklight / MAR170832) was very cool from Image. Obviously, I have a soft spot for that nexus point of music and comics, and this was a great mash-up of almost Scooby Doo-tinged mystery and an Almost Famous look at the retro world of classic rock!
IDW have just put out Cosmic Scoundrels, (Vol. 1 / APR178410), which is like a Glam Metal Sci-Fi odyssey. It’s kind of Steel Panther meets Flash Gordon, and absurd as that is, it’s a lot of fun! The team behind this book are incredibly talented and have worked on some of the best animated series out there, from Clone Wars to Gravity Falls. Check it out!
EDGE ESSENTIALS
Pick up these books to learn more about Llexi Leon’s Indie Edge style!
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