Heathen City
 Heathen City #1 | |
| Author | Alex Vance |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Ayato |
| Cover artist | kamui |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Genre |
Action/Adventure Urban noir Erotica |
| Publisher | Bad Dog Books |
Publication date | 2008 |
| Media type |
Comic Book Graphic Novel |
Heathen City is a comic book series created by Alex Vance in 2008. An adult anthropomorphic title, it featured explicit violence and sexual scenes.
Setting
The world in which Heathen City takes place is nominally identical to the real world as of 2008, though there are several explicit differences, geographic and social. The most substantial difference between the Heathen City universe and ours is the existence of Maranatha City, ostensibly located in Florida, on the fictional Blood Bay Peninsula, which appears to replace the Florida Keys. While the story takes place in existing modern locations and references real-world persons and events (such as the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans), all characters are portrayed as anthropomorphic animals (albeit in modern clothes). There has not yet been a diegetic explanation. Furthermore, there seems to be no relation between their ethnicity and their species (the antagonist Caulfield and his mother are cougars, despite being of English descent; Ruy Ortega is Cuban, despite being a tiger). In a scene set in a bar in Shanghai the character Ruy remarks that there are no Asians present, indicating scent plays a substantial role in recognizing geographic origin.
Synopsis
Owen Zelazny, a hustler who has decided to quit his life of prostitution, finds himself unintentionally entangled in a criminal, political conspiracy. With his new lover Ruy Ortega in tow, Owen seeks out an old friend, Q. I. Malloy, whom he hasn't spoken to in three years. With the threat of pursuers at their heels, led by the sadistic Tony Caulfield, the burden of secrets that each of the characters bear, and old flames rekindled, tensions rise as they traverse the globe in a struggle for survival. Action takes place in London, Paris, Shanghai, and the Pacific Ocean.
In volume 2, due for release in July 2009, four separate stories spanning eighteen years explore pivotal moments in the lives of Owen, Malloy, Caulfield and Tiber Ferrum, who had not previously been introduced.
Characters
- Owen Zelazny, an American hustler, wolf, 27 years old, on the verge of retiring and starting a new career
- Q. I. Malloy, an English Doberman, former burglar, pickpocket and drug dealer who was at one point incarcerated and is now of uncertain legal status.
- Ruy Ortega is Owen's current lover. He is hinted at coming from a wealthy family, which may have a criminal history.
- Tony Caulfield is the principle antagonist. A sophisticated, manipulative and wealthy English cougar with strong sadistic and homicidal tendencies, he pursues Owen, and deals harshly with anyone who might hold a clue to aid his hunt.
Merchandise
A deck of playing card decks was released in tandem with Volume 1 at Anthrocon 2008, featuring art by various artists, and promotional condoms were given away.
Publication
Heathen City #1 was released on June 26, 2008, at the furry convention Anthrocon, where it was represented by FurPlanet and sold out. Heathen City #2 will be released on July 2, also at Anthrocon.
Work is underway on the next issues, though no release date nor any other details have so far been released. Alex Vance remains the writer on all issues.
Reception
In 2008, Heathen City won the Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book".[1][2]
References
- ↑ "Award Winners 2008". Ursa Major Awards. 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
- ↑ Wolf, The Chained (2009-05-18). "And the Winners of the 2008 Ursa Major Awards are...". FurteanTimes.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2009-05-18.