"I've had my descents into hell" - Heavy Metal artist Caza talks Arkadi and the Lost Titan, the visionary sci-fi masterpiece that took him 20 years to complete

Comics"I’ve had my descents into hell" - Heavy Metal artist Caza talks Arkadi and the Lost Titan, the visionary sci-fi masterpiece that took him 20 years to completeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. Comics"I’ve had my descents into hell" - Heavy Metal artist Caza talks Arkadi and the Lost Titan, the visionary sci-fi masterpiece that took him 20 years to completeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Humanoids) Arkadi and the Lost Titan is big – it spans more than 500 pages and took its creator some 20 years to complete. Set on a desolate future Earth that has stopped turning, the remaining humans battle for survival. Young hero Arkadi takes part in a deadly “Trial of Purification,” and then must embark on a dangerous journey in search of a missing Titan cyborg that will be necessary for the planet’s survival. The book is being releasedvia Kickstarterand will be available in both a standard and a deluxe slipcase editions, with various bonuses available for backers. We spoke with Caza to find out more about Arkadi, why it was so long in the making, and how it feels to finally bring this masterpiece to a much wider audience. (Image credit: Caza) Newsarama: Let’s start with the story of Arkadi and the Lost Titan. What’s it about? Caza:It’s a long story! The world is our planet in the very distant future, whose rotation has become synchronous, i.e. it always turns the same way towards the sun, as the Moon does around the Earth. The result is a world with one hemisphere hot and the other icy. In between, on the edge, “twilight,” the wind blows constantly. Life clings on in the tepid zones, a primitive life frozen in superstitious rituals. A single technological city remains, buried beneath the ice of the night pole. Here, the “chosen ones” live only with the help of robots and computers, the “machine-gods,” the Titans. One of these Titans is Or-Phe, the cyborg poet in charge of feeding the dream-screens of the chosen ones. But he disappears into the Great Outdoors, and without him, the city withers away. And who is Arkadi? Comic deals, prizes and latest news Get the best comic news, insights, opinions, analysis and more! Caza:He’s the young inhabitant of a barbarian village in the warm zone. Through a series of complex circumstances, he becomes the one who searches for Or-Phe and, perhaps, saves the city. But… (Image credit: Humanoids) This is a true epic. What were some of the challenges you faced while creating it? (Image credit: Humanoids) This project took quite a while to complete.20 years, in fact. Why did it take so long? Caza:Well, making comics is a lot of work, and I’m a bit slow! And then the series, which I had originally planned to run in five volumes, took on a scale I hadn’t imagined. After the series remained at a standstill for quite a while, I spent time on the complete reworking of the first volume and created a prequel to it (“Nocturnes” in the French version, that will be the first chapter of the English edition) and managed to implement in the story the technological advancement of the time, such as computers now present everywhere. All in all, what should have taken probably 12 years to complete took 20. Arkadi is also a publishing adventure! And in the end, I don’t regret it: you only have to look at the evolution of my style over these 10 chapters. Like my characters, I’ve had my descents into hell… and my ascent into light. Image1of5Pack shots of Arkadi and the Lost Titan(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids) Image1of5Pack shots of Arkadi and the Lost Titan(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids) Image1of5 Pack shots of Arkadi and the Lost Titan(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids) Pack shots of Arkadi and the Lost Titan(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids)(Image credit: Humanoids) Pack shots of Arkadi and the Lost Titan(Image credit: Humanoids) Pack shots of Arkadi and the Lost Titan(Image credit: Humanoids) Pack shots of Arkadi and the Lost Titan(Image credit: Humanoids) Pack shots of Arkadi and the Lost Titan(Image credit: Humanoids) Pack shots of Arkadi and the Lost Titan(Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) (Image credit: Humanoids) What has it been like returning to the material all these years later for the new edition? How do you feel about the fact that Arkadi and the Lost Titan will soon be available to English-speaking readers for the first time? Looking for something new to read? Check out our picks ofthe 10 best manga to read right now. 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season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start 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review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”