James Hackett

For the new book I thought I will bring a lot of my fashion ideas into the design of the characters, in fact I have slowed down a bit in my progression to think about how these people look. In my mind I am looking at the people and imagining us how we would dress with more assertion about our own local flavour and tastes as opposed to it being heavily influenced by specific dominant cultures.

With the douens, these were drawn some months back as I observed how a lot of  the younger people dress now. It started off with me kinda poking fun but then I thought how can I make it a cool fashion statement. I called them chicken heads with the mohawks and calf cut style jeans.

Every time I imagine douens I think of lost children, and I think in this time that is the look of a lot of these types. My designs are an attempt to put some edge to that look.

Keisha will be one of the main characters you will come across in Maljo. She is the spirited adventurer in the group and the brave one. I like working with female characters. It is a sort of homage to my family.

In designing her, I wanted to create a non waif like girl, she is curvier and will appear a bit bigger in the hips.  Because I am from the Caribbean I felt I will try to work with characters that feel like someone you could pass on the streets here. So Keisha had to be representative of some of the women I know in my actual life.

I have here a sketch of her but I think I want to have another go at it. Perhaps some of you women reading might want to weigh in?

Adrian was a character that first appeared in Daaknite episode 7. His character went through some of the hardest changes throughout the series and is one of my personal favorites.  When I was writing that article I think I had a couple songs from the Soul Food soundtrack playing.

There was “Baby I” from Tenderoni and Total’s ” What about us“. I also played Tamia “Imagination” a lot something about the music I guess gave me the right kind of inspiration.

These days I find myself listening to Royksopp. Something about that slow build that hits you before you even realise it. That in a way is how Maljo works. Maljo is the power that Adrian will be weilding throughout these stories and whilst he is not the main character, there are some epic parts that he will be there for. No spoilers .

I started designing Adrian and trying to visualise how the powers his powers will look.

So I have started work on my new set of stories based on the same world as Tales from the Daaknite. I am calling it Maljo and will be developing it originally in sequential form. The plan is to do it as a Graphic Novel but I am still figuring out the best way to present the final story. As usual however I plan to do some collaborative work with Detnator mainly to add the dimension of music and I hope to have some other friends along.

There is no set date for it, I just want to work on it until I am done. Meanwhile I will be blogging about the process as it goes along. This is something I have been meaning to do a while. I have shied away from it a bit because it is a big project, but I feel confident that I can see it to the end this time. This should be fun.

The voice of the people is the voice of Earth - The Mighty Shadow

Adrian was flung into the room. Soucouyant was losing her human form as her chalk white skin started to show. Adrian held his mask trying not to be intimidated. If Moko was right then the power Maljo would protect him.

She watched the mask and opened her hand. The heat of invisible flames burned Adrian’s hands. It soon became too intense and Adrian was forced to put the mask on. Unbelievable power surged through his body.

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Rhonda dashed for her mask. Madame was not going to win this time.

“I am not here to stop you child, I am here to,” she paused as she looked at Adrian who had secured his blue mask, “…I am here to help.”

Rhonda had one brown mask and a multicoloured one. The brown mask glowed in her hand. Slowly at first but then a bit more courageously she put the mask on her head. Soucouyant seemed desperate as Adrian considered putting on his own glowing blue mask. Moko had told him that it was the mask that would give him control over the jumbies.

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He entered the room and saw the girl on the ground. Blood was everywhere. He bit into his lip. He was hurt, very hurt. He felt like breaking something. Someone had killed Candace. He looked around trying to find some kind of evidence as to who or what could have done such a thing. He thought that one of Madame’s jumbies might be responsible. His anger made him glow very blue; Maljo was feeding off his rage. His powers heightened as he sensed another person in the room. Mr. Gahoor stepped out from the shadow.

Adrian wondered no more. He knew it was Gahoor who had done the deed.

It made avenging Candace’s death that much better. Gahoor assumed his true form.

The beast jumped back and threw a massive claw at the boy.

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The name glowed brightly in colourful neon outside the building. The black light caressed the carnage of children dancing, body to body, blood to blood, obeying the commands of the music. There, dreams were traded for a night of desire. It is the heart of Soucouyant’s empire-the opposite of Adrenaline City, and-unbeknownst to most—the portal to the depths of hell. The Club was rocking. Adrian was making his rounds keeping everything together. He was the one that Madame had entrusted with most of this work. For some reason she had found favour in him, and he had found favour in this life. This was a far cry from his Maloney beginnings. He was heir to an empire. At times Adrian wondered if he could wrestle all this from powerful jumbies like Madame and Mr Gahoor- A Ligahoo that had redefined himself as a powerful businessman. Gahoor hated Adrian and he always tried to get rid of him. Adrian was glad that Soucouyant had liked him or he swore that he may have been faced with the option of hitting the streets again-or even far worse, knowing Gahoor’s ‘bad mind’.

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It exists just north and east of Trinidad. It can be seen as a bright star when the north-east trade winds blow the clouds away and reveal a passage of light. This is the destiny of all that belong to the nation that it overlooks. Adrenaline City.

It is a spiritual place. It is here that the ambient spirit of Carnival finds a home. The limitations of the flesh are cast aside and all enter this place with a new life and everlasting solace.

Pan stormed through the hallways. Costumes of traditional Carnival characters looked down on him. Bois was after him.

“Why you doing this now?”

” You know he going and get them now.” Pan cast back angrily over his shoulder. He swung his massive mallet forward and the gates to Trinidad opened. Rapso was right behind him. Bois shouted to Pan.

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This story was the seed for Warren Le Platte’s own ongoing series (which he is currently developing further for SHiZZiES).

After the events of the previous night involving Rhonda’s Kidnapping, David and his grandparents arrive at their intended destination. David’s life has begun to take a very weird and interesting twist. Will he be strong enough in mind and body to survive?

“You’re sure it’s safe Peter?” Glenda asked her husband.

“He’ll be fine dear,” Peter replied calmly “let the boy sleep.”

“yes but suppose they come?” she whispered. “he did say they would try to capture David.”

“Look Glenda, we have time. He is still safe, now come on let’s go,” he said, leading his wife out of the Land Rover and into the foliage.

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At the graduation Ball last week, Kayla and Rhonda made a spectacular entrance, only to be upstaged by Keston, who had three hotties draped all over him. Meanwhile Adrian and his ragtag posse of night creatures prepare to storm the festivities.

Crushed. Kayla was totally crushed. Her golden-brown skin reddened. Keston and the girls went inside the party. Kayla could not believe it, she stormed after them. Rhonda followed close behind knowing the girl well enough to fear for what she may do. Inside, Rhonda noticed David was with his girl Jihan. It pained Rhonda to see him in the arms of another woman.

Trying to take her mind off it, she turned her attention to Kayla, who stood with a serious screwface off the end of the party. Young bodies moved to the music, celebrating their freedom, their minds at liberty and their bodies a physical reflection of that. Rhonda could not help but feel the energy that was around and was glad she attended. At the bar Rhonda purchased two drinks and gave one to Kayla who finished it in one gulp.

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The action continues as we get closer to the Graduation. What is in store, what bacchanal lies ahead? Can Kayla compete with smallie? Will Rhonda meet David? It all unfolds as we head to the big event.

Keston sat waiting on smallie-strangely, he thought, he never got her name. However, she entered the living room with her two friends and he quickly forgot everything that was in his head.

“Girl, you look real good. I might as well walk with protection.”

“Protection…?” A playful smile slowly spread across her face.

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