You’ll notice these characters are all female, some transgendered. I do this because I like women, and like seeing women in hero costumes. You’ll also notice that these characters are going to be from very diverse backgrounds racially. I do this because I like reading about characters from backgrounds other than mine own--Hell, I would find it boring to write only about white guys in late middle age. If you find this objectionable, then this month is not for you.
I am still looking for artists who are willing to donate a little time to make a sketch--it doesn’t have to be an elaborate finished product--visualizing these guys. I don’t want to present a parade of Hero Machine’d lookalikes. If you’d like to participate, please DM me through Twitter (@NocturneTomDeja).
If you are a Domicile of Dread Patreon, you’ll get a short podcast discussing the creation process for each character. If you’d like to hear these podcasts and can spare at least a dollar a month to support my efforts to Make The World Stranger, go here to sign up.
Please enjoy, and please donate.
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| I don't have an image for Mr. Risk--so here are some weapons. |
Name: Akiko Sasaki
Location: Seattle, Washington
Occupation: Various
The moment Akiko Sasaki first looked at herself in the mirror, she knew that wasn’t what she was meant to look like. She still tried throughout her childhood and teen years to play the role her parents and society expected her to play. She excelled at gymnastics and ended up competing for Japan in the 2012 London Olympics (she did not medal).
But always the person inside her struggled to get out. There were fights in school--enough for her parents to be concerned, but not enough to get her in lasting trouble. There was the times she would disappear and then show up in the strangest places, usually bruised but smiling. There were odd friendships. There were secret lessons she attended given by questionable masters of various martial arts. She found her parents exerting more and more influence on her life, influence that actively hindered what she was inside....so she fled.
She found her way to Seattle. Akiko started working odd jobs--mainly teaching at a dojo, but also acting as a barista, a messenger and whatever else she could find. Those jobs were always in the morning. At the same time the underworld was plagued by a new nemesis when the sun went down...a strange man in a well-cut dark suit and a disquieting mask, dropping a black card with the kanji for ‘risk’ in raised silver ink as the only evidence that he was there.
Of course, people familiar with the Japanese language know that kanji also stands for ‘dare’ and ‘damage’ and, most importantly, ‘to assume a name.’ They may suspect the vigilante the papers call ‘Mr. Risk’ chose that symbol for another reason. And they may be right...for ‘Mr. Risk’ is the person Akiko was always meant to be, the person she always saw in the mirror. Someone violent, someone vengeful, someone masculine
Lately, Mr. Risk has been using specialized weaponry in his battle against crime in the Pacific Northwest. This weaponry has been provided by The Figure for reasons known only to Akiko.
Next: Who is The Figure, anyway?
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