The band of the Belzebubs family, created by cartoonist and illustrator Jussi-Pekka Ahonen, had to go on tour last year and perform at Tuska, Wacken and other major European metal festivals.
“Known meininki, quite a bit of a shark and balls in the air ’, JP Ahonen laughs at his news under his 40th birthday. The situation is ironic, as Ahonen threw the balls into the air to relax.
Five years ago, Aho was tormented by burnout. He started drawing for fun Belzebubsseries, whose popularity suddenly exploded on Facebook.
The series tells the story of a family of metal musicians. In structure, it is an ordinary core family, but mentally like a photo negative of normal. In the Belzebubs family, Satan is believed and children are intimidated by Jesus. Still, Ahonen’s humor is warm and the spirit of the series is even endearing.
On Facebook Belzebubsilla has 300,000 followers worldwide. Although updates are now rare, they get thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.
The book, compiled from strips, has been published in more than ten languages, including all the main languages of Europe, even Russian. In the United States and Italy, second editions have been taken.
The Belzebubs family band also came to life and has thrown more balls into the air for Ahonen to juggle. Century Media, a German company operating around the world, released its first album in 2018.
The Belzebubs band works in the same way as Gorillaz, the Blur band Damon Albarnin and a cartoonist Jamie Hewlettin a virtual band with a cartoon character created by.
Last year, Belzebubs had to go on tour and perform at Tuska, Wacken and other major European metal festivals. Korona struggled those balls towards the walls like all bands.
“Also on the tour, the cartoon characters will play the lead role as they appear animated on stage. We still don’t reveal the names of the live musicians. Now you just don’t know when to get on tour. It took a large part of last year to clear the cancellation, ”Ahonen sighs.
“I also try to be gracious to myself so I don’t whip myself to burn to the end again. I need time outside of work because of my family, especially when my third child was born, ”says JP Ahonen.
The tour the 3D animations produced for the film also left behind debts of tens of thousands of euros, but as a consolation, those balls are still in the air. A virtual one is underway 360 ° Hexperience -concert.
“It can be concretely achieved Belzebubsin to the world. It’s a gig in virtual reality. The musicians ’movements have been animated into three songs, but we don’t just want to loot the audience, and it’s still being animated.”
360 ° Hexperience has raised more than 40,000 euros with crowdfunding. The campaign’s futuristic offer is a ticket to the gig as its own three-dimensional figure among the rest of the audience.
Success has stretched the project. You get more money, but stretching a virtual music video into three songs requires more work than expected – especially when the audience is made to feel real.
Belzebubsista an animation series is also underway, produced by the Pajama Films animation studio, which has made the band’s music videos. Yle is also involved in producing a 13-part series with 22-minute episodes.
“We are looking for international partners for that. That’s why I have to get the scripts ready now, ”Ahonen adds balls to spin.
Animation series markets are large today, but they are not easily accessible without international funding.
Often animations are still perceived as children’s culture, though, for example The Simpsons and South Park have expanded their audience. But where would the audience of the satanic metal family be found?
“According to Facebook data Belzebubsin the largest group of readers are 16-35 year olds, but even a couple of mummies have applied for the autograph. And Belzebubshan is a warm-hearted family comedy! But, of course, it’s not for the little ones. ”
Belzebubs employs Aho quite thoroughly. It has replaced what appeared in Aamulehti for more than 15 years Wildest North comic, which told about the stages and adulthood of the student body.
Also about the metal band Perkeroscomic book was published worldwide in eight languages. So far, Ahonen has forgotten its planned sequel.
“I still rarely do illustrations, but I don’t have much space for magazine illustrations in particular. Quite a bit I get to do artistic work. Instead of drawing, e-mail and telephone take time, ”says Ahonen.
“I also try to be gracious to myself so I don’t whip myself to burn to the end again. At the age of 40, it is good to note that I am no longer in my twenties. I need time outside of work because of my family, especially when my third child was born. ”
Jussi-Pekka Ahonen
Born in Tampere in 1981.
■ Graduated from the degree program in graphic design at the University of Lapland in 2006. He also studied the field at the Florence Academy of Design in Italy.
■ The Wildest Nordic Comic appeared in 2002–2019 in Aamulehti and other magazines. Published seven collections.
■ The Puskaradio comic appeared in the Journalist 2009–2013 and was compiled into a book in 2012.
■ Perkeros Comic Book (2013), translated into eight languages.
■ The Belzebubs cartoon began in 2016. Collection book 2018. The band’s album Pantheon of the Nightside Gods 2019.
■ Turns 40 on Tuesday, January 19th.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/40-years-old-the-surprising-popularity-of-the-belzebubs-comic-made-jp-ahose-a-full-time-metalworker/
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