Creative, Culture, Review

“I wanted to write a story about how powerful a weapon art can be”: Nicholas Bain reveals how his fantastical spaces were inspired by Manchester

0 517

American screenwriter, producer and freelance writer Nicholas Bain is soon to be featured in aAh! Magazine’s upcoming print issue, talking about his new comic novel The Unicorn and the Fox. It has been widely popular and is already being promoted by Comixology, a company known for distributing well-known comic book franchises such as Marvel and DC.

Bain has created something so universal, literally and metaphorically, that this new creation from the depths of his mind fits right into the Manchester scene. “The story itself has a lot of influences,” Bain said. “I wanted to write a story about how powerful a weapon art can be. You’ll have to read the series to figure out what it is exactly.” Bain’s creativity has whipped up an original fantasy which manifests itself as reality when you flip the final page.

The overall storyline of good versus evil and the abuse of power in the comic book are themes apparent all over the globe at the moment, from nefarious politics to crime on the streets, issues Manchester is trying to grapple with. From the Twin Cities of Minnesota, Bain sees similarities between his home and Manchester. “A lot of great artists, writers, and musicians have come from that area,” he said.

Exploring real-world issues, The Unicorn and the Fox shows how one can inspire the community or themselves, and find the courage to express their feelings and fight their own fight battles.

The Unicorn and the Fox also features the artwork of Nick Acuna, an L.A. based illustrator. His art is simple, in keeping to the story, but has the power to bring the story to reality with it’s etches and fantastical colours for Bain’s self-created universe.

Artwork by Nick Acuna. Courtesy of Nick Bain.

Bain has really shown how far the mind can go; something so unique that it has the power to strike the heart of Manchester 5,000 miles across the pond.

The story includes a cluster of words, villages, diverse creatures and unlimited possibilities, and believe it or not – this is Manchester. The city’s vast array of subcultures, boroughs and old renovated buildings is a haven for anything that is imagined. Manchester offers spaces, hidden and established, for people to gather, form ideas, talk and conquer their obstacles. This is shown throughout Bain’s illustrated universe.

Bain has proven the power of the mind and how inspiration can defeat the abuse of power. The Unicorn and the Fox is a power tool, an art form and a fresh idea from the depths of the universe ready to spread it’s a sense of adventure and escapism – ensuring a safe landing back to reality.

Even though it may seem like an international project, Bain says it was more of a personal piece. “I aimed for the work to be sort of timeless,” he said.

About the author / 

Pruthvi Khilosia

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • Rainbow Kitten Surprise @ O2 Apollo review – enthralling and magnetic

    Featured image and gallery: Sub Khan It’s no surprise that Rainbow Kitten Surprise have made a name for themselves in recent years, their genre-merging approach and deeply introspective lyrics piquing the curiosity of thousands. Formed in 2013, the band have long surpassed their humble roots of playing their dorm rooms in North Carolina. From establishing…

  • Drums as bins and enamel pins: The ‘punk-ish passion of Open Fly

    Featured image: Ella Venn and Nicola Cutts Manchester’s Open Fly talk new music, performance mishaps and men. Bassist Lily Rose believes that women have better things to say than men when it comes to song lyrics, especially in the world of indie bands. She says this with a sheepish smile as her bandmate and frontwoman…

  • Five analogue hobbies to refresh your mind

    Featured image: Nicola Cutts & Olivia Taberner Watching a movie, scrolling through social media and playing video games can be fun, but sometimes, you just want to slow down and disconnect from a screen. Where better to begin than with a magazine that you’re holding? Here are five analogue hobbies that will kick off a…

  • Album review: Kyle Alessandro – Aura – Alessandro’s a winner

    Featured image: Aura Album artwork Kyle Alessandro’s journey these last few years has been nothing short of impressive. Previous album, Evig & Alltid, recorded in Norwegian and released in 2023, had a more conventional pop sound but latest record Aura swerves this and sees Alessandro go searching for a different sound altogether. With Aura, there is…