King Warrior - Kosugi Character Design
https://lucasgreen.ca/portfolio/king-warrior-character-design/
King Warrior was a passion project six years in the making, my first published graphic novel and a joy of a collaboration with authors Jay Bulckaert and Erika Nyyssonen. Here is some of the development process that went in to designing Kosugi, our hero Afrah's mentor and wingman.
Check out the book here:
https://a.co/d/8QuDzAx
When I first saw the script for King Warrior, the character of Kosugi immediately brought to my mind images of famous black cowboys like Nat Love and the more contemporary (and brilliantly-dressed) Ellis Harris.
Kosugi was all about finding balance. He is physically imposing, a renowned warrior and Afrah’s mentor — but he is also Afrah’s best friend and (at least in Afrah’s mind) sidekick.
I kept going back to pictures of prospector Keish (Skookum Jim) from the Klondike gold rush. His face has the self-assured gentleness of a man of great physical and mental stature. I wanted to capture that same aspect for Kosugi.
Kosugi’s costume drew more directly from Japanese Samurai armour, with a long fur cape to give him a monolithically imposing silhouette.
Author Jay Bulckaert, however, had a very specific person in mind when writing the character: his hero, master martial artist and 80s-ninja-movie superstar Sho Kosugi. (I suppose the name should have tipped me off).
Final Character Design