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Bodies of Sand, the hourglass starts running

Claudia Velazquez

Bodies of sand cover art

In creation myths, legends, and stories, there are plenty of versions of how we –the humans- were built; the materials chosen for our formation vary from culture to culture. The most known is the Judeo-Christian mud, and all over the world, human beings have different mythological origins. But despite talking about the universe and the place of humanity in it, the Bodies of the Sand saga has no creation volume, not even a chapter, just a small scene inspired by Native American mythology. There are no dissertations, not even a line, and yet the title says it all. This is because this series focuses not on where we came from but on what we do with our existence as inhabitants of the earth.


We are inviting you to follow a series that announces its ending, that advises you that it will not last forever, that warns you about its lack of permanence. And let us tell you in advance, we know this is a bold move on our part, everywhere, what every artist wants is to create something that will last forever. We know this, and bluntly, we also want it, all our efforts move in that direction, and yet, we know our bodies are made of sand.


As creatives, we understand that all that humans are and do will disappear in time, and if something, if anything, remains, that will be the stories we share. Besides stories told by our loved ones, besides the memories we create with our community, nothing else will resist the past of time. This is why we decided to create, write, produce, illustrate, and put this graphic narrative book out there: to share and remember this message.


We are all made of sand, of the little time we share in our existence among our communities, and we must do the best we can with it.


That is what the characters in this saga will do. At least some of them. Others will get deceived by the temptation of power, the illusion of worthiness. While reading, you’ll realize that this happens over and over in a cycle that is familiar to all of us, because we have been living it, as if we were part of this book, as if Andrea Gonzalez –the author- were the one writing our lives along with Ageya's, Ome's, Yolo's and all the other characters that will form part of the series.


You may already be wondering what this story is going to be about, so here it is:


Yolo concept art, from bodies of sand

Bodies of Sand follows the story of Kawitzin, a community somewhere in what we know as America or Abya Yala. From its pre-colonial past and indigenous roots to the contemporary time, the town changes due to foreign colonization, and its culture blends with others until it reaches a utopian future that is the result of the community learning to understand where they come from and how to recover the important values.


History is mixed with magic since Kawitzin is influenced by powerful supernatural beings; some of them want to help the inhabitants, try to guide them, and, in some cases, grant them skills. But not all these beings are helpful; others enjoy chaos and trick people into acting upon their wishes. Azomalli, the Angel of Death, and Xcayatl, a djinn of the underworld, are the main magical beings that influence the main events and witness all the stories in the series. Through their encounters with the humans, the three cycles of the city are set in motion, because the time in this saga follows the logic the Mayan culture had: time is circular and repeats itself; everything ends and begins again.


We follow three main stories, which will be presented along the issues, and thanks to the visual style, they will be easy to identify. In this way, there will not be confusion between the Ageya from the pre-colonial time, a spiritual guide, and the Ageya from the contemporary one, a poet and activist who is trying to preserve the indigenous roots of her people. We will follow her lead as she defies a pre-colonial Ome, the ruler of the town, in his pursue of more power by conquering the other villages, and the contemporary Ome, the governor of the city, who is ignoring the needs of the people in favor of individual interests. The third arc, the futuristic one, is the result of the learning process the inhabitants will have until the end of time reaches them.


But we are getting ahead of ourselves, and, although we want to share already every part of the series, we do not want to spoil you with any more details. We just want to make sure you are as excited as we are, especially because this story stands for many of the values we believe in, and that are a part of who we are. The concept for the series was developed by a Mexican writer, and it is illustrated by Mexican artists; not just that: the editorial process is done by a Mexican team, and yet we are in a Canadian company! If that isn’t multiculturality, we don’t know what is.


The story of the world has been shaped by the exchanges between cultures, some of them more recognized than others hence the use of a wide variety of mythologies of the continent for the building of this world. Our exchanges in this editorial came from willingness, from the joy of creating and promoting what unites all of us. We believe in nature and the duty we must preserve it, in the value of the community, in the need of not just knowing but understanding the past to honor it and learn what we can improve, in the importance of seeking knowledge but mostly, we believe that we should build a world around kindness towards the others.


Tletl concept art, a possum from bodies of sand

All of this is what we hope you will find throughout the series, so, as you imagine, we have a long journey ahead of ourselves. The first issue is the only one finished at this point, and we are eager to have already all the numbers that will develop these stories. We want you to get to know Kawitzin, the city in which everything we plan is going to happen, the city that will alter its name once it’s colonized and will change it again in a utopic future. We want you to walk with us around it, to get to know every corner in the three times it is going to transit.


Will you join us?



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