If you're a self-published graphic novelist looking for recognition at a large event like Fan Expo Canada, a sure fire way to find it is to put together your own cosplay creation. I may not know the name of every character walking the halls or sifting through vendor bins, but I've seen them all before in one context or another. Not the case with the rather imposing fellow wearing a gas mask and leaning up against a pillar, away from the main action. With binocular eyes and a body hidden in dark, military garb I'd like to think that if I'd seen him before, I'd have remembered it.

The Captain and his creator, Vitaly S. Alexius 

He is "The Captain", the main character of Romatically Apocalyptic, a graphic novel of extraordinary vistas and surreal hi-jinks by Vitaly S. Alexius. Every panel is crafted using Photoshop and an array of artistically enhanced images captured with the help of actors, green screen techniques, and meticulous applications of digital paint. Alexius was born in Novokuznetsk, Russia, but now calls Toronto his home. Without the support of a publisher he has taken to the web to find an audience for his work where he has assembled the pages for his novel one at a time, posting them for free and in forty different languages. Now complete, he's made his first high quality print runs and is selling them both at the Expo and through his website. 

The Captain discovers a DVD of Titanic amongst the ruins, leading to this playful moment.

Romantically Apocalyptic takes place in the winter aftermath of a nuclear war. The world is destroyed, but the madness remains through the hi-jinks of three soldiers who may have played an integral role in its destruction. The Captain, his sniper, and his engineer are three madcap fools who see destruction as their playground and their own delusions something to revel in. Their antics, which has the knowingness of satire, the silliness of rebellious sanity, are serenely contrasted by illustrations that capture the austere beauty of a world that has become frozen in death.

It's an unusual book of original style, one that its ambitious creator is already working on turning into a live action series enhanced with animation. You can see the teaser clips for the series here. One things for sure, now that I've seen the Captain, I'll never forget him.