黑眼豆豆主唱打造科幻动漫世界

    合唱团黑眼豆豆（Black Eyed Peas）主唱Will.i.am在加入英特尔公司（Intel Corp.）后，与未来派画家布莱恩•大卫•约翰逊合作，推出了全新漫画书《巫师与机器人》（Wizards & Robots）。这两位才华横溢的艺人在英特尔公司各施所长，而正是有赖他们创造性的合作，才诞生了这部跨媒体的漫画作品。这部漫画小说三部曲将由IDW出版集团（IDW Publishing）出版，前传《希望算法》（The Hope Algorithm）可以在作者的Tumblr微博客上免费阅读，并已在上个月的纽约国际动漫展（New York Comic Con）上初次登台亮相。小说的第一部中有《蝙蝠侠：阿卡姆之城》（Batman: Arkham City）的画师亚当•阿彻作品的影子，将于2014年3月出版。

    黑眼豆豆的主唱（本名威尔•亚当斯）说：“（这本漫画书的）想法来源于布莱恩在机器人技术领域上的工作，以及我在为市中心的孩子进行STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）教育的体会。我很关注市中心在教育上的资金紧缺问题，也同样关心机器人技术和微处理技术的进展。”

    漫画小说中的世界于2011年万圣节诞生在亚当斯的客厅里。在这个世界里，从未来返回的机器人与一群巫师展开了对决。与其他科幻作品相比，这部小说的不同之处除了作者之外，还在于它有着事实根据。约翰逊一直在关注当今机器人技术上的重大突破，他说：“这个世界是根据真实的机器人技术架构的，而里面的魔法都来源于量子物理学。我们确实已经开始设计机器人，它们也许能有感情。我们要把它们设计得能够像人一样行动，能与人交流。”

    漫画的故事背景被设定在当代：故事中向读者解释了如何才能时空旅行这类的问题，里面甚至还创造并使用了一种新的语言。亚当斯和约翰逊利用在英特尔的工作之余展开合作，创造了这个世界。他们相信，在其他人的帮助下，这个世界以后会进一步扩大。亚当斯说：“我们希望确保在这本漫画小说出版之前，讲清故事真正的来龙去脉。这样一来，无论是电影制片人还是游戏开发商，只要他们想和我们合作，把这个故事转变为不同的媒体形式，都能够充分了解到我们对这个故事抱有怎样的想法。”

    实际上，这个世界中提到的一点已经变成了现实。纽约国际动漫展（New York Comic Con）上，200个卡酷机器人（Kaku robot）模型首次亮相。这部小说的世界中的驱动力量：技术，是让这些小模型和更多的模型复制品栩栩如生的关键因素。这些模型成为了这次国际动漫展的特色之一。

    In a marriage made at Intel Corp., the Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am has partnered with futurist Brian David Johnson on a new comic book, Wizards & Robots. Both the multi-talented entertainer and the futurist work with Intel (INTC) in different capacities, and it's their introduction there that led to the creative collaboration that has crafted a transmedia take on comics. The prequel to the IDW Publishing graphic novel trilogy, The Hope Algorithm, which is available free through the creators' Tumblr (YHOO) site, made its debut at New York Comic Con last month. The first graphic novel, which features art from Batman: Arkham City artist Adam Archer, launches in March 2014.

    "The idea [for Wizards & Robots] came from Brian's work around robotics and my work around science, technology, engineering and mathematics for inner city kids," said the Black Eyed Peas frontman (given name: Will Adams). "I was concerned about the lack of funding we have in education in inner cities, juxtaposed against the advancement in robotics and micro processing."

    Adams's living room on Halloween 2011 was the birthplace for this new universe, which focuses on robots from the future that come back and do battle with a group of wizards. What separates this comic from other sci-fi works, besides its creators, is that it's based in reality. "It's based on real robotics and the magic is from quantum physics," said Johnson, who tracks the breakthroughs in modern-day robotics. "We've really started designing robots so they could possibly have emotions. We design them to actually act like and interact with people."

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    The comic is set in the present day: elements such as how time travel could occur are explained for readers, and there's even a new language created for and included in the story. Adams and Johnson worked together on it outside of Intel to build this universe, which they hope will eventually expand with the help of others. "We wanted to make sure that we gave real contextual details on what the story is about before launching the graphic novel so that anybody else, whether it's film or video games, that wants to collaborate and turn this into different media properties has a greater sense of what our vision is for Wizards & Robots," said Adams.

    In fact, one offshoot of the universe has already become reality. New York Comic Con also saw the debut of 200 Kaku robot sculptures. Technology, which is a driving force within the fictional universe, played a key role in bringing the miniature sculptures and the larger-scale replica that was featured at the Intel Comic Con booth to life.