Examples of past cooperations
So far, the Black Cube series gave birth to several cooperative projects with John Carvajal (ANTERRAN comics), Denis Martin (MYHA remake), Juanjo Barcelo Molina (Blue Moon), Yazorius (Kitrinos), Yves Mesnard (TBT The Black Tower), [...], that you can all find on this site. Find also the work of fans, friends and followers involved in the Black Cube Jam. Finally let's add the soundtracks inspired by these worlds! They were composed by Python Blue, Yazorius, Karreo and Stélian Derenne. The Black Cube series has already inspired many different artists and creators, who wanted to share with us their passion for space, scifi and exotic worlds!
What about you?
Let us imagine that you're an independent artist working as an individual or in a very small team. You're interested in Sci-Fi games, films, art, comics, music, novels, etc., and you would like to work on your own Black Cube project? It's actually possible! There are 3 different ways of building a Black Cube project. When you are ready, feel free to get in touch with me at any time using the contact form: introduce yourself and your team, add a summary of your project and a few illustrations/wip, and maybe we can work together? Ask me anything!
Define your project
Basically, there are 3 possible ways of cooperating on the Black Cube series:
- You want to build a project that is a direct or indirect sequel to one of my other works. This is the most complicated case, because everything has to remain logical within the rest of the series. It has, therefore, to be discussed on a step by step basis, so feel free to get in touch to describe your idea.
- You want to work on a project based on one of my texts: I can share a part of the Black Cube scenarios that I have in reserve, or I can write a new script according to your thoughts, and that would fit perfectly in the Black Cube series. To make a long thing shorter, I am the writer of your project, and you're the director. Let's get in touch!
- You want to work on a SciFi project of your own within the series. You have your own great idea, and you don't want it to be restricted by my own mythology. The events of your project don't take place in the world of ASA/Catyph/Terra. Good, that is the easiest way of cooperating, because as you know, the universe is infinite and we can invent anything you want. Let's follow the steps below.
Submit an idea
There is no specific way that you have to use to get in touch with me, so you can just fill the contact form using the contact button above in the menu, and then share your ideas and hopes with me directly in your own way. I"m quite open-minded and I think I could be interested in many projects from many genres, as long as it is designed to be suitable for everyone (so, no blood/gore-based violence, sexual abuse, etc...).
I also fully understand that it can be difficult to get in touch and express your ideas if you're working on your own, or have no funds, etc. The first thing to know is that you shouldn't be intimidated by me, because I've created most of my games alone too (more or less), so I know very well the challenges that await you and how difficult it can be to contact the press, a publisher or, in this particular case, a foreign? developer.
Maybe you're also wondering whether it is a good idea to create something in the Black Cube series. You might be hesitating, asking yourself why you should contact me, because it would be much easier to create your own SciFi project in your own world. Well let's be clear about this: if you want to work on the Black Cube series, it has to come from you, and you need to be interested in the series!
The main advantage of cooperating is to be able to get more exposure and to focus on a world that already exists. Even if the Black Cube series is not one of the most famous sci-fi things on the internet, it is easier to work with someone of experience, who may be able to give you some good advice. That is also why I prefer to work with individuals or small teams: if you're an experienced studio, I don't think I will be able to help you, and working on a Black Cube project would probably be a nonsense in real terms.
If all of this is clear to you, I would just like to summarize how we could cooperate: as soon as I have accepted your idea and that we feel ready to work together, we will sign an express agreement to define our cooperation and its limits. Whatever we decide, I stay the Creator of the series and it is important to remember this fact. It is also possible that I might ask for some royalties if you sell your final product, but don't worry they would be both low and fair. My main purpose is to encourage small indie devs, so I'm not going to try to make a lot of money off your back. If I ever asked for royalties, it would be justified: indeed, working with someone else always takes time. The time I spend on your project will be some time I won't spend on my games or on other projects. So after all, it is quite reasonable that we try to support each other!
Once again, all of this has to be discussed in a calm and constructive way, so the best way might be to click on the Contact button in the menu?
Here's a list of the type of information you could/should provide:
I also fully understand that it can be difficult to get in touch and express your ideas if you're working on your own, or have no funds, etc. The first thing to know is that you shouldn't be intimidated by me, because I've created most of my games alone too (more or less), so I know very well the challenges that await you and how difficult it can be to contact the press, a publisher or, in this particular case, a foreign? developer.
Maybe you're also wondering whether it is a good idea to create something in the Black Cube series. You might be hesitating, asking yourself why you should contact me, because it would be much easier to create your own SciFi project in your own world. Well let's be clear about this: if you want to work on the Black Cube series, it has to come from you, and you need to be interested in the series!
The main advantage of cooperating is to be able to get more exposure and to focus on a world that already exists. Even if the Black Cube series is not one of the most famous sci-fi things on the internet, it is easier to work with someone of experience, who may be able to give you some good advice. That is also why I prefer to work with individuals or small teams: if you're an experienced studio, I don't think I will be able to help you, and working on a Black Cube project would probably be a nonsense in real terms.
If all of this is clear to you, I would just like to summarize how we could cooperate: as soon as I have accepted your idea and that we feel ready to work together, we will sign an express agreement to define our cooperation and its limits. Whatever we decide, I stay the Creator of the series and it is important to remember this fact. It is also possible that I might ask for some royalties if you sell your final product, but don't worry they would be both low and fair. My main purpose is to encourage small indie devs, so I'm not going to try to make a lot of money off your back. If I ever asked for royalties, it would be justified: indeed, working with someone else always takes time. The time I spend on your project will be some time I won't spend on my games or on other projects. So after all, it is quite reasonable that we try to support each other!
Once again, all of this has to be discussed in a calm and constructive way, so the best way might be to click on the Contact button in the menu?
Here's a list of the type of information you could/should provide:
1. About you
Your name
Email address
Status (freelancer, other)
Experience (is it your first game/film/other?)
Current situation (student, employed, free)
2. Why the Black Cube series?
How you discovered the Black Cube series
Your favorite project in the series
The thing(s) you like the most in the series
3. Project overview
Name of your project (can be temporary)
Pitch (5 lines)
Genre, gameplay if applicable
Graphics, engine if applicable
Tools, technique
Your collaborators (sound designer, music composer, etc)
The collaborators you seek
How you plan to fund your project (self-funded, crowdfunding, publisher...)
What kind of help do you expect from me? or the Icehouse collective?
4. Your project in detail
Summary of your project (30 lines max)
Screenshots, illustrations, WIP or reference pictures
Demo or video if available
Comparison with other released projects
Your plans to prepare, produce and release your project
The public you want to reach
Software used/planned to use
Anything else I should know?
Your name
Email address
Status (freelancer, other)
Experience (is it your first game/film/other?)
Current situation (student, employed, free)
2. Why the Black Cube series?
How you discovered the Black Cube series
Your favorite project in the series
The thing(s) you like the most in the series
3. Project overview
Name of your project (can be temporary)
Pitch (5 lines)
Genre, gameplay if applicable
Graphics, engine if applicable
Tools, technique
Your collaborators (sound designer, music composer, etc)
The collaborators you seek
How you plan to fund your project (self-funded, crowdfunding, publisher...)
What kind of help do you expect from me? or the Icehouse collective?
4. Your project in detail
Summary of your project (30 lines max)
Screenshots, illustrations, WIP or reference pictures
Demo or video if available
Comparison with other released projects
Your plans to prepare, produce and release your project
The public you want to reach
Software used/planned to use
Anything else I should know?
Create your own Black Cube game
It's important that you define your project correctly and choose one of the 3 possible options from above (1 - your project is a sequel, or 2 - the story of your project is written by me, or 3 - your project is not directly related to my main storyline).
We're going to focus on case 3, which is probably the most interesting for you, both in terms of creativity and freedom. In fact, the short version could be: "Create a sci-fi project with a Black Cube included in it". That could be the main directive for you to collaborate in the series. But that would be too simplistic, and maybe too far off the main storyline, so you'll need to be aware of a few other important things.
Let's consider some issues:
We're going to focus on case 3, which is probably the most interesting for you, both in terms of creativity and freedom. In fact, the short version could be: "Create a sci-fi project with a Black Cube included in it". That could be the main directive for you to collaborate in the series. But that would be too simplistic, and maybe too far off the main storyline, so you'll need to be aware of a few other important things.
Let's consider some issues:
Your main character
In ASA and Catyph, the hero is an astronaut with no name. I justified this by the fact that they are both Myst-like games, where you're supposed to be inside the spacesuit and see through the eyes of the hero.
Your main character doesn't have to be an astronaut too! He can be anyone you want, from a very powerful wizard to a skilled swordsman, or a very ordinary person who starts with a very ordinary life.
However, the style/design/background of your character needs to be properly justified: for example, if he is a wizard, then he must come from a planet where it is reasonable to see wizards, or where people can become so. Don't try to sell me a project where Gandalf travels to the moon in 2001! No, it is better if the hero has become some kind of wizard thanks to the powers of a Cube.
It will also be easier for you if your main character is not directly related to my games, so it is better if you avoid characters such as Germinal, General Lantier, Ellana, Yan or Philip Forté, and the others. Just try to create a new hero of your own: the hero you want to see in a sci-fi project!
If you need to add one of the above characters in your project, it is not impossible, but it would be advisable to explain accurately the reason behind your choice.
Your main character doesn't have to be an astronaut too! He can be anyone you want, from a very powerful wizard to a skilled swordsman, or a very ordinary person who starts with a very ordinary life.
However, the style/design/background of your character needs to be properly justified: for example, if he is a wizard, then he must come from a planet where it is reasonable to see wizards, or where people can become so. Don't try to sell me a project where Gandalf travels to the moon in 2001! No, it is better if the hero has become some kind of wizard thanks to the powers of a Cube.
It will also be easier for you if your main character is not directly related to my games, so it is better if you avoid characters such as Germinal, General Lantier, Ellana, Yan or Philip Forté, and the others. Just try to create a new hero of your own: the hero you want to see in a sci-fi project!
If you need to add one of the above characters in your project, it is not impossible, but it would be advisable to explain accurately the reason behind your choice.
The world
Creating the world of your game will probably be exciting for you. I encourage you to work on a very detailed world, where the characters have established customs, and a well-formed History including some vibrant events.
In ASA, Catyph and my other projects, the world concerned is normally related to events on planet Terra. Most of my stories are based on the premise that Philip Forte found the very first Cube in Terran History during 2011.
From this very specific event, I subsequently created several other stories, some of them still awaiting translation from text into pictures.
Anyway, let us just forget planet Terra. Forget the Ark, planet Catyph, the solar system of Boh. Forget the Earth, and forget the other planets visited in ASA (Forte and Kepler). All of these locations are defined by specific constraints that you probably don't need to understand or apply at all to your project.
So to make things easier, why not simply invent your own planet. That's relatively straightforward, when you have a hero: where does he live? Is it a world covered by forest and water, or, on the contrary, a very hot urban region on a sandy planet? You can create the place of your dreams (or nightmares!).
In ASA, Catyph and my other projects, the world concerned is normally related to events on planet Terra. Most of my stories are based on the premise that Philip Forte found the very first Cube in Terran History during 2011.
From this very specific event, I subsequently created several other stories, some of them still awaiting translation from text into pictures.
Anyway, let us just forget planet Terra. Forget the Ark, planet Catyph, the solar system of Boh. Forget the Earth, and forget the other planets visited in ASA (Forte and Kepler). All of these locations are defined by specific constraints that you probably don't need to understand or apply at all to your project.
So to make things easier, why not simply invent your own planet. That's relatively straightforward, when you have a hero: where does he live? Is it a world covered by forest and water, or, on the contrary, a very hot urban region on a sandy planet? You can create the place of your dreams (or nightmares!).
The powers of a Cube
Things might become a bit more complicated here, with some constraints that are important, if you want to respect the Black Cube mythology.
In a Black Cube project, there has to be at least one Cube! Well, it doesn't have to be shown in your game/film/other, but it has to be at least suggested or implied. Example: Indiana Bones has heard of a rare alien artefact hidden in the Siskan temple on planet Spielberg. The quest in your game is to help Indiana find this artefact. You learn during the journey that it is a very mysterious cube with strange powers... but in the end the hero never finds it (so the player never sees it). That kind of scenario is ok! However, I'm sure that we can do much better than just that ;)
In a Black Cube project, there has to be at least one Cube! Well, it doesn't have to be shown in your game/film/other, but it has to be at least suggested or implied. Example: Indiana Bones has heard of a rare alien artefact hidden in the Siskan temple on planet Spielberg. The quest in your game is to help Indiana find this artefact. You learn during the journey that it is a very mysterious cube with strange powers... but in the end the hero never finds it (so the player never sees it). That kind of scenario is ok! However, I'm sure that we can do much better than just that ;)
So whoever the hero is, and wherever things happen, there has to be a Cube. It doesn't have to be shown and doesn't have to be at the center of the story, but its presence is vitally important and should justify some part of the story. That being said, the Cube itself brings several constraints that will affect your project, and that you absolutely have to take into account:
- Attraction and initial contact
A Cube is intended to attract the nearest available living entity, as if it had been chosen as representative of its fellows. Any hero/heroine who discovers a Cube should suddenly act strangely and decide to possess it whatever that costs, even if that action appears to be beyond reason. This is because of the CTS program, as explained in ASA: the Cube is originally created to gather knowledge, and the only way to do that is to study new species or civilizations. There has to be contact. - A world in danger
The presence of a Cube on or nearby a planet implies that a great danger is arising. When a Cube is sent to a specific world, it is often because the Anterran system aboard the ARK spaceship wants to gather the knowledge of its potentially endangered civilization. During the initial contact stage, knowledge is gathered from the representative being. In return, this being receives some vital information regarding the danger that threatens their world. It could be any kind of disaster, natural or otherwise, but if nothing is done, the world will never be the same again. - Strong-willed heroes
When someone finds a Cube, they become a "chosen" being. Usually, the process is the same: this individual is teleported aboard the ARK spaceship and brings back the Cube with their own knowledge, which is saved immediately. Thus the Cube finds its original place within the Black Tower in the ARK, and the chosen being is sent back to their world. They now understand the threat and it's up to them to decide - or not - if it is possible to save their fellow beings. However, some rare people who possess a very strong mind can act differently: they can choose to keep the Cube for a while, and use its very useful powers... - Super powers and Yellow Matter
The powers of a Cube are dependent on the specific DNA of the character and the time they have been using it. These powers are caused by Nano-Organisms (N-O) that live within the Cube itself, and that can invade the body of their new host to improve their host’s own abilities. Very little is actually known about them. The N-O can transform the body from the inside, and then gradually reveal such hidden powers, like telekinesis. Different species in the universe might display different powers, and they could even be viewed as being magical. Whenever a power is used by the chosen being, an emission of golden/yellow particles can be seen. It's usually called "Yellow Matter". These particles are not the power itself: it is actually created by the death of the hundreds/thousands of N-Os who sacrificed themselves to grant some power to their new host. - Risks, Side-Effects and Addiction
Taking advantage of a Cube’s powers is dangerous for a human being. Very little is actually known about the N-O, and it is impossible to say what becomes modified inside the body of the user. Using these powers for a few hours shouldn't cause any fundamental damage, but staying too close to a Cube (or several!) for days could be irreversible. Any hero who overuses a Cube risks starting to hear voices inside their head. They could potentially be driven mad, obsessed by the Cubes, until they completely lose their mind. If they do not keep a safe distance from the Cubes, such a hero will have no opportunity to turn back. They risk becoming some kind of mutant that is effectively addicted to the Cubes...
Conclusion
If you can bear in mind the few principles outlined above while working on your project, then it should be very easy to create your own story within the Black Cube series. I would be genuinely excited to cooperate with you, and see how I could try to help you in return.
I am also confident that an infinite number of scenarios can arise from within this vast universe, and I hope that the Yellow Matter will continue to shine on the screens of many people, thanks to your participation!
I am also confident that an infinite number of scenarios can arise from within this vast universe, and I hope that the Yellow Matter will continue to shine on the screens of many people, thanks to your participation!