Epics of Enkidu--Full Interview with Creator Ahmed Alameen

If you missed one of my pieces from yesterday, it was an introduction to a new Indiegogo campaign which launches TODAY.  I was excited to be able to pick the brain of writer and creator Ahmed Alameen about his campaign, and the inspiration behind it!

Follow the Epics of Enkidu

Be sure to follow updates on this and many of Ahmed's others endeavors on:

His Blog: https://ahamin.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeroAutistic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hero_autistic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theepicsofenkidu/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC01qgrKWCW5i8azFY0ImMIA?view_as=subscriber

My Q and A with Ahmed Alameen

CBP-Can you offer a quick summary of the story?
AA-The Epics of Enkidu is a comic book that features a superhero who happens to be Autistic, in what could be the sequel to the oldest story ever found in human history, The Epics of Gilgamesh. The story follows Enkidu who is brought back from out of time and does not remember who he is. Being autistic, his brain works so fast, that everything around him moves too slow, which makes him socially odd and interacts with the world differently, but it does help him analyze everything, and it allows him to see the patterns of things; things that can happen before they happen. It can be handy when he is in danger, but not when you try to communicate with him.

CBP-Why did you choose to create a main character with Autism?
AA-I wanted to dedicate a character for my nephew, who is an awesome autistic kid, and the muse for my story. And through this story I want to raise awareness about autism and help people understand more about how it is like to be on the spectrum, and also I want to inspire the autistic community to overcome their daily challenges, and hopefully realize that they can be heroes. 
CBP-Were there any challenges with writing/illustrating this kind of character?  
AA-It wasn’t, but if you asked me that question four years ago, it would have been. The reason I was writing the story with confidence is because I became very interested in history, especially Mesopotamian history, and when I decided to write the story, I already had all the materials I needed to use for weaving my plot(s).

CBP-If I remember things from my world literature class in college, Enkidu is the character who was created to clens Gilgamesh of his pride.  Does that have any significance into your Epic tale?
AA-Well I don’t want to spoil it, because I am doing my own twist on the story, but the Gilgamesh and Enkidu confrontation will have a bigger meaning in my version of the story.

CBP-Is this your first work in comics/graphic novels?  If so, what drew you to this medium of storytelling.  If not, what are some other works of yours we should check out!
AA-It is not my first comic work. I did a comic which I turned later into a motion comic on YouTube. The comic was called Team Genesis, and it was only sold locally. You can find two episodes of my motion comic which was done fully by me. 

CBP-Give us the quick hard sell on backing your campaign!
AA-I’d like to mention that by supporting this comic you will do a great service to the autistic community and their family. The comic will have information about Autism Charities from around the world for anyone to reach out to. So by supporting our campaign, you might create a butterfly effect that might lead to something inspiring. 

CBP-What is your favorite perk the backers can expect from the Indiegogo campaign?
AA-All of them are interesting, but for me, the cherry on top, is being a main character in the comic, and basing your character on your history. So if we have someone from Sweden pick the perk, he or she will be a character based on Norse mythology, and you will get a poster of your character. So yeah… your name, in the sequel to the oldest story found in human history. 

Conclusion

I wish Ahmed and his entire team on their campaign.  I think this is a worthy campaign with both an interesting story to tell, and a community who's visibility needs to continue to be raised! Expect me to reach out to Ahmed once again at the conclusion of their campaign to get a reaction!