What is Brute?

Brute the comic at it’s simplest is the story of a young human female and her best friend, a young male bruin, who is incredibly strong, quick-tempered, durable and just coincidentally looks like a teddy bear, who are both stranded in space, far from their home-worlds, unable to return. They are forced to depend on their wits, and each other to get by and survive in the often cruel ‘wild west’ of the Milky Way galaxy

It’s the story of a group of miscreant bounty hunters seeking glory, but more immediately, enough credits to get to their next job.
It’s the story of broken people, becoming a broken family, trying to do the ‘right’ thing, but often with the wrong motives or mindsets.

It’s an epic space opera, action packed, at times funny, at times tragic, told from the personal perspectives of our protagonists – Rose, human female, martial artist, with trust issues, Brute – male bruin pugilist with anger issues, Vanguard, male porcupinian ship’s captain with huge desire but little discipline, and others we’ll meet along the way.

Preston Squire
July 2020
Author

Another Perspective

Some would say that the world doesn’t need any more space opera, wayfaring bounty hunter sagas.  Clearly it does.

What I love about Brute is the fragile human spirit – embodied by the adolescent, abandoned Rose Khan – finding Trust, Family and Purpose in the wilderness of Space.  I love that her guardians and her partners in these endeavors are those standbys from our own childhood – a super teddy bear, and an aware cat.  I love the unpredictability and the otherness of the alien persons she intersects with on her way.

There is more at play here than swashbuckling adventure – something deeply psychological without trying to be.  I first met Brute author Preston Squire in the Space wilderness of 7th grade.  We stuck together, along with future starship commander Fei-Tan and also tried to find our way.  

These are stories with value that will be appreciated by the 7th grader in all of us.  I love Brute because it’s a story of hope, resilience and survival.

Owen Keenan
Illustrator
July 2020