The Black Eyed Peas – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

November 22, 2017

Black Eyed Peas AR Comic Masters of the Sun Gets Release Date

Hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas have been working on its comic book debut Masters of the Sun: The Zombie Chronicles for almost a year, working alongside Marvel artists. The graphic novel is almost ready for release as an Augmented Reality (AR) experience.

The comic was written to reflect a blend of hip-hop culture, along with science fiction elements and a blend of ancient mythology. Set in a futuristic version of Los Angeles which is under attack by alien invaders, who have used their technology to transform criminals and violent individuals into zombies. Zulu-X, the main character, along with his crew, work to defeat the aliens and unravel a dark conspiracy that reaches back into the ancient past.

The AR component uses a smartphone app to bring the comic to life, showing 3D animations of characters, and allowing users to hear as well as see the dialogue, thus making the comic accessible to people who might have trouble reading small print.

The narration for the AR experience is being provided by legendary Marvel writer and creator Stan Lee, while the various characters are being voice by a combination of artists from the world of rap, R&B and hip Hop, such as Mary J Blige, Rakim, Ice T and Queen Latifah, alongside voice artists such as Rosario Dawson and John Dimaggio.

The AR experience will be release on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store on 24th November, 2017. The comic can be purchased through Amazon through comic book stores and bookshops as well as online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

A launch trailer for the Masters of the Sun: Zombie Chronicles is available to view below.

VRFocus will continue to report on new and innovative AR experiences.

October 30, 2017

Black Eyed Peas Comic Coming to Samsung Gear VR

Earlier this year hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas teamed up with Marvel to create a unique comic which aimed to combine hip-hop culture, mythology and science fiction for a story released as Masters of the Sun: The Zombie Chronicles. Now the band are working with Oculus to bring the comic into virtual reality (VR) for the Samsung Gear VR.

The Masters of the Sun graphic novel takes place in Los Angeles, which is a city under siege; simultaneously attacked by alien invaders while some of the violent and undesirable elements of society are being transformed into zombies as the result of an alien curse. The main character of Zulu-X works with his crew, trying to unravel the complex ancient mysteries, including a shadowy ancient order, using his wits and street smarts to try and save the embattled city.

The story was written by Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am, and features artwork by Benjamin Jackendoff and Danion Scott. Of the comic, Marvel Axel Alonso told Billboard: “Few artists have done more to embed hip-hop in popular culture than will.i.am and the Black Eyed Peas. So we are thrilled to present this deeply personal story that speaks directly to hip-hop aficionados, comic book fans and the intersection of those communities.”

The VR interpretation will blend themes taken from diverse areas such as Egyptology, gang culture and social commentary and will feature a vocal cast including well known names from the music world such as Queen Latifah, Jamie Foxx, Rakim and Ice T.

Will.i.am had this to say on the Master of the Sun comic: “The Black Eyed Peas and I have begun a new journey. We’ve been working on this original story for years and partnering with Marvel to bring this book to life is more than a dream come true.”

An exact release date has yet to be confirmed, but the Masters of the Sun VR comic is expected to come to Samsung Gear VR sometime in 2018. No price point has yet been set.

A video trailer is available to view below.

VRFocus will continue to bring you news on upcoming VR releases.

July 1, 2017

The Black Eyed Peas Comeback to Include AR, We’re ‘Building a new world’ States Will.i.am

Musicians have been dabbling in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) for a little while now, mostly through music videos – with the odd concert filmed in 360-degrees. Earlier this year The Black Eyed Peas announced their comeback after a seven year hiatus and recently Will.i.am revealed part of that would include an AR experience of some kind.

Talking to The Sun newspaper, Will.i.am said: “In mid-July, The Black Eyed Peas launch our new experience and you’ll see what we’ve been doing in the medium of augmented reality.”

Will.i.am_image

“Right now when it comes to augmented reality, people take awesome little photos on Snapchat and Instagram and give you halos or puppy-dog faces. That’s cool, but that’s just the beginning. What we’re doing is building a new world,” he added.

What this will be is anyone’s guess at this present time, likely to revolve around a new single of some sort. The musician has said he doesn’t plan to ‘outdo’ any of the hit tracks the group is well known for, for the simple fact that he thinks that would be ‘impossible’. Will.i.am did tease: “We’re not going to outdo ‘I Gotta Feeling’, that’s impossible. That means we have to think in a different medium. This now thing we’re doing, it’s very tech, it’s experimental. It’s not just radio or two-dimensional. It’s multi-layered, multi-dimensional.”

You’ll have to wait until next month to find out more, so check back with VRFocus for the latest details.