Name: Edward Jones

Alias: K-Ball

Former Alias: Ball Dude- I kid thee not.

K-Ball is one of my oldest characters, who has gone through multiple incarnations since his creation back in sixth or seventh grade. He has the distinction of being the first Kalikarin character I ever created, preceding his Second Realm brethren by several years.

While he's gone through several forms over the years, his overall concept has changed little. Edward Jones is a member of the Kalikarin Brotherhood of the Avenging Lances (KBAL, which is where the K-Ball moniker comes from), an order of government agents that have been around as long as there has been a Kalikaris. They have adapted to the times over the years, and many no longer use the lances of the past in favor of current technology, though the name has stuck. Eddie is one of the up-and-coming new recruits, who is quickly making a name for himself within the order.

Kalikaris was my first experiment into the foray of a mixed-technological culture, which is why he uses both sword and firearms. Most KBAL-issued weapons are highly upgradeable, including the sword, which is why Edward keeps it for backup. It currently boasts limited energy projectile capabilities, and our friend is always tinkering with new ways to improve it. In many ways he prefers it to firearms, though he's more than comfortable with just about any weapon he gets his hands on.

The original concept of K-Ball was that of a video game, and I honestly believe that if it had gotten made during the 8-bit Nintendo era, that sucker would have taken at least two cartridges. I made plans for two games- the first one had Edward going toe-to-toe with an alien horde that attacks Kalikaris, while the second was a prequel (before it became fashionable for sequels to be prequels, mind you) that had him dealing with anti-government rebels. I've since combined the two into one, and wouldn't mind getting a chance to write some of it up sometime.

Evolution: Eddie J's changed much over the years, though we can narrow his evolution to three main stages. His initial incarnation (during the Ball Dude phase) was that of a very light-hearted character that looked very much like a blue ball with eyes, sneakers, and a red hat. It was not very manly, nor was it very intimidating- all it took was a large enough villain with a soccer fixation to punt him, and he would have been out of commission. This form stuck for several years until I decided to give him a cameo in The Traveler Chronicles, which was started back in 12th grade. By this time the Kalikarins had gone through a major transformation, and were no longer walking heads. Now, while still short in stature, possessed limbs and whatnot, which likened them to blue-skinned dwarves rather than soccer balls. This particular Edward Jones was a lot more hard-edge than before- he was no longer the happy-go-lucky guy we had seen in the past, but was now a drinking, long-haired, unshaven, divorced and bitter man, with an almost obscene love for large firearms. Quite the change, I must say. His latest incarnation came about on the way home from a trip to Florida, where I suddenly got a strange urge to draw the character again. A few notes were scribbled, and after getting home a quick sketch was thrown together, leading to the birth of this latest, slightly more bishonen rendition. He's also a bit younger this time around, so rather than dealing with a nagging ex-wife and young son, he now only has to contend with a girlfriend that's afraid he's neglecting her for his work. It seems our guy here will always have his women problems.

I'm not sure why I elected to go with more feminine facial features with him, but it seems to fit him. He also never had that turtleneck until now, but I have to admit that I've grown attached to it.

The Future: Who knows? I'm attempting updated sketches of some of his old villains and allies, and I'm kind of curious as to where this will lead. If nothing else, I'd like to do a K-Ball one-shot and see what develops from there.