Lord Emperor Skel is the leader of the race of undead known as the "Skeletoids" who breed contempt for conformity and spread mayhem and evil using heavy metal music and their guitars of death.

OK, so now the real story:
Quite simply "Skel" is Derek McDonald, the author and programmer of this Multimedia CD-ROM; indeed, many people know him him only by that name. Skel's outfit of black leather, studs, spikes and chainmail was derived from a fictional trilogy he wrote in college while also utilizing the appearance of those who perform his favourite music, Heavy Metal. While in Metal bands it was adopted as his "look" (one of two he is known for). The mascot characature of Derek as Skel was inspired by the album artworks of Iron Maiden's "Eddie". The skeletal features were derived from a picture of Derek in costume while at a halloween party at a local Oakville, Ontario pub in the late 1990's and used on the cover of his first solo compilation release, The Alliance, in 1999 when South African Death Metal singer Jamie Haigh took the picture and redrew it with Derek defleshed and digitally duplicated. The picture received acclaim for its originality and detail: the tombstones in the picture are real and date to the 1700's; the actual names of the stones clearly visitble on the original pictures under high magnification, and YES chainmail is real too but more modern in manufacture - every ring visible on the picture - a real replica, to be precise, of an 11th century design and is made of welder's aluminum (it weighs 13.5 lbs). The chainmail in the picture has had it's arms shortened and is ripped at the bottom; the real article is not. The character of "Skel" would become the offical mascot of Emperor Multimedia. Skel has appeared as himself on the cover of The Alliance, as an Aztec king "Skelizuma" on Recorded History, and "Skel Warrior" on Polishing Of Metal. A yet unpublished album picture of him as "Skel Capone" in gangster drab has been conceived of as well. All are copyrighted images ("Skel Capone" not shown).

Factoids On Skeletoids:

• The character Emperor Skel and his cloned group of warriors "The Skeletoids" first appeared on the cover of Emperor Multimedia's premier release The Alliance. The CD was a compilation of heavy metal and hard rock bands from around the world. It also featured computer software. In total more than 70 people on 4 continents worked directly or indirectly on the project. It was an ambitious project for a new company and was entirely financed by the company founder and record producer Derek McDonald. It set the standard by which all future Emperor products must follow.
• Much research went into the marketing of Skel, including what Heavy Metal fans wanted to see on their CD's. Research had shown that medieval weapons, armor and skulls seemed to be favoured and so Derek set about to find an artist to draw him a picture involving all of these items. Jamie Haigh, a musician in the Death Metal band Demacretia - a band featured on The Alliance recording, from South Africa was commissioned to do the art.
• The Alliance also features 12 Skel's: one for each band, the producer and the company.
• The Skel summed up Derek and his company's ambitions: lean, mean and indestructible and so the picture was adopted, shortly later the picture would become a trademark of his company. All compilations done by Emperor Multimedia since feature Skel in different environments and poses, in everything from armored warriors to an Al Capone like character, a supernatural devil, and the return of Montizuma: the deposed Aztec king.
• The chainmail was made by Charles Delaney of Loraine, Ohio, USA (a member of the medieval historical group "SCA" (Society of Creative Anachronisims) and was created by hand. It consists of 2000 metal rings and took 9 months to make.
• The leather and spikes were both off-the-shelf and custom ordered at various shops in Toronto, Canada. Only one complete "Skel" outfit is known to exist.
• What is the Mascot's full name? Skel came from a name adopted by Derek when he was in college due to his thin stature at the time and is short for "Skeleton". Up until recently the mascot's name was just "Skel Skeletoid", but after seeing graffitti on a toilet wall at a pub in downtown Toronto, Derek gave him the unofficial name of "Skel Skelington" in late 2005.

    Picture: Emperor Skel
     Artist: Jamie Haigh
    Concept: Derek McDonald
  Copyright: 1999 Derek E. McDonald
  Trademark: Emperor Multimedia Corporation
  

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