Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Excelsior! 'Nuff Said?
My friends at New Creation Now are serializing a comic that’s been quite a while in the making. The comic is titled Ragged Capes and it takes a look at the motivations of several super-hero archetypes and how even their most righteous acts can only be considered dirty rags – or in their terms – ragged capes.I was asked to write one of the chapters and so I took the opportunity to flesh out one of the characters I’d been playing around with called Excelsior. I formed Excelsior in the Bruce Wayne/Batman or Tony Stark/Iron Man mold -- that is, a very wealthy, intelligent and powerful man who was driven to go that extra step to help people out (well, to help people out in a super-powered suit, that is). In the process, he’s become my Solomon character, someone who has it all but has drifted away in a spiritual sense. Anyway, that’s my background for the character and I tried to work it in as much as I could within the seven pages I had available. Maybe one of these days I'll be able to devote more attention to him, for now however, this story will have to suffice. This story is titled "Breakdowns" and focuses on an encounter between Excelsior, my symbol of order and propriety, and the anarchist, Rave.
Excelsior is (c) 2009 Bud Rogers - art is (c) 2009 Bill Maus
The story was written by yours truly and it was drawn by Bill Maus with colors by Lisa Hutchinson. The first page is up now and new page will become available every week.Labels: Bill Maus, Christian comics, Excelsior, Lisa Hutchinson, New Creation, web comics, Writing
Monday, February 23, 2009
Caught in the act
Gary Martin and Sergio Cariello, the creative team on Son of Samson, were gracious enough to include me (the humble editor) in the creator bios at the end of their books. The bonus for this was that Sergio Cariello would be producing a caricature for my presentation. It took me awhile, but I finally got a photo to him and in no time at all, he turned this image around.
One of my favorite things about it is the notes included on some of the rejected tablets (yep, my words coming back to haunt me). Anyway, I hope you all get a kick out of this.
One of my favorite things about it is the notes included on some of the rejected tablets (yep, my words coming back to haunt me). Anyway, I hope you all get a kick out of this.
Art (c) 2009 Sergio Cariello
If you haven’t yet, you’ve got to check out the Son of Samson series from Zondervan. It’s a rip-roarin’ action packed series packed with spiritual truth.
Labels: Christian comics, editing, Gary Martin, Sergio Cariello, Son of Samson, Z Graphic Novels, Zondervan
Monday, February 16, 2009
WebComics.CC
It’s been quite a while since I last posted here. What with overseeing the production of roughly 2,000 pages of graphic novel content this past year, I haven’t had much time for keeping up with other blogs, much less posting here. But with so much going on, I need this centralized place to discuss my upcoming projects and talk about some of the cool things others are doing.
With that being said, let me highlight our latest endeavor from Community Comics – WebComics.CC
With that being said, let me highlight our latest endeavor from Community Comics – WebComics.CC
WebComics.CC is pretty much everything the name implies web comics from Community Comics (CC). With WebComics.CC we are providing a hub of sorts for some worthwhile, all ages/family friendly comics material. We are presenting some of our existing material such as HeroTV, ArmorQuest and Chosen Mortals, along with some newly created properties such as Music of the Spheres. We are also partnering with other web comics that share our sensibilities.
WebComics.CC went live late in 2008 and it’s taken a while to build up pages, but by now we have new content going up almost every weekday. So come on over and check it out. With the variety we have, I’m sure you’ll find something to follow along with.
Labels: ArmorQuest, Chosen Mortals, Community Comics, HeroTV, Music of the Spheres, web comics, WebComics.CC
Saturday, March 15, 2008
HeroTV: CAPES
The comic that really got me going on this stuff is now online for free over at WOWIO. I had been working on various things for a good ten years prior to HeroTV, but this was my first time wearing the editor’s hat and managing two writers and ten different artists under the framework of a single story clicked for me. This was also the project that gelled things between me, Ben Avery and Sherwin Schwartzrock and led to the formalization of Community Comics as an actual business entity.
HeroTV is a superhero satire/adventure that examines the concept of a hero in today’s media-crazed culture.
Is it by might? Is it by power? What makes a hero?
In HeroTV: CAPES we travel alongside a team of reality-show camera operators as they document the day-to-day activities of Metro City’s superheroes. But events of the day take an interesting, and quite telling, turn when Professor Graviton arrives and holds the entire city hostage.
HeroTV: CAPES features the creative talents of Ben Avery, Darren Brady, Sherwin Schwartzrock, Bud Rogers, Jeremy Zehr, Kneon Transitt, Jesse Hamm, Brian Proctor, Bill Webb, Joey Endres, Eric Jansen, Don Kelly and Jonathan Koelsch.
Originally Published in June 2003 by Community Comics
HeroTV is (c) and TM 2008 Ben Avery
HeroTV is a superhero satire/adventure that examines the concept of a hero in today’s media-crazed culture.
Is it by might? Is it by power? What makes a hero?
In HeroTV: CAPES we travel alongside a team of reality-show camera operators as they document the day-to-day activities of Metro City’s superheroes. But events of the day take an interesting, and quite telling, turn when Professor Graviton arrives and holds the entire city hostage.
HeroTV: CAPES features the creative talents of Ben Avery, Darren Brady, Sherwin Schwartzrock, Bud Rogers, Jeremy Zehr, Kneon Transitt, Jesse Hamm, Brian Proctor, Bill Webb, Joey Endres, Eric Jansen, Don Kelly and Jonathan Koelsch.
Originally Published in June 2003 by Community Comics
HeroTV is (c) and TM 2008 Ben Avery
Labels: artwork, Christian comics, Community Comics, editing, WOWIO
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Cool stuff online!
Sorry that I’ve been neglecting my blog lately, but I’ll make amends with that over the next couple of weeks with what’s been keeping my away. For now, however, I want to mention a couple of new projects that have caught my eye.
The Plague Doctor’s Sanctuary
The Plague Doctor is a new story concept that’s being developed by my friend and frequent collaborator Ben Avery and Tim Baron. Ben’s told me a bit of the background for this project and I was instantly hooked.
Here’s an excerpt from Ben’s welcome to The Plague Doctor’s Sanctuary:
This is the home of the Plague Doctor, one of the sole survivors of the world-wide Lotus Plague. Here you will find images, notes, manuscript fragments, and other information about this enigmatic man who changed the course of history for an entire world in the face of absolute devastation. The archaeologists for The Plague Doctor Project are constantly unearthing new artifacts about this man and his world. It must be some sort of elaborate hoax, for these events never happened. And yet, the glimpses into his terrifying world are fascinating. And the evidence seems so authentic . . .
It’s interesting to see how this world is developing and how the story is taking shape.
The Plague Doctor’s Sanctuary
The Plague Doctor is a new story concept that’s being developed by my friend and frequent collaborator Ben Avery and Tim Baron. Ben’s told me a bit of the background for this project and I was instantly hooked.Here’s an excerpt from Ben’s welcome to The Plague Doctor’s Sanctuary:
This is the home of the Plague Doctor, one of the sole survivors of the world-wide Lotus Plague. Here you will find images, notes, manuscript fragments, and other information about this enigmatic man who changed the course of history for an entire world in the face of absolute devastation. The archaeologists for The Plague Doctor Project are constantly unearthing new artifacts about this man and his world. It must be some sort of elaborate hoax, for these events never happened. And yet, the glimpses into his terrifying world are fascinating. And the evidence seems so authentic . . .
It’s interesting to see how this world is developing and how the story is taking shape.
The Plague Doctor is (c) 2008 Ben Avery artwork is (c) 2008 Tim Baron
Prayer Pups is (c) 2008 Jeffry Smith
According to its website Prayer Pups is an exclusive comic strip aimed at churches and Christian organizations to provide a fun and exciting new way to spread the word of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each episode of the comic strip leads our four-legged friends to a lesson in God’s ways, to a study of Scripture or to a conclusion based on Christian principles. And it’s always done with humor.
I stumbled across this charming and clever strip a few months ago and quickly added it to my daily list of sites to check out. It reminds me of classic Peanuts in tone. The fact that one of the lead characters is a Pug doesn’t hurt either - those little critters are my weakness.
I stumbled across this charming and clever strip a few months ago and quickly added it to my daily list of sites to check out. It reminds me of classic Peanuts in tone. The fact that one of the lead characters is a Pug doesn’t hurt either - those little critters are my weakness.
Labels: cartoons, Christian comics, web comics
Thursday, January 17, 2008
7 Seconds and a Dead Fish
I’m happy to announce that we’ve been able to post Jesse Hamm’s inspirational indy comic, 7 Seconds and a Dead Fish, at WOWIO -- and it’s available for FREE!
7 Seconds and a Dead Fish
Story and art by Jesse Hamm
7 Seconds and a Dead Fish tells the story of a young man as he tenaciously clings to his faith when the religious system he has been brought up in has turned its message to merely speak to the tenets of the government. Jesse’s excellent black and white artwork captures the bleak landscape and atmosphere of the story, while his expressive style imbues the protagonist with strength and hope. It’s a small press classic that exemplifies intelligent inspirational comics.
7 Seconds and a Dead Fish
Story and art by Jesse Hamm
7 Seconds and a Dead Fish tells the story of a young man as he tenaciously clings to his faith when the religious system he has been brought up in has turned its message to merely speak to the tenets of the government. Jesse’s excellent black and white artwork captures the bleak landscape and atmosphere of the story, while his expressive style imbues the protagonist with strength and hope. It’s a small press classic that exemplifies intelligent inspirational comics.
Labels: Christian comics, Jesse Hamm, WOWIO
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Some new webcomics worth checking out
Here are a couple of new webcomics that deserve some attention:
Araknid Kid
by Josh Alves
Zuda is a webcomics initiative from DC Comics, and through it they are holding an American Idol type of competition. They set up rounds of competitions between webcomics where the readers vote on their favorites. The winner will win a 1-year contract to produce their webcomic exclusively for Zuda.
Araknid Kid has made it through the first screening and is now in competition with 10 other webcomics for the coveted position of an ongoing title through Zuda. Arakinid Kid is a fun comic with a bit of action, a bit of mystery and a whole lot of fun. I've been following Josh's work for several years now and he has really honed his art and storytelling to a professional level. It's some good stuff, so stop by Zuda, sign up and vote for the Araknid Kid and my pal Josh!
And for some inside info on Arakind Kid, check out the Arakind Kid: A Look Behind the Scenes blog.
Araknid Kid
by Josh Alves
Zuda is a webcomics initiative from DC Comics, and through it they are holding an American Idol type of competition. They set up rounds of competitions between webcomics where the readers vote on their favorites. The winner will win a 1-year contract to produce their webcomic exclusively for Zuda.Araknid Kid has made it through the first screening and is now in competition with 10 other webcomics for the coveted position of an ongoing title through Zuda. Arakinid Kid is a fun comic with a bit of action, a bit of mystery and a whole lot of fun. I've been following Josh's work for several years now and he has really honed his art and storytelling to a professional level. It's some good stuff, so stop by Zuda, sign up and vote for the Araknid Kid and my pal Josh!
And for some inside info on Arakind Kid, check out the Arakind Kid: A Look Behind the Scenes blog.
Shelter of Wings Christmas
by Lisa Hutchinson
I've never made any secret about how much I enjoy and admire Lisa Hutchinson's work, so I was more than thrilled to see that she has decided to do a specific Christmas webcomic.Lisa's got a sensitive voice and pours a lot of heart into her work. It's always been a blessing to me and I'm sure it will be to you as well.
Labels: web comics
Friday, December 07, 2007
Free Comics!!!
We at Community Comics have recently entered into an agreement with WOWIO to present our material on their site for free downloading. WOWIO books are free because sponsors pay authors and publishers on your behalf. It’s a win-win scenario. You do need to register with WOWIO before downloading any material, but the process is very easy.
Legends presents the story of “Korah’s Rebellion” from Numbers 16 in a very dynamic manner. Witness the mighty power of God in action when tensions arise in the wilderness as Moses is openly confronted by opposing clans.
This is the comic that took the Christian comics community by storm when it debuted back in 2000. From out of nowhere, a new talent burst upon the scene, and his name was Schwartzrock! Sherwin Schwartzrock had been working as a designer for about 15 years before his attention was turned towards comics and he produced Legends in his spare time. Since then he has been a major contributor to the Christian comics community, helping out numerous publishers and building Community Comics along with Ben Avery, Darren Brady and myself.
Legends also includes the back-up story “Good News” by Ben Avery and Sherwin Schwartzrock.
Legends presents the story of “Korah’s Rebellion” from Numbers 16 in a very dynamic manner. Witness the mighty power of God in action when tensions arise in the wilderness as Moses is openly confronted by opposing clans.
This is the comic that took the Christian comics community by storm when it debuted back in 2000. From out of nowhere, a new talent burst upon the scene, and his name was Schwartzrock! Sherwin Schwartzrock had been working as a designer for about 15 years before his attention was turned towards comics and he produced Legends in his spare time. Since then he has been a major contributor to the Christian comics community, helping out numerous publishers and building Community Comics along with Ben Avery, Darren Brady and myself.
Legends also includes the back-up story “Good News” by Ben Avery and Sherwin Schwartzrock.
The Thieves -- Story by Ben Avery with art by Paolo Libunao
The Thieves is a look at the greatest story ever told, but told with a twist, focusing on the men who were hung on either side of Jesus.
Three bandits find themselves in over their heads when a robbery turns into the murder of an important Roman citizen. Suddenly, everything spins out of control as one faces losing his family, another faces losing his freedom, and all three face losing their lives at the hands of the Romans. It's a story of love and hate, revenge and redemption, hopelessness and hope.
Please feel free to bookmark our Publisher’s Page so you can check back from time to time. We will be adding more of our Community Comics titles as well as some very exiting titles from other Christian creators.
Labels: Christian comics, Community Comics, WOWIO
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Art by Bud!
I usually work behind the scenes on the various projects I’m involved in, but between my editing, emails, and phone calls -- not to mention my regular, full-time job -- I’m able to squeeze in a little bit of freelance cartooning and comic art.
One of my clients is a marketing firm and they’ve brought me on to provide a handful of cartoons and humorous illustrations for one of their newsletters. Every month they send me about 3 pages worth of jokes and I pick 4 of them to draw. They also throw in a zinger for me in the form of a two word phrase for me to illustrate.
A good amount of my training in this field centered around magazine cartooning. I like the simple and direct style of communicating ideas. And since my art veers more toward the cartoony than realistic, I really enjoy having this opportunity to get some India ink all over my fingers again.
Here are some of the cartoons I did for October. I’ll try to get November’s up during November.
One of my clients is a marketing firm and they’ve brought me on to provide a handful of cartoons and humorous illustrations for one of their newsletters. Every month they send me about 3 pages worth of jokes and I pick 4 of them to draw. They also throw in a zinger for me in the form of a two word phrase for me to illustrate.
A good amount of my training in this field centered around magazine cartooning. I like the simple and direct style of communicating ideas. And since my art veers more toward the cartoony than realistic, I really enjoy having this opportunity to get some India ink all over my fingers again.
Here are some of the cartoons I did for October. I’ll try to get November’s up during November.
Click on each cartoon if you'd like to pull up a larger version to read.
Friday, October 19, 2007
TOMO takes the Bronze!
Tomo Volume 1: I Was an Eighth-Grade Ninja has just been awarded the Bronze Award in the Comics and Graphic Novel category of the Moonbeam Children's Books Awards.
The Moonbeam Awards are designed to honor the year's best children’s books, authors and illustrators, and to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators. Their ambition is to support children's book publishing and to promote childhood literacy and life-long reading.
One of the more significant aspects of Tomo's placement is that these awards are not CBA related, but draw from the large pool of mainstream material. There is a separate category for Religious works, but the Comics and Graphic Novels category is completely open.
Congratulations go to Andrew Simmons, Ariel Padilla, Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley of Funnypages Productions for producing such an excellent book. It's a pleasure to work with them.
Read more about Tomo here: www.zgraphicnovels.com/series/tomo.php
The Moonbeam Awards are designed to honor the year's best children’s books, authors and illustrators, and to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators. Their ambition is to support children's book publishing and to promote childhood literacy and life-long reading.One of the more significant aspects of Tomo's placement is that these awards are not CBA related, but draw from the large pool of mainstream material. There is a separate category for Religious works, but the Comics and Graphic Novels category is completely open.
Congratulations go to Andrew Simmons, Ariel Padilla, Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley of Funnypages Productions for producing such an excellent book. It's a pleasure to work with them.
Read more about Tomo here: www.zgraphicnovels.com/series/tomo.php
Labels: Christian comics, editing, Graphic Novels, Manga, Zondervan
