Posted by Donald Ensign on August 21, 2008 at 6:30am
PC Hamerlinck and Don Ensign (right) at the 2008 San Diego Comic ConCCAS:Don Ensign is the reserch editor and designer for the 2008 Guide to Christian Comics. Don, how did you come up with the idea of the Guide to Christian Comics?Don Ensign: CCAS was founded back in 1984 with the idea of looking at comics from a Christian perspective. We started out with a newsletter called Valiant that lasted for about two and one half years and eventually went out free to around 200 people. In 1985 we began the amateur press association Alpha-Omega (which is still being published —over 140 issues and counting) that gave a creative voice to those fans of comics who are Christians. The mid-1990s saw a surge of new Christian comics coming on the market and Nate Butler published his Christian Comics and Games Magazine that for a time gave an official voice to the movement. After this from 1996-1998 CCAS again published a newsletter called New Creation that addressed many issues facing the movement. The Christian Comics movement has sustained tremendous growth over the past 10 years since the last issue of New Creation. Nate Butler again has done a great job of reporting many developments in the movement especially internationally on his Rox35/Comix35 web sites. In 2004 I was struck by the fact that there wasn’t a print resource dedicated to exploring the growth of Christian Comics. Henus the first Guide was published that year. CCAS:How often does the Guide come out?Don: It has been published annually since 2004. We are in our fifth year now. It has been available at Christian comics tables at various conventions and by mail order. CCAS:What exactly is does the Guide cover?Don: The Guide has a section listing print comics that have come out during the year with size, content info, pricing and so forth. It also has a section on the publishers of these comics so you can find out where to buy them. CCAS:Does the Guide cover the Web? Don: Yes, we list the sites where Christian web comics can be read as well as Christian Comics publisher’s web sites. If you want comics or single panel cartoons for your church publications you can find them there. This year we have an article that surveys the different kinds of Christian comics on the web. Everything from Megazeen to Christian manga. CCAS:Does the Guide contains news of the Christian comics movement?Don: Yes, we have a section called Milestones where we have collected information from various sources relating to Christian comics. Everything from awards being won by Christians graphic novels, Christian Comics Competitions, translations of Christian comics in other languages, events and so forth. CCAS: So I could get a lot of this information from other sources? Don: Yes, if you want to spend the hours researching this material yourself you could do that. The Guide does that work for you. CCAS:What are some of the other features in the Guide?Don: We reproduce many samples of art from various Christian Comics. We include an article on New Creation Now and a complete chapter of the upcoming Ragged Capes comic (artwork by Bill Maus). We have lists of Christians who are in the comics industry both producing Christian and secular comics. They can use our prayers. CCAS: So most of the Guide is a series of lists.Don: In previous editions that was true. This time around we decided to expand the Guide and include a in-depth reviews of the best of the current crop of Christian comics. We have included over 30 reviews written by Steve MacDonald and myself that help the reader to determine what books and graphic novels they would like to read. CCAS:Who puts out the Guide?Don: Ha! As if you didn’t known. Of course the 2008 Guide to Christian Comics is co-published by the Christian Comic Arts Society and New Creation Now. CCAS:Thanks for the interview. So how can one get a copy of the 2008 Guide to Christian Comics?Don: Hit on the following link for a Paypal shopping cart entry for the Guide. NewCreationNow
Even "Superman" is reading the Guide to Christian Comics!
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