Anyone else hear of the new Leftovers series? Here's my take on it: http://graphiclychristian.com/?p=326
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Please allow me to introduce myself... (Leave it to me to start my first post on a Christian site with a line from "Sympathy for the Devil"...) My name, as you can see, is Jonathan Matos, but I mostly go by "Jon". I've been doing comics projects for the past (7?) years, although since most of that was in between school and church work, there wasn't really time to blossom. However, after four years of Graphic Design experience, I'm ready to get out in the field in any way possible.
My dream, I would say, is to make creator-owned work, written by me, or at least helping to publish comics by others doing amazing work. I'm working now on a monsters book that deals with Hinduism and Christianity, and hope to submit that out in the next few months.
I'm also blogging, mostly about comics and Christianity over at GraphicallyChristian.com. We're also working on releasing the first issue of our magazine, The Gauntlet, first at Wizard World Philadelphia and later this summer online. We hope to get Christian artists to submit anything from short comic stories, single page art pieces, poetry, photos, and short stories. We just launched our Facebook page and Twitter, which you can follow if you're interested. (We'll be posting the theme for issue #2 around June 20th.) We also have forums and would love to see you guys posting in there. I'll probably posting links to my blog posts here, as well as supporting any other creators I can on the site. Looking forward to the encouragement and criticism, (however the Spirit leads. lol.)
Overall I'm excited to find a community of Christians who art into comics, and hope to get to be a blessing on this site and through my own.
Finally updated the last two shows. Nicole and I plan to have two shows a month since we record both shows the same night now. The new shows are pretty powerful and maybe controversial to some. They're titled "Dealing with the Demonic" parts 1 and 2. http://www.prolifick.com/thegodscene
Hello, everyone. I'm almost finished with a project called Cubicle Quest that includes art from some of our own. If you're interested in supporting them, check out the Kickstarter here:
It won't take very much to do this right, so if you find it in your heart to contribute, I'd be very grateful. Anything over the goal will go to help support more creators.
Angel Lite Comics is running an IndieGoGo campaign, and I would like to invite you all to pray for us about this. Times are rough, and you don't have a lot of spare money. You do give to causes you believe in, but somehow there's never enough for everything you'd like to give to. Believe me, we understand:)
Please pray for us though, okay? And if you could, pass the word that we're on IndieGoGo along to your friends.
The truth is, Angel Lite Comics has been very blessed with volunteer artists. We couldn't ask for better! But though none of them asks for much, certainly not what their beautiful art is worth, we, Angel Lite Comics, are asking for small donations because we -want- to give them at least a small gift, even if it's just enough to buy them a meal or a few extra art supplies.
So please, a prayer and your well wishes would mean a lot to us! God bless you all!
So my brother is trying to be a writer for a living. And though he just wants to write novels (the old school kind, full of words and absolutely no pictures) he does do some sketches as inspiration or reference so he can write for a character more easily. He didn't have time of late, so he asked me to do some for him. Honestly an art assignment is easier to stick with then my own random drawing. It's hard being my own boss, because I hate a-hole bosses and such, so why be an A-hole to myself? Assignments like these are the fun challenges I'm growing to like more and more
Good afternoon,
My name's Anne and I'm the editor of a not for profit Christian parenting magazine in Australia. We have a kids page in our magazine - and I'd love to include a comic strip. We print 9,000 copies of the magazine each run and the magazine is published quarterly.
If there were any keen comic artists who are happy to share their gifts and have their work printed, I would really love to hear from you and see your work.
Some ideas for the strip could be:
Fruits of the spirit
Kids learning about controling their tongue (add humour, fun, colour!)
Self discipline
Jesus Saviour to the rescue
Short Bible stories
One of my favourite bibles for children is the "Big Picture Bible Storybook" where the stories connect Christ throughout God's story. Comics that reflect this would be wonderful.
Unfortunately I couldn't pay you but I'm sure the young minds you reach will appreciate your hard work. I would be happy to include a bio on you and include links to your webpage or work - and I can send you half a dozen copies of the printed magazine.
I would be looking for a strip that was no bigger than 1/2 an A4 page. It could be a quarter page? Up to you.
The organisation I work for is Christian Education National (Australia). Our website is http://www.cen.edu.au/index.php/publications-article
My email address is anne.blair-hickman@cen.edu.au if you would like to contact me directly.
I hope to hear from someone. In the meantime, I wish you all the richest of God's blessings and may He use your talents to draw people closer to Him and His kingdom.
God bless, Anne
Hey guys! Please take a look at my webcomic. I have 4 pages up already.
Also like the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/kingofjusticecomic
So what's it about? It's a Christian superhero comic. That's it.
Guest comments are allowed on the site.
Hello! Angel Lite Comics is searching for a volunteer artist to make a comic out of a script and storyboards based on the characters of David Rothschiller. There is no pay, but you will be awarded half the royalties of any profits made. The book will be published via Create-Space and made available as print and Kindle e-books from Amazon.com. I think there is a good Biblical message in this story, though the writing (by me) is far from perfect. If you are interested in looking, please visit the project site at http://www.onetalentstudio.com/a_perfect_plan_project_for_angel_lite_comics . Thank you very much for reading this!
The Alpha Omega Con website is now up and running. Many thanks to Con Director Holly Knevelbaard for her outstanding efforts. Visit the site at www.alphaomegacon.com.
18 Mar 2014
My Memories of Don Ensign
I'm sitting in the Golf Center parking lot of Randolph Park...just listening to Bruce Springsteen and chewing some gum while jotting this down. I'm here to eventually walk over to the duck pond and feed the feathered residents...but it's more than that, I'm here to pass time. You see, I'm waiting for a phone call. The call that's going to inform me that my friend, Don Ensign, is dead.
Since visiting him earlier today at University Medical Center, I'm certain he's going to be gone soon. Don is so weak that he can't even breathe on his own. I, of course, was crying so hard that I could hardly talk to him...which was okay, since he could hardly speak to me. But he let me hold his hand and didn't seem to mind it. I think his oxygen mask was drying out his throat, and so he wasn't able to draw a strong enough breath to hold a conversation. He fought just to keep his eyes on me, and could do little more than blink and give an occasional smile.
Despite our mostly-absent conversation, I was able make out from him how taken aback he was by my love for him. I told him that if I had had the choice of selecting my own Father, it would be him.
I met Don Ensign many years ago, at a meeting of local comic book artists and writers being hosted by Tucson's "Heroes & Villains" comic book shop. I was initially quite excited to be there, yet --as the event droned on-- the discussions got sidetracked to their love for TV shows such as "The Simpsons", "American Dad" and "Family Guy"...shows that I hated! Yes, I'm old-fashioned...and I thought these sarcastic shows insulted everything that was good and right about our traditional American family. Of course, when I tried to interject my opinion into the discussion, the other artists and writers made me feel stupid and not worth their attention. They were "the cool kids", and I wasn't.
The roomful of creative types were now boasting how they wanted to create "the next big thing", go viral, become popular and make lots of money! If you weren't as hungry as they were, well, you needed to move on. So I did. I changed seats.
I took the vacant seat next to this silver-haired gent who seemed quite satisfied with who he was. He had no need to compete with these other wild young men, or even interact with them...but maybe he would interact with me.
I graciously introduced myself. Don Ensign smiled and returned the gesture...and we hit it off. He was so much more mature, polite --and genuinely warm-- than the chattering wild men around us. And he, too, was "old-fashioned." We both preferred when comics were somewhat educational and just plain FUN! We both wanted to tell a good story that didn't involve sexual, horrific or excessively-violent imagery.
By the end of the night --even though Don was a God-loving sort of guy-- he let me explain my supernatural concept of a ghost detective who possesses the bodies of her clients. At the time I had three issues of my Xeroxed "MADAME X Inc." comic for sale. Mind you, Don didn't buy any of them, but --gentleman that he was-- he at least let me describe them at length.
The discussion then continued to other comic books. Don and I both agreed that neither of us would buy the current crop of DC, Marvel of independent titles. Why? Because they had become gruesome and horror oriented! They were practically old EC "Tales of the Crypt" books, and it turned our stomachs. Current industry trends aside, Don and I both had our own, saner and blood-free comics in the works.
Don and I made it our duty to keep showing up at the local comic creators gatherings. One night, to my utter amazement, Don actually bought all 3 issues of my MADAME X Inc.! OH MY GOD! I felt like Lucy from Peanuts, sitting at her Psychiatrist booth --gleefully shaking her tin can once someone put a nickel in it! At the following meeting, Don gave me one of the most professional heart-to-heart discussions I've ever had. Don looked me straight in the eye and cupped his hand on my shoulder to utter these words.
"James...Madame X Inc. is amateurish at best."
My heart skipped a beat and my stomach fell down to my shoes. I just smiled, knowing that he couldn't have said what I thought he'd said. But then Don just smiled back with compassion and gently repeated himself. I felt faint, yet before I keeled over, Don went about discussing the specific elements my work was lacking. And as the blood rushed back to my head, Don assured me that I could do much, much better.
I was waiting for him to ask for a refund on the comics, but he never did.
So I listened to Don's tricks of the trade, and applied them as best I could. The local comic creators group only went on for another two months before imploding. As I suspected, infighting grew and made our groups grow to resent one another. Yet, for whatever reason, Don and I stayed in touch. Don wound up convincing me that I needed to restart my entire Madame X concept --only this time using clearer panel designs and "spotting blacks" (adding solid black shapes and shadows to the line art to accent and differentiate items, and make the art more eye-catching and pleasing) . The idea of "spotting blacks" left me confused until Don had me purchase and study a book of black-and-white Fantastic Four reprints, with art by Jack Kirby --who turned out to be both our favorite comic artist!
Within a month of buying that reprint book, the pages of Madame X's NEW comic were leaving Don almost speechless! No, I wasn't suddenly as good as Jack Kirby...but my previous "coloring book" style of art had gained so much more power and depth! Don was amazed at my progress and complimented me on how far I had advanced! And what did this do for me? OMG! I thought I had finally won the Arizona Lottery of comics!
Now that the rebooted Madame X Inc. has published 5 issues, I'm more convinced than ever that it could never have come about without the hand of Don Ensign --taking me under his wing and encouraging me to hang in there, even if the books weren't selling particularly well. Mr. Ensign challenged me to keep focused and pump out more and more!
As for the comic's sales? Sure, I'd like them to be better... but I got an extra piece of encouragement from the owner of "Heroes & Villains." "Mike" told me that, out of all the local talent that was on their shelves, no one else has been able to do the amount of comics that I had! Mike continued, telling me that he was "proud and honored" to have Madame X in his store! This was such a great boost to my failing ego. At times I was ready to cry out "UNCLE already"--but now, with Mike's well-chosen comments and Don cracking the whip for time to time, my comic continues! We not only have the 6th book almost written, but I've actually laid out concepts for the 7th and 8th books!
So I end with this. Don Ensign will not be forgotten. For those who had the pleasure and honor to know and work with him, we will carry the bits and pieces of his insight and knowledge with us. Don was a genial treasure trove of comic book and comic strip history. He loved the media of illustrated stories, and loved sharing his enthusiasm with us. I was blessed to know him. We all were.
Thank you, Don, for your stuff.
You shall never be lost in the world of comic geniuses
Busy, Busy, Busy! Life has been crazy busy for these past several months. Rust Angel #8 took me a lot longer than I would have liked... but here it is! You can read it here, and part 2 (had to split it up due to upload size being bigger) is here. Any thoughts are VERY appreciated!
Look out! Shapeshifting Gloomtroopers!
Prayers Please: I've been feeling kinda "blah". I don't know if it's stress, lack of time, or just me, but I feel unmotivated, lost and unsure of where to go and what to do next.
It has recently come to my attention through the Phil Vischer Podcast (ding!) that a number of movies and books recently have been devoted to explaining the motivations of villains. Any good storyteller must look at the motivations of their characters, it’s part of creativity, but let me get to the point; why are we making whole movies (i.e. Maleficent, Star Wars episode III, etc.) dedicated to explaining why villains are evil? To me, there doesn’t need to be much explanation.
This is nothing new; several stories in multiple media forms in the last couple of decades have attempted this before. They say that the villain does what he does because he suffered some personal tragedy as a youth. Since I haven’t actually seen the Maleficent movie yet, nor do I plan to, I’ll use a character we’re all familiar with: Magneto.
The first X-Men movie begins at a Nazi concentration camp in the midst of World War II. Young Magneto is separated from his parents, and then, as a response to his personal grief, becomes increasingly hostile toward non-mutants. This is in contrast to Doctor Doom, who was always an egomaniac, and just used his scarring as an excuse to take over the world.
Magneto, Darth Vader, Syndrome, and now Maleficent. All have became villains because of some past personal tragedy. This pattern is so pervasive in our culture lately that even some of my own villains at one time fit this mold, but what I’ve found out is that this treatment diminishes the villain in the eyes of the audience. The audience feels a sort of sympathy toward the villain. In effect, it makes it appear that evil does not exist; it is a construct of society. That, as I think we all can agree, is wrong. Due to our rebellion against God, all humanity is cursed, which means that we are all inherently evil, and I believe our stories should reflect that.
Uh-oh! Looks like O-boy's in a jam. Thanks for all the kind words last time. I am presently working on strip 7 out of 12 in the first story arc. Have a great day.
