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I am working on some ideas based around the principle of launching into adventure, as a way of communicating the journey we are on with God. With this in mind I have been thinking of the star wars films.
Last weekend, we had our final board meeting for the massive Comic-Con Intl in San Diego. I'll be posting info about the CCAS panels and mixer shortly. In the meantime...
If you would like to be included in the Christian Comic Arts Society press release related to Comic-con International - San Diego, I must receive your 3-4 line news paragraph. I will be writing the press release in the next couple of weeks.
You can be included by making a $25 donation to CCAS via the Donate button here on the site, and emailing me your 3-4 line paragraph.
DONATE via the button on the left side of the home page here on the site.
To see last year's release, click to http://ow.ly/bGoIE.
The press release is a great way to get exposure for your comics related project. The press release is serviced to news media nationally and internationally, and will be run across major Christian news and Comics web sites. We also cut up the release to post out via CCAS' social media outlets.
We are happy to accept a donation of any amount in support of CCAS even if you are not yet ready to release a news item. Con season is our highest expense period of the year, an in particular, the San Diego con is our biggest outreach of the year.
Every donation helps PLUS it's tax deductible!
by Joanne H.
"The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." Matt. 11:5
From Chiang Mai city, our Create International DTS outreach team headed to the mountain tops, alongside a team from a local Chiang Mai Church. We visited a Karen village that they saw come to the Lord, from zero believers to now 70% being followers of Christ.
Fifteen years ago, when the village was in spiritual darkness, the local witch doctor decided that they all needed move up to the highest point in the mountains to get away from certain evil spirits. This put a heavy burden on the villagers to have to hike down 3 hours to their fields in order to do their work; then hike back to their homes at the highest point. They did this every day.
Old Witch Doctor Plagued by Evil Spirits
After the church team came to spread the Gospel, the village no longer needed to "flee" from evil spirits, so the church helped them move back to where they used to be, near their fields. The witch doctor also accepted Christ around a year and a half ago. Yet, evil spirits have appeared to him taunting, "Everyone here can become a Christian, except you!" Spirits in the shapes of men, women and children began visiting him more frequently. He became terrified, to the point where he was physically immobilized in his fear.
There is a big tree in front of the (now) village church where the former witch doctor had performed his spells and sorcery. As the CIDTS had spent some time hearing about this old man's story, someone on the team felt to lead him in a prayer of renunciation at the tree. The man was willing. He is blind in one eye, and only retains 20% vision in his other eye. He could barely speak at 90 years old. When we had asked him to walk, he could not even take one step. Lucy, our host, had to lift his feet up in order to put on his sandals. Someone carried the man all the way from his house to the tree. We led him in prayers of repentance and renunciation. Symbolically, with the village pastor, we held a rope as a symbol of the man's bondage. The pastor cut a piece, then handed it over to the man to complete the severance. He was "cut off" from his bondages! The former witch doctor whispered, "Hallelujah."
Once Set Free from Evil Spirits, the Old Man Walks!
We were about to carry him home, when he stopped us and mentioned softly, "I would like to walk." And ever slowly but surely, he began to walk up the hill! We could not believe our eyes! Glory to Jesus! The man got a bit tired, then sat down. He said to us, "I have not walked, or even been outside of my home, for over a year."
How beautiful to witness this former witch doctor now have complete joy in Christ. He has been made well. God used the location that cursed him to heal him.
Later that evening, we had planned on showing a movie -- "When the Storms Come," the Northern Thai evangelistic film by Create International. When we told villagers we had a movie, they gasped with excitement! Well, some of them had never seen a movie in their life!
We made invitations to each household, while others drove 3 hours away to fetch a generator. At night, with screens and portable speakers in place, the film began. We savored the faces and laughter of the people connecting with the messages of the film. They loved it, and it brought the Good News to them in a relevant way -- in a language and culture familiar to them. Though, 15 minutes towards the end, the generator ran out of fuel. One lady volunteered to walk in the dark to empty the fuel from her motorbike, so the generator could be re-fueled and they could finish the movie! That is dedication.
Villagers Gather to Watch the First Film Some of Them Have Ever Seen, and it is the Gospel Message!
"So do you have more movies?! they asked. "If you have, can we watch it now?!" Now it was quite late.
Perhaps for another time, the village pastor has invited our Create teams to come back to continue to model ministry and film-showings to 30 other villages in the mountainous area, some of which have not yet heard the Good News in a way they can understand. The Karen people are fired up to share the Gospel to their neighbors and other peoples in Northern Thailand. They desire to be mobilized!
On our final day in the village, the pastor asked our CIDTS team to run a church service at last moment's notice. Being good, flexible YWAMers, we obliged and it turned out to be a vibrant experience. All were enlivened throughout the testimonies, preaching, songs, prayer; even a kids' program using Create's Northern Thai animation clips. And in the end, we anointed every member of the church.
Showing the Northern Thai Film in the Village Church Service
We thought we were done for the weekend. Then, the pastor talked about a friend in another village nearby. Recently, this friend became a Christian, but also went to a tree and worshipped the evil spirits. Well, the evil spirits possessed him and he couldn't eat, drink or walk for some time now. At his house, all his relatives were gathered. While Sameh & David worshipped around the house, Fred and Tim led him in repentance, and then casted out his demons. Afterwards, they helped him up and he also began to walk. David continued to worship, while Sameh read Psalm 23 over the delivered man. We encouraged him to eat and drink to be strengthened. As the man bit into a piece of banana, he exclaimed it never tasted so good! His appetite returned visibly that moment.
As he ate his food, we encouraged his family to find someone to read the Bible for him regularly and pray for him. The pastor committed to follow-up. Before we departed, we prayed for the rest of his family and friends, and anointed them too.
"Oh, I feel the house is shaking… I feel like a new man!" he shouted. God delivered not just one, but two men from captivity, using us that weekend.
"Earth, tremble in the presence of the Lord, in the presence of the God of Jacob." -Psalm 114:7
It was an inspirational, uplifting time; and a great memory as outreach phase comes to a close. For more info on the upcoming CIDTS in 2013, visit www.createthailand.com/training Email: cidts@createthailand.com
To get your own copy of the Northern Thai Evangelistic Film with English & Central Thai subtitles, or other evangelistic film & animation, mobilization & training videos, photo CD's, stock footage and more, visit our online store at: www.createinternational.com/store
Free evangelistic resources for your outreaches can be downloaded from our website at www.indigitech.tv
This tongue-in-cheek light hearted Super-hero story doesn't take itself too seriously. But it does take the Gospel very seriously and honors God terrifically. The art is very good, and the quality of the printing and pages of this oversized comic book is excellent as well. I enjoyed the comedy and humor of the story very much, I have often thought that laughter is one of the best ways to win affection for your characters, and if they love your characters the readers just might be willing to listen to the hard Truths of the Gospel via your books.
This book seems like an awesome teaching tool, especially for Sunday school and young people's Bible studies as an educational treat.
You know what's kind of funny is the very first Christian comic I ever read was Bruce Yeo's "Captain Salvation"
I wonder at the coincidence, perhaps God will use it somehow for His great Glory:)
Hands are some of the hardest things to draw right and they're also something that a lot of artists don't bother learning well enough. I have put a lot of effort into getting hands right. Here are some of the things I've done:
1. I have a large filing system with literally thousands of clippings of cars, buildings, faces, and yes hands that I have clipped from magazines and newspaper though the years. I tape the clippings onto a sheet of paper and put that in a well-organized folder. Whenever I have trouble, for example, drawing a hand holding a telephone receiver, I flip to the four pages of clippings I have for hands holding phones in various positions.
2. I also recently hired a photographer friend of mine to take a couple of hundred photos of a man's hands and then a woman's hands in all manner of poses. I have put these photos in their own folder and they are now my first stop when I have a problem drawing hands.
3. On top of that, years ago, I spent quite a few hours going through my favorite Neal Adams-drawn comics and, with tracing paper, tracing all his best hands. (He is the best artist and he always took special care drawing hands--probably from his own photo reference files). The act of tracing helped put a lot of that hand anatomy in my head. Now, I would probably more recommend tracing the hands in my photo clippings instead of another artist's interpretation of reality.
4. Of course, practice sketch (with your clippings in front of you) whenever you can.
So, bascially, my advice is (1) collect clippings, (2) practice by tracing, and (3) practice by sketching/copying. Soon, you will be an expert on drawing hands!
Hello all! Larry Blake and I are hard at work on the second book in 'The New Sons of Thunder' series. We hope to have it available by the end of the year. It occurs to me though that most of you have probably not seen book 1, so I would like to make it available if you are interested. The art is first rate(by Larry) as you can see from the photo's I just posted. The writing is not so good (by me) according to the mixed reviews I've gotten on the stories. Anyway, if you would like a free copy of 'The New Sons of Thunder' Volume 1, please PM me and send me your mailing address, and I will get one out in the mail to you as soon as I can. No charge.
Be well, and be blessed!
Gerry Lee
I hadn't realized that I hadn't posted here since I launched my webcomic back in January. I've been so busy maintaining my buffer along with adding new Reference Pages for the various factions, characters, vehicles, etc. that often I don't get around to all the things I used to. Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well and that your own projects are progressing nicely.
Right now I just finished and scheduled Page 88, and the comic itself is standing at Page 73 if I remember correctly; essentially that gives me five weeks of buffer as I post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. My readership is still small but is growing steadily, and I hope to be able to acquire some merchandise to sell on the site's store in the near future.
The comic's storyline will deal with a lot of currently relevant, real life themes despite being military sci-fi in nature, and it will be told from a Christian perspective (though there are many characters of differing beliefs and worldviews). While I certainly hope to eventually make a livelihood off the comic, the primary focus for why I'm writing it in this manner is to engage folks who otherwise would never pick up a Bible or attend church in a medium they're familiar and comfortable with. Not that webcomics can be any substitute for God's Word or corporate worship, but my hope is that an idea planted here or there might be used in some way to make people think about why the world is the way it is and whether mankind really can fix certain things on our own. Maybe it can open doors that will eventually lead them to come to Christ; I leave that and everything else up to God's will and timing.
Anyway, here's the website's link if anyone would like to come visit sometime:
First photo shows some of the crowd on Saturday at the Phoenix Comic Con. Next is a photo with me and Captain America (God & Country). Next is Bryce Morgan and myself with his Rescue Me comic book. Next is a photo of Naomi's family (with me) in front of the CCAS booth.
Updated my blog earler this week with my wrap-up of the Z Graphic Novels: http://budrogers.com/
by Allyson B.
We were soaked before we even got started. I had predicted that arming DTS students with water guns and buckets was risky and I was proved right before I even entered the base. I turned to level the revenge only staff can on a student and found I was staring down the barrel of another staff member's water pistol. The epic shoot-out that followed was nothing less than expected during the Thai water celebration of the New Year.
New Year in Thailand is called Songkran. Following the traditional calendar of southeast Asia, New Year falls early in April. This ancient celebration, like everything in Thai life, begins with honoring family and inviting good luck for the upcoming year. The water represents a cleansing and the devout Thai Buddhists cleanse their household Buddhas with water and visit a temple to pour water as an offering. The throwing of water on one another originated as a blessing to share the proffered offering.
The modern festival has as much to do with blessing and offering as it ever did, but the gentle pouring of water on a loved one... well, that went right out the window. Songkran happens to fall right in the middle of the hottest weeks of the year. And Chiang Mai happens to be a city surrounded by a moat. And all the Thais and foreign tourists flocking to Chiang Mai for the holiday happen to like a good party. Put it all together and you have a three day city-wide water fight, the likes of which you will never find anywhere else in the world. And in this year of a lingering heat wave, we approached it with a bring-it-on attitude.
This year we were bringing something else, too. In 2011, Create International produced an evangelistic film in the Northern Thai language. The film, When The Storms Come, tells the story of a family dealing with some very prevalent Thai problems: alcohol abuse, violence and fear. A daughter, who has come to know the saving love of Jesus, travels home to her family, bringing a message of hope and help in time to prepare for a destructive storm that threatens their village.
At Create International, we work closely with cultural advisors when making a film to be sure that it is contextual and realistic for the people group. When The Storms Come has received excellent feedback. Once, I asked a Thai neighbor to watch it with me to see if it seemed authentically Thai. She shushed me through the whole thing. Every time I tried to ask if she liked it, or if this part or that was good, she wouldn't take her eyes off the screen and waved her hand at me to be quiet. In the end, she laughed at all the right spots, was transfixed in the serious moments and couldn't stop talking about Jesus.
For the holiday of Songkran, we took the idea of a water blessing and capitalized on it. We had over 1500 copies of our film made and put each one of them in a small waterproof bag along with a contextual Thai tract containing website links and contact information. We attached a small string, the type that Thais use to bless one another, and hung them around our necks. On the first day of Songkran, we grabbed 50 copies each and prayed over them, asking the Holy Spirit to guide us as we gave them away. We filled up our water guns and headed to find the action.
The nucleus of the celebration takes place at the moat that surrounds the old city. By 2:00 in the afternoon, it was barely contained chaos. Buckets of water were thrown on us while we were still on our motorbikes making our way downtown. People grabbed us as we walked, dumped buckets over our heads and pressed hoses onto our backs. The typical Thai reservation and politeness was nowhere to be seen. Perpetually respectful Thai children openly laughed at us as they aimed for the whites of our eyes. It was great.
The best part was when each skirmish was over. We wished them a Happy New Year and blessed them with a polite bow and the gift of a DVD. At one point I felt prompted to hang a copy around the neck of a little boy working a food stand with his mother. He looked as if I had given him a million baht and clutched the DVD like it was something precious. I can't stop thinking about him. Another staff member was led to give a copy to a monk on the steps of his temple.
Over the three days of the festival, we gave away all 1500 copies. Our fervent prayer is that the Lord will use these films to open the hearts of the Northern Thai people. Movies have a unique way of doing that, so we have great expectations. Join us in praying that the films make the rounds within family groups and friends.
And join us for Songkran next year. We'll need some extra hands if we want to unload the 3000 copies we're planning.
Calvin Conkey
International Director, Create International
Global Communication and Resources Centre (GCRC)
PO Box 46 Sam Yaek, Suanprung PO
Chiang Mai, Thailand 50201
International Mobile Phone: +66-801208030
Global website: http://www.createinternational.com/
20/20 Vision website: http://www.global2020vision.com/
Resource Distribution website: http://www.indigitech.tv/
I ran across this news today. Great idea and model that could help us our Christian creators and market. See the news summary below.
"American Muscle": a race against nothing across a post-apocalyptic America. "Triggergirl 6": the perfect assassin — except for her conscience. These are the first two titles showcased in the new Image Comics anthology, CREATOR OWNED HEROES, edited by Jimmy Palmiotti.
"Creator-owned" isn't just a business model — it's also a publishing philosophy that focuses on creators of comics, who retain the ownership and all the rights to their creations, rather than on "properties" that are corporate property. CREATOR OWNED HEROES was created not only as a vehicle for creators' creativity but emphasize the importance of this model to the reading public.
"With Creator Owned Heroes we wanted to not only have a place to introduce new ideas and concepts, but to give the reader a place to come each and every month to interact and explore the world around us," said Palmiotti. "This is a personal project that will continue to grow with the support of our readers and I for one am looking forward to its evolution. "
In "American Muscle," written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) with Kevin Mellon (HEART) on art duties, a group of rebels break off from the last stronghold of human civilization in search of a fabled paradise on what used to be the West coast of the United States. What they find, however, is something much different...
"Triggergirl 6," by Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex, QUEEN CRAB), Justin Gray (Power Girl, Jonah Hex) on the writing side and art by Phil Noto (Avengers: The Origin, THE INFINITE HORIZON) offers a very different kind of future, one where a woman designed to be a perfect killer can be created in a tank and then let loose on the world.
The first issue of the monthly anthology also includes interviews with comics and literature superstar Neil Gaiman and with cosplaying twins Juli and Alex Abene, who created a Triggergirl costume based on an incentive cover of the first issue.
CREATOR OWNED HEROES #1 is a 40-page, full-color comic book available for $3.99. It is available now for pre-order from the April issue of Previews and hits stores on June 6.
The God Scene Show with Mel and Nicole, Tonight TUESDAY April 24th from 8:40pm-9:40pm EST at www.prolifick.com. Tonight we discuss the Holy Spirit.
The God Scene Show with Mel and Nicole tonight Tuesday April 17th 8:40pm-9:40pm EST at www.prolifick.com. Teaching by Nicole. Also Christian comic writer Cameron Micheals interviewed.
For more info http://weaponpress.com/GS.html
The God Scene Show with Mel and Nicole tonight Tuesday April 10th 8:40pm-9:40pm EST at www.prolifick.com. Teaching by Nicole titled THINK ON THESE THINGS(part 4.) Also Ben Avery interviewed.
For more info http://weaponpress.com/GS.html
Flavia Guttler : Artist
Shawn Strickland: Writer
Knightingail has always been intended to be allegorical. Yes, it is an all-ages, fun, fantasy-adventure comic book series similar to Bone, Elfquest, or literary works like LOTR. But it is also an allegory similar to Chronicles of Narnia.
Members of CCAS should immediately see a very striking parallel when they read the first mini-series. However, in memorial of Easter, I have specifically identified this parallel in the two pictures I just posted here.
To be clear though, Knightingail is not a representation of Jesus (whereas Aslan was in the Lewis books). Knightingail is a representation of us. She made mistakes, and it is those mistakes which lead to her failures. However, she repented and was transformed into a new creature by the "Sovereign One". It is after that transformation she is able to begin her real journey in living out that new life she has received. That story will be told in future issues.
If you haven't picked up the 6-issue mini-series, it is available on my website/store at www.Knightingail.com. I appreciate the support as there is a financial component that has to be conquered first before I can start taking the rest of the story out of my head and down on paper. While Redemption is the theme of the first mini-series, the rest of the series will draw deeper parallels. But also they'll just be a totally great read!
Good. Evil.
The ultimate expression of each existing in the same moment. But how? The ultimate act of evil - the murder of the only sinless man – Israel’s Messiah and God’s Son – seen in the cross. The ultimate act of good - God offering Himself up in the person of Yeshua Mashiach, the innocent standing in the place of the guilty, paying the debt only He could pay, that “whosoever believes” would have life eternal – also, in the cross. Both events the same event, for what man meant for evil God intended for good ... “to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
The wood He hung on an execution stake – a cross of dead wood – a “tree” of good and evil. And in what Jesus accomplished on the cross, that tree of good and evil becomes to the one who believes ... a tree of life.
Good.
A very blessed and joy-filled “Good” Friday to all.
In Messiah,
Lee
