C. Edward Sellner

More Books of Creation Art

2011-06-10T10:00:00.007-04:00

Even with all this other creative stuff going on, Books of Creation presses on! Here are the various incarnations of page 3 (as mobile screens, print and web comic pages). Enjoy.

Headlocked Set to Return!

2011-06-09T10:00:00.006-04:00

We billed it as the World's First REAL Wrestling Comic, and it's still the world's ONLY REAL Wrestling Comic! Headlocked shot to critical acclaim with the debut of the Work of Art one-shot, then continued with the hit mini-series The Tryout. A special edition, convention exclusive trade hit last summer. Well, this summer, another preview special will be out at conventions, featuring three all new stories, two by the new art team of J.C. Grande and myself. JC was part of Visionary way back, went on to do some cool stuff, including work for Image, and now takes up the reigns with Headlocked. Here's a couple pages from one of the shorts in the Preview special.

Deadlands Updates

2011-06-08T20:01:00.002-04:00

Yes, the final countdown to the release of Deadlands Book 1! It hits stores next week my friends! Look for this fantastic cover by Steve Ellis.

Check out the latest reviews on Devil's Six Gun...

Newsarama: "Knock you for a Loop"

Kleefeld on Comics

The Most Unread: "Jaw Dropped"

Two out of three so far specifically highlight the backup feature I wrote with art from Oz Capristo, with kind words as well as nothing but praise for the lead team of Gallaher and Ellis!

Speaking of those guys, their New England tour is confirmed for June 25-26th as they hit Larry's Comics, Friendly Neighborhood Comics and Jetpack Comics. Visionary Business Manager Charlie Hall and myself will be hitting a number of Maryland stores from June 15-20th, so make sure you join us at one of our stops. Tour details for both should get posted before the end of the week.

Also keep in mind you can now pre-order books 2 & 3, here's all the info...

MASSACRE AT REDWING

By Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Lee Moder
PREVIEWS ORDER CODE
MAY110505 PRE-ORDER NOW!!!
SHIPS JULY 20, 2011
Clementime is a young woman, a shaman, with a tragic past and a mysterious destiny. She's on a quest to learn the truth of her family and to seek vengeance against the man who ruined her life...her father. A tale of mysticism and mayhem by the writing team of Jonah Hex.

DEATH WAS SILENT
By Ron Marz & Bart Sears
PREVIEWS ORDER CODE
JUN110537 PRE-ORDER NOW!!!
SHIPS AUGUST 17, 2011
A mute bounty-hunter rides into town with his prize slung over his horse, but things aren't what they seem and the Bounty Hunter may just find more than he bargained for and more than he can handle! It's a lone gunslinger tale with lots of gore and glory by the team of Marz and Sears!

And in case you missed it, we also recently announced the initial plans for all new Deadlands prose, starting with the dime-novel Jackson's Shadow, cover posted. This should be out by the end of June.

And, also coming this summer will be a line of Visionary Prints featuring the major players of Deadlands! These will be available at select conventions, shows and online in July.

It's a great time to be a Deadlands fan.

Just a Little Reminder...

2011-05-31T21:58:00.001-04:00

Deadlands: Jackson's Shadow

2011-05-26T01:34:00.000-04:00

We'll be doing a line of Deadlands prose as well as the comics. Full plans are still being worked out, but we will debut a line of novellas and short stories for the digital book market and a limited print run for conventions and such, prior to rolling out the full line. First up is a fantastic story by Bernd Struben entitled Jackson's Shadow. I will be providing the full color art covers for the first releases so thought I'd tease the first cover. Enjoy.

And Another Mention...

2011-05-19T10:14:00.000-04:00

Newsarama Beats the Drums of Horror with Writer El Torres!

Newsarama also did an in-depth interview with Drums creator and writer El Torres on the new series coming from Image, edited by yours truly. I'm pretty excited because this is my first series from Malaka that I was involved with editorially from the launch.

So, let's see, that means two headline articles on Newsarama in the same day, mention my name. Hmm, must mean something, right?

Deadlands First Review!

2011-05-18T23:56:00.000-04:00

NEWSARAMA: DEADLANDS WILL "TRULY KNOCK YOU FOR A LOOP"

Thanks to Newsarama for posting the first pre-release review of Book 1 of Deadlands! We got a glowing review in their "Best Shots Advance Review" feature, front-lined on the site. They had nothing but praise for Gallaher and Ellis with their finely crafted tale, and they even seem to think I know what to do with my writing as well in the backup with maestro OZ Capristo.

So, you gonna get knocked for a loop by Deadlands?

BREAKING NEWS: DEVIL'S SIX GUN TOUR ANNOUNCED

2011-05-18T23:49:00.000-04:00

Deadlands will hit the New England Area with an exclusive variant cover and limited tour by creators David Gallaher and Steve Ellis. The event will be sponsored by NECRA and take place right around release of Book 1!

Details coming soon, but check out the EXCLUSIVE VARIANT COVER by STEVE ELLIS!

_____________________________________
Many thanks to Larry Doherty and Ralph DiBernardo of the New England Comics Retailer Association for sponsoring this tour. We are thrilled that Deadlands is getting this kind of positive attention from retailers across the country. It's being heralded as Summer's First Hit and the All-Star Western series that will put westerns on the map in the mainstream comics market.

We like hearing things like that.

Deadlands Bonus

2011-05-10T17:13:00.000-04:00

As a blog exclusive, here are the first three pages from the first chapter of the super-secret backup Oscar Capristo and I are springing on the Deadlands universe! Line art is by Oscar, I wrote the script and did the color work. I'm posting the black and white art as well as the color, so this can also serve as part of my coloring portfolio. (Yep, multi-tasking) Enjoy!

formspring.me

2011-05-03T00:01:00.001-04:00

With all the news on Deadlands, surely some of you have questions. Retailers? Fans? Media? Shoot, and I will be happy to answer.

The Fantastic Four

2011-05-02T13:51:00.000-04:00

When I learned that this year was the 50th Anniversary of the Fantastic Four, and one of the anniversaries marked by the San Diego Comic-Con Souvenir Book, I opted to throw my hat in the ring. So, here they are, the four founding members in their original uniforms that first appeared in issue #3. I have taken a few liberties and included some more modern conventions, like the change in appearance of the Human Torch, and the Invisible (then) Girl's hairdo, but I wanted to capture them as they were in those early, glory days.

Jacob Bascle added the letters to the one combo image, which we submitted to SDCC for their Souvenir book this year. The full sized shot will be a print I offer for sale online and at cons later this year. Enjoy.

Deadlands: The Devil's Six Gun Preview Art

2011-05-02T11:05:00.000-04:00

Speaking of Deadlands...
Here's the 10 preview pages of book 1 that CBR recently featured, full art by the maestro Steve Ellis. (You might want to sit back from your computer so you don't drool all over the keyboard.)

And here's the link to the article if you want to go rave about it there...
CBR EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW PAGES OF BOOK 1

DEADLANDS: Pre-Order Books 1 & 2 NOW!

2011-05-02T10:50:00.000-04:00

I just cannot tell you how excited I am about our Deadlands titles coming from Image starting in June. Apparently I'm not alone in that excitement. I'm hearing things like All-Star Western and Summer's First Hit, tossed around online by media and blogs daily.

It's also been a real joy to work with these teams, consummate professionals all! The work they are turning in for these books is pure awesome. Ron Marz is one of the best in the biz and he's assembled a dream team (with some input from yours truly)! When I read David Gallaher's script for The Devil's Six Gun I knew we were in for a treat. Watching Steve Ellis' pages roll in was...well...wow. Then Jimmy P's and Justin G's script, now Lee Moder's art is rolling in for Massacre at Red Wing. Bart Sears' cover for Death Was Silent, and Francesco shared some art that shows his style and approach he wants to use for Hopeless Roads. Every day has been like Christmas.

And that's not even touching the backup story I'm writing and coloring with fantastic artist Oscar Capristo, the super secret feature we can't even tell you the name of, else it will ruin the surprise. By all counts we've got a hit with this that neither Oz or myself can wait to spin into an ongoing monthly! (Fingers crossed...)

So, here's the latest and greatest info on all the books, including Pre-Order info on books 1 & 2!
______________________________________________

Image Comics is proud to announce a partnership with Visionary Comics and Pinnacle Entertainment to bring the award-winning RPG Deadlands to comics...with a vengeance! Deadlands will debut with four one-shots, running June-September, with stand alone front feature stories by the best in the business in the genre of western-horror. A four part backup series will run through all issues.

THE DEVIL'S SIX GUN
By David Gallaher & Steve Ellis
APRIL PREVIEWS ORDER CODE
APR110410 PRE-ORDER NOW!!!
SHIPS JUNE 15, 2011
Copernicus Blackburne is about to sell his soul to make the perfect weapon. A Faustian tale of the Deadlands by the Harvey Award winning team of High Moon.

MASSACRE AT REDWING
By Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Lee Moder
MAY PREVIEWS ORDER CODE
MAY110505 PRE-ORDER NOW!!!
SHIPS JULY 20, 2011
Clementime is a young woman, a shaman, with a tragic past and a mysterious destiny. She's on a quest to learn the truth of her family and to seek vengeance against the man who ruined her life...her father. A tale of mysticism and mayhem by the writing team of Jonah Hex.

DEATH WAS SILENT
By Ron Marz & Bart Sears
PRE-ORDER IN JUNE PREVIEWS
SHIPS AUGUST 17, 2011
A mute bounty-hunter rides into town with his prize slung over his horse, but things aren't what they seem and the Bounty Hunter may just find more than he bargained for and more than he can handle! It's a lone gunslinger tale with lots of gore and glory by the team of Marz and Sears!

HOPELESS ROADS
By Steve Niles & Francesco Francavilla
PRE-ORDER IN JULY PREVIEWS
SHIPS SEPTEMBER 21, 2011
Masters of the macabre and noire, Steve Niles and Francesco Francavilla tell a frightening tale of a family who must struggle against overwhelming odds in the barren Deadlands of the Old West!

Our Partners:
Pinnacle Entertainment
Image Comics
Strider Nolan Media

NEWS AND INTERVIEWS
CBR does the first exclusive interview with Ron Marz & C. Sellner
MTV Geek Takes a Trip to the Deadlands with Gallaher & Ellis

ART CORNER
Check out some designs and preliminary covers for issues!!

CBR EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW PAGES OF BOOK 1

Malaka Studios Trifecta

2011-05-01T18:11:00.000-04:00

Seemed like a good time to update everyone on the most current news from the three Malaka Studios books I edited for Juan Torres and crew. Nancy is doing well in trade, all four issues of Suicide Forest are out, and Drums pick up this May. Hope everyone is checking out these great titles.
_____________________________________

Available NOW in Stores!

NANCY IN HELL TRADE PAPERBACK
IMAGE COMICS / $12.99
Story: El Torres / Art: Juan Jose Ryp & Malaka Studios

The hit, mature-readers, gore-fest that's the story of a girl gone to Hell is now collected together in one volume, with a gorgeous new Ryp cover and a never before published short story.
Nancy was a cheerleader with a great life: captain of the football team for a boyfriend, good friends, and some occasional habits that didn't really hurt anyone, even if they weren't strictly legal. But that all ended after an ill-fated camping trip that started as the best weekend of her life, and turned out to be the last weekend of her life. Now she's in Hell, and whether deserved or not...she's getting out!

SUICIDE FOREST
4-Issue Series / IDW / $3.99 / Available NOW!
Writer: El Torres / Art: Gaby Hernández / Edits: C. Edward Sellner
Just outside of Tokyo lies Aokigahara, a vast forest and one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in Japan… which is also the most famous suicide spot in the entire world. Legend has it that the spirits of those many suicides are still roaming—haunting deep in those ancient woods.

This series from the creators of the acclaimed The Veil examines the lives of Alan, an average worker from Tokyo and his rather unhealthy relationship with Masami, and Ryoko, a forest ranger who recovers the suicide victim’s bodies from the woods. We discover that behind Ryoko’s unconcerned surface lies a secret, and these three lives will be forever changed by the darkness waiting for them in the Suicide Forest.

Coming Soon to Comic Shops

DRUMS
4-ISSUE SERIES / IMAGE COMICS / $2.99
DIAMOND ORDER CODES: #1: MAR110519 / #2: APR110501 / #3: MAY110506
#4: Pre-Order in June

Writer: El Torres
Art: Abe Hernando & Kwaichang Kraneo / Covers: Raul Allen
32 Pages / FC

In our world there exists an ancient religion with many names and many disguises: Candomble, Palo Mayombe, Santeria... Voodoo. FBI agent Martin Irons is sent to investigate the sudden deaths of an entire gathering of followers at a ceremony, an assignment horrible enough before one of the mangled corpses rises and leads him on a sinister path. A new horror story with possesions, santeros, zombies... all set to the thunderous boom of drums!

Visionary Comic Classes Registration NOW OPEN!

2011-05-01T17:11:00.000-04:00

This has been updated on the Classes page as well, but thought I would post it up front to catch everyone's attention. Register now for the Summer Session before it fills up!

Visionary's Comic Classes OPEN NOW!

When Visionary launched in 2006, it was as a Teaching Studio, designed to assist aspiring creators in gaining the skills and knowledge needed to build a career in comics. That goal has always remained part of our vision. VCS alumni have gone on to work for the likes of DC, Image, Top Cow, BOOM, Dynamite and many other top publishers! Starting this Summer, Visionary takes it to an all new level. In partnership with Anne Arundel Community College, Visionary is proud to announce the first classes in our Comic Book Curriculum! These classes taught by Visionary's Creative Director, C. Edward Sellner, will each focus on different aspects of the comic book industry and be designed to give you much needed skills and knowledge to pursue your dreams!

SUMMER SESSION 2011 :: REGISTRATION OPEN NOW
Comic Book Creation and Design:: 6 Weekly Sessions:
Wednesdays 6/22-7/27, 6:30-8:30PM REGISTER ONLINE NOW
This 6 session series will focus on teaching comic design and creation basics, with hands on practice and individual critique. Learn what goes into comic creation and how to make it work!

FALL SESSION 2011 :: Registration opens in June
Introduction to the Comic Book Industry:: Single Session:
Thursday 9/29/11, 7:00-9:00PM
This single session intense introduction focuses on learning the nature of the Comic Book BUSINESS, how it works, what it's goals are, and the dynamics you need to understand to work in it successfully.

Comic Book Creation and Design:: 6 Weekly Sessions:
Saturdays 10/15-11/17, 9:30AM-12:00PM
This 6 session series will focus on teaching comic design and creation basics, with hands on practice and individual critique. Learn what goes into comic creation and how to make it work!

Explore Anne Arundel Community College
Fall Session classes registration will open this Summer.

DEADLANDS: The Devil's Six Gun APR110410

2011-03-18T18:50:00.000-04:00

Image Comics is proud to announce a partnership with Visionary Comics and Pinnacle Entertainment to bring the award-winning RPG Deadlands to comics...with a vengeance!

Deadlands will debut with four one-shots, running June - September, with stand alone front feature stories by the best in the business in the genre of western-horror.

THE DEVIL'S SIX GUN
By David Gallaher & Steve Ellis
ORDER CODE APR110410
SHIPS JUNE 15, 2011

Copernicus Blackburne is about to sell his soul to make the perfect weapon. A Faustian tale of the Deadlands by the Harvey Award winning team of High Moon.

Our Partners:
Pinnacle Entertainment / IMAGE COMICS

INTERVIEW WITH RON MARZ AND C. EDWARD SELLNER ON CBR!

THE DEADLANDS ART CORNER: Check out exclusive art!!

Deadlands Art

2011-03-17T21:22:00.000-04:00

Well, things are progressing along beautifully on our Deadlands comics! David Gallaher and Steve Ellis are moving along on book 1! Script has been finalized and designs, cover and layouts are approved, meaning Steve is now doing finished art! Jimme Palmiotti and Justin Gray got the first draft of their script in as well. Lee Moder has done main character designs and cover line art, and Michael Atiyeh just finished gorgeously rendering it in color. Meanwhile, I've gotten the first two chapters of my script done, and Oscar Capristo has also gotten designs and layouts approved for part one, and has started the actual pages! YeeHaw!

With all that, I couldn't resist...here is a sneak peek at some of the art that is just regularly flooding my email in box on a daily basis. (Yes, I do keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.)

Character Design by Oscar Capristo

Belle, matron of the Old West by Oscar Capristo

Copernicus Blackburne, designs by Steve Ellis

Clementime by Lee Moder, colors by Michael Atiyeh

The cover to book one, Devil's Six Gun by Steve Ellis

Design for the Devil's Six Gun by Steve Ellis

Design for the Devil's Six Gun and S. Tygian by Steve Ellis

VISIONARY AND IMAGE VISIT DEADLANDS

2011-03-04T16:16:00.000-05:00

Image Comics is proud to announce a partnership with Visionary Comics and Pinnacle Entertainment to bring the award-winning RPG Deadlands to comics...with a vengeance!

Deadlands will debut with four one-shots, running June-September, with stand alone front feature stories by the best in the business in the genre of western-horror. Books will feature the talents of David Gallaher, Steve Ellis, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, Lee Moder, Ron Marz, Bart Sears, Steve Niles, Francesco Francavilla, and Michael Atiyeh.

Deadlands is a high profile RPG, having won every award in the gaming industry. It helped define the Weird Western genre! Each book will introduce the story and the world to appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike. Gamers will find a world you already love brought to vivid life. Non-gamers who enjoy westerns, horror, or steam punk will be introduced to a world of magic, shadows and six-guns that will hook you from page one.

In addition, the four one-shots will each feature one chapter of a four part back-up story, by C. Edward Sellner and Oscar Capristo so if you collect all four, you get a bonus fifth comic free!

The first Deadlands one-shot, The Devil's Six-Gun, by David Gallaher & Steve Ellis will be solicited in the April Previews and available in June. Pre-Order and make sure you get yours!

Visit Pinnacle Entertainment

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today.

GET THE FIRST EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RON MARZ AND C. EDWARD SELLNER ON CBR!

YES!
We are finally live and public on this MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT! I can finally talk about this! for the last year we've been laying the groundwork for this launch, getting the license, signing the funding, signing the talent, signing the publisher...but now is where it gets fun! Trust me, there will be a lot more coming from us on a regular basis on Deadlands, right up through the day each book hits the stands! Check back here often!

Drums Coming from Image in May!

2011-03-01T17:21:00.000-05:00

DRUMS #1 (of 4)
Story: El Torres
Art: Abe Hernando / Kwaichang Kraneo
Cover: Raul Allen
May 18 / 32 PAGES / FC / $2.99

"LET THE BATÁA SPEAK"
There exists an ancient religion with many names and many disguises: Candomble, Santeria... Voodoo. FBI agent Martin Irons is sent to investigate the sudden deaths of an entire gathering of followers at a ceremony, an assignment horrible enough before one of the mangled corpses rises and leads him on a sinister path. A new horror story with possessions, santeros, zombies... all set to the thunderous boom of drums!
_______________________________________

Yep, I'm editing another series over at Image, with El Torres and Malaka Studios! This one deals with all kinds of fun stuff as you can see by the official solicit copy above. Make sure you pre-order this at your local shop!

Creation WIP

2011-02-20T16:56:00.000-05:00

Here's a digital painting I'm working on as well, in progress...

New God Design

2011-02-20T11:54:00.000-05:00

Books of Creation is still moving forward. Here is a new design element to be used in the actual pages. We have God's full form, as it would appear as he is about to cast down the soon-to-be Fallen. Enjoy.

THE MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT

2011-02-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

I've been hinting for some time now that there was a major announcement coming from Visionary regarding a license and the books we're developing based on it. Well, I still can't tell you what it is, but I can tell you when we're telling you! Friday, March 4, at Emerald City Comicon, during the Image Panel: Image Introduces Your New Favorites! We will be making the full announcement and listing the Who's Who of creators launching the license with us! If you can't be there, don't worry, because the news will be hitting all your favorite comics media sites immediately thereafter. Hmm, I guess I am announcing that we're working with Image though, aren't I?

First News on My New Comic Book Classes

2011-02-11T14:59:00.000-05:00

ATTENTION ASPIRING COMIC CREATORS!!

Introduction to the Comic Book Industry:: Single Session: Thursday 9/29/11, 7:00-9:00PM
This single session intense introduction focuses on learning the nature of the Comic Book BUSINESS, how it works, what it's goals are, and the dynamics you need to understand to work in it successfully.

Comic Book Creation and Design:: 6 Weekly Sessions:
Summer Session: Wednesdays 6/22-7/27, 6:30-8:30PM
Fall Session: Saturdays 10/15-11/17, 9:30AM-12:00PM
This 6 session series will focus on teaching comic design and creation basics, with hands on practice and individual critique. Learn what goes into comic creation and how to make it work!

Explore Anne Arundel Community College

We will provide direct links to register for the courses once added to their online catalog!

________________________________________________

So yes, its official, I am taking over as the resident Comic Book Arts and Design Adjunct Professor at Anne Arundel Community College as of the Summer Session, and have been working with the Lifelong Learning Coordinator to start expanding the series as of the Fall. I'm pretty excited about it and can't wait for the summer!

I will be posting this information under the Classes/Resources page for easy access and will update the entry with links to register for the courses online as soon as that is available. But mark the dates and keep them open!

We do have some long term plans to expand the program and even hopefully move it from non-credit to credit courses in a certificate program. The more we expand it, the more we can use it to help launch the careers of tomorrow's stars.

Books of Creation :: Artistic Musings

2011-01-23T15:48:00.000-05:00

Now that my life is settling down a good bit, I'm getting creative again, which is a great feeling after months in upheaval and focusing on business stuff. So, naturally, I'm revisiting Books of Creation and ramping it back up. This time I'm thinking to build a buzz by launching it in various formats digitally, and then hopefully in print, so, I'm prepping pages in differing formats from the get go. Here's the first several mobile screen shots, and the first 2 new print and webcomic pages. Enjoy.

Happy New Year! 2011 Update

2011-01-18T16:57:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone has been having a great new year. I know I have. Despite some of the issues going on in the broader world, I have to admit I've continued thoroughly enjoying being back home! It is good to be back among family and many friends, renewing some great relationships and yes, even experiencing winter, snow and all. Lots of stuff has been going on since the holidays, so I thought I would catch everyone up to speed.

Vincent Price Presents #24: Pawns
This book finally hit shelves after several delays and lots of confusion over the number of the issue, dates it was supposed to ship etc. But, it's out and that's the important thing. Thanks to Darren Davis for letting me dip my pen in his sandbox, and to Manoel Magalhães for making me look good with his art!
The preview on CBR is still available...
And if you don't trust me that the book is good, the review on Horrortalk...
Thanks for the words of support from many of you who read it and told me you liked it.

Nancy in Hell Trade Paperback
The first series I stepped up to bat on for Malaka Studios, published by Image. I originally came on board at #3, but went back and edited the first couple issues for this trade edition, so you gotta get the trade! Not to mention the gorgeous new Ryp cover. I think the team did a fantastic job on this series and it is a load of fun, you know, if you're into bad girls beating the hell out of...well Hell. Apparently lots of reviewers agree with me...

Suicide Forest #1-4
The first two issues of this great horror series are out now, with #3 hitting in February and #4 in March. I came on board editing as of #2 and love this series. It's a great concept, fantastic setting and really well done tale. El Torres is a great writer, and the art from Gaby Hernandez, well, just makes me jealous, my highest compliment. You really should hunt down the first issues and pick up the rest when they come out. It's been getting great reviews as well, so don't just take my word for it.

I'll be posting a good bit of art in the next few days as well, a freelance gig, teaser sketches and designs for our license project, and the return of one of my solo projects, now that life is settling and letting me get back to creating stuff. So, yeah, it's shaping up to be a good year. More soon.

Merry Christmas! Get a FREE Comic!

2010-12-22T20:01:00.000-05:00

I wanted to be sure and wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas, or very Happy Holidays, whatever holiday you may celebrate! My life is finally settling down in Maryland. Its been great to be with family for the Christmas season. I'm working on a few things that will be debuting after the first of the year, and Visionary will FINALLY be making our MAJOR announcement (about time)! So 2011 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for us.

In the meantime, I wanted to give each one of you a Christmas gift, so...
GET A FREE COPY OF DIGITAL VISIONS #4!

Okay, so technically all issues of DV are free, and yeah, technically its more a gift from Visionary, but hey, a gift is a gift is a gift right? Feel free to add me to your gift lists in exchange.
Get it now on DRIVE-THRU / WOWIO

And it seems we're wrapping 2010 with a pretty nice bow as well. Check out these latest news links to Visionary related projects...

Torres Searches the Suicide Forest on Comic Book Resources!

Grynn & Barrett Returns in Digital Webbing Presents #4

Aposperos Makes Surman's Top Five Indy Titles of 2010!

Deity Creator Karl Alstaetter on MTV News

It has been real nice to see Aposperos getting a lot of buzz and making a top five list for the year is a huge thing, congrats to Nektarios Chrissos and Georgios Martzoukos on that.

God bless, and as you enjoy these holidays, remember what they're really about, because all of that is far more important than the flash and cheezy gifts, even comics.

A More Personal Update

2010-12-01T17:51:00.000-05:00

Life is interesting. After planning to relocate to San Diego, a number of personal and family related issues developed that before the ink dried on my apartment deal, I decided it was important to come back to the East Coast, to be near family. So there it is, I'm in Maryland for the time being. We shall see where things go from here. Thanks to friends and family for all the support during what feels like an extended time of limbo. Did I mention life is interesting?

Suicide Forest from IDW - Issue 1 in Stores 12/22 - Pre-Order #2-3 Now!

2010-11-13T00:09:00.000-05:00

SUICIDE FOREST #1-3
IDW / DIAMOND ORDER CODE AND SHIP DATES:
#1:Available December 22, 2010
Pre-Order: #2:NOV100398 JAN2011
Pre-Order: #3:DEC100412 FEB2011

Writer: El Torres / Art: Gaby Hernández
Edits: C. Edward Sellner

Just outside of Tokyo lies Aokigahara, a vast forest and one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in Japan… which is also the most famous suicide spot in the entire world. Legend has it that the spirits of those many suicides are still roaming—haunting deep in those ancient woods.

This series from the creators of the acclaimed The Veil examines the lives of Alan, an average worker from Tokyo and his rather unhealthy relationship with Masami, and Ryoko, a forest ranger who recovers the suicide victim’s bodies from the woods. We discover that behind Ryoko’s unconcerned surface lies a secret, and these three lives will be forever changed by the darkness waiting for them in the Suicide Forest.
_____________________________________

Yep another series from Malaka Studios that I'm editing. This is a dark, horror tale set in the infamous Suicide Forest of Japan. It is another fantastic tale from writer, El Torres with hauntingly perfect art by Gaby Hernandez. Once again, I'm thrilled to be part of the team. Be sure to pre-order this at your local retailer in order to guarantee you get your copy.

Vincent Price Presents #24: Pawns in Stores!

2010-11-06T23:54:00.000-04:00

BLUEWATER PRODUCTIONS
Story: C. Edward Sellner / Art: Manoel Magalhães

C. Edward Sellner takes up pen to tell a macabre story of monsters, damsels in distress and young heroics, but in this tale, nothing is quite what it seems! Ready for a great chase through the woods?

Featuring the dynamic art of Manoel Magalhães. This issue will be the first 'unofficial' Visionary Universe comic.

CHECK OUT THE PREVIEW ON COMIC BOOK RESOURCES!
CLICK HERE FOR A GREAT REVIEW OF THE BOOK ON HORRORTALK.COM!

Nancy in Hell #4 in Stores NOW!

2010-10-05T00:09:00.000-04:00

IMAGE COMICS / $2.99

Writer: El Torres / Artist: Juan Jose Ryp & Malaka Studios

The final issue of this series hits stands! Nancy and Lucifer have fought their way across the savage landscape of Hell. Now they reach the end of their journey as they arrive at the monolithic Gates. There they must face their greatest and most dangerous challenge. Mister Macabre's agenda for Nancy is finally revealed. This one packs one HELL of an ending!

Newsarama's Exclusive Preview of Nancy in Hell #4

Issues #1-3 should still be available at many of your finer local comic shops or for re-order from Diamond.

Inkwell Awards Roundtable Interview 2010

2010-10-04T23:57:00.001-04:00

For the full interview Click Here!

New Commission Piece

2010-09-13T19:42:00.000-04:00

Musician Alex Davis liked the first cover, but we opted to run that as one of the interior panels of the foldout CD Cover and do something a little more abstract for the frontispiece. So, the goal was to come up with something that echoed that first piece but was a little more mystical. Thus this second piece. The blending of the two skies, this time, over a body of water, the idea being we are sailing from the real world into a world of dreams. Hope you like it.

Again, you can check out Alex's music at The Music of Alex Davis. He has the first pre-release song available as a free download, you should check it out, his stuff is great.

What it Means to Be Christian

2010-09-09T16:04:00.000-04:00

Given all the press surrounding so-called Christian groups lately, and Anne Rice's recent renunciation of Christianity in the name of Christ, I thought perhaps it was time I chime in on the whole subject, in one of my rare online editorials. So brace yourselves, here it comes!

Most modern definitions of Christian are in fact wrong. They refer to a Christian as someone who 'professes belief in Christ' or, better yet, someone who 'is part of the religion of Christianity' or a 'practitioner of the religion of Christianity'. While all these definitions capture aspects or possible traits of a Christian, they miss the true root meaning of the term. Christian, or the Greek word, Χριστιανός means follower of Christ. The ending of the word, coming from the Latin, implies ownership, even slave ownership, thus Christians would be owned by Christ, slaves to his will. This is the meaning of the term going back to its roots, and should be how the term is understood today.

Why? What difference does it make? A lot.

To define someone as Christian merely because they proclaim or profess it is ludicrous and demeaning. Were I to profess being an African-American woman, it wouldn't make me one. Were I to profess being the President of the United States I don't think Obama would feel the need to start packing. The simple fact of the matter is the term Christian means, and requires far more than simple profession.

Likewise to define a Christian as someone who follows or adheres to the religion of Christianity is still missing the mark, admittedly, not as huge a miss as the above, but still way out in left field. The religion of Christianity is merely the corporate body of Christians and their collected teachings going back to the Gospel. In and of itself, it can be true, but its a bit of putting the cart before the horse. Am I a Democrat because I belong to the Democratic party? No, I belong to the Democratic party because I am a Democrat.

First, being Christian is a personal thing, it is a matter of the heart, a matter of personal faith. It is not instilled simply because someone goes to a Church on Sunday morning. I've known plenty of people sitting in Churches who were never Christian.

Second, being Christian is a lifestyle, a belief system, a structural framework for living. If you are truly 'owned' by Christ, a slave to Christ, then your life, your hopes, your goals, your words, actions and thoughts are based in and reflect Christ in all that you are.

Does this mean you will be perfect and always adhere, or follow Christ? Certainly not, but if you are truly being Christian, you will grow in your ability to recognize those parts of your life not in alignment with your belief system. You will also get better at recognizing the times and ways you slip in that belief, or in that code. You will come to recognize those as mistakes, or 'sin' of omission or commission. If truly pursuing your faith you will find those times more and more undesired and want to bring yourself more and more into line with what you truly believe.

Does this mean you aren't part of a community? Definitely not. Humans are social creatures, we tend to seek out others of similar belief who will help us define ourselves, sometimes in agreement, sometimes in dissension. But, if you're doing this right, your faith is between you and God, your practice and sharing of it is the nature of your community. You don't draw your beliefs from the community, but help define your own faith in the process of comparing and contrasting it with the community. As a Pastor, the best Churches I was part of were those with a diversity of belief within the congregation, people who were in dynamic but loving dialogue with one another, often disagreeing, but willing to listen to the other point of view, even when it was their Pastor's.

So what of these groups that keep making the news? I say they should be put to the test, are they Christian? Well, by those ludicrous definitions our modern society has given the term, yeah, because they 'profess' to be. But are they Christian by the original meaning of the term? Are they true followers of Christ?

Did Christ preach hatred? Never. Christ preached love, over and over again. He showed it in his actions, his teachings, his relationships. His dying on the cross was the supreme act of love for all people.

Did Christ practice a theology of fear? Nope. One of his most oft used phrases was 'do not be afraid'. Christ called his followers to go into the world with open hands, open arms and open hearts. When faced even with the threat of death himself, or knowing it would come for his followers, his teaching was to continue to reach out, continue to love, continue to offer your open hand, never to react in fear and paranoia.

Did Christ preach bigotry? Never. Several stories in the Gospel show Christ teaching, sharing and spending time with Samaritans, a racial group little loved by the Jews, and perhaps the most outcast of their time for that culture. His love for that group is clear in those stories. He also showed compassion to Romans, a race of people practicing pagan beliefs who held a military occupancy of the Jewish homeland. The Romans practiced what could easily be described as acts of terrorism and oppression toward the Jews.

Did Christ denounce any faith system? Never. Christ taught within the Jewish community, started a movement that during his lifetime was within the Jewish faith, it only split off into its own religion later. While he openly welcomed any who sought to follow him, he never condemned someone simply because they did not. He cautioned on false faith, he stated his path was to God, but he never attacked an individual, or denounced a system of faith.

Did Christ burn any Torahs? Just the thought is ludicrous. He quoted from the Old Testament through much of his teaching, but he also at points clearly stated that there was much more to the truth than was contained within it. However, despite he treated those scriptures with reverence. Christ also never condemned any other religion. Yes, his mission was to the Jewish people, there to plant the seeds of a faith that would grow to encompass 'Gentiles' through the outreach and mission work of Paul and those who followed him. But Christ also encountered several Gentiles who came to him seeking healing, or seeking forgiveness and he never required them to convert to Judaism, or renounce their own religion. He instead accepted them based on their faith in him.

Did Christ ever do anything that could be seen as antagonistic, demeaning or dehumanizing? Never. He rebuked those who used God for their own purposes (many of the Pharisees of his time, as well as moneychangers who used the temple for their greed). But he never turned away someone wanting forgiveness, healing or understanding, no matter their past, race, or belief (such as the Samaritan woman, Mary Magdalene, Zacchaeus, Jairus and others). He always gave people a choice, and respected their choices even if those choices didn't include him (such as the rich young ruler). He was even known to fraternize with the lowest of the low, the racial, social, and moral outcasts (such as Samaritans, Romans, tax-collectors and prostitutes). He found a place and a calling even for those who persecuted his followers, killing many of them in the name of Judaism (such as Saul who became Paul). He even offered forgiveness for those responsible for his execution even in the midst of it being agonizingly carried out.

The Gospels contain a rich treasure of Christ's teachings through his words, his deeds, and his very life. If someone is genuinely attempting to live within the pattern of these teachings, attempting to live their life within the framework, context or spirit of this example, then yes, they are Christian.

If however someone is practicing hatred, antagonism toward others based on race, sexual orientation or faith, or acting in any way that is contrary to the teachings of Christ from the Gospels, and doing so clearly and consistently than there is a simple answer: they aren't Christian, not in the true meaning of the word. Oh, they can profess it all they want. They can organize into groups and call them Churches all they want. But they aren't Christian.

The single, strongest rebuke we have from Christ in the Gospels was not toward a disbeliever, or someone who failed to profess the faith. It wasn't towards the people who executed him, or called for his death. It certainly wasn't for those trapped in their sin and unable to see him for who he was. No, his toughest rebuke was directed at Peter, his loving Disciple. When Peter tried to prevent him from facing his coming crucifixion, Christ yelled at him "Get behind me Satan!" I can only imagine what Christ would say to many of these so-called professing Christians today.

So, to Terry Jones (and no, I will not refer to him as Pastor, because he doesn't deserve it) and your Dove World Outreach Center, to Fred Phelps (no, again, not qualified) and the Westboro Baptist Church, profess all you wish, your actions speak far louder and say one thing quite clear: you are not Christian. But maybe someday, when you've finished with your bigotry and hatred, when you've vented your bile and idiocy, and when you've realized the Christ you claim to follow never walked the path you seek to blaze, maybe then the Christian community can welcome you with open arms and forgiveness for the pain you've caused. It'll be up to the many others you've persecuted who aren't Christian whether they will forgive or not, be able to embrace you in love or not, but us Christian folk, it's what we're about.

New Commission Work

2010-09-07T14:31:00.000-04:00

Just finished a new commission art job for one of my former youth and talented musician Alex Davis. Here is the cover to his debut album entitled "Like A Dream".

Check him and his music out at his site!
THE MUSIC OF ALEX DAVIS

The cover was created using a variety of photos, with the photo of Alex provided by Mindy Hansel. The background photos are a montage of four photos from Corbis Collections, Photoshop Photo Library and other online collections.

I basically layered and blended the backgrounds together, to go from grassy field, to foggy meadow, to night sky, to moonlit night. I inserted Alex, did a good bit of color blending and lighting enhancement in order to put him into the scene. I then added the Watercolor filter for the painted look, and did a good bit more color enhancement and tweaking to get the final look. I also did a lot of digital painting on the sky to get the cloud blending and lighting effects. All in all, for a photo montage / manipulation I like the end product.

Coloring Work

2010-08-02T02:55:00.001-04:00

View this Gallery on DeviantArt.
For those who prefer being able to simply scroll down and view images more easily than thumbnails, I've decided to post my art galleries on the blog as well. Updates will be tagged under the gallery name. Enjoy.

Deadlands Sample Page 1 (Line art by Oscar Capristo)

Deadlands Sample Page 1 Colored (Line art by Oscar Capristo)

Deadlands Sample Page 2 (Line art by Oscar Capristo)

Deadlands Sample Page 2 Colored (Line art by Oscar Capristo)

Deadlands Sample Page 3 (Line art by Oscar Capristo)

Deadlands Sample Page 3 Colored (Line art by Oscar Capristo)

Headlocked Sample Page 1 (Line art by JC Grande)

Headlocked Sample Page 1 Colored (Line art by JC Grande)

Headlocked Sample Page 2 (Line art by JC Grande)

Headlocked Sample Page 2 Colored (Line art by JC Grande)


Coloring Commission Piece (Line art by Buzz)

Commissioned Work (Line art by Greg Laroque)

Commissioned Work Colored (Line art by Greg Laroque)

Finished Sequentials

2010-08-02T02:37:00.001-04:00

Books of Creation Page 1

Books of Creation Page 2

Books of Creation Page 3

Fine Art / Still Life

2010-08-02T02:23:00.000-04:00

View this Gallery on DeviantArt.

For those who prefer being able to simply scroll down and view images more easily than thumbnails, I've decided to post my art galleries on the blog as well. Updates will be tagged under the gallery name. Enjoy.

CD Album Cover Nature Print


Creation Digital Painting in Progress

Tree Frogs Nature Print

Prints / Covers / Pinups

2010-08-02T01:37:00.001-04:00

Jackson's Shadow Deadlands Cover


God: Whole World from Books of Creation

Fantastic Four 50th Anniversary SDCC Print

Anaphaxeton: The Summoning

Commissions

2010-08-02T01:20:00.000-04:00

Fantastic Four 50th Anniversary SDCC Souvenir Book Print

Fantastic Four 50th Anniversary Full-Sized Print

Human Torch Commission Piece

Invisible Woman Commission Piece

Mister Fantastic Commission Piece

The Thing Commission Piece

CD Album Cover Commission for Alex Davis

Darkrai Pokemon Commission

Ohio Buckeyes Mascot Commission

Cinderella (Walt Disney) Commission

Designs / Conceptual Art

2010-08-02T01:08:00.001-04:00


God: Closeup Facial Study for Books of Creation

God: Figure Study for Books of Creation

Anaphaxeton: The Angel of Judgment sans wings and lighting effects

My Journey as a Creator Part III: The Visionary Years

2010-07-28T13:36:00.000-04:00

In the first part of this series, you learned about my childhood adventures in creating comics and stories. In the second part, you got a glimpse into the first few agonizing years of my sincere attempts to break into the comics industry. So, now its time to wrap this as we see where Visionary began and where its come.

In the summer of 2005 I was still recovering from the last failed publisher who had been so close to actually publishing two of my books. It was a totally heartbreaking moment when I realized Kandora was not going to work out. So, after having pulled into my shell for a while, the creative fires started burning again and once more I found myself thinking, okay, now what?

My life was not really in a place where I could do much creatively, I was running my own non-profit agency, working part time elsewhere to pay the bills and very active in the Church that ultimately ordained me. Not to mention the practicality of all those wake up calls. I knew I was tired of pursuing something that left someone else with ultimate control so that it could so easily become an ultimate failure. I was tired of investing hundreds of hours in efforts where someone else could then sink the ship or even pull the plug.

Do I publish myself? I wondered. Right! Let's see, no money to pay good artists, I wasn't ready at the time to do art myself, and, oh yeah, no money to print books. Not to mention no where near the time in my schedule to run a publisher. That left me with the question of how I could progress and maintain some element of control. That element being there to help ensure no matter what setbacks might hit, the main push, the central thrust of what I was doing would not be blown to bits. But how to get noticed? This is the challenge of every aspiring creator, how to stand out from the crowd.

Oddly enough it was that very question which sat in my mind and percolated a bit. I talked about my frustrations at length with Brian Augustyn, who had also been burned in the Kandora fires as well. He was very supportive and we agreed it was hard to rise above the crowd and to do something yourself that could succeed on its own, without either a lot of financial investment or a publisher backing you. We talked about how much it would help if we could find a new angle, something that would fill a unique niche and by its very nature get attention, attract support, and pave the way for success. But we had no idea of what that might be.

I believe it started when I thought, 'Wow, wouldn't it be nice if there was some way that a new creator could get support, networking, guidance and representation for their ideas from people with integrity, conviction and passion about this industry!" After all, I could really have used those guys about then!

Then I realized...it would be nice indeed.

Then I realized...the comics industry really needs something like that!

Then I realized...well, why don't I do that?

The brain kicked into high gear. Yes! It could work. I called Brian.

"I have an idea, something new like we talked about, something that fills a needed niche." I said. Brian invited me to share it. "Let's start a comics studio." There was silence on the other end, followed by Brian gently pointing out to me that that had been done. "Let's start the world's first Teaching Studio." I said. Silence again. "What do you mean?" Brian replied.

Then I spelled it out. We would organize a group willing to work with new creators, bringing their experience and knowledge together. Since I had shown some talent at editing and networking, I would bring these folks in behind the scenes but be the face person and work directly with new creators. We would recruit the best aspiring talent out there, then work with them on honing their skills, teach them to work under deadlines, push them to actually create, and start them working on books they themselves owned. We would then rep those books to publishers.

I think Brian and I spent over three hours on the phone talking about possibilities, options and directions. We were both excited.

That same night I called Charlie Hall, a good buddy of mine who was also into comics and had worked in the retail end. "Charlie," I said, "how would you like to start a comic book studio with me?" I think we also spent a couple hours on the phone. We focused on it filling a unique place in the industry, offering services which, as the studio grew and established its reputation, would be increasingly of value to publishers from the top two on down. It could offer a lot to new creators and even something to veterans in the industry. Best of all, it was possible to develop a business plan and set out a model which required very little up-front investment.

So, after a few more phone calls and planning sessions we had our first inner circle of Visioneers. Brian Augustyn came on board as our executive editor, Charlie was put in as our Business Manager and I was formally christened the Creative Director.

We started the ball rolling before the end of the summer, laying out a business plan, focusing on market and avenues to develop. We recruited Sean Routt, web expert that he is, to serve as our web-designer, and we put together the preview literature.

We setup our first spot at the 2005 Baltimore Comicon in September of that year. With no pre-press, no media attention yet, we went solely to recruit a core group of first creators, hopefully folks local to us (Charlie and I both being in Maryland at the time) and a group to start seeing how this thing we built would actually work.

We got a little mention in the reporting on the con and already some interest sparked. We went hoping to find maybe a dozen creators. We were blown away when we recruited somewhere around thirty. We quickly networked everyone together into teams. We revised our plans a little to expand with the number of properties we were now going to be representing and the machine we envisioned began working.

We spent the Fall and Winter working with creators in developing their properties. The focus was really on the handful of writers and I began having the daily fun of having scripts to edit. It seemed every day someone was sending me pages of scripting, pitches, etc. Then the artists, as they settled on books, began pumping out concept designs etc. A line of comics started taking shape that impressively, looked pretty good.

We offered a lot of guidance in those days as well. We had a number of folks still pretty raw. A couple scripts were almost entirely reworked by the time we were done, quite a few pages of art had to be sent back with a number of corrections etc. But, it was fun! The studio seemed to be forming into a community of friends, we were all supporting one another and most important... it was working! I was concerned people would complain about the changes we were asking for. We did have a few, very quickly who dropped out of the process, finding they really did not want an editor. But the vast majority thrived under the direction. I received lots of emails with a "thanks, no one's ever helped me with my art like that" or "yeah, that really didn't work in the script like I wanted, you were right." People were responding to the VCS way of doing comics. As we started producing more, it also became clear how quickly people's work was responding and improving. Some started going back to redo earlier pages because of the growth in just a handful or so of later pages. Scripts kept getting tweaked, concepts polished.

Of course in those first several months we also had a number of folks who later decided Visionary was not for them. Without exception from that first group it was either people who did not want editing at all, or folks who, now given an opportunity, did not have the focus or discipline to actually produce material on any kind of regular basis. I think only one flipped out on us. Not bad odds.

Then came April of 2006 and Visionary went public with our first press release! It was incredible, the number of submissions we started receiving, the number of folks emailing daily with questions and comments, the response on a number of the news sites when the PR hit, and the traffic coming to our site! Beyond all of this was a number of exciting personal moments... When Walter and Louise Simonson praised us for what we were doing, and said how nice it would have been if something like this existed a long time ago... When Joe Kubert invited Charlie and I to his studio at his School and we sat for like an hour and half talking with him about the needs of new creators and the needs in the industry... they were highlights we'll never forget!

But of course, it wasn't perfect sailing.

With the initial influx of creators we found it hard to give the time needed to each property and still do the other work of the studio. We recruited a number of folks to help, but it seemed we would no sooner recruit a willing staff person and some major change in their life would knock them right back out of the picture. Charlie and I both, in the meantime, also had a number of life things happen which dramatically impacted our ability to focus.

All of this translated out to the studio having a number of spurts and stalls. We would move forward, look really good, then go quiet. Then suddenly a flurry of activity, then another stall. We also then began struggling with a number of folks that no matter how hard we tried to work with them, things weren't coming together. We were not wanting to put people out, but we found a lot of our time swallowed in pursuits that were not producing much.

We had a lot of hard lessons to learn and spent our first year learning them in spades.

We hit a hard stall where for a while it looked like we might not come back. We had recruited a new volunteer staff to help and launched our infamous "Be a Visionary" Contest. Talk about being flooded! Then our editor and his wife got pregnant, Charlie and I both got hit with major things in our personal lives and it seemed everything was going to hit the proverbial fan and fly apart.

I was hitting a wall myself and was very frustrated. A lot of things spiraled in that time, in my own personal life and in the studio. What it forced me to do though was take a really hard look at my circumstances and recognize I had to make a choice. If I wanted to work in writing and art, and I wanted VCS to survive, I needed to commit to it 100%. I drastically re-organized my life and then spent hours and hours every day catching up. We started chugging to life again, and have been hitting a nice stride since. The final stage of that re-organization was my moving to California to strengthen my networking and connections out here in the heart of the entertainment industry.

The last couple years since that move have by far been our most productive. We've streamlined our studio to focus on projects that are working. We've had our first series, Headlocked, published by a mainstream comic publisher, our first manga graphic novel, Frog Princess, published by a mainstream manga publisher, our first prose series, Visions, published by an established prose publisher, and any number of our creators that have gone on to work for major publishers in the industry. We've also had a healthy run of freelance work as a studio, doing everything from editing to pre-press. We just expanded this year into digital publishing and now have over thirty books out on most of the mainstream digital venues. In addition, we've started dipping into the television/film industry.

Truth be told, we're just getting started. We've got a number of irons in the fire and hope to be announcing more things soon. So, the fact of the matter is that the Visionary years are just beginning! Hope all of you will be there to celebrate them with me!

My Journey as a Creator Part II: The Reality Years

2010-07-27T19:33:00.000-04:00

Note: Art scattered throughout this entry are pages of a previous incarnation of Books of Creation. I'm a bit embarassed by these and they are put here merely for nostalgic reasons and because some people have asked.
_____
So, last time I told you about my childhood adventures which would end up forming the basis of the Visionary Universe. I also mentioned how other arenas in life kept drawing me away. Well those arenas went from college to seminary, then onto pastoring a Church. I tried to keep some consistency to the storytelling thing, but found it harder and harder. But, interestingly enough, they never went away.

On a side note here, I think this is one of the key factors that decides who will become a professional storyteller and who will not. We all have those childhood fantasies and stories we made up. Most people grow up and forget them. Creative types never forget!

Anyway, the next big chapter took place with me fresh out of seminary and a year or so into my first pastorate as the Assistant at Washington Street United Methodist Church. I had begun to grow pretty close with a number of folks and mentioned in passing my creative interests. Several folks found it fascinating, including some who were into PR and Marketing and others who were editors. After being encouraged I showed some samples and talked about a few of the many books in my head and found a receptive audience. Now, they may have been thinking, Wow, our pastor must have done some nice drugs in the 70's, but I would like to think they actually liked what I was doing.

I began to think, well, if they like it...maybe others will. So I began to test my theory. Sure enough I got a non-paying job drawing a super-hero book called Re-Action (who I think is still out there somewhere) to be published by new publisher Trinity Visuals, specifically a #3 as I recall.

I was psyched, I was pumped, I was so excited I could barely keep my feet on the ground, and I began drawing. I drew all 24 pages within the allotted month and proudly handed it in.

The publisher was so impressed that when he found out I had books of my own, he encouraged me to do one of my own projects as a writer-artist. Well, if I was high before, I was surely in orbit now! I began work on the first version of SoulStar, a story very much still the story in development now with Visionary as SoulStar: The Dreaming. I finished all 28 pages of the debut issue!

The new publisher was listed in an issue of Comics Buyers Guide, and there, in teensy print, was my name listed as Up-And-Coming Superstar Artist Chuck Sellner! Yes, fame, fortune, my free ride as a creator all waited just in the wings.

Then the publisher...went under. NOTHING from it saw print. Suddenly, I couldn't get a return call, no word, no nothing.

Yes folks, my first reality check about comics. But it would not be my last.

Well, after that, while disheartened, I wasn't defeated. An editor at the Church where I worked and I became pretty close friends and we decided to launch a 'zine. They were peaking in popularity around that time, now in the early 90's by the way, and it seemed a good way to continue. We decided to do a thicker size and publish it quarterly, with I think some 48 or 56 pages of content, and essentially an 8.5x14 folded in half sized digest. We ended up naming the zine Body Parts. Why? I have no clue, something about it being made up of many parts (with articles on travel, biography, history, and fiction) like our bodies. The name was my friend's idea.

Well, yeah, anyway, the most important thing was that the issues would have a full length comic story in the middle, which was ALL mine!

I quickly decided it would be an anthology and would feature the varying stories and characters who, yes, were still around in many incarnations. I decided to start with a series I called Books of Creation, yes, another title currently in development with VCS. It was a re-imagining of the epic poem of Paradise Lost by John Milton. This being my sole baby and with some more time, I lavishly illustrated 24 pages every three months for a year. I pushed myself as an artist and used pencil shading, white and gray wash paint, and created something I think that had some pretty high moments.
We published four issues, which completed the first Books of Creation arc, and told the story of the Fall War.

I ended up moving, life went on and Body Parts fell apart. No issue 5 ever made it out.

However, on a lark, I submitted BOC to a publisher called Mythic Press, seemed appropriate. They were based in Canada had put out several books and seemed to be solid. The publisher there seemed thrilled to get it and got in touch right away and said, sure, let's publish this as an off-sized graphic novel!

I was flying high once more! That year of work would pay off in the big time, my own, fully done graphic novel, with 89 pages in total! YES!

Then Mythic...went under. The book never saw print and if I wanted my original art back I was going to have to pay the postage.

This would be reality check #2. That one did it for me for a while.

I focused on the other areas of my life and let the comic dream kind of fade. But around the late 90's I decided to try again. I started researching the industry and the market, started thinking about what it would take to run a publisher (since I had SOOOO much trust in other publishers) and to just explore.

Through some breaks, mostly at conventions, but also on some forums and message boards, I connected with a group of folks who were a publisher, then a studio, then a publisher, then a studio...but back when I entered the picture they were a studio. I began to talk to several of their people, made some good impressions with my knowledge of the industry, marketing savvy and my writing and editing.

I actually got my name in a comic! A real honest to gosh comic! I was only the marketing director...but it was a step, right?

Anyway, I worked long hard hours for this group.

After a while the dynamics inside the studio were getting a little tense. There seemed to be a lot of personality conflicts and some serious attitude toward folks who were helping this little group out and behind the scenes doing it with no apparent appreciation. I moved up to Business Manager and found a good deal of my time was putting out fires the 'powers that be' in the studio were lighting regularly. I got frustrated. I quit. I got invited back in, promised more ability to deal with stuff, promised they were going to straighten up and fly right. Promised. Promised. Promised. I went back. No change. I got frustrated. I quit.

Some months later I got a call, "we're about to make a huge deal, we need your help." (The deal they were pursuing was my suggestion by the way.) "We'll do whatever we need to do! We Promise!"

I laid out my expectations up front, straight and simple. "Yes, deal!" I came back. I helped them negotiate the deal, helped defend them from a publisher I thought was using them. Then found out I had been lied to about many, many things.
In outrage...yep, I quit. But this time, I stayed quit.

Reality check #3 (or perhaps 3-5 depending on your count).

Finally, along came another offer. Responding to a Digital Webbing ad I ended up impressing a guy planning to launch a publisher. He had this great artist who wanted to do a young Conan, set in a future, after the world has been nearly destroyed, with monsters, dragons, wizards, the whole bit. "Oh really?" I said, "I just happen to have a young Conan, set in a future, after the world has been nearly destroyed, with monsters, dragons, wizards, the whole bit."

"Oh really?" said the publisher.

Thus was Kandora born. By the end of planning, we would launch with four books, two created and written by myself, two created and written by Brian Augustyn, a consummate professional I met early in my last round of comics and one I still have the utmost respect for. I retooled Barbarian (you remember him right?) turning it into Savage World, and created fresh the whole storyline of Monarch of Manhattan.

Even better, I was being paid! Wow! It was an exciting 18 months as everything came together. Seeing designs, sketches, page art starting to roll in, colored pages... It was like Christmas once a week when something new would arrive.

I wrote four scripts of each, the first arc of the 32 story page books. We started the PR machine. I stepped up to help rep the company and we got a lot of press as 32 pages of story, compared to 22 for only a quarter more, or something.

Brian's books were slated first. The first debut happened with Barbarosa and the Lost Corsairs! Savage World had a full page ad in Previews! Then the second month, and BatLC #2 and the debut of Jade Fire! YES! The month of Savage World's debut came and...

Kandora went under. It stopped production and never shipped Savage World #1 much less the follow up and final debut Monarch of Manhattan.

This my friends was Reality Check #4.

It also, by the way, with all my public presence in this time frame earned me the nickname of "The Most Famous Guy who's NEVER been Published in Comics!"

So, where would I go from here?
Next...Part III: The Visionary Years!

My Journey as a Creator Part I: The Wonder Years

2010-07-26T00:43:00.000-04:00

With all the recent news and media focus on Visionary Comics Studio, my projects shaping up and starting to get teased with my own art and designs, and the debut of Visions, I find myself often getting asked how I got here. What started me on this creative journey? What were the significant steps in the process? What's on the horizon for it and where do I see it going in the far future?

As a result, I've finally decided it might just be easier to post some reflections on it on here and then those who ask, I can simply send them a link.

Let's start at the beginning...
I grew up on a farm and while I loved it, I did have a somewhat isolated childhood. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I lived a hundred miles from the nearest civilization. But if we're honest, when we're little kids we have two types of friends: the ones who live next door and we literally trip over then become best friends with, or the ones we get thrown together with in some specific group, such as scouts or Church. I was not heavily involved in after school stuff, or sports, because I worked with my family on the farm and for me to get next to someone else's yard was just a little too much like stalking, seeing as I would be peering into it from the bushes, or walking all the way across our fields to even get nearby. I attended a private school, so none of my school friends lived in walking distance either. The result? I spent a good bit of effort and time entertaining myself. Doesn't mean I wasn't a happy kid, simply means I nurtured the imagination from an early age.

Now, first this was solely by reading or watching TV and as a kid I loved both. Superman on TV, Spider-Man in comics, The Lord of the Rings in books (yeah, they were books first). As a matter of fact one of my earliest memories was reading the Hobbit. I remember reading the part where Frodo and the others have the close call with the Ringwraith in the woods, just outside of the Shire. It was late, I was curled up, had the blanket pulled up around me and I had to keep reading until they were safe because there was NO WAY I would sleep with that Ringwraith hanging around! Trips to the local 7-11 were highlights because the deal was if I went with my Dad I could get to pick out a comic, sometimes, if I pushed it...two. I would always go home and eagerly devour the four color pages!

When I got a little older I started writing and drawing. I still have the first ever Superman comic I produced. It was several pages and featured Superman versus a new villain of my own design! It was what you would expect...childlike drawings and childlike storytelling, but there was something magic in it!

There was also several testaments to my ability to, hmmm, let's call it...make something work! The cover was to be Superman standing heroically in costume. Well, I started with the legs and found when I got to his waist there was not enough room to get his upper body in. So right then and there I changed the plot, drew his upper body warped and bent over and only half colored! See the Villain had a (I kid you not) No-Color Ruin Machine! This dastardly device could sap the color out of you and distort your body. It made the rest of the book easier to draw. (Pic: The splash page to my first ever Superman comic! All you top artists out there...eat your hearts out!)

Anyway, I think the first true glimmer of my future calling was when my grandmother wanted to read it and I quickly slapped the cover shut, and added the final piece to it... a good sized '60 cents' in the corner and offered it with my other hand stretched out. Now, I'm by no means an exploitive or commercial driven type, ask anyone who knows me, but I would like to think even then there was part of me that knew someday I would seek a living through my storytelling.

Back home, when alone, I sometimes began to want to play more than just the characters other people made. I began to think about my own characters. Most first, as you might expect, were really just copies of other characters, costumes were changed slightly, new names developed, but simple conceptual rip-offs. For me as well, most of my earliest creations were originally in pre-established universes. I remember my first super-hero team was originally in the Marvel Universe and met a bunch of Marvel folks. Sometimes when particularly energetic and a real nice day I would use the sprawling farm as my own personal field of adventure. Our barns became enemy strongholds or demonic castles, a thick row of pine trees in my backyard became the underground lairs of goblins and orcs, an old well ring became a pit to a dragon's lair.

Then more and more, some of these unique characters began taking shape. Because instead of just playing out an action scene, or a single story, I began playing out chapters of longer stories, picking up where I had left off before.

When I hit my early teen years that became a lot more serious. I was introduced to role-playing and specifically Dungeons and Dragons. I loved it, a game that challenged my creativitiy and essentially helped me to tell stories with groups of friends! That was when I first seriously began thinking about doing more with these characters I had made up, some of whom now had pretty serious histories. Until then however, they had all been only oral tradition. It was time for the dawn of the written word!

I actually began writing the stories. I still have many of those early drafts. I also liked to draw, so eventually I developed a format of drawing a cover, then writing a 10 page chapter and doing serial stories. Savage World, one of the books in pre-development with VCS now was one of the earliest, though known as Barbarian back then! (See the pictures for Barbarian then...Savage World now!)

Now here I am all these years later, launching a full fledged Anthology magazine featuring...serial stories. The more things change, huh.

Sometime in my teen years I actually launched CESA, a fan-collection of writings. It was mostly all my stuff but as time went on, other friends who were artists and writers began to pitch in. I turned several of the D&D adventures I had with friends into stories, and even a couple of the books I created I eventually handed off to other writers to work on. CESA had a fairly decent circulation of people borrowing the stories, I think getting near a hundred people at one point. At its max it had 16 different titles being produced and some of the older ones reached up to number 32! In other words, my little group of co-conspirators and myself had a broader and longer publishing history than many indy publishers in comics these days! Yep, crazy but there it is!

My last couple years in High School I began to struggle because I realized stuff I was doing then was sooo much better than the early chapters. As a result, I went back and re-launched the books a couple times, improving the format (using color copies of the covers shrinking bigger and more detailed art), expanding the page count, improving the writing, etc. etc. By the end the stuff was actually looking pretty slick for something being completely produced out of my home prior to the advent of desktop publishing mind you!

So that was all well and good, I had all these stories, all this drive and desire to create and high hopes of where it might take me, but inevitably there were other things in life as well that kept distracting me, demanding my time and often, doing so without any regrets from me. I was in high school after all and with the addition of a driver's license in my life, there was also the addition of the word 'social' to my life. But I think even then I knew these stories would not go away. They coalesced inside, swirling about, ever deepening, enriching, growing etc.

But even then those efforts were focused on CESA, not on professional submission. Oh, I sent in a few half-hearted submissions as an artist to Marvel and DC, but of course they got rejected out of hand. Interestingly enough even then I knew these stories needed to stay with me, so they were never even considered for submission to publishing where I wouldn't own the rights. They were too important and central to me.

But the fact of the matter is that at that age I had no real concept of what I was doing in terms of shaping it into a profession and also did not really have the focus and drive to do it either. I was enjoying telling the stories, not worried about how to tell them on a professional basis. My professional life focused elsewhere as I focused my studies in moving toward the Ordained Ministry. My active ministry also then began to take more and more of my time and my creative ventures somehow had to fit in between far too many other pieces and were thus, quite often overwhelmed.

But I found they would also not be denied!
To Be Continued.