Well, it is… I even Googled it to make sure.
This is Issue 2 of DOUBLE-OUT, an incredible indie comic that I was fortunate to be the writer for. Ryan Hulcy, about a year ago, brought me on to help bring to life his manga-influenced comic book about a down and out, struggling husband and father whose dream of being a professional darts player leads him down a dark path… Ultimately, loosing his family and getting mixed up in mob affairs. The story revolves around this husband and father — Jin Suzuki — finding his way back from that dark place and rediscovering himself in an effort to not only win the match, but most importantly, win his family back.
If you haven’t already backed this book, please consider giving it some support. Creator Ryan Hulcy has put together an amazing art team — Fernando Maiaru and Estanislao Marugo and it’s less than $100 dollars away from funding with a modest goal. I will share that Ryan — just wants readership for this series, to share the world that he’s created, and what better way to do that than through indie comics!
More Kickstarter News…
Right now, Kickstarter is on fire! There are so many amazing indie comics being produced. Look, last week I went to my PO Box and it was like Christmas!!!
I’ve added these lovelies to my pile of comics to read, and I cannot wait to get to them. If you’re not on Kickstarter much, I would suggest checking it out… Like for real, there’s some great work being done by creators and the beauty of it is that it’s all in tandem with readers and other comic book enthusiasts. That’s one of the things that I love most about indie comics, and more specifically indie comics that utilize the Kickstarter platform… The connection and direct link between creators and EVERYONE that helps to make that creation a reality. So, yeah, support indie comics in all forms and through various means — if you can!
With that being said, my guy Damien Becton, a writer and creator that I had a chance to meet through the Mad Cave Studios Talent Search (he was one of the winners and I got to be his editor, such an honor), has a creator-owned title out now on Kickstarter that is doing very well.
Here’s what the story is about:
Worlds Away is Radiant Black meets God of War. Set in a futuristic universe, Worlds Away #1 separates itself from the pack by blending high-octane, sci-fi action in a fantastical, archaic setting – all glued together by a story of a mother who will stop at nothing to protect her daughter.
For Serenity, a futuristic soldier equipped with high-tech armor, the answer is “Anything and everything.” This includes stealing a cure from an alien-race to save Mackenzie, her estranged, 13-year-old daughter’s life from a life-threatening illness.
Even before getting sick, Mackenzie and Serenity’s relationship only hung on by a thread. But when the two are forced to crash-land on a new, alien planet with magic-wielding beings and dangerous creatures, Serenity is faced with new circumstances that could change that. Serenity is forced to take on deadly, magical foes and make brutal decisions that could either save her and her daughter’s lives or their relationship…
Sounds dope, right? Yo, I’m a backer and maybe you should be too. If you think this is a story that you can get down with then…
And last Friday, we finally began getting digital rewards out to our own backers for THE LUNATIC, THE LOVER, & THE POET Act 2.
THE LUNATIC, THE LOVER, & THE POET Act 2 is the follow up issue to Act 1 and it’s about the cast and crew of a small town school of the arts who attempts to put on a rendition of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream when the lead actress is murdered… I like to think of our horror/slasher comic book series as the CW’s Nancy Drew meets SCREAM.
If you’re a backer of LLP Act 2, make sure to check your email and/or the Kickstarter Updates for details on how to download your digital copy. Surveys for physical backers will be going out today (June 21, 2022).
Preorder AfterShock Comic’s THE VINEYARD #1…
Sami Kivela, Jason Wordie, Taylor Esposito, and I have a creator-owned mythological Dionysian horror comic book series coming out on August 3rd.
Here’s what it’s about:
THE VINEYARD is a family-owned winery that sows and reaps by the blessing of the great god of wine and revelry, Dionysus. However, the Vines family's patron god requires complete devotion in the form of four sacrificial killings a year before each harvest. This has been done in unfettered obeisance. But all of that changed when the family's patriarch, Didache Vines, was in a horrible accident that left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair.
Now, the sacrificial and murderous duties of the Vines family have fallen to wife and matriarch, Maranatha Vines. With harvest season fast approaching and the family short of their annual sacrificial killings, Maranatha's struggle with her conscience puts all of her family - husband, son and daughter - in jeopardy.
Like I said, the book is available for preorder. Use Diamond Code: JUN221179 or this link: CLICK HERE. Also, and this is truly amazing, make sure to check-in about the Francesco Francavilla incentive cover!
As always, thank you for being a part of my CHARACTER + OBSTACLE = STORY Substack. Thank you for the interaction and being a part of the community that I’d like to continue to build within this larger comic book community. If you get a chance, please like and comment, I’d love to connect with you. Also, if you know anyone that may be interested in joining this Subtack please share it with them so we can grow. Beginning the first Friday of July, my webcomic with Marco Perugini (BLACK COTTON), SEPARATE BUT EQUAL will return for Season 2’s debut and subsequently, new episodes will be every first Friday of the month. So, be on the lookout for that!
Talk soon —
Brian