Sharing My Story

Diary of Hope
by Christine Kerrick
www.christinekerrick.com
56 pp. $9.95
This is a graphic novel (period). Many graphic novels are
just glorified comic books. Kerrick uses a combination of
written journal entries, sketches, illustrations and even
some sequential art to propel the narrative. This book
covers roughly the same ground as her recently completed
three issue mini series, Empire. However while the same
characters from Empire are involved in the same situations
Diary of Hope complements not just repeats the events of
the mini series.

Diary of Hope brings a greater depth into the thoughts
and feelings of the protagonist, Hope Mason. Hope is a
young woman whose father, along with millions of others,
have suddenly and mysteriously vanish from earth without
a trace. The Diary documents Hope’s life during the five
years after the disappearance of her father. During this
period she struggles with her own spirituality and belief
in God. After much hardship and soul searching she follows
the lead of her father, repents of her sin and becames a
Christian. This causes her to lose old friends and gain new
ones and eventuially leads to her death by martyrdom at
the book’s conclusion.

Kerrick theological stance on the end times is a pre-millenial
dispensationalist one. This position holds that true Christians
will be physically taken out (raptured) of the world before
the “Great Tribulation” and bodily return of Christ and the
end of history. While all Christians do not hold to this
eschatological position the book succeeds as a compelling
and gripping drama on its own merits despite whether the
reader agrees with the future times scenario underlaying
the story.

This is one of the best reads and professionally done
package to come out of the Christian comics movement
in recent years. Christine Kerrick has batted a home run
with this book. Buy it and savor it. Whether you agree or
not with the end times scheme you will be blessed.

Riddler’s Fayre: The Vaults of the Mind
Written by Steve Carroll Art by Jeff Anderson
and Richard Thomas
Historical Fiction is something we don’t see a
lot of in current comics. Marv Wolfman said if
well in a recent Comic Con panel. “I made up all
the stuff” in a series of character studies he did
for DC comics some years ago. For the
History of Israel graphic novel Wolfman is
currently working on he is doing a massive
amount of very time consuming research.
Sometimes it is just easier to make up your
characters and worlds out of imaginary
whole cloth. You don’t have to worry about
little things like historical facts and context.

Steve Carroll sets his story in the Summer of
1199 in medieval Europe shortly after the
Third Crusade. This story revolves around
an ambitious French nobleman, Comte Ludovic
Parvell of Clermont and his ruthless quest for
the Philosopher’s Stone that can turn lead into
gold and grant eternal life. The story involves a
mysterious knight with a young teen boy who
has no memory and arcane symbols emblazoned
on his arm, a beautiful Roma girl, a wise Muslim
scholar, a wandering Jew, kindly nuns and plenty
of action and plot twists to keep you going to the
end. The story is well plotted and visualized with
engaging characters. This book makes you want
to read more to see had the tale unfolds and how
these characters grow during the course of the
story. The story reminded one of Prince Valiant,
but unlike the saga presented by Harold Foster
or his successors, people of faith are a given (as
they were in the middle ages), not something
to be ignored. This is the first in a series of
Riddler’s Fayre adventures that will be continued
in the next book called “The Game of Revenge.”

Jeff Anderson provides thoroughly professional
work in supplying the pencils and inks with
Richard Thomas doing balanced and restrained
color work. This graphic novel places historical
fiction squarely within the context of current
Christian comics. Bravo for Steve Carroll, Jeff
Anderson and Usharp Comics.

Acts of the Spirit (Book Review)
Spiderman 2, The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek:
The Wrath of Khan. Sometimes the sequel is better
that the original. In 2004 Robert James Luedke/Head Press
published Eyewitness: A Fictional Tale of Absolute Truth.
This full color 94 page graphic novel tells the story of
Terrence Harper, a world renown forensic
archeologist who is called to Israel to examine a
recently discovered ossurary (bone box) dating from
the first century AD. The ossury contains ancient scrolls
and other artifacts. The scrolls once translated appear to
be an independent account of the New Testament gospels
written by Joseph of Arimathea. Luedke weaves a story of
modern day international intrigue with extended visual
glances of the Biblical story presented in the scrolls.

The scrolls’ Biblical story begins somewhat before the last
Supper and proceeds through the Trial, Passion, Crucifixion
and Burial of Christ. The book concludes with Harper making
a confession of faith in Christ, in a car with his good friend and
assistant Raj, immediately before being caught in an explosion
triggered by a suicide bomber.

The second book, Acts of the Spirit takes up where Eyewitness
left off. We find that Harper has survived and is in crucial
condition. Luedke’s art has improved dramatically from the
first book. The coloring is much improved and the pacing from
panel to panel is better and the burdensome dialog balloons
that clogged a number of pages in the first book have been
streamlined and makes for a more enjoyable literary experience.
In the first book there are sections of pure prose copy interrupting
the flow of the graphic narrative. These sections are gone in the
second book making for a better and simpler reading experience.
Luedke effectively uses humor to lighten the heavy sense of conspiracy
and foreboding evil. He takes a lesson from Charles Dickens and
places a ‘Ghost of Easters Past’ to guide an unconscious Harper
through Christ’s Resurrection, Ascension and the early days of
the church as recorded in the book of Acts. Luedke continues
to switch back and forth between events in First Century Israel
to a modern 21st Century spy thriller—and he does it very well.

In this 104 page book Luedke tops his first effort and we can
look forward to the concluding volume in the trilogy in two years.
As Christian readers we pray that this book will cause the
non-Christian reader to seriously consider the claims of Christ.
Robert James Luedke desires this book to have ministry
beyond its entertainment value.

At this point I’m concluding the narrative
of my experiences with the 2006 Comic-Con
International: San Diego. I will be working
on other some other projects so I will be only
occasionally blogging in the near future.
Hope you have enjoyed the description
of my experiences.
God bless.

Some people reading this will think that a Comic book
convention is probably the most superfical waste of
time and money one can expend. If you perceive
manifestations of mass media like movies, science fiction
/fantasy literature, internet web sites, comic books,
role playing games, videos, video gaaming, TV programs
as mere leisure time entertainment that has little
connection with real life then going to a convention
like this is meaningless.

And yet what draws 100000 people to an four day
event like this? The traditional Christian response
to this sort of thing is that people are trying to fill
up their lives with things (even good things) that
don’t ultimately satisfy. Certainly this is still true
with the present generation’s(s) immersion into the
mass media culture be it internet or IPods or HD
Television or instant Cel phone communication.
The emphasis on the continuing cascade of electronic
gadgets can cloud the real issues. The real issue is
what kind of content do these gadgets deliver.
In some ways probably the content is not a lot
different from previous generations.

And yet we are supposedly in the post modern
generation(s) that accepts the importance of
experience over concrete fact. The new generations
are fascinated by narrative—story telling. That is
the heart of how to reach the new generations.

Christians need to be thinking of narrative of
story telling when we attempt to communicate
Biblical truths. And the Bible is filled with
narratives both in the New and the Old Testaments.
The importance of movies or the internet or comic
books are they are forms of communication the
post modern generation(s) accept. They communicate
in forms the rising generations can relate too.
Christians of the post modern generation (and hip
oldsters) need to begin thinking in narrative as we
attempt to present the truths of the Christian gospel
to those who will be movers and shakers of our world
in the next few decades.

(1) First determine ahead of time what you want
to do at the convention. The convention web site
within a week or two weeks of the convention has
a listing of all the activities that will happen at the
during the four days of the convention. Take time
and go through this listing and determine the seminars,
panels, films, shopping time that you want to do. Write
down your schedule with times and room numbers.
Think through what is important to you. If you go to
a comic book company or motion picture film studio
presentations you will get promotional hype as to their
upcoming products. If that interests you, fine. If you
want to learn skills or specific knowledge chose
other options.

(2) Pre-register: This will speed up the entry into
the convention. Waiting in line is no fun went you want
to be involved in the convention.

(3) Consider taking a back pack and have some
food and drink. There are onsite food concessions
but they are expensive, limited and more waiting in lines.

(4) This year was the first year I didn’t have my faithful
old Yashica TL Electro X 35 mm SLR camera with me.
I recently purchased a new digital camera and am
still learning its limitations. Perhaps the most annoying
thing is doing telephoto/zoom shots that come out fuzzy.
Perhaps I’m not giving it enough megapexils. I lost a
lot of good shots because I’m still learning the new
camera. Maybe the my old faithful Yashica still has
some uses. I like taking candid photos they are usual
much better that posed shots. Lesson: Know you camera
equipment if you want to record your experiences.

(5) If you can room with other people do so. The summer
hotel room rates are expensive that this will help defray
that expense and can also provide for memorable fellowship
with folks of like interested.

(6) The Gaslight District in San Diego has a mall called
Horton Plaza with an outdoor inexpensive food court.
For those on a limited balance this is a good option.
There are, of course, numerous restaurants in the
Convention Center area.

(7) Try to budget before hand how much money you
want to spend on publications and other convention
merchandise. The options are virtually unlimited.
Think about what you want to buy before and even
get the artist/writer to autograph it for you.

(8) If you have special friends or associates you want
to met there try to plan before hand where and
when to rendezvous. Otherwise it may not happen.

(9) Let your imagination zoom. Have fun.
Enjoy yourself.

The next several days I'll discuss the complexity of this
enormous festival called the International Comic-Con:
San Diego. These are some tips given with the hope
to help one survive such an event with a certain degree
of sanity and finally why is such a popular culture
convention important and meaningful.

For those who have followed my my posts over the past
week or so you will recognize a common thread in my
convention experience. I am a Panel Hopper. Perhaps the
major thing for me at this convention is selecting from
the large set of overlapping options schedule what panels
and seminars to attend. Below are listed some other fannish
alter egos that you can transform into during the convention:

SF/Fantasy Movie Viewer: Want to see Batman Returns
or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrode or The Hills Have Eyes.
Anime Film Watcher: Are you a devotee of Japanese animation?
There are three rooms going non stop for the entire convention
(10 AM-2-AM each day)
San Diego Con Film Festival Attendee: Each day has a
full slate of films produced by Hollywood hopefuls (Live action
and animated).
Comic Con Film School Student: Each day there are
seminars on how to produce your own films.
This is the digital age.
Comic Arts Conference Goer: Are you an comics scholar?
The convention has a full slate each day of college professors
and grad students reading papers on topics like
“The Secret of Sequence,” or “Burroughing Beneath
the Page: The Life of Matthew Nicholas Carter” and many others.
Web Comics Wannatbe: There is a series of seminars
on how to produce, promotion and make money from web comics.
Historical Comics Panel Listener: Interested in early
careers of Jerry Robinson or Everret Raymond Kinstler or
Shelly Moldoff or other artists and writers from the early
days of comic books? There are a series of panels for you.
Current Comics Company Promo Groupie: Need to
know what Marvel or DC or Dark Horse or Fantagraphics
or SLG or Devil’s Due planning for the next year?
Role Game Player: If you are really into Dungeons &
Dragons and numerous other RPGs there are whole rooms
set aside for you.
Autograph Hound Seeker: Want to get an autograph of
Ray Bradbury or Walter Koenig or J Michael Straczynski or
Barbara Luna and many, many other celerbries. They are all
on the schedule so just line up.
Portfolio Review Hopeful: Want to have your work
looked at and evaluated by a DC or Dark Horse or Marvel
or Disney rep? These studios and schools are there to look
at your work.
Back Issue Comics Seeker: Is that special back issue
or run eluding you? There are many back issue comics
dealers at the Con to help you find it.
Artist Alley Sketch Fanatic: Want a personal sketch
from your favorite artist. Try finding him or her in
Artist’s Alley.
Exhibit Hall Tourist: The huge exhibit hall has
hundreds of exhibiters and dealers of all kinds of
comics’sf/fantasy related merchandise.
Celebrity Addict : (Spotlights on favorite Writers
or Artists): Interested in hearing from George R.R.
Martin or Jean Claude Mezieres or Scott Williams or
Kuzuo Koike? They are all here and talking about
their work.
The Eisner Awards Devotee: The Academy
Awards of the Comic Book industry are given out
Friday night.
The Masquerade Fanatic; Very creator young
costumers dress up as your favorite comics or Sci fi heroes.
Trekkers Welcome: Star Wars & Star Trek
Programming: Friday is Star Wars Day with panels
and presentations.
Motion Picture & TV Program Promotions:
What is 20th Century Fox or Warner Brothers or
Disney planning. Coming and hear the latest
hype from Hollywood.
Special Interest panels: Black in Comics?
Gays in Comics? Jews in Comics? Hindu Comics?
They are all here.
Children’s Programming: Sunday has a very
large slate of programming especially for youngsters.
Dealers & Exhibitors: Most dealers will have
to spend most of their convention time at their
booth. This is a whole different set of
experiences than the attendee has.

All this and more make up this year's
San Diego Convention. As you can see by the
above it’s actually impossible for one person
to experience everything at the San Diego
Convention. On any given day and hour
of the convention there at 15 or more options
veying for your attention and there is also
night programming. Information overload and
things like resting and eating also intrude
on the convention attendee’s schedule.

Brian Bolland: British Comic book artist. Worked on
Judge Dread, Camelot 3000, Killing Joke and others.
Ray Bradbury: One of the foremost science fiction/fantasy
writers of the 20th Century. Wrote the Martian Chronicles,
Something Wicked this Way Comes, Dandelion Wine and
many others.
Ray Harryhausen: Movie stop action animator and film producer.
Work includes the Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the
Argonauts and Clash of the Titans.
Forry Ackerman: Writer, editor and science fiction fan supreme.
Edited Famous Monsters of Filmland for many years.
Created and wrote Vampirella for comics. Has huge collection
of science fiction memorabilia.
Everett Raymond Kinstler: Comic book artist in the 1940s
and 1950s. Became a widely respected portrait painter.
Shelly Moldoff: Early comic book artist on Hawkman and Batman.
Luis Dominquez: Comic book artist who worked for DC,
Charlton and Gold Key.
Arnold Drake: Comic book writer who worked on Doom
Patrol, Challengers and many others.
Irwin Hasen: Comic book artist who worked on Green
Lantern (1940s) and the comic strip Dondi.
Marv Wolfman: Former editor/writer at Marvel Comics
and writer at DC. Wrote the Tomb of Dracula(Marvel) and
the New Teen Titans(DC) and many others.

Today and tomorrow I'll be giving some short bios of other
individuals who were at the recent San Diego convention.

Carmine Infantino: I’d mentioned the importance of Infantino
to modern comic books before. He was along with Joe Kubert
and the recently deceased Alex Toth was one of the major art
stylist at DC Comics from the 1950s through the 1970s and
beyond. He not only penciled Flash, but also the well remembered
Adam Strange, Batman and was later Art Director and publisher
of DC Comics. He later did work for Marvel, Warren and returned to
DC in the 1980s. Several years ago an excellent autobiography
was produced on his life called the Amazing World of Carmine Infantino.
Sid Jacobsen: Comics editor and writer. Worked for Harvey
Comics and Archie Comics
John Romita: One of the major pencils of the SpiderMan comics
in the 1960s and 1970s.
Neal Adams: Highly influential comic strip and comic artist.
Worked on Batman, Spectre, Avengers, X-Men, Green Lantern
and others. Also the publisher of Continuity Associates.
(www.nealadams.com/)
Mike Royer: Comic book artist and Inker of Russ Manning
and Jack Kirby’s work (1960s, 1970s)
Mark Evanier: Writer of comic books and TV and motion pictures.
Comics historian. Does internet commentary.
Howard Porter: Pencil artist on the recent JLA comic book.
Jack Kirby: (d. 1994) Legendary comic book artist and co-creator
of Captain America, Fantastic Four, Hulk, X-Men, Thor, Antman,
Silver Surfer, Inhumans. Created, wrote and drew Mister Miracle,
Kamandi, New Gods, Demon and others.
Joe Giella: Longtime inker on Flash, Green Lantern and many
other strips. Currently is doing art on the Mary Worth comic strip.
Geoff Johns: Current writer on many DC Comics (Green Lantern, etc)