SUPERNOVAS Hits Comic-Con!

Hi - Terry here. Although Alex and I are both professional screenwriters, we generally shy away from self-promoting on this site. And although I'm admittedly doing that this time, I'll keep it brief. Promise! And drum roll.... Supernovas, the comic series I've been working on for some time has launched both online in a digital format, and via a 12-page special first print issue which will debut at the San Diego Comic-Con this week.

Supernovas is the story of four small-town teens who become the most powerful beings on earth during one fateful night in upstate New York, and the fate of the entire world soon rests on their young shoulders.

I've been developing Supernovas with writer-editor extraordinaire Benny R. Powell, formerly of both Marvel and DC, and his company Red Giant Entertainment. The amazing artwork is being dreamed up by the team of Don Zhang, Wan Chuanyao, and Rui Zhang.

There will be two new pages of Supernovas every week (Monday and Thursday) on the pioneering and visionary digital comics Keenspot site, which I am extremely proud to be a part of.

Although everyone who knows me is aware that I'm a film fanatic, the names of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Neil Gaiman are right up there with the names of Spielberg, Scorsese, and Coppola in my pantheon of creative heroes.

So, if you're visiting Comic-Con this week, please stop by and check out Supernovas at the Keenspot booth (#1231)! Over and out.

Stan Lee Joins the JAPAN NEEDS HEROES Comic: All Proceeds Go Towards Earthquake Relief Fund

by Terry Keefe

Last week, we wrote about a few indie filmmakers who were having luck raising financing for films via Kickstarter.com. The site is also proving to be a great tool for artists engaged in a charitable venture, such as that of our friends at Red Giant Entertainment, who are putting together a comic/graphic novel entitled Japan Needs Heroes, for the purpose of raising money for Japanese earthquake relief.

The Kickstarter page for Japan Need Heroes can be found here, and Japan Needs Heroes has a site here.

The Kickstarter fundraising goal for Japan Needs Heroes was $10,000 and it has already exceeded that with over $12,000 raised as of this writing, from 355 backers, with 20 days still left to go. 100% of the profits from the comic will go towards the Japan Society and earthquake relief.

The legendary Stan Lee (co-creator of the likes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and the X-Men) has written the forward to the upcoming comic.

“When I was asked if I would put pen to page for this cause,” said Stan Lee, “my answer was an immediate ‘of course!’ How could I not? This is too important an issue for all of us not to do our part.”

(Above, the writer of this article meets the one and the only Stan Lee a few years back.)

Some of the other notable comic book creators who have signed on-board the project include Peter David (X-Factor, the Hulk), Larry Hama (G.I. Joe, Wolverine), and Mike Deodato (The New Avengers, Thor).

"My wife is from Japan," explained Benny R. Powell, CEO of Red Giant Entertainment, in regards to his personal connection to the earthquake, "and while her family is safe, they remain incredibly afraid and uncertain for the future. I realized we had to do something. Comics have a power to reach audiences and that's a powerful thing. More and more creators will join our cause in the coming days. This transcends any genre, medium, or publisher. This need is bigger than anything our world has ever faced, and we truly believe that together we can make a difference."

Powell currently writes one of the most popular webcomics around, Wayward Sons. He'll be joined on Japan Needs Heroes by other webcomic notables including Tarol Hunt (Goblins), Gisele Lagace & Dave Zero1 (Eerie Cuties), and Chris Crosby & Owen Gieni (Sore Thumbs).