|
VINSON'S ALPHA AND OMEGA OF COMICS
by Jennifer Contino (Pulse)
Christian comic book publisher James Vinson of Alpha-Omega Comics stopped by THE PULSE to give us some details about his dream, vision, and upcoming comic projects.
THE PULSE: What is Alpha-Omega Comics?
JAMES VINSON: To put it simply, “My Dream.” One of them anyway.
To be more descriptive, Alpha-Omega Comics is a comic book company that I started for these main reasons:
1) First and foremost, to Glorify the Lord God and to try and get more people interested in reading the word of God.
2) Another reason is because I have a whole universe of characters and stories that I wanted to get out there to the public.
3) Also, I wanted to give new, talented creators a venue to get published. All of our creators are new, up and coming artist, some of which have submitted to the major companies and have been rejected or were never responded to.
THE PULSE: There don't seem to be a lot of Christian publishers out there, what are some of the challenges you face producing comics like that in today's comic market?
VINSON: To be honest, I’m not sure yet. I have seen and read literally hundreds of consumer responses to the launching of our company, both optimistic and skeptical, which has stirred a bit of controversy over a very controversial topic. Fortunately, most of the responders, both the positive and the skeptics, say they are interested and looking forward to reading our books. Ultimately, the idea is to entertain the readers no matter what their beliefs are.
THE PULSE: How did you decide what to do stories about and how to balance them so they aren't over the top preaching, but so that your message is clear?
VINSON: So far, this part has come easy. Over the years I have developed tons of story ideas and the “balance” over “preaching” comes from having heroes live and lead by example rather than telling others how to live. I have found that one of the biggest complaints people who are non Christian have against Christians is how pushy and judgmental some Christians can be when telling others how to live, which pushes them farther away from God and Christ rather than sparking interest in the Lord. My stance is a bit different. Due to the God given gift of free will and my interpretation of what’s written in the Holy Bible, I believe that we are simply asked to present (rather than force) the Lord to those who may not know him. Meanwhile, living our lives as close as possible to what the Lord intended, which makes it more comfortable for non Christians to use their free will in determining how to live their lives without feeling judged.
THE PULSE: How long did it take to get Alpha-Omega comics created?
VINSON: The seed for Alpha-Omega Comics was planted when I was in high school, when some friends and I decided to create characters and start a comic book company. Being young and inexperienced, we had no idea how to start and publish books so we put are character ideas on the shelf. Fortunately, I kept most of those ideas, and recently, around April of 2005, I bumped into an old friend in the local comic book store, Richard Lee, and he was excited about reviving the comic book company, so we decided to give it a go. The first “Official” Alpha-Omega Comics Inc. meeting took place on a Saturday in May, 2005.
THE PULSE: Who are some of the people working with you at Alpha-Omega?
VINSON: As I mentioned, our creators are new, up and coming talent who want to break into the industry and become published. None of our creators are well known, yet, but we hope that they are all able to make a name for themselves in the business. I wanted to provide an opportunity for people to follow their dreams and hopefully make a career for themselves doing something they truly enjoy. We are all blue-collar workers with jobs and families who hope to make an impact in the industry, and entertain the masses.
THE PULSE: What are the first comics you'll be releasing?
VINSON: Our first tittles are Spirit, Origins and Destiny Series: The Neo Genesis. These will be available in the Comics Christmas Pack sold on our web site, which will be limited addition signed books with alternate covers and the regular titles will be on shelves in March.
Spirit is the story of a man, Jonathan Wraith, who loses his wife, Alicia, and unborn child along with the use of his legs in a tragic act of violence. Through it all, however, Jon keeps his faith to the Lord God, not blaming God for his tragedy, and because of his devotion, Jon is granted Divine powers similar to the heroes of the Holy Bible with the hopes of preventing similar tragedies from befalling others.
Creator: James Vinson
Art: Zane DeGaine (Spirit 1), Javier S. Aranda (Spirit 2)
Color: Chidi Okonkwo
Design: Sal Cavazos
Origins is the Alpha-Omega Title that will reveal the stories and histories of certain characters and events in the Alpha-Omega Universe. This Title is designed to expand on the characters and explain what, why and who their powers and personalities are.
Creator: James Vinson
Art: Charles Apellaniz
Color: Andrew Chandler
Design: Sal Cavazos
Destiny Series: The Neo Genesis is a Sci-Fi adventure that takes place in the Makuran Galaxy, which is a neighboring galaxy to our own Milky Way Galaxy. Here there is an interplanetary conflict between the Higher Alien Beings King Obed Primon and his arch nemesis Azzar Omenus. These are powerful beings who could destroy their entire galaxy during the struggle.
Creator, Artist, Colorist, Design: Chidi Okonkwo
THE PULSE: What has the response to the comics been like so far?
VINSON: The response to our books, ideas, and genre has been overwhelming to say the least. I never dreamed that we would get so much enthusiastic response, especially being a new, small time Indy. I hope the Book enthusiasm continues when we introduce our toy and game lines along with other merchandise. We plan to release super cool, multi-articulated action figures along with RPG style figurine and board games.
THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on?
VINSON: The “other projects” list goes on for miles. I have about eight other titles that I am putting together teams for future productions. Also, the merchandise line, some of which we hope to have available for the July Comic-Con. My head is pounding with ideas and story lines that I hope and believe will be ultra-entertaining. I am also looking to publish other Indy titles who have submitted via our submissions guidelines on our web site, while always looking for more.
The main guideline rules for us to publish are:
1) There cannot be any graphic violence, nudity, or foul language.
2) The books must fall under the “One true God as the Supreme Being in the Universe” ideal.
3) The books must be colored and fall under what is considered industry standard.
4) I must review and approve of every issue.
5) There must be a completed product to sell and the creators must be able to keep the deadlines.
Those of you interested in submitting or learning more can visit the official website here:
http://www.alphaomegacomics.com
|
