Guest Post: “Fantasy in Colour” by Ben Galley

A short while ago, Ben Galley sent me the first two books of his self-published fantasy Emaneska series for review: The Written and Pale Kings. As anyone who has read my Reviewing Policy knows, I don’t accept self-published works. However, I had seen Ben’s work pop up on a few other blogs I follow, and I found myself intrigued despite my reservations. I intend to give at least the first one a read at some point in the future. In the meantime, I learned about another project Ben’s involved in: turning his books into graphic novels. Since Civilian Reader features ever-more comic and graphic novel-related content, I thought it would be nice to learn a little more behind Ben’s motivations for taking this latest step.

***

“Fantasy In Colour” by Ben Galley

I’ve recently embarked on a new chapter of my self-publishing career. With the help of the crowd-funding site Kickstarter, I’m attempting to turn my debut novel The Written into a graphic novel.

The question is, why?

It’s a damn good question. One with many answers. A lot of authors seem to be toying with the idea of migrating their tomes to artwork recently. The eminent Mark Lawrence, author of the Broken Empire trilogy, has been blogging a lot on his eagerness to turn his books to art. Even as I write this I see a tweet from Lauren Beukes of Zoo City and Moxyland fame saying:

“Oh man, I would LOVE a graphic novel of Zoo City (hint, hint...)”

It’s a popular feeling, that’s for sure. Not a new one, though. Fantasy graphic novels already exist, and have for quite a while. A most recent and high-profile addition was the adaptation of Game of Thrones, following in the wake of the cash-cow that was the HBO series. Another example: Robert Jordan’s Eye of the World. Stab at merchandising or not, it seems to me, as an author and fantasy fan, that there’s a buzz around graphic novels at the moment. So, why? Why am I, and others, so keen to see their prose in paint, and is it a good idea?

Lena Headey to star in GRIMM FAIRY TALES TV Series

Zenescope Entertainment announced today that actress Lena Headey, star of HBO’s superb Game Of Thrones series, will be joining the Grimm Fairy Tales Animated Series, lending her voice talents for the series’ lead character, Sela Mathers.

Zenescope’s “Grimm Fairy Tales” Kickstarter

Zenescope Entertainment has announced the launch of the Grimm Fairy Tales Animated Series Kickstarter campaign. The proposed animated series of their flagship comics title will be directed by Jon Schnepp and produced by/with the Titmouse Inc. animation studio. The Kickstarter campaign has now been fully launched after its official announcement during the WonderCon Hollywood and Comics panel.

The campaign, which hope to raise the $175,000 needed to produce the pilot episode and the foundation materials necessary to continue the series, will run until May 1^st, 2012.

Zenescope Entertainment President Joe Brusha had this to say:

“We believe that our Grimm Fairy Tales comic book series would make an excellent animated series, and we’ve been pitching the idea to the Hollywood big-wigs for years. They’ve said ‘There is too much Fairy Tales stuff out there’, or ‘No one wants to see a gritty, dark, modern take on the fairy tales.’ That’s where they’re wrong. We have tons of devoted fans that would love to see more of our series, and that is our chance and yours to make it happen.”

I do believe there is a market for this animated series, although one of the issues the ‘Hollywood big-wigs’ stated – “too much Fairy Tales stuff” at the moment – it actually true. I think Zenescope run the risk of being drowned out by TV series like Grim and Once Upon A Time, and the couple of Hollywood movies on the horizon that draw on Fairy Tales. If you’ve been reading any of my comics round-ups over the last few months, you’ll know that I’m a fan of the Grimm Fairy Tales series, so I will definitely be checking this out if it materialises. I do, however, think Zenescope will have to pull off something very special to be heard and noticed. At the same time, the “tons of devoted fans” Brusha mentions are definitely there, so it’s conceivable that this could end up being quite popular. As long as it doesn’t go the way of the Witchblade TV adaptation (based on a comic series with its own devoted fan-base), which sort-of sank with a bit of a sad squeak…

[At the time of writing, the project had $6,316 pledged from 49 backers.]

Upcoming: WOMANTHOLOGY (IDW)

I don’t know a huge amount about this project, but I’ve seen it mentioned a couple of times, recently, so thought I’d give it a shout-out here. According to The Hathor Legacy, the project is a 300-page, full-colour, hardcover graphic novel written, drawn and designed solely by female comics creators. According to their Kickstarter page, the pitch is:

The purpose of the book is to show support for female creators in comics and media. There will be multiple short stories, “how to”s & interviews with professionals, and features showcasing iconic female comic creators that have passed, such as Nell Brinkley and Tarpe Mills. A Kids & Teens section will also be included, showcasing their work, and offering tips & tricks to help them prepare themselves for their future careers in comics. Overall, this is pretty much a huge book showcasing what women in comics have accomplished, and what we are capable of. :) We are also hoping that by doing this book, it will encourage a new generation of women to pick up the pencil and create!

Guest Post: “What is Brave New World?” by Matt Forbeck

This week, I bring you a guest article by Matt Forbeck.

Matt is the author of countless games and many novels and stories. His Magic: The Gathering comic launches from IDW in December, and his 16th novel, Carpathia [a CR Most Anticipated of 2012], hits stores in March. He also has a mad plan called 12 for ’12, in which he plans to write a dozen novels in 2012. His first Kickstarter drive for his Brave New World Roleplaying Game novels hit its first funding level, so he starts writing the first book in January.

So, without further ado, What is Brave New World…?