Roads (Not) Taken: A Comics Anthology of Traveling Tales

“Roger Ebert and Me” Background and Process by writer Milton Lawson
about 5 years ago – Fri, Feb 08, 2019 at 07:28:19 AM

Good morning, backers! We're now over the 50% mark for the campaign -- thanks so much! 

This morning's update is from writer Milton Lawson, whose story "Roger Ebert and Me" celebrates the rich history of cinema. Without further ado...

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When the opportunity to contribute a story about taking a road trip with a famous person came about, my first choice wasn’t Roger Ebert. The point of the exercise was initially to reveal something about yourself, so, I knew my choice would probably need to be movie-related. So I chose the director of my all-time favorite film, “Citizen Kane.” I logged onto the workshop message board to announce that my story would be about a trip with Orson Welles - only to discover that one of the initial contributors to the anthology had already claimed Welles for their trip!

It was almost instantaneous that Roger’s name popped into my head as a second choice - and it turns out, a better one. By choosing to go along with Roger, I could expand the horizons of the story, take a trip that reached more corners of the world of cinema.

“Roger Ebert and Me” contains a number of direct and indirect film references. In the artwork included below, in the first panel of the story, a lonely figure walks under a movie marquee - which is a reference to Taxi Driver.

The marquee is also, in and of itself, a reference, promoting the Akira Kurosawa classic “Seven Samurai.”

There are a total of sixteen movie references in “Roger Ebert and Me.” Pledge to get a copy of the anthology and see if you’d be able to spot them all.

The artwork in the story is done by Rem Broo, a nominee for the Russ Manning newcomer award. You can glimpse some insights into his process by seeing each step, from thumbs, to pencils, to inks, to flats, to colors, to final lettered panels. The initial script page Rem had to work from is included as well - you can see how Rem improved the final product by inserting an additional in-panel image, to allow a simultaneous closer view / introduction of the main character, as well as putting him in context.

Process: Ramon Gil on "A Brief Conversation in Time"
about 5 years ago – Thu, Feb 07, 2019 at 06:36:55 AM

Welcome back, and thanks again for supporting our campaign in its first days! This anthology was developed over the course of many months and much back and forth on the Comics Experience workshop boards. Members came up with their traveling companions, pitched their stories, and submitted initial scripts for critique. All credit must go to Dave Kawalec for getting the ball rolling!

Today's update is from Ramon Gil, writer and colorist of "A Brief Conversation in Time" as well as the designer for Roads (Not) Taken.

Take it away, Ramon!

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"Do you realize what the Ark is? It’s a transmitter! It is a radio for talking to God!” - Belloq

This line from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark sent chills down my spine when I first heard it as a kid. Ever since then, the idea of talking to God was intriguing to me. But since I wasn’t willing to join the priesthood, a story seemed like a good idea. But nothing really came to mind. Then a few years ago, I saw a picture of Nikola Tesla’s Spirit Radio and was partially inspired. When this anthology was floated on the Comics Experience workshop forum, everything came together. Unfortunately, someone already picked Tesla. So my next best candidate was none other than Stephen Hawking. I workshopped the script, again, on the CE forum and someone pointed out that aside from the machine that allows Hawking to talk to “God,” Hawking himself was practically part machine which gave some new dimension to the story. Sadly, Hawking died a few months after this was completed. So this is dedicated to him and his inspiring efforts to help others see the wonders of the universe. 

Ramon Gil

Faces of Death (in a Clown Car)
about 5 years ago – Wed, Feb 06, 2019 at 10:53:33 AM

Good afternoon, backers! 

Two days in and we're just over $600 -- that's an excellent start to the campaign, thanks so much for your support! We hope you're excited for this book, and if you find yourself so motivated we would sincerely appreciate a shout on whatever social media you favor; an enthusiastic tweet goes a long way.

As I've been trying to get the word out about this Kickstarter, I've been talking up several of the very different stories we're presenting. One story that I think helps define just how broadly we're taking the "travelogue" concept is "The Seven Stages of a Clown Car Trip" by Keith Davidson, Ronn Sutton, and Steven Legge. Instead of an adventure with one of history's great minds, "Clown Car" features circus performers rapidly moving through the seven stages of grief after picking up a hitchhiker, who, well...

This isn't our only allegorical figure in Roads (Not) Taken, and there are a number of equally enigmatic real-world figures -- the poet John Clare, who you may or may not be familiar with, is another of our more unusual travelers. 

What I'm saying is, we're casting a wide net, from the poignant and heartfelt (Challenger astronaut Christa McAuliffe, Roger Ebert) to the profound (Stephen Hawking, Nikola Tesla) to, well, ODB from the Wu-Tang Clan. 

Stay tuned for more previews from these stories! Thanks once again for your support.

--Shaun