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Please remember to pray for the people, projects,
and publications you read about here.
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"Cutting Edge" Comics for Youth Workers
Cartoonist and pastor Rick Bundschuh of Unkommon Media (UM) reports he is in the process of designing a series of booklet-size comics "in a form that Youth people are more likely to use." They are being called Grab&Go Comics or "take home cartoons" because "tracts is kinda old school terminology." UM has one simple comic designed for Middle School kids, Sowing Seeds, available as a free download and is inviting youth worker feedback on it. "The concept is this: we all know that addressing all the various issues and Bible truths within an hour or two each week is difficult," Bundschuh explains. "Grab&Go Comics have been created to put on a small table so that kids can scoop them up on their way in or out of a meeting. This has worked REALLY well with our youth group." Eventually these downloadable, print-it-yourself comics will be available in both black & white and color versions. UM was formed by Bundschuh and Ken McCoy to "create cutting edge stuff for youth workers by youth workers."
SOURCES: Rick Bundschuh, the Unkommon Media website
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 Finley Furnishes Famous Funnies for Free
Christian Comics Pioneer Tom Finley has posted his classic Diabolus Seeks Revenge and Wilbur, Master of the Rats comics online at his new Hershel Snodgrass Comics website. The comics were published originally in 1982 and 1983 by Regal Books/Gospel Light Publications. Finley's Snodgrass site is intended for children in upper elementary and middle school. "Everything there is free – no ads, no links to other sites – so it's completely safe for kids," Finley says. The former Southern California USA based surfer cartoonist also maintains CLAMcentral, a commercial website "for churches with children's programs in need of inexpensive or free resources." The site includes downloadable curriculum, clip art, games books, colorized and expanded versions of the Snodgrass comics, how-to videos, and "anything else we can come up with." Finley is the Children's Pastor at Kauai Christian Fellowship in Hawaii USA.
SOURCES: Tom Finley, the Hershel Snodgrass and CLAMcentral websites
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New Kingstone Comics Coming
More Christian-themed comic books will be released by Kingstone Comics this year. Based in Florida USA, Kingstone Media Group produces their comics line to "spread the Gospel message, Christian values, and teachings of the Bible in an easy-to-understand, fun-to-read style for people of all age groups." Comics already in circulation include The Beginning , Incarnation, The Last Convert of John Harper, and The Revelation. Some of the 2010 titles will be Samson, Esther, The Book of God, The Christ series, The History of Christianity, and the Book of Martyrs. Each comic has a 26-page story written by Kingstone founder/CEO Art A. Ayris illustrated in full color. The company has also licensed four comic titles from Tennessee USA based No Greater Joy Ministries which is no longer producing individual comic books derived from their 312-page Good and Evil graphic novel. Kingstone has issued these comics under the titles Beginning, Exodus, Moses, and Elijah. An Arabic version of The Revelation is in production, and a Spanish version of The Last Convert should be in print soon.
SOURCES: Art Ayris, the Kingstone comics website
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 African Cartoonist Wins International Award
The Nigerian Observer newspaper's cartoon journalist Francis ("Francodus") Odupute has been selected as the winner of a Global Media Award for Excellence in the category of Best Editorial Cartoon. The award for his cartoon "The Local Government Chairman" was presented in December 2009 at a ceremony in Washington DC. "This cartoon depicts the struggle Nigeria has had in getting political leaders to acknowledge that population growth has had many significant consequences," the Observer reports. "This is especially important since Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa." Odupute is the head of the cartoon section/editorial department of the newspaper, located in Benin City, Edo State. He is also owner of Francodus International Communications, an art/media/publishing firm, and is founder/president of Beautiful Feet International (BFI), a 10-year-old ministry in Nigeria. BFI is planning a new Christian comic book project in 2010.
SOURCES: Francis Umendu Odupute, Nigerian Observer newspaper website
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Titan to Publish Classic Eagle Comics
A new hardcover collection of comic strips based on stories from the Bible will be released by Titan Books in March, 2010. Originally published in the classic British comic Eagle, the comics in the first 112-page edition are Jesus: The Road of Courage, written by the Rev. Marcus Morris and illustrated by Frank Hampson, and Mark: The Youngest Disciple. The book will also include background information on the featured Bible stories as well as how the strips were created. Reportedly, Titan has plans to publish David: The Shepherd King by Frank Bellamy plus Paul: The Great Adventurer in a separate volume, dependent on sales of the first book. (Originally the first title had been announced as Jesus & David: Tales of Two Kings: The Road of Courage and The Shepherd King.) An earlier 1981 collection of The Road of Courage strips by Hampson is a much sought-after collectable that often brings high prices on Internet auction sites. The Rev. Marcus Morris created The Eagle after the World War II as a Christian antidote to the influx of dark and violent American comics during the post-war period in Britain. At its peak, the comic achieved a circulation of a million copies a week.
SOURCES: Amazon.co.uk, downthetubes British Comics News
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 McColloughs to Retire in February
Two more Christian Comics Pioneers have announced their retirement. Jerry and Faith McCollough entered missions in 1987 and illustrated the "Heroes of the Faith" Bible comic series for the International Correspondence Institute (now Global University) in Belgium. More than 100,000 copies of those comics have been distributed in over 27 languages. The McColloughs also lived and worked in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Germany. They produced a hardcover historic comic album, Cyril & Methodius: Illuminators of the Slavs, about the Christian roots of the Slavic languages, in 2001. A second book, Heaven's Forge, was finished just recently for the Czech Republic. They have produced additional new titles in the "Heroes" series as well. "Even in retirement we will continue to write, illustrate and attempt to publish these evangelical books," the McColloughs report.
SOURCE: The McCollough's Dec 09 postal newsletter
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This web site is administered and maintained by COMIX35 / ROX35 Media, Inc. as a ministry service. "Christian Comics International", "Christian Comics Catalog", "International Christian Comics Competition (ICCC)", "Christian Comics Pioneers", and the series title "Personal Testimony Comics" (in continuous use since first publication in Christian Comics & Games Magazine in 1996) are all trademarks of Nate Butler currently administered by ROX35 Media, Inc. by special arrangement. "COMIX35" and "New Life Literature Asia/USA" are both DBAs and trademarks of ROX35 Media, Inc. "ANIMAX35" and "Creating Christian Comics for Your Culture" are trademarks of ROX35 Media, Inc. All other names and logos (& other images) are TM and/or Copyright © by their respective owners. All rights reserved worldwide. Please note that it is impossible to screen all the text on all the links listed on this site. Please do not assume that all opinions expressed on linked sites are identical to those of COMIX35 / ROX35 Media, Inc.
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