Monthly Archives: January 2020

28Jan/20

Silverline Title Spotlight: Krey,1-5

Oil your sword, and throw on your leather armor for a saga of fast-paced action, forbidden romance, and brutal betrayal set in a world where barbarians rage in an epic struggle with their mutant neighbors across desert steppes. Krey is the tale of a human raised by mutants who pursued battle, glory, and family.

Krey is a unique tale on the Silverline roster. This fantastical tale tells the story of a man born of humans, raised by mutants, called to battle, and longing for a familial relationship that has repeatedly been denied to him. Krey navigates social dynamics in a world divided through the eyes of a twice-orphaned foot-soldier who is driven to greatness. The reader follows Krey as he discovers his place in the world, and finds that his ability to change the world doesn’t just come from his prowess with the blade but also the depth of his convictions.

The legend of Krey begins when he is a babe in the realm of humans. Krey’s village is raided by mutants, the beings who inhabit this world alongside humanity. Years of hate on both sides have bent both factions against each other. While some try to live together, the powerful often find it easy to use the “others” as scapegoats for their wars. The mutant who stumbles across Krey as a babe proves to be compassionate and takes the boy as his own, along with the Krey’s family sword.

Krey yearned to be a warrior from a young age, growing up in the mutant village. He would sneak out to train with his father’s sword. When Krey came of age, he joined the combat games. In these games, the mutant tribesman showed what kind of warrior they were. While he fell short as a marksman, Krey excelled as a swordsman. The games are cut short when the village is attacked by a band of human raiders. Krey watches as all his friends are cut down. Krey rushes to check on his adoptive father, who has been struck down in the attack. His last command to Krey is to run, take up his father’s sword, and never forget what he saw that day. In the surrounding melee, Krey kills his first man before escaping.

The second issue takes us to Tae Steppe in the Realm of the High Priestess. The city has allowed for humans and mutants to live in a stable if uneasy coexistence. Years have passed since Krey fled the annihilation of his human village and Tae Steppe is now celebrating the Time of Rebirth. The festival is divided into three events. Each event is a different test of martial skill. The victor of each will earn an honored posting in the High Priestess’s army. Krey has joined the festival with two other warriors of note, Etedh, and Calican. All of them hoping to use the festival as a way to accelerate their military career so that they might one day join the High Priestess’s elite force, The Red Guard.

He loses the archery competition to Etedh and the melee to Celican, but he quickly earns the adoration of the crowd. The human’s love his charisma and dominating presence. The mutants are proud of him as he was raised as a mutant. This earns him the spite of Etedh, who is revealed to have a strong prejudice against his mutant neighbors. During both of the previous events, a beautiful mutant woman catches the eye of Krey. Not only is he distracted but he is immediately driven to find out what her name is. The night before the final event, Krey accepts the hospitality of a mutant family. He shares their dinner table and sleeps in one of their guest rooms. The father of the family is also able to share the name of the woman Krey spotted, Netanya. Krey defeats Etedh in the last event, the test of swordsmanship, the Steel against Steel. As champions, Etedh, Celican, and Krey are all offered the opportunity to train to join the High Priestess’s army. Krey then offers the prize wreath he earned to Netanya.

Krey and Netanya unite in what becomes a controversial marriage. Krey’s story unfolds as he struggles with balancing his goals as a warrior and having a family after his birth and adoptive families were taking from him. He must also contend with the biases that dominate the world around him when he, himself, does not understand them. The story of this berserker and his family continues throughout the saga in a story of betrayal, rebellion, and revenge.

Krey isn’t just another fantasy sage. It weaves a tale of complex social politics and dynamics through the lens of a man who was molded by two different peoples that have spent their existence trying to put an end to the other.

Krey is a man of strong conviction in a world that challenges his beliefs at every level. Krey holds only love for mutants despite being told that, as a human, he should despise them. Instead, he lives among the mutants as one of them in hopes that they might share the world with humans. He is a skilled warrior who has spent his life seeking battle, yet takes no joy in the act of killing. This conflict gets highlighted in his relationship with the xenophobic Etedh. As these worldly matters tug at the fabric of Krey’s character, Krey finds himself struggling with the balance of family and duty. All he has known of a family is loss, so to Krey, a family is the most precious thing in life. He views his duty as a warrior also as a deep-seated part of his character. The Realm of The High Priestess espouses the idea of cohabitation between mutants and humans. To Krey, that is an ideal he will fight and die for. More than once, these dreams have come into conflict with each other. Sometimes with mortal consequences.

The conflict in Krey’s personality is smartly done and drives the story in ways other fantasy series have fallen short of. Though the action, big swords, and rippling muscles are a large aesthetic plus, the emotional conflict in Krey and the social conflicts of the world are what pulls the reader into the series.

Written by Roland Mann who, besides being my boss, is an accomplished writer and educator. He currently serves and the Editor-In-Chief and Publisher here at Silverline. Roland has also had postings at Malibu/Marvel Comics. Other titles Roland has written include Tiny, Rocket Ranger, Miss Fury, Planet of the Apes, Battletech, and Demon’s Tails.

Krey was originally published by Gauntlet Comics as issues 1-3, and Krey Special Edition.

Art for chapters 1,2, and 3 was done by Steven Butler. Steven is well known for his work on Archie Comics and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Criss Cross also provided art for chapter 3. He is known for working on titles such as Captain Marvel, Firestorm, and Blood Syndicate.

MC Wyman drew the art for Chapter 4. He is known for working on titles such as The Mighty Thor, Daredevil, Silver Surfer, and many others.

Chapter 5 was penciled by Jack Keefer. Jack also inked chapters 2,3,4 and 5. He has also worked on Marvel’s Northstar.

Chapter 1 was inked by Ken Branch who has worked for just about every major publisher including DC, Marvel, Valiant, Image, and Malibu.

Floyd Robinson also contributed ink to chapter 3. He has also worked on titles such as Thor and Batman.

Nick McCalip provided letters for chapters 1 and 3. Nick’s work can be seen in works such as Silverline’s Cat and Mouse and Malibu’s SilverStorm.

Chapter 2 received lettering from Dan Nakrosis. Who has worked on titles such as Archie, Sonic the Hedgehog, Berserk, and the X-Men Manga.
Rik Mayo also contributed letters to Chapter 3. Rik’s work can also be seen in The Mantus Files.

Debbie Woods lettered Chapter 4.

07Jan/20

Silverline Creator Spotlight: Brad Thomte

Each month we’ll be shining the spotlight on a Silverline creator and sharing their secret origin story, learning what makes them tick, and giving you the scoop on how they came up in the comics world.  

Up today is Brad Thomte, who served in the USAF before lettering comics for such companies as Caliber Press, Mojo Press, Absolute Studios, and of course, Silverline. Brad has also edited and published some small press books.

Now, without further ado, we present to you…

12 QUESTIONS WITH… BRAD THOMTE

1. So, who are you and where do you hail from?
I am a drummer, graphic designer, and aspiring actor. Currently working as a print shop supervisor, I get to put my Photoshop and Illustrator skills to use daily.

I grew up as a military brat, so I’m from all over. I claim Weatherford, Texas as home, as that is where I spent my most memorable years. It gave me an appreciation for the small town life. So much so that I have recently moved to a small town in Minnesota to recapture that feeling.

2. What would you say it is you do here at Silverline?
Currently, I’m creating new and exciting logos for upcoming Silverline titles. Many years (decades) ago, I was lettering some books as well.

3. Where might Silverline readers have seen your work previously?
As for my lettering, they may have seen my lettering work for many independent comic companies, many out of Texas. My highest visibility comic work would be on the titles that I lettered for Malibu’s Ultraverse. They may have seen my smiling mug on television as well. I was the on-camera tournament director on the syndicated Ultimate Poker Challenge for two seasons. There was even a brief theatrical appearance in the independent film Pass Through. Let’s compare IMDB pages!

4. When you’re not making great Silverline comics, what do
you do in your spare time? What are your hobbies?
All of my non-real work/non-Silverline time is spent working on getting my craft business off the ground. I do custom image to wood transfer products (photos, inspirational sayings,etc). If I’m going to life in the woods of Minnesota, I thought I’d start making some rustic crafts. Find me on all of the normal social medias under Thomte Wood Creations. https://www.facebook.com/ThomteWoodCreations
https://twitter.com/ThomteWood
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThomteWoodCreations

5. Many creators at Silverline have been in the comics
industry for years — what’s kept YOU plugging away at comics?
There is something satisfying about having something in your hand that you created. My list of titles isn’t as deep as most, but I still look at it with pride, and I want to keep adding to that list.

6. What was the first comic you remember reading that made
you think, “Hey, I could do this!”
It wasn’t a specific book, it was my time as a graphics illustrator in the Air Force. I developed the skills and my indy comic creator friends invited me to help work on their books. They were all very supportive of a rookie letterer. Once I saw my first word balloon on art board, I was absolutely sure I could help tell sequential stories.

7. What’s on your playlist? Who/what music do you listen to,
and do you listen to it while you work?
For music, I am a classic rock guy. KISS, Meatloaf, AC/DC will always be my go-to’s for solid mood music. Add in Tom Petty, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard and I’m a happy camper. I don’t have the music on while I’m working, though, as I want my design train of thought to naturally progress based on the material I’m creating for, not an outside stimulus.

8. Who were some of your earliest influences on your art?
For my lettering it is Todd Klein and Tom Orzechowski. They are masters of their craft. During their hand lettering days, they could make a LOT of text fit into impossible spaces while still making the page look great. Todd even mailed (not emailed, MAILED) back and forth with me in the 90’s to critique my early work. For my logo design influences, I’m a big fan of the 80’s independent books. A lot of very organic looking logos. They set the tone for the book/issue they adorned.

9. What was the first comic you ever worked on professionally?
Sad to say, I never got to work on a Batman or related book. As a Batman fan, it would have been an amazing opportunity. I came dangerously close once. A good writer friend of mine was working on getting a Batman story to write, and he was going to pitch me as the letterer. Alas, they decided to do all computer lettering, and I had not made the switch yet.

10. Can you still read that comic today without wincing?
I still enjoy picking up a Batman book from time to time. I’m not a full time reader anymore, but it’s still enjoyable.

11. What are some non-Silverline independent comics you would recommend to readers?
Currently, I’m reading Punchline, from my pal Bill Williams. Initially, I picked it up, because it was my friend’s book. I kept reading because it is some dang fine storytelling. I also enjoy Mouseguard. Fun stories and truly gorgeous to look at.

12. If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice that would help them better navigate the comics industry, what would it be?
Talent and good ideas are great. But, enjoy the friendships you make while working on books. Those people will help make finding your way through the industry rat race a more enjoyable. I’d rather work on a hand full of fun books with people I like, than grind away drawing a paycheck on ones I don’t.

02Jan/20

Silverline: Looking ahead to year 2(020)

2020 looks to be a busy year for Silverline…and that’s pretty exciting to all of us!

Panels from Friar Rush #1

For non-comics, we’ll be launching a weekly live stream. Current plan is for them to be Wednesday’s at 8pm EST. We’ll have a couple of different segments, including an indy comic review and a segment on the craft of making comics. Stay tuned for the exact launch date for it.

We’re still working on appearances for 2020, we’ve already been invited back to Daytona Beach Comic Con—and have accepted. Just not sure exactly which ones of us will be there. Roland will be at Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, his first show ever in the state of PA! More dates and appearances to come, be we hope to see a bunch of you at a bunch of shows!

We’ve got a big slate of books we’ll be releasing in 2020, so many that we may experiment with some Silverline crowdfund “packages.” Meaning, more than one book per crowdfund. Honestly, it’s exciting to look at this list to see all the content will be delivering to you—we know you’re gonna like them!

Mentioned last week in title only, the projects that are nearly complete and should ready to crowdfund very soon:

*Bloodline, 1 shot: by Sidney Williams (writer), Rob Sachetto (penciller), Terry Pallot (inker), Brian Dale (letterer). This one is finished except for the colors, which is being done by Keith Wood.

*Friar Rush #1, 3 issue mini: by Sidney Williams (writer), Marc Thomas (penciller), John Martin (inker), Rebecca Winslow (colorist), Brian Dale (letterer). The first issue is being both colored and lettered at the same time.

A page from DIVINITY #1

*Divinity #1, 4 issue mini: Created by Barb Kaalberg and co-written by R.A. Jones. It also features Alex Sarabia (penciller), Barb Kaalberg (inker), Steve Mattson (colorist) and Mike Belcher (letterer). It is nearly complete.

*Twilight Grimm #1, 4 issue mini: by R.A. Jones (writer) and Rob Davis (artist), Alex Gallimore (colorist), and Mike Belcher (letterer). The first issue only needs color!

*Kayless #2, 4 issue mini: by Brent Larson (writer), Luis Czerniawski (artist), Leandro Huergo (colorist), Mike Belcher (letterer). This issue needs colors and letters.

A bit later in the year, these should be ready:

A page from WHITE DEVIL #1

*Cat & Mouse #3, 4 issue mini: by Roland Mann (writer), Alex Gallimore (penciller), Barb Kaalberg (inker), Kevin Gallegly (colorist).

*White Devil II, 4 issue mini: by R.A. Jones (writer), Jaxon Renick (penciller), with inks by Mike Keeney and Chuck Bordell. The first issue only needs color!

*Trumps book 1; by Roland Mann (writer), Anthony Pereira and Thomas Hedglen (pencillers), Thomas Florimonte (inker), Sid VinBlu (colorist), Brian Dale (letterers).