Peter Pan Crowdfunding Project Announced

Artist and writer Stephen White, also known as Stref', has announced a crowd funding initiative to get his latest project, a full colour 96 page graphic novel of JM Barrie's Peter Pan, off the ground.

"To me, Peter Pan is the greatest story in the world, and one I have been hooked on (no pun intended!) since I was a small boy," says Stephen. "I intend the adaptation to be as faithful as possible to the original vision of the author, which is darker in tone than the Disney version that the majority of the world is familiar with. It will also contain scenes from the book that were not included in Disney's version! Adapting this book is my greatest ambition, and something I have been working towards for many, many years. This character is loved by people all over the world, and I understand the responsibility I would have to do this book properly."

Stephen White has been a producing work professionally for over 25 years, including 7 years on The Dandy and The Beano. He has also created the graphic anthology Milk+, originally published in hardback by Insomnia and now available as a softcover, Raising Amy, a collection of newspaper style cartoon strip published by Markosia, and the mature readers graphic novel X, which is just about to be released independently. Peter Pan is the next project that he plans to work on.

JM Barrie left all the rights for Peter Pan to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children (GOSH) and, having already approached GOSH, Stephen intends the hospital to benefit from a percentage of sales of the book. Stephen says, "I intend a classic visual style for the book, that will make it timeless. The adapted script is already written and has been read by several other professionals, including Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, and former editor of The Dandy, Morris Heggie, who has over forty years' experience. I have many professional colleagues at hand for expert advice and support with all aspects of, and through all stages of, this project."

Stephen is looking to raise $32000 via Indiegogo crowd funding to fund the creation of the book over the course of one year and is offering a variety of incentives for backers from signed art prints and signed books via original artwork from the book up to opportunities for "walk-on" parts in the artwork as pirates or lost boys and even one "speaking" part.

There are more details of Stephen White's plans for his Peter Pan graphic novel on the Indiegogo website and on the project's Facebook page including a selection of character designs, concept art and dummy covers.

The Facebook pages for Stephen White's previous books are below:
Milk+
Raising Amy
X

Stephen White organises Reekie Roundup, the Edinburgh comic creators group. Meetings take place on the last Thursday of each month in Mathers Bar in Edinburgh's Broughton Street. There are more details about Reekie Roundup and the date and time of the next meeting on the group's Facebook page.

Al Davison seeks suport for new graphic novel project

Comic artist Al Davison (creator of critically-acclaimed The Spiral Cage and his new book, Hokusai: Demons) has dropped us a line about his campaign on the global funding platform Indiegogo to raise £4000 to print his new graphic novel, The Alchemist's Easel: A rough guide to drawing the unconscious.

"One morning in 1988, I woke up to find I'd gone blind," the Coventry-based artist and author explains. "At the time, I had no idea that it was temporary. I just knew that along with the blindness I was losing my visual memory, the ability to visualize my family's faces, even simple shapes, and that the partial paralysis I'd had as a result of being born with Spina-Bifida had returned.

"I was blind for three months on two occasions that year. My reaction to my visual memory fading was to continue to draw, even though I had no idea if the pen contained ink or whether the paper was blank or not. When my sight returned I began to analyze the drawings I'd produced, and what I'd leaned about tapping into the unconscious, perception, dreams, and drawing. I have been teaching art based on that knowledge for over twenty years.

"Now seems like a good time to put all that on paper," he continues. "But a typical 'how to draw' book doesn't seem appropriate, given the subject.

"Utilizing the techniques I have discovered to create the book is the only way to go. I've ended up with part autobiography part 'how to draw' and part dream showcase. I've taught everyone from school children to senior art students, from dream researchers to teenagers at risk and abuse survivors. I hope this book will allow me to continue reaching more and more people."

Al and his partner Maggie, who also run Astral Gypsy, a graphic novel, manga shop and art studio in Coventry, are committed to the idea of the book as an art object in itself, as well as the book as a medium for reaching as many people as possible.

"Our project combines both," says Al. "We want to produce a limited edition collectors item. 200 hardback copies with a quarter cloth spine, printed with vegetable based ink in an outsized format 31cm x 22cm printed by Calverts containing an original black and white drawing in each copy and priced at $49.00 All the proceeds of the limited edition will then used to print an affordable trade paperback edition."

Al has turned to Indiegogo to try to raise the funds to print the limited edition graphic novel - but if they can't generate the $6,498 required but do get enough money to print a trade paperback they will do that, and contributors will receive a copy of that plus artwork to the value of their contribution.

"If we fail to raise enough for even the trade edition, the money will go into a pot until we can explore other funding opportunities," says Al. "Contributors will receive artwork to the value of their contribution anything from a pencil sketch to a archival art print to a full color acrylic painting.

"Should we reach our goal, and have money left over after printing the trade edition, that money will go towards equipment to help run art courses for young people in Coventry."

• Read more about the project here: www.indiegogo.com/The-Alchemists-Easel


• Al Davison's Facebook Page


• Astral Gypsy web site: www.astralgypsy.com

Charity comics project hopes to count the cost of war

"Caging the Snow Lion" by Sean Duffield and Lawrence Elwick, just one of many comics in the War: The Human Cost book. It tells the remarkable true story of Palden Gyatso, a Tibetan Monk imprisoned and tortured for 33 years

Brighton-based comics creator group Paper Tiger Comix has raised £3500 towards the publication of its mammoth War: The Human Cost book and CD non-profit anthology, and needs just £500 to make it the project, some four years in the planning, a reality.

Publishing underground and alternative comix since early 2004, Sean, the book's editor says he has been putting this mammoth project over the last four years, and is appealing for help to raise the last bit of cash to get it out for the world to see. 

War: The Human Cost will consist of a 260 page perfect bound book, and a 21-track music CD compilation on themes of war and peace. Its publication will raise money and and awareness for Campaign Against the Arms Trade (www.caat.org.uk), as well as raising awareness of campaign groups such as War On Want and Amnesty International and Hero Rats (training African rats to safely sniff out landmines).

Priced at just £12, £1 from every book and CD sold will go to CAAT and all the other proceeds will go to the Community Arts Project/Paper Tiger Comix.

"The work is more or less finished, as is the majority of the fund raising," says the book's editor, Sean Duffield. "It’s just the raising of the remainder of money for the project which is left." He's using the fund raising project site Indie Go Go to get the final donations and anyone who donates just £5.00 will get a 50% discount off the price of the book and CD when it comes out.

A page from "A Tale of Two Faces"
by Sean Duffield & Nelson Evergreen
- a current story about nuclear weapons
and the double-talk of politicians

The comic strips include well researched stories from around the world such as Tibet, Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine, which cover everything from human rights struggles, war veterans and Post Traumatic Dtress Disorder, political imprisonment and torture, child soldiers, refugees /asylum seekers, peace campaigns, the arms trade, corruption/ conflicts of interest, military spending, propaganda to humour and satire.

Contributors, who have all donated their work comprise the cream of underground and international talent from 17 countries and well known respected artists from the comics world such as Spain's Rodriguez (Ché: The illustrated Biography), Peter Kuper (World War 3 Illustrated/ Speechless), Alexsandar Zograf (Regards from Serbia), Lawrence Elwick, Nelson Evergreen, Ulli Lust (Warburger), Mazen Kerbaj, Ben Jennings (The Guardian), Alejandro Alvarez (The Bush Junta), Paul O'Connell, Dr Parsons, Abu Mahjoob and many others.

Some of the stories are more historical, going back to previous generations (Vietnam, World War 2, Spanish Civil War etc) and the very personal/ moving stories of those involved.

"My motivation behind creating this project was to put together a work which would help raise money for worthy causes," he explains, "but also to provide the reader with an educational and engaging collection of comics, art and illustrated factual and pieces surrounding themes of war, but from an emotional and humanitarian angle.

Think of it like a WikiLeaks; getting the real stories out there, but with mostly personal accounts and emotive art."

With so much conflict in the world, the contributions to War: The Human Cost expose the surrounding complex issues on why humans go to war, and the very real universal cost that it entails. It also looks at the more positive stories to come out of war and suffering and those creating practical alternatives to the destruction it causes.

'The Soldier' by Hannes Pasqualini.
A tale about becoming the thing you
fear the most

"I contacted many people, commissioned work and also allowed for open submissions from comic artists, writers, illustrators and musicians," Sean says of the project's beginnings. "I was astounded by the response.

"I received over 800 pages of work from artists from 24 countries, with some amazing, heartfelt and well-researched work. I’ve now edited that down to a much smaller and better book, and am just working on my own last three contributions to this work.

"The aim is to bring people together, and look at the causes and effects of war. I believe, that it is through understanding, real-life stories, solid journalism, and allowing different voices to be represented, that we can work against fear, propaganda and warmongering, and lessen the dehumanisation and ‘us and them’ mentality that is whipped up around the world by various leaders/ groups to create conflict, exploitation  and hate."

The CD features well known artists who support the project, such as Michael Franti and Spearhead, Sly and Robbie, DJ Spooky, Blue King Brown, Zion Train, The Levellers, Big Youth and Twilight Dub Circus, The Groove Corporation and many more.

So far the project has raised £3450 externally, and Sean himself has £1500 into the project, and  raised another £1750 via some wonderful sponsors, contributers, and by putting on two benefit gigs.

Donations start from £5 ($8.00 US). "The smallest donation helps!" says Sean.

• You can support this project via www.indiegogo.com/WAR-The-Human-Cost-Book-CD-Project

• Samples of the work featured in the project can be found on Paper Tiger Comix Facebook page and MySpace page