Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Krista Jean on February 6, 2009 at 6:56pm

Absolutely.

I actually had a really big problem with comics and stuff for a long time. Like, I thought they were fine for occasional entertainment, but they were a really limited art form, and certainly not anything I would be interested in doing. I figured I'd end up just doing graphic design or something similar; and all the stories and characters I had in my head would just stay there (since I wasn't much of a writer!).

Eventually though, I realized all the possibilities comics could have as an art form, despite what had 'been done' before. Comics have the same narrative possibilities that books or movies have, if not more; and they were a medium that was relatively unexplored by Christians- something that made me really sad, especially because I saw so many broken hearts in the readers (namely friends). I decided I wanted to change that. It took me MUCH longer to realize though, that the story God was telling me to tell was the one closest to my heart- my own, and those of my characters.

It's hard. Most people are pretty supportive, but it's still difficult. I know the challenges that are ahead of me, but I'm learning to surrender and not worry about what's going to happen; just let God speak through me. I think it will be awesome, one day. :)

I love reading everyone else's stories, they're very encouraging, btw.

Permalink Reply by Daniel Clark on March 30, 2009 at 12:02pm

Yes. I've had this feeling for many yrs now. I was busy working and now I am busy looking for work. I'm working 2 PT jobs and have 3 homeschooling kids and having trouble making ends meet. I'm one that finds it hard to multi-task or find a few minutes here and there to hurry up and be creative. I put myself 100% into something or not. I cant say "kids you can't eat for a couple months because papa wants to draw comics." I want to make evangelistic series for the postmodern youth today. (write and draw.) Realistic action no superheroes stuff. Characters learning about absolute truth and having stereotypes shattered as struggle through questions that bring them a little closer to the Lord one small step at a time. moving from sublety to blatant evangelism. I fear not being good enough and not making profit. Thinking I have to colaborate and start a comics mission and receive support to free me to just do it. Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe I don't have enough faith. Maybe I dont have the chops. Maybe I've put it off too long. I dont know. ??

Permalink Reply by Paul Gilmore on July 15, 2009 at 7:12am

Well, for me, I have been wanting to do an animation piece to go along with the praise music at our church. Of course I haven't had the time to try animation yet, due to studying and preparing for our Children's church lessons and Sunday School classes, college, and work. We have one song called the rain dance, a praise song for God sending the latter rain, and it goes by an American Indian beat. It reminds me of Indian Hoop Dancing. So I would like to try to draw and animate Indian hoop dancing and the hoops forming a cross. The other one I thought would be to the christian praise song "Rock this House", except add and additional stanza about daniel in the lions den. Then do an Animation of Daniel as a lead singer, and the lionesses and cubs as his courus backup and a male lion as his second singer to the song.

Permalink Reply by Paul Gilmore on July 15, 2009 at 7:34am

Hi Daniel, I read your story and believe it or not, we are walking very similar paths when it comes to stepping out by faith. Do you believe God is speaking to your heart? Something must be happening to you or you wouldn't be here. I got a challenge for you.

Draw a little bit for God each day. It's not about money, it's about faith. If you step out by faith, God will match you. I don't get paid for what I do, what I do is draw for God by taking those talents and using them for him by teaching illustrated lessons for kids. But I also did something else. I tithed on my art. Not with money but with art. I would draw a piece and drop it in the offering bucket because his word says to tithe on our increase, and as I increased in ability to draw, I gave to God in that form. Not long after that, my skills improved, and have done three commission draws as a result. More importantly, God increased my skills to give the kids better illustrations.

Listen, if you do a single poster with a 4 panel design. Do you're very best at what ever level you are at, and take it to the youth or children, God will honor it and increase you. It doesn't matter if they think your good at it. What matters is you are doing your best for God. At first I was laughed at and told to give it up at my church, but I refused to listen. Today they laugh no more. My wife believes God may soon have me teaching upstairs to the adults. My point is do your best today, let God give the increase. Do that, and I believe you will not only see things improve for your vision, but also for your family as well.

P.M. me, lets talk.

Permalink Reply by Brian Jeffrey Durham on October 14, 2009 at 11:29pm

Brian Jeffrey Durham said:

Yes... music first... same here. (wind instruments - trumpet to flutes) Got discouraged in music too. Picked up a pencil, and apparently I could draw if I exerted effort and practice. Don't know if I'm led... guess I must be... making a comic about once a day myself, though every thing is in the rough... very very rough. (working with undesigned characters and undesigned costumes). I'll be praying for you.

C. Souba Reyes said:

Hi all,
Well um I originally didn't set out to make a comic, in fact I spent half my life pursuing Christian music. When that didn't happen on my time table I got discouraged and quit. In that time of feeling sorry for myself I started drawing. Years after I went to the Sci-Fi Expo convention where I first heard about christiancomics.net, I decided to look it up. From there I felt like making a comic of my own and since I liked mangas I started with a web comic called Dark World. Three years ago while I was working on DW God gave me the character and story of Jackket Knightmare. After I prayed about it God told me to finish Jackket and stop working on the other projects, so that's what I did and that's what I'm working on. Jackket's story is very different from anything I ever wrote before or any style I've done before, so I just know that this is not from me at all.
Anyway, I haven't been able to draw much lately for the story because I feel like there's something more that God wants me to say in this story and I'm not sure yet what it is. If you all can please pray for me that God will give me the inspiration to write and draw so I can finish the first issue that would make me most grateful.
PS I'm glad to be here and to read your testimonies! I pray that God will direct you guys as you work on the projects God has given you. :-D
God Bless,
Souba

Permalink Reply by Jolyon Stebbing on September 22, 2010 at 6:03am

Sorry to resurrect an ancient discussion but I've just stumbled upon this group and thought it might be good to share and revitalise it a bit.
For a while now (roughly a year) I've had ideas buzzing around my head for a comic to draw. I'm convinced God is pestering me to do it, but I never seem to have the time or energy to sit and do it. I risk a lot by writing the script and sketching at work (that's not what they pay me to do) but at home there's always so much needs doing and then I'm exhausted!

But, God doesn't keep quiet about this comic. Or I don't. Well one of us keeps banging on about it and I've been finding the ideas growing and building into something quite epic now so I've decided to have issue one drawn by Christmas. If I don't, then I don't and that's that.

If you're interested in the comic, the art or the story, let me know and feel free to friend me.
God bless!
J

Permalink Reply by Elena Martinez on April 14, 2011 at 9:38am

I've been receiving major inspiration from the Great Spirit HIMself about writing, illustrating and producing a number of graphic novel ideas. I've gotten so excited over it that it's hard to sleep at night cause the creative juices are doing it's business. ;D So I'm completely new to the whole comic/graphic novel process. The only thing I don't know is how to print and publish my work when it's completed. By getting a publisher, will they take came of this things? If I do it independently, how do I got about printing & publishing my work? And where?

Permalink Reply by Paul Gilmore on February 1, 2012 at 11:47am

My wife has asked me to start turning a book I have been writing into a graphic novel. It's about 1/2 human 1/2 cougar clones who turn to believing God and the bible as their faith, as they fight for survival in the world. It's a far huge step down (literally on the drawing board) for me as I am used to drawing everything big on a 28 X 71 cm. posterboard. I've been doing my research and I am having to learn few new things like developing profiles and character sheets, but I'm excitied about the idea. The challenge for me is learning how to draw things alot smaller, and learning how to carry on a storyline for several pages rather than trying to sum up the whole story in a 4 panel display. This will be interesting to see how God works the whole thing out.

 

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