New group unites comic book fans

Balloon swords, seltzer guns and throwing flowers aren’t typical elements of a comic book.

But in a quest to create something new, two MSU students and a group of comic book fans have been meeting weekly to create a comic book group that brings these elements to the page.

Creative writing junior Jon James said he mulled the idea of creating a comic book group with friend and creative writing senior Drew Pardiac that could link fellow comic book writers to the artists that help visualize the story.

“We don’t know a whole lot of artists,” James said. “For writers, that’s a big problem, and we figured that for artists it’s a big problem, too. So we decided to start this group to connect them.”

The group, which meets every Tuesday at 21st Century Comics and Games, 515 E. Grand River Ave., started by members showing each other their work and critiquing it. Since then, the group has concocted a wild story of ninja clowns that they plan to pitch to a comic book publisher.

“Someone wanted something that mixed genres and hasn’t been done before,” James said.

The idea came from English senior and artist Leslie Anderson.

“We just decided to do that for fun,” Pardiac said.

“As far as the story line is going, it’s kind of shaky because it’s kind of hard to start a ninja clown story. But we have a lot of the details.”

When they aren’t working on the big collaboration, the group tries to help each other with individual ideas and story lines.

“We’re trying to develop more on a smaller scale, less creating the entire arc, just getting what you would actually show to a company better,” Pardiac said.

Film studies junior Henry Zhao has drawn characters for his story, “Sunrise to Beatdown,” what he calls an homage to “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” and “Godzilla.”

“It’s a chance for me to throw in really ridiculous characters and over-the-top action — stuff I wouldn’t be able to express otherwise,” he said.

Zhao said he hasn’t been able to work on his story as much as he wants because of final exams, but hopes the comic book group will continue to meet during the summer and into next year.

“I think this is an opportunity for people who want to start comics but don’t how,” Zhao said.

“It’s just better to get with a lot of people and get other peoples’ opinion on their work. It’s a good way to express creativity.”

Published on Wednesday, April 23, 2008