TALISMEN
PRESS RELEASES
Talismen
Comes to Comics!
For
Immediate Release
Franklin,
MA --Atlantis Studios is pleased to announce the publication of an all-new
four-issue fantasy graphic novel miniseries to be released this fall.
The series, Talismen: Return of the Exile, is an original comic
series from Steven Jones and Barb Jacobs, creators of the popular Talismen
novels to be published by Mundania Press (www.mundania.com).
This
original story follows the adventures of Marine Corporal Ollie Steele who is
about to be executed by terrorists, when he finds himself magically transported
to the Plane of Imaginings, the land where dreams and nightmares come from.
When a beautiful young woman named Astrina finds Ollie and takes him back
to the quiet village of Donnelly, he is stunned to learn that they recognize him
as the first of three Exiles prophesized to rescue them from Ba, the foul Ruler
of the Realm of Nightmares and his shadowy first knight, Scath.
Series
writer Steven Philip Jones is the author of two novels, King of Harlem
and Bushwackers, the fantasy novella "The Sceptre" (co-created
with Barb Jacobs), and editor of the H.P. Lovecraft anthology Re-Animator:
Tales of Herbert West. His
fiction, non-fiction, and reviews have been published by Malibu Graphics,
Caliber Comics, MysteryScene Magazine, Sundragon Comics, and has appeared on
such websites as www.gatewaymonthly.com
and www.writersweekly.com
His
comic book credits include the original series Nightlinger and Street
Heroes 2005, adaptations of the 1985 film Re-Animator and Bram Stoker's
novel Dracula, and licensed stories for Invaders from Mars and Alien
Nation.
Talismen is richly illustrated by Barbara Jacobs, who has been a freelance illustrator and professional artist for nearly twenty years. Barbara has done cover and interior illustrations for the fantasy anthology Fantasy Readers Wanted, and most recently Barb's Talismen illustrations have captured the attention of fans worldwide on fantasy and comics websites such as Elfwood, Gateway Monthly, Epilogue, and Drunk Duck.
Atlantis
Studios develops, publishes, and distributes high-quality science fiction,
fantasy, superhero, and action-adventure custom comics, comics based on licensed
properties and strategic partnerships. For more information on Atlantis Studios, visit http://www.atlantisstudios.net
For
more information on Talismen, including exclusive promotional artwork,
preproduction sketches, and previews of issue #1, visit http://www.atlantisstudios.net/talismen.
Summary:
The
writer and artist behind a new middle grade fantasy series, "Talismen,"
are using the Internet and hard work to prove to Hollywood and to publishers
that they have created the next must-read young reader series.
Copy:
Cedar
Rapids, IA (PRWEB) April 5, 2005 -- The Jim Henson Company has made inquiries.
So has Scholastic Entertainment, the production branch for the American
publisher of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books, and seven other
Hollywood studios, scouts and producers so far.
"Imagine
what the interest would be like if we had a publisher," said Steven Philip
Jones, a Cedar Rapids novelist and comic book writer.
What
is Jones talking about?
Jones
and Marion, Iowa artist Barb Jacobs have co-created an illustrated fantasy
called "Talismen" that they believe will be the next must-read young
reader series. But the pair is not
waiting on a publisher to buy "Talismen" to prove they succeeded.
"You
can't start marketing a book too soon anymore," said Jones.
"There was a time when a writer could at least submit a manuscript
to a publisher's slush pile, but today most publishers won't even consider a
manuscript that doesn't have readers already waiting to buy it."
"I started assembling a "'Talismen' website as soon as Steve started
writing the series' first novel," Jacobs said.
"We wanted to get the word out about "Talismen' right
away."
To
date the "Talismen" website at www.angelfire.com/comics/talismen
has received nearly 7000 hits, with many visitors leaving positive comments in
its guest book.
"Talismen"
follows the adventures of four 12-year-old boys----Colin Sinclair, Reggie
Spencer, Ollie Steele, and Timmy Shannon----who discover they were exiled from
the Land of Dreams before they were born. A
man named Ba from the Realm of Nightmares is hunting the boys for a secret
reason, but the boys find help from a dream warrior named Pratt and his 12-year-old
daughter, Jennifer.
"It's
a contemporary fantasy, with one foot in the present and the other in a
fantastical plane of magic and knights and monsters," Jacobs said.
For example, Ollie and Timmy are military brats living on Guantanamo Base
Naval Station in Cuba, so America's War on Terror is shown as a very real part
of their lives.
"Pratt
informs the boys that they must each find their talisman, a magical items that
can protect that boy from Ba," said Jones.
"But a talisman can also destroy its owner if its is not used
properly. For instance, in our
first novel Colin's talismen is a knife that assaults his mind with nightmarish
images every time he draws it. One
of these images is the recent stabbing death of his father by a mugger."
Jacobs
and Jones are working doubly hard to build an audience for "Talismen"
because they want to simultaneously release every story in the series as an
illustrated novel and a graphic novel.
"The
first 24 pages of the first graphic novel are inked, lettered, colored, and
ready to go," said Jacobs. "You
can see sample pages at our website."
Visitors will also find the first chapter of the first novel, "The
Knightmare Knife," the latest "Talismen" news, character illos
and bios, production sketches, and fan drawings.
Besides
the website, Jacobs has posted dozens of her full-color "Talismen"
illustrations on the Internet at fantasy and comic book websites like Gateway
Monthly, Elfwood, Deviant Artist, Drunk Duck, and The Web Comics List.
"We
also came up with a concept we call "tweeners," Jones said.
"These are shorter stories that take place between the events in the
novels."
A five-page comic book tweener, "Calling the King," can be seen
at Gateway Monthly (http://www.gatewaymonthly.com)
and an illustrated novella, "The Boy In the Well," will be available
soon at Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com).
Jacobs
is also posting chapters of a new graphic novel, "Return to Donnelly,"
at its own website at http://www.angelfire.com/comics2/donnelly/.
"Return to Donnelly" features the "Talismen" heroes
eight years in the future when they are young adults.
Jacobs is writing as well as drawing this adventure, and in only four
weeks this new website received over 2000 hits.
"Besides
all this stuff, Barb and I have started an Internet group for 'Talismen' fans at
Yahoo, made personal appearances at area schools, and are preparing to sell 'Talismen'
t-shirts and posters through Cafe Press," Jones said.
Meanwhile Jacobs, a songwriter and musician who has played in area bands,
is working on material for a 'Talismen' CD.
"We're
doing everything we can think of to call attention to "Talismen,’' said
Jacobs.
It
has been a lot of hard work since Jones was inspired to contact Jacobs in
February 2003 about creating a new illustrated series for young readers.
"A
friend of mine, Phil Hester, told me how Scholastic had inquired about the novel
rights to a comic book series he created called "FireBreather,'"said
Jones. "I was happy for Phil,
but this got me thinking how I'd always wanted to submit material to Scholastic
but never gotten around to it. I
was too busy concentrating on other things I was writing."
Jones'
published credits include two novels, the western "Bushwhackers" and
the mystery-adventure "King of Harlem," and over 50 comic books,
including the original series "Nightlinger”" and several adaptations
of H.P. Lovecraft stories.
"Barb
and I had created a couple of comic book series in the past," Jones said.
"When I got the itch to pursue Scholastic, I remembered that Barb
had always wanted to break into illustrating children's books.
So I called her to see if she would be interested in creating a young
adult fantasy series."
Jacobs
accepted the offer, and the pair soon decided to take one of their old series
and give it a major face-lift.
"We
created one series called 'Commonwealth'
about a rock band attacked by forces from a dreamland," Jacobs said.
"Steve and I really liked the main characters and the dreamland
concept, but 'Commonwealth'M had been created for older adolescents and adults.
I had the idea of taking ‘'Commonwealth's' band members, who are in
their twenties, and making them kids. Steve
liked the idea and suggested we create new histories for them while keeping
their original personalities. We
came up with some ideas about how we could revamp the dreamland concept, and
over the next few weeks we created the first 'Talismen' story and the foundation
for most everything that follows."
Most
of this collaborating was done through emails, which remains Jacobs and Jones'
primary method of working together.
"We’re
both freelancers, but we both work full time and we're both parents," Jones
said. "At first Barb and I
would meet at Barnes & Noble to hash out ideas, but finding time to do that
was difficult at best. We just fell
into exchanging emails, and then Barb began attaching sketches of her ideas so I
could see the characters and the 'Talismen' world. For us, it's a great way of working."
Their
children have become one of the pair's greatest motivations to work on "Talismen."
"I’ve
shared the creation of 'Talismen' with my children, and Steve has done the same
with his daughter," Jacobs, a single mother of two, said.
"Our
kids in turn have shared 'Talismen' with their friends,' said Jones.
"If nothing else ever comes out of it, my memories of this will have
made all the late nights and long hours worthwhile."
But
all their hard work may be about to pay off for Jacobs and Jones.
Besides receiving inquiries from Hollywood, novel and comic book
publishers are asking to look at "Talismen."
'Not
that we're waiting for anybody to call us first," said Jones.
"The
slush pile may be going the way of the Dodo, but I still send out queries to
publishers and agents. It just
doesn't pay not to take advantage of every option available to you, no matter
how steep the odds against success. You
just never know where or when opportunity will appear."
No
matter who ends up publishing "Talismen" or how that publisher ends up
finding out about it, Jacobs and Jones will be happy.
"We're
just anxious to share our stories with as many people as we can," Jacobs
said. "Hopefully that will happen very soon."
For
additional information contact:
Steven Philip Jones
319-366-5176
www.angelfire.com/comics/talismen
sphilipjones@aol.com