Experts Share their Stories and Advice
There are so many talented people in the Christian comic industry. In fact, unless you are heavily involved you might be surprised at the activity and vibrance of the community. Believers are bringing their faith into comics by epically visualizing Bible stories, designing new heroes and foes, and reimagining Scripture’s most memorable accounts for a new era. We’ve listed tons of Christian comic companies before.
But like any creative industry, it can be hard to figure out what information you need to know and what tactics can get you noticed in a crowded space so you can turn it into a viable career. Luckily, we’ve gathered several experts to help you out in basic masterclasses you can listen to for free, wherever you find yourself. These podcast episodes are your key to how to create Christian comics.
You can accelerate your Christian comic career by checking out these seven interviews on the Creatively Christian show which feature some fascinating figures in the industry, each with different talents, styles, and experiences. We’ve organized these episodes very broadly by themes, but many of them can’t be contained in a single category. So I guess you’ll just have to listen to them all.
Learn to create compelling Christian comics from the pros. Listen to their personal and professional journeys. Hear their wisdom and experience. Make note of what tools and programs they recommend. And then take action.
Starting Out with Comic Creation
When you are just starting out with a new comic, one of the most important things you need is to develop the proper mindset. Yes, the tools and tricks of the trade are super important. But for those to truly be useful, you need to adopt the right frame of mind to propel your creativity onward.
Episode Suggestion: “Music, Comics, and Everything in Between – Bill Brooks”
Aspiring comic artist Bill Brooks, one of the hosts of Creatively Christian, talks with another host Brannon Hollingsworth about his inspiration for his works and some of the challenges in actually pursuing his passions. One topic covered is how to access people and resources to get help. Bill also drops some great wisdom for all you perfectionists out there who are stuck in creating something that you don’t feel is “good enough.”
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6ChNYDPj70
The Business and Technical Side of Comic Creating
Creating comics is fun, sure. Making fantastical stories. Drawing stunning characters. Bringing your reader into a whole other world. All exhilarating. But there are a lot of details that go into bringing that comic to the readers. You have to understand the business and technical side of comics.
Episode Suggestion: “Creating Christian Space Fantasy Comics – Barron Bell”
Dr. Barron Bell teaches comic art at both Liberty University and George Fox University. He’s been creating comics for 20 years and now serves as art director for Terminus Media. In this episode with Bill Brooks as host, Barron tells how Terminus Media went through a major shift to become a Christian comic publisher. While this is a great episode for learning about story creation, it also includes valuable information about some of the business and technical side of bringing to life amazing comics.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/2_zrrdNyNKU
Episode Suggestion: “Creating a Catholic Comic Book Company – Philip Kosloski”
Philip Kosloski founded a whole comic book company to bring his creations to the world. He explains to Bill Brooks some of the steps he took in starting the company. One of the important lessons you can pick up from Philip is the value of making industry connections—you can’t start a whole business like this alone!”
YouTube: https://youtu.be/oSw_S-YF_C8
Episode Suggestion: “Breaking into Full-Time Creating – Jamie Cosley”
Jamie Cosley is a comic artist, illustrator, and graphic designer, with work published in places like Star Wards Insider Magazine and Highlights for Children. In this interview with Brannon Hollingsworth, Jamie shares how he turned some crazy ideas about making comics into a full-time living. You’ll definitely learn from how he turns free work into a long-term gig.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P40bk33OI8I&t=32s
Episode Suggestion: “What it Takes to Launch a Comic Book – Douglas Ernst”
Douglas Ernst is a writer for The Washington Times and the creator of the Soulfinder series. In this interview with Brannon Hollingsworth, Douglas talks about how he came to create his comic series Soulfinder that accurately portrays both Good vs. Evil and religious characters from a Catholic worldview. He also shares the complicated process of making one of his books–a lot goes into bringing a comic book to the world! The tips about working with others and funding a project will be very valuable for your comic creation journey!
YouTube: https://youtu.be/6CbqYFOrbfk
Telling Phenomenal Christian Stories
At the end of the day, it’s the story that really takes a comic to the next level. As Christians, we have unique freedoms and restraints to the kind of stories we tell. How do the pros create stories that honor God and are jaw-droppingly amazing?
Suggested Episode: “Comic Creation as Therapy – Nicholas Mueller”
Nicholas Mueller is an independent comic creator you’ll want to keep your eye on. His flagship comic is a supernatural thriller called Demon Raven Hunter—it takes a different approach to Christian comics by not being a Bible retelling or anything overtly religious. Nicholas talks to host Brannon Hollingsworth about how he tells stories reflecting on his own personal pain, so the stories function like “therapy.” Plus, as a bonus, Nicholas gives great advice on marketing at the end of the episode.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/I-5KR6GHiug
Suggested Episode: “Writing to Explore Your Experiences – Meredith Finch”
Meredith Finch has written for DC Comics like WonderWoman and Catwoman plus her own works. She’s the wife of famous DC comic artist David Finch. When Meredith tells stories, she draws on her past experiences and her own feelings to create complex stories. In her new graphic novelization of the Biblical book of Ruth, Meredith explains why she choose to set the story in the early 20th century.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/3PXOlk6kKfM
Suggested Episode: “King David for a New Era – Mercy Ways Studio”
You can learn a lot from this interview where host Brannon Hollingsworth talks with Ivan Anaya and Sofia Flores of Mercy Ways Studios, an El Salvador-based Christian media company. The focus is on the comic Chronicles of Faith (David) which Brannon helped write. Ivan, Sofia, and Brannon had a really unique way of approaching this Bible-based comic—it involved countless hours of planning, research, and designing. If you want to know what it takes to create a seriously good story, listen to these fine folks.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/jhedG1dXs-Q
Start creating those Christian comics
We hope these podcast episodes inspire you to create awesome stories and educate you on just what it takes to bring those to life. All this wisdom is yours free if you take the take to listen intently and act on what you hear. Who knows—maybe one day you’ll be on the podcast sharing your brilliant Christian comic creation success story.
If there are any Christian comic creators we NEED to have on the show, comment below and we’ll see if we can get them on!
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Jake Doberenz is a writer, teacher, minister, and creative thinker from Oklahoma City, OK. He is the Founder and President of Theophany Media. Additionally, he ministers at the Mayfair Church of Christ and teaches middle school debate at The Academy of Classical Christian Studies in Oklahoma City. Jake is almost done with his Master of Theological Studies at Oklahoma Christian University, the same place he recieved an undergraduate degree in Biblical Studies with a minor in Communication Studies.