Crystal Fractals Q&A: Daniel Panero Bertucci

The Crossing artist Daniel Panero.

Since the first issue of The Crossing, we've been able to sit and watch Daniel Panero Bertucci develop as an artist. From his first Magic story in issue one, to his contributions in the second issue, all the way through his current work in the forthcoming third issue, Daniel's style and talents seem to be ever improving. With The Crossing #3 close to release, we caught up with Daniel for his thoughts on his style, his work with Crystal Fractal Comics, his creative partner in (comic book) crime Dino Caruso, his other projects and his thoughts on the Crystal Fractal Universe as a whole.
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Andrew Ardizzi: It's been nearly two years since we checked in with you, your first interview with Dino having appeared on our blog way back in February 2011. A lot has happened in our neck of the woods since then, but how have you been? What have you been up to?

Daniel Panero Bertucci: I have been busy with work obligations and working on new pages whenever I get the chance to do so. I have also been following with interest the CFC news and updates through the newsletter and social media. It’s a great way to keep us connected and reach out to the readers!

AA: When you and Dino chatted, it came at a time when we had released the first issue of The Crossing several months before, while the second issue was still about eight months away from being finished. Looking back almost three years later on that first book, what are your thoughts on yours and Dino's entries in issue one?

DPB: I enjoyed the opportunity of creating environments and characters for which there had been no previous visual reference. Being from Spain, I liked the fact that the action took place in Castile, but at the same time, that put some pressure on me because I wanted to be up to the task of representing the setting accurately.  I had to do some research on the historic period, which is something that I kept doing for the previous stories and also those I am currently working on. As I am getting more familiar with the time period, it becomes easier for me to create a coherent, realistic universe. Overall, although there are things that I would have done differently now, I am pleased with my work on the first book, also because it marked my first collaboration with Dino and with CFC. On a different note, I must mention Mae Hao´s superb coloring work.

The Crossing #1 cover by Alisson Borges.

AA: Much of the first Magic story focused on getting readers familiarized with the main characters -- their younger selves anyway -- and sort of rounding out the foundation of the Crystal Fractal Universe. Visually, what did you try and convey to readers with Dino's script?

DPB: I like the fact that the story is set centuries ago. I think that setting and the action in the past worked very well with these kinds of stories and the fantasy genre in general. For me, it was important to convey the action in a realistic and believable way, so that the reader would be as involved reading these stories as when he or she deals with the adult versions of the characters.

AA: One of the touches that leaps out on the second page of Magic 101 is the smaller inset panel of a stoic Natanael that gives way as the scene pulls back to reveal Natanael is hanging on every word of his teacher's lesson. It's very simple, but nicely nuanced because it hits home with who the character is. How did you go about composing that page? I feel it's very readable, in that it's easy for your eye to follow the smaller panel to the shot of Natanael sitting at his desk, then following his gaze to Ilonus.

DPB: Thank you. I just followed the indications on Dino´s script regarding the character´s attitude.  And as for the composition goes, I opted for a larger panel so that I would be able to include a detailed background and a greater number of characters. This big panel allows me to introduce many new characters to the reader for the first time. I like doing panels like this once in a while.  They're both fun to draw and help to highlight some key moments in the story.

A Crystal Fractals New Year!

We're well into the 2013 swing of things, and we hope you've all enjoyed the time you spent with your friends and families over the holidays. But with them having come to a close, it's time to get back down to work.

Over the last little while you've seen a lot of our content, specifically on our Redorik series which was the focus of our recent Indiegogo campaign. As the year progresses, despite the campaign not going the way we would have liked, you can be sure that you'll be seeing Justin Henderson again at some point this year.

In the meantime, we need a little help. We need anyone and everyone to spread the word about Crystal Fractal Comics. We've established a strong presence on Facebook and Twitter in the last year, and we'd really love to have the chance to interact even more with all of our fans throughout the social media sphere. We have a lot coming up, and you'll be able to find everything about our upcoming projects there.

So what exactly is coming up, you ask? Well, we're just waiting on some letterering edits for Dr. Twilight #2, but it's otherwise ready to go! Jeff Haas has turned in a great script for the second part of this story featuring Crystal Fractals' main character in Dr. Twilight. The issue has been a long time coming, and we're really looking forward to getting issue two into your hands and onto your computer screens. If you've been following this blog, you'll have also seen a number of pencilled pages from Daniel Panero Bertucci. He's been hard at work finishing off the artwork for his and Dino Caruso's latest additions to the Magic stories featured in the first two issues of The Crossing. We're very much looking forward to the finished product, which promises to flesh out the world we're building a little bit more, introduce you to some characters and highlight just how far they'll go to obtain power.

Crystal Fractals Q&A: Dino Caruso

Dino Caruso (left) meets former collaborator Kieron O'Gorman

Dino Caruso has almost become synonymous with the Crystal Fractal Universe over the years, having written nearly a half-dozen stories for the company's Crossing series. A veteran of many independent comic projects, Dino recently took the time to chat and answer a few questions about his work, Crystal Fractals' Indiegogo campaign, crowdfunding, his work on The Crossing in addition to what  else he was planned for future issues of the series.

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Andrew Ardizzi: Some people might still be unfamiliar with you and your work, despite having your comics appear in a number of great anthologies such as Acts of Violence and Survival Stories, not to mention your work on Against the Wall and with Crystal Fractal Comics. Can you talk a little about your work in comics to this point? 

Dino Caruso: So, my first few experiences with getting my stories "out there" was via self-publishing. I wrote a few stories that were small-scale, personal tales and found some local artists to illustrate them. Those first three comics were Olga, Crossroads and A Cautionary Tale. Then I moved on to a more ambitious project, which was an 80-pager called Against the Wall, illustrated by Shawn Richison.

I then became enamoured with short stories and anthology projects. I had a whole slew of them appear in indie anthologies, published by a variety of publishers. I love all of my anthology stories, because I got to meet a lot of wonderful artists, editors and publishers. I highly recommend anthologies as a way for creators to break into the indie comics scene. Most recently, I've been working on pitches and submissions for creator-owned projects.

AA: What sort of stories do you like to tell, and stylistically how do you construct your stories? Do you have any influences within the industry?

The cover to Caruso's 'Against the Wall.'

DC: The kinds of stories I like to tell? Hmmm...good question, and one I'm having a hard time coming up with an answer for. I like crime stories a lot, and I also like "slice of life" tales that don't have any elements of the strange and fantastic. I like comedy. I love a good superhero story. Science fiction rocks! Romance and straight drama is awesome.

Stylistically, I'm fond of flashbacks and non-linear storytelling. I'm not sure if that's a weakness or not, but I find it such an appealing tool to use. I recently had another writer read an outline of mine, and the advice he gave me was to drop the flashbacks and do it in a linear fashion. It was so non-intuitive for me to approach it like that, but I'm thinking maybe I should try it more often, as it was a very effective way to build up the drama. It's always good to step outside of your comfort zone every now and again I suppose.

I try not to pigeon-hole myself into sticking with any one genre. I suppose, ultimately, I want to tell the kinds of stories that I'd like to read.

AA: Do you have any themes you like to try and explore? What sorts of stories do you try to write?

DC: That's an interesting question and one I was just reflecting on recently. In his book, Story, Robert McKee says that writers often have a theme that they return to again and again over the course of their career. I realize that my projects hardly encompass a "career," but I think there's some validity to McKee's statement when I look at my own stuff.

Crystal Fractals Q&A: Pedro Maia on 'Redorik,' Indiegogo

Two versions of Maia's cover art for the 'Redorik' series.

Where comic books are concerned, it's a two-part medium; defined as equally by its script as it is its art, truly great comics meld the two together to create a fantastic experience for readers. We feel Redorik is one of those stories, where Howard Wong's knack for storytelling marries and bonds perfectly to the artistry of Brazilian artist Pedro Maia. This week we chatted with Pedro about his work on the first issue of the series, his inspirations and influences and his hope to finish what he, Derrek and Howard started.

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Redorik artist Pedro Maia

Andrew Ardizzi: Every artist has their influences, works that inspired them or a specific artist they try and pattern themselves after. Growing up, and even now, who are some of your influences in the comic book industry?

Pedro Maia: To be really honest I draw inspiration from every good artist I've seen, and there are lots of them in the industry! Some of them I can't even name, but I do recognize their work easily. But if I had to pick one, that would be the amazing Adam Hughes.

AA: Where do you think those influences come out, or are clear in your work whether it's on The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles: Prelude to Evil #1, Hollows, Bloodwork or in your work with us on Redorik?  Are you even consciously pencilling, inking or colouring in those styles when you work, or is it more that you've been exposed to all these different styles throughout your life and you've organically evolved your own style as you've grown as an artist?

PM: That's a hard question, because I don't believe I have developed my own style yet. I'm still trying different things and sticking with the ones that work for me. But still, there's a long road to go.

Pedro Maia's inked cover for 'Redorik'

Although we're taking a bit of a day off today from the hard campaigning we've been doing to complete the Redorik graphic novel, we thought still offer up a small little bonus for our fans. Feast your eyes on this alternate cover to Redorik as drawn and inked by Pedro Maia!

Where the full cover obscures that fellow in the background, the inked version reveals his complexion a little more. I wonder who he is?! Secrets, secrets. :)

Take care everyone!

-Andrew

Who is 'Redorik's' Justin Henderson?

Pedro Maia's 'Redorik' cover

For the last few weeks the Crystal Fractals team has been hard at work campaigning to finish Redorik through Indiegogo. It's a book we're really passionate about and we would love to have the opportunity to finish it soon.

But the question you're likely all asking is, what is a Redorik? Who is Justin Henderson? And why is he going crazy on the cover? Well, to answer those questions, here's the little bit we can disclose about Justin Henderson/Redorik and his immediate world.

Justin is a rather normal young man, with rather normal experiences. He's a high school senior at the fictional Laurier High School, and is a member of the school's swim and diving team. His birthday is January 3rd, his best friend's name is Al, and he has a crush on a girl named Jessica Summers. The three of them have been friends since they were kids, almost as long as Justin has been bullied by the school's resident jerk, Mark. His life takes a turn towards the positively weird though once he begins to have a recurring nightmare narrated by a dark, creepy voice that calls out his name as he leaps from a diving board straight into an empty pool. If the nightmares weren't bad enough, he's begun to hear the same voice in his thoughts while he's awake; almost influencing him or goading him to act a certain way like an evil Jiminy Cricket. This is Justin's life in a nutshell, and it takes a dramatic turn in the first issue when he accepts Al's offer to take a job from his uncle. It's at that meeting where, ironically enough, all of Justin's child-like clowning around comes to an end.

'Redorik' Preview!

I know we promised a chat with Redorik artist Pedro Maia this week, but he's run into a busy stretch with one of his other projects. We still wanted to feature his work though, so we've decided to preview the first six pages of Redorik! How cool is that? By now you're familiar with the cover for the series, so let's just jump into the meat and potatoes of the book!

New Daniel Panero Bertucci pencils from 'The Crossing' #3!

While a lot of our content lately has focused on our Redorik campaign through Indiegogo, we've got two other projects on the way! While Dr. Twilight #2 is finished, and we'll be posting some of the finished pages closer to the release, Daniel Panero is working hard to finish off his pencils for his and Dino Caruso's final installments into their Magic 101 stories that feature a much young Doctor Twilight and his friends. The stories focus very much on how the Crossing event featured in Crystal Fractal Universe #0 came to happen, showing the childrens' education under their teacher, Master Ilonus. This latest story features the arrival of Elizabeth Windsor (who was featured as an adult in The Crossing #2) at the school. Here are Daniel's latest two pages for the story. Enjoy!

The boys use their magicks to fence each other.

Natanael shows off, Domenico opens a portal.

Crystal Fractals Q&A: Howard Wong chats 'Redorik,' Indiegogo campaign

Howard Wong

Last week I chatted with Crystal Fractal Comics Publisher Derrek Lennox about the Redorik series and the ongoing Indiegogo campaign to complete the series as a 96-page graphic novel. This week I caught up with the series' writer Howard Wong, who chatted about his work, his storytelling processess, social media and crowdfunding campaigns and the prospect of finishing Redorik.

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Andrew Ardizzi: You're mostly known for your work on After the Cape, and have obviously written Redorik for Crystal Fractal Comics. For those unfamiliar with your work, what can you tell fans about you, your work and how you approach writing as a whole.

Howard Wong: My first published comic was After the Cape, a mini-series I created with Marco Rudy and was published by Image Comics/Shadowline. I was nominated for a Shuster award for it, which was very humbling. It’s a dark tale about a retired superhero who finds himself struggling to make ends meet in the city he once protected with his life. He’s feeling lost in a world he thought he once knew, while failing at raising his family. He turns to alternative means to do so, which resulted in him making hard life choices. It continued with a tragic end in the second miniseries, After the Cape II, which concluded that story arc. I’ve also contributed to short stories such as Grunts: War Stories from Arcana Comics, which was nominated for Comic Buyer’s Guide Fan Favorite Graphic Novel. The story is titled, Iron Snake and tells the harrowing backstory of Lt. Kiko before he joins up with the squad from the regular miniseries. More recently I contributed to Shattered: The Asian American Comics Anthology, with a story titled Master Tortoise and Master Hare. It’s a retelling of The Tortoise and the Hare, where instead of racing they use martial arts. I wrote this with the intention of showing how the same age old story can have an Asian take and still have the universal appeal and understanding like that of the original. No matter if it’s a full-on miniseries or a short story for an anthology, the approach is the same. You look at where you want to take your story and find the best way in getting there:

'After the Cape' #1 cover image

Do you take a direct approach or one that weaves its way to your destination?

Will it be full of simple or complex paths?

Where you start, is how a story ends. That to me, is the easiest way to start the construction of a good story. Knowing your ending helps define how you’ll resolve the great conflict of your story, which will then allow you to see the different ways at getting to that conflict. So yes, you work your way backwards, but it works. Besides the story, it helps you figure out how your characters will develop and be changed after everything is resolved.

AA: When you're writing, what sort of mental space are you in? Say, for example, do you become immersed within your project, or do you maybe do a little at a time and come back to it frequently?

HW: I have a few things on the go at the same time, but like to focus on one for the bulk of the day. I just find it easier to stay in that writing mode if I juggle my time between projects. It’s not for everyone for sure, but it works for me. Sometimes I create wonderful scenes when I work on something that’s perfect for another story. So I take notes (a lot of notes), which fuels the writing of another story I’m working on from wanting to bring those ideas to life.

Crystal Fractals Q&A: Derrek Lennox on 'Redorik' Indiegogo campaign

CFC Publisher Derrek Lennox

Since 2007, Crystal Fractal Comics Publisher/Founder Derrek Lennox has worked to make his childhood dream of publishing comics a reality. It's not been easy, but no passion-driven quest ever is. The company recently launched its own crowdfunding campaign through Indiegogo in hopes of finishing off one of Derrek's more personal creations, Redorik. Derrek and I sat down recently for a short Q&A on Redorik, the creation of the title's main character, the Indiegogo campaign and collaborating with the incomparable Howard Wong on the plot.


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Andrew Ardizzi: Redorik is one of the three solo titles Crystal Fractal Comics has launched that ties into The Crossing books, but it differs in that it features a new character. What can you tell readers about Justin Henderson/Redorik and his significance to the Crystal Fractal Universe(CFU)?

Derrek Lennox: I can’t tell you much about his significance – that would be a spoiler – but I can let on that there is each a direct and indirect connection to the other Crossing books. However, it does stand on its own without having to know much about the rest of the universe. Knowing more just adds to the storytelling. It's a lot like being an adult and taking your kids to watch a Pixar film; there is a lot there for the children, and even more layered on top for the adults.

AA: What inspired the creation of the character?

DL: The roots of this character were developed years ago when I was in high school and felt disconnected. I discovered that many people felt this way. So I wanted to develop a story and a character that could explain how the quest for connectivity – or a sense of belonging if you will – could be influenced to generate a slightly different response. That, and I wanted a dark-ish character that focused on someone in high school with a dual identity.

The original "Redorik" logo, featuring red where the current series logo is purple.

Thanks to 'Jn4nier' for donating to the 'Redorik' campaign!

We just recently started up a campaign through Indie Go Go in hopes of completing our Redorik comic as a 96-page graphic novel, and we're very pleased to have the support of not only the Crystal Fractal Comics family, but from our fans as well.

One in particular, "Jn4nier," donated $35 to our campaign yesterday, purchasing the "Redorik Supporter" perk. Because of their help, we've moved a little closer to our goal, which is spectacular because while the project was nearly on the proverbial backburner indefinitely, I never stopped feeling it was an importance piece of the Crystal Fractal Universe and the totality of its puzzle. To thank "Jf4nier," and anyone else who contributes as a donor to our campaign, we've got a great list of bonuses for fans generous enough to promote Redorik. With the "Redorik Supporter" perk "Jf4nier" will be getting a signed copy of the Redorik trade paperback, featuring all the names of the creators involved with the projects. As a bonus with the perk, "Jf4nier" will also receive a signed comic of his choice from our library, which will also feature the signatures of any creator involved.

Showing our appreciation for fans' contributions is the least we can do, and we hope these perks and the stories we're trying to tell excite you as much they do us. Thanks to everyone, as usual, for your continued support and be sure to check out our Indie Go Go campaign page to learn more about what other perks are available to you should you choose to contribute.

Thanks again everyone, and stay tuned!

-Andrew

Preview images!

It's been a while since we had anything to show, but with the work quickly completing on our latest books, I thought we'd share some of the images from the books Crystal Fractals' fans can expect in the coming months. The artwork is fantastic on both ends, while I can't wait to show everyone what Daniel Panero Bertucci is cooking up for The Crossing #3. In the meantime check out these!

Conan Momchilov's pencils and inks on Entropy #2

Here's a panel from Dr. Twilight #2

I hope you enjoyed taking at peek at these, and you can expect much of the same in the coming months leading up to our next releases!

-Andrew

If WE OWNED IT: FANTASTIC FOUR VIDEO GAME CHALLENGE!

Thinking about the MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE games, our kids helped us out with the idea of a Fantastic Four video game but more in the vein of the ULTIMATE ALLIANCE game!

Pick from ANY of the Marvel Heroes that have been a member of the Fantastic Four in the past - and build your team of four going from COSMIC BATTLES to DOOM CASTLE to the MICROVERSE to the NEGATIVE ZONE to the SKRULL HOMEWORLD to a final battle with Doctor Doom in the multiverse of Reed Richards!

Starting with the original 4 Fantastic Four, unlock other characters and past members - and other costumes! - in each level of play! Eventually, you can pick your Fantastic Four from:

HUMAN TORCH
MR FANTASTIC
INVISIBLE WOMAN
THING
SPIDER-MAN
H.E.R.B.I.E.
BLACK PANTHER
STORM
WYATT WINGFOOT
SHE-HULK
FRANKLIN RICHARDS
VALERIA RICHARDS
NATHANIAL RICHARDS
LEECH
ALEX POWER
FLUX
DRAGON MAN
GREY HULK
WOLVERINE
GHOST RIDER
BENTLEY 23
NAMOR
NAMORITA
SHE-THING
LUKE CAGE
MEDUSA
CRYSTAL



D.

IF WE OWNED: MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE

A lot of great things have been created over the years - and every once in a while the creators and contributors of CFC like to envision if we owned (or had the licensed rights) to other characters.

In this case, we were thinking about the MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE video game (were disappointed at the second one since it wasn't like the first) but were chatting about a potential relaunch of a THIRD!

Considering the story line needs at least 5 areas, plus an overarching story, so we looked at the following:

1. Start with HOUSE OF M !
2. Come back into the action with CIVIL WAR !
3. Then SECRET INVASION !
and then three secret side missions if you find the way to unlock them:
    SHADOWLAND, WORLD WAR HULK and SPIDER-ISLAND !
4. Seige
5. Fear Itself !    and then
6. Avengers versus X-Men !

In each case, you can build teams on BOTH SIDES !  

Maybe we may need to keep thinking since ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3, 4 and 5 could all be created out of the stories above!

Rethinking... we came back with:

ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: DARK REIN, SIEGE and FEAR ITSELF combined into one storyline!

Asgard on Earth, Dark Avengers are the main villains... until an even larger group of villains are empowered by hammers of Thor! A selection of the Heroes of the Marvel Universe - with even more costumes - comes to save the day (and provide some awesome video-game play)!

Choose from:
- THOR
- CAPTAIN AMERICA
- MOON KNIGHT
- IRON MAN
- SPIDER-MAN
- GIANT MAN
- TIGRA
- WOLVERINE
- IRON FIST
- CAGE
- COLOSSUS
- STORM
- BLACK PANTHER
- BEAST
- NICK FURY
- THING
- VISION
- CYCLOPS
- and more!

ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 4: HOUSE of M, Hope, X-Sanction and X-Men Versus Avengers!

"No more mutants" begins this video game. Create 2 teams of heroes! One, a team of Avengers! the other, a team of X-Men! Battle with them, battle against them! Multi-level play where each team is moved through various challenges - some against each other - in order to stop the Phoenix Force and return "Hope" to the world of mutants!

The second phase - the Phoenix Force arrives and makes the Phoenix Five! A little change from the storyline here, and a big battle results in the Phoenix Five against everyone your two teams! If the members of the Phoenix Five are part of your team, they would be removed from the team! The heroes left over after the big battle join forces into one team.

Starting line-ups:

AVENGERS:
- THOR
- CAPTAIN AMERICA
- IRON MAN
- GIANT MAN
- SCARLET WITCH
- DAREDEVIL
- THING
- DOCTOR STRANGE
- RED HULK (changing costumes can let him be GREEN HULK, GREY HULK, or General Ross in the LEVIATHAN armour)
- HUMAN TORCH
- VISION
- HAWEYE
- BLACK WIDOW
- PROTECTOR (various costumes would go into Marvel Boy, etc)
- WAR MACHINE
- BLACK PANTHER

X-MEN:
- CYCLOPS
- MAGNETO
- COLOSSUS
- MAGIK
- EMMA FROST
- PHANTOM X
- DEAD POOL
- ANGEL
- ICEMAN
- ROGUE
- CHAMBER
- KITTY PRYDE
- DEAD POOL
- CANNON BALL
- SUNSPOT
- NORTHSTAR

Characters who can be selected to play on either side!
- WOLVERINE
- BEAST
- STORM
- QUICK SILVER
- NAMOR
- DEATHLOK
- CAPTAIN BRITAIN
- X-23

Secret Invasion - if Done right - could get its own ULTIMATE MARVEL ALLIANCE storyline in Number 5!

-- Chat later!

The Crystal Fractal Universe Family Tree

At various conventions and store appearances, we have been asked to show the family tree of CFU characters. Without giving away too many secrets, here goes a brief sketch of the family trees for Gaspar and Natanael:

Doctor Twilight: 

Magus Rex (Gaspar Fausto):  
As you may or may not recall, Magux Rex is actually three people sharing the same space, but never at the same time. Evangelista Fausto, Gaspar Fausto and Sebastian de Velazquez make up Magus Rex. Gaspar's family tree is here...

IF WE OWNED IT - AVENGERS 2 CASTING

With fans clamouring for more of Agent Coulson played by actor Clark Gregg (to the point of rumours of his return as the body of the Vision) if WE owned it, we would have Agent Coulson return as DEALTHLOK in AVENGERS 2!

As many "dead bodies" have been turned into DEATHLOKS over the years, starting the official movie version with a fan favourite Agent of SHIELD makes sense to us - and a little happy!

The Crystal Fractal Universe So Far...

At conventions, we are often asked if and how the books of the CFU interrelate.

Well, to answer: all of the Crystal Fractal Universe books interrelate. In some way or another... some directly, and some add to the thickness of the background story...

This blog will be updated (or replaced) as new chapters of the overall story are added... think of it like MEMENTO... as more chapters are released, the story becomes clear...

so far... in Chronological order...

• Doctor Twilight The Crossing 001   (published in 2010) 
• Doctor Twilight The Crossing 002   (published in 2011)
• Crystal Fractal Universe 0.0   (published in 2008)  
• Doctor Twilight 001   (published in 2010) 
• Entropy 001   (published in 2011) 
• Doctor Twilight 002 (coming FALL 2012!!)
• Redorik 001 (published in 2011) 

More to come!


D.

Crystal Fractal Comics Wizard World Toronto wrap-up

Kieron O'Gorman(artist), Dino Caruso(writer), Shawn Smith(writer), Shawn Richison(artist), Derrek Lennox(creator/founder/publisher), Andrew Uys(writer) and Andrew Ardizzi(Senior Editor) pose for a group photo at the Crystal Fractal Comics booth April 15 at Wizard World Toronto.

 It was an amazing weekend for me at Wizard World Toronto, being my first experience as an exhibitor with Crystal Fractal Comics. Although I’ve attended several comic conventions over the last two years both as a fan and while reporting for Comic Book Daily, it was a different experience this time around as I spent much of the weekend behind our booth’s tables talking to fans, media and anyone with even a passing interest in the Crystal Fractals line of comics.

We had a lot of successes this weekend. We sold plenty of books from our table on both Saturday and Sunday, and are glad people were willing to spend their hard earned money on our work and give our books a chance. We really care about and believe in the potential our stories have; I received numerous comments that we have an interesting, well thought out plan for our universe. We appreciate the support we’ve been getting from shops and fans alike.

In that regard we have some fantastic news! Not only are a slew of reviews from various small press outlets coming from the likes of Tdot Comics, Pop-Culture Hype and Jack and Pookie Publishing, but our books are now available in Stadium Comics in Brampton, while Walter Durajlija, owner of Big B Comics, took a number books on consignment and they will soon be available in Big B Niagara once the store opens. Definitely be on the look out for those if you’re in those areas. Aside from that, Derrek and I had a great meeting with a cultural committee representative from a First Nations band about doing a similar project to our The Legend of the Sleeping Giant one-shot. There will be more news on that as the process moves forward, but all parties involved are very excited about the possibilities.

More than anything though it was great to meet up with some old faces. Derrek Lennox, Shawn Smith, Dino Caruso, Jae Korim, Kieron O’Gorman, Andrew Uys and myself gathered together for the first time, as what I suppose what we can call the “CFC collective,” for a group photo April 15 in the early minutes of the show. Even beyond those gentlemen, I met another CFC artist, Sam Agro for the first time, as well as Shawn Richison, an artist from Hamilton. We all reacquainted with Jessie Lam, a colourist for The Crossing #2 cover and long time friend to Jae. I also caught up with friends Marvin Law and Conor McCreery.

Thanks again to everyone who came out this weekend, and thanks to Derrek, Shawn, Dino, Kieron and Jae for manning the table with me and making the event an enjoyable experience. As for what’s next, definitely stay tuned for news both on our Twitter and Facebook pages. There you’ll find links to reviews, updates on new projects and where you can find your own copies of the books laying the foundation of the Crystal Fractal Universe.
Take care!
Andrew

A fun night at Silver Snail for Crystal Fractal Comics

Andrew, Dino and Jessie at Silver Snail!

Hey everyone!
Last night I appeared alongside Crystal Fractal Comics creators Dino Caruso (The Crossing #1 and #2, Acts of Violence) and Jessie Lam (The Crossing #2) at Silver Snail in Toronto. First of all I have to thank George Zotti and the Silver Snail staff for having us in there and for supporting the CFC books like they have. I really appreciate the receptiveness George has shown for CFC and the extent to which he helped us promote the books and last night’s signing.
I talked to a lot of cool people last night and many were quite interested in what we had to offer. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the store last night. It was fantastic talking to you all and we appreciate the interest and support from each and every one of you and hope you enjoy the ride as we push CFC forward in the future at signings, events and the larger conventions that are scheduled in 2012.
In addition to all the patrons who stopped by, we were also visited by Joe Eigo, a local martial artist and founder of multi-level moves, as well as local T.O. artist Marvin Law who was in the building. I also got to talk with Jim Felker, who is a puppeteer, more specifically working with Jim Henson puppets such as a circa 1970s Kermit the Frog. Jim also happens to be the host of the youtube show “Geeking Out Weekly,” which is a comic book review show. It was really cool to chat with them all and hope to see them again soon. So, what’s next you ask? Well, Crystal Fractals will be appearing at One Million Comix in Toronto from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m on December 10. CFC founder/publisher myself, Derrek Lennox, Dino Caruso and Jae Korim will be appearing at the event to sign some books and talk to fans. All CFC books will be available for purchase, including CFU #0, The Crossing #1, The Crossing #2, Dr. Twilight #1, Redorik #1, Entropy #1 and The Legend of the Sleeping Giant.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Crystal Fractal Comics, please feel free to check out our website, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Also, our books are now available in Silver Snail Comics Toronto, One Million Comix, Paradise Comics and Altered States Comics. If you have any questions at all regarding the books and how you can get your own copies, please feel free to email me at aardizzi@crystalfractals.com.
Thanks for reading!
Andrew

Crystal Fractal Comics signing at Paradise Comics

On Nov. 12 I was joined by Crystal Fractals creators Dino Caruso, Shawn Smith and Jae Korim at Paradise Comics in Toronto for our first signing to promote our latest books, including Redorik, Entropy, The Crossing and The Legend of the Sleeping Giant. Thanks go out to Doug Simpson for having us in the store, and thanks to anyone who stopped by, looked at our books and bought copies. We’re really happy to have these books out, and look forward to meeting more people in the coming days, weeks and months at local events including signings and conventions. Stay tuned for more information! In the meantime, how about that awesome sketch of Elizabeth Windsor by co-artist of The Crossing #2 by Jae Korim?!
Don’t forget, you can buy all of our books by clicking here and finding your book of interest along the top of the page.
-Andrew