The son of a dethroned king fights for freedom from his father in Tyrants, a fantasy-adventure graphic novel from St. Louis-based comics publisher Hollow Harbor funding now on Kickstarter. The comic is written by St. Louis’ own Josh Barbeau (Earth A.M.)—a WashU grad and contributor to St. Louis comics collective Ink & Drink Comics (where, full disclosure, I have edited some of Josh’s work) in addition to his role as CEO and editor-in-chief at Hollow Harbor—with art by Esau Figueroa (Bettie Page), colors by Ander Zárate (Skylanders, Micronauts, Planet of the Apes), and letters by Rod Ollerenshaw (Archie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures). The publisher describes the series thusly:
TYRANTS revolves around the relationship between a young man and his overbearing father as they manage special powers and political chaos on a hidden island chain. Atum, the son of a dethroned lord, struggles to balance that relationship with his quest for freedom, reluctantly becoming a pawn in his father’s war games.
With a cast of varied and flawed characters, the story opens itself up to any reader who seeks entertainment and real-life value. Simultaneously epic and intensely personal, the story has a resonance that must be told in the medium of comic books.
The 152-page graphic novel is funding on Kickstarter through 7:00am on Friday, November 22nd, and as this article goes live it is at 56% of its $9,500 goal. Perks for backers include digital or physical copies of the book, autographed copies, and even an “executive producer” level that comes with a credit in the book. See below for a brief preview, and back the campaign at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hollowharbor/tyrants-a-fantasy-adventure-graphic-novel. | Jason Green
