Caliber Comics Releases Three Graphic Novels


Caliber Comics is none too pleased with gaps in releases. In fact, few publishers will tell you they're actually trying to release new works spaced too far apart. Caliber Comics is going all out to make up for lost time though, announcing the release of three new graphic novels in Talismen: Return of the Exile, Strange Detective Mysteries and Carbon. Talismen: Return of the Exile is written by Steve Jones and illustrated by Barb Jones, Strange Detective Mysteries is co-created by Terry Pavlet and Sam Gafford and Carbon is written by Daniel Boyd, illustrated by Edi Guedes and colored by Alzir Alves. It also features an introduction by filmmaker John Sayles.

Talismen: Return of the Exile is a fantasy story that follows the adventures of Marine Corporal Ollie Steele who finds himself about to be executed by terrorists, when he is magically transported to the Plane of Imaginings, the land where dreams and nightmares come from. When a beautiful young woman with pointy ears 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. Ollie may be in the world of imagination yet one that can be all too real.

"It has a maturity about it although it is a young adult graphic novel," says publisher Gary Reed. "The writing fits perfectly and the art has a lot of appeal. Barb does an excellent blend of manga and Disney with a little bit of Chuck Jones drawn in there.”"

In Strange Detective Mysteries, a unique techno science-fiction fantasy with a bit of steam-punk thrown in, several of the leading creative minds of the early 1900s are brought together to look into the death of Edgar Allen Poe. And what they discover is a conspiracy that threatens to destroy all of time and reality. The saga begins with famed Western lawman
Bat Masterson being summoned to a mysterious meeting in 1902 New York City. Upon arriving, he finds several other interesting individuals have also been summoned. These men are some of the most brilliant minds of the new century; H. G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini and Nikola Tesla. When they are finally greeted by their aged host, Robert Tyler, they find that this rich patron has brought them together to solve the mystery of the murder of America’s foremost literary genius, Edgar Allan Poe. And one with possible ties into the infamous 1988 Whitechapel Ripper.

Carbon is a supernatural horror story intertwined with environmental issues. Set in the southern West Virginia coalfields, Carbon tells the story of what happens when an evil coal baron discovers a "sacred" carbon coal vein buried deep in the Appalachian Mountains. This carbon coal can seemingly burn forever and he will now sacrifice the land and the people to extract the full deposit. However when he awakens and releases a hell the surface world cannot even imagine, the only thing that stands in the way of this ecological disaster, is a disgraced ex-pro baseball pitcher and a community of courageous coal miners.

“"Carbon is the main reason I got into graphic narrative," said Boyd. "It is a story I'’ve wanted to tell for well over 10 years. When thinking about coal issues, it all sprang from the realization that we’re all carbon. Plants, animals, and we humans, are the ingredients of this fossil fuel. What if you put the process in reverse?” said Boyd, who during that time has
transitioned from a successful movie-making career into creating award-winning graphic novels. “Coal is the epicenter of climate change and Carbon’s setting, West Virginia, is the epicenter of coal.”"

Full press release below.
CALIBER COMICS Releases Three Graphic Novels

February 5, 2015. Caliber Comics is proud to announce the release of three new graphic novels into the marketplace. Talismen: Return of the Exile, Strange Detective Mysteries, and Carbon will offer readers three different and entertaining genre stories.

Talismen: Return of the Exile is a fantasy story that follows the adventures of Marine Corporal Ollie Steele who finds himself about to be executed by terrorists, when he is magically transported to the Plane of Imaginings, the land where dreams and nightmares come from. When a beautiful young woman with pointy ears 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. Ollie may be in the world of imagination yet one that can be all too real.

Talismen is being released as a full color graphic novel and is written by Steve Jones and illustrated by Barb Jacobs.  It had originated several years ago as a web comic but this graphic novel concludes the initial storyline and brings it together.  During its online run, it was nominated for the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards.

Publisher Gary Reed feels that Talismen has a large potential audience, “it has a maturity about it although it is a young adult graphic novel. The writing fits perfectly and the art has a lot of appeal. Barb does an excellent blend of manga and Disney with a little bit of Chuck Jones drawn in there.”

In Strange Detective Mysteries, a unique techno science-fiction fantasy with a bit of steam-pun thrown in, several of the leading creative minds of the early 1900s are brought together to look into the death of Edgar Allen Poe.  And what they discover is a conspiracy that threatens to destroy all of time and reality. The saga begins with famed Western lawman Bat Masterson being summoned to a mysterious meeting in 1902 New York City. Upon arriving, he finds several other interesting individuals have also been summoned. These men are some of the most brilliant minds of the new century; H. G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini and Nikola Tesla. When they are finally greeted by their aged host, Robert Tyler, they find that this rich patron has brought them together to solve the mystery of the murder of America’s foremost literary genius, Edgar Allan Poe. And one with possible ties into the infamous 1988 Whitechapel Ripper murders!

Strange Detective Mysteries was co-created by Terry Pavlet and Sam Gafford, both of whom have had long careers in the comic industry and it is illustrated by Rosaria Battiloro. As Gafford remembers, “Terry came to me with the idea of using historical characters to explore the death of one of America’s greatest writers, Edgar Allan Poe! Being a lifelong devotee of Poe and his literary descendent, H. P. Lovecraft, I couldn'’t pass up this chance and the story just kept getting bigger and bigger and more wild!”

“We knew,” Gafford says, “that this story needed a special artist with a particular style. Once we saw Rosaria’s samples, there was no doubt that she was the one! Her art perfectly captures the time period, the diverse characters and all the drama and terror of the story.

Carbon is a supernatural horror story intertwined with environmental issues so timely they appear to come from the today’s headlines and that just barely scratches the surface of Carbon, the all new graphic novel from Daniel Boyd.

Set in the southern West Virginia coalfields, Carbon tells the story of what happens when an evil coal baron discovers a "sacred" carbon coal vein buried deep in the Appalachian Mountains. This carbon coal can seemingly burn forever and he will now sacrifice the land and the people to extract the full deposit. However when he awakens and releases a hell the surface world cannot even imagine, the only thing that stands in the way of this ecological disaster, is a disgraced ex-pro baseball pitcher and a community of courageous coal miners.

“Carbon is the main reason I got into graphic narrative. It is a story I'’ve wanted to tell for well over 10 years. When thinking about coal issues, it all sprang from the realization that we’re all carbon. Plants,
animals, and we humans, are the ingredients of this fossil fuel. What if you put the process in reverse?” said Boyd, who during that time has transitioned from a successful movie-making career into creating award-winning graphic novels. “Coal is the epicenter of climate change and Carbon’s setting, West Virginia, is the epicenter of coal.”

Boyd dedicated Carbon to “those that toil in darkness - coal miners” and said that whatever side of the debate over the industry you fall on, miners are the often unseen heroes.

Brazilian artist Edi Guedes provided artwork with Alzir Alves doing the coloring in this full color original graphic novel.  Guedes worked with Boyd on his Chillers anthology graphic novels , and has also illustrated such comics as The Daughters of Merlin and Agencies Frontiers.

Carbon features an introduction by well-known filmmaker John Sayles (Lone Star, Matewan, Eight Men Out,) describing the graphic novel as “an ambitious addition to the long tradition, religious and secular, of that basic cautionary tale – be careful what you dig up.”

About Caliber Comics:

Caliber Comics re-launched in February of 2014 after a hiatus and is part of Caliber Entertainment. During the 1990’s, Caliber Comics was one of the leading independent comic companies that helped to launch the careers of dozens of today’s top comic creators. Today, Caliber offers its vast library of comics and graphic novels in both print and digital formats, with new book releases rolling out that feature a wide diverse line of subject genre with the emphasis on creator owned titles.

For more information please visit the Caliber Comic website at www.calibercomics.com

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