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Strangebeard To Set Sail

Kelly Tindall writes for Bleeding Cool:

bc_sbks_bannerStrangebeard is the rollicking, all-ages story of Jenny Brigham, a common servant girl who, on the night of her twelfth birthday, is possessed by the ghost of the Pirate Emperor Augustus Strangebeard. She gains the old pirate's formidable magical powers… but also the loyalty of his duplicitous crew.

I've been running Strangebeard as a twice-weekly serialized webcomic for 14 months now, with one goal in mind: collect the book into a handsome trade paperback. As much as I love the freedom and immediate impact of publishing incrementally online, I have been craving the tactile feeling of a Strangebeard book in my own two hands. Flipping through the pages, smelling the ink, and putting it on my shelves with my heroes like Carl Barks or Chris Schweizer or Jeff Smith.

sb_gambling-dogThere are a couple of reasons why I think Strangebeard is something comic fans should be reading. I've been trying to emulate the Pixar model of storytelling: fun, adventurous and suitable for kids, but chock-full of gags and emotions and mystery that appeal to adults. Every one of my characters has a history (some dark, many mysterious) and none more so than the Pirate Emperor himself who is now fluttering around ominously in Jenny's mind.

And speaking of Jenny…

Originally, the reason I had a little girl as the heroine of my comic was simply for reasons of juxtaposition: a polite little girl is the polar opposite of a bunch of smelly pirates. But something surprising has happened… People have started commending me on my female cast. They come to me at shows and thank me for creating a girl who is just as tough and feisty as her male contemporaries. They compliment Captain Memoria Morder, the egomaniacal female dracula pirate who is the villain of Volume 1. And, bittersweet as it is, they ask me where they can find more books like it, more adventure books with rough and tumble little girls.

sb_morderI always considered Volume 1 of Strangebeard to be the start of Jenny's story, but the feedback I've been getting from parents of girls seems to indicate that it might be the start of something more than that.

The Kickstarter campaign to print Volume 1 of Strangebeard is entering its final week. It's a success, having just passed the second stretch goal today, but I would love to see the book in as many hands as possible. There's a superpowered little girl pirate, a gambling Boston terrier, a dracula pirate with a dress made out of bat wings, and a berserker pirate who takes orders from a robot unicorn from the future!

sb_sea-cathedralAnd to sweeten the deal, I've got a foreword from Richard Starkings (Elephantmen) and nine pinups from some of today's hottest comic-book artists and illustrators. They include Riley Rossmo (DrumHellar), Tom Fowler (Mysterius the Unfathomable), Nick Bradshaw (Guardians of the Galaxy), Lar DeSouza (Looking For Group), and Fiona Staples (Saga).

As a special incentive for Bleeding Cool fans, I've added a limited reward to my Kickstarter… at the Bleeding Cool level, I will go through your book and add various extra injuries, scratches, and nosebleeds to each character. That reward is limited, so act fast!

Join my crew today!

Check out Strangebeard right here: www.strangebeard.com

Support the Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kellytindall/strangebeard-volume-1-the-ghost-pirates-gift

sb_strangebeard


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Dan WicklineAbout Dan Wickline

Has quietly been working at Bleeding Cool for over three years. He has written comics for Image, Top Cow, Shadowline, Avatar, IDW, Dynamite, Moonstone, Humanoids and Zenescope. He is the author of the Lucius Fogg series of novels and a published photographer.
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