Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, kickstarter

Keeping Comics Out Of The Landfill

Published Sat, 04 Apr 2015 21:00:12 -0500

Victoria Jr. by Manny Trembley. End Date – April 25th

Victoria Jr. is a collection of short stories about a bold little girl adopted in to a loving family by Frankenstein's Monster.

Manny Trembley writes,

I set out 2 ½ years ago on a path of self publishing with my first solo book called Martin Monsterman. I had published work before at Image Comics with Jim Valentino's Shadowline imprint. But in 2012, I realized that my books didn't seem to quite fit. I didn't have any superheroes or sex and violence but they also were not made for toddlers (not kid's books). When I'd go to conventions I'd sit hopefully at my table in a sea of amazing comics that all felt like they were in some cool kids club and I was floundering alone with my comics or as I disrespectfully called them, landfill. I didn't do fan art or super heroes so I flailed seemingly in vain to gain attention from people at shows seeking characters they knew and loved. (Can you really blame people for wanting that??) But every so often a comic-spouse or girlfriend or comic-kid would stop. The mom or woman would be drawn to my books and sometimes would buy one. One year a woman came back to my table the next day to tell me she'd bought my book as her first comic. And she loved it. She was over the moon that she found a book that felt like it fit. That experience would happen off and on and it left be hoping that maybe my work wasn't landfill.

Fast forward to January of this year and I've now self-published four titles on my own; all of which funded or are currently on Kickstarter. I keep on drawing while I work my day job all the time wondering if my comics were little more than landfill. I joke with friends that I make landfill for fun. 100 years from now my legacy will be landfill.

Ha. Ha.

But something didn't feel right about that. Lots of people have enjoyed my books. Some leave them in the bathroom so that each time they sit to do their business they can read and reread my books. Little kids are wide-eyed when they see my work and enjoy my books. Moms and woman in general seem more drawn to my work than I can understand.

In January it struck me, "can I use comics to inspire kids and families?" Can I make my books, at least in my mind, have more meaning? I decided I was going to run a fundraiser dinner in late 2015 for an organization in Spokane called Sally's House. They take in kids who've been removed from their homes for any number of reasons. Most of which are unpleasant.

It struck me. Why don't I make a book, inspired by the idea of children being loved and made to feel safe enough to be themselves?

As a dad of two boys I want to make my home a safe place for my boys to feel confident, bold and courageous, all the while knowing that they are loved unconditionally. A story I've wanted to tell for a long time about Frankenstein's Monster adopting a young girl seemed like the right choice. So I prepped the book, started the Kickstarter and set in motion a fundraiser with the help of friends who are volunteering their time and hearts.

Now here I am in April, about 10 days in to my 4th Kickstarter called Victoria Jr., about a little girl who is free to be her self in a world of misfits that love her for being her. She dreams, she hopes, she is confident in her parents love even if she is alone as the only human girl in a world of monsters.

Does every book have to have purpose or meaning towards helping children? No, of course not. Are books landfill? In a cosmic sense, sure.

But in a cultural significance level, they certainly are not landfill. Do I still struggle with seeing my contribution to this planet as valuable? Sure. I know very few artists/authors that do not also have self doubt.

I was a presenter at a 6th grade career fair as an "author/illustrator". (My day job is not that) One of the questions that shook me to my core was, "Why is my job (Author/illustrator) important?"

I was nervous to answer that because what my inner doubter wanted to say was, "It's not. It's landfill." But what I came to realize was that what I do in telling stories is important because telling stories is important. It doesn't matter the type.

Horror, romance, action, super hero, bromance, kids stuff, adult stuff…it's all important because telling stories is important.

Now excuse me while I dig my stories out of the landfill.

Check out my newest book on Kickstarter.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!