Posted in: Comics | Tagged: kickstarter, Seasons

Seasons – If I Only Told One Story Before I Died…

Nandor Fox Shaffer writes,

I've never taken a creative writing class. I don't have an English college degree. I've never written a comic book before — heck, not even a full story from beginning, middle and end before. That being said, I'm launching a Kickstarter campaign for the first volume in my new, creator-owned graphic novel series, Seasons, early this June.

That's right. I'm not joking.

Now, why would I take on such a challenging task? Why the monumental risk with all the obvious odds stacked against me? For me, the answer is easy, really. See, I have a story to tell, and I'm the only one who can tell it. My name is Nandor Fox Shaffer, and I am the creator and writer of the ongoing comic book, Seasons.

After graduating high-school, my whole life was ahead of me, and I didn't want to waste one minute of it. There was so much out there in the world, and, having a bent towards the craft of writing, I wanted to explore and capture all I could and somehow make it my very own. I thought and thought about what I should do over and over again in my head. Was I going to be one of those people who forfeited their dreams for I career I barely had any interest in pursuing just so I can have a nice, steady income? Was I destined to go to college only to wait four-eight long years before someone could tell me, "now you have what it takes to do what you want?" Was I going to do what others thought I should, or was I going to believe in myself and prove them wrong? Questions were asked, decisions were needed to be made, and the burden of it all on my two shoulders weighed all the way down to my very soul. "What was I going to make of myself?", I kept pondering. Surely enough, it wasn't too long before I finally placed my feet on the path of what I felt was the only true one ahead of me: make your dream a reality and share it with the world. Do something that you'll never regret. Accomplish your desire so that when you die, you can die proud and happy. This is what my graphic novel series, Seasons, is to me. This is how much it means to me. Honestly, it's everything.

It's ironic, but I began writing Seasons on December 31st, 2014 — right before the new year struck. I saw this upcoming new year as a sign and a kind of taunt; I was not going to let another year pass without working towards my personal goals. Of course, I wavered and procrastinated. Yes, I gave up here and there, but then overcame my frustrations and continuous creative paralysis fits. I was making slow progress, but I saw there was some progress. I actually started going to college, in fact, doubting my abilities and experience all over again. Then one day, after months of back and forth, I finished writing the first story arc of Seasons and…I just couldn't let it go. I couldn't move on from sharing it and just stow it away somewhere hidden and forgotten. I had to finish writing the story I started, and I had to share it with everyone I could.

So, here we are, two-and-a-half years later, and the Kickstarter for this first story arc is only a couple of weeks away. In the span of that time, I found an incredibly talented ongoing artist for the book, postponed earning my college degree, spent over $10,000 out of my own pocket financing the book, wrote the entire series of Seasons (16 issues, over 500 comic book pages in total), and launched the series at seasonsthecomicbook.com last September, where I'm posting two pages weekly every Monday and Friday, completely free to read. I couldn't see myself anywhere else at this point in my life, and I absolutely cherish that notion. As corny as it sounds, "I'm doing it." I'm making my dream a reality one day at a time, and it's my hope that I can bring it to a stage of completion once the Kickstarter campaign for Seasons Vol. 1: Spring launches. Having a physical copy of Seasons in my hands will change my life. It will be a testament that dreams really do come true, that hard work and every day sacrifices do pay off. It will confirm for me that what I'm doing is worth it. Oh, how I can't wait for that day to arrive.

What is Seasons exactly? Here's the description for the series…

"Seasons is an original, creator-owned comic book drama for readers who want be a part of a deep and serious one year journey that will challenge how they look at themselves, others and the world around them. The story of Seasons revolves around one character, Fletcher Hart Iiams, a misunderstood, average young man who isn't happy with his life anymore and has run away from almost everything and everyone. The entirety of this series will span over one year of Fletcher's life as Seasons is planned to be four separate but interconnected stories that follow the seasons of the year. The title has a two-fold meaning: the seasons of the year and the "seasons" people go through throughout their lives. There will be four graphic novel stories — Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter — and each storyline deals with a combination of different obstacles, enemies, themes and problematic situations the main character will have to face all set in real time. Fletcher is given a new set of powers with every seasonal transition as well; as the world changes, so does he and his abilities. It is an allegorical character study piece ultimately about finding a reason to live in this world that will drag you down with it if you let it.

This is Seasons, a comic book drama presented by Nandor Fox Shaffer and Anthony Gonzales-Clark"

Peek your interest? Got you wanting more? Well, you're in luck, because, as I said earlier, Seasons is entirely free to read at seasonsthecomicbook.com right now. The first three issues of the series are up, and the fourth and final issue of the first story arc is currently being posted. There was never a better time to catch up on what I believe to be one of the most original, ambitious and compelling independent comic projects ever. You don't want to miss what's coming up in Fletcher's one year journey, I promise.

Here's some pages from the series so far:

C'mon, you know you gotta pick up the book now. Anthony's art is such an instant buy.

Before wrapping this article up, I strongly encourage you to back the Kickstarter for the first volume of Seasons when it launches this June. The book will be highly affordable, and you would not only be getting an exclusive, quality hardcover graphic novel story, but you would be supporting one man's dream and life goal. I realize that probably sounds overdramatic or a little too mushy for its own good, but it is the truth. I really don't know how else to put it.

Thanks so much to everyone for checking Seasons out. I couldn't do this without you.

Sincerely,

Nandor Fox Shaffer

Links —-

Read Seasons for FREE — http://seasonsthecomicbook.com

Like Seasons on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/seasonsthecomicbook/

Follow Seasons on Twitter — https://twitter.com/Seasonsthecomic

Follow Nandor — https://www.instagram.com/nandorfshaffer/

Follow Anthony — https://www.instagram.com/anthonydgclark/

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