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God Credited for Providing the Funds Behind Cave Pictures Publishing

Published Tue, 27 Nov 2018 13:30:34 -0600

Last updated Fri, 30 Nov 2018 10:54:35 -0600

We first saw Cave Pictures Publishing's comic store presence in last month's Previews. But in tomorrow's catalogue, they have a full page ad, more of their plans for 2019 and a website address… from Midland, Texas, they have also been trademarking the comics they are offering. And some big names to launch with.

Appalachian Apocalypse, by Billy Tucci and Ethan Nicolle for January,

After the ancient staff of Lilith, mother of the damned, reanimates the dead, country boy J.B. and his estranged upper-crust wife Anne must come together to stop the zombie hordes and save the people of Appalachia.

The Light Princess, written by Meredith Finch, Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon for February.

Adapted from the fairy tale by George MacDonald, a princess cursed with weightlessness finds rescue and redemption in the love and sacrifice of a prince.

The No-Ones, by Jim Krueger and Well-Bee.

A team of superheroes, blinded by their fame and self-promotion, are forced to reckon with their destructive choices when a twist of fate erases them from both history and present memory.

The Blessed Machine, by Jesse Hamm and Mark Rodgers.

Locked in a city deep within the earth, a courageous few struggle to reach the surface, fighting not only against the minds and flesh of men but against their man-made minders.

And an additional…

Wylde, by Daniel Bradford.

When a mysterious masked lawman partners with a suspicious sheriff to save his frontier town from an invasion of the undead, the sheriff will learn ancient secrets of the lawman's past and the power of self-sacrifice. In saving his town, he will save himself.

But who are Cave Pictures Publishing? Their website gives us the run down. A new publisher trying to create spiritual rather than religious comic book stories, their name comes from the first stories told on cave wall as well as the Plato idea of reality being images on the cave wall of something pure and perfect.

They are funded by The Clapham Group, named for a group of social justice reformers in the late 18th century in England including William Wilberforce, they try to represent and consult clients working to address modern-day injustices and promote the common good. The group states,

'After many months of faithfully seeking capital to seed a 3-year comic book and graphic novel publishing project, God has provided the necessary funds to move forward. Cave will be a platform for modern myths, publishing stories that are truthful, edifying and beautifully crafted.

Cave will publish four 6-issue comic book series each year for the next three, in four different genres: science-fiction, fantasy, supernatural fiction and historical fiction. Additionally, Cave will publish a single graphic novel each year.

Cave's publications will be a combination of original content, adaptations of existing works and re-imaginings of stories in the public domain. The project will work with believers who are established in the industry as well as up-and-coming talent. Beyond publishing, Cave will explore opportunities to partner with individuals and entities in other industries and develop its content into other formats, including film, television, and games.

Here are the people behind the company:

Mark Rodgers, Publisher.

Mark has been involved in the production of graphic novels, young adult fiction, computer games, concerts, documentaries and films. Through his endeavors he has worked closely with artists as diverse as Michael W. Smith, Bono and The Fray. Mark has worked with entertainment companies such as Walden Media, Electronic Arts, Disney and Roadside Attractions, addressing issues including human trafficking, animal cruelty, global poverty and restorative justice. He launched a joint venture called Cave Capital, through which he has served as an executive or associate producer on several films, including Waiting for the Miracle to Come, which stars Willie Nelson and is executive produced by Bono and Wim Wenders. Cave was an investor in Martin Scorsese's Silence, based on a Japanese novel of the persecution of Christians in the early 17th century. Through another startup, More Partnerships, he served as producer of an off Broadway production of Babette's Feast, and as a producing partner of the only concert held annually in Central Park, Global Citizen.

Mandi Hart, President

Mandi Hart is an attorney and filmmaker with a passion for quality storytelling. She holds a JD from George Mason University's Law School and an MFA in Film Production and Direction from UNC-Greensboro.

Shahriar Fouladi, Chief Creative Officer

Shahriar Fouladi received his Ph.D. in Visual Studies from the University of California in Irvine and has taught courses on film, television, comic books, and more. In addition to being a published author on the superhero phenomenon in film and TV, he is the writer of the novella The Scooter Chronicles: A Southern California Modyssey, which was published by IDW and Burger Records. He has edited several comics and graphic novels, including Son of Shaolin, which was optioned as a feature film by Sony Pictures and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He is currently working on his own superhero comic book series and a science fiction screenplay. He resides in Southern California with his wife Laura.

Matt Hoffman, Editorial Director

Matt Hoffman manages the operations of Erasmus Fox, LLC, a pop-culture consulting and management company. Prior to Erasmus Fox, LLC, Matt was the Manager of Special Projects for Cryptozoic Entertainment where he oversaw Cryptozoic's white-label group, which created comic books, children's books, and games on behalf of Amazon, Google (Niantic Labs), Glu Mobile, Bandai Namco, dhx Media and other companies.

Monica Goodwin, Social Media Manager

Monica is a recent graduate of Christopher Newport University, having earned her BA in Communication with minors in Theatre and Film. Her position as Social Media Manager allows her to create new, shareable content with Cave's followers. She loves engaging with fellow comic and pop culture enthusiasts and looks forward to expanding Cave's online online as well as interacting more with fans and creators.

Nace Lanier, External Relations

Nace Lanier is the Director of the Washington Airport Interfaith Chapels, which serves the world from Reagan and Dulles Airports (he is presently exploring how to work with Elon Musk to reach the intergalactic community…). Nace is a leadership consultant and coach for Focusing Forward. He is the vicar of the Clapham Group as a side hustle. You gotta have a side hustle, right? Finally, and most importantly, Nace is the resident theologian/philosopher of Cave Pictures Publishing as a champion of truth, justice and the Way.

Board of DIRECTORS