The Malcontents by Roger Slifer

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How Does one publish a completely original graphic novel these days?



I'm going to share this for several reasons:

1) It's instructive as to how independent publishing attains resources.
2) It's based on an idea that feels socially relevant and contains possibilities of surprise and characterization that transcend product-driven comics.
3) Roger's worked hard on this and he asked me to consider it personally, along with some funny stories about communist black-listed DEFENDERS stories and meeting RUSH. Personal touches are everything!

Personal touches, for that matter, are the reason he's self-publishing. From his site linked here:


THE MALCONTENTS GRAPHIC NOVEL

The Concept


The Malcontents appear to be random casualties of the health care system run amok, treatments gone terribly, terribly wrong. A popular movie actress, scarred beyond recognition. A visionary artist, blinded and left destitute. A loyal soldier, whose loss of limbs came not from battle, but betrayal. And a desperate doctor, whose unspeakable tragedy brings them all together.


Their incidents seem random. Unrelated. But are they? Who are these Malcontents? And why were they targeted?


The Malcontents must help each other overcome their handicaps and prevent other innocents from becoming victims of the shadowy Echelon.

THE GRAPHIC NOVEL


This project is to be an all-new 100-page graphic novel (hopefully, the first of many!) based on some new characters I've created. I've already invested months of my time developing the characters and writing the first storyline. But now it's time to hire appropriate artists with the style and élan to draw and ink the graphic novel.






WHY NOT GO TO AN ESTABLISHED PUBLISHER?


I can't tell you how excited I am about The Malcontents. Frankly, I don't really want an outside publisher to be in control of their destinies. I've been telling stories for a long time and feel I'm more qualified than most to bring these characters to life.


I know exactly what I want to do with them, how I want their stories to unfold, and how I want the graphic design to contribute to that development. If you look back at my track record of TV shows and comic books I've supervised and helped develop, I think you'll have to agree.
And WHO is Roger Slifer? Well since you asked...
from the site:

WHAT DO YOU BRING TO THE PARTY?


Well, I've written, produced, and/or story edited some of the most popular animated series of the 80's and 90's, including Tranformers, G.I. Joe Extreme, JEM, Bucky O'Hare, Conan, the Adventurer, etc. I also co-produced the first season of Yu-Gi-Oh here in the U.S.


In comics, I wrote the Omega Men, co-created Lobo, and was an editor at both Marvel and DC. I was also DC's first Direct Sales Manager to the comic book stores so I know more than a bit about the sales side of the business. I also published one of the first graphic novels here in America, "Manhunter, the Complete Saga" which collected the classic stories by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson.

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

"Slifer's done it again! He's created bold, new graphic novel characters worthy of big-screen adaptations. It's high concept with an actual intriguing concept." --Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief Papercutz/Former Editor of Spider-Man


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