Sponsored by Battle Quest Comics
Battle Quest Comic will release its latest series, THE YOUNG NO’MADDS, as a 148-page, $9.99 supersized collection on February 26th (FOC January 27th). We spoke exclusively with the entire creative team to find out how they put this exciting and beautiful series together.
New universe! New heroes! New adventure! Battle Quest Comic is proud to present THE YOUNG NO’MADDS. This original series chronicles the journey of two rival teenagers in pursuit of an all-powerful weapon that is their only hope for defeating the evil invaders plaguing their land. Here, the creators talk about the creation of the series. of
Andrew Kafoury – Before creating Battle Quest Comics and signing with Diamond Comics Distributors, Andrew spent over a decade successfully writing and publishing independent comics.
Andrew: This story is relevant to the times we live in because it contains many relevant issues that people face today, such as division making them vulnerable to external threats. It felt important. I believed THE YOUNG NO’MADDS could really help people explore those issues in a fun and exciting way.
Matthew Keener – Matthew has been a senior story development executive for two Academy Award-winning production companies, a story/packaging executive and literary agent for MP/TV (ICM, APA), and a private story consultant and I serve as a confidential script doctor. He currently serves as Chief Story Officer at Scenario Entertainment.
Matt: Drew and I worked on the story over several months, mostly in marathon late-night sessions. And many times what we were creating turned out to be an outstanding creative experience. That’s part of the fun of THE YOUNG NO’MADDS, with plenty of classic entertainment moments set within a fresh new story. And the artistic creativity that Aaron McConnell brings brings the world and characters to life visually. It was really hectic.
Aaron McConnell – Before becoming a regular artist at Battle Quest Comics, Aaron worked at Ten Speed Press’s Gettysburg Address, illustrating the New York Times bestseller Comic Book Stories of Beer. , with a graphic adaptation by William Morrow and a comic book story for Dark Horse Comics. And Boom Studio. He also provided art for the role-playing game 13th Age.
Aaron: This was a hands-on collaboration between the three of us, and I can confidently say this is the strongest comic book story I’ve ever worked on. I drew the first concept sketches of the central characters for THE YOUNG NO’MADDS in late 2021, and almost three years later, I’m finishing up the art for issue #4. This was definitely the most time I’ve spent drawing and developing characters within complex worldbuilding, and it was a challenging and rewarding experience. Then, in 2023, thanks to our powerhouse editor Justin Zimmerman, the project leveled up significantly with the addition of color artist Jeremy Colwell.
Jeremy Colwell – Jeremy has colored multiple projects for Battle Quest Comics, but is perhaps best known for his work on DC’s Batman and TMNT crossover series. He has also worked on titles such as IDW, Image, and Dark Horse. He lives in Portland, Oregon, and is stupidly satisfied with his life…but he also has two cats who keep their feet on the ground most days.
Jeremy: Aaron is an amazing artist and probably one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. We basically grew up in the same town and were always in each other’s orbit, but never fully met or worked together. His work is solid and a lot of fun to color. He gives me a lot of work and gives me the freedom to explore who is best to make the scene better. We respect and like each other, so it’s a great opportunity for me.
Aaron: Jeremy colors his pages with an emphasis on storytelling above all else, and he uses color intuitively. The character’s emotions are conveyed through his choices. Enthusiasm, anxiety, sadness, fear…you can imagine the palette he used for each chapter and character moment of the story. Jeremy takes pride in bringing out the best in the artists he works with, and having him featured in this book feels like winning the lottery.
Andrew: And then the page goes straight to lettering and production design…
Pete Carlson – Pete has over 25 years of experience in the comics industry, including over 10 years working with the legendary Joe Kubert. In addition to leading production at Battle Quest Comics, Pete has also worked with DC, Dynamite, Dark Horse, IDW, and Kubert School.
Pete: Drew and Matt have written a fast-paced story that covers a lot of ground, both geographically and emotionally. I love that I don’t have to squeeze every inch of the balloon! And it was fun to push the sound effects in different directions and work with the art to give the sound effects a physical presence when we felt they best served the story. I was very satisfied.
Aaron: And what’s even better is that thanks to editor Justin Zimmerman’s tireless care, we had a variety of cover artists on board. Featuring covers by Bill Sienkiewicz, Karen Darboe, Sean Hill, Sid Ven Blue, Robbie Rodriguez, Laura Martin, and more. In this particular case, we hope that our comic books will be judged by their covers. Because the cover is beautiful.
ANDREW: THE YOUNG NO’MADDS will be bringing Battle Quest Comics to Diamond’s Final Order Cutoff program in October, and we couldn’t be more excited. The publication schedule for the next two years is set, with numerous new titles and sequels in the works, and announcements planned leading up to ComicsPRO 2025. And FOC is a special place for small publishers. I am truly grateful to Diamond for giving me this exciting opportunity. I think this will give Battle Quest Comics stories a chance to reach a wider audience.
Matt: We hope you’ll join us on this journey… because THE YOUNG NO’MADDS has more adventures to come! And if you check out THE YOUNG NO’MADDS, please let us know! I hope. I would love to hear their opinions.
Sponsored by Battle Quest Comics
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