Indy-Pendant is the first column ever written by Brant W. Fowler running from May 2005 to January 2007. It's a focus on independent comics creators, publishers and titles. These are the reprinted archives, which were originally published on www.comicavalanche.com.
This week, thanks to the suggestions on the forums, I've begun adding a publisher/creator update section following the column. I'll try to keep these coming as information and time is available to do so.
Week 17 - Originally published on October 2, 2005
RUNES OF RAGNAN
Brought to us by co-creators Ty Gorton (Writer/Flatter) and Josh Medors (Penciller), this epic fantasy tale is stunning to the eyes, and the writing's pretty good too. It is a little caption heavy, but it adds to the novel feel of it, which gives it a unique storytelling experience.
The hero of the story is a character by the name of EldJarn, who isn't all he appears to be. There isn't much given away in this first issue, except that there is an eternal conflict between the protagonist and antagonist that goes back a LONG way.
The issue opens with EldJarn the worse for wear, beaten and bloody as he starts to recall the events that led him to this point. We then get a glimpse into what kind of warrior he is as he scours the countryside in search of his foe. Those that cross his path soon regret it as they meet their certain doom.
As the issue draws to a close we are left with our hero in the same place the issue began as a new unforeseen threat emerges, beautifully leading into the second issue.
This tale has the makings of an epic story, and I for one hope to see it reach that point. Josh Medors is a fine artist who used a very creative layout throughout the book that fits and captures the theme and feel of the story. Ben Templesmith provided the wonderful cover pictured above. Ryan Ottley, soon to be a household name as far as artists are concerned, provided the inks while Jay Fotos finished the colors.
At the end of the issue Ty and Josh expressed their thanks and gratitude to the other creators and people involved, as well as to the fans. They also shared their experience in creating Runes of Ragnan even providing bonus material showing the process from pencils to final colors.
If you enjoy fantasy and epic tales you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.
DRACULA VS KING ARTHUR
I considered waiting until the four issue mini-series was finished before covering this for review, but I it fit so well into this week's column, and I couldn't wait to share this book with everyone.
We're halfway through this unique tale matching swords and sorcery with horror and the plot thickens. Again I must say that the creative team does an incredible job at conveying the story. Chris Mereno is a fine artist who also expresses his creativity with panel layouts and borders. And the Beranek brothers, Christian and Adam, have woven a nice tale using the fictional history of King Arthur and Dracula combined with Biblical background and history to create this truly unique spin on the two classic tales we are so familiar with. The rest of the art team, including Nick Beranek, Heather Addley and once again the colors of Jay Fotos do a bang-up job bringing this story to life.
Both of these issues are between 30 and 40 pages, which alone is enough reason to give this tale a shot. Not to mention the critical acclaim it has garnered. But if you are a fan of either tale you will enjoy this take. Throughout the first issue we see what led to the point where Dracula and King Arthur could possibly meet. 
We are given a history lesson at the onset chronicling the early days of both rulers with similar backgrounds yet completely different paths ultimately.
Both men are portrayed as followers of God who rule in His name, but each takes a different route to ruling a kingdom. King Arthur, of course, stays the straight and narrow, ever abiding by his Lord's Word and rules, while Dracula claims to commit acts of inhumane cruelty in the name of God. Both are true to their cause, but Dracula becomes corrupted. This leads to a meeting with a certain fallen being, thus leading to the creation of the Dracula we all know of. He is then transported back in time to kill King Arthur.
Where this story is headed, why he has to kill King Arthur and just what the significance of this meeting is hasn't yet been revealed, but I for one am very interested to see the outcome. I am also pleased that Merlin is portrayed more as an Albert Einstein type - a man of science - rather than a typical magician. It separates the good from the evil more definitively. I'm not sure if the Beranek brothers have any religious background, but they do know their stuff well enough to reference it in their tales. Makes one wonder with a name like Silent Devil and all these demonic forces roaming around in their company. But I digress.
Pick up this series. You can't beat the page count for the price for a mini series. Go get it. Now.
And that does it for this week's column. Next week I'll be back with more coverage and more points of interest. In the meantime check out my blog where I tell it all, 'cause that's how I roll!
B.-Out
PUBLISHER UPDATE
Silent Devil Productions is still publishing, though it seems on a slower, more under the radar pace. Dracula Vs. King Arthur is still one of their featured titles, and both a trade and hardcover is available. They've also published other titles such as The Minions of Ka, Super Frat, Astronaut Dad and Antigone. Their latest update was in October 2009 about a new interview Christian Beranek did with Sean McManus. You can still check them out at http://silentdevil.com.
Josh Medors, as we all know, is battling cancer, but is still working on his own projects. Two weeks after this column originally went live, Runes of Ragnan moved to Image Comics. In 2008, a collected edition of Runes of Ragnan was made available and can be purchased on Amazon.
Brant W. Fowler / Writer, Letter, Creator, Reviewer, Columnist and Comic Related PR Coordinator
Brant W. Fowler has been a professional comic book letterer and logo designer for three years, and has been a freelance editor for the past five years. He has also worked with graphic design, writing and many other area of skills for several years honing his talents. You can learn all about what he's up to by visiting Gonzogoose
Design. Brant is also a member of the core
operations team at Comic Related.
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