Mystara as a Comic Book - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Mystara as a Comic Book

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Jul 15, 2005 18:54:53 I'm not sure if this was ever thought of or even done. I was just thinking about the New Avengers comic I read earlier and it crossed my mind that D&D characters could be easily made superhero like with their skills and powers. I have a friend that is really into drawing and has always wanted a job as drawing comics and I've seen some of his fantasy work (It's breathtaking). I'm coming into some money soon and I was thinking of spending some on developing a Mystara comic with a monthly release. Of course, I can't sell the issues since Mystara is copyrighted, but I would love to use the characters in several of the adventures and so on and create a great team, starting with my players' characters and developing an intricate and adventurous comic. Of course in D&D it will be rated PG-13 or R or M or whatever the mature rating is these days for comics, due to violence, horror, and maybe some minor sexual content. I was thinking of somehow doing this and then scanning the issues and then posting the pages up as images for readers. I may have to set up my own website, but I figure this will help my friend get his name out there, and maybe WotC will like it...now I'm dreaming. Anyway, it would just be for fun mostly. You think this is a neat idea guys? I would like real Mystara fan opnions so I'm posting this to see what I get as far as feedback. As I said it will be as professional looking as possible and his work is very good. I already got him signed to do the artwork for all of my novels.
#2
Cthulhudrew
Jul 15, 2005 20:32:06 I've thought about doing this many times, actually, and have plotted out several different storylines and characters. I even actually did a couple of pages for two of the different concepts before, but never got much further than that.

I'd love to see something along these lines. Look forward to seeing what you come up with!
#3
Hugin
Jul 15, 2005 23:10:34
I'd love to see something along these lines. Look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Absolutely! I'd be a faithful reader!
#4
spellweaver
Jul 16, 2005 2:54:01 I'd love to read a comic book about Mystara and adventures taking place there as well!

A word of caution though: please try to keep the storyline "serious" or at least appealing to a fairly adult audience.

I still remember with horror the ridiculous 1E AD&D cartoons on television with the kids that ended up in a fantasy world and became a ranger, a cavalier, a barbarian, a wizard and a thief-acrobat I think it was.

:-) Jesper
#5
zombiegleemax
Jul 17, 2005 10:16:48 Absolutely. I have a sense of humor, but my writing is very adult oriented and I do not like the idea of putting earth people on Mystara. It's an alternate dimension alltogether and the only thing I have ever allowed to cross into the Mystara realm is 1 Draconian (Which the Dragon Immortals allowed and sort of encouraged, to see what he could do and wether or not they should start a race of Draconians). I have Dragon-kin on Mystara myself, but they aren't quite as organized as Draconian armies. And they are very rare. My writing has a tendancy to be gritty and rough. Washed with romance and blood.

Anyway, back on topic: I would use some of the characters and adventures that are cannon, although they may get a makeover to fit the story line. I would base the concept on what Marvel is doing with the New Avengers. Funny how my players first adventure is turning out like the way they were put together. They joined forces and became allies when they were sort of pushed into a situation that none of them could survive on thier own. I would start my story from almost the beginning. My main focus would be the 3 1st level characters in my campaign. They are unusual and would be fitting with a nice mix of magic, outdoor skills, and brawn. I won't , however, title it the "Odd Company." It would have to be something more generic, like "Heroes of Mystara" or something along that line. Any ideas?

I think I'll use much of the stories from the campaign. And then add some side adventures or something towards the back that would show other parts of Mystara. Like maybe throw in some "Champions of Mystara" material and see how it looks. Some I'll drag up from my old campaigns and rewrite them as I remember and also use some of the background stories that the players never get to read. If things go well, I can get an issue up every month. Well, that shouldn't be a problem, it is mostly a question of how many pages there will be. Without advertisements, it will probably be less pages than a normal comic but if my buddy Steven is willing and really fast, this thing could have 20-35 pages per issue. The first will be double sized though.

The first segment will have the point where the charcters meet and are thrust into their first adventure together. This will take up the normal amount of space for each issue. Then there will be a major portion that backtracks the past of the main characters and shows how they ended up in the situation they are in now, each with their own part. That makes 4 stories in the 1st issue. Next there will be a final story. It's undecied what that will be, but it may be something about the history of Mystara like the spaceship crashing in Blackmoor and it will continue on into the next issue like the main story. Hows that sound?
#6
havard
Jul 17, 2005 10:52:18 Hi Tjedge, this sounds like a great idea! I absolutely agree about not including characters from earth (unless they were from Ancient LaTerre, ofcourse). Your story ideas all sound good. I haven't read the New Avengers series so I'm not sure what that implies, but being a Marvel fan, I doubt it will be a bad thing. Seeing more artwork related to Mystara will in any case be very cool.

I would suggest that you make an effort to include Mystara specific elements so that it doesn't end up being a story that could have been set in any fantasy world. Your ideas about tying in things like Blackmoor's spaceship or other major events would be very cool, but if possible I would also love to see Mystara specific details to the characters, like special races (Rakasta, Aranea, Lupins etc), equipment (Trident of Protius etc), abilities (Radience magic) or things like that as well as nationalities and monsters connected with the setting.

These are only suggestions, obviously. I am sure I will enjoy it in any case.
Good luck!

Håvard
#7
culture20
Jul 17, 2005 16:31:13
I still remember with horror the ridiculous 1E AD&D cartoons on television with the kids that ended up in a fantasy world and became a ranger, a cavalier, a barbarian, a wizard and a thief-acrobat I think it was.

Heh heh. That statement fits with this topic better than you know. There is a Forgotten Realms comic book with these kids in them, all grown up, and lacking their magic items. Prestin (Presto) meets up with Elmister who teaches him a little magic. The biggest change in one of the characters was Bobby (the Barbarian); who turned into Arnold Schwarzenager.
Here's a page with a synopsis:
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/2599/forgotten.html
#8
zombiegleemax
Jul 18, 2005 19:44:37
Hi Tjedge, this sounds like a great idea! I absolutely agree about not including characters from earth (unless they were from Ancient LaTerre, ofcourse). Your story ideas all sound good. I haven't read the New Avengers series so I'm not sure what that implies, but being a Marvel fan, I doubt it will be a bad thing. Seeing more artwork related to Mystara will in any case be very cool.

I would suggest that you make an effort to include Mystara specific elements so that it doesn't end up being a story that could have been set in any fantasy world. Your ideas about tying in things like Blackmoor's spaceship or other major events would be very cool, but if possible I would also love to see Mystara specific details to the characters, like special races (Rakasta, Aranea, Lupins etc), equipment (Trident of Protius etc), abilities (Radience magic) or things like that as well as nationalities and monsters connected with the setting.

These are only suggestions, obviously. I am sure I will enjoy it in any case.
Good luck!

Håvard

I intend to give it a flavor of Mystara. It will be adventures in Mystara and all locations will be either cannon or fan-made for Mystara. No generic worlds here. ;) I intend to use the extra story at the end to educate and entertain those who know little of Mystara. And to provide background for adventures that the main characters will eventually have to face later on. I have plans for several Mystara based races, especially the Rakasta and Lupin. I think a side story about Aranea will be good early on. The Immortals will even make their appearances in the main and side stories as the Ancient Ones and Watchers do in the Marvel comics. Huh, I might even end up with a 2nd line of issues with different characters along the Savage Coast someday. For now though it will be based in the Known World. Starting in Karameikos where there are troubles abounding in the late 990's. Also unlike Marvel heroes, my characters will age and time will pass and real Mystara events like the Wars will take place. So a Mystara fan will already have an idea of what to expect at times but I intend to add my own twists for the sake of entertainment and unpredictability. But nothing silly or generic.

Heh heh. That statement fits with this topic better than you know. There is a Forgotten Realms comic book with these kids in them, all grown up, and lacking their magic items. Prestin (Presto) meets up with Elmister who teaches him a little magic. The biggest change in one of the characters was Bobby (the Barbarian); who turned into Arnold Schwarzenager.
Here's a page with a synopsis:
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/2599/forgotten.html

I could have done without knowing that ever existed. It sounded completely lame. I guess free is free, but I intend to put more professional writing and art than that in my own free comic. And it will be Mystara, not DragonLance, Forgotten Realms or any other. I'm not even planning a crossover of any kind (Not even sure if I'll use Xargass, who is the only Draconian on Mystara in my campaigns) because he came from Krynn.
#9
twin_campaigns
Jul 22, 2005 3:37:02 A cool idea all in all. But I just wanted to say that goofiness
doesn't necessarily imply childishness. If you haven't checked
this one out, google "Order of the Stick". It is in my mind the best
ever RPG comic with an intelligent sense of humour.

But since this route to serios funniness has already been traveled,
your conception is more fruitful.
#10
spellweaver
Jul 22, 2005 6:44:33
A cool idea all in all. But I just wanted to say that goofiness
doesn't necessarily imply childishness. If you haven't checked
this one out, google "Order of the Stick". It is in my mind the best
ever RPG comic with an intelligent sense of humour.

But since this route to serios funniness has already been traveled,
your conception is more fruitful.

I've always loved Knights of the Dinner Table but this is even funnier! :D

Thanks for the hint, Twin Campaigns!

:-) Jesper
#11
zombiegleemax
Jul 22, 2005 7:25:13
I've thought about doing this many times, actually, and have plotted out several different storylines and characters. I even actually did a couple of pages for two of the different concepts before, but never got much further than that.

I remember you showing me that when I visited you - I thought it was a good start. I especially liked the panel showing that drunkard in Helskir :D

Ditto on the issue of seeing a Mystaran comic - it's something I'd read for sure!

Geoff
#12
zombiegleemax
Jul 23, 2005 7:43:32 There will be some humor, but I'm just better with dark or epic fantasy. Some humor will be included of course. Life itself is funny at times. I'lll check out this comic you linked to also. And as always, any of my public and free projects are up for discussion on ideas and so on. I'm very open-minded. I just want it not to be trashed by too many. ;)
#13
zombiegleemax
Sep 02, 2005 16:37:08 Reviving an old topic here. Just so you guys know. I have a professional artist who is willing to do this comic. Once I have my financial position stable sometime in the next year, I will get in touch with WotC and see if I might be able to reach an agreement on Comic book rights being leased to me or my company. Then I will begin work on setting up some issues fo rthis thing and maybe even expanding it into several subscriptions if it is taking off. Wish me luck. Oh and for those worried about paying for a subscription. Don't. If it has any cost it will be way low, to where it mostly pays for the cost of it's development. I'm not doing this for profit, just for fun.

And for those who would like it more canon based. I will do my best to keep it that way. Which means I may send pm's to those I know have the knowledge with questions about certian things I can't figure out on my own. So far I have a crew of 3 (including myself) that are interested in doing this. :D

P.S.- A subscription cost will only exist if WotC actually agrees to some deal about leasing this small right, otherwise I won't charge anything for subscriptions which will all be sent in pdf formats to avoid any legal problems. The bad thing about not getting permission for the comics to be sold is that there will be less professionalism involved and smaller issues made.

I'll be looking into publishing novels as well. No for sure thing at the moment though.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Jul 15, 2005 18:54:53	I'm not sure if this was ever thought of or even done. I was just thinking about the New Avengers comic I read earlier and it crossed my mind that D&D characters could be easily made superhero like with their skills and powers. I have a friend that is really into drawing and has always wanted a job as drawing comics and I've seen some of his fantasy work (It's breathtaking). I'm coming into some money soon and I was thinking of spending some on developing a Mystara comic with a monthly release. Of course, I can't sell the issues since Mystara is copyrighted, but I would love to use the characters in several of the adventures and so on and create a great team, starting with my players' characters and developing an intricate and adventurous comic. Of course in D&D it will be rated PG-13 or R or M or whatever the mature rating is these days for comics, due to violence, horror, and maybe some minor sexual content. I was thinking of somehow doing this and then scanning the issues and then posting the pages up as images for readers. I may have to set up my own website, but I figure this will help my friend get his name out there, and maybe WotC will like it...now I'm dreaming. Anyway, it would just be for fun mostly. You think this is a neat idea guys? I would like real Mystara fan opnions so I'm posting this to see what I get as far as feedback. As I said it will be as professional looking as possible and his work is very good. I already got him signed to do the artwork for all of my novels.
#2 Cthulhudrew Jul 15, 2005 20:32:06	I've thought about doing this many times, actually, and have plotted out several different storylines and characters. I even actually did a couple of pages for two of the different concepts before, but never got much further than that. I'd love to see something along these lines. Look forward to seeing what you come up with!
#3 Hugin Jul 15, 2005 23:10:34	I'd love to see something along these lines. Look forward to seeing what you come up with! Absolutely! I'd be a faithful reader!
#4 spellweaver Jul 16, 2005 2:54:01	I'd love to read a comic book about Mystara and adventures taking place there as well! A word of caution though: please try to keep the storyline "serious" or at least appealing to a fairly adult audience. I still remember with horror the ridiculous 1E AD&D cartoons on television with the kids that ended up in a fantasy world and became a ranger, a cavalier, a barbarian, a wizard and a thief-acrobat I think it was. :-) Jesper
#5 zombiegleemax Jul 17, 2005 10:16:48	Absolutely. I have a sense of humor, but my writing is very adult oriented and I do not like the idea of putting earth people on Mystara. It's an alternate dimension alltogether and the only thing I have ever allowed to cross into the Mystara realm is 1 Draconian (Which the Dragon Immortals allowed and sort of encouraged, to see what he could do and wether or not they should start a race of Draconians). I have Dragon-kin on Mystara myself, but they aren't quite as organized as Draconian armies. And they are very rare. My writing has a tendancy to be gritty and rough. Washed with romance and blood. Anyway, back on topic: I would use some of the characters and adventures that are cannon, although they may get a makeover to fit the story line. I would base the concept on what Marvel is doing with the New Avengers. Funny how my players first adventure is turning out like the way they were put together. They joined forces and became allies when they were sort of pushed into a situation that none of them could survive on thier own. I would start my story from almost the beginning. My main focus would be the 3 1st level characters in my campaign. They are unusual and would be fitting with a nice mix of magic, outdoor skills, and brawn. I won't , however, title it the "Odd Company." It would have to be something more generic, like "Heroes of Mystara" or something along that line. Any ideas? I think I'll use much of the stories from the campaign. And then add some side adventures or something towards the back that would show other parts of Mystara. Like maybe throw in some "Champions of Mystara" material and see how it looks. Some I'll drag up from my old campaigns and rewrite them as I remember and also use some of the background stories that the players never get to read. If things go well, I can get an issue up every month. Well, that shouldn't be a problem, it is mostly a question of how many pages there will be. Without advertisements, it will probably be less pages than a normal comic but if my buddy Steven is willing and really fast, this thing could have 20-35 pages per issue. The first will be double sized though. The first segment will have the point where the charcters meet and are thrust into their first adventure together. This will take up the normal amount of space for each issue. Then there will be a major portion that backtracks the past of the main characters and shows how they ended up in the situation they are in now, each with their own part. That makes 4 stories in the 1st issue. Next there will be a final story. It's undecied what that will be, but it may be something about the history of Mystara like the spaceship crashing in Blackmoor and it will continue on into the next issue like the main story. Hows that sound?
#6 havard Jul 17, 2005 10:52:18	Hi Tjedge, this sounds like a great idea! I absolutely agree about not including characters from earth (unless they were from Ancient LaTerre, ofcourse). Your story ideas all sound good. I haven't read the New Avengers series so I'm not sure what that implies, but being a Marvel fan, I doubt it will be a bad thing. Seeing more artwork related to Mystara will in any case be very cool. I would suggest that you make an effort to include Mystara specific elements so that it doesn't end up being a story that could have been set in any fantasy world. Your ideas about tying in things like Blackmoor's spaceship or other major events would be very cool, but if possible I would also love to see Mystara specific details to the characters, like special races (Rakasta, Aranea, Lupins etc), equipment (Trident of Protius etc), abilities (Radience magic) or things like that as well as nationalities and monsters connected with the setting. These are only suggestions, obviously. I am sure I will enjoy it in any case. Good luck! Håvard
#7 culture20 Jul 17, 2005 16:31:13	I still remember with horror the ridiculous 1E AD&D cartoons on television with the kids that ended up in a fantasy world and became a ranger, a cavalier, a barbarian, a wizard and a thief-acrobat I think it was. Heh heh. That statement fits with this topic better than you know. There is a Forgotten Realms comic book with these kids in them, all grown up, and lacking their magic items. Prestin (Presto) meets up with Elmister who teaches him a little magic. The biggest change in one of the characters was Bobby (the Barbarian); who turned into Arnold Schwarzenager. Here's a page with a synopsis: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/2599/forgotten.html
#8 zombiegleemax Jul 18, 2005 19:44:37	Hi Tjedge, this sounds like a great idea! I absolutely agree about not including characters from earth (unless they were from Ancient LaTerre, ofcourse). Your story ideas all sound good. I haven't read the New Avengers series so I'm not sure what that implies, but being a Marvel fan, I doubt it will be a bad thing. Seeing more artwork related to Mystara will in any case be very cool. I would suggest that you make an effort to include Mystara specific elements so that it doesn't end up being a story that could have been set in any fantasy world. Your ideas about tying in things like Blackmoor's spaceship or other major events would be very cool, but if possible I would also love to see Mystara specific details to the characters, like special races (Rakasta, Aranea, Lupins etc), equipment (Trident of Protius etc), abilities (Radience magic) or things like that as well as nationalities and monsters connected with the setting. These are only suggestions, obviously. I am sure I will enjoy it in any case. Good luck! Håvard I intend to give it a flavor of Mystara. It will be adventures in Mystara and all locations will be either cannon or fan-made for Mystara. No generic worlds here. ;) I intend to use the extra story at the end to educate and entertain those who know little of Mystara. And to provide background for adventures that the main characters will eventually have to face later on. I have plans for several Mystara based races, especially the Rakasta and Lupin. I think a side story about Aranea will be good early on. The Immortals will even make their appearances in the main and side stories as the Ancient Ones and Watchers do in the Marvel comics. Huh, I might even end up with a 2nd line of issues with different characters along the Savage Coast someday. For now though it will be based in the Known World. Starting in Karameikos where there are troubles abounding in the late 990's. Also unlike Marvel heroes, my characters will age and time will pass and real Mystara events like the Wars will take place. So a Mystara fan will already have an idea of what to expect at times but I intend to add my own twists for the sake of entertainment and unpredictability. But nothing silly or generic. Heh heh. That statement fits with this topic better than you know. There is a Forgotten Realms comic book with these kids in them, all grown up, and lacking their magic items. Prestin (Presto) meets up with Elmister who teaches him a little magic. The biggest change in one of the characters was Bobby (the Barbarian); who turned into Arnold Schwarzenager. Here's a page with a synopsis: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/2599/forgotten.html I could have done without knowing that ever existed. It sounded completely lame. I guess free is free, but I intend to put more professional writing and art than that in my own free comic. And it will be Mystara, not DragonLance, Forgotten Realms or any other. I'm not even planning a crossover of any kind (Not even sure if I'll use Xargass, who is the only Draconian on Mystara in my campaigns) because he came from Krynn.
#9 twin_campaigns Jul 22, 2005 3:37:02	A cool idea all in all. But I just wanted to say that goofiness doesn't necessarily imply childishness. If you haven't checked this one out, google "Order of the Stick". It is in my mind the best ever RPG comic with an intelligent sense of humour. But since this route to serios funniness has already been traveled, your conception is more fruitful.
#10 spellweaver Jul 22, 2005 6:44:33	A cool idea all in all. But I just wanted to say that goofiness doesn't necessarily imply childishness. If you haven't checked this one out, google "Order of the Stick". It is in my mind the best ever RPG comic with an intelligent sense of humour. But since this route to serios funniness has already been traveled, your conception is more fruitful. I've always loved Knights of the Dinner Table but this is even funnier! :D Thanks for the hint, Twin Campaigns! :-) Jesper
#11 zombiegleemax Jul 22, 2005 7:25:13	I've thought about doing this many times, actually, and have plotted out several different storylines and characters. I even actually did a couple of pages for two of the different concepts before, but never got much further than that. I remember you showing me that when I visited you - I thought it was a good start. I especially liked the panel showing that drunkard in Helskir :D Ditto on the issue of seeing a Mystaran comic - it's something I'd read for sure! Geoff
#12 zombiegleemax Jul 23, 2005 7:43:32	There will be some humor, but I'm just better with dark or epic fantasy. Some humor will be included of course. Life itself is funny at times. I'lll check out this comic you linked to also. And as always, any of my public and free projects are up for discussion on ideas and so on. I'm very open-minded. I just want it not to be trashed by too many. ;)
#13 zombiegleemax Sep 02, 2005 16:37:08	Reviving an old topic here. Just so you guys know. I have a professional artist who is willing to do this comic. Once I have my financial position stable sometime in the next year, I will get in touch with WotC and see if I might be able to reach an agreement on Comic book rights being leased to me or my company. Then I will begin work on setting up some issues fo rthis thing and maybe even expanding it into several subscriptions if it is taking off. Wish me luck. Oh and for those worried about paying for a subscription. Don't. If it has any cost it will be way low, to where it mostly pays for the cost of it's development. I'm not doing this for profit, just for fun. And for those who would like it more canon based. I will do my best to keep it that way. Which means I may send pm's to those I know have the knowledge with questions about certian things I can't figure out on my own. So far I have a crew of 3 (including myself) that are interested in doing this. :D P.S.- A subscription cost will only exist if WotC actually agrees to some deal about leasing this small right, otherwise I won't charge anything for subscriptions which will all be sent in pdf formats to avoid any legal problems. The bad thing about not getting permission for the comics to be sold is that there will be less professionalism involved and smaller issues made. I'll be looking into publishing novels as well. No for sure thing at the moment though.