Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Cassidy James, Comics, entertainment, Gun Up Paintball, kickstarter

Paintball Is Like A Drug Habit – Addictive, Expensive And Makes Your Clothes Smell Funny

Published Sat, 10 May 2014 19:00:03 -0500

Cassidy James writes for Bleeding Cool:

Paintball. It's like a drug habit; addictive, expensive, and it makes your clothes smell funny.

Back in 2000, Cassidy James learned this the hard way (the paintball bit, not the drug habit)! This was followed by years of skipping lunch to be able to afford just "one more bag (of paint)," running clothes through the double rinse cycle, and a general disinterest in everything that had once seemed to matter. Now well on his way to recovery, Cassidy has become a pusher of this amazing sport.

Enter Gun Up Paintball, the comic book that drops you into this action sport world. Francis has spent years of his life living, breathing, and sometimes inadvertently eating paintball. With his final summer before college drawing to a close, he must negotiate between the old life that he knows and the unknown future. Unwilling to let go, Francis tries to hang on for as long as possible by bringing his team, Gun Up, to one of the largest paintball tournaments in the world: the PSP West Coast Open. Between a cross country road trip and the interference of their home town rivals, it might take more than a new addition to the team to make it safely to California, let alone through the event!

While the story revolves around Gun Up as they're making their way to the tournament, it's really about the relationships between friends. It's a comedy. It's a slice of life story. It's about growing pains. Your teammates aren't just your friends, but also your family… and together as a family, you're going to go beat down that other family. Gun Up Paintball doesn't just rely on the extremely visual aspects of paintball, but highlights the adrenaline, the camaraderie, and the stubborn tenacity of the sport.

Chances are that you've seen a paintball episode of your favorite television show. While it has some similarities to paintball, it's only just scratched the surface. Professional teams travel the world to compete in dozens – if not hundreds – of leagues. Training, communication, and a game plan are the keys to winning. And with all of the gear and apparel, you can look damn good doing it!

Get sucked in to a setting that comics (or any medium, for that matter) have yet to explore. Paintball is about imposing your will upon the world instead of living in somebody else's creation. It's about getting your no-name friends together and going out there day after day until everybody knows who you are. And that's what Gun Up Paintball aims to do.

Gun Up Paintball is 24 pages of full color, reaching a total of 5 issues once completed. The kickstarter for issue 1 is running now. If you're a fan of paintball, comics, or both, be sure to check it out!

You can find the Kickstarter here.

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