Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Jason Baroody, Josh Oakes, kickstarter, Last Breath, Sam Eggleston

Last Breath: A comic-book project looking to reach the stars

Published Sun, 11 Aug 2013 07:00:38 -0500

Sam Eggleston writes for Bleeding Cool:

When Rich Johnston said the easiest way to get an article about the Kickstarter project for the comic "Last Breath" in front of the readers of Bleeding Cool was to write it myself, the very first thing that crossed my mind was: No problem, I do this kind of thing for a living.

But the truth is, you're reading the fifth incarnation of this article. No matter which direction I attempted to approach it, I just felt like I couldn't get it to settle down on paper the way I wanted to.

The route that seemed to make the most sense was to trumpet the quality of the story, and the art and how "Last Breath" was the next, exciting creator-owned project that would see the light of day thanks to Kickstarter. But I realized you have no reason to believe me.

You see, I'm an absolute nobody in the world of comic books. Heck, in the larger picture of life, I'm a nobody to just about everybody. There are some folks I am everybody to, like my daughter, Shaylyn, and there are some people I am somebody to, like my friends, family and my clients.

But, for the most part, I'm just a guy who was born and raised in the middle of nowhere who learned to adventure through the pages of comics and novels and who has been fortunate enough to have made a living pounding on a keyboard and writing for the past 13 years.

And let's be honest here — getting a comic published thanks to the generous support of 90-some backers that have climbed on board "Last Breath" so far isn't going to get my name up in lights or discussed around the dinner table tonight.

But, then again, that never was the point of it all.

I'm not here to get famous. I'm here, having a one-way conversation with you in my fifth attempt to write this article, because I like to tell stories. And "Last Breath" is one such story, and I want you to read it.

The premise isn't an uplifting one. It's not funny. It's not even romantic. In fact, to many, it's pretty damn bleak. "Last Breath" is the tale of an astronaut who finds himself suddenly trapped on the surface of the moon. His crew and his way home destroyed by a human enemy, and his chances of survival dwindling with each and every breath he takes.

It's a story about decisions. Do you give up or do you fight on? Do you try for the impossible, or do you accept the inevitable? Do you have enough drive left for one more push, or is it simply time to admit defeat?

As I said, the goal of "Last Breath" isn't to make myself or the creative team rich and famous. If that were the case, we have definitely picked the wrong profession. Instead, it's a chance to tell the type of tale that will leave the reader satisfied to have been part of the journey from page one to page 24. Along the way, they'll see the amazing pencils by Jason Baroody and the solid inking of Josh Oakes. And now, thanks to the continued support of our backers, there will also be standout colors and lettering from John Hunt.

"Last Breath" still has a couple of weeks left in its funding, and we've met our fundraising
goal and are working on our stretch goals. The first, which we're on the verge of meeting, is to be able to afford to color the interior of the comic. The second will allow us to send a hard copy of the book to a larger audience.

In honor of having some ink in Bleeding Cool, we're going to add to the stretch goals. If we reach the $6,750 mark by Friday, Aug. 16, we will pick (via random number generator) one backer who donates between now and then to receive their choice of either a free original art page from "Last Breath" or an 11×17 single character commission from either Jason Baroody or Brian Lopez-Santos (to be delivered at the same time all other backer rewards are delivered).

Any pledge of $10 or more will get you a copy of "Last Breath," either in PDF or hard copy form, and I truly believe you won't be disappointed. Quality art and a solid story — what more could a comics fan want?

You can take a look at the Kickstarter page to see some sample pages (make sure to check the updates section for additional pages) or for more information the comic and the creative team. You can also follow at the Last Breath Facebook page.