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Lovin The Cutest L'il Ninja

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Lil' Ninja debut comic book by Greg Woronchak (story, inks, and colors), Ash Jackson (pencils), Dustin Evans (colors).Close date: March 16th

Lil' Ninja is a toddler who defends her crib from bad guys (using her unique abilities) along with her stuffed toy side-kick Oscar.

Greg Woronchak writes,

When I discovered comic books (many moons ago), I was immediately taken with the format: interesting, dynamic pictures combined with text that told fantastic stories. Rereading some of the comics I first bought back then (now snug in mylar and hidden away in dusty long boxes), I'm struck at the deft skill of creators who were able to produce all-ages material.

'All-ages' doesn't mean juvenile, or aimed squarely at kids. What I'm talking about is a story that a younger reader can enjoy at face value; older readers in turn can appreciate subtle nuances (of a more sophisticated nature) crafted into the text and/or art. For example, buying Wolfman and Perez's New Teen Titans from a spinner rack in the 80s, I had a blast with the wild adventure and cool characters; now, I admire the deft character interplay, and 'mature' themes hinted at in the script and lush art.

This ultimately makes the comic reading experience a deep and rewarding one. At the same time, any age can enjoy the comic for different reasons.

I find that comics today have lost this simple skill. Most books on the stand are targeted squarely at an older demographic, with graphic portrayals of violence and 'reality' (the supreme irony is that super-heroes are grounded in pure fantasy, and desperately applying the 'real world' to them usually results in an awkward mess). At the same time, referring to obscure continuity results in an exclusive experience that new readers (or younger ones) can't penetrate.

I can't find many books today I'd feel comfortable introducing to my kids; even the ones specifically marketed to younger readers are usually licensed material with uninspired, cookie-cutter stories and artwork seemingly traced from cartoon storyboards. Often, these books 'talk down' to young readers, or simply lack an appealing creative spark.

When I grew up from super-hero comics, I felt a desire to create my own (one of the magical aspects of comics is how influential they can be). Over the years, many concepts popped into my head, inspired by my fond memories of the bombastic comics I enjoyed as a kid. One of my favorite concepts is Lil' Ninja, my current Kickstarter project.

Inspired by the antics of my own daughter as a toddler, Lily defends her crib against wacky villains using her mysterious ninja skills. The idea is fun, executed with vibrant colors and exuding joy, 'counter-programming' to the dour, depressing fare comic book readers are currently given monthly.

My hope is that my crowd-funding project sparks enough interest to allow me to continue Lily's adventures, for several issues; my desire to create comics springs from a well of genuine love for this wonderful medium, and I sincerely hope my approach appeals to both young and the young at heart.

Please take a moment to check out my Kickstarter, and if you like it, please spread the word. My goal is to amass as much funding as possible, to afford creating additional adventures.

I think there's plenty of room for all-ages books on today's cluttered stands, and I'm extremely proud of the quality of mine.

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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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