Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Antiis, Comics, entertainment, kickstarter, Midknight, Teri Hodges, Tom Hodges

Tom Hodges Launches His Own Comic Label, Antiis Comics

Published Sat, 06 Feb 2016 16:00:26 -0600

Antiis Comics Presents: Phase One, Bleeding Cool Article by Tom Hodges

Tom Hodges is mainly known for working in a galaxy far, far away, but now, he's putting together something closer to home.

Tom, along with his wife, Terri, have launched a Kickstarter campaign to get their creator owned comics label, Antiis Comics, up and rolling. The Kickstarter is to fund the first three issues of "Antiis Comics Presents". A single title with a rotating cast of new heroes, building the Universe one story at a time in one title.

"The idea is that you won't have to collect several books to get the whole story. I'm a huge fan of big companies, but it's difficult to keep up with whole storylines and collect all the books to get all of the information. The concept of one title, three issue story arcs, peppered with a "one shot" here and there, allowing the reader to get an entire Universe without having to sweat missing a title or going broke trying to get the full story is a big part of why we're different", says Hodges.

The plan is Phase One will run 21 issues of the "Antiis Comics Presents" which will close out with a four issue "Event" utilizing all of the heroes introduced during the phase. During the published books, there will also be an all access web comic on the Antiis Comics website, running a separate story, parallel to the books. The characters will cross paths and be a part of the end of phase event. The web comic will also help introduce new characters that could have a larger role down the line. The new website is also part of the Kickstarter.

"Doing this right from the get go is top priority", Tom continues, "Kickstarter is an amazing tool for launching projects and we felt it was the best route to go. Having been working on these characters for over 20 years. "Midknight", the focus of the first three issue arc, was originally introduced 20 years ago as an ashcan at Mid-Ohio Con. "m", the hero in the second story, over 10 years. Olympus, just as old as Midknight, just his costume and origin has changed. The "Big Bad" at the end of Phase One, I've had even longer then those two! And the reality is, I've been talking about these characters for longer then I've been in the industry, so this is a long time coming."

The rewards for the campaign range from $5, an EARLY digital copy of Issue One, to "vanity" rewards for $3500, which you can become a Hero or Villain in the Antiis Universe.

"Honestly, the idea is to get folks interested. If we had 10,000 pledges for $5, I would be ecstatic! Take a chance on Issue One, getting it even before it's solicited to shops or sold at Cons. The ground floor of the Universe and if you dig it, you tell your retailer to order it. The Kickstarter pledges would be the grass roots effort and I have nothing but confidence that if you invest in Issue One, you'll be back for two, three and so on and so on. We have a lot of cool stuff planned and I've never been so excited about something in my life. Scared $#*tless, but excited" Hodges laughed.

If you follow Tom on Instagram (hodgesart), he posts new Antiis Comics art daily to get people excited for what's planned.

As for the name "Antiis"…

"My father just turned 70 years old. He's a man who was thrown into the Navy at the age of 16 by his father. Traveled the World. Came home and Roadied for Led Zeppelin, Chicago, The Allman Brother's band, the Doobie Brothers… so on and so on. He's lived a life. So when he tells a story or lectures you on something, he always ends it with "… And there it is.". It's an anagram of that."

Tom also has a special offer for BleedingCool readers!

"It's important to me that we reach our goal, so in order to make this happen, we're going to offer these as "Bleeding Cool" incentives to pledge…

1. If we reach $20,000 by Valentine's Day, all orders being shipped will include a SPECIAL Antiis Comics/Bleeding Cool print and Sticker. This DOES only happen if we reach our goal, sooooooo…

2. If we reach our goal of $40,000 by Valentine's Day, ALL $5 pledges will also get an Early Digital Copy of Antiis Comics Presents #2: Midknight! Essentially, getting TWO digital comics months before the general public does!"

… And there it is.