From the Dust Newsletter

From the Dust Newsletter. As we anticipate the *very* soon release of From the Dust #1, please consider signing up for our Newsletter. Here's what you get:

• Priority knowledge of our new products and promotions (we will always give our newsletter people about a day's heads up before blog, twitter, and everybody else)
• Emails as needed (about 1/month or so)
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Why is today a great day? Also, when you sign up, you get a chance to tell us why today is a great day. Here are some responses from December!

"Because I'm a Mormon!!!" -- Anthony
"Because I found you!!!! Love that you are helping bring truth back!" -- April
"Christmas Eve:  The day before Christ was born." -- Chris
"I got the Fan Kit for Christmas and loved it! Can't wait for From the Dust #1!" -- Colby
"I've been looking for something like this." -- David
"It's an awesome day - my leave started today." -- Debbie
"God has given me comfort.  :D " -- Debra
"This comic is going to be awesome!" -- Dustin
"My 11 year thinks this is SO cool!  That's awesome!" -- Honor
"It's a great day because it's stormy and windy outside and I have two days off work." -- Inari
"My grandson will love this series of books!" -- Jimmy
"Because I just found out about From The Dust!" -- Kel
"To Day is a whole new beginning to a wonderful world of learning it's never to late for new thighs in life." -- Luz

 (PS - Luz, I'm not sure where you got your new thighs...but I'm glad they are working out!)

Anyway, see you soon! My next post...I will be giving you the REAL release date! Yes...we're that close!!!

Merry Christmas From the Dust!

Merry Christmas! At this special season when there is so much to celebrate, let us all remember the many blessings bestowed upon us from the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. Let us also remember that Jew, Christian, and Muslim alike believe the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, is sacred, and we all trace our heritage back to Abraham. We have far more in common than we have different.

Excerpts from From the Dust #1. Enjoy these two short excerpts of From the Dust #1, coming soon.

Learn Hebrew in From the Dust's unique educational sections.

Nebuchadrezzar King of Babylon overlooks the Holy Temple of Yahweh.

Ack! Another Delay! Release is now after Christmas!

From the Dust has been delayed (for the second time!) It will be after Christmas and possibly after New Year's before From the Dust #1 will be released.

What's up with these delays? Great question! From the Dust is a side project of Spider Comics. We're a small boutique animation studio and when we get client work that's what we do. The more client work we get...the more From the Dust gets delayed. We apologize for this but we do have bills to pay. We were really hoping to get From the Dust released in time for Christmas so all our fans could give (or get) it as a Christmas gift. Please be assured we are doing the best we can.

Is this delay thing going to be normal? No. We are learning how to balance our client work with From the Dust. Please be patient with us. We will be more careful with publishing release dates in the future and again, we apologize for any inconvenience these delays may have caused.

Look for From the Dust in the very near future!

Some things are worth the wait!

Lemuel reads his scriptures.

If you simply can't wait you can buy the collectible From the Dust #0 in our First Fan Kit.

Almost here!

Available to order December 15.

Where to buy?!!?! We've been getting a lot of requests for where to get this product! We will be updating the website in just a few days with info with where to buy!

From the Dust #1 Release Delayed!

From the Dust #1 Release Delayed! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the release has been delayed! Our original release date was today, but expect a delay of up to two weeks. We will post the new release as soon as we are able!

Why?!? Great question! First, it's because the book has an additional 10 pages of content! It's now over 107 pages long! Second, it's because it's looking AMAZING! Jam-packed with very high quality artwork. Pictures truly are worth 1000 words...which makes From the Dust #1 worth something like 200,000+ words!

What this means for Christmas. If you want From the Dust #1 as a Christmas present it means you will need to order it online or plan on picking it up the week before Christmas. Donnie Morris of Confetti Antiques and Books can help you out with pre-orders and online orders. 801-798-0137

Here's a few spreads from the character section to tide you over during this short delay. The entire book looks like this! (Except for a sneak peek section that is in black and white.)

200 Likes on Facebook!

200 Facebook likes! Ever since From the Dust's first birthday bash, I haven't been pushing for "likes" on Facebook. But slowly and steadily we've been creeping toward 200 and now we did it! I was just logged on last night and I was like...who we are like just a few away...and now we're there! Thanks for your support!

In honor of the big 2-0-0 I decided to post this panel from From the Dust #1 that will be released later this month! The comic will have more than 50 full-color paintings in the story section with an additional 35 black-and-white storyboard panels in a sneak peek section.

This is Nebuchadrezzar, known as "Lord Drezzar" in From the Dust, about to oust the weakling Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin in the Old Testament) from the throne of Judah.

Start to Finish!

This digital realm is pretty intimidating. It has so much that you can do! The biggest step for me in the next few weeks and months will be getting acclimatized to producing videos, which is one of the iPad's greatest strengths. To start us off, remember this image from last week?

Original concept, maybe 3 minutes of quick sketching.

I finished it. You can watch the vid, too!

I got some freelance work for the next few weeks, and even though From the Dust has been doing fine financially you can never have too much money! One thing I've learned is that when you are starting out you always take the good opportunities that present themselves to you!

Have fun, y'all! I will try to post another video next week!

Final image: about 5-6 hours.

For those interested, this is a cobra that these archers are riding. The smaller, less athletic Chaldean on top is the driver/reloader for the archer, who obviously gets the best vantage point. Mounted archers are some of ancient warfare's most deadly warriors.

The Babylonian Empire stretched into Persia and across Mespotamia (and ultimately into Egypt as well.) Cobras were a regular danger of the peoples of these lands.

A Serendipitous Convention

This video tells the story better than I can. It was recorded last Wednesday.

The “Al” mentioned in the video is both my neighbor and my surrogate grandfather. He’s a businessman at heart and helps me stay on top of the business side of things.

I had no idea the conference even existed last Wednesday morning, and by Thursday morning I had a booth with a sweet setup and a new video. Needless to say I didn’t sleep much. At all, really.

The booths typically cost $400. Dot’s husband, George, while musing to me while Dot did some paperwork for me, said, “This doesn’t usually happen. You must have a product that somebody really wants out there.”

From the Dust's booth on Wednesday afternoon.

From the Dust's booth on Thursday morning at the start of the convention.

I had many wonderfully fortuitous experiences at the LDSBA (Latter-day Saint Booksellers Association) Convention, the highlight of which is an appointment to present From the Dust to the leaders of Deseret Book in a few weeks.

I made a ton of other friends, many of whom you will meet in the coming weeks as we partner to help get From the Dust into the hands of Latter-day Saints worldwide.

And here's the intro video I made Wednesday night.





Just go to www.bookofmormoncomic.com to see it in action!

The Story Will Continue Each Tuesday Starting Aug 14!

We've been having great success at both the Farmer's Market and in our online store! Thank you everyone for your loyal support! Things are going great! Keeping busy around here, that's for sure.

Time to announce the next big news:

The story will continue each Tuesdays right where it left off in From the Dust #0! I will be posting a new page each Tuesday starting August 14. We will be counting down to the publication of From the Dust #1!

These pages will be hosted on www.bookofmormoncomic.com and we will post links here as well as on Facebook.

Also of note...coming in September...

See you next Tuesday!

Grand Opening Sale! Fan Kits Only $24.99!! (through Aug 31)

Huge Sale! To celebrate the Grand Opening of From the Dust's Online Store (and website) we're putting the Fan Kits on Sale! Only $24.99 and you get all of our products in one neat package. It's the perfect gift for anyone that loves comics, games, or the scriptures.

I know it might seem like I've been launching for awhile now, but that's how it goes when you're the only one doing all the work. However, finally I can say that From the Dust, with its parent company Spider Comics, has launched!

To celebrate, we're taking a new and very aggressive price stance. I've dropped the retail price on all my products substantially so that even the most modest of incomes will be able to afford From the Dust products. I also want our readers to know that we are absolutely committed to making our pricing as low as possible and to giving you the best possible value for your money.

I hope when you look at our new prices and read our comics that you'll agree it's a steal!

In addition I'll be giving away a FREE "Hope Whispers" poster to EVERYONE that purchases a From the Dust product (limit one per person).

Let's throw ourselves a party this August!

Prophets of Old...

Jeremiah blesses Nephi as a kitten.

Most people think of prophets as old guys. History doesn't support this concept. Numerous prophets have been called in middle-age. Others still were called while in their youth.

Jeremiah is one that was called while still young. Daniel, Ezekiel, David, and others--these people were young when they performed much of their work. Why do we insist on giving them big gray beards all the time? In reality most of these people that have interacted with Deity were middle-aged or younger, including Jesus and John the Baptist, and if you're Mormon, let's not forget Joseph Smith. Get with the program people. Being young is cool. People over 30 are boring.

The "laying on of hands" was an established practice for blessing or conferring authority during Biblical times. Moses and numerous other prophets and patriarchs are recorded having done so.

The Melchizedek Priesthood

Lehi prays fervently for the welfare of his people.

At the beginning of Season 1, we spend ample time getting to know Lehi and his family in their land of inheritance. One of the important events that happens here is Lehi's call to the ministry by Jeremiah -- in other words, his ordination to the priesthood. Lehi's experiences and visions--which are comparable to Moses'--would have merited such a call.

Lehi travels to Jerusalem to be ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood by the hand of Jeremiah. In those days very few people held the authority of the higher priesthood, and fewer still were worthy to wield its power.

This being a pivotal moment in Lehi's life, he chooses to bring his four sons to witness the ordination. The older boys have been to Jerusalem numerous times and have even dwelt there for extended periods to be taught and trained by their father.

Nephi, however, has been sheltered in his family's land of inheritance during his youth. He is experiencing the fallen nation of Judea for the first time. It is a dangerous place. The land is ripe with iniquity, a dark world defiled by the many curses Moses pronounced would follow the breaking of the Covenants.

One morning of the journey Nephi wakes up to find his father missing. Concerned, he searches for his father only to find him in solitude praying for the welfare of his people--and begging Yahweh for strength to live up to his call. It is a tender moment where young Nephi sees the true character and faith of his father. Nephi's true character, however, will remain hidden from his father's view for quite some time.

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Come back next Tuesday for my next "best effort" at creating this amazing world!