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.

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.

Detours and Course Corrections

Two weeks ago I announced the website's comic story would be updating once a week in countdown for the next comic. However, a lot has happened including the LDSBA Conference, and I'm taking Spider Comics' business model a very different direction -- From the Dust is taking leaps and bounds towards the digital realm, in particular, the iPad. While we will always be publishing print comics, the future of the print industry is tablet devices and their multimedia capabilities.

Any wise business owner will know that when you create a new product you have to craft that product for its distribution medium -- in the last 4 months I've created a beautiful print comic that is being enjoyed by many, but now I'm having to re-envision the entire thing for the iPad.

So far a few of the aspects that the iPad allows me to do:

• have large introductory material and "extras" sections
• not have to worry too much about page counts
• I can now do videos and music
• all the imagery can be interactive
• I can now deliver my product to a much broader audience

I think this digital route will be the way to go for From the Dust. It really helps to sell that From the Dust is more like a TV series than a graphic novel.

Just know I'm hard at work making the next big thing! All this is to say we will be holding of on the Tuesday story updates. I'll update the website soon to reflect this -- in the meantime, thanks for your patience as I get From the Dust off the ground and flying!

Lastly, I don't want to leave you hanging with no new artwork! From the Dust will shortly be going to war. Here's a sneak peak at some of the Babylonian armies. Keep in mind that Babylon was a plains city, and Ur (of the Chaldees, this is where Abraham was from) was a swampland/delta city kind of like Egypt, but over in Persia. Yep...Abraham was Persian, y'all! Surprise! Anyway all that happened many thousands of years prior to the time of Jeremiah, but these landscapes are what sculpt the peoples of the of the areas. I've also been researching war tactics so that the armies reflect the actual war tactics of the Babylonians.

Keep in mind these are just quick thumbnail sketches. Most of my art starts in the black-and-white stage.

"I will make Jerusalem Heaps and a Den of Dragons" -- Jeremiah 9:11

Nebuchadrezzar, Lord of the Chaldeans (pronounced kal-DEE-ens)

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The austere Lord of the Chaldeans, the King of Babylon.

Nebuchadrezzar is fierce and ruthless in the establishment of his new empire. He drives conquered peoples into submission by banishing the ruling class to be assimilated permanently into Babylonian culture. He does not tolerate disobedience. He is the most powerful man in the world, and that power has corrupted him entirely. He is determined to rule the world--and he will, for a short time. Even the 2000-year-old Egyptian dynasties will fall to him.

In addition, he is destined to destroy Jerusalem and its people into dust. He will take the treasures of his military campaigns (including treasures from the Holy Temple) and build the Hanging Gardens--one of the great wonders of the world.

Despite his merciless politics, Lord Drezzar is a highly cultured, highly intelligent individual that respects other like-minded persons. He treats the prophet Jeremiah with dignity and civility.

Nebuchadrezzar is also known as Nebuchadnezzar.

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Lord Drezzar (as he is sometimes called in From the Dust) is inspired by Desert Monitors and other reptiles of the Fertile Crescent region. His armies are famous for their ruthlessness, might, and "fierce countenance." (see Deut 28:49-51)

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Jeremiah 51:34

     Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

Jeremiah 39:11-12

     Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.

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I will have "Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet," done next Tuesday! See you then!