Professional journalist Douglas Ernst, who has devoted nearly a decade covering the comics industry via his blog and YouTube, in addition to working for The Washington Times, has embarked on a new journey in writing his first comic book: Soulfinder: Demon’s Match.
He recently launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund the comic book and the response has been astounding. In a matter of days his campaign was fully funded and it currently sits at $23,856, which is over 238% of his original $10,000!
A brief description of the comic book can be found on the campaign page.
People have wondered for ages: “Why do bad things happen to good people? “
That is exactly what Father Patrick Retter, a Catholic priest who was wounded in combat during his youth, is asked at the start of Soulfinder: Demon’s Match — and it is the question he must grapple with after he becomes involved in a series of supernatural events.
I was able to ask Ernst a few questions about Soulfinder, asking him what inspired him and for whom he wrote this new comic book that is now taking the internet by storm.
What inspired you to write Soulfinder?
“Soulfinder: Demon’s Match” is in many ways the culmination of roughly a decade of frustration with the mainstream comic book industry. The classic hero’s journey has been abandoned and moral relativism is the guiding force at both Marvel and DC. I wanted to tell a story that pits good against evil, and I wanted to have a hero who has a functioning moral compass. Combat veterans turned exorcists versus demons is a great way to go about accomplishing that goal.
Why did you write a comic book, instead of a short story or full-length novel?
I have always loved comic books. I learned to read as a kid when my brother introduced me The Amazing Spider-Man and Iron Man. The audience that I’ve cultivated over the years via my WordPress blog, YouTube, and Twitter in many ways expects the first creative project I give them to be a graphic novel. Industry pros and my critics challenged me to write my comic book in response to my commentary; “Soulfinder: Demon’s Match” is the equivalent of me saying: “Challenge accepted.”
Who do you think would like to read Soulfinder?
Anyone who wants solid storytelling and great art within the context of the classic hero’s journey will probably want to check out this book. The legendary Dave Dorman did two covers for us. Timothy Lim is a fabulous artist and his work will be elevated by the colorwork of Brett R. Smith (an industry veteran with over two decades of experience). Similarly, Matt Weldon did three pieces of original artwork that will be contained within the project’s bonus section. The book is informed by my Catholic faith (Tim is a devout Catholic as well), but I think anyone who grew up loving the Indiana Jones movies will see the potential of this property. The subject matter gets dark at times, but at the end of the day the message is simple: virtue is found by carrying our crosses with grace and dignity. There are many tales to tell. This one is 56 pages with eight pages of bonus material. We’ve written a self-contained story, but it sets the stage for many more adventures in the years to come. Father Patrick Retter, Father Reginald Crane, and Officer Gregory Chua are a band of brothers that I don’t want to break up anytime soon.
Support Soulfinder on Indiegogo TODAY!
Philip Kosloski
Philip Kosloski is the founder of Voyage Comics & Publishing and the writer and creator of the comic book series, Finnian and the Seven Mountains.