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Magazine

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE 3 2011: THE YEAR THAT WAS A TIMELINE COVERING ALL OF THE MAJOR DAN DELBY COMICS-RELATED EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2011.

PAGE 7 DAN DELBY: THE INTERVIEW PART ONE OF AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR/ARTIST DAN DELBY.

PAGE 12 TEAM MUTANT A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT THE UPCOMING ONE-SHOT COMIC BOOK, FEATURING A TEAM OF MUTANT SUPERHEROES KNOWN AS, NEXT FORCE!

PAGE 17 SUPERHEROISM PERSONIFIED A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT THE UPCOMING ONE-SHOT COMIC BOOK, FEATURING THE ULTIMATE SUPERHERO, CAPTAIN SUPERB!

PAGE 23 REPORTING FOR DUTY…AGAIN THE STARBASE IPL-7 CREW HAS RETURNED IN PROJECT: INTERPLANETARY UNITY- THE WEBCOMIC SERIES!

PAGE 24 SKETCH ART GALLERY RAW SKETCH ARTWORK BY DAN DELBY.

COPYRIGHT © 2012 DAN DELBY.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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2011: A Look Back Our timeline highlights some of the key moments which took place during

Dan Delby Comics’ debut year.

February 24, 2011 Project: Interplanetary Unity- The Struggle for Peace #1 (One-shot) comic

book, written & illustrated by Dan Delby, was released.

April 2, 2011 Dan Delby appeared at the 28th annual Technicon science fiction

convention, held at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Also, on this same date, the Wytheville Enterprise newspaper, based in

Wytheville, Virginia, featured a front page article on Dan Delby.

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May 8, 2011

Dan Delby served as the special guest speaker for the Wythe County Writers Club monthly meeting, held at the Wythe County Genealogical and

Historical Association building, in Wytheville, Virginia.

June 18-25, 2011

The artwork of Dan Delby was on display at the 27th annual Chautauqua Festival of the Arts, held at the old Wytheville Community Center/Elizabeth Brown Memorial Park, in Wytheville, Virginia. The three pieces of artwork that Dan had on display at the festival were not related to Dan Delby

Comics, but were easily recognizable to comic book and science fiction fans. At the festival, Dan displayed his graphite pencil artistic interpretations of DC’s Green Lantern, Babylon 5’s Susan Ivanova, and Star Trek’s Spock.

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October 7, 2011

Knight Cowl #1 (One-shot) comic book, written & illustrated by Dan Delby, was released.

October 13, 2011

Tales of Project: Interplanetary Unity short story collection, written by Dan Delby, was released.

October 21-22, 2011

Dan Delby appeared at the 20th annual Rising Star science fiction convention, held at Bluefield State College, in Bluefield, West Virginia.

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Meet author/artist

Dan Delby

At the following 2012 convention events:

� March 16-17, 2012 at technicon 29, to be

held at Virginia tech, in Blacksburg,

Virginia.

� July 28, 2012 at the first-ever wyvacon,

to be held at the Wytheville meeting

center, in Wytheville, Virginia.

� October 26-27, 2012 at rising star 21, to be

held at bluefield state college, in

bluefield, west Virginia.

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Part one of an exclusive in-depth interview with

Dan Delby

Dan Delby Comics Magazine (DDCM): Thank you for agreeing to do this interview with us.

Dan Delby (DD): You are very much welcome, and the pleasure is mine.

DDCM: Let's start off by asking, when and how did you first become interested in comics?

DD: Comics, and the characters which have stemmed from them, have always been an interest

of mine, since as early as I can remember. When I was a very small child, I dressed up as Spider-

Man on a daily basis and crawled across the top of my parents' couch in our living room, back

and forth, all day long. I remember I would often wear Superman pajamas to bed as a small

child. Also, I dressed up as Batman for Halloween on multiple occasions as a child, once when I

was around three or four years old, and again when I was nine years old. I was constantly

playing with comic book-based superhero and supervillain action figures from DC's Super

Powers toy line and Marvel's Secret Wars toy line during my youth, growing up in the 1980s.

Early on, in the mid-late 1980s I often read random comics, which sparked my interest, that I

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found at comic shops, bookstores, and flea markets. I remember finding an old Charlton Comics'

Ghost Manor #1 comic book at a flea market when I was a kid, and I absolutely loved reading

that one over and over again. Also, early in my youth, I enjoyed reading Conan The Barbarian

(published by Marvel at that particular point in time). However, I would have to say that my

absolute favorite comic to read during those days was definitely DC's Batman.

DDCM: What were some of your favorite comic books around the time you first began reading

comics regularly?

DD: I remember first becoming more serious about reading comic books when I was still a child,

especially in the late 1980s, when I started buying DC's Batman comics regularly. I remember

reading the "Death in the Family" and "A Lonely Place of Dying" Batman story arcs during that

time, and I really enjoyed them. A bit later on, in the early 1990s, I really got into DC's

Superman hot and heavy with the "Death of Superman"/"Funeral for a Friend"/”Reign of the

Supermen”/”Return of Superman” story arcs, as well as DC's Batman "Knightfall"/"Knightquest"

story arcs. Also during this time in the early 1990s, I became highly interested in Marvel's X-Men

and Uncanny X-Men comic books, and read both of them every month for quite some time. I

also became very interested in Image Comics when they burst onto the scene, especially Spawn,

Youngblood, The Maxx, and Shadow Hawk, during the early-mid 1990s.

DDCM: What are some of your favorite comic books to read nowadays?

DD: I am enjoying DC’s New 52. I always enjoy reading the various comics being published by DC

within the realms of Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern. Also, I am a huge fan of DC‘s

Watchmen, I still love reading the original Watchmen comics over and over again, so I am

interested to see what DC does with the upcoming Watchmen prequel comics. I often pick up

Marvel’s X-Men and X-Factor comics as well. I always pick up IDW’s current Star Trek comics

whenever I find them, as well as past Star Trek comics by Gold Key, Marvel, DC, Malibu, etc.

whenever I run across them. Also, I still search through comic shops, antique malls, flea

markets, yard sales, etc. for 1990s comics, especially DC’s Babylon 5 comic series and just about

anything Image Comics published in the 1990s. I also enjoy reading Dynamite Entertainment’s

Highlander comics and Battlestar Galactica comics that they published a few years ago.

DDCM: Who would you cite as some of your favorite comic book authors and/or artists?

DD: As far as authors and/or artists who have primarily worked in the comic book industry, I

would have to say Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefeld, for the simple fact that both men are comic

book author/artists. The fact that each of them have both written and illustrated comic books

shows great versatility and vast talent on their part. Many people are good comic book authors.

Many people are good comic book artists. However, few are good at both, and that is why, to

me, Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefeld stand head and shoulders above the rest in the comic book

world.

DDCM: With your first comic book, Project: Interplanetary Unity- The Struggle for Peace #1

(One-shot), being a space-based science fiction comic, tell us about your interest in science

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fiction.

DD: Science fiction is something that has also been a lifelong interest of mine. Science fiction is

my greatest love and my favorite genre. I have always been a science fiction fan, and have been

a huge fan of such science fiction franchises throughout the years as Star Trek, Babylon 5, Earth:

Final Conflict, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, and Doctor Who.

DDCM: Who would you cite as some of your favorite science fiction writers?

DD: I would have to cite Harlan Ellison as my all-time favorite science fiction writer. Whether his

works be featured as short stories, comic book writings, or screenplays, Harlan Ellison is a true

master of the science fiction genre, in any medium. Gene Roddenberry (creator of Star Trek)

and J. Michael Straczynski (creator of Babylon 5) are also two of my favorites, as they created

my two all-time favorite science fiction franchises. Also, I enjoy the works of author Peter David.

DDCM: When did you first develop an interest in art, specifically comic book art?

DD: As a child, I often doodled everything from starships to robots to aliens to swords to

dragons to superheroes to supervillains to professional wrestlers. A bit later on, during my pre-

teens and early teens, me and some friends of mine, during our time in Middle School, became

quite serious about drawing our own respective renditions of Marvel's X-Men. In addition to

drawing the X-Men characters, we often created our own stories surrounding them, and

created characters of our own to fit into our own fan version of the X-Men universe. We,

obviously, did this mainly just for fun in between classes, and even during class when the

teacher wasn't paying attention, but we took it somewhat seriously for Middle School students

in that we often challenged each other to do whatever respective segment of the story we were

writing/drawing to be done by the time the next class period rolled around. It was like despite

the fact that we were kids drawing and writing for fun, we often set deadlines for one another,

and critiqued one another's work during lunch period and whatever other free time we could

muster during any given school day. So, it was during these formative years that my interest in

creating my own comic book-related stories and art began.

DDCM: You told us earlier of some of your favorite science fiction franchises. What are some of

your favorite fantasy and horror franchises?

DD: Highlander is my absolute favorite fantasy franchise, and I have also enjoyed The

Beastmaster, Conan The Barbarian, and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien throughout the years. As far

as horror goes, I am more of a fan of classic horror, especially the cinematic horror franchises of

Universal Pictures and Hammer Films, from years gone by.

DDCM: So, tell us, how did this first comic book of yours, the space-based science fiction comic,

Project: Interplanetary Unity- The Struggle for Peace #1 (One-shot), that you both wrote and

illustrated, come about?

DD: Project: Interplanetary Unity- The Struggle for Peace started out, as those who read the

front page article that the Wytheville Enterprise newspaper did on me last year already know,

as a text-only novel that I had been writing on a sporadic basis for a couple of years. At some

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point during my writing of the final draft, I recaptured my love of creating my own art,

specifically comic art. It was during this time that I brushed up on my art skills by investing in

some 'How to' books on comic art. After brushing up on my art skills, I decided to turn what I

had originally been writing as a text-only novel, into a one-shot comic book. And that is how the

one-shot comic book, Project: Interplanetary Unity- The Struggle for Peace was born. It took

about a year from the time I decided to do it as a comic book to bring it to its completion.

During that time, I converted the core story of the rough draft novel I was writing into a script

suitable for a one-shot comic book, drew the characters by hand, digitally designed the

backgrounds, stations, ships, etc. via 3D modeling, digitally colored the finished drawings, and

put all of it in comic book form with panels, word balloons, etc. I also launched the official Dan

Delby Comics website, www.dandelbycomics.com, and social networking pages for Dan Delby

Comics on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube just before the release of Project: Interplanetary

Unity- The Struggle for Peace #1 (One-shot).

DDCM: How has the ride been since you started promotion for your works at conventions and

such?

DD: The ride has been fantastic! I enjoyed promoting my first comic at Virginia Tech in

Blacksburg, Virginia last April at the 28th annual Technicon science fiction convention. I also

promoted my first comic at the Wythe County Genealogical and Historical Association building

in Wytheville, Virginia last May at their Writers Club meeting. In addition, I promoted my first

comic, as well as my second comic, and my first short story collection, at the 20th annual Rising

Star science fiction convention at Bluefield State College in Bluefield, West Virginia last October.

I really enjoy meeting with fans of my work, and seeing friends I have made in the convention

scene, during my convention appearances. Speaking of convention appearances, I have my

schedule lined up for this year, as I will be appearing at Technicon 29 on March 16-17, 2012 at

Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia; WyVaCon on July 28, 2012 at the Wytheville Meeting

Center in Wytheville, Virginia; and Rising Star 21 on October 26-27, 2012 at Bluefield State

College in Bluefield, West Virginia.

(Note: Part two of this exclusive in-depth interview with

Dan Delby will be featured in the next issue of Dan Delby Comics Magazine.)

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The Next Evolution of Humankind is Upon Us! Mutant superheroes strive to save the planet! Can the team of Next Force

save Earth from the deadly Life Drain Toxin? Get ready for a meaningful, story-driven adventure with the comic book

industry’s newest superhero team!

Ultra Blaster, Oceanwave, Gargolius, Voltimar, Birdsong, and Thylacine: collectively, these

mutant superheroes are known as…Next Force! Together they must do battle with Witherion’s Legion, a group of mutant supervillains who are determined to destroy the planet. Next Force must work together as one to stop this terrible threat to Earth! “Next Force will be a one-shot comic that will feature a cast of characters that comic fans can really get behind, and a meaningful story that readers can really get into,” explained author/artist Dan Delby. “Superhero teams have always been popular amongst comic fans, and I am proud of the fact that I am providing Dan Delby Comics fans with a superhero team comic with a science fiction backdrop which provides genetic mutations which spawn the next evolution of humankind, as well as a toxin so harmful that it threatens all living things on Earth,” added Delby. “I feel that this comic will introduce readers to a cast of characters that will be popular collectively, and also have the potential to be popular individually. I feel that any or all of these characters are strong enough to appear individually in other comics, and/or have their own spinoff comic, in addition to appearing alongside their Next Force teammates in any future projects which may arise,” said Delby. (Note: The following sneak peek features pages 1, 5, 6, and 7 of Next Force #1 (One-shot), written and illustrated by Dan Delby.)

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(Note: To find out what happens next, order Next Force #1 (One-shot), written and illustrated by Dan Delby, when it becomes available at www.dandelbycomics.com)

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Get Ready for the Arrival of the Ultimate Superhero! Captain Superb has his eyes on the prize of living up to the great expectation of becoming the flagship superhero character of

Dan Delby Comics!

When Dan Delby dreamed up the greatest of all his superhero creations, the one

character who would personify superheroism and become synonymous with the Dan Delby Comics brand, Captain Superb is the one who emerged from the depths of Dan Delby’s mind. The superpowers of flight, super-strength, and invulnerability are what help make Captain Superb the ultimate superhero. Perhaps bigger than fending off his arch-nemesis Kronistrahr within the pages of his upcoming one-shot comic book, however, is the fact that Captain Superb faces the challenge of being the lead character for the entire Dan Delby Comics universe. That’s right, not only is Captain Superb the titular character of his own one-shot comic book set to be released soon, he is also projected to be the flagship of Dan Delby Comics for years to come. Will Captain Superb live up to this great expectation? Author/artist Dan Delby seems to think so, as he feels Captain Superb has the potential to be very marketable, even outside of comic book appearances. “I envision the Captain Superb t-shirts and trading cards, that I already have printed up, flying off of my dealer table at conventions, in addition to Captain Superb comic books. If all goes well, who knows, Captain Superb may be appearing in action figure toy lines,

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animated features, and various other products. While I have plans for many of my other creations to be utilized in this same fashion of marketing someday if all goes well with them, I really see Captain Superb as having the potential of standing head and shoulders above the rest. Only time, and sales, will tell though, as ultimately it is not Dan Delby who decides which of his creations succeed, it is the Dan Delby Comics fans who decide which of Dan Delby‘s creations succeed,” said Delby.

Whether or not the fictional Jupiterian superhero, Captain Superb, lives up to the hype of his real-life Earthen creator, Dan Delby, we here at Dan Delby Comics Magazine, on the following pages, have the sneak peek that everyone has been waiting for! The sneak peek at the upcoming Captain Superb #1 (One-shot) comic book, written and illustrated by Dan Delby. (Note: The following are pages 2, 3, 5, and 6 of Captain Superb #1 (One-shot), written and illustrated by Dan Delby).

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(Note: To find out what happens next, order Captain Superb #1 (One-shot), written and illustrated by Dan Delby, when it becomes available at www.dandelbycomics.com)

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The Starbase IPL-7 Crew Returns for a New

Webcomic Series! Author/artist Dan Delby takes readers back to Starbase IPL-7 in

Project: Interplanetary Unity- The Webcomic Series!

Broussard, Vrahn, Marisova, Abasi, and Hayakawa return as Dan Delby brings Project: Interplanetary Unity- The Webcomic Series to the masses! In addition to the main crew, featured in the one-shot comic book, Project: Interplanetary Unity- The Struggle for Peace, making their return, Delby will also be bringing back characters that readers were introduced in the prequel short story collection, Tales of Project: Interplanetary Unity. Delby tells us, “Boris Schleving, while not seen in the one-shot comic, is actually the main antagonist in the grand scheme of things in the Project: Interplanetary Unity universe, and will be prominently featured in the webcomic series. As made known to readers by his starring role in the prequel short story, Alliance of Darkness, Schleving is the one who single-handedly influenced the Zarraxians’ near-attack on Starbase IPL-7. Schleving is the leader of a unit of renegades from across the universe, known simply as The Uprising, who follow Schleving’s lead in his attempt to ruthlessly conquer the known universe by way of violence and manipulation. Schleving will definitely give readers some memorable moments in the upcoming webcomic series.” “In addition to Schleving, readers will also get to see other characters return from both the one-shot comic and the prequel short stories, such as Perez, Alaknan, Zanaav, Dargetti, Awnden, and Marisova-Vrahn. Some will be featured somewhat regularly, others will be featured in brief cameo appearances, but by the end of the series, all of the returning favorites I just mentioned will be seen again. Also, there are a number of new characters that will be introduced throughout the series that I feel readers will really be able to get into,” said Delby. Delby says that Project: Interplanetary Unity- The Webcomic Series, which recently launched on the official DanDelbyComics.com website, will be updated as regularly as possible.

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Sketch Art Gallery Below are various raw sketches, from various Dan Delby works, for your

viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

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Coming soon from Dan Delby Comics!

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Coming soon from Dan Delby Comics!

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