All tiers above the $30 level, including the digital comics collections of Starburns Press and of Mancini and artist Fernando Pinto’s previous releases, will receive this and along with the print edition of the new book, the campaign now also features physical add-ons that can be purchased through Backerkit–including The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies, Mancini and Pinto’s previous graphic novel Long Ago and Far Away, and DVD copies of Mancini’s film Ear Buds: The Podcasting Documentary.
This title is the follow-up project to writer Chris Mancini and artist Fernando Pinto’s first graphic novel together, Long Ago and Far Away, which was released digitally in 2019 from Starburns Industries Press, with a print edition to follow in 2020.
Rise of the Kung Fu Dragon Master is a comedy/action/fantasy graphic novel about Rick, a small time crook in Los Angeles who becomes an unlikely hero in a mystical battle between good and evil that has been fought since the days of Ancient China.
Fans of Big Trouble in Little China, Shang-Chi, Bruce Campbell in Army of Darkness, and even ’80s comedies will find something to love here. Along with the action/comedy, the story explores toxic masculinity and the self-destruction that it can bring. Only by turning away from anger and violence can we ultimately find peace. But, even so, the book features epic martial arts fights, fantastic creatures, and surly baristas.
“I love mixing genres, and I thought about how cool it would be to mix martial arts, fantasy and comedy in a modern way that also explores contemporary attitudes towards masculinity, violence, and our personal relationships,” creator/writer Chris Mancini said. “I wanted to tell a big, fun story, where you’re laughing one minute, thrilled by the action the next, and then surprised by a thoughtful character moment.”
Chris Mancini is known for also written, directed and produced on everything from soap operas to parenting books to horror films–which are all more closely related than you think. His feature films include Asylum from Lionsgate Films and Ear Buds: The Podcasting Documentary from Comedy Dynamics. His published works include Pacify Me: A Handbook for the Freaked Out New Dad from Simon and Schuster, The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies from Morgan James, and Long Ago and Far Away, a graphic novel from Starburns Press and Studio, where it is also in development for a TV series.
Fernando Pinto is from Chile. He graduated from the Kubert School in ’04 and has worked as a sequential artist ever since. Some of the other comics he’s worked on include Tales of the TMNT, Moon Lake vol. 2, Hack Slash, Monarchs, Eat Fighter, and his own books Warped! and GunPunch, among others.
The Rise of the Kung Fu Dragon Master campaign continues through December 10.
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