Starchild (comics)
Encyclopedia
Starchild was a densely illustrated fantasy
comic book
self-published in the 1990s by James A. Owen
. There were 24 issues total, and the series has been collected in a boxed set of reprints titled The Essential Starchild from Owen's Coppervale Press.
Starchild grew out of three projects Owen had been working on: a fantasy-based series entitled Pryderi Terra of which a single issue was published; an abandoned Elseworlds
story for DC Comics
(also titled Starchild, which is the meaning of Superman's birth name Kal-El in his native Kryptonese), and a 1990 revival Classics Illustrated
adaptation of Silas Marner
that also never saw print. The story was influenced by fairy tale
s and old English legend
s, and involved an old family secret linked to a dark and mysterious forest. The art was influenced by Dave Sim
and Gerhard's Cerebus the Aardvark
, a link from which Owen made no attempt to distance himself. Several issues even mimic Cerebus’ comics-industry satire, with cartoon versions of Neil Gaiman
and even Cerebus himself ("Serbius") appearing in minor roles. The latter spoof went some way toward defusing criticisms Owen was merely a Sim/Gerhard copycat.
Owen initially associated with Sim as well as self-publishers Jeff Smith
, and Colleen Doran
when he first entered the comics field. Yet his personality quickly gained more attention than his book, and he developed a reputation for aggressive self-promotion.
Starchild’s sales never matched those of Cerebus or Bone
, and Sim eventually dissolved ties with Owen — but not before responding to Owen's "Serbius" spoof by giving Starchild’s boggle-eyed barkeeper character Martin Humble a surprisingly substantial role in the graphic novel Guys.
Five issues of Starchild were published by Image Comics
, and Owen continued to appear at the San Diego Comic Con
with a massive Starchild display featuring life-sized animatronic characters. In recent years Owen has reinvented himself as a novelist, with a fantasy trilogy titled Mythworld meeting with success in Germany
.
The material has been kept in print in the six-volume Essential Starchild trade paperbacks through Owen's Coppervale Press Imprint, and a one-volume edition is currently planned for late 2006.
A trade paperback French translation of Starchild: Awakenings was released by Kymera Comics in the Fall of 2005, and additional volumes are forthcoming.
Fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is fantasy in written form. Historically speaking, literature has composed the majority of fantasy works. Since the 1950s however, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, painting, and other...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
self-published in the 1990s by James A. Owen
James A. Owen
James A. Owen is an American comic book creator, publisher and writer. He is best known for his creator-owned comic book series Starchild and as the author of The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica novel series, that began with Here, There Be Dragons in 2006.-Life and career:Owen...
. There were 24 issues total, and the series has been collected in a boxed set of reprints titled The Essential Starchild from Owen's Coppervale Press.
Starchild grew out of three projects Owen had been working on: a fantasy-based series entitled Pryderi Terra of which a single issue was published; an abandoned Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
story for DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
(also titled Starchild, which is the meaning of Superman's birth name Kal-El in his native Kryptonese), and a 1990 revival Classics Illustrated
Classics Illustrated
Classics Illustrated is a comic book series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as Moby Dick, Hamlet, and The Iliad. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication in 1941 and finished its first run in 1971, producing 169 issues. Following the series' demise, various companies...
adaptation of Silas Marner
Silas Marner
Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe is a dramatic novel by George Eliot. Her third novel, it was first published in 1861. An outwardly simple tale of a reclusive weaver, in its strong realism it represents one of Eliot's most sophisticated treatments of her attitude to religion.-Plot summary:The...
that also never saw print. The story was influenced by fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
s and old English legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s, and involved an old family secret linked to a dark and mysterious forest. The art was influenced by Dave Sim
Dave Sim
David Victor Sim is an award-winning Canadian comic book writer and artist.A pioneer of self-published comics and creators' rights, Sim is best known as the creator of Cerebus the Aardvark, a comic book published from 1977 to 2004, which chronicles its main character in a 6,000-page self-contained...
and Gerhard's Cerebus the Aardvark
Cerebus the Aardvark
Cerebus the Aardvark, or simply Cerebus , is an independent comic book, written and illustrated by Canadian artist Dave Sim, with backgrounds by fellow Canadian Gerhard. Cerebus ran for 300 issues from December 1977 to 2004, and was over 6000 pages long, the longest-running original...
, a link from which Owen made no attempt to distance himself. Several issues even mimic Cerebus’ comics-industry satire, with cartoon versions of Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
and even Cerebus himself ("Serbius") appearing in minor roles. The latter spoof went some way toward defusing criticisms Owen was merely a Sim/Gerhard copycat.
Owen initially associated with Sim as well as self-publishers Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith (cartoonist)
Jeff Smith is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the self-published comic book series Bone. His current series, RASL, focuses on an art thief who hops through dimensional barriers, hiding out on various parallel worlds.-Early life and education:Jeff Smith was born in McKees...
, and Colleen Doran
Colleen Doran
Colleen Doran is an American writer/artist, film conceptual artist, and cartoonist. She has illustrated hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books and magazines, and dozens of stories and articles, including works written by Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, J...
when he first entered the comics field. Yet his personality quickly gained more attention than his book, and he developed a reputation for aggressive self-promotion.
Starchild’s sales never matched those of Cerebus or Bone
Bone (comics)
Bone is an independently published graphic novel series originally serialized in 55 irregularly released issues from 1991 to 2004. Bone was drawn and written by Jeff Smith....
, and Sim eventually dissolved ties with Owen — but not before responding to Owen's "Serbius" spoof by giving Starchild’s boggle-eyed barkeeper character Martin Humble a surprisingly substantial role in the graphic novel Guys.
Five issues of Starchild were published by Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
, and Owen continued to appear at the San Diego Comic Con
Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
with a massive Starchild display featuring life-sized animatronic characters. In recent years Owen has reinvented himself as a novelist, with a fantasy trilogy titled Mythworld meeting with success in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The material has been kept in print in the six-volume Essential Starchild trade paperbacks through Owen's Coppervale Press Imprint, and a one-volume edition is currently planned for late 2006.
A trade paperback French translation of Starchild: Awakenings was released by Kymera Comics in the Fall of 2005, and additional volumes are forthcoming.