August 2, 2005 9:13 PM
Christian manga - Take 2
While at the International Christian Retail Show in Denver, I reported a flip remark I overheard about SERENITY, which was being billed as the first Christian manga (anime figure) - as well as my own doubts about Christian products modeled after popular secular trends.
Consequently, I received an e-mail from Buzz Dixon of Realbuzz Studios providing his background - long-time veteran of TV, comics, and video games, with writing credits ranging from G.I. JOE and TRANSFORMERS to MY LITTLE PONY.
He is sending me some information on the SERENITY Christian graphic novels (done in manga style) being published by Barbour this fall. After reading this mention in this week's World magazine article on comics, I am curious:
Christian publisher Barbour will publish "Christian manga" in the graphic novel series Serenity, featuring a troubled teen who has moved to a new school and feels that "my life's a joke that I'm not in." Packaged by RealBuzz Studios, the stories will "talk to teens at their level," said series co-creator Buzz Dixon, a comic-book veteran who has worked on projects ranging from Tiny Toons to G.I. Joe. For example, after Serenity visits a church youth group, the adult leader asks if she'll be back next week. "Yeah, maybe," Serenity says: "Maybe I'll go just to bug my mother!"As a pagan mom who once refused to let my oldest daughter Samantha attend a Christian Bible study, I think Buzz may be more hip than I would have guessed.
I'm looking forward to the information he's sending and I'll report to you as soon as I see it.
