By Rohit Chauhan

The world is experiencing a new wave of emerging technology that is delivering high-quality creative efforts never explored before. Comics have been evolving since the early 19th century, becoming a popular medium for entertainment. The classic comic book ruled American pop culture with occasional tweaks in layouts and story themes. It was not until the late 19th century when comic book-inspired superhero movie “Superman” spectacular box-office results influenced the adaptation of comics into various media, televised cartoons, webcomics, etc. Superhero movies continued their successful journey to greater heights and as the world became more digitalized in the early 21st century, demand grew for comic books that could be easily made available on various digital media platforms, smartphones, tablets, and the internet. The future of comics was evolving, moving from printed pages to digital medium - motion comics were born!

Motion comics take the narrative and static artwork from the comic book and use animation (CGI) to create a fascinating impression of moving images, “a multimedia comic.” The comic book images were alive; they could move. 

Keeping the storyline and speech bubbles the same as regular comics have, adding voice acting, sound effects, and music enhanced the overall effect of storytelling, giving the audience a feel of cinema. Motion comics can be easily distributed over the internet, smartphones, e-readers, etc.                    Screen capture from “The Watchmen” motion comic

The potential reach of motion comics in the age of the internet makes it an attractive medium for the mass media and entertainment community to explore and experiment using modern digital tools. The notion of traditional storytelling via comic book is gradually transforming into new motion comic storytelling which can lure millions of new audiences to a medium that is relevant to them. For those from older generations, the idea of story narration in motion comics may seem insane but for many who are hooked to their phone, a crisp voiceover taking the story forward is entertaining. 

Future ahead

Motion comics score highly on innovation and viability as a medium of entertainment in the internet age. It is also leading to experimentation and greater sophistication as companies roll out new motion series. The emergence of mobile app-based versions gets their inspiration from motion comics’ art and are destined to become popular among today’s digitally wired audience. The comic book companies are also gearing up to reinvent themselves to produce printed artworks that are rich in color and have a visually impactful version when seen on a mobile screen.

The shorter motion comic version also allows for quick adaption of comic books into local languages by changing the voice-over tracks. The technology-driven changes in format and distribution of comics are also leading to radical changes in storytelling. The shorter motion comic version is slowly gaining ground with the newer audience who are glued to their mobile screens binge-watching video shorts and reels as they are easy to watch at any time and give a much needed instant break of entertainment from today’s hectic life. 

Conclusion

Motion comics have no doubt polarized comic book fans to a great extent. Some oppose it outright as the smell of printed paper can never be replaced nor will the value of printed comic books! For others, the transformation from the static version of comics is the need of the hour, lest we let the art die a slow death. 

With its unique cinematic approach and high-tech production making, motion comics have an edge over other interactive modes to bring comic book narration to a new digital audience. Will this transition to motion comics sustain with the greater interplay between animation and the comic book or will it lead to something more enriching and creative? Only time will tell!

From Chair/Creative Director Mike Gagnon

Well it sure has been a crazy few months, transforming my life and career to create something to make the world a better place. 

In truth I'd wanted to take my work in a different direction and create something that was a not-for-profit for awhile. TO me not-for-profit comics is a no-brainer, assuming that it's done the right way.

That right way is a process we're still testing and figuring out.

In fact, just a month before the official announcement that my studio name would be donated to this new not-for-profit to get it up and running, my plan was a much more extensive and robust line of products and content.

And then reality set in. A shoe-string budget, a skeleton crew made up of mostly volunteers and the will and determination to work myself into a grave do not make an entertainment giant.

But that's okay. That's not what we want to be. 

Maybe the biggest challenge has been to change my own way of thinking and approach since I've been working so long in for-profit entertainment. 

ADBP doesn't need to be a top 5 publisher or try to compete with Captain America and Superman to do good in the world, but we can take some of the things represented by those characters and turn them into a real world philosophy that will leave the world a better place when we are gone. 

The plans and ideas had to be scaled back drastically, in spite of my constant chomping at the bit and creative energy always looking for an outlet, propelled as if by rocket force. 

My original thinking, in spite of the mountain of challenges ahead of us, was that if we could successfully pull off a print project that would support comic retailers first, the biggest, most challenging and most stressful project would be out of our way and when we started looking at other projects, such as motion comics and video games, they would be a relief after dealing with the print project. 

A great idea in theory and a sentiment I still stand by, but there are only so many things we can do and we can't change the world over night, even if it is to help recover.

Logistically and economically, the world and the comic industry have not recovered yet, even if things are starting to re-open in a lot of places. 

Comic retailers especially, are struggling to be able to buy the regular monthly titles that they KNOW they can sell and keep existing clientele. New titles and clientele are not even on the radar or in the budget for a lot of retailers. 

On our end, print provides the least amount of profit of any project that we can do, with incredibly tiny margins, we may be clearing a profit of $1 per book. 

The high hopes and ambition that we had to produce a monthly graphic novel one-shot series that would get readers of all ages coming back to support local stores every month is a solid idea, it's just not economically feasible for a start-up small press not-for-profit publisher to maintain a monthly print only series right now.

Failing to adapt and move with the times would likely cause our new little NFP to go belly up before it ever really had a chance to take off.

So, coming to this realization, and being a small start-up, we have the advantage of being able to make changes and adapt to economic conditions in real-time. 

The logistics of print for a new monthly series just don't work and don't provide the return we need, making our fundraising and poverty relief efforts very slow, which is not what we want. 

So, as of August, with our upcoming Read and Colour: Native American Heroes release, we will begin offering a digital download option for read and colour as well, with bonus content, lessons and activities. 

Native American Culture is a very important issue to me. So our Native American Heroes edition of Read and Colour will be available in both print and digital editions. It will be our last monthly print edition as well. From here on out, Read and Colour and all of our other publications will be released in digital format. 

Digital release lets us ship a title, sell, collect payment and donate it to worthwhile causes much faster. Where we are collecting money the same day, pretty much instantly with digital, it takes months to receive sales royalties on print products and after expenses, shipping and a million other middle-men that need a slice, we're looking at pennies per book in profit. 

We've also been working our team of freelancers and volunteers to the bone and they deserve a break. 

Our focus is not selling books, but to take profits and turn them into food, water and shelter for the public. 

We are still committed to completing a 12 volume run of Read and Colour, but after August, we will switch to a bi-monthly schedule and digital only format, allowing more time, better quality and higher profit margin per sale, meaning we will be able to donate more money to worthwhile causes. 

We actually have a backlog of other projects, series, and ideas waiting to be released to the world and excited fans for a good cause, but we just aren't a big enough company with enough staff or volunteers to implement them all at once, so you'll just have to be patient while we continue to produce the wonderful goodness that we have in store for the future. 

Will we continue to produce any print content in the future? Yes, but from here on out our print projects will be less frequent and will only be available as fundraising exclusives or based on digital bestsellers and fan votes. 

Though some people might take this message as a bad omen or a struggling company, it is in fact the opposite; being small and not-for-profit means we can cut off the branches that aren't growing, or may be more than our tree can support right now. By making changes and trimming off the problems now, we can ensure that our tree continues to grow and be healthy until it can support a larger number of branches. 

I'm looking forward to showing you exactly what our team can do and where it will go in the future. 

Thanks for reading,

Mike

By Rohit Chauhan

The fascinating transformation of early newspaper strips to modern-day comic book universes is nothing short of a miracle in the fictional world. The comics universe is much more than an extension of the company holding the title of its popular comic characters. They have allowed creative artists to explore the vividness of their imagination beyond the traditional role of a character, producing multiple stories featuring multiple characters. The fact that almost all comic book companies have a unified universe only goes to show the vast creative value it brings to the industry. The Big-2 have gone further extending their fictional rights to multiverses, a collection of many fictional universes which is a great way to present multi-universe interplay, continuity-destroying crossover events to keep readers engaged. Apart from widely popular Marvel and DC, there exist incredible comic book universes featuring amazing stories and characters, catering to a large group of comic book readers. So let us explore some of the best ones presented in no specific order.

Image Universe

The birth of Image comics was a direct result of the vision of some of the top comics artists to own their comics characters instead of the publishers. The Image Universe started with the founding of image comics in 1992, introducing series such as The Savage Dragon, Spawn, WildC.A.T.s, and Youngblood. While the Image comics idea allowed the comics creators to retain the rights to the characters they publish, it also led to the entry and exit of many characters from the Image comics universe as the creators moved from or to other publishers. Despite creators holding character's rights, they could cross over and share connections. The image universe popular characters such as Spawn, Youngblood, and others were able to create a distinctive world that especially connected with fans.

Hellboy Universe

Mike Mignola is the creator of the Hellboy Universe consisting of Hellboy comics and its various spinoffs. The series early start was in the form of a black and white four-page promotional comic published in 1993 by Dark Horse comics. Led by the supernatural monster Hellboy a half-demon who is raised like a normal boy on earth by his adopted father. Hellboy is recruited as a primary agent for BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) and is regarded as the World’s greatest paranormal investigator. United Nations grants him honorary human status after he successfully finishes his first mission. Hellboy and his compatriots have been protecting humans from supernatural forces. The Hellboy Universe has managed to secure a loyal audience resulting in associated spin-offs, live-action films, video games, and so on. 

Valiant Universe

Valiant comics has a somewhat chequered history, rising like a phoenix from bouts of bankruptcy. The company was founded by ex-Marvel editor-in-chief and his associate in 1989. From the time Valiant released its first title in 1991, Magnus Robot Fighter to the award-winning series Harbinger about a group of teenage super-powered outcasts and featuring the most powerful mentalist on earth, Toyo Harada, Valiant comics have remarkably delivered highly creative superhero stories just behind the industry leaders Marvel and DC. The Summer of Valiant event starting in 2012 has been hugely successful in showcasing Valiant Universe’s popular characters such as Bloodshot, X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Eternal Warrior as well new titles with grand stories, all of which has managed to captivate comic fans the world over. The Summer of 2015 event saw the launch of Valiant’s miniseries Book of Death which became one of the best-reviewed comics of the year and the biggest selling independent crossover event of the decade. With another new owner in 2018, DMG Entertainment, Valiant Universe released the first movie of its superhero Bloodshot in 2020. Last heard a sequel is in making.

Archie Universe

Teenaged Archie Andrews was created in 1941 by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana. The character first appeared in Pep Comics#22 owned by M.L.J. Magazines. The instant popularity of Archie as a relatable normal guy living next door led the company to change its name to Archie Comics. Archie is the average American guy from a small-town Riverdale. His parents work to meet their ends. Archie is fascinated by up-town girl Veronica, rich and stylish. Betty, the girl next door who has a middle-class upbringing is crazy about Archie. The ensuing love triangle as well as the rivalry between Veronica and her best friend Betty has been the fodder for several stories in Archie’s Universe. Then there is Jughead, Archie’s best friend, usually the first one to bail out Archie from trouble, occasionally making it messier. Archie Universe has enjoyed a loyal fan following since its first publication in 1941. The normal teenage guy has withstood the regular onslaught of superheroes over the years, giving an alternate world that is joyful and easily relatable. Archie was reimagined in 2015 giving him a new character look and a grown-up storyline targeted for modern-day teenage and young adult readers.  

TMNT Universe

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters are the creation of cartoonists Keven Eastman and Peter Laird. The first TMNT comic book in 1983 was in black and white, generating strong media coverage due to the extraordinary ninja fighting skills of the mutant turtles and their thrilling stories. The four turtles each wearing their respective color eye masks were the result of a radioactive accident, transformed into enlightened humanoid beings. They are raised by a mutant talking rat and get their names from renaissance time painters. Leonardo is the leader of the group, most skilled and spiritual, Michelangelo or Mike is the youngest of the group, most naturally skilled of the four brothers, he is known for his wise-cracks and witty optimism. Donatello, with a natural aptitude for science and tech. His ninja skills are the lowest of the four turtles, he relies on gadgets over combat skills. Raphael or Raph in short is the most violent and physically strong turtle in the group. He has a tendency for going berserk either in battles or when he loses his cool. Together with their master, Splinter, a mutant rat, and ninja instructor, the turtles must fight with their greatest enemy the evil Shredder, leader of the ninja gang Foot Clan. New characters got introduced during the time new publishers came in expanding TMNT Universe. Several crossover comics emerged featuring TMNT with likes of Batman, Savage Dragon, Archie to name a few. The four turtles have been delivering action-packed entertainment, even though many characters entered and exited. TNMT movies have also garnered commercial success. 

Boys Universe

Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson created “The Boys” to present the harsh reality of the superheroes who are spoiled by their celebrity status, abuse their powers, and in-process risk the safety of the world. A clandestine CIA squad known as the Boys is formed to keep an eye on the superhero community. The series had a short run of six issues since DC-owned Wildstorm canceled further issues as the comic’s cheeky premise did not resonate with DC’s rich superhero lineage. The creators not only set up their group of superheroes that mocked the existing ones but also went with a lesser-known comic publisher, Dynamite Entertainment to continue their onward journey till the final series seventy-second. The Boys are on a heroic mission led by Billy Butcher, Wee Hughie, the Frenchman, Mother’s Milk, and the Female to find rogue supes and if needed kill them. They are up against the mighty, The Seven, a group of most corrupted supes. The series earned a lot of praise for its satirical storyline, fascinating characters, and brutal humor, which is rarely seen in modern comics. It enjoyed ample commercial success and huge critical acclaim during its run from 2006 to 2012. An adaption on Amazon Prime Video with the debut of the first season in 2019 was an instant hit, which led to the creation of a highly watched second season in 2020. The boys are waiting for the third season!

Transformers Universe

Transformers originated from a toy line created by American Hasbro and Japanese Takara Tomy company. Since the creators were not from the comics industry, the rights to publish Transformer comics shifted across multiple publishers over time. In 1984, Marvel Comics got the license to publish comic books based on the Transformer toy line. The transformer toys became massively popular and so were the comics which turned into regular monthly series from the initial four-issue limited series. The Eighty-issue American run ended in 1991. Dreamwave productions revived the Transformer comics in 2002 but faced bankruptcy in 2005. IDW Publishing picked up the rights soon after and continues to currently own the characters. The Transformer plot essentially revolves around two factions of alien robots, the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons. They both belong to the Transformer race, fight a deadly war on their home planet Cybertron to secure their energy needs. The robots crash land on earth after Cybertron is decimated. The battle begins on earth with robots acquiring the ability to hide by changing into vehicles, devices in case humans become hostile. The most iconic characters of the series, Optimus Prime of the Autobots and Megatron of the Decepticons continue to battle it out for supremacy. 

The Transformers Universe is a multimedia extravaganza sharing common themes and characters across, toys, cartoons, TV series, movies, and comics. It is without a doubt that comics have truly brought life to the ever-expanding universe of Transformers with its many interesting storylines including the darker tones. The infinite creativity of a comic book artist to imagine “robots turning into animals” and building amazing stories around it goes to show that Transformers are here to have an extended stay. 

Rohit C.

Our work and home lives have forever changed in 2020 and continue to do so in the current year. From our physical hugs and meetings to elbow bumps and virtual meetings, everything has changed. We were pushed to learn and adapt to new skills just because it was a question of our survival. It was a big challenge for many of us to accept change so fast in our normal lives and seeing the scale of change from a global viewpoint is just staggering. Who would have thought that a normal toilet paper, in this pandemic, will attain the status of gold! The shift in our lives is real and visible. The new normal that we see today is way different from the old normal and possibly continues in some form or other for a long time.

The normal we enjoyed living

The last year was a complete whitewash for all of us. This frustrating time is still ongoing for a major part of the world as the happy hours many of us boasted about became off-limits. The old normal way of going to the office jostling in a metro, catching sometimes with a long-lost friend was enough to put up a smile on our face. The office was for fun, the thought of staying at home would make many go crazy. School-going children were not far behind. They were happy to go to school every day, learning new things, playing, and having fun with friends. Picnics, outings, sightseeing trips, tourism, and travel were the perfect getaway from boredom as well as to feel good and recharged to live another day. Surprisingly for us, the word “virus” used to be just another harmless word in the dictionary. It was best left for creative writers to imagine sci-fi stories where a lonely virus could bring the world down. And for those who were feeling let down, it was the thought of positivity created by the positive people that worked wonders.

The normal gestures which we were used to, a firm handshake, a tight hug, or a friendly tap are in for a long break. Sneezing and coughing were just a way to show that we are alive! Meeting new people at different places, parties, clubs and even hanging out with friends and family is how normally weekends were spent. People used social media but never went off limits with it, there was much more to do. Life was in the fast lane, people were happy to live a mechanized life for it brought them stability, success, and peace in life. Special costumes were for special occasions, PPE and masks were rarely seen in public; social distancing was unheard of. Office meetings were a good time to eat your favorite pizzas and McD burgers.

The New normal we have adapted

A year has passed with “new normal” now part of our lives. It is all about a new way of living, working, and interacting with other people after a major disruption in our life routines due to a global health crisis. The current one emerging from the widespread outbreak of Covid-19 has influenced every aspect of our work and life. All of us are adjusting to new ways to manage our daily activities. This adaptation is the New Normal, for some, it may be a temporary phase while for others it will be a new living culture. Besides, the numerous changes in our lives, the new normal is also about knowing ourselves better. It is also time for preparing for the post-pandemic generation. So let us dive into what is the new normal. 

Virtual world

The emergence of a new kind of virtual world in a short span of a year and moving at a break-neck speed is simply mind-blowing. In some parts of the world, this digital transformation, unimaginable a couple of years back is leading the change in society. Society has become contactless to a large extent. People are using digital technology like never before, ordering food, groceries, medicines, etc, online, from the comfort of their home. Binge-watching and eating go hand in hand with a host of OTT platforms to keep us glued to screens for hours. Work-from-home is here to stay as more and more companies adopt it as a part of their work culture. People have upped their skills to cope with remote working learning new office tools. Social media platforms, video chat, and phone calls are the only ways to stay in touch with your close ones. The world of schools and universities has shifted to the e-learning model, teaching done remotely and on digital platforms. Will this abrupt move to online learning will become a norm or we will see an emergence of a hybrid model where online education will have a larger role to play, only time will tell? Cash in physical form is now hardly seen with people finding it easy and safe to pay using credit, debit, or mobile-based apps. Public transport is seeing dwindling users as most of the world is virtually connected. Businesses have increasingly moved to an online model, those solely relying on physical mortar and brick are in deep trouble as consumers accept online shopping at a frantic pace.

The future of medicine is undergoing rapid change. People will continue to have online consultations with doctors. Internet of Things-based devices will continue to grow at a fast pace offering advanced technology at cheaper costs to monitor everyday health. Social distancing norms are part of the new virtual world, people are willing to interact virtually but reluctant to meet in person. The age-old thought of a human being as a social animal has gone for a toss! Personal hygiene was always an important part of our lives before the pandemic, but now it is more to do with how many times we wash our hands, incessantly use sanitizers and wear face masks with a ritual-like frequency. And based on our habit-forming tendency, this will continue for a while and they should. The once-revered word “positive” has lost its sanctity, now it sets most of the people in panic mode. People are happy to see “negative” people or negative-positive people!! (person tested negative for covid-19, and with a positive attitude)

New beginnings

The pandemic has been a great leveler for all of us, giving everyone time to introspect about ourselves, society, and nature. It gave us the time we all needed in building ourselves to cope with this tough situation and learning the various truths of life. We even got the space and time to grieve, to celebrate, and to feel every emotion in between, during this challenging time. We are living in a situation that never happened before, and it is impacting each one of us in a very distinctive way that we never thought of. We even got time to learn our indoor hobbies which we did not even know we had. People enhanced their skills in their area of interest. From the initial shock, the 'new normal' has been able to reduce the chaos and calm us down to a great extent. It has also allowed us to think but it also expands our ability to think openly about the efforts that are needed to help our society at large.  

Conclusion

There is no denying the fact that the current pandemic has turned our world upside down. Indeed, it was very tough to suddenly change your way of living to something alien to all of us initially. But we persisted like so many times the human race has done in past in face of adversity. We allowed the change to happen, some for good and some for just survival. It is but natural to resist a change that is so dramatic and so many of us were not ready to accept the new normal. The resistance was more with the inner self which had to give in at some point in time. Will life ever return to old normal is the question that crops up whenever one sits down thinking about life. The answer is probably no as the clock ticks with each passing moment, the new normal has already become normal for most of us. The comfort of tech and habits that we have picked up during this time is here to stay. Of course, some of the restrictions will go off simply because we are indeed social animals! We are born to interact physically with some caution. 

Adjusting to new normal is never too early or too late, it is a process that each one of us is getting used to at our pace. The opportunity to change, make a better version of ourselves is a godsend and should be taken in the right spirit. It is difficult for us as a global community to predict when such a crisis will occur and what will be its impact, but if we prepare for any eventuality then it is sure that the next black swan event will not be as gloomy as the one, we all have endured. “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans” So, let us leave old normal to rest in peace while we focus our energy on the bright future ahead that holds the promise of a great life, a society that upholds the principles of liberty, truth, and justice for all.  

Mike Gagnon

It is with a heavy heart that we report on the passing of Dheeraj Verma. 

Verma is idolized by comic fans worldwide for his amazingly detailed comic book illustration, and in India particularly, where he is recognized as the first comic creator from India to break into the mainstream comics scene with major publishers such as Marvel and DC.

Verma was hospitalized in May with COVID-19, though he recovered and was showing improvement, Dheeraj developed pulmonary fibrosis as a side effect of his COVID-19 exposure, likely due to organ damage caused by the virus. 

While hospitalized waiting for treatment for his complications Dheeraj fell into a coma and had to be put on a ventilator. 

Being in India, Dheeraj lived in the country with the largest production of Vaccine, but, like most Indian citizens did not yet have access to it. 

As of June 9th, Mr. Verma's passing due to pulmonary fibrosis caused by Covid-19 was confirmed by his daughter in social media posts. 

Our heart goes out to the comics community in India and around the world and all those that mourn the passing of this great artist.

Dheeraj's daughter, Vinnie, was running a crowdfunding campaign to pay for his father's medical treatment to save his life when he passed. 

Condolences and donations can be made to the Verma family at: My Father Is Suffering From Pulmonary Fibrosis. We Need Your Help To Provide For His Treatment - Ketto 

Rest in Power, Dheeraj.

Note from the creative director: When I first met Dheeraj, it was online. In fact, with him being in India and me in Canada, online is the only way I know Dheeraj, but I knew him. 

Many years ago, when neither one of us had had a big break yet, he and I worked on an independent comic together we were going to self-publish. I think we may have gotten it half completed when Dheeraj started catching the eye of bigger publishers with paid gigs. I was looking at forming my own publishing company at the time, so we mutually agreed to put the project on "pause" while we both pursued success in our separate careers, but always stayed in touch and said we'd get back to finishing that book together. 

We never did get back to it, but it was great to see an artist with so much talent and for who I had so much respect continue to succeed and get some of that recognition that he deserved. 

To be honest, if I could be any artist than the one I am, it would have been Dheeraj Verma. One look at his work tells you how amazing his art skills are amazing. I always thought it was crazy that he wasn't already working for Marvel by the time that I first met him. 

What really weighs on my mind, is that when we were working together, Dheeraj and I had discussed the idea of me sponsoring him to immigrate to Canada. At the time I felt like a nobody, and didn't think my fledgling publishing idea would be able to support someone moving across the world, so we decided not to do it. 

If I had done more then, Dheeraj might have been in Canada now. He may have still gotten COVID, but he might not have, and he would have had access to the vaccines and treatment he needed without his family having to worry about medical costs as much. 

There are very few regrets I have in life, but not helping Dheeraj get to Canada is definitely one of them.

I have privately donated what I could to the fundraiser for Dheeraj's medical care, and with a heavy heart, I encourage others to do the same if they can. 

Rohit C.

Modern-day technology is increasingly disrupting traditional systems and processes like never before. The human mind is enjoying its best time by pushing the boundaries of creativity to deliver astounding innovations as emerging tech evolves further. The way we are wired to digital tech in this age of the internet would have been viewed as part of some sci-fi story a few decades ago. The ancient art of storytelling has been transforming over several years, driven by societal changes. The torchbearer of the sequential art of storytelling, comic books have undergone massive changes in the way they are produced and distributed, from their early years to the present time. As technology developed further and became progressively more affordable and powerful, comic book creation moved from analog to digital.

The traditional method of comic book creation involved a writer and team of line artists, penciler, inker, letterer, and finally, the colorist. Every word was a physical act with writing long-form by hand or on a typewriter. Editing also meant manual work using the white-out, cutting, and repasting process to edit the stories. While the work of writers and editors is largely the same, that is editing the work, checking deadlines, or writing, of course now they have digital tools to improve their productivity. It is the role of penciler, inker, colorist, and letterers that have hugely changed with the evolution of computers and technology, greatly improving the speed, output, and artistry. Modern styluses have replaced pencils and inks and modern technology has affected comics in all possible ways. Whether someone is writing and creating a comic or a company is looking to distribute them, technology has changed the ways these things used to work. The first commercially published all-digital comic was Shatter, released in 1985 and drawn in full on a Macintosh, except for the coloring. The art had pixelated images that appeared blurry and blocky, with its rigid words. Shatter was way ahead of its time in innovation and became a best seller.

Digital Age Writing, Drawing, and Coloring

The art of storytelling via comics has undergone a sea of change. In earlier days, writers were a bit more thoughtful, as it took a lot of effort to redraft stories. Now, even before the idea is cooked, something is already written on the table. The digital age writer is modernity personified, for they love a popular go-to-app for writers, Scrivener, where the idea gains the shape of a story and to make their brain work on autopilot, the writer is happily listening to a playlist on Spotify and watching random images on a slideshow. It is not unusual to get story ideas from anywhere now. In fact, the quirkier the source, the faster the brain throws great ideas. 

The modern tools that have become essential for today’s digital artists reflect the ease with which they have been adopted the world over. Dropbox allows just a click to transfer files from one device to another. Though the writers just need a laptop or desktop and a great word processing app, it is the artists who use multiple digital creation tools to optimize their time and also to deliver quality work. Earlier, the inker was the best person to uplift the penciler’s work, as it was the inker who would give proper weight to each line as well the final creative touch to the story after the penciler laid out the page and drew the initial images. Now in the digital world, it is the colorist or more suitably the illustrator who has the most artistic importance in the entire production chain. The workflow is also quite different as now the illustrator works on a low-res file, laying out panels, gestures, and framing. Flexibility is the king. Earlier, if the page was not okay, everything was redone. Now one can copy panels, avoiding starting from scratch. The process of putting words in comics is known as lettering and is an artistic skill that has been an integral part of comics since their birth. With the rise of digital lettering, great improvements are made in how captions and word balloons are rendered. The ability to change dialogue easily in the digital world, plus the uniformity and neatness of the work, meant the end of the earlier analog process of lettering. 

Clip Studio Paint is a digital painting program ideal for painting and rendering any type of illustration. The painting brush is highly customizable and easy to use. One can sketch, ink, color, create captions and word balloons, and also do line works with ease. Clip Studio Paint is strongly skewed towards the digital creation of comics and mangas. Some comic artists also follow a hybrid workflow where they begin with rough sketches using traditional pen and paper. Then they scan the work to import the art into Adobe Illustrator. The virtual artist then uses tools like pens and brushes to give more detail and ink it as well. Adobe Illustrator has an advantage over Photoshop; it uses vector art instead of pixel. Vector art lets you scale your lines so work looks great at any dimension. It allows printing at different sizes without losing the resolution. 

Apart from the new tech software, the hardware also plays an important role in modern-day art creation. With the Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch Wacom Cintiq, and a larger 22-inch Wacom Cintiq for use in the studio, the smaller device acts as the artist’s go-to device. Each device is a masterpiece of the latest digital tech, Wacom Cintiq allows one to draw as accurately as possible directly on the screen with increased size and resolution. The old-time erasers and inks are now mostly left for kids to play with! Besides, the neatness of the work, the time needed to create a page has been greatly reduced due to modern tech marvels. The times have changed and so has the art of making money with a faster turnaround.

Webcomics

In the age of the internet, comic books have witnessed not only innovative distribution channels but also high creativity in producing them. Webcomics, also known as online or internet comics, are published on the internet or a mobile app. Anyone with internet can publish their webcomic. They allow for a large degree of artistic freedom for their creators as well as using non-traditional styles. Webcomics are commonly made in a comic strip or printed comic book format. Many websites allow free access to these comics on the internet. For those who want to try their hand at creating comics, the web allows us to do that as well. 

Motion comics

As the internet reaches a wider audience delivering faster speeds, the earlier static image is fast shifting to moving image or video culture. More people are now watching videos on the internet, which is expected to grow exponentially in near the future. Comic books, a popular medium of entertainment, have been continuously evolving with creators looking at innovative ways to engage newer audiences. Motion comics have come a long way since their conceptual stage in the mid-1960s. The animation style in motion comics combines both the elements of print comics and animation. They do not contain text or speech bubbles. Instead, motion comics use actual voice acting and effects within expanded individual panels to illustrate a full scene. The immense popularity of new digital gadgets like iPads and tablets have led artists to further innovate sequential art of storytelling with the likes of motion comics featuring interactive styles that allow readers to control the pace of animated panels at the speed to which they are comfortable reading, giving an enjoyable and lasting experience.

Comics in the AR World

Another digital tech innovation that has captured the minds of creators as well as the digital audience are virtual and augmented reality. AR is gaining ground quickly with its ability to work with even a smartphone, enhancing both the real and virtual world. The VR one requires a headset device. AR is capable of overlaying digital content (images, sounds, text) in a real-world environment. The launch of the Pokémon Go game in 2016 made AR an instant hit and got the artist to explore AR-based comics. Modern Polaxis, a story of a time traveler, showcases AR capabilities as the future of storytelling. Fast forward to the future and we may have our favorite superheroes moving around close to us! 

Old Wine in a New Bottle

The comics as a medium of entertainment have held steadfastly against consistent onslaughts from technology. While no doubt comics have morphed with the changing times, the inner core is still the original content which is what makes it popular among the newer audiences. Just as digital art is appealing to a large section of creators and readers for scaling new heights in creativity, the perfection in digitally made comics is also eroding human sensibility to some extent. Will it be lost forever or can it be restored in some form in digital comics? The answer lies in the future. 

Hey guys!

Words cannot describe how much I appreciate the professional, personal and fan support for what we are doing. The team we've assembled of board members and professionals is a blessing. 

We've come a long way in a few short months, from an idea I've been passionate about for years, to the reality of assembling a board and creating a not-for-profit corporation. 

The dream of using comics to feed and shelter people is becoming bigger and more real every day, and I know for me personally, it gives me the drive to get out of bed every day to do what I do with purpose, to help others while doing what I love. 

We've achieved a ton of accomplishments, but there are still a monumental number of hurdles to overcome and the finish line is not in sight yet. 

If you thought the idea of a not-for-profit publisher, one that donates all of it's profits to food, water and shelter organizations around the globe was crazy, wait until you hear what else is in store. 

ADBP Current and Future Goals and Initiatives:

Tax deductible receipts: Thanks to COVID-19, the application and verification process has slowed considerably, but in the near future we expect to receive all of the documentation needed for us to not only legally accept donations, but also issue tax deductible receipts. Imagine the potential! We will be exploring every possible avenue to ensure that those that support us receive tax deductible receipts whenever possible. Imagine that! Buying your monthly comics and graphic novels to enjoy, and getting to write them of as a charitable donation as well!

Kickstarter: A big Kickstarter campaign is in the works with exclusive items and amazing stretch goals. Our Kickstarter will be going directly towards overheads and operational expenses of running a publishing company. That means a successful campaign will pay our expenses in advance, which means that there will be even more profit to be donated for every book sold! There will be more announcements in the future. 

Reprint Platform: We're taking the time to make sure we develop a smooth and consistent flow of product before we open the doors to other creative talent. We also have limited and tight publishing schedules, while also loving and wanting to be a part of the comics creator community. To this end, we plan to open up submissions to reprint publications in the near future. If you have an independent comic, one-shot, graphic novel or miniseries that you feel is still relevant, or maybe never got the attention it deserved, even if it's just long out of print, we want to know about it. As creative director, I'd love to reprint an eclectic and classic collection of indie comics for a new generation or audience to enjoy. Tentatively we'd be looking at a system where the publisher's share of profits would be split 50/50 between the creator and the publisher, with the publisher donating their share of profits to a food, water or shelter organization in the creator's geographic area. 

Creator Owned Platform: Some time after we've integrated reprints and made them part of a well-oiled machine, we will explore opening submissions for new, original creator owned graphic novels. Again, things will be tight, our publishing schedule is limited, but will grow as we find great projects by great talent that we want to shine a light on. Again we'd look at a 50/50 split of profit with 50% going to the creator and 50% donated to a charity in their area. 

Increasing the game and motion comic line: We have lots of plans to deliver more fun and interactive content such as games and motion comics. Producing these things takes a lot of time and hard work. So does comics. Once we have our solid footing as a start-up not-for-profit, we will begin looking over opportunities to expand on our digital game and motion comics content. 

Future media and expansion: In an ideal world, All Day Breakfast will be a smashing success and we'll be able to seriously look at expanding our media offerings. Animated shorts and features are definitely on the "some-day" radar. Ideally, I'd like to see video game, animation and toy arms developing, with each branch donating it's profits to a different cause. I'd very much like to see a system where one branch donated to animal shelters and to stop animal cruelty, another branch would donate to charities involving missing and exploited children, as well as human trafficking, again another branch could support another cause and so on. Maybe cancer research. Maybe the food, water, shelter donations could be split between the branches. Either way, the idea is to produce more content and thereby do more good in the world. We want to support any cause that has equality and respect for the human race at it's core, regardless of race, religion, colour, gender, age, weight or anything else. 

A Comic Creator Support Program: I love comics. I'm a comic guy. Have been all my life. I have so much respect for this segment that I had to give it it's own heading. Words will never express how much I owe to and appreciate every comic book creator that came before me. An initiative I'll be pushing is to create some kind of a support system for creators. Whether it's a special program or project that donates to an existing program, such as the Hero Initiative, or something else. I'd really like to create a support net for fellow comic creators who didn't have any kind of royalties on past work that they had to give up ownership of in order to work in the industry. A system that could also provide paying work to artists in need too. It's a seed of an idea right now, but hoping it will grow into something beautiful. 

No more "Work-for-Hire", kind of: Everyone in the comics industry knows at least one story about a comic creator who dies broke and penniless because the publisher took the rights to a character they made millions on and gave the creator nothing, because they worked under a "work-for-hire" contract. That means you only get a flat rate for the work produced, and the publisher owns the rights to all of your creations. We're not going to do that. Contracts can be as simple or as complicated as the publisher WANTS the to be. Well, let me make this clear: We don't want to own your characters, so we have no reason to steal them. We are currently working to make sure that any time in the future. IF we use a work-for-hire style agreement, there will always be plain and specific language that the publisher does not claim or accept ownership over any character or intellectual property created by a contracted talent. 

A Cohesive, unified, public domain universe: We are only in the earliest of early seeding stages right now, but over the next 2 years, we expect to slowly create a line of new original graphic novels featuring public domain characters in a connected and cohesive universe. In spite of it's decades old public domain roots, the ADBP universe will be bold, exciting and original. Just wait and see!

And keep in mind two things: 1: All of these projects will create public good and fight the effects of poverty. 2: It's all public domain and not for profit. There's no "fat-cat" sitting at a desk getting rich here. In fact, the board in charge of the company are volunteers and don't see a dime of your hard earned comic spending money.

Living Wage: An initiative near and dear to my heart is the idea of a living wage. A wage that allows a person to have a life, a family, cover expenses and put away some money for the future. A staggering number of people form all walks of life and cultures do not have access to living wage employment. We are currently working with our small but mighty team to experiment with hours, deadlines rates, etc. to work out a system where each and every paid employee of the company is making a living wage for the region they live in (Living wage is different for every city, based on economic and social factors) and that future employees and freelance contractors make a living wage, because we don't put the financial spreadsheet of our company over the well being of our skilled and respected staff. 

Thriving Wage: A radical concept! Once we are successfully running a team of happy, appreciated professionals who are paid a living wage and not under the financial stress caused by employment with for-profit companies, we hope to go a step further and offer a THRIVING WAGE. This would be a system where we would take the person making a living wage at 40/hrs per week and increase their total pay while reducing required hours, thereby giving our staff more time to spend with families and loved ones and to enjoy the money they have worked so hard for. 

International Branches: In the initial stages. In the near future we're going to begin looking for and recruiting good citizens and people who want to make a difference in their community, by volunteering to run and manage their own regional ADBP office. Regional board will need to register as a not-for-profit or equivalent in their country or region of location and will have autonomy for choosing publications to reprint, as well as a voice in meeting with other ADBP representatives. We want you to bring the comics and opinions of your culture to the table and connect with like-minded people all over the world to share your characters and culture. 

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Well, that's just a quick glimpse into some of the plans and directions that we want to go and what you can look forward to seeing from us in the future. As a volunteer Chair and Creative Director, even though I created the idea and founded the company, I only have one year to implement programs and set the company on this path for the future. I hope to continue longer, but that will be up to my fellow board members come election time in February. I'll do my best to continue to reward their trust and earn their votes, as well as that of the public and creative community. The value of my performance will be shown by the level of good we do, not just in the comics community, but in society in general. 

Hoping to see you all along for this ride,

Mike

By Rohit C. 

Dog Man

Dog Man by American cartoonist Dav Pilkey is a comedic graphic novel series. When Greg, the police dog, and his cop friend are injured in an explosion from a bomb, the medical team does a life-saving surgery, and Dog Man - the crime-busting half-man, half-dog creature - is born. Dog Man cannot speak as his canine nature seems to overpower his human qualities. He is seen doing what a dog loves to do - chewing on furniture, taking naps in the middle of the floor, and licking people. However, when it's action time, Dog Man’s human abilities enable him to chase away criminals. He is on a mission to bring peace and justice to the city.
Reading age: 6-10 years

Best features: Funny and quirky. The laughing does not stop, with loads of humor (one of several euphemisms for passing gas: “who sneaked a one-cheek squeak?”). The book’s characters can be drawn by kids as part of fun-filled activity. 

Scooby-Doo! Team-up

The team-up between Scooby-Doo/the gang and superheroes of the DC universe is a funny and entertaining series for kids, as well as grown-ups who wish to revisit their childhood. It is exciting to see how the characters react to giant bat sightings, as some of them feel it to be the work of a robber, while others suspect the Man-Bat is behind it all. Writer Sholly Fisch manages to deliver an amusing experience for children, with great jokes. 

Reading age: 7-10 years

Best features: Colourful animated style, basic writing, and funny punchlines that are sure to bring a smile.

Owly

This is a silent (wordless) comic featuring a friendly owl named Owly. He is always helping those around him. Even though Owly is kind-hearted, he is unable to make friends, as his would-be friends seem to get scared by the fact that he is an owl. Owly gets to meet Wormy, who is also in need of a good friend, and there starts the story of a great friendship and adventure!

For early readers, who are still trying to gain confidence with words, writer Andy Runton presents a perfect blend of words and symbols that can be easily read by them and are a great way to introduce graphic novels! The characters are all cute, full of innocence, and truly represent the way young kids see the world from their eyes. The stories revolve around friendship, loyalty, and nature. It is sweetly innocent.

Reading age: 4-8 years

Best features: Owly is a series of innocent, cute stories. It is a must-read for early readers, to let them know of good values, such as friendship and loyalty.

Tiny Titans

This is a superhero comic book aimed at pre-schoolers, featuring short, humorous stories and puzzle pages. Tiny Titans is not like your typical superhero comic book, as there are no fights or battles with villains. The stories are more about being in school, playing together, and sometimes exploring the Batcave. The art style is simple, creative, and appealing without being overly cute.

Authors Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani are known for creating superhero comics in a kid-friendly style. Tiny Titans have twice won the comics industry's top award for Best Kids Series.

Reading age: 4-10 years

Best features: Fun-filled comic book, with puzzles and activities for kids.

Abigail and the Snowman

Abigail and the Snowman is a delightful story about a young girl named Abigail, who makes friends with a yeti shortly after moving to her new town. She is a highly imaginative girl; it only makes it harder to fit in at her new school. Abigail meets an adorable yeti named Claude, who has escaped from a top-secret government facility. Abigail and Claude become good friends, even if no one else believes that he is real. The fun is short-lived, as the mysterious Shadow Men chasing Claude are hot on his trail. In order to protect him from his earlier captors, Abigail and Claude start on a journey to find his real home. 

Reading age: 5-10 years

Best features: A heart-warming journey of friendship, loyalty, and imagination.

Little Robot

Little Robot by writer Ben Hatke is the story of a brave little girl who finds a cute robot in the forest. She accidentally activates him by pressing a button. Now, she finally has a friend. Little Robot has all the right flavors of fun, humor, and action that a kids’ comic should have. The story delivers a wonderful message of true friendship - which is fully accepting your friends with their differences. The illustrations in Little Robot, and the full spreads with bright colors, are awesome. 

Reading age: 6-8 years

Best features: Great book featuring diverse characters. Teaches universal values of friendship, how to deal with disagreements, and acceptance.  

An Elephant and Piggie

Mo Willems brings a comic book series for early readers called Elephant and Piggie, featuring two friends: an elephant, Gerald, and a pig, Piggie. The author uses a conversational style for the book; Piggie having pink letter bubbles and Gerald’s shows in grey letter bubbles. The characters are expressive, funny, and original, while the illustrations are simple. 

Reading age: 4-8 years

Best features: Very relatable. It has a surprise ending, with a good message like “having fun is most important”.

Benjamin Bear in Bright Ideas

Benjamin Bear is highly creative and has bright ideas to deal with situations - such as crossing a stream, helping a lamb cool off, and how to rid himself of fleas. The graphic novel has single-page comics that tell short and clever stories filled with humor. For example, the time when Bear was filled with eagerness to help his rabbit friend achieve his dream of having a house in the woods. Once the house was completed, not a single tree is left in the vicinity! The author is excellent at varying the stories enough to make the book entirely surprising and great fun to read. The concept of sequence of events can be easily introduced to emerging readers with this book. Since each story is complete on a single page, it is easier to use them for several different lessons.

Reading age: 5-8 years

Best features: Features life lessons on what to do in certain situations.

Maya Makes a Mess

Writer Rutu Modan’s Eisner Award-winning talents are seen in the toon graphic novel for emerging readers, Maya Makes a Mess. Maya's parents often tell her to correct her messy table manners with “what would the queen think?”. While having a family dinner, Maya receives a very unexpected invitation to dine with the queen. It is time for her messy manners to be put to the ultimate test and she begins to improvise her very own set of rules, with riotous results that are perfect for messy eaters or those who are not allowed to have their fun at the table. Filled with humor and superbly imagined detail, this comic book is sure to turn every child into an avid reader. 

Reading age: 4-8 years

Best features: Hilarious, messy fun for kids of this age group!

By Rohit C. 

The Brain

Comics published by Magazine Enterprises in the mid-1950s, the Brain is a series of humorous stories featuring the character the Brain. The first series has four stories with the protagonist Brain, who is a cute little boy, always up to something especially when he sees someone needing help. The moment Brain starts thinking about a solution, his brain gets zapped to create a brainstorm, which is a telling sign for the quirkiest idea Brain has! Like the time when he wants to impress his mom by quickly mashing potatoes, so he fills an old vacuum bag with all of the potatoes and starts punching them, creating a dust storm! Poor fella gets banged by his dad for his idea of help. Hilarious and quirky stories that are sure to make kids laugh. Check out all twelve issues available in the public domain at comic book plus.

Beany and Cecil

Published by Dell, the comic book series Beany and Cecil was introduced during 1959-1962 starring Beany boy and the serpent Cecil along with Captain Huffenpuff, villain Dishonest John, and others. Kids will have a good time reading Beany and Cecil's adventures aboard the versatile sailboat, Leakin’ Lena. Beany with a cute propeller on his head is up to a few tricks in the series, even saving them from losing their way while going to buy groceries as the sun starts to set. The gusty winds tear apart Leakin Lena's sails which do not last long after they repair it. Beany’s head saves the day with the propeller spinning fast, moving the sailboat on land! Beany and Cecil are fun-filled children's comics delivering wholesome entertainment. Collection of five books available online at CB+.

Coo Coo

One of the funniest children’s comic books in the public domain is the collection of stories featuring Supermouse and other funny animal characters with likes of Buster bruin, Parker Penguin, Jack Rabbit, Silly Billy, and so forth. They were published during 1942-1951. Some series in the Coo Coo collection have one-off character stories. Supermouse has a sci-fi origin, after two scientists brainstorm to create a super liquid, the mouse dunks his cheese in the super liquid. Upon eating the dunked cheese, the mouse gets all the superpowers from the super liquid and a super mouse is born. He decides to use his superpowers to protect the innocent and so catches rogue ratface doing a crime. Buster bruin is about a lazy bear who just wants to sleep, but his two little kids are always up to something and poor dad pays the price for their mischief. CooCoo comics has sixty-two issues available online, a massive collection of assorted stories, delivering unlimited fun and action.

Cowboys ‘n’ Injuns (Editors note: though the name is problematic by today's standards, we chose to include this title, as we believe knowing the past is better than burying it.)

Western genre comic books published in different periods from the 1940s to 60s, the Cowboys book features a group of cowboys each having their unique tag line - Jessy Jimmy is the junior bad man, Ol’Smokey is the tall tale teller, Cuckoo Sheriff is a crazy bird of Texas, and others. Jessy James is a young kid ready to show off his tough cowboy skills, only to make a fool of himself by his funny acts. Jessy James does not fear ghosts because he is a tough man, but the kid gets scared when the fisherman dresses as a ghost! The tales of Smokey are interesting with a funny twist at the end, forcing Jessy James to give a hard stare. Eleven Fun-filled issues in vintage American western style are available online at CB+.

Cutie Pie

Cutie Pie is a small, cute girl, always on the lookout for trouble. Her innocent thoughts are sure to make anyone go crazy, as are her parents. Cutie Pie is highly active and does not think twice before asking silly questions which she feels are right. Her mother wants to buy an alligator bag at a bargain sale. For Cutie Pie, it is a fun time as she thinks that the alligator is inside the bag and not finding one at the sale, she manages to create a riot by shouting alligator, leaving her parents with a hefty repair bill and a headache! The stories are humorous, cutely innocent for kids, and show kids’ view of the world. Only five books available online.

Li’I Genius

A kid called Li’l Genius is in a playful mood proudly showing his genius skills as his parents watch him, holding their heads in dismay. Li’l Genius' silly questions and acts are enjoyable throughout the story. In the end, he comes out as a clever, witty kid. As usual, his parents are speechless listening to his closing arguments. To release his hyper energy, Li’l Genuis' parents take him to a concert on the advice of a doctor, only to be told by the audience to leave due to Genius’ antics. On their way back home, Li’l Genius advises his father to buy ice cream for his mother, but his mother refuses for it was too easily a bargain for his actions at the concert. When his father offers to buy a hat, his mother is mightily happy. Genius grabs this chance to ask for ice cream, countering his mother’s no with his witty remark that it was due to him that she got a hat. A simple read, full of clever humor. A big collection of sixty-five books at CB+ is sure to keep kids engaged for a long time.

Little Eva 

A little girl named Eva does what she likes to do. She is lively, full of ideas, and ready for action. Each story in the comic book is written keeping small kids in mind with a unique ending. The stories are simple and easy for kids with an element of fun and creativity. Eva is a bubbly girl; she takes all of the stuff needed to go swimming in a hot climate. She roams few places only to find they are not suitable for swimming. She does manage to find a water fountain, some of her friends already enjoying the cool water in hot weather. But to Eva’s dismay, she has forgotten her bathing suit! Eva carries all the stuff back home, her mother is upset to know that she is roaming everywhere to escape from the heat. If only she would have used the bathtub! CB+ has forty-one books of Little Eva and her creative ways.

Punch and Judy

A delightful comic book featuring Punch and Judy along with funny animal characters’ assorted stories were published in years 1944 to 1951. Old toymaker Tony has made a boy doll named Punch whom he gives life by spraying his secret perfume of life. Little Judy lives next door to the toy shop and she and Punch have become good friends. Punch does not like being called a toy; his real self is always ready to prove that he is same as Judy and old man Tony. When Punch is sent to an orphanage to entertain kids, he runs off, creating a ruckus, and jumps in the lake. Uncle Tony and Judy rescue him from the fish. Punch agrees to become a good boy thereafter. Nice, happy ending with lots of action/fun. Kids will love reading thirty-four books at CB+.

Calling all Kids

Calling all Kids is a complete comic book with stories, coloring pictures, puzzles, and games. Wholesome entertainment and fun activities to keep kids busy all day. The main attraction is the stories of Marco Polar Bear (inspired by Marco Polo, the great explorer) and his helper Bobby Beaver as they travel across the world on their magic linoleum rug. During their trips to various places, Marco Polar Bear describes the special features of the country they visit as well as the country’s wonderful traditions. He also answers the questions of Bobby, like why does cheese have holes? CB+ has a collection of 28 issues available online.

Sniffy the Pup

The cute pup Sniffy is full of life, ready to share and care for others. Sniffy jumps to action upon seeing a baby cry, trying to calm him down. He feels sad about the flowers, plants, and the garden because it is not raining. He has a heart of gold but is hardly petted for all his good work. Sniffy never loses his calm and goes all out to bring happiness to others. When Sniffy is stuck in clouds, he begs the rain god to let it rain so that plants and flowers can get relief from the heat. He jumps from a cloud onto a rainbow to slide down to the ocean! The stories have great imagination like the small kids and share a beautiful message of caring for others. Fourteen books to enjoy online at CB+

Buster Bear

Buster Bear was published for a limited time in the 1950s as a comic book of assorted animal characters with the main character being Buster Bear. He is often caught in amusing conditions. It all starts when Buster and his friends are busy posing for pictures, even doing senseless acts, like his friend Cholly Chipmonk showing off his acting talents, as he wants to become a movie star. As they finish up, all are laughing loudly except for Buster Bear, for he is so silly that he forgets to put film in the camera! The stories are simple and easy to understand for early readers. Read all ten comic books at CB+.