There are hundreds of incredible superhero characters just lying dormant in the public domain. For every Superman or Batman, you've got dozens of characters who never found an audience and were eventually abandoned.
Our goal with this comic is to breathe new life into just a few of these characters with an exciting story and incredible art!
Who Are The Paragons?
The Paragons are a team of superheroes plucked from different corners of the Earth. All these characters have their origins in the public domain, but we've adapted them for modern audiences.
Our team consists of the following characters:
- ATOMAN – An atomic-powered juggernaut with suspicious origins and questionable ties to another realm.
- THE OWL – A police officer who became a vigilante to root out corruption.
- AMAZONA, THE MIGHTY WOMAN – A product of an Antarctic-dwelling race of superhumans who knows more than she lets on.
- THE IRON SKULL – A former soldier turned cybernetic war machine.
- THE SILVER STREAK – A doctor granted the ability to move at superhuman speeds.
- DIAMOND JACK – A pop star with the power to create anything he can imagine.
- THE SHARK – An ambassador from an aquatic race who loves the human world.
- THE MAGICIAN FROM MARS – An alien with the power to do almost anything and questionable control.
It all begins with a bizarre attack on a subway train by a race of bloodthirsty ghouls. Soon, our heroes discover a link to another dimension and an impending apocalypse led by a mysterious and sinister other-worldly despot!
Our Origin Story
This whole project was birthed by a simple prompt—"create a version of Zack Snyder's Justice League using public domain characters." And from that, I came up with a list of characters and started sketching new designs.
Around the same time, I was speaking with fellow author, Thomas Deja. Tom and I have known each other for years and have been talking about working on something together. I sent him what I'd done on this project on a whim, not sure it would lead to anything.
Within about a day, Tom was sending me detailed descriptions, story ideas, and suggestions for other characters. Before we knew it, we'd banged together a really cool script for the first issue.
But there was one problem—as a burgeoning artist, this project felt far too expansive for my meager skills. That's when we reached out to Eric Johns, a very talented independent artist. Eric's skills are in high demand and he had to choose between several different projects. Fortunately, he was drawn most to ours and our team was assembled.
Presently, all the pages have been penciled and inked, about 60% of the pages have been colored, and 40% have been lettered.
Meet Our Team
Percival Constantine
Scripter / Inker / Colorist / Letterer
Born in the Chicagoland area, Percival Constantine grew up on a steady diet of superhero comics, action movies, and 90s animation. Ostensibly he became an adult at some point, but never gave up those childish things. Now he's the author of 30 novels spanning genres from urban fantasy, superheroes, science fiction, and pulp fiction, including the best-selling Luther Cross series. He's also worked as a letterer in the comic industry for around 15 years on various independent projects and has produced some short comics, too.
Thomas Deja
Plotter / Showrunner / Audio Drama
Thomas Deja was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1964. He is a published author of two novels in the Shadow Legion series as well as stories in The Ultimate Hulk, X-Men Legends, and Five Decades of the X-Men. He is considered one of the first generation of film podcasters thanks to his seven-year collaboration with best friend Derrick Ferguson, Better In The Dark, and is still a presence in the podosphere by serving as co-host on Dread Media and Not The Loser's Lounge. Nowadays you can find him serving as Creative Director for 8TW Audio Works, an audio drama collective that produces original and fan adaptations, finally fulfilling a desire he's had ever since picking up a cassette tape of Abbott and Costello episodes when he was eleven.
Eric Johns
Penciler / Character Designer
Eric Johns is a mild-mannered penciler. Back in the day, he drew and colored for London Night Studios, the publisher famous for the "bad girl" RAZOR. Throughout the years, he's worked on many independent comics, including writing, penciling, inking, and coloring. Now though, he prefers the raw creation that comes from putting a pencil to a blank canvas.
Why We Need You
To finish this project and pay our incredible team what they're worth, we need your help to bring this comic to life. Everyone's been working hard on this project for a few months, but unless we can get the funding we need to release this book, it'll never see the light of day.
Preview Pages
Here's a look at some of the finished pages to give you a taste of what's to come.
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You can read the first ten pages for free courtesy of GlobalComix. Just click here to get started!
Rewards
We have different reward tiers depending on how much you want to contribute to the project.
Ashcan Edition – A digital version of the raw pencils with black-and-white lettering in PDF and CBZ formats. Includes all pencil variant covers.
Digital Copy – A digital copy of the first issue by itself with no bonus material, in PDF and CBZ formats. Variant covers available.
Special Edition Digital Copy – A digital copy of the first issue with bonus material (sketchbook, character pin-ups and bios, first issue script).
Print Copy – A printed physical copy of the issue, no bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy. Variant covers available.
Signed Print Copy – A print version of the first issue, no bonus material, signed by each of the three creators. Also comes with a free digital copy. Variant covers available.
Special Edition Print Copy – A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy. Features a metallic prismatic cover.
Special Edition Signed Print Copy – A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material, signed by each of the three creators. Also comes with a free digital copy. Features a metallic prismatic cover.
Special Edition Sketch Cover – A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material and a sketch of a character of the backer's choice, drawn by our inker/colorist Percival Constantine.
Special Edition Sketch Cover – A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material and a sketch of a character of the backer's choice by our penciler, Eric Johns.
Be in the Next Issue – Be drawn into a crowd scene in the second issue (limited to 10 spots). Also includes both print and digital copies of the special edition first issue.
Page of Original Art – Purchase a page of original pencil artwork from the first issue (limited to 37 spots—choice of page comes on a first-come, first-serve basis). Also includes both print and digital copies of the special edition first issue.
Be in the Paragons Audio Drama – Have a small speaking role in the upcoming Paragons audio drama (limited to 5 spots).
Perks
Interested in reading the comic with the raw pencils? You can purchase this special ashcan edition of the comic! Fully lettered, but all in black and white with only the original pencil artwork, no inks or colors. This gives you an opportunity to experience Eric's raw talent! Perfect for comic afficionados.
Due to potential printing issues in reproducing the pencils, this is only available as a digital product.
A digital copy of the first issue by itself with no bonus material, in PDF, CBZ, and CBR formats.
A digital copy of the first issue by itself with no bonus material, in PDF, CBZ, and CBR formats. Features the "Original Costume" variant by inker/colorist Percival Constantine.
A digital copy of the first issue by itself with no bonus material, in PDF, CBZ, and CBR formats. Features the "Atoman" variant by penciler Eric Johns.
A digital copy of the first issue by itself with no bonus material, in PDF, CBZ, and CBR formats. Features "The Owl" variant by penciler Eric Johns.
A digital copy of the first issue with bonus material (sketchbook, variants, character pin-ups and bios, first issue script)
A printed physical copy of the issue, no bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy.
A printed physical copy of the issue, no bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy. Includes the "Original Costume" variant cover by inker/colorist Percival Constantine.
A printed physical copy of the issue, no bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy. Includes the "Atoman" variant cover penciled by Eric Johns and inked and colored by Percival Constantine.
A printed physical copy of the issue, no bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy. Includes "The Owl" variant cover penciled by Eric Johns and inked and colored by Percival Constantine.
A print version of the first issue, no bonus material, signed by each of us. Also comes with a free digital copy.
A print version of the first issue, no bonus material, signed by each of us. Also comes with a free digital copy.
A print version of the first issue, no bonus material, signed by each of us. Also comes with a free digital copy.
A print version of the first issue, no bonus material, signed by each of us. Also comes with a free digital copy.
A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy and a metallic prismatic version of the cover.
A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material, signed by each of us. Also comes with a free digital copy and a metallic prismatic version of the main cover.
A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material and a sketch of a character of the backer's choice by inker and colorist, Percival Constantine.
A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material and a sketch of a character of the backer's choice by our penciler, Eric Johns.
Be drawn into a crowd scene in the second issue. Also includes both print and digital copies of the special edition first issue. NOTE: Only US residents are entitled to the print copy, international residents will only receive the digital copies.
Purchase a page of original pencil artwork from the first issue (choice of page comes on a first-come, first-serve basis). Also includes both print and digital copies of the special edition first issue.
Have a small speaking role in the upcoming Paragons audio drama. Also includes free digital and print versions of the Special Edition first issue. NOTE: Only US residents will receive the print copy, international residents will only receive the digital copy.
Highlights
See all activity29Artist Q&A
We weren't able to get our supremely talented penciler, Eric Johns, on video, but we did manage to get him to answer some questions. And we'd like to share his thoughts with you.
Tell us about yourself. What’s your full name, what’s your role in the comic, and what are some of your career highlights?
Hello, world. I'm Eric Johns, mild-mannered penciler for PARAGONS OF EARTH. Back in the day, I drew and colored for London Nights Studios, home of "Bad Girl", Razor. I have done many independent comics throughout the years, including writing, penciling, inking, and coloring. I prefer the raw creation that comes with penciling, however.
How would you describe PARAGONS OF EARTH?
POE is something old, turned into something new and fresh. Heroes of yesteryear have been given a new pulse-pounding life in the pages of Paragons of Earth.
How did you come to be involved in PARAGONS OF EARTH?
Beginning on January 1, 2023 I posted a new piece of art every single day on Facebook and titled the posts, "Drawing every day until I get professional work." Not the recommended way to go about getting professional work. DO NOT ADVISE.
What attracted you to PARAGONS OF EARTH?
While attempting to get work, I was sent approximately 10 scripts of various genres and POE was by far and away the most exciting project. I jumped at the chance after reading the script. Hint: it's awesome.
How did you approach designing the characters? Did the original public domain designs play a big role in your process?
Actually, I attempted to, first and foremost, make something contemporary and then add splashes of the old costumes and symbols into the new designs.
Are there any specific artistic techniques or stylistic choices you used to capture the essence of this story?
This may not be what most artists want to hear, but I decided on this project to draw with paper and pencil, rather than digitally. Pencil is rawer and more visceral, it really lent to the style of POE. If I were doing a sci-fi book, it would have been slick digital all the way.
What do you think are the standout visual moments or sequences in the comic?
Visually, I think our speedster, Silver Streak, is the one really great take on a speedster that hasn't been done before. Love how she turned out.
How did you feel about the process of interpreting the script into your own visual style?
It was quite easy. The script was easy to visualize and for a 36 pager went way too fast, I wanted to keep going.
Are there any characters that you found yourself particularly drawn to? Why?
The Owl is reminiscent of a brooding Bruce Wayne. He is tactical and cerebral, and I love that from this character.
What about this project do you think will most appeal to readers?
I think the story is really way bigger than outward appearances. Villains make the story and, ultimately, this villain is capable of doing MASSIVE damage. The reader will be very interested in how it will be superhumanly possible to defeat the evil plan that will hatch.
Are there any other comments you have about PARAGONS OF EARTH?
Read it and also read about the Golden Age characters. There is wonderful nostalgia in digging into these characters.
FAQ
How much of the first issue is complete?
At the time of launch, all pages are penciled and inked, a little more than half are colored, and about half are lettered.
When will the issue be completed?
We're hoping to have the first issue completed by New Year at the latest. Digital copies will go out immediately upon completion, while print copies will take a little longer.
What bonus content does the Special Edition include?
The Special Edition will include all the variant covers, character bios, the script for the first issue, and a sketchbook spotlighting Eric and Perry's initial designs for the characters.
I'm not a US resident. Can I get the physical versions of the comic?
Unfortunately, not at present. We're trying to figure out if this is possible and will let you know if and when this changes.
What's the Paragons audio drama?
Our co-writer, Thomas Deja, is Creative Director of 8TW Audio Works, an audio drama collective. He will work with them to create audio versions of the original stories these characters first appeared in. We'll provide more information on this as it becomes available.
Will this be an ongoing series?
Hopefully! We've got big plans for the Paragons for not only future comics, but also origin stories, tie-in books, and potential prose works. But to get to those things, we need your help! This property will only continue if we're able to meet our funding goals for this first issue.
Activity
Interested in reading the comic with the raw pencils? You can purchase this special ashcan edition of the comic! Fully lettered, but all in black and white with only the original pencil artwork, no inks or colors. This gives you an opportunity to experience Eric's raw talent! Perfect for comic afficionados.
Due to potential printing issues in reproducing the pencils, this is only available as a digital product.
A digital copy of the first issue by itself with no bonus material, in PDF, CBZ, and CBR formats.
A digital copy of the first issue by itself with no bonus material, in PDF, CBZ, and CBR formats. Features the "Original Costume" variant by inker/colorist Percival Constantine.
A digital copy of the first issue by itself with no bonus material, in PDF, CBZ, and CBR formats. Features the "Atoman" variant by penciler Eric Johns.
A digital copy of the first issue by itself with no bonus material, in PDF, CBZ, and CBR formats. Features "The Owl" variant by penciler Eric Johns.
A digital copy of the first issue with bonus material (sketchbook, variants, character pin-ups and bios, first issue script)
A printed physical copy of the issue, no bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy.
A printed physical copy of the issue, no bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy. Includes the "Original Costume" variant cover by inker/colorist Percival Constantine.
A printed physical copy of the issue, no bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy. Includes the "Atoman" variant cover penciled by Eric Johns and inked and colored by Percival Constantine.
A printed physical copy of the issue, no bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy. Includes "The Owl" variant cover penciled by Eric Johns and inked and colored by Percival Constantine.
A print version of the first issue, no bonus material, signed by each of us. Also comes with a free digital copy.
A print version of the first issue, no bonus material, signed by each of us. Also comes with a free digital copy.
A print version of the first issue, no bonus material, signed by each of us. Also comes with a free digital copy.
A print version of the first issue, no bonus material, signed by each of us. Also comes with a free digital copy.
A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material. Also comes with a free digital copy and a metallic prismatic version of the cover.
A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material, signed by each of us. Also comes with a free digital copy and a metallic prismatic version of the main cover.
A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material and a sketch of a character of the backer's choice by inker and colorist, Percival Constantine.
A print version of the first issue with all the bonus material and a sketch of a character of the backer's choice by our penciler, Eric Johns.
Be drawn into a crowd scene in the second issue. Also includes both print and digital copies of the special edition first issue. NOTE: Only US residents are entitled to the print copy, international residents will only receive the digital copies.
Purchase a page of original pencil artwork from the first issue (choice of page comes on a first-come, first-serve basis). Also includes both print and digital copies of the special edition first issue.
Have a small speaking role in the upcoming Paragons audio drama. Also includes free digital and print versions of the Special Edition first issue. NOTE: Only US residents will receive the print copy, international residents will only receive the digital copy.
