PORTLAND, OR. Friday, July 26, 2013: New entertainment company Artblip Studios has launched their debut comic book as a Kickstarter project. The Steamer is the story of a disgruntled carpet cleaner who attempts to become a masked vigilante. His efforts are intended to draw publicity to his failing business and win the amorous attention of his secret love interest, a TV talk show host who is oblivious to her surroundings. The comic book was created by Adam Long and Sara Stein, both veterans of commercial illustration and graphic design, and the co-founders of Artblip Studios.
Their protagonist is named after their company. “Arthur Blip is the quintessential super-klutz,” said Adam, “as a superhero he is full of fail.” The comic book is loaded with laughs as The Steamer bungles his way along, fueled by delusions of grandeur, his romantic aspirations, and his financial desperation. Long explains his vision for the series: “Superheroes are at their zenith of popularity in our entertainment culture, ripe for satire! Superheroes are so popular and yet we don’t see much copycat behavior in our real world. We don’t see masked vigilantes running around, wearing brightly colored Spandex, calling themselves silly names and fighting crime. Why? Well, because it’s highly dangerous, against the law, and fraught with liabilities. In the comic book adventures, even the highly realistic renditions, we don’t see the insurance nightmares caused by disastrous battles between superheroes and super-villains, the massive destruction of property and lives. We don’t see costumed vigilantes suffer lawsuits or get arrested by police, tried, convicted and incarcerated. That’s all too real, and not very heroic. But perversely, comic book superheroes are increasingly made more realistic these days. The Steamer is a highly realistic story — we see what really happens to a masked vigilante, and it’s a total catastrophe. It’s also hellishly funny!”
Sara and Adam collaborate on the graphics for the book by working with virtual world technologies and digital puppets. Technically, The Steamer is a digital comic book from start to finish, but this isn’t a primary focus of the creators. Sara says, “We concentrate on the characters, the story and the humor. That’s what matters to us, and we believe that’s ultimately what matters most to readers. The Steamer is driven by strong characters and a strong, funny story.”
Adam adds, “Please help spread the word. We need exposure, publicity, pledges, even just positive comments on the page would help. Thanks in advance!”
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1252620251/the-steamer-comic-book-superhero-satire
