Sponsored by Battle Quest Comics
Battle Quest Comics will release their newest series, THE YOUNG NO’MADDS, a massive 148-page collection priced at $9.99 on February 26th (FOC date January 27th). We got an exclusive interview with the entire creative team to find out how they put this exciting and beautiful series together!
New universe! New hero! New adventure! Battle Quest Comics is proud to present THE YOUNG NO’MADDS. This original series follows the adventures of two rival teenagers as they seek an all-powerful weapon that is their only hope of defeating the evil invaders plaguing their land. Here, the creators talk about the making of the series. this
Andrew Cafoury – Andrew created and published successful independent comics for over a decade before creating Battle Quest Comics and signing with Diamond Comics Distributors.
Andrew: I feel like this story is important for the times we live in because it has many relevant issues that people face today, such as allowing division to make us vulnerable to external threats. I believe THE YOUNG NO’MADDS can really help people explore these questions in a fun and exciting way.
Matthew Keener – Matthew has served as a Senior Story Development Executive, Story/Packaging Supervisor and MP/TV Literary Agent (ICM, APA) for two Academy Award-winning production companies as well as a private story consultant and confidential script doctor. He currently serves as Chief Story Officer at Scenario Entertainment.
Matt: Drew and I spent months working on this story, mostly in marathon late-night sessions. Often times, what we create are great creative experiences. That’s part of the fun of THE YOUNG NO’MADDS, it has so many classic entertaining moments in a brand new story. Then, Aaron McConnell’s artistic creativity brought the world and our characters to life visually – it was a blast.
Aaron McConnell – Before becoming a regular artist at Battle Quest Comics, Aaron drew for the New York Times bestsellers The Comic Story of Beer, The Gettysburg Address: A Graphic Adaptation of William Morrow, and comic stories for Dark Horse Comics and Boom Studios illustration. He also contributed art to the role-playing game 13th Age.
Aaron: It was an actual collaboration between the three of us, and I can confidently say it’s the most powerful comic book story I’ve ever created to date. I drew the first concept sketches of the main protagonists of THE YOUNG NO’MADDS back in late 2021, and about 3 years later I’m about to finish the art for issue 4! This was definitely the longest I’ve ever spent drawing and developing characters in complex world building, and it was a challenging and rewarding experience. In 2023, the project received a significant boost with the addition of color artist Jeremy Colwell, with the help of our formidable editor Justin Zimmerman.
Jeremy Colwell – Jeremy has colored several projects for Battle Quest Comics, but is probably best known for his work on DC’s Batman/Ninja Turtles crossover series. He has also produced work for IDW, Image, Dark Horse and others. He lives in Portland, Oregon and is very happy with his life…but he also has two cats who stay grounded most of the time.
Jeremy: Aaron is an incredible artist and probably one of the nicest people you will ever meet. We basically grew up in the same town and were always in each other’s orbit but never really met or worked together. His stuff is sturdy and fun to color. He gave me a lot of collaboration opportunities and gave me the freedom to explore who could best make a scene better. We respect each other and like each other, so this is a great opportunity for me.
Aaron: Jeremy colors the pages, emphasizing storytelling above all else, and he is able to use color in an instinctive way. A character’s emotions are conveyed through his choices. Passion, worry, sadness, fear… I can imagine the palette he used for every chapter and character moment in the story. Jeremy prides himself on bringing out the best in the artists he works with, and having him appear in this book felt like I’d won the lottery.
ANDREW: And then the page goes right into typefaces and product design…
Pete Carlson – Pete has over 25 years of experience in the comics industry, including more than a decade working with the legendary Joe Kubert. In addition to leading production on Battle Quest Comics, Pete has collaborated with DC, Dynamite, Dark Horse, IDW and Kubert School.
Pete: Drew and Matt have written a fast-paced story that covers a lot of ground, both geographically and emotionally. It’s so nice to not have to squeeze balloons into every nook and cranny! It was fun to push the sound effects in all directions, working with the art to give them physical presence when they best fit the story. Already very satisfied.
Allen: The icing on the cake is that thanks to the tireless attention of our editor Justin Zimmerman, a variety of cover artists are involved. Our covers include Bill Sienkiewicz, Karen Darboe, Sean Hill, Sid Ven Blu, Robbi Rodriguez, Laura Martin and more. In this particular case, I do want our comic books to be judged by their covers, because they are beautiful!
Andrew: THE YOUNG NO’MADDS We’re excited to have Battle Quest Comics included in Diamond’s final order cutoff schedule in October. We’ve laid out a publishing schedule for the next two years, with a plethora of new books and sequels coming soon, and various announcements planned leading up to ComicsPRO 2025. We are very grateful to Diamond for this exciting opportunity, which I think will give our stories at Battle Quest Comics the opportunity to reach even more readers.
Matt: Please join us on this journey…because there are many more adventures to come for young NO’MADDS! I hope readers will connect with us when they read THE YOUNG NO’MADDS. We’d love to hear their thoughts.
Sponsored by Battle Quest Comics
