ABOUT THIS PROJECT
“SLEEPERS is one of the coolest and most exciting military action sci-fi stories Ive read that wasnt written by me.” Tom Waltz (IDW Writer Silent Hill, Children of the Grave, The A-Team: Shotgun Wedding)

Hello! Im Gerry Kissell, a 22-year experienced commercial artist and illustrator. I have worked on many projects over the years, but have most recently worked on the comics, Army of Two and The A-Team (IDW Publishing). For the last five years, I have been developing, illustrating, and co-writing the sci-fi military action graphic novel SLEEPERS, along with my writing partner Ernesto Haibi, author of City of Fire. We have intensively labored in creating a one-of-a-kind military action sci-fi story one that we have always wanted to read, but have failed to find.

SYNOPSIS
Sleepers is a 104 page graphic novel (88 pages of comic art) about a Special Forces reserve combat team called Sleepers who are kept in suspended animation until needed. Every Sleeper is promised a huge retirement package, but, to retire, each one has to log a specific amount of time in combat. Because there isn’t always a fight going on, they are kept in stasis. Until one day, 100 years later, when they awaken to rampant biological terrorism, metamorphoses, cat-eats-the-mouse games, alien warriors, mutations, traitors, unlikely allies, and a very secretive corporation with a very secretive technology.

“SLEEPERS is one of the best and most realistic military sci-fi stories Ive ever read. These two young military vets, Ernesto and Gerry, know their stuff.” Dale Dye (Senior military adviser to Platoon, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Pacific)

PROJECT
My team and I are professional artists, writers, and editors, with a deep understanding of the comic book market, and we have finally found a project worthy of the sacrifice and labor poured into Sleepers. There are numerous jobs involved in creating a graphic novel: writer, editor, penciler, inker, flatter, colorist, and finally the letterer. Considering the rates usually paid to create a professional comic book where black and white comic art alone normally costs an average of $250.00 a page, the price of producing just the finished art for a single book of Sleepers size would cost well over $30,000, but, we have decided to make a significant investment in our labor of love by producing Sleepers for 1/3 that price: $10,000! Rest assured, there will be no sacrifice in the quality of the work! So to get moving further into production, we are seeking the support of the Indiegogo community in acquiring $3,500 to help cover the production completion expenses. The remainder of the funding will be sought elsewhere.

With the success of comics like Children of the Grave, The A-Team, Transformers, G.I. Joe (IDW Publishing), as well as peoples interest in seeing suspenseful and gritty stories about modern warfare and the war on terror, such as with the recent Oscar winning film Hurt Locker, and the popular action video games Medal of Honor, Army of Two (EA Games), and Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward), we find that now is the perfect time for Sleepers to make its name known and take its share of the marketplace. The Industry editors, artists, and writers that have been impressed with the pitch preview of Sleepers have only bolstered our confidence in the project.

During the roughly eight-month production process, we will be posting monthly video updates at sleeperscomic.com, as well as snippets into the entire process of creation. For those who would like to get into the comic book industry, this is a great opportunity to gain real-world insight into the business. For those who are just curious about the work that goes into writing and producing a graphic novel, this is a rare opportunity to watch that process unfold.

Please check out the sidebar to the right for the complete run-down of Pledge Rewards to show our humble appreciation for your contribution! Telling this story has been my love, my goal, and my obsession for the past five years. For my teammates, it is an opportunity to pour their passion and artistry into a great story.

To learn more about the creative team involved, please check out these links:

Ernesto Haibi Writer: http://sleeperscomic.com
Robert McCall Writer, Editor
Gerry Kissell Creator, Writer, Artist: http://gerrykissell.com
Wanja Svasek Artist: http://www.lostcorner.org/
James Abels Colorist: http://www.dave-co.com/gutterzombie/viewtopic.p...

Thank you for your time, attention, and consideration.
- Gerry Kissell

“Writer Ernesto Haibi and Artist Gerry Kissell bring a new and unique vision of bio-chemical Armageddon with Sleepers. Rest assured, their military service and storytelling skills will make this nightmare all too real.” Wolfgang Parker (Writer/Creator of 1888)