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Warhawk & Magni Adventures 1-2 Kickstarter
Versatile creator, writer, artist, and designer Ben Ferrari has spearheaded another dynamic project which is currently available on Kickstarter. Ben stopped by CBI to discuss the project and its origin...
CBI: Tell the readers yourself and your history in self publishing.
BEN: Well, I was lucky enough in the mid nineties to work for Rob Liefeld at his Extreme Studios. I learned to make comics there. It was an incredible experience where I was able to hang out in the bull pen, learning from artists, inkers, colorists, letterers, production people. I was an assistant editor so I saw what it took to actually make a project happen. Fast forward almost 30 years and I’m making comics as a hobby, not full time. Luckily I have a day job and don’t have to rely on comics to pay the mortgage. It’s just fun and I have a LOT OF FUN doing it.
CBI: What are some of your highlights from publishing?
BEN: Well, after 37 years of drawing, 15 years of actually making and publishing comics, I was able to get my title called The Carriers in stores in 2022. It’s about weaponized Carrier pigeons and I created it along with Erica J. Heflin. We produced five issues with RED 5 Comics, with stories by Erica and Jay Huwer. Ton’s of great art from guys like Jim O’Riley, Silas Dixon, Elias Martins, Seb Valencia, Luis Rivera, Kurt Belcher, Warren Montgomery, Federico Guile, Jason Kimble and Ced Nocon. Just a ton of talent. The trade paperback is available at red5comics.com or at my Etsy store, just search Pilot Studios.
CBI: How did the Red 5 relationship come to fruition?
BEN: I had actually had an issue of Carriers on Kickstarter and it caught the attention of then-publisher Joshua Starnes. He contacted me and I jumped at the chance to have a book win stories. Just an amazing experience.
CBI: Any other projects you’d like to talk about?
BEN: Oh yeah! It’s a looong list. I’ve done a trade paperback called Road to Zion Wars that collected various projects we’ve done and tied them to gather in a Pilot Universe. We have a book in there called Son Chasers, which is about the son of Hitler. He’s a good person, out to take out people like his father. We have a super smart science hero called Saturn in there, a short story about an American soldier in Bagdad called Souverain, as well as story called Divebomb. Divebomb is kinda moron with a jet pack. He ain’t too bright but his daughter, known as Fuse is very smart and also has a jetpack. We tie all of these properties together and added a new short story at the back setting git up for something called Zion Wars. We then published a brand new OGN called Zion Wars a ran a successful Kickstarter for it!
I did a couple anthologies called Always Punch Nazis, extremely political books that actually had the effect of unionizing Kickstarter. There was a fight within KS due to pressure from right wing media. In the end, the company unionized, something I could have never foreseen and for which I am extremely proud.
Currently I have a new Kickstarter running called Warhawk & Magni Adventures #1-2. It’s a Double Feature. It collects short stories from APN tin issue #1, then has all new material in issue 2! We have funded but really do need some support to ensure it happens. You never know who will cancel in the end.
Also working on a new series called Kanin The Marauder. I created and plotted it along with Kurt Belcher who does the writing on the book. I’m well into the final 4th issue and have started getting pages from issue #1 colored. We’re planning on Kickstarting it and finding a publisher to put it into stores after that. It’s the archetypal Conan style character, but with a rabbit living in a no-human world. It’s a blast.
CBI: What are your future plans for the Kanin series?
BEN: The world is our oyster. Kurt has lots of plot ideas for the future, so we’ll see what happens. I’ll keep drawing this series after this initial arc, no doubt. Maybe series of One Shots or anthologies about the characters and their world.
CBI: How can fans and publishers contact you?
BEN: I’m all over Facebook and Instagram to a smaller degree, but can also be emailed at [email protected].
CBI: Any advice for aspiring creators new to the field?
BEN: Collaborate. That means don’t demand money for your services when just starting gout. Learn to make comics with others who are also just starting out. The word “collaborating” gets a lot of people riled up, as if you will get rich off their work. Making comics should be fun and there are people out there will to make comics for fun. That’s how you progress with your craft, it’s how you learn and network. Make collaborators and hopefully you make friends as well. The money will come later if you stick with it and learn to make books.
CBI: Anything else you'd like to mention that we haven't covered yet?
BEN: Did I mention my Warhawk & Magni Adventures Double Feature is on Kickstarter? That’s really what’s on my mind at the moment . LOL
CBI: Ben, thank you for your time!
BEN: Thank you.
BEN: Well, I was lucky enough in the mid nineties to work for Rob Liefeld at his Extreme Studios. I learned to make comics there. It was an incredible experience where I was able to hang out in the bull pen, learning from artists, inkers, colorists, letterers, production people. I was an assistant editor so I saw what it took to actually make a project happen. Fast forward almost 30 years and I’m making comics as a hobby, not full time. Luckily I have a day job and don’t have to rely on comics to pay the mortgage. It’s just fun and I have a LOT OF FUN doing it.
CBI: What are some of your highlights from publishing?
BEN: Well, after 37 years of drawing, 15 years of actually making and publishing comics, I was able to get my title called The Carriers in stores in 2022. It’s about weaponized Carrier pigeons and I created it along with Erica J. Heflin. We produced five issues with RED 5 Comics, with stories by Erica and Jay Huwer. Ton’s of great art from guys like Jim O’Riley, Silas Dixon, Elias Martins, Seb Valencia, Luis Rivera, Kurt Belcher, Warren Montgomery, Federico Guile, Jason Kimble and Ced Nocon. Just a ton of talent. The trade paperback is available at red5comics.com or at my Etsy store, just search Pilot Studios.
CBI: How did the Red 5 relationship come to fruition?
BEN: I had actually had an issue of Carriers on Kickstarter and it caught the attention of then-publisher Joshua Starnes. He contacted me and I jumped at the chance to have a book win stories. Just an amazing experience.
CBI: Any other projects you’d like to talk about?
BEN: Oh yeah! It’s a looong list. I’ve done a trade paperback called Road to Zion Wars that collected various projects we’ve done and tied them to gather in a Pilot Universe. We have a book in there called Son Chasers, which is about the son of Hitler. He’s a good person, out to take out people like his father. We have a super smart science hero called Saturn in there, a short story about an American soldier in Bagdad called Souverain, as well as story called Divebomb. Divebomb is kinda moron with a jet pack. He ain’t too bright but his daughter, known as Fuse is very smart and also has a jetpack. We tie all of these properties together and added a new short story at the back setting git up for something called Zion Wars. We then published a brand new OGN called Zion Wars a ran a successful Kickstarter for it!
I did a couple anthologies called Always Punch Nazis, extremely political books that actually had the effect of unionizing Kickstarter. There was a fight within KS due to pressure from right wing media. In the end, the company unionized, something I could have never foreseen and for which I am extremely proud.
Currently I have a new Kickstarter running called Warhawk & Magni Adventures #1-2. It’s a Double Feature. It collects short stories from APN tin issue #1, then has all new material in issue 2! We have funded but really do need some support to ensure it happens. You never know who will cancel in the end.
Also working on a new series called Kanin The Marauder. I created and plotted it along with Kurt Belcher who does the writing on the book. I’m well into the final 4th issue and have started getting pages from issue #1 colored. We’re planning on Kickstarting it and finding a publisher to put it into stores after that. It’s the archetypal Conan style character, but with a rabbit living in a no-human world. It’s a blast.
CBI: What are your future plans for the Kanin series?
BEN: The world is our oyster. Kurt has lots of plot ideas for the future, so we’ll see what happens. I’ll keep drawing this series after this initial arc, no doubt. Maybe series of One Shots or anthologies about the characters and their world.
CBI: How can fans and publishers contact you?
BEN: I’m all over Facebook and Instagram to a smaller degree, but can also be emailed at [email protected].
CBI: Any advice for aspiring creators new to the field?
BEN: Collaborate. That means don’t demand money for your services when just starting gout. Learn to make comics with others who are also just starting out. The word “collaborating” gets a lot of people riled up, as if you will get rich off their work. Making comics should be fun and there are people out there will to make comics for fun. That’s how you progress with your craft, it’s how you learn and network. Make collaborators and hopefully you make friends as well. The money will come later if you stick with it and learn to make books.
CBI: Anything else you'd like to mention that we haven't covered yet?
BEN: Did I mention my Warhawk & Magni Adventures Double Feature is on Kickstarter? That’s really what’s on my mind at the moment . LOL
CBI: Ben, thank you for your time!
BEN: Thank you.
