TV Director Brings Diverse Sword & Sorcery Series to Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) April 23, 2015 -- With ancient knights, fire swords and 3,000 year old legends, Legend of the Mantamaji is just the kind of graphic novel fantasy lovers dream of - and the kind of series that is changing the face of superheroes in comics. "It shouldn't be unusual to see ethnically diverse characters and strong women in the genre. Yet, there is still a problem with representation in sci-fi and fantasy - despite readers' requests," Eric Dean Seaton, television director [Undateable, That's So Raven, Austin & Ally, Bella and the Bulldogs] and creator of the Legend of the Mantamaji series, said. With thousands of comics and pop culture lovers attending this weekend's Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Seaton looks forward to connecting with fans of the series -and meeting new ones - at Booth 136, Thursday through Sunday, at McCormick Place -- 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive.
'At its core, Legend of the Mantamaji is a fantastic adventure series inspired by my years of directing really great shows. People want good stories that have heart, are smart, funny AND represent the broader world," Seaton said.
Nominated for a prestigious Glyph Comics Award and riding high off the release of the third book in the series, Seaton recently expanded the national book tour to 14 cities in the U.S. and Canada:
Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo [C2E2] (April 24-26)
East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 15 - 16)
Puerto Rico ComicCon (May 21 - 24)
Heroes Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina (June 19-21)
Comic Con San Diego (July 7 - 12)
OnyxCon, Atlanta, Georgia (August 15 - 16)
Wizard World Chicago (August 20 - 23)
Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, Canada (September 3 - 6)
Long Beach Comic Con in Long Beach, California (September 12-13)
Wizard World Columbus in Columbus, Ohio (September 18 - 20)
New York Comic Con (October 8-11)
LA Times Festival of Books (April)
WonderCon Anaheim (April)
Black Comix Arts Festival, San Francisco (January)
About Legend of the Mantamaji:
Legend of the Mantamaji tells the story of Elijah Alexander, an Assistant D.A. who has learned that his childhood storybook legends are actually the true stories of his heritage and that he is the last of a race of mystical knights known as the Mantamaji. After realizing he's only part human, Elijah struggles with the shift in his world and becomes a hunted man charged with ridding the world of an ancient evil no other Mantamaji has ever been able to defeat. The full-color, action packed series has hair-raising plot twists and smart storytelling for all superhero fans.
The books feature artwork by Brandon Palas, colorist Andrew Dalhouse who has worked with From Boom, Dark Horse, Image, Marvel and DC and lettering by Deron Bennett, who was nominated for an Eisner Award for his work on titles like Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand and Helldorado, among others.
Praise for Legend of the Mantamaji:
"Fans who bemoan the 'big two' for a lack of vision, or effort, to create bold new characters and franchises, should learn that innovation can often be found elsewhere. 'Legend of the Mantamaji ' has all of the excitement, imagination and suspense to be a TV or film series on its own, but instead it is here as a comic to be enjoyed by the masses who crave them. 'Legend of the Mantamaji' volume one is a must read for those who crave all of the spectacle and action of superhero comics, yet want a comic which offers creative new ideas and a progressive storyline with real weight behind it," Alex Widen, Brooklyn Comic Book Examiner
"Eric Dean Seaton is an accomplished director and producer but he's been hiding his true talent for writing comic books and I think it's time to unleash them into the world." Janneke de Ronde, Small Press Comics Review
"Legend of the Mantamaji is teevee director Eric Dean Seaton's (Sonny with a Chance, That's So Raven, Good Luck Charlie) first shot at writing comics, but this is clearly a professional storyteller with writing chops and a lifelong love of the medium, both of which are on full display here. I am not sure what I expected when I was invited to review Legends of the Mantamaji, but I can tell you I was definitely impressed by the quality world-building and storytelling." --GhettoManga.com
About Eric Dean Seaton:
As an episodic director, Eric Dean Seaton has directed 200 television episodes of 38 different hit TV series, including NBC/Warner Bros. comedy "Undateable," TBS's "Ground Floor," BET's "Let's Stay Together," Disney's "Austin & Ally" and Nickelodeon's "Bella and the Bulldogs." He has also directed 18 music videos and two pilots for Nickelodeon, as well as two pilots for Disney XD. Seaton is a Cleveland, Ohio native and graduate of The Ohio State University. Eric, his wife children live in California. Legend of the Mantamaji, named a Top Graphic Novel series by Examiner.com and Atlanta Black Star, is his first graphic novel series.
For Media Interview | Book Review Requests Contact: Tagan Lee, (714)713-3175 | taganlee [at] gmail.com
or Terreece M. Clarke, (614) 467-0361 | TClarke(at)LifeSliceMedia(dot)com | LegendoftheMantamaji.com
Terreece M. Clarke, And...Action! Entertainment, http://LegendoftheMantamaji.com, +1 6144670361, [email protected]
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