All Ages Graphic Novels

July 20: Blast Off with Jay Piscopo at the Wenham Museum

2011-06-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, June 25, Space fans gravitated towards the Wenham Museum's new summer exhibit, Blast Off! Sky-High and Sci-Fi Space Toys. Jay Piscopo was there doing free sketches to celebrate the lift off. View photos at this link. He'll return in July to do a comics drawing workshop for kids.

Draw on Your Creativity with Comic Book Artist Jay Piscopo
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 10am-12pm
Fee: $20.00 members, $25.00 recommended ages 7+
Pre-registration required
Comic book artist Jay Piscopo invites students to try their hand at cartoon art and demonstrates how anyone, at any age, can learn to draw and create comics. Using simple geometric shapes, Jay teaches kids how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story. Stand by for adventure with this interactive workshop! Watch a short video clip at this link.

Wenham Museum
132 Main St.
Wenham, MA 01984
(978) 468-2377
www.wenhammuseum.org

Maine Comics Arts Festival

2011-05-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

WHAT:
3RD Annual Maine Comics Arts Festival
Hosted by Casablanca Comics

WHEN:
Sunday, May 22
10:00am - 5:00pm

WHERE:
Ocean Gateway
On the waterfront in Portland, Maine
Directions

COST:
Admission is $5.00 | kids 12 and under are FREE

FMI:
www.mainecomicsfestival.com

This is a family-friendly festival that celebrates the wonderful world of comic books, comic strips, graphic novels, web comics and more. This year's festival will feature over 100 comic creators, writers, artists and publishers. Special guest is Andy Runton, creator of the award-winning Owly, which features a kind-hearted little owl who's always searching for new friends and adventure.

Portland, Maine comic book artist Jay Piscopo is the creator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli graphic novel series. He will be doing free super hero sketches for fans and highlighting his new Sea Ghost comic book which was just noted as one of the top aquatic super heroes of all time by Comic Book Resources.

Comic Book Artist Jay Piscopo featured on WCSH6

2011-04-20T06:40:00.001-07:00

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Metropolis has Superman, Gotham City has Batman, and now Maine has its own superpowered protector.

Sea Ghost is the creation of Portland-based comic book artist Jay Piscopo. After years as a supporting player, the character is taking center stage as the star of his own title.

Piscopo recently shared his plans for Sea Ghost with NEWS CENTER's Lee Nelson.

Piscopo said Sea Ghost first appeared in "The Undersea Adventures of Cap'n Eli" series of graphic novels. The series began as a promotion for Cap'n Eli soft drinks, but took on a life of its own.

In his solo comic, Sea Ghost is transported to an alien world that is being ravaged by war between two races. One side is based underwater while the other lives in the jungle. Sea Ghost takes it upon himself to uncover the secret instigator behind all of the turmoil and bring peace to the planet.

Sea Ghost brings some formidable powers to his crusade. He is super strong, able to breathe underwater and shoots bolts of lightning like an electric eel.

Piscopo said he created Sea Ghost as an homage to the heroes of his youth. He said he was heavily influenced by the animation work of Alex Toth, who created such characters as Space Ghost for the Hanna-Barbera studio.

Piscopo named comic book artist Ramona Fradon as another major influence. She is best known for illustrating the adventures of Aquaman. Piscopo said he was honored to have her contribute a drawing of Sea Ghost for the inaugural issue.

Piscopo said he was pleased by the warm critical reception "Sea Ghost No. 1" was given by the comic book community. The popular industry website Comic Book Resources ranked the title character among its top six aquatic heroes of the year.

"Sea Ghost No. 1" is on sale at Casablanca Comics shops in Portland and Windham. You can also follow the character online by clicking here for a link to his website.

WIRED GeekDad Dives into the Sea Ghost

2011-04-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

"Reading Jay Piscopo’s new all-ages comic book Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine invoked those familiar Saturday morning feelings of fun and excitement....I really liked Sea Ghost for its old school feel, classic character design and clean illustration. I was warmed by the fact that Sea Ghost was a father as well as an adventurer. My daughter liked Sea Ghost’s children, Coral and Triton. She thought it would be pretty cool to live under the ocean and have a superhero dad. I gave a copy of Sea Ghost to my wife’s second grade class and they all loved it too....

I’m giving Jay Piscopo high marks for Sea Ghost.

You can find out more about Sea Ghost and how to get your hands on a copy over at the Sea Ghost website."

~ Tom Stillwell, WIRED GeekDad

Read full review at this link.

Michael Netzer Dives into Capt'n Eli

2011-04-05T04:34:00.000-07:00

I first met Jay Piscopo online soon after I registered at Facebook, early 2009, and began talking about forming an ongoing comics community event that later became Facebook Comic Con. Jay was one of the first enthusiasts for the idea and immediately volunteered to help put it together. In the few months that followed, he not only became an invaluable aide towards its success, but also reached out to young artists and writers seeking professional advice on their work. Jay became a cornerstone of what Facebook Comic Con set out to achieve, mainly to inspire an involvement and community spirit for the growing number of comics fans and professionals registered at the social network.

It all makes perfect sense when considering the colorful career that Jay is advancing in the comics industry and its periphery. Click HERE to continue reading.

"We live in times where popular entertainment has become so gritty and edgy that it raises serious questions about the sustainability of this direction for the comics industry that’s following in step, or perhaps even leading the trend. Jay Piscopo delivers The adventures of Capt’n in complete contrast to this trend. But the stories are not campy or silly in the way much of their inspirations are viewed today.

Jay Piscopo has taken the best of the Silver Age era and endowed it with a maturity that brings it into the 21st century – and earns a worthy place amongst the best of what the comics industry is offering today. The stories and language are simple enough for the young readers, yet pack a treasure of metaphoric allusions to our real world that make a poignant statement about our times and the human condition. There is something in the simplified complexity of the plot and dialogue that leaves a lasting taste of the adventures in the reader’s mind long after they’ve laid the books down. It is not a small achievement at all to have taken such a specific path with the story and transformed it into new mainstream potential." ~ Michael Netzer

GeekMom takes a look at Capt'n Eli and The Sea Ghost

2011-03-28T13:05:00.001-07:00

Check out what Jenny Williams has to say on GeekMom about Jay Piscopo's "The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli" graphic novel series and his new Sea Ghost comic book. Read review HERE.

The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli and The Sea Ghost

On my exciting new journey to becoming a comic book person, I’ve gotten to read the beginnings of a series that is great for both kids and adults. Called The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli and done by Jay Piscopo, this series has origins in the world of root beer, yet has nothing to do with fizzy beverages. It’s about a boy with a mysterious past who is drawn to the sea. He joins others to help keep peace and keep people safe in the sea, and he finds other mysterious beings as well as whole cultures that are hidden from the surface.

The artwork in Capt’n Eli is a cross between old school styles and computer animated images. It contains both at the same time, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. But the drawings are simple and uncluttered. They instantly made me think of Jonny Quest.

I was sent the first two issues of Capt’n Eli to review. They started out with uncomplicated story lines that would be easy for kids to follow and get excited about. Not having a comic book reading background, I have little comic comparisons to make here, but the story beginnings remind me of shows like Scooby Doo and others from my childhood. As an adult, you see the obvious solutions to the problems that come up, but as a kid, you’re just along for the ride.

The series starts off with “The Mystery of Me,” which explains where Capt’n Eli came from and his back story. The series then continues with “The Mystery of the Sargasso Sea,” which takes everyone into the Bermuda Triangle area. Havoc ensues. Time travel figures prominently in the story lines, along with plenty of mystery, adventure, intrigue, and history, all surrounding the sea and its environs.

To learn more about the history of the characters, the story lines also contain plenty of back story, often well-integrated into the story lines. Also, each issue ends with a bit of a cliff hanger, getting you to buy the next issue to see what happens next.

In the second issue, “The Mystery of the Sargasso Sea” continues. The story really develops here with plenty of sub plots, twists, parallel story lines, and quite a bit more complexity. Perfectly wonderful for kids, but also interesting enough for adults to read, you learn about life under the sea and see more of a glimpse into other characters’ lives. One of the major characters in the series, Commander X, is, to me, the most intriguing character. He, too, has a mysterious past, but is a responsible adult who tends to take matters into his own hands. The back of the first comic has comic book covers from Commander X’s days in the golden age of comics, in a more classic style. They tell his past like it is history, but is in the form of a comic book. It seems that in this universe, history is chronicled in comic books, which is pretty awesome.

The black page borders throughout much of the books make it feel a bit like you’re under water, which is where much of the series takes place. Little jokes are inserted for those who will get them, such as a transmitter called the Anti-M. A parrot is the plucky sidekick who tosses out sort-of-funny lines from time to time.

The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli was also reviewed over at GeekDad in 2008. Check out Brad Moon’s review there. He liked the series, too!

In response to the reception of the Capt’n Eli books, Jay Piscopo built on one of the characters in the series, doing a stand-alone comic on The Sea Ghost. The Sea Ghost artwork reminds me of the 1970s/1980s Super Friends! It’s a thin paper comic issue, instead of the longer graphic novel format with thicker paper that is the Capt’n Eli books. The plot is as simplistic as some of the beloved 70s shows, and some of the creatures look like they’re from Planet of the Apes. There isn’t a lot of character development and some of the dialogue is a bit corny, but it’s short and fun, and a good read for kids. Plus Sea Ghost’s uniform is awesome: black and white with a seahorse on his chest!

The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli graphic novels retail for $9.99. I recommend them to anyone, the young or the young at heart. Become a fan of the series along with your kids, and you’ll have one more thing in common to talk about. The stories are interesting, complex, and well done.

The Sea Ghost retails for $3.99. It is an interesting side story in the Capt’n Eli universe, but this one is better for kids than it is for adults. The comic isn’t necessary to the main story lines, but adds more background to one of the characters.

In addition to the comic books, there is a Capt’n Eli collectible card game and a coloring book. The Capt’n Eli website also has fantastic lesson plans for geography, history, and art subjects, using the comic books as reference, but expanding on them. For additional information on any of these, check out the Capt’n Eli website.

Note: I received copies of these comics for review purposes.

Sea Ghost featured on The Aquaman Shrine

2011-03-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

March 25, 2011 - The Aquaman Shrine's Rob Kelly dives into Jay Piscopo's new comic book "The Sea Ghost #1." Read it HERE.

It's been almost two years since the Shrine ran its last Undersea Heroes segment; I always intended to bring it back every so often but other things kept getting in the way.

But no more! We have a new hero to add to the pantheon of underwater heroes, and his name is The Sea Ghost!

The Sea Ghost is the creation of Jay Piscopo, a friend of the Shrine whose work has appeared here before--he's done three(!) different pin-ups featuring Aquaman and The Sea Ghost, an Aquaman costume re-design, and a sketch from my Aqua-Sketchbook.

The man is a fountain of creativity--I've lost count of how many characters he's created, and he's always posting something new on his Facebook page. Many people have remarked how prolific I am; Jay makes me look like Fran Lebowitz.

Anyway, last week Jay's undersea character The Sea Ghost got his own title, so I thought this was a perfect time to bring back the Undersea Heroes feature. CLICK HERE to continue reading the article.

"...the ideas and concepts are flying at the reader at a breakneck pace, and there's no winking at the camera--this is no post-modern ironic superhero: The Sea Ghost would have fit in perfectly in the back of DC comic from the 1950s, albeit with more eye-popping color." ~ Rob Kelly, The Aquaman Shrine

Invest Comics Checks out Nemo Publishing's new: Sea Ghost #1

2011-03-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

Invest Comics check's out Jay Piscopo's new comic book: THE SEA GHOST #1

Follow this link to read the review.

NEMO PUBLISHING GROUP
Art & Story: Jay Piscopo
Pin-ups: Ramona Fradon, Danny Kelly, & Robert Caine Jeffcoat
REVIEWER: Sebastian Piccione
March 20, 2011

This is one of those special comics. The kind you find out about through various facebook posts, and it just looks so cool, that when you see it PREVIEWS, you check it off with your special orders. I’ve been excited about this character since before I knew there’d be a book. And to make things even better, it LIVED UP to each and every one of my pedestal-placed expectations!

This book reads like the best of the old Aquaman and SpaceGhost cartoons. You can actually hear the voice overs and sound effects in your head as you read! Heck, even the caption bubbles ring with that old-school narrator voice.

No over rendered art, or decompressed story-telling. This book harkens back to when comics and superheroes were fun. It isn’t silly or campy. It’s just a good, fun, romp. And getting a pin-up by legendary Aqua-artist, Ramona Fradon just makes it perfect.

In fact, it was so good that I’ve got to tell my LCS to go ahead and order me the two volumes of THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT'N ELI, in which Sea Ghost first appears.

THE SEA GHOST is one of the best books I’ve read in some time.

5 out of 5 stars.

Brigid Alverson Previews "The Sea Ghost #1" - Good Comics for Kids

2011-03-17T03:48:00.000-07:00

Brigid Alverson previews Jay Piscopo's new comic book "The Sea Ghost #1" on School Library Journal's Good Comics for Kids.

Preview: The Sea Ghost #1
March 13th, 2011

Here’s something a little different: Jay Piscopo, who writes and draws The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novels, has spun off a comic featuring one of the characters from that series, The Sea Ghost.

I like Jay’s penciling, and he has a knack for classic characters. Check out the preview...and then check out the comic — it’s supposed to be in comics shops on March 30, but we hear it has been reaching the shelves a little early.

Seven by 6 | Seven Seas; Seven Superheroes

2011-03-16T16:22:00.001-07:00

Seven by 6 | Seven Seas; Seven Superheroes
by Michael May
March 16, 2011

Read the full write up at this link.

MTV Geek recently ran a list of their 7 Best Superheroes of the Seven Seas and it got me thinking, as these things are designed to do. I love ocean-adventure comics and appreciate the topic, but on a list of superheroes, I think we can do better than One Piece and Last Airbender. Those are great characters; they’re just not superheroes. Superhero comics are full of fantastic, undersea heroes, so this is my list. To open up spots for some lesser-known (if not exactly obscure) characters, I decided to leave off the obvious Sub-Mariner and Aquaman. We can agree that they deserve to be here; I’m just not confident that I have anything new to say about them. I worried at first about picking seven characters for a Six by 6 column, but since the precedent has been set…here they are in reverse order:

7. Triton
6. Marine Man

5. Sea Ghost is probably the most obscure character on this list, but he’s also one of the coolest. Spinning out of Jay Piscopo’s The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli, Sea Ghost is as an homage to Space Ghost and other classic Hanna-Barbera characters and concepts.

Piscopo’s put a lot of thought into Sea Ghost and Capt’n Eli’s world. Though it’s a relatively new series, the allies and villains all have back-stories that give everything a sense of grandness, like every story is a special event. Even if you don’t know who Commander X and Lord Hydro are, seeing them team up with or fight against Sea Ghost is almost as exciting as if you’ve grown up with these characters and been waiting for this battle your entire life.

4. Mera
3. Namora
2. Marrina
1. Abe Sapien

So that’s my list. What’s yours? Any great, sea-based superheroes that I didn’t mention?

Five out of Five Tips of the Hat for Jay Piscopo

2011-03-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

All Pulp's Tommy Hancock continues his tips of the hat to Jay Piscopo in these reviews for Nemo Publishing's The Sea Ghost #1 and The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli - Volume 2.

The Sea Ghost #1:
“FIVE out of FIVE Tips of the Hat – This one hit with me on all cylinders.” ~ Tommy Hancock, All Pulp

THE SEA GHOST is a rollicking tale that has a ton of stuff in it, but also stays very true to the 'undersea' nature of the character as well as evokes comic tales of times past, the ones that were full of wonder and excitement and just had the intention of telling one heckuva tale. Continue reading HERE.

The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli - Volume 2:
"FIVE out of FIVE Tips of the Hat - No doubt. This middle chapter of this great adventure had everything the first part had and more. If this were a movie, I'd be in line for Volume Three now." ~ Tommy Hancock, All Pulp

The first issue/appearance/episode of anything is the best, right? It's a law, someone surely has said, that sequels and/or continuations cannot stand up to the first time whatever great awesome concept it is we're encountering again made itself known. It's just not possible, right?

Well, maybe so...but that was all before Jay Piscopo released the second volume of THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT'N ELI! Continue reading HERE.

A Hat Tip for Jay Piscopo's "The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli"

2011-03-10T05:42:00.000-08:00

FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT-Probably the best comprehensive (touching many points of my inner fanboy) read that I've had in a long time!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

HANCOCK TIPS HIS HAT TO CAPT'N ELI...A LOT!

TIPPIN' HANCOCKS' HAT-Reviews of Things Pulp by Tommy Hancock
THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT'N ELI: VOLUME 1
Written and Illustrated by Jay Piscopo
Cover Art by Steve Rude
Nemo Publishing, 2008

WARNING!! If you are one of those adult type readers who believe that as you age, your reading choices should mature, become less exciting, more prose than picture, and border on bland and spoon fed to you, then STOP READING! This review IS NOT for you!

For the rest of you who actually probably enjoy life and love things both nostalgic and cutting edge, continue on with my blessing...

For those who aren't Facebookers like most of us, you might not know who Jay Piscopo is. If you travel in the social network circles most of our readers do, though, it is likely. Jay is an accomplished creator that has also proven to be one of the best I've seen at self promotion. Whether it be work on his original creations or his awesome takes on classic pulp characters or his breathtaking renditions of the work of others (He's the guy behind my much bally hooed YESTERYEAR novel cover), Jay has made a name for himself as being up and coming, awesome, and dead on with his work.

That reputation is furthered by this first volume of THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT'N ELI, Jay's own tale put out by Nemo Publishing set in a wild and wonderful universe all his own. This graphic novel/digest like tome centers around Capt'n Eli, a genius of a boy who has a very familiar feeling origin and takes off almost from birth on adventures that while reminding some of us of things we've read or seen in the past, manage to be innovative, original, and exciting.

Jay brings all his creative wonder to bear in this first volume of Capt'n Eli's adventures. Within this you see tips of the hat to adventures and creators of the past as Jay's influences for both art and story are pretty obvious. Capt'n Eli has traces of Johnny Quest, Superman, Doc Savage, Tom Swift, and the list goes on. But what makes this cool is although you, if you're a reader steeped in this Saturday morning/pulp magazine stuff, get all the references, they are simply that. References, little things that Jay does with the story or the art to put you in mind of what we all thought was a simpler time, a time when storytelling was about telling the story and the art backed up the story, but didn't overshadow it.

In this first volume, we get Capt'n Eli's origin, his first meeting with and hints of connection to Commander X, Jay's mix of Doc Savage and Captain Nemo that is DEAD ON, Eli's teaming up with a crack team of sea based heroes, and two of the coolest sidekicks in a long time-Barney, the knot tying dog and Jolly Roger, a parrot of some years who knows seventy languages. Oh, and time travel, strange ships, a historic moment (literally) and so much more!

Also included in the volume is a story from 'the golden age' of Jay's universe done very much in a golden age style that showcases Commander X in his hero days along with two others that make up the Big Three. Stir this in with words from Jay, a hit-the-head-on-the-nail introduction from argon Zark! creator Charley Parker, and pin ups by Steve Rude, Herb Trimpe, and Howard Chaykin, and you have one classic, now and later, tale that makes me want to watch Boomerang late at night to see more stuff like this!

The layout of the book is awesome, part action adventure comic, part edutainment (and not boring edutainment, but story supporting, mind enhancing edutainment), and part sunday newspaper comic strip! I enjoyed the size of the book, not a TPB size, more digest like, and the overall layout does what a layout should do, makes the book stand out among others and not only compliments, but adds to the tale it tells!

The only thing I found a bit hard to deal with at first was the mix of art with 3-D backgrounds. Although stunning in many places, I initially had a little difficulty with this, mostly because the look is a bit jarring at times. I will say, though, about halfway through the first read of this, I was not only adjusted to this mix of things, but actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It added a bit of uniqueness to the book as a whole.

THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT'N ELI: VOLUME ONE is a high sailing, deep sea divin', time travellin', ocean explorin' story that cannot be missed!!!

FIVE OUT OF FIVE TIPS OF THE HAT-Probably the best comprehensive (touching many points of my inner fanboy) read that I've had in a long time! Thanks, Jay!

Pop Culture reviews Jay Piscopo's new comic book "The Sea Ghost #1"

2011-03-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

The Sea Ghost #1

Friday, March 04 2011
DiRT takes a look at The Sea Ghost #1 by Jay Piscopo and Nemo Publishing!

As a father of two young children, I can appreciate an “all ages” title a little bit more than the average comic book fan. To most, the idea of a “family friendly” book usually carries a connotation that it's written for kids and won't appeal to their more mature senses. However, often a book comes along that isn't written for children as much as it's just so strongly wholesome that it finds itself often overlooked by fans who have grown accustomed to dark and gritty tales. The Sea Ghost #1 from Nemo Publishing isn't really aimed at children. In reality, it's more of a throwback to a simpler time in comic book publishing where wholesome was the norm in society. If it weren't for a few modern publishing touches, this could easily be a long lost silver age gem and comic book fans of any age should stop and take a look.

Spun out of the pages of the Capt'n Eli graphic novels, The Sea Ghost comes from Atlantis and hosts a variety of powers. He seems to be very strong, can shoot energy beams from his hands, and has psychic abilities. Of course, ha can also breathe underwater, but shouldn't everyone from Atlantis? The Sea Ghost seems to occupy a character space somewhere between the classic version of Space Ghost and the Superfriends version of Batman. He's smart as well as strong, and often mediates matters instead of simply resorting to fisticuffs. His look is classic Alex Toth and creator Jay Piscopo plays the Toth-esque style for all it's worth. For every aspiring artist who says all the good classic looks are taken, Piscopo has them schooled with my number one new choice of character dying for an action figure.

Despite the classic look of the characters, the overall art has many post modern touches. The word balloons are not white slabs covering the artwork, but instead are translucent cells layered over the artwork. All the lettering has that crisp look of professional typefaces and colors are vivid and sharp. In some instances, even the layout of the individual panels seem to be based off of 3D modeled figures, though they still appear hand drawn. When Piscopo often seems to be looking backward for inspiration in his characters, he also seems to be looking forward to blaze a new course in the production of the book.

The story is probably the best throwback for classic comic book fans. Anyone familiar with the Kirby-esque stories of the past will instantly feel at home. The Sea Ghost finds himself mysteriously transported to another world where a Cthulhu inspired tentacle monster feeds a war between two races. To end the war, The Sea Ghost must fight off a dragon, escape from prison, and unite the two opposing sides together in a battle against this monster. It's a whimsical sci-fi tale that still retains that inability to shy away from discussions of death and loss in tales of battle often seen in classical literature. It's certainly safe for children to read, but I think it really is geared more towards adults and mature minds.

For $3.99, you get 31 pages of story, several pin-ups, and a note from Jay Piscopo explaining how much he loves classic cartoons, Alex Toth, Jack Kirby, and classic comic book “cartoonist” Ramona Fradon. It's a $4 love-fest of classic comics books and super-hero culture and simply can't be beaten.

Great Comic Book Heroes on Sea Ghost #1

2011-03-01T12:54:00.000-08:00

The Great Comic Book Heroes

Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Review of Jay Piscopo's Sea Ghost #1!

Jay Piscopo is the man! I've been seeing Jay Piscopo's fantastic creations on Facebook for a few years now. He is the kind of friend you want to have on Facebook! It seems like every day Jay is posting new and incredible drawings of the most interesting super heroes that you've ever seen! Jay has an incredibly inventive mind and prolific output.

Jay's done a number of books from the Cap'n Eli universe. I got to see Sea Ghost, a 30 page, full color one-shot. It’s a great book!

Jay's fit a lot of info into a very small space here! Not only does he introduce Sea Ghost and his children, Coral and Triton, but he gives a quick origin of Sea Ghost AND to top it off he has a whole slew of characters popping up on what seems like every page, and he does it seamlessly without slowing down the fast pace of the book! Now this is what superhero action comics are suppose to be (Marvel take notes)!

He even has a fascinating text page explaining his influences; people like legendary Ramona Fradon, who actually does a pinup for the comic; Noel Sickles; and most notably Alex Toth. Jay states, "Mr. Toth's body of work in comics and animation is vast and deep. Anyone looking to work professionally should study his work and philosophies."

With Jay's work you can really feel the Silver age Marvel, Kirby influence, as well as the great action cartoons of the 60's and 70's like Space Ghost (this influence being the most obvious) and the Herculoids! But you never feel like he is copying or ripping them off. No this is the best kind of homage that is all Jay!

One thing about Jay's work, like the Saturday morning cartoons they are influenced by, it is geared towards kids, ages 5 and up. Sea Ghost, as a character, is a strong man ready for any adventure and yet at the same time a loving father and devoted husband. This a great book to read to your children or indulge in yourself!

I highly recommend Sea Ghost to any lover of action and adventure! You can see more of Jay's great work here at his website -- The Undersea Adventures of Cap'n Eli.

Book an appearance with Maine comic book artist Jay Piscopo

2011-02-28T06:08:00.000-08:00

Maine comic book artist Jay Piscopo is now booking school and library visits for Spring and Summer 2011.

DRAW ON YOUR CREATIVITY: In this interactive drawing workshop, comic book artist Jay Piscopo uses simple geometric shapes to teach kids how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story. Check out Jay in the CLASSROOM. Go behind the scenes in JAY'S STUDIO where he creates The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series.

Contact Tami Kennedy at tami@maine.rr.com or 207-838-0816 to book.

Spring appearances include:

April 27
JMG Career Development Conference -- Augusta, ME

May 3
Orono Middle School - Orono, ME

May - Date TBD
King's Highway Elementary - Westport, CT

May 21 - 22
Maine Comics Arts Festival - Portland, ME

June 23
4:30 - 7:00
Wenham Museum - Wenham, MA
Outer-Space Saturday
Space explorers celebrate the opening of the Blast Off! Space Toys exhibit with a moon bounce, games and sundaes that are out of this world! Get a free sketch from comic book artist Jay Piscopo, creator of the heroic Golden Age space traveler, Commander X. Tour the galleries during extended Museum hours.

June-September
Artwork featured in Blast Off! Space Toys exhibit at the Wenham Museum.

Sea Ghost #1 -- On Shelves March 30th!

2011-02-22T05:41:00.001-08:00

Jay Piscopo's The Sea Ghost #1 hits the shelves in March! Ask your local comic shop to order this for you. Check it out at KidsComics.com.

Sea Ghost #1
Publisher: Nemo Publishing
Diamond Code: JAN111269
In Shops March 30, 2011

“Sea Ghost #1 is a very fun read. Think Space Ghost but underwater. The art looks like it was taken from a cartoon. This a great all ages read for kids and those of us who will never grow up.” Ric Croxton, First Comics News

Forces of Geek Reviews The Sea Ghost #1

2011-02-09T05:34:00.001-08:00

February 8, 2011

Read Stefan Blitz's review of The Sea Ghost #1 on Forces of Geek at this link.

Next month, Nemo Publishing will be releasing their newest comic, The Sea Ghost, written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo.

The character, who originally appeared in Piscopo's The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series, is a testament to the magic that super-heroes once had and in many ways is a love letter to classic Marvel and DC comics and Hanna Barbera cartoons.

But unfortunately, it's also the kind of books that most comic book stores overlook, which is why you need to be proactive and tell your retailer that you want it.

After the jump, check out the cover and press release for The Sea Ghost #1, as well as a phenomenal video that Jay created for retailers, but really does a fantastic job capturing his philosophies on both his work and the industry.

The Sea Ghost #1
36 Pages | Full Color | $3.99
DIAMOND CODE -- JAN111269

Comic Books Examiner check out Jay Piscopo's "Capt'n Eli" graphic novel series

2011-02-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli: A Review
Comic Books Examiner
By Robert Sodaro
February 4, 2011

If you are looking for adventure, the kind that can only be found between the covers of a book, then you’ll thrill to the epic Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli (Nemo Publishing), an ongoing story from the exhilarating, and engaging imagination of writer/artist Jay Piscopo comes a graphic novel series cut in the tradition of Jules Verne, Herge, and classic comic strips like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. “Capt'n” Eli is actually a young lad of mysterious origins (who, like that young lad from the planet Krypton, arrived in a futuristic pod to be raised by an elderly kindly couple). Accompanying Eli on his outstanding adventures is an eclectic cast of truly delightfully oddball characters, including Jolly Roger(a 200-year-old parrot), Eli’s faithful seadog Barney, the seafaring Seasearchers, the equally mysterious Commander X, Sea Ghost, and many, many others (including an entire undersea kingdom of mer-people), and, well, aliens.

As a comic, Capt'n Eli takes readers into a compellingly exciting world that comes complete with time travel, high-tech ships, flying mini-subs, robots, lost civilizations, and undersea empires in conflict. Capt’n Eli is a truly delightful comic that tells a more entertainingly dense story than you can find in most mainstream comics. Piscopo has an uncanny knack to capture the “educational” storytelling of Julie Schwartz heavily flavored with the wit and style of Stan Lee. His stories are fast-paced, informative, breezy, and move forward with the rapid fire syncopation of well-tuned Jazz.

These are stories that grab your attention right from the get-go and draw you in. His art is clean, sharp, and delivers a photorealistic 3D effect that will keep you coming back for more. Plus his comics are the epitome of what an all-ages comic should be. They are easily accessible for younger readers as well as engaging enough for older readers.

In the first of the two currently available digest-sized comics we meet Capt’n Eli, his family and several of his friends, as well get treated to some of his back story, plus meet the mysterious WWII hero apparently turned villain, Commander X. In some 100 pages Piscopo lays the groundwork for everything that is to follow, by hinting at some things, while shrouding others is mystery, he even treats us to a number of celebrity illustrated pin-ups and a 10-page “Golden Age back-up featuring Commander X and other Ultras (or Mystery Men), from the ‘40s. The second volume throws us pell-mell into an undersea war, court intrigue time travel and well, so much that you’re simply going to have to buy both issues to find out what is happening. Then when you’re done, head on over to the Capt’n’s website and see all of the other very cool things that Piscopo has prepared for you, you’ll be glad you did.

Sea Ghost #1 - Newsarama Review

2011-02-02T05:55:00.001-08:00

"This was the kind of book I loved to read as a kid...and reading it with my own kids it inspires "oohs" and "whoas" with each turn of the page." ~ Jeff Marsick, Newsarama

The Sea Ghost #1
Written and Drawn by Jay Piscopo
Published by Nemo Publishing Group
Review by Jeff Marsick
February 1, 2011

Read full review below or at this link.

I've raved about the first two volumes of Jay Piscopo's The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli in the past, especially what wonderful kid-friendly fare they are as digest-sized roller-coaster rides of thrills harkening back to the days of Hanna-Barbera animation (y'know, the Golden Age of cartoons). Jay's back, this time with a one-shot of the Sea Ghost, an Aquaman-type with Space Ghost inspirations and arguably one of the best characters from the second Capt'n Eli book.

The Ghost is living in the ruins of Atlantis with his two children, Triton and Coral, when he discovers a dimensional displacement doohickey that pinballs him around the universe to another aquatic somewhere, smack dab in the middle of a war between the underwater people called the Phlan, and land-dwelling humanoid simians called the Simas. Turns out both sides pledge fealty to a Lovecraftian supreme being called Vorrgoth and Sea Ghost smells something fishy about the whole thing. It’s up to Sea Ghost to reveal the truth and get the two warring factions to end their violent ways.

Jay Piscopo’s minimalist artwork is inspired by Kirby and with its bold colors the action practically leaps off the page. This was the kind of book I loved to read as a kid (before I got older and fell for grim-and-gritty), and reading it with my own kids it inspires "oohs" and "whoas" with each turn of the page. The Sea Ghost carries with him good messages for kids, about how choices shape our destiny, and how blind violence is not an acceptable means to an end. I only wish Sea Ghost had a little more going for him other than the cool costume and the ability to re-direct energy used against him.

Still, for thirty-six pages of book, it’s well worth the money. And that’s before I mention the guest artist pin-up of the Sea Ghost by Ramona Fradon, who, back in the fifties, used to draw Aquaman for DC and co-created Aqualad. Very cool indeed, and bravo to Jay for including her in this book. If you’ve got a little one who loves comics and you find acceptable material hard to find, look no further than The Sea Ghost #1.

Comic Books Examiner: Presenting Sea Ghost

2011-01-11T06:06:00.000-08:00

Robert Sodaro of Comic Books Examiner takes a look at Jay Piscopo's new comic book The Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine. Read the article HERE.

Presenting Sea Ghost
January 11th, 2011

For independent comicbook creators, getting their characters out into the marketplace is often very difficult. First of all, unless you are already an established creator with a fan following, you are essentially unknown to the public at large. Second, you have to compete with the better-known characters at the larger companies, not to mention you must compete with all of the other self-publisher and small-press publishers who are also trying to garner their share of the Indie market. Needless to say, all of this doesn’t even take into consideration how you are going to get your books distributed, not just in your own area, but across the country as well.

Here is where a savvy marketing plan, social marketing, and networking with other creators all comes into play. Take Jay Piscopo for example... Continue reading on Examiner.com HERE.

Comic Review: "The Sea Ghost #1" -- Infinite Hollywood

2011-01-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

Read Newton Gimmick's review of Jay Piscopo's new comic book The Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine on Infinite Hollywood at this link.

Here are a few excerpts from the review:

As someone who loves reading old comics from publishers like Gold Key or Charlton, the style that Piscopo exudes is right in line with the classics. This comic could have easily been on the shelves in the Silver Age of comics and yet, never feels dated or contrived. Jay has a love for the simple but fun storytelling style that has an emphasis on adventure. Sea Ghost takes us to many fantastic worlds and shows off some incredible creatures and battles, but unlike many modern comics that overloads us with complicated story or complex art, everything here is kept simple but effective.

It's a classic comic, done in the same sort of excellent tradition that got so many of us into comic books in the first place.

I think everybody can identify with Sea Ghost on some level. He's an inspired creation that feels so natural. One part Space Ghost, one part Aquaman, yet he never feels like some sort of clone. That's part of what makes all of Jay Piscopo's creations work... They're genuine. There are hundreds of comics on the shelf today, from some of the best artists and writers and the biggest publishers in the world, but few if any have the heart and soul that Sea Ghost does.

The Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine
Published by Nemo Publishing
Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo
36 Pages | Full Color | $3.99
DIAMOND CODE -- JAN111269
Check it out on p.298 of January PREVIEWS

Meet the Sea Ghost

2011-01-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

Follow this link or watch below to check out a special video for comic book shop owners.

You'll meet creator Jay Piscopo at work in his studio as he talks about his new comic book, The Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine.

You'll see his influences, learn about his creative process, and meet comic shop owner Rick Lowell at Casablanca Comics in Portland, Maine.

Rick and Jay talk about who the audience is for The Sea Ghost and what makes comics like this and Jay's The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series fun and affordable for readers of all ages.

The Sea Ghost #1 is available now in Diamond Previews (Code: JAN111269 -- Page 298). Check it out on Previews World online at this link.

The Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine
Published by Nemo Publishing
Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo
36 Pages | Full Color | $3.99
DIAMOND CODE -- JAN111269
Check it out on p.298 of January PREVIEWS

More at www.TheSeaGhost.com and www.CaptnEli.com.

Nemo Publishing’s new “The Sea Ghost #1” featured in Diamond Previews

2011-01-05T06:56:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nemo Publishing

Contact:
Tami Kennedy
207-838-0816
tami@maine.rr.com

Nemo Publishing’s new “The Sea Ghost #1” featured in Diamond Previews

PORTLAND, ME – (January 5, 2011) – Sea Ghost discovers a dangerous secret when a mysterious sphere transports him to an alien world locked in an endless war. Can he convince the Simas and Phlan to stop fighting and unite against the real enemy? Find out in “The Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine!”

Go directly to the Diamond Previews listing at this link.

“The Sea Ghost #1” is a 36 page, full color comic book featuring A and B covers of this aquatic superhero. The story is written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo and includes a pin-up by legendary illustrator Ramona Fradon. View story pages at this link.

Retailers can order “The Sea Ghost #1” from the new Diamond Previews (Diamond Code -- JAN111269). This book is listed on page 298. Look for the kid friendly stamp.

Piscopo is the author and illustrator of “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel series. Sea Ghost is an integral character in the Capt’n Eli universe and has a long career fighting evil above and beneath the waves.

The origin story of this avenging spirit is revealed in “The Undersea Adventure of Capt’n Eli” Vol. 2.

In Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of “The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli,” fans also meet the Sea Raider, who is the Sea Ghost's former identity during WW II.

“Capt'n Eli” Vol. 1 is offered again in January Previews (Diamond Code: JAN111270 | ISBN 978-0-9817132-0-5) and “Capt’n Eli” Vol. 2 is still available (Diamond Code AUG084227 | ISBN 978-0-9817132-1-2).

Sea Ghost returns in “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” Vol. 3 which will be released in the spring of 2011. Follow this link for a short video clip of Piscopo talking about the Sea Ghost character.

Ordering information:

“The Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine”
Published by Nemo Publishing
Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo
36 Pages | Full Color | $3.99
Order from January Diamond Previews – Page 298
DIAMOND CODE -- JAN111269

What they’re saying:
“A ripsnorting, old-school adventure with great characters, a terrific story and out-of-this-world art.” ~ Brian Augustyn, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

“The kind of comic I loved as a kid and still love today. FUN!” ~ Brendan Deneen, Flash Gordon

“Sea Ghost #1 is a must have for readers looking for a fun, intelligent, action based story and for fans who miss the glory days of Saturday morning cartoons.” ~ Penny Kenny, Comics Bulletin

www.TheSeaGhost.com

www.CaptnEli.com

###

Commander X Adventures - Free Web Comic for Commander X-Mas

2010-12-21T07:26:00.000-08:00

PORTLAND, MAINE (December 21, 2010) – Nemo Publishing, publisher of Jay Piscopo’s The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli all-ages graphic novel series, has released its 3rd annual Commander X Adventures.

This free comic book is available at this link.

Commander X Adventures features pulp adventure stories about the renowned time traveler, Commander X, who is an integral character in the Capt’n Eli series. This collection of stories has a retro-modern feel. Piscopo noted “Our hero, Commander X, is a classic comic strip and movie serial hero with some high tech gizmos and time travel thrown in.”

Piscopo edited this free on-line comic book with a team of creators from the United States and England, including stories by Frank Schildiner, Vito Delsante and Michael Leal. Artwork was created by Marvel cover artist Mike Fyles, Wynn Ryder, Danny Kelly and Robert Caine Jeffcoat, and the legendary Mort Todd. Piscopo also wrote and illustrated a story and edited the collection.

In Piscopo’s story, fans meet Commander X as the Undersea Knight. In conjunction with this, Nemo Publishing has created the Undersea Knight as a limited edition Mego-style collectible action figure.

“With this collectible figure, we’ve captured the nostalgic feeling of the fun of Christmas morning when a special toy could take you into another universe,” continued Piscopo. “Seeing Commander X in his Undersea Knight uniform in the story really sparks the imagination.”

This is the sixth figure in the Commander X collectible action figure line. The other figures include: Golden Age Commander X, 1950s Commander X, Western Knight, Barbary Knight, and the Archer Knight. These eight-inch figures are created in a retro-style reminiscent of those made by the Mego Corporation in the 1970s and are designed by Piscopo and produced by Paul “Dr. Mego” Clarke. A short video about the variant collection can be viewed at this link.

All six figures are available exclusively at www.captneli.com at a special price of $15 (regularly $19.95) through December 31, 2010.

Readers of Commander X Adventures will also have the chance to learn more about the Sea Raider. This aquatic superhero is the Sea Ghost’s former identity during WW II. Fans first met the Sea Raider and the Sea Ghost in Volumes 1 and 2 of Capt'n Eli. The Sea Ghost now also stars in his own comic book distributed by Diamond Comics Distributors. More about this new book at www.TheSeaGhost.com.

When The Sea Ghost #1 (Diamond Code: JAN111269) is released in Diamond Previews this January, The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli – Volume 1 will be offered again (Diamond Code: JAN111270). Capt’n Eli – Volume 2, which contains Sea Ghost’s origin story, is also still available (Diamond Code: AUG084227). Volume 3 of the Capt’n Eli graphic novel series will be released in spring 2011.

###

Boys Rock, Boys Read!

2010-12-15T06:44:00.000-08:00

Check out the Boys Rock, Boys Read blog by librarian Bill Corder and friends aimed at getting boys hooked on reading.

The most recent post features Jay Piscopo's new Sea Ghost #1 comic book and his graphic novel series, The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli.

Coming next week: Commander X-Mas...the tradition continues!

2010-12-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

Read more about Jay Piscopo's annual Commander X Adventures FREE comic book at this link. Look for the 2010 edition next week!

Special thanks to Mike Fyles for this amazing promo artwork!

Sea Ghost #1: Order Code for January Diamond Previews

2010-12-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

The Sea Ghost #1
Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo
Published by Nemo Publishing
36 Pages Full Color $3.99

Order from January Diamond Previews!
Diamond Code: JAN111269

View Pages at www.TheSeaGhost.com

NEWSFLASH!
The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli – Vol. 1 offered again in January Previews (Diamond Code: JAN111270).

Sea Ghost’s origin story is revealed in The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli – Vol. 2 which is still available (Diamond Code: AUG084227).

SYNOPSIS:
Sea Ghost discovers a dangerous secret when a mysterious sphere transports him to an alien world locked in an endless war. Can he convince the Simas and Phlan to stop fighting and unite against the real enemy? Find out in Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine!

Sea Ghost #1 features A and B covers of this aquatic superhero and includes a pin-up by legendary illustrator Ramona Fradon.

Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli graphic novel series. Sea Ghost is an integral character in the Capt’n Eli universe and has a long career fighting evil above and beneath the waves. The Sea Ghost returns in The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli - Vol. 3 which will be released in the spring of 2011.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:

“The kind of comic I loved as a kid and still love today. FUN!” ~ Brendan Deneen, Flash Gordon

“A ripsnorting, old-school adventure with great characters, a terrific story and out-of-this-world art. ~ Brian Augustyn, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

“A must have for fans who miss the glory days of Saturday morning cartoons.” ~ Penny Kenny, Comics Bulletin

More reviews at this link.

"Sea Ghost #1" Reviewed by Comic Book Collectors Blog

2010-12-05T11:57:00.001-08:00

Comic Book Collector's blog checks out Jay Piscopo's new comic book The Sea Ghost #1. Michael Hamersky's son Vinny saw the comic in Michael's review pile and here's what he has to say.

I liked everything: the story was exciting, and easy to follow, and the art was just fantastic. It would be hard to explain, but to me it seemed realistic, yet cartoony at the same time.

This had me wanting to read the "Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli", so I could learn more about Sea Ghost...

Follow this link to read the full review and get Vinny's take on this new book from Nemo Publishing.

This comic book will be available in Diamond's January Previews. More about the book and how to order at this link.

New free comic on the way for Commander X-Mas!

2010-12-02T07:20:00.001-08:00

Commander X-Mas is almost here! Nemo Publishing, publisher of Jay Piscopo’s "The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel series, is about to release its 3rd annual “Commander X Adventures.” This free online comic book will be available at www.captneli.com.

Fans can read issues one and two of "Commander X Adventures" now at this link.

Issue three will feature the Sea Raider. This aquatic superhero is the Sea Ghost's identity during WW II. Readers first met the Sea Raider in Volumes 1 and 2 of "The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli" and the Sea Ghost stars in his own comic book this January -- look for it in Diamond Previews!

Issue three of "Commander X Adventures" will spotlight stories by Frank Schildiner, Vito Delsante and Michael Leal and art by Mike Fyles, Wynn Ryder, Danny Kelly and the legendary Mort Todd - a longtime friend from grade school. Additional art, stories and editing by Jay Piscopo.

“Commander X Adventures” features pulp adventure stories about the renowned time traveler, Commander X, who is an integral character in “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” series.

Special Congratulations to Mike Fyles on his work with Marvel and to Michael Leal and Danny Kelly along with their team, Nik Poliwko and Michael McElveen on their
Small Press Idol win!

All Commander X action figures are on sale now. Look for the NEW Undersea Knight coming soon.... Just in time for Commander X-Mas!

Captain Action #3 - Season 2

2010-11-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

Captain Action (Season 2) #3 is now available! Check out all the details at this link and order your copy today.

Thanks to Ed Catto and Joe Ahearn for including Jay Piscopo's pin-up of the retro version of Captain Action. Captain Action was one of Jay's first toys as a kid so this was a particularly fun pin-up to draw.

This book is published by Moonstone. Jay is currently working with Martin Powell on a forthcoming Moonstone book THE SPIDER: Curse of the Unholy 3. Read more about that book at this link.

Sea Ghost #1 - Look inside the book!

2010-11-21T05:48:00.000-08:00

Check out pages from Jay Piscopo's new Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine comic book at this new preview website:

www.theseaghost.com

This book will be offered in January 2011 Diamond Previews.

We'll have our Diamond Code in December and will share it with everyone as soon as we do so you can ask your local comic shop to order this book.

Be sure to sign up for our email list at this link and you'll be the first to receive the Diamond Code AND all the news about the FREE Commander X Adventures coming just in time for Commander X-Mas! Read the 2009 and 2010 editions of Commander X Adventures at this link.

Holiday Gift Guide: The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli

2010-11-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

November 18, 2010

By Katie Campbell

Where has the art of comics gone? That is what I would like to know. I know that my son Reece, is always stopping me when we are in the library to look at the comics, but I seriously cannot find them anywhere. Am I living under a rock? I also know that every Sunday Reece races for the Comic section to read the funnies. See, there is an audience for them and it looks like Capt'n Eli knows that!

The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli are graphic comic novels that take the reader on sea, air, and outerspace adventures with Capt'n Eli, his best friend Barney, and Jolly Roger the 200 year old Parrot. We read Volume 1, which includes "They Mystery of Me" and "The Mystery of Sargasso Sea" and I know that it definitely kept me interested and Reece didn't even put it down! Continue reading HERE.

Order the books HERE.

Catch the spirit at Casablanca Comics in Maine: Debut of new Sea Ghost comic book

2010-11-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

Casablanca Comics is the first comic shop in the country to have Jay Piscopo's new Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine comic book available for sale at its stores in Portland and Windham, Maine.

All North American retailers will have the opportunity to order Sea Ghost #1 this January in Diamond Previews so be sure to ask for it at your favorite local comic shop so you don't miss this exciting new comic!

Sea Ghost #1: The Sea Ghost in the Machine
Published by Nemo Publishing
Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo
36 Pages | Full Color | $3.99

Reading With Pictures: Reviewed by Jeff Marsick on Newsarama

2010-11-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

Jeff Marsick writes about the new Reading With Pictures anthology:

"One-hundred and ninety-two pages, thirty-seven stories. And lest you think it’s a collection of never-heard-ofs as contributors, here’s a partial roll call of some of the more notable names: Jill Thompson (who did the cover), Fred Van Lente, Gabriel Bautista, Chris Eliopoulos, Rich Faber, Steve Horton, Kevin Sacco, Jay Piscopo, Russell Lissau. More than sixty creative types (writers, artists, colorists and letterers) built this book, and I would defy anyone to find a better collection of kid-friendly stories in one package."

Check out his Best Shot Review of Reading With Pictures on Newsarama at this link.

"If you’re a teacher, administrator, or librarian, buy a few copies of this book. It would be a bargain at twice the price. If you’re a parent, buy a copy for home. It’s hard to find quality kid-friendly titles that are as delightful to read as this one is." ~ Jeff Marsick, Newsarama

You can order the book at this link.

For more about Jay Piscopo's story, The Goblin of the Deep, visit this link.

Jay Piscopo: Saving the art of comics, 1 book at a time

2010-11-05T05:13:00.001-07:00

Author Profile: Jay Piscopo
Saving the art of comics, 1 book at a time

November 4, 2010

By JENNIFER HAZARD, Raising Maine Contributor

Epic film battles. Hanna-Barbera’s Space Ghost. Golden Age comics. These are just a few of Portland author/illustrator Jay Piscopo’s favorite things. His recent graphic novels, “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli: The Mystery of Me” and “The Mystery of the Sargasso Sea” echo all of these influences, offering adventure, intrigue and a colorful cast of heroes and villains.

The series begins with an infant named Eli, whose underwater pod mysteriously washes ashore on a remote Maine island called Eagle Rock. Eli is adopted and raised by the island’s lighthouse keeper, Pops, and his wife, Ma. When Eli reaches boyhood, the couple learns that their son is a prodigy – capable of designing his own high tech submarine. Word of the boy’s abilities soon spreads beyond the tiny island. Professor Wow, a scientist from an underwater exploration team called the Seasearchers, invites young Eli to join the team. Eli accepts in hopes of learning more about his mysterious past.

If the character of Capt’n Eli looks and sounds strangely familiar, you’re right. The name is based on the Maine-made soda developed by Shipyard Brewing Company President and Founder Fred Forsley. According to Piscopo, Forsley wanted to promote Capt’n Eli’s soda with a TV show similar to 1930s radio programs like the “Lone Ranger” and the “Green Hornet.” He approached Piscopo – who worked as an animator on the ABC Saturday morning series, “Squigglevision” – to see if he’d be interested in the project. Based on past comic book experience, Piscopo encouraged Forsley to start simply. And so they did, beginning with an activity placemat for Shipyard’s restaurants. The placemat featured a comic called, “The Great Root Beer Battle,” starring young Eli, his dog Barney and a recognizable parrot named Jolly Roger.

The trio of characters appeared in a comic book called “The Mystery of the Haunted Lighthouse.” Piscopo says the comic was cute, similar to a Scooby Doo-style mystery, but not quite what he had in mind. He researched favorite books, films and comics, and in a year’s time, he developed “The Undersea Adventures of Captain Eli.” Piscopo hopes to add a third installment of the series by the spring of 2011. However, fans of his graphic novels will have something to tide them over in between. Sea Ghost – one of the many characters in the series – is featured in a recent comic book. And another mysterious character, Commander X, will be highlighted in an online comic available for the holidays.

With so much on his plate, is a television series about Capt’n Eli still possible? Piscopo says talks with agents in New York and Los Angeles are happening now. In the meantime, he’s busy promoting the series in schools with comic book workshops geared toward 7- to 10-year-olds. He says the hour-long cartooning workshop is designed to demystify the art of making comics, and kids are responding positively.

In a market where monthly comic book sales are declining, he likes the idea of appealing to a new generation of writers and illustrators. The workshops are one way to keep the art alive.

“I love the medium,” he says. “I don’t think it’s dead by any means. If writers and illustrators make a good thing and are aware of their audience, a comic will work.”

Piscopo hopes “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” is doing just that. He wants the series to appeal to children and their parents, who might be seeking comics reminiscent of their childhood.

“If a family can read these books together,” he says, “that’s the Holy Grail.”

Sea Ghost #1 -- Hot off the press!

2010-11-04T09:25:00.001-07:00

Order today at this link. Be sure to look for it in January Previews!
This 36-page full color comic book features the story “The Sea Ghost in the Machine” written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo and featuring a pin-up by legendary illustrator Ramona Fradon.

Sea Ghost discovers a dangerous secret when a mysterious sphere transports him to an alien world locked in an endless war. Can he convince the Simas and Phlan to stop fighting and unite against the real enemy?

Read reviews HERE and HERE.

Check out this inspiring Sea Ghost pin-ups by Ramona Fradon and the amazing work of Danny Kelly and Robert Caine Jeffcoat below.

Sea Ghost Review: Secret Identity Podcast

2010-11-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

Matman Rating – 5 out of 5 “wish Aquaman was this cool!”

COMICS
11-4-10: The Sea Ghost # 1 (Nemo Publishing)

One of our favorite segments on Secret Identity is the Saturday Morning Special! For us, some of our favorite memories of childhood is watching cool, action oriented cartoons that seemed to be so much bigger than life or our imagination! So the fine tradition of Jack Kirby and those great cartoons of old I present to you (big echo effect), ‘The Sea Ghost’!!!

From the incredible mind and pencil of Jay Piscopo comes ‘The Sea Ghost # 1’! In the same tone and style of Jay’s other work like ‘Capt’n Eli’ and ‘Commander X’ (both who make appearances here), comes another all ages adventure full of fun and nonstop action!

‘Sea Ghost in the Machine’ introduces us to The Sea Ghost and his undersea world featuring his command center the Ghosts Grotto! Living in the ruins of Atlantis, The Ghost and his children Triton and Coral, he keeps the sea safe from evil. When Commander X alerts the Ghost of some oddities in the Arctic, he makes his way to investigate. But when he gets there he finds a small vehicle that transports him to another world! But of course when he arrives he is treated as an enemy and hunted by everyone on the planet; land, sea and air. Can The Sea Ghost save himself and help restore peace to the planet of Eris?

Sea Ghost is an incredible character and not just because he looks wicked awesome and does even cool stuff! He is a father and sadly a widower who speaks to his wife in visions. Not only does he bust stuff up (which we all demand), but he can use his brain to reason before the fisticuffs. There is a lot of depth to this character as well as his support staff that I can’t wait to explore in future issues.

As far as Jay’s writing and art … brilliant! He creates such an inviting and warm feeling you can hear the ocean swishing and the cheesy music playing in the background. His visuals are very much in the tradition of Alex Toth and the King, Jack Kirby! If Mr. Kirby were still with us, he would be very pleased by the world Jay has created!

‘The Sea Ghost’ One Shot is a pleasant and rewarding read that satisfies on all levels. It can sometimes hurt a book when it is billed as ‘all ages’, and that is a shame. My greatest comic reading experiences involve reading comics with my daughters, like I did with my father and grandfather. Anyone who loves comics, great art and the ability to share will certainly enjoy this first issue!

Sea Ghost # 1 (along with the first two highly recommended Capt’n Eli Adventures) is available now at www.captneli.com.

Sea Ghost #1 - Comicsbulletin Review by Penny Kenny

2010-10-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Jay Piscopo's new "Sea Ghost #1" comic book is available for pre-order at this link. Pre-orders will ship in early November.

Sea Ghost #1 - The Ghost in the Machine
Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo
Published by Nemo Publishing

Thursday, October 21, 2010
Penny Kenny

Reviewer Rating:

A mysterious sphere transports Sea Ghost to a world where the sea and land dwellers are at war. Can he convince both sides to end their conflict and unite forces to defeat the real enemy?

No kidding, the theme music from the original Super Friends cartoon was running through my head the entire time I was reading "The Sea Ghost in the Machine." Jay Piscopo's Sea Ghost #1 plays out like a Hanna-Barbara or Filmation Saturday morning cartoon. This one-shot has the same kind of energy and fast pace of those classic action cartoons of the '60s and '70s. Also like those shows, "The Sea Ghost in the Machine" is filled to the brim with concepts like "Temporal Displacement Energy Fields," "Bio-engineered Doomsday Mutants," "Old Gods," and shark-copters. Piscopo tosses them out for the reader to "Oooh" and "Ahhh" over and moves on with the narrative, much the way his inspiration Jack Kirby did.

There's a big, open, anything can happen feel to the story. It begins in the Sea Ghost's underwater headquarters outside Atlantis, bounces across the galaxy, sweeps underwater again, then up to land, and then to an icy, arctic region. At every location something is accomplished. Piscopo isn't just drawing cool looking scenery. He's telling a story that has a beginning, middle, and end and makes sense.

For all the action, and there's plenty of that (Sea Ghost breaks nets, heads, walls, and Lovecraft-lite creatures) Piscopo takes the time to establish Sea Ghost as a person you want to spend time with. The three panels showing him interact with his children and the following two where he speaks to the spirit of his wife set him up as a decent, honorable man....Follow this link to read the full review.

Sea Ghost #1 is a must have for readers looking for a fun, intelligent, action based story and for fans who miss the glory days of Saturday morning cartoons when Space Ghost, Aquaman, and The Herculoids graced the airwaves. ~ Penny Kenny, Comics Bulletin

Sale Begins Today: Capt'n Eli Graphic Novels & Commander X Action Figures

2010-10-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

PORTLAND, MAINE (Oct. 19, 2010) – Two years ago, Nemo Publishing released its first limited edition Mego-style action figure of the retro hero Commander X. Today there are five variants in the collection and a sixth will be released next month.

In celebration of this popular action figure series, Nemo Publishing announces a special online holiday season sale exclusively at www.captneli.com. From now through Friday, Dec. 31, all Commander X action figures will be available at a special price of $15.00 (regular price $19.95). In addition, Volumes 1 and 2 of Jay Piscopo’s “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel series will be available for $8.00 (regular price $9.99).

Read full press release at this link.

The five Commander X action figures currently available are: Golden Age Commander X, 1950s Commander X, Western Knight, Barbary Knight and the Archer Knight. View photos at this link. These eight-inch figures are created in a retro-style reminiscent of those made by the Mego Corporation in the 1970s. Piscopo is working with Paul Clarke, known as “Dr. Mego,” to create this collection.

“The sixth figure will be the Undersea Knight,” said Piscopo. “Look for more information about this new figure next month.”

When customers order a Commander X action figure they are automatically entered to win one of three super-limited-edition Sea Ghost action figure prototypes. The final winner will be drawn Dec. 15, 2010. Like Commander X, Sea Ghost is a key character in the “Capt’n Eli” series. More details about the contest can be found at this link.

Sea Ghost fans can look forward to a Sea Ghost one-shot comic book to hit the shelves late this month and, in early December, the third annual Commander X-Mas “Commander X Adventures” free on-line comic book will be released on www.captneli.com. This new collection of stories will feature the Sea Raider – who is Sea Ghost’s former identity when he fought in WWII.

“Like Commander X, Sea Ghost has many identities throughout time and is the latest spin off from the Capt’n Eli universe,” Piscopo explained. “Fans will meet an even newer incarnation of Sea Ghost in book three of ‘Capt’n Eli’ when it is released early next year.”

Review: Sea Ghost One-Shot Comic Book by Jay Piscopo

2010-10-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

Check out Chuck Wells' interview with Jay Piscopo on The Comic Book Catacombs where he also reviews Jay's new Sea Ghost one-shot comic book which hits the stands this month.

"It will appeal to every fan of Hanna-Barbera superheroes, silver age comics and all-ages friendly material. I also feel like fans of Mike Allred's Madman and The Atomics would really enjoy this book as I got a strong "Allred-kind" of vibe off of Jay's visuals in Sea Ghost." ~ Chuck Wells, The Comic Book Catacombs

Today's spotlight feature is a neat interview with Jay Piscopo, the author and illustrator of the all-ages graphic novel series, "The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli". I recently noticed the Facebook page that Jay had set up as promotion for a cool new spin-off from "Capt. Eli" that focuses on a major supporting character from that series called "The Sea Ghost". This underwater champions visual design is really classic in appearance, and I have to admit that I've always had a soft spot for ocean-based heroes like Aquaman and the Sub-Mariner, so I fired off an invitation to feature Jay and "Sea Ghost" in the Catacombs. CLICK HERE to read the full interview.

Reading With Pictures features Jay Piscopo's new Capt'n Eli story

2010-09-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

"Jay Piscopo's The Goblin of the Deep...neatly ties information about undersea life into a pretty cool short story." ~ Gordon Dymowsky

Deep off the coast of Tazmania, the distress call is sent: divers are trapped in a cave by a giant sea monster! Heeding the call in his mini-sub, the Dolphin, is Capt'n Eli, intrepid Sea Explorer and inventor. In the endless depths he discovers everything is not as it seems....

“The Goblin of the Deep” is a new 6-page Capt’n Eli story by Maine comic book artist Jay Piscopo. This story is featured in Reading With Pictures’ first anthology. “Reading with Pictures – Volume 1” is a full color, 192 page collection of works by more than 30 comic creators. A full list of contributors can be found at this link.

Reading With Pictures is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that advocates the use of comics in the classroom to promote literacy and improve educational outcomes for all students. There is a trend in education towards using graphic novels as a teaching tool to motivate and inspire students. Comic books and graphic novels are now being used in classrooms as tools for teaching everything from early reading to course texts for college. A collection of articles on this topic can be found at this link.

Piscopo is the author and illustrator of “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel series and his new 6-page story “The Goblin of the Deep” is suitable for kids of all ages.

“Reading With Pictures – Volume 1” is available nationally at fine comic shops, including Casablanca Comics in Portland and Windham, Maine. The book can also be purchased in the store section of the Capt’n Eli website.

On Saturday, October 23 Casablanca Comics will host a special signing with Jay in Portland, Maine. A recent review can be found at this link.

A full overview of Nemo Publishing’s educational offerings can be found at this link.

Sea Ghost One-Shot Comic Book by Jay Piscopo

2010-08-30T09:38:00.001-07:00

Now available for pre-order! This 36 Page full color comic book features the story “The Sea Ghost in the Machine” by Jay Piscopo and a pin-up by legendary illustrator Ramona Fradon. Shipping October 2010. Order today at this link.

Jay Piscopo Featured in Reading With Pictures Anthology

2010-08-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

"Jay Piscopo's The Goblin of the Deep...neatly ties information about undersea life into a pretty cool short story." ~ Gordon Dymowsky

The new Reading With Pictures Anthology has hit the shelves. This collection features stories by more than 50 comic creators! Be sure to ask for it at your favorite comic shop. Read Gordon Dymowsky's review at this link.

If you are in Portland, Maine head to Casablanca Comics on Saturday, October 23 for a special signing with Jay. More about Jay and The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli at this link.

New Gloucester Public Library hosts Jay Piscopo

2010-06-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 29, 2010: On a beautiful Maine summer evening, Jay Piscopo presented his interactive comics drawing workshop for kids at the New Gloucester Public Library in picturesque New Gloucester, Maine.

The Capt'n Eli's Soda crew was also on hand to provide families with a taste of this Maine made soda.

Check out photos at this link.

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series.

Jay Piscopo Kicks Off Summer Reading Program

2010-06-21T16:54:00.001-07:00

Today, Jay Piscopo kicked off Walker Memorial Library's Summer Reading program with his interactive Draw on Your Creativity workshop for kids. Photos at this link.

Jay is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series.

Check out his summer appearance schedule at this link.

Jay Piscopo: June Appearance Schedule

2010-06-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

In June, The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel author/illustrator Jay Piscopo will present his interactive Draw on Your Creativity drawing workshop for kids at the following locations:

June 9
3:30 - 5:30
Fiddlehead Center for the Arts -- Gray, ME

June 6
1:30 - 2:30
Private event

June 21
3:00
Walker Memorial Library -- Westbrook, ME
Summer reading program kick off!

June 29
7:00pm
New Gloucester Public Library -- New Gloucester, ME
Check out the Capt'n Eli's Soda van from 6:00 - 7:00pm!

View his full appearance schedule at this link.

Read more about his offerings for schools and libraries at this link.

To schedule an appearance, contact Tami Kennedy at tami@maine.rr.com

Maine Comics Arts Festival

2010-05-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Check out photos HERE.

May 23, 2010: The 2nd Annual Maine Comics Arts Festival was held at Ocean Gateway in Portland, Maine. Jay Piscopo and The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli crew were there along with many, many other fantastic creators from Maine and away.

It was a sea of talent on the Portland waterfront!

Capt’n Eli’s Soda was enjoyed by all and Jay spent the day doing free superhero sketches for fans. MECAF is presented by Casablanca Comics.

More at www.captneli.com and www.mainecomicsfestival.com.

More photos!
Check out photos from Jay's drawing workshop HERE and photos from the art exhibit HERE.

FREE Workshop: John Shableski "The World of Graphic Novels"

2010-05-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

Educators and Librarians: Check out today's Portland Press Herald to read about John Shableski's "The World of Graphic Novels" workshop for librarians and educators this Saturday at 11:00 at the Portland Public Library. More detail about this FREE workshop is below.

Families won't want to miss Jay Piscopo's FREE Kids Cartooning Workshop at the Portland Public Library on Saturday at 10:00. Click HERE for more detail.

And be sure to visit Jay at the Maine Comics Arts Festival on Sunday!

The World of Graphic Novels
John Shableski, Diamond Book Distributors
This free presentation is for librarians and educators who are interested in the world of graphic novels and are looking for definitions, explanations, and advice on where to begin or expand your collection or how to effectively use graphic novels in the classroom. John conducts this workshop nationally with librarians and educators and is known for his interactive, conversational style. This is his first time presenting in Maine. You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity!

WHEN: Saturday, May 22, 2010 – 11:00am

WHERE: Portland Public Library
5 Monument Square, Portland, Maine

THE PRESENTER: John Shableski is sales manager at Diamond Book Distributors, the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books, and one of the biggest distributors of graphic novels in the U.S. through its Diamond Book Distributors division. John has been a panelist at BookExpo America, a moderator for graphic novel panels at the New York Comic Con, a guest speaker at library events, regional book shows and a symposium coordinator. He's currently collaborating on several graphic novel symposiums across the country. His focus is on the independent bookstore market, public and school libraries.

FMI: Maine Comics Arts Festival

This Saturday: FREE Kids Cartooning Workshop with Jay Piscopo

2010-05-18T15:53:00.001-07:00

WHAT: The Maine Comics Arts Festival presents a kids cartooning workshop with Jay Piscopo.

WHEN: Saturday, May 22 from 10:00–11:00am

WHERE: Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square, Portland

ADMISSION: Admission is FREE

DESCRIPTION: Kids Cartooning Workshop: In this hour-long interactive workshop, children ages 7-12 are invited to try their hand at cartoon art. Using simple shapes, comic book artist Jay Piscopo will demonstrate how to build figures and perspective to create art that tells a story.

For a behind the scenes look at this interactive workshop, visit this link.

Be sure to visit Jay at the Maine Comics Arts Festival on Sunday, too! For more information, follow this link.

Spain Club Batman exhibit features artwork by Jay Piscopo

2010-05-15T13:51:00.001-07:00

Spain's Club Batman celebrates its 20th anniversary with
a special exhibit of Batman artwork. Agustin Padilla and Salvador Navarro will be at the opening on May 28. Poster illustration by Ernie Chan.

Portland, Maine comic book artist Jay Piscopo was invited to exhibit three works in this exhibit.

More information about the exhibit at this link.

Review: Commander X Archer Knight Action Figure

2010-05-10T14:37:00.001-07:00

Follow this link to read Boyce McClain's review of the new Commander X Archer Knight on Collectors' Corner.

"There’s something very nostalgic about this figure. It reminds me of the cool Mega Toy figures that were put out a few decades ago....This is really a fun figure with a clever presentation." ~ Boyce McClain

Kids Cartooing Workshop with Jay Piscopo

2010-05-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

Latest Commander X Archer Knight Mego-style Action Figure Released by Jay Piscopo

2010-05-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

PORTLAND, MAINE (May 5, 2010) – Nemo Publishing has released its fifth action figure variant in the Commander X collection. The Commander X Archer Knight is a limited edition, Mego-style, eight-inch collectible action figure available for sale exclusively at www.captneli.com.

Commander X is an integral character in Jay Piscopo’s all-ages graphic novel series, The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli. Commander X is an amnesiac who has been sent from the future to save the earth from inevitable destruction. He is a based on the Depression-era heroes of the comic book and movie serials of the 1930s. The collectible figure is created in a retro-style reminiscent of figures made by the Mego Corporation in the 1970s.

Piscopo worked with Paul Clarke, known as “Dr. Mego,” to create this collection. Other limited edition Commander X eight-inch Mego–style action figures currently available are Golden Age Commander X, 1950’s Commander X, Western Knight and the Barbary Knight. Each figure is $19.95 plus shipping.

Photos can be viewed at this link.

View a video clip at this link.

When customers order a Commander X action figure they are automatically entered to win one of three super-limited-edition Sea Ghost action figure prototypes. The first winner was drawn December 15, 2009 and the final two winners will be drawn July 15, 2010 and December 15, 2010. Like Commander X, Sea Ghost is a key character in the Capt’n Eli graphic novel series. More details about the contest can be found at this link.

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May 22: Free kids comics drawing workshop at Maine Comics Arts Festival

2010-05-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

Jay Piscopo kicks off the Maine Comics Arts Festival with a free kids comics drawing workshop

PORTLAND, ME – (May 3, 2010) – Maine comic book artist Jay Piscopo will kick off the Maine Comics Arts Festival with a free kids comics drawing workshop. Piscopo is the author and illustrator of “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel
series. He has presented hundreds of workshops and classroom events teaching drawing and storytelling techniques.

WHAT: The Maine Comics Arts Festival presents a kids cartooning workshop with Jay Piscopo.

WHEN: Saturday, May 22 from 10:00–11:00am

WHERE: Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square, Portland

ADMISSION: Admission is FREE

DESCRIPTION: Kids Cartooning Workshop: In this hour-long interactive workshop, children ages 7-12 are invited to try their hand at cartoon art. Using simple shapes, comic book artist Jay Piscopo will demonstrate how to build figures and perspective to create art that tells a story.

For a behind the scenes look at this interactive workshop, visit this link.

More about Jay Piscopo: Piscopo has been making state-of-the-art children's entertainment for nearly 20 years. He served as an art director at Tom Snyder Productions, where he led the creative team in the production of educational CD-ROMs, including the award-winning “Fizz and Martina Math Adventures” and was as an animator on the ABC Saturday morning show “Squigglevision.” He was also the co-creator of the internationally distributed comic book series featuring the world’s first disabled superheroes, “The Scrap City Pack Rats,” which he created in partnership with Goodwill Industries. Jay is an engaging presenter who has conducted hundreds of comics workshops and classroom events teaching drawing and storytelling techniques. He resides in his hometown of Portland, Maine.

More about “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli”: With his companions Jolly Roger, a 200-year-old parrot, and the faithful seadog Barney, Capt’n Eli takes readers into a mesmerizing world of time travel, high-tech ships, flying mini-subs, robots, lost civilizations, and undersea empires in conflict. Volumes 1 and 2 are available now and Volume 3 is scheduled for release in 2010. This series is published by Nemo Publishing and distributed nationally by Diamond Comics Distributors. Read more about the series at this link: http://www.captneli.com/gnseries.php

Capt'n Eli's origins are quite unique. He’s the namesake of real-life World War II veteran Eli Forsley who was also the inspiration for a line of hand-crafted sodas from Portland, Maine. Read more at this link.

More about the Maine Comics Arts Festival: The Maine Comics Arts Festival will be held Sunday, May 23 from 10:00am – 5:00pm at Ocean Gateway on the Portland waterfront. Admission is $5 and kids 12 and under are free. Workshops and panels will take place on Saturday, May 22 at the Portland Public Library. More information can be found at this link.

Website: www.captneli.com
Blog: www.captneli.blogspot.com

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Jay Piscopo: May Appearance Schedule

2010-05-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

These two photos are from graphic novel artist Jay Piscopo's three-part comics drawing class at The Port Teen Center in Freeport, Maine. The Port is an amazing place and the students were lots of fun to work with.

In May, he will present his hour-long interactive Draw on Your Creativity workshop at the following schools:

May 21
Mahoney Middle School -- South Portland, ME

May 27
Elm Street School -- Mechanic Falls, ME

On Saturday, May 22 at 10:00am Piscopo will kick off the Maine Comics Arts Festival with a free Kids Cartooning Workshop at the Portland Public Library. In this hour-long workshop, children ages 7-12 are invited to try their hand at cartoon art. Using simple geometric shapes, Piscopo will demonstrate how to build figures and perspective to create art that tells a story.

For a behind the scenes look at this interactive workshop, visit this link.

On Sunday, May 23 he will debut his new "Creatures of the Sea" coloring book at the Maine Comics Arts Festival. He will offer free superhero sketches to convention goers all day long.

View his full appearance schedule at this link.

To schedule an appearance, contact Tami Kennedy at tami@maine.rr.com

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series.

Capt’n Eli is a colorful character in Jay Piscopo’s new “Creatures of the Sea” coloring book

2010-04-29T08:05:00.001-07:00

Press release at this link.

PORTLAND, ME – (April 29, 2010) – Jay Piscopo announces the release of his new “Creatures of the Sea” coloring book. This book will debut at the Maine Comics Arts Festival on Sunday, May 23.

Piscopo is the author and illustrator of “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel series.

“This coloring book gives me a chance to highlight Capt’n Eli and some of the major characters in the series as well as the opportunity to show artwork of exotic and dangerous creatures from the sea,” said Piscopo.

From a walrus to a giant octopus to eels and lionfish, each page highlights a single character in a scene with a real or fantastical sea creature.

“A hero in conflict with a giant octopus has been a staple of many pulp adventure and comic book covers and I was inspired by that tradition,” continued Piscopo. “Creatures of the Sea” features three giant octopus scenes, two with the main character, Capt’n Eli. “You’ll also see Sea Ghost racing with sea turtles and Golden Age Commander X and Circe the Sorceress struggle with a giant crab monster.”

(Follow this link to view vintage pulp and comic book covers with a giant octopus theme.)

Created in his signature retro style, this 12-page book is suitable for kids of all ages. Priced at $2, this book is family affordable and, like “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli,” is something that can be enjoyed together as a family activity.

Coloring is one of the oldest and simplest activities and Piscopo has received a lot of response from adults looking forward to this book because they grew up with coloring books and still color as a hobby.

“When I was a kid coloring books seemed to be everywhere,” noted Piscopo. “Today they exist but not in the same abundance. This book is my homage to the heyday of the coloring book fad of the 1960s and 70s. I was greatly influenced by Alex Toth’s coloring book work from the 1960s and inspired by that standard.”

Follow this link for more about Alex Toth. Samples of Toth’s coloring book work can be viewed here and here.

Following the festival, “Creatures of the Sea” will be available for purchase exclusively online at www.captneli.com.

On Saturday, May 22 at 10:00am Piscopo will kick off the Maine Comics Arts Festival with a free Kids Cartooning Workshop at the Portland Public Library. In this hour-long workshop, children ages 7-12 are invited to try their hand at cartoon art. Using simple geometric shapes, Piscopo will demonstrate how to build figures and perspective to create art that tells a story.

For a behind the scenes look at this interactive workshop, visit this link.

More about the Maine Comics Arts Festival: The Maine Comics Arts Festival will be held Sunday, May 23 from 10:00am – 5:00pm at Ocean Gateway on the Portland waterfront. Admission is $5 and kids 12 and under are free. Workshops and panels will take place on Saturday, May 22 at the Portland Public Library. More information can be found at this link.

More about Jay Piscopo: Piscopo has been making state-of-the-art children's entertainment for nearly 20 years. He served as an art director at Tom Snyder Productions, where he led the creative team in the production of educational CD-ROMs, including the award-winning “Fizz and Martina Math Adventures” and was as an animator on the ABC Saturday morning show “Squigglevision.” He was also the co-creator of the internationally distributed comic book series featuring the world’s first disabled superheroes, “The Scrap City Pack Rats,” which he created in partnership with Goodwill Industries. Jay is an engaging presenter who has conducted hundreds of comics workshops and classroom events teaching drawing and storytelling techniques. He resides in his hometown of Portland, Maine.

More about “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli”: With his companions Jolly Roger, a 200-year-old parrot, and the faithful seadog Barney, Capt’n Eli takes readers into a mesmerizing world of time travel, high-tech ships, flying mini-subs, robots, lost civilizations, and undersea empires in conflict. Volumes 1 and 2 are available now and Volume 3 is scheduled for release in 2010. This series is published by Nemo Publishing and distributed nationally by Diamond Comics Distributors.

Capt'n Eli's origins are quite unique. He’s the namesake of real-life World War II veteran Eli Forsley who was also the inspiration for a line of hand-crafted sodas from Portland, Maine. Read more at this link.

www.captneli.com

###

Maine Comics Arts Festival: Free graphic novel workshop for educators and librarians

2010-04-23T04:46:00.000-07:00

“The graphic novel is to publishing today very much as rock and roll was when it first entered the music industry mainstream: a strange format already familiar to the popular culture but not yet understood by the established distribution channels." ~ John Shableski, Diamond Book Distributors

WHAT: The World of Graphic Novels

PRESENTER: John Shableski, Diamond Book Distributors

This free presentation is for librarians and educators who are interested in the world of graphic novels and are looking for definitions, explanations, and advice on where to begin or expand your collection or how to effectively use graphic novels in the classroom. John conducts this workshop nationally with librarians and educators and is known for his interactive, conversational style. This is his first time presenting in Maine. You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity!

WHEN: Saturday, May 22, 2010 – 11:00am

WHERE: Maine Comics Arts Festival

Portland Public Library
5 Monument Square
Portland, Maine

www.mainecomicsfestival.com

THE PRESENTER: John Shableski is sales manager at Diamond Book Distributors, the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books, and one of the biggest distributors of graphic novels in the U.S. through its Diamond Book Distributors division. John has been a panelist at BookExpo America, a moderator for graphic novel panels at the New York Comic Con, a guest speaker at library events, regional book shows and a symposium coordinator. He's currently collaborating on several graphic novel symposiums across the country. His focus is on the independent bookstore market, public and school libraries.

FMI: Casablanca Comics – TEL: 207-780-1676 – EMAIL: comics@casablancacomics.com

Jay Piscopo keynote at Harrison Middle School

2010-04-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Follow this link to check out photos from Jay Piscopo's keynote address at Harrison Middle School's annual Career Fair in his hometown of Yarmouth, Maine.

Jay is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series.

Jay Piscopo draws a crowd at Maine Festival of the Book

2010-04-11T05:28:00.001-07:00

View photos at this link.

On Saturday, April 10, 2010 comic book artist Jay Piscopo presented his interactive cartooning workshop to a standing room only crowd at the 4^th annual Maine Festival of the Book. Using simple geometric shapes, Jay demonstrated how anyone can learn to draw and create comics.

Portland, Maine-based Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli all-ages graphic novel series. He also co-created The Scrap City Pack Rats, art directed the award-winning Fizz and Martina Math Adventures, and was an animator for ABC TV’s Squigglevision.

Earlier in the week, Piscopo also presented the festival’s youth outreach component with a program for students in the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates' annual Urban Adventure program.

A real page turner

2010-04-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

A real page turner
The fourth Maine Festival of the Book opens Friday with three days devoted to all things literary.

By Meredith Goad
Staff Writer

Readings and discussions will be running all day Saturday at the Abromson Center, with topics ranging from writing novels to historic preservation. Comic book artist Jay Piscopo will be hosting a cartoon workshop for ages 7 to 12 at 11 a.m., and from noon to 2 p.m., about 30 authors will hold court at a Book Signing Bonanza, where fans can meet favorite authors.

Read full article at this link.

All attendees of Jay's workshop will receive a free copy of Volume 1 of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli.

Jay Piscopo: Maine Festival of the Book -- Kid's cartooning workshop

2010-04-01T06:06:00.001-07:00

Free young adult, children's programs part of Maine Festival of the Book

Download a Maine Festival of the Book brochure HERE.

Programs designed for all ages and interests will be presented at the Maine Festival of the Book on Saturday, April 10 at the Abromson Center at the University of Southern Maine, Portland. The programs are free and open to the public.

Presented by Maine Reads, the festival offers more than 30 readings, signings, performances, and panel discussions. With the exception of Opening Night on the evening of April 9, a benefit for Maine Reads featuring bestselling authors Tess Gerritsen and Anita Shreve, programs are free. (Tickets for Opening Night are available through www.mainereads.org.)

On Saturday, April 10, young adult and children’s authors will be on hand to sign books and chat with their fans at a special book signing presented by Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, from noon to 2 pm at the Abromson Center at USM.

Just prior to the book signing session, at 11 am on Saturday, comic book artist Jay Piscopo will present a cartooning workshop for children ages 7-12 at the Abromson Center as part of the Maine Festival of the Book. The workshop is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-serve, basis.

Using simple geometric shapes, Jay will demonstrate how anyone can learn to draw and create comics. While sharing cartooning tips, he will teach perspective and figure drawing to create art that tells a story. Art supplies will be provided.

Portland artist Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli, an all-ages graphic novel series. He also co-created The Scrap City Pack Rats, art directed the award-winning Fizz and Martina Math Adventures, and was an animator for ABC TV’s Squigglevision.

Piscopo will also donate his time as part of the festival’s outreach efforts and will present a program for students in the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates program that week.

The festival will also include free readings and discussions for the adult audience starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 10 at the Abromson Center at USM. Programs will run concurrently for approximately an hour each, giving attendees the opportunity to spend a day immersed in new literature and meeting some of their favorite authors while moving from programs ranging from biography, to writing novels, to gardening and historic preservation.

The Maine Festival of the Book is produced by Maine Reads in collaboration with organizations statewide.

Dedicated to the fight for a more literate Maine, Maine Reads provides meaningful programs that celebrate Maine’s rich literacy heritage and encourage literacy and collaboration.

In addition to the Maine Festival of the Book, Maine Reads presents Read With ME., which distributes books to kindergartners statewide, and the Maine Reads Community Literacy Project, which supports libraries statewide.

Jay Piscopo: April Appearance Schedule

2010-03-31T07:15:00.000-07:00

In April, graphic novel artist Jay Piscopo will present his interactive Draw on Your Creativity workshop at the following schools and libraries. These appearances include presenting the keynote address at the Maine Student Book Awards in Blue Hill and Career Day in Yarmouth.

View his full appearance schedule at this link. To schedule an appearance, contact Tami Kennedy at tami@maine.rr.com

Jay is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series.

April 1
Maine Student Book Awards
Keynote and Workshops
Blue Hill Consolidated School
Blue Hill, ME

April 6, 16, and 29
Comics Drawing Workshop
The PORT Teen Center
Freeport, ME

April 8
11:00 - 12:15
Maine Recreation and Parks Association
Annual Conference
Camden, ME

April 9
11:30 - Noon
UNUM Corporate Offices
Maine Reads -- Maine Festival of the Book
Special kick off for JMG's Urban Adventure

April 10
11:00
Maine Festival of the Book -- Portland, ME

April 13
7:45 - 10:50
Keynote - Career Day at Frank Harrison Middle School
Yarmouth, ME

April 28
JMG - Career Development Conference
Augusta, ME

Graphic novel artist Jay Piscopo featured keynote at Maine Student Book Awards

2010-03-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, April 1st graphic novel artist Jay Piscopo will be the keynote speaker at the Maine Student Book Awards at Blue Hill Consolidated School in Blue Hill. 200 Maine high school students will spend the day learning about drawing, digital storytelling, what goes into creating a comic book, and how books are made.

Jay is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series and will speak about his influences and creative process.

Watch a short behind the scenes video of Jay at work in his studio at this link.

Maine Festival of the Book features Jay Piscopo

2010-03-11T05:15:00.000-08:00

WHAT: The Maine Festival of the Book presents a cartooning workshop with Jay Piscopo

WHEN: Saturday, April 10 from 11:00am - Noon

WHERE: University of Southern Maine -- Abromson Community Education Center
88 Bedford St., Portland , Maine
Free parking will be available in the adjacent USM Parking Garage.
Directions at this link

ADMISSION: Admission is FREE and all attendees will receive a FREE copy of Volume 1 of Jay Piscopo's The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli.

MORE: Children ages 7-12 are invited to try their hand at cartoon art. Using simple shapes, comic book artist Jay Piscopo will demonstrate how to build figures and perspective to create art that tells a story. Stand by for adventure in this hour-long, interactive workshop!

Capt'n Eli and the Mystery of the Goblin Shark

2010-03-04T15:50:00.001-08:00

Check out the synopsis of Jay Piscopo's story for the forthcoming Reading With Pictures anthology at this link.

Here's a little taste:

Deep off the coast of Tasmania, the distress call is sent: Divers are trapped in a cave by a giant sea monster!

Heeding the call in The Dolphin (his mini-sub) is Capt'n Eli, intrepid sea explorer and inventor. He is joined by his friends, Barney the Sea Dog and a 200-year-old parrot Jolly Roger. As Eli arrives on the scene, he sees an empty damaged shark cage and notices hot water vents on the ocean floor. As he explores further, he discovers the underwater grotto with two wayward divers inside. Eli dons his scuba gear and leaves The Dolphin to help the divers.... CONTINUE READING

Pre-order the anthology at this link.

Jay Piscopo: March Workshop Schedule

2010-03-01T09:25:00.000-08:00

In March, graphic novel artist Jay Piscopo will present his interactive Draw on Your Creativity workshop at the following schools and libraries.

View his full appearance schedule at this link.

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series.

In his interactive Draw on Your Creativity drawing workshop, he uses simple geometric shapes to teach kids how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story. Check out photos at this link.

The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli is the perfect way to Make a Splash @ Your Library in Summer 2010! For more information and to book Jay Piscopo for a visit at your school or library, contact Tami Kennedy at tami@maine.rr.com.

March 3
5:30 - 7:00pm
Guys Read Book Group
Orono Public Library -- Orono, ME

March 11
10:00 -- Reiche Community School -- Portland, ME

March 22
2:00 -- TEACH -- Waterboro, ME

March 24
12:15pm -- Veazie Community School -- Veazie, ME

March 31
3:00 -- Blue Hill Public Library -- Blue Hill, ME

NEW Capt'n Eli story coming in Reading With Pictures anthology

2010-02-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

A brand new Capt'n Eli story written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo will be in Reading With Pictures' new all-ages comic anthology.

It's Capt'n Eli and the Mystery of the Goblin Shark! More preview artwork coming soon.

More about Reading with Pictures and the anthology at this link. Pre-order your copy today!

Science of Superheroes Expo

2010-02-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

The Science of Superheroes Expo puts the "S" in Superheroes and Capt'n Eli puts the "S" in Submersibles! Presented by Bronx Community College and Kids' Comic Con.

STAND BY FOR ADVENTURE!
Educators: Don't miss this chance to bring comic books into your classroom and inspire your students to dive into science! Your students will research superheroes' abilities and how science plays into their powers and gadgets. Your work will be presented in a science expo at Bronx Community College in the Spring of 2010. OVERVIEW HERE.

GRAPHIC NOVEL
The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli graphic novel series makes it easy with FREE on-line CURRICULUM your students will love.

Capt'n Eli is drenched in possibilities for Oceanography and other scientific studies. CURRICULUM HERE.

In the science lesson, students perform a series of experiments, learning about the relationship between mass, buoyancy and density. After understanding how a submarine works, students discover the legendary Alvin, the first deep-sea submersible able to carry passengers. Through research, students learn about hydrothermal vents and come to understand how scientists conduct underwater studies.

Educators interested in Jay Piscopo's The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series should contact:

Tami Kennedy
Nemo Publishing
207-838-0816
tami@maine.rr.com

Manly Sweaty Doll Blogger Award

2010-02-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

Wow! Jay Piscopo is honored to receive the Manly Sweaty Doll Blogger Award from the Boys Rule Boys Read! guys at ImaginOn Library in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In the spirit of this prestigious and coveted award, here are Jay's answers to the burning questions on the mind of manly men everywhere.

A few things about myself:
1. I'm a cartoonist
2. I grew up watching lots and lots of adventure manly man movies.
3. I'm watching reruns of a show called Have Gun Will Travel and the lead man is Paladin played by an actor named Richard Boone. He's about as Manly Man as it gets!

My favorite guy book is:
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

My favorite sports moment is:
When the US Hockey team won against the Soviets in 1980

My favorite manly man movie:
I'm in trouble on this one! There are so many....The Guns of Navarone, The Professionals, anything by Clint Eastwood...Charles Bronson...Lee Marvin...

My favorite manly man music:
Ennio Morricone soundtracks

My favorite food with no nutritional value:
Double bacon cheeseburger and french fries and gravy at the same time

Josh Alves: Capt'n Eli Art

2010-01-30T15:21:00.000-08:00

Josh Alves is the talented creator of Araknid Kid and the new Heropotamus. He painted this image of Capt'n Eli and we wanted to share his amazing artwork.

Click HERE to check out more of his artwork and read Brigid Alverson's recent interview with him on Robot 6.

Read more of Brigid's recent posts at this link.

February 17: Jay Piscopo at Walker Memorial Library

2010-01-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

In February, Jay Piscopo will present his interactive Draw on Your Creativity workshop at Walker Memorial Library, 800 Main St. in Westbrook, Maine.

DATE: Wednesday, February 17
TIME: 10:15am

To register:
854.0630, option number 4
chenningsachs@westbrook.me.us

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series. In his interactive Draw on Your Creativity drawing workshop, he uses simple geometric shapes to teach kids how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story. Check out photos at this link. The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli is the perfect way to Make a Splash @ Your Library in Summer 2010! For more information and to book Jay Piscopo for a visit at your school or library, contact Tami Kennedy at tami@maine.rr.com.

The Undersea Adventures of Jay Piscopo

2010-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Self Publishing Nexus Magazine just released Michael Leal's interview with Jay Piscopo.

Jay is the author and illustrator of the all-ages graphic novel series "The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli."

Jay Piscopo: January Appearance Schedule

2010-01-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

View Jay Piscopo's full appearance schedule at this link.

January 20

12:15pm
Veazie Community School -- Veazie, ME

6:00pm
Bookgroup: Guys read, too!
Orono Public Library -- Orono, ME

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series. In his interactive Draw on Your Creativity drawing workshop, comic book artist Jay Piscopo uses simple geometric shapes to teach kids how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story. Check out photos from his workshop at this link. The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli is the perfect way to Make a Splash @ Your Library in Summer 2010! For more information and to book Jay to visit your school or library visit this link or contact Tami Kennedy at tami@maine.rr.com

Grants for Maine Libraries

2010-01-05T11:05:00.001-08:00

Maine libraries are eligible for Maine Community Literacy Project planning and implementation grants from Maine Reads. Implementation grants range from $500 to $2,000. More at this link.

Over the past four years, more than forty Maine libraries have received funding through the Maine Community Literacy Project.

Sea Ghost winner announced!

2009-12-26T06:27:00.001-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nemo Publishing’s Sea Ghost collectible action figure contest winner announced

PORTLAND, MAINE (Dec.26, 2009) – Nemo Publishing announced the first winner of its Sea Ghost action figure contest. Steve Bracha of Cypress, California is the winner of the first of three super-limited edition Sea Ghost action figure prototypes.

The Sea Ghost is a character featured in Jay Piscopo’s graphic novel series “The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli,” published by Nemo Publishing.

Bracha was selected at random from hundreds of people who purchased Commander X Mego-style action figures between Dec.15, 2008 and Dec. 15, 2009.

The winners of the final two Sea Ghost Mego-style action figures will be drawn July 16, 2010 and Dec. 16, 2010. All customers who purchase Commander X figures prior to those dates will be automatically entered into both drawings.

These eight-inch collectible action figures are available exclusively at www.captneli.com and, through this Thursday, Dec. 31, all Commander X action figures will be available at a special price of $15.00 (regular price $19.95). More details about the contest can be found at this link.

More about Commander X:
In December 2008, Nemo Publishing released its first limited edition Mego-style action figure of the retro hero Commander X. There are four variants in this collection (Golden Age Commander X, 1950s Commander X, Western Knight, and the Barbary Knight) and more variants will be released in 2010.

Commander X is an integral character in “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novels. He is an amnesiac who has been sent from the future to save the earth from inevitable destruction. He is a based on the Depression-era heroes of the comic book and movie serials of the 1930s.

This collectible figure is created in a retro-style reminiscent of figures made by the Mego Corporation in the 1970s. Piscopo is working with Paul Clarke, known as “Dr. Mego,” to create this collection and additional variants are planned for release in 2010.

Photos of the figures can be viewed at this link.

More about “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli:”
“The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” is the story of a boy with extraordinary scientific abilities and unusual ties to the sea. “Capt’n Eli” takes readers into a mesmerizing world of time travel, high-tech ships, flying mini-subs, robots, lost civilizations, and undersea empires in conflict. Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo. Distributed nationally through Diamond Comic Distributors.

###

All New Commander X Adventures

2009-12-14T14:47:00.001-08:00

Celebrate Commander X-Mas!

Click HERE for the exciting all new FREE Commander X Adventures comic book. Read press release at this link.

Commander X Adventures recaptures the magic of the pulps and the golden age of comics with a modern twist. Our hero, Commander X, is the classic comic strip and movie serial hero with some high tech gizmos and time travel thrown in.

This edition features:

Commander X vs. The Simian Squad
Written by Frank Schildiner
Illustrated by Mike Fyles

First Encounter
Written by Frank Schildiner
Illustrated by Danny Kelly and Robert Caine Jeffcoat

Pin-ups of Circe by Delfin Barral and Norn Cutson

The Wake of the War-Beast
Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo

Three pin-ups by Jay Piscopoo and special bonus artwork of Commander X action figure variants.

Jay Piscopo and Friends Present: Commander X-Mas!

2009-12-09T06:09:00.000-08:00

Just 6 days until Commander X-Mas! Read more about this ALL NEW free on-line "Commander X Adventures" comic book at this link.

Image by Mike Fyles.

New “Commander X Adventures” coming on December 15

2009-12-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

Read press release at this link.
Commander X-Mas returns! On Tuesday, December 15, Nemo Publishing, publisher of Jay Piscopo’s “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” all-ages graphic novel series, will release its 2nd annual “Commander X Adventures” comic book as a free download on its website – www.captneli.com.

This free comic book features stories about the legendary time traveler, Commander X, who is an integral character in “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” books. This year’s edition co-stars the mysterious Circe, Sorceress of the Sea. Circe is a heroine from lost Lemuria, an ancient empire from over 10,000 years ago. Readers are briefly introduced to her in Volume 1 of “Capt’n Eli” and she is featured prominently in Volume 3, which will be released in 2010.

This new edition of “Commander X Adventures” focuses on Commander X's early career in the 1930s, 40s and 50s and provides hints to the upcoming story in Volume 3.

“Commander X Adventures” was created in the long-standing tradition of Christmas edition comic books and the stories are told in the spirit of the great pulp adventure yarns of the 1930s and 40s. Piscopo edited this free comic book with a team of creators from around the United States and England.

Pulp and comic author Frank Schildiner has contributed two stories. The first is “Commander X vs. The Simian Squad” in which the Commander faces off with jet-packed gorillas in an action-packed story with a Christmas twist. This piece is illustrated by U.K. artist Mike Fyles in his signature pulp style. Readers will remember Fyles’ illustrations from last year’s “Commander X Adventures.”

Schildiner’s second story, “First Encounter,” is about the first meeting of Commander X and his scarlet-clad ally, Circe, Sorceress of the Sea. This story is set in Antarctica as well as the dark streets of 1930’s urban America where Commander X is on the trail of the Red Octopus. Exciting new artists Danny Kelly and Robert Caine Jeffcoat provided the illustrations for this piece.

The final story is written and illustrated by Commander X creator, Jay Piscopo. In “The Wake of the War-Beast,” Commander X and Circe team up to subdue an ancient sea monster in the Sea of Japan.

“Commander X Adventures” also features Circe pin-ups by accomplished illustrators Norn Cutson and Delfin Barral.

Download last year’s edition of “Commander X Adventures” at this link.

Click HERE to discover more about “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel series. Volumes 1 and 2 of this series are available now and Volume 3 will be released in 2010.

Giving Thanks with Capt'n Eli and Jay Piscopo

2009-11-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

Read article at this link.

NEWS
11-26-09: Giving Thanks With Capt'n Eli and Jay Piscopo

In the true spirit of the holidays, creator Jay Piscopo has an incredible deal for you! If you purchase a copy of “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” graphic novel, Nemo Publishing will donate a book to the Greater Portland Transit District’s annual METRO toy bus to help "stuff a bus" with toys and books for kids in need this holiday season.

Listeners of the show know how much we love Capt’n Eli, creator Jay Piscopo (and Tami Kennedy). Matman calls Capt’n Eli ‘one of the best books for kids and adults’ and now you can see what he’s talking about. Written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo, “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli” volume one and two are available now and volume 3 is scheduled for release in 2010.

You can order the books online at this link. Or, if you’re in Maine, you can purchase these books at Casablanca Comics in Portland or Windham. When you buy a “Capt’n Eli” graphic novel at Casablanca Comics you’ll receive a free bottle of handcrafted Capt’n Eli’s Root Beer. For store hours and directions, visit this link.

And speaking of Capt’n Eli Soda, Matman finally tracked down some and loves it. He calls the Lemon / Lime soda ‘one of the best sodas for kids and adults’.

If you love Scooby Doo, Space Ghost and Jonny Quest, you’ll love the retro feel. This series is published by Nemo Publishing and distributed nationally by Diamond Comics Distributors. Read more about the series at this link.

On Friday, December 4, the METRO Stuff Bus will be parked in front of the METRO Pulse, the Downtown Transportation Center, at Elm Street in Portland (off Congress Street, near the Portland Public Library) collecting new, unwrapped toys and books from 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit this link or call 207-774-0351.

Books for the Bus

2009-11-23T13:49:00.001-08:00

Read press release HERE.

Buy an Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel and, for every book sold, we'll donate a book to the METRO toy bus to help "stuff a bus" with toys and books for Maine kids in need.

Order HERE or visit Casablanca Comics in Portland or Windham, Maine. Buy Capt'n Eli at Casablanca and receive a free bottle of Capt'n Eli's Root Beer!

WHAT: METRO Stuff a Bus: Bring a new, unwrapped toy or book to help Maine children in need this holiday season.

WHEN: Friday, December 4 -- 11:30a.m.-5:30p.m.

WHERE: METRO Pulse on Elm Street in Portland, Maine
(Off Congress St., across from the Portland Public Library.)

The first 100 people to donate a gift on December 4 will receive a free bottle of Capt’n Eli’s Root Beer!

Donations are welcome prior to December 4.

FMI: Visit http://www.gpmetrobus.com/ or call 207-774-0351

Georgetown Record: Author and Artist Jay Piscopo

2009-11-19T05:22:00.001-08:00

“Not only is the art incredible but the stories are well written. This is such a value to our kids." ~ Stephanie McSherry, Literacy Coach, Penn Brook Elementary

Artist and author Jay Piscopo shares tips with Georgetown students
By Theresa DeFranzo/ Correspondent
Wed Nov 18, 2009, 07:03 PM EST

Georgetown, MA - For Jay Piscopo, comic books were his entryway into reading. But since then he’s done much more than just read comics.

Piscopo, the author and illustrator of “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli,” an all-ages graphic novel series, has been making state-of-the-art children’s entertainment for nearly 20 years. Last week, the Georgetown PTA sponsored an appearance by Piscopo at the Penn Brook School, where he introduced students in grades 2-5 to the art of graphic storytelling.

Piscopo said it was comic books “that got me into reading. Comics are a great way to get kids to read.” The ’40s, he said, were known as the Golden Age of comics and the ’60s and ’70s were the Silver Age. These two periods had the biggest influence on him.

“Batman and the TV show were a huge influence,” he said. “Tarzan was also a big hero of mine.”

To date there are two volumes of “The Undersea Adventure of Capt’n Eli,” with a third volume scheduled to come out next year. According to the author, Capt’n Eli is a graphic novel series in the tradition of Jules Verne, Herge, and classic comic strips like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.

With his companions Jolly Roger, a 200-year-old parrot, and the faithful seadog Barney, Capt’n Eli takes readers into a mesmerizing world of time travel, high-tech ships, flying mini-subs, robots, lost civilizations and undersea empires in conflict.
Piscopo’s passion for using the computer as his canvas led him to develop his unique signature style of combining 2D characters with 3D backgrounds.

What Piscopo did last week with the students was not only talk to them about storytelling, but also show them how to draw — step by step — two famous characters: Dracula and Frankenstein. And for those students who were hesitant to give it a try, Piscopo had this advice for them.

“It doesn’t matter how well you draw,” he said. “It matters how well you get your idea across.”

The great thing about creating just one character is that many more come from it.

“Cartoonists do this all the time,” he said. “They take one character and make more than one from it.”

If you ever find yourself running out of ideas of what to draw, just ask someone to scribble quickly on a blank piece of paper. That’s right — he said you’d be surprised what ideas will come to you using this technique.
After he had a student volunteer scribble for him he said, “I see so many things in this one.”

Stephanie McSherry, literacy coach at Penn Brook, seconded Piscopo’s assertion that graphic novels can help kids get involved in all different kinds of reading.

“I’ve learned over the last year and a half that you can engage kids through graphic novels,” said McSherry. “I got interested last year on how a great piece of artwork and a great story going together can capture a reader.”

She added, “Not only is the art incredible but the stories are well written. This is such a value to our kids. It’s our responsibility to expose our kids to as many different genres as possible.”

Portsmouth Herald: Recap of Capt'n Eli Family Fun Day

2009-11-15T04:47:00.000-08:00

View photos and video from the 2nd Annual Capt'n Eli Family Fun Day at the Regatta Banquet & Conference Center in Eliot, Maine.

Spending a rainy day with Capt'n Eli
Also a teen race car driver and giant inflatable whale

By Gina Carbone
November 15, 2009

ELIOT, Maine — The intrepid Capt'n Eli, a 13-year-old race car driver and a giant inflatable whale came together on Saturday for the second annual Capt'n Eli Family Fun Day.

During the free event, held at the Regatta Banquet & Conference Center, Jay Piscopo sketched characters from his graphic novel series, "The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli."

Pass modified driver Sulo Burbank, 13, of Gorham, Maine, let kids check out his race car, which was parked outside next to an Eliot fire engine.

Children danced to the sounds of the Rick Miller Trio and drank Capt'n Eli's Soda, which is a sponsor of Burbank's racing.

The Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation brought a 60-foot whale into the banquet hall for kids to walk through, and set up a table full of stuffed animals and marine information. The event functioned partially as a fund-raiser for the Portsmouth-based nonprofit organization.

Event coordinator Tami Kennedy said they had seen about 200 visitors come in by around 1:30 p.m. on a day of pouring rain, with people already waiting outside before they opened at noon. She estimated by 4 p.m., at the end of the event, they would have welcomed around 300 people.

"We've had a great response," Kennedy said. "The objective is to get more fans and to give people an awareness of the series and who the characters are."...READ MORE

Brodart PRIME Kid Safe: The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli

2009-11-11T04:07:00.000-08:00

Kat Kan lists Jay Piscopo's The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli in Brodart's PRIME Kid Safe Graphic Novels.

For more about Brodart's Kid Safe Selector, visit this link.

Nov 14: 2nd Annual Capt’n Eli Family Fun Day

2009-10-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Check out photos from last year's event at this link.

WHAT: 2nd Annual Capt'n Eli Family Fun Day
WHEN: Saturday, November 14 -- Noon-4:00
WHERE: Regatta Banquet & Conference Center
Route 236 - Eliot Commons - Eliot, Maine
Directions at this link

Calling kids of all ages! Join the Capt'n Eli crew for a day of family fun. Come get your hands on a free superhero sketch by Jay Piscopo, creator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series.

Blue Ocean Society will take you inside a life-size finback whale and introduce you to real life sea creatures you can hold in your own hands. Rock out with the Rick Miller Trio and hilarious all-ages improv comedy with The Escapists.

Meet 13-year-old race car driver Sulo Burbank and check out his cool car. Enjoy Shield's hot dogs and delicious Capt'n Eli's Soda.

Admission is free but you can help Capt'n Eli support healthy oceans with an optional donation to Blue Ocean Society.

Jay Piscopo: November Appearance Schedule

2009-10-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

View Jay Piscopo's full appearance schedule at this link.

November 2
Peaks Island School -- Peaks Island, ME

November 5 and 6
Marshwood Great Works School -- South Berwick, ME

November 10
Penn Brook Elementary -- Georgetown, MA

November 14
Noon - 4:00
FREE Capt'n Eli Family Fun Day
Regatta Banquet & Conference Center -- Eliot, ME

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series. In his interactive Draw on Your Creativity drawing workshop, comic book artist Jay Piscopo uses simple geometric shapes to teach kids how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story. Check out photos from his workshop at this link. The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli is the perfect way to Make a Splash @ Your Library in Summer 2010!For more information and to book Jay to visit your school or library visit this link or contact Tami Kennedy at tami@maine.rr.com

Jay Piscopo: Pennsylvania School Tour

2009-10-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

This week, graphic novel artist Jay Piscopo travelled to Pennsylvania to present his interactive Draw on Your Creativity workshop at elementary schools in the Coatesville School District.

He led assemblies with more than 1,000 young artists at Caln, Rainbow, Friendship and East Fallowfield Elementary Schools. Check out photos HERE.

He also took part in Rainbow Elementary School's book fair where Capt'n Eli fans bought all The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli books in stock at the school.

It was an exciting week meeting new friends and connecting with Capt'n Eli fans of all ages.

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series. Discover more at captneli.com.

Brigid Alverson: Reading Comics is Reading

2009-10-17T07:27:00.001-07:00

Check out Brigid Alverson's new post on Good Comic for Kids. She leads with a great link to the organization Reading With Pictures, a non-profit organization that facilitates the use of comics and graphic novels in the classroom in order to promote literacy and the visual arts.

She also makes mention of:

"Indefatigable Capt'n Eli artist Jay Piscopo" touring Pennsylvania this week.

Read more about Jay Piscopo's interactive drawing workshop at this link.

Comic Book Artist Jay Piscopo Will Draw on Your Creativity at Pennsylvania Schools

2009-10-11T07:57:00.001-07:00

The week of October 19th, Maine comic book artist Jay Piscopo will present his “Draw on Your Creativity” interactive drawing workshop at select Pennsylvania schools. This summer he toured Pennsylvania libraries as part of “Be Creative @ Your Library” summer reading program and, based on the success of that tour, was invited by area schools to return. Read full story at this link.

View photos from his Pennsylvania library tour at this link.

Nov 14: Capt'n Eli Family Fun Day

2009-10-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

WHAT: 2nd Annual Capt'n Eli Family Fun Day

WHEN: Saturday, November 14 -- Noon-4:00

WHERE: Regatta Banquet & Conference Center
Route 236 - Eliot Commons - Eliot, Maine
Directions at this link

Calling kids of all ages! Join the Capt'n Eli crew for a day of family fun. Come get your hands on a free superhero sketch by Jay Piscopo, creator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series. Blue Ocean Society will take you inside a life-size finback whale and introduce you to real life sea creatures you can hold in your own hands. Rock out with the Rick Miller Trio and hilarious all-ages improv comedy with The Escapists. Meet 13-year-old race car driver Sulo Burbank and check out his cool car. Enjoy Shield's hot dogs and delicious Capt'n Eli's Soda.

Admission is free but you can help Capt'n Eli support healthy oceans with an optional donation to Blue Ocean Society.

Check out photos from last year's event at this link.

October Appearances: Jay Piscopo

2009-10-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

View Jay Piscopo's full appearance schedule at this link.

October 8
Glenburn School -- Glenburn, ME

October 9
Orono Middle School -- Orono, ME

October 16
Laura Richter -- The Way Learning Should Be
ACTEM 22nd Annual Technology Conferece

Week of October 19th
Pennsylvania School Tour
Rainbow Elementary -- Coatesville, PA
Friendship Elementary -- Coatsville, PA
East Fallowfield School -- East Fallowfield, PA

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series. In his interactive Draw on Your Creativity drawing workshop, comic book artist Jay Piscopo uses simple geometric shapes to teach kids how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story. Check out photos from his workshop at this link.

The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli is the perfect way to Make a Splash @ Your Library in Summer 2010!

For more information and to book Jay to visit your school or library visit this link or contact Tami Kennedy at tami@maine.rr.com

The Way Learning Should Be

2009-10-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 16 Skowhegan Area Middle School educator Laura Richter and principal Bruce Mochamer will present a special session at the Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine's (ACTEM)22nd Annual Technology Conference "The Way Learning Should Be." View full conference schedule at this link.

Their session is titled "Technology Integration @ Skowhegan MS: Special Emphasis on Literacy and Graphic Novels" and will provide an overview of a wide variety of technology integration projects at the Skowhegan Area Middle School. A special emphasis will be on an interdisciplinary approach to teaching graphic novels. The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli, is a book written by Maine writer Jay Piscopo and has inspired reluctant readers to become engaged in many exciting learning activities ranging from map creation to a WebQuest based on literature and history! All activities integrate
programs provided on the MLTI laptops including NoteShare, Studywiz, Pages, and Comic
Life! Free copies of the book will be available for participants.

Check out classroom curriculum Laura Richter created for The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series at this link. Read more about resources for educators and librarians at this link.

Great Group in Gilford

2009-09-25T10:10:00.001-07:00

Jay Piscopo spent last evening at the Gilford Public Library in Gilford, New Hampshire with a fantastic group of budding young comic book artists. View photos at this link.

This library definitely lives us to its bumper sticker! Be sure to keep your eye out for Lauren Tiner's story in next week's Gilford Steamer.

Jay is the author and illustrator of the all ages graphic novel series The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli. In his interactive Draw on Your Creativity workshop, using simple geometric shapes, he teaches how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story and demonstrates how anyone can learn to draw.

For more about his workshops and other resources for schools and libraries (including free curriculum)visit this link.

Korean TV Crew Interviews Jay Piscopo

2009-09-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

Kirsten Cappy of Curious City arranged for a Korean television crew to interview Jay Piscopo as part of a documentary they are making about the legend of Hong Kil Dong -- the Korean Robinhood. Check out photos at this link. Check out a short video clip of the interview here.

The crew came to the United States to interview Anne Sibley O'Brien, creator of the first graphic novel in America about this classic Korean hero. Once here, the film crew's mission expanded to include the history of the art of American comics and graphic novels and Jay was invited to be interviewed on that topic. Jay is the author and illustrator of the all ages graphic novel series The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli. More about Anne Sibley O'Brien and her Legend of Hong Kil Dong graphic novel at this link.

Keep your eye on the Curious City blog for more information about this documentary as it develops.

Bangor Daily News Covers BangPop!

2009-09-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

This Sunday Jay Piscopo, creator of the Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli, will be traveling up to Bangor to take part in the BangPop Comic Book and Pop Culture Convention which is being held in the Bangor Civic Center. The Bangor Daily News did a great write up about BangPop in today's paper. Check it out HERE.

Sunday is BangPop! Kid's Day and I'll be doing free superhero sketches and the crew will hand out Capt'n Eli Collectible Card Games and Seasearcher tattoos. Both volumes of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli will be on sale at a special convention price and there will be free event kits for educators librarians. Just stop by the booth. Educators and libraries click HERE for more about this all ages graphic novel series and our free curriculum.

WHAT: BangPop!
WHEN: Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20
TIME: 9:00 - 5:00
WHERE: Bangor Civic Center, Bangor, Maine
COST: Kids 12 and under free (accompanied by an adult) Adults $10