By Oliver Lees

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November 9

Shaun Keenan is an avowed comic book nerd – and he wears it as a badge of honor. But he doesn’t just read comics, he also produces them as he explained to Oliver Lees.

Since starting his own company COMICS2MOVIES in 2007, Shaun’s work has evolved from designing sketches based on movie posters to creating his own anthology which is currently Australia’s best-selling independent comic book.

Next year, The Gisborne Resident will release a graphic novel adaptation designed to accompany the Occupation film franchise, a trilogy of sci-fi films available to viewers on Netflix worldwide.

“Whenever I mention it, I can’t help but smile,” he said.

“The comic book industry in Australia is not very easy to navigate. I made a lot of mistakes along the way. This is why I am really proud of COMICS2MOVIES.

“Having reached this point and having these things next to my name, I feel like we’re starting to hit the next rung.”

Growing up in North Melbourne in the 1980s, Shaun feasted on classic Jim Lee comics from a young age.

“I have always had a hard time reading and I think my mother gave me a comic book first. I would have been about seven years old, ”he said.

“I think being a teenager who loved comics but wanted to fit in with cool kids as well, I ventured out a bit.

“It wasn’t until my late twenties and early thirties that I made a change.

“I worked as a store manager at Optus. My wife came to me and asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I remember being a little taken aback.

“So I thought about it and realized that I had just walked through life and had roles that were coming to me.

“And so I started to think about what I really enjoyed. I’ve always been a big fan of cinema, and that’s where I got the idea for COMICS2MOVIES. “

With the support of his family, Shaun began attending regular comic book conventions.

“I was very, very naive,” he said.

“It was quite a barren landscape, but it was exciting because it felt like there was a void in the market.”

As Shaun describes, the first challenge was learning the ins and outs of writing a comic book.

For example, unlike a novel, which is written in minute detail, comics are shorter and captured through individual frames.

Another speed bump in Shaun’s grand plan was that he was not a confident draftsman.

“I can’t draw for my life, so I usually take care of writing,” he said.

“Now I have several different artists working and I have found that I have a knack for finding the right talent. “

Shaun found that the best way forward was to use his knowledge and management skills to seek out talent that could bring his ideas to life. And as he began to develop his business from the ground up, graphic novels themselves began to surge in popularity.

Popular producers of sci-fi, fantasy and action films began to employ graphic novelists to bring screenplay ideas to life. Movies like 300 and The Umbrella Academy all invested in comics to go along with their releases.

Shaun said the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform has become a new space for creatives to get financial support.

Earlier this year, Hollywood star Keanue Reeves launched her own BRZRKR comic book series on the platform, and it has since become the most promised feature in the history of the site, with over 1.4 million. dollars in donations.

“Since 2017, the graphic novel industry has grown year over year faster than any other printed material,” he said.

“Previously you could only get graphic novels from comic book stores, but now you can get them anywhere. This misconception [comics] being fair to children has also been broken.

This is where the next exciting challenge lies for Shaun, as he describes it.

Following the success of his original anthology The Xtreme Champion Tournament, Shaun is now able to employ Australian artists to do the job.

As the work began to pile up, Shaun said he was eager to make his publishing house an avenue for other comic book enthusiasts, one that didn’t exist when he searched for his own way in the world. ‘industry.

“I would really love to do more on that mentoring side,” he said.

“There is no clear path at the moment, and a lot of talent ends up going overseas. The idea is to be able to retain this talent, and I have always made a point of ensuring that my artists are paid for their work.

“There’s this misconception that when you talk about comics, you’re only talking about superheroes.

“But what people don’t realize is that comics and graphic novels can be as diverse as people are from each other.”

COMICS2MOVIES ‘Occupation graphic novel series is due out in March of next year.

For more information visit: www.comics2movies.com.au