The Spiritman Update: First Issue

The Spiritman Update can be read like a devotional. It follows the comics panel by panel mixed with commentary from the creators and a dose of scripture.

Page 22

Spiritman Daily Dose 119

It has to hurt. Martin just got punched in the gut really hard by one of the thugs. Then he managed to avoid ricocheting bullets. It is amazing that he is alive. This is a superheroic story after all. Crazy action is part of the genre. Imagine... what if amazing things happened in our lives?

"LORD, I have heard of your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Renew your work in the middle of the years. In the middle of the years make it known. In wrath, you remember mercy."
Habakkuk 3:2 WMB

Spiritman Daily Dose 120

Who is Spiritman? How is he connected to Martin? Looks like Martin will have the chance to ask Spiritman directly.

"For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12 WMB

Spiritman Daily Dose 121

Finally Martin gets a chance to ask... "Who are you?" Things often seem simple when you are able to step away and look from a distance. Put yourself in the middle of things and it gets messy. Maybe we will get the answer tomorrow. Wait for it...

For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it; because it will surely come. It won’t delay."
Habakkuk 2:3 WMB

Spiritman Daily Dose 122

Same shot as before but I redrew the characters. The story calls for Martin and Spiritman in silhouette. I like the internal lines from the previous panel but I thought their silhouettes were a little static. This one has more energy but I miss the internal lines. Before it is inked I may seek out a happy medium. No answer yet. Wait for it...

"but those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31 WMB

Spiritman Daily Dose 123

So... Martin is Spiritman. Spiritman is not an angel. He is not Jesus. Spiritman is Martin... a flawed human used by God in his mighty power. How does this work? Isn't Jesus supposed to be my superhero.

"These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those who are with him are called chosen and faithful.”
Revelation 17:14 WMB
Jesus is the superhero of superheroes.

Spiritman Daily Dose 124

Yesterday's post was the end of Spiritman issue 1. Fear not, issue 2 is ready to go. There are a few extras in the comic that I want to take time to share before our story continues. This is the back cover of our comic. It is a drawing I did for a gallery show. It is about shame and a restoration of righteousness. One day... God sets everything right.

"There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no night, and they need no lamp light or sun light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever."
Revelation 22:3-5 WMB

Spiritman Daily Dose 125

Here is the penciled version of the cover for issue 1. I already posted the full color version in the album Spiritman 1 Daily Dose so you can go look that up if you haven't seen it yet. Today I want to share about our choice of imagery on the cover. It is motivated by 2 sets of scripture. Here is the first...

"A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit."
Isaiah 11:1 WMB
Why a tree stump? Who is Jesse? Jesse was the father of David, King of Israel. God promised David that his throne would be established for ever. Yet in the days of Isaiah the nation of Israel was being destroyed by foreign powers. It was reduced to a stump, but from this stump would come the messiah... The new shoot is a symbol of Jesus.

Spiritman Daily Dose 126

Ephesians 6 talks about the armor of God. That is the core that makes up Spiritman's superpowers. It is not the only place in the scriptures that uses a metaphor to describe things like faith and righteousness, but it is a defining passage for our Spiritman character.
The image here is from the inside front cover of our comics. It summarizes the armor of God metaphor.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
Ephesians 6:10-11 WMB

Spiritman Daily Dose 127

Here is the inked version of the issue 1 cover. I wanted to share with you about the skulls. They represent the true enemies that we human beings face. They are the voices that surround us and scream that we are not worth anything. They seek to tear us down and destroy our value. It is the armor of God that surrounds and protects Martin. Without it he is totally exposed.

"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
Ephesians 6:12-13 WMB