New York Comic-Con Look Back – The Legend of the Mantamaji Perspective

black enterprise, Eric Dean Seaton Ricardo A. Hazell, graphic novel legend of the mantamaji

Eric Dean Seaton & The Shadow League writer Ricardo A. Hazell
photo credit: instagram.com/theshadowleague

New York Comic-Con drew hundreds of thousands of pop culture fans from around the world and we had a blast! It was a big week, with parts of the Legend of the Mantamaji crew coming out New York to man the LOTM booth.

NYCC also fell during the launch week of Legend of the Mantamaji Book One! So, in the middle of setup and of course the Con, I was getting all sorts of texts and alerts from people talking about the book on social media and in the media. It was crazy and exciting.

The trip to New York was a week-long adventure. It started with an interview at the offices of The Shadow League and Black Enterprise Magazine where Ricardo A. Hazell and his team got all the details of the LOTM – and we had a lot of fun as well. Look for that interview to go live soon. Then after some fun, we went into NYCC. The Con was a BIG hit for our team. We doubled our sales from San Diego Comic Con with one less sales day!

We also got the attention of libraries who are interested in adding the Legend of the Mantamaji series to their collections. Staten Island Library, Brooklyn Library, Long Beach Library and the Free Public Library in NYC all picked up the series to share with their counterparts ahead of their larger order.

The librarians we talked to were thrilled to discover LOTM, as we were the only superhero graphic novel with a black lead at the event. They told us the series are the kind of books their kids will go crazy over – which, of course, brought big smiles to our faces! I mean, listen, that’s one of the major reasons why I started on this journey. As a kid, I grew up wanting a comic or graphic novel like Legend of the Mantamaji. So it is so gratifying to know that librarians, people who are instrumental in helping shape a child’s love of reading, see the need for heroes of color and are actively pursuing and supportive of creators of color.

eric dean seaton, legend of the mantamaji graphic novel, concrete park graphic novel, erika alexander, tony puryear, nikki seaton, deron bennett

#LivingSingle Flashback! Erica Alexander, Tony Puryear, Eisner Award nominated Deron Bennett with Eric Dean Seaton and his wife, Nikki Swasey Seaton. Follow them all on Twitter and be sure to pick up Erika & Tony’s Concrete Park!

Speaking of creators, we also ran into our friends Erika Alexander and her husband Tony Puryear who were at the Con to promote their awesome graphic novel series, Concrete Park from Dark Horse Comics. (Go check it out if you haven’t already.) It was like a mini Living Single flashback!

I love getting a chance to interact with readers and to tell new readers about the series. I also love seeing and hearing their reactions after they’ve read the first book and then come back for the rest of the series. Overall, NYCC was a great success. It was a wonderful opportunity to work with a great team, including Legend of the Mantamaji and Eisner-award nominated letterer Deron Bennett who was on hand to sign books. We met many wonderful fans and creators, doubled our sales over San Diego and reconnected with friends. You can’t ask for much more than that!

See more photos from Legend of the Mantamaji at NYCC on Tumblr or Facebook.

Monday Mix: 1 Minute Horror Film, Geeky Kid Videos

This week’s Monday Mix has a kid theme to it: creepy kids, funny kids and a geek dad totally hooking up a kid. If you’re going to waste time on anything today, waste a few minutes on these:

Brownie Points for Dad

With more than 6.5 million views on YouTube, this Dad gets serious bonus points for building his child a fully functioning merch suit.

Creepy music + little kid = Perfect 1 Minute Horror Movie

Tuck Me In is a 1 minute horror movie that combines some of the best elements of what makes a horror film work: suspense, a kid and creepy music score.

“I am your father.”

Remember your reaction when you found out Darth Vader was *spoiler alert* Luke’s father? Well, check out these kids. *Mind Blown.*

 

african american director, legend of the mantamaji graphic novel, samella lewis, the ohio state university

The Ohio State University African American Society Association Awards Television Director and Author Eric Dean Seaton the Samella Lewis Professional Achievement Award

african american director, legend of the mantamaji graphic novel, samella lewis, the ohio state university

Eric Dean Seaton on the set of NBC’s “Undateable.”

Eric Dean Seaton was awarded the Samella Lewis Professional Achievement Award for his longtime, successful career in entertainment. The award is named after prolific artist, Samella Lewis and is for an African American alumnus who has achieved notable career accomplishments and made outstanding professional contributions, including professional impact, authorship of significant publications or in research and community service.

It is said there are half a million living Ohio State University alumni around the world, united under “Carmen Ohio,” eternally together for football Saturday and making their mark on the world using the knowledge and experience gained from their years at The Ohio State University. Television director Eric Dean Seaton is among those alumni making a difference. Since graduating with a film studies degree from OSU, Seaton has gone on to become one of the most sought after episodic directors in television. Saturday night, as a part of the grand Homecoming Gala sponsored by The Ohio State University African American Alumni Society, Seaton went from cheering on the Buckeyes to being being cheered himself as the 2014 recipient of the Samella Lewis Professional Achievement Award.

The Samella Lewis Award, named after the prolific African American artist who received her Masters and Doctorate in Fine Arts from OSU, is given to an African American alumnus who has achieved notable career accomplishments and made outstanding professional contributions, including professional impact, authorship of significant publications or in research and community service.

“I am so proud to have won this award, to be mentioned in the same breath as Samella Lewis, a consummate artist, is humbling, very humbling,” Seaton said. “I am so grateful to the university and African American Alumni Society for their support and encouragement.”

Seaton has helmed 38 different shows, 195 television episodes, 18 music videos and two pilots for Nickelodeon – “Bad Fairy” and “Sketch” – as well as two pilots for Disney XD, “Mighty Med,” which was picked up for a second season and “Kickin’ It,” which just completed its four-season run. He has also directed episodes of the NBC/Warner Bros. comedy “Undateable,” BET’s “Lets Stay Together” and “Reed Between the Lines.” He is a two-time NAACP Image Award nominee for Best Direction in a Comedy Series and has just released his first book in an epic three-book graphic novel series “Legend of the Mantamaji” on October 8, 2014.

The Ohio State University African American Alumni Society’s Homecoming Gala was held on Saturday, October 18, 2014 at the Airport Marriott.

For Media Interviews and Information on Eric Dean Seaton Contact:
Terreece M Clarke | 614.467-0361 | TClarke [at] LifeSliceMedia.com

Legend of the Mantamaji Graphic Novel, Black Superhero

TV Director Sneaks into Comic Cons to Sell New Graphic Novel Series: Legend of the Mantamaji

From PR WEB: October 8, 2014:

Legend of the Mantamaji Book 1 Graphic Novel Series, Diversity, Black SuperheroesEric Dean Seaton knows how to frame a good story. In fact, he does it so well, he’s directed more than 195 episodes of 38 series including hit shows like “Austin & Ally,” “The Thundermans,” “Undateable” and classics like “That’s So Raven” and “Sunny with a Chance.” His social media feeds show him on set with top teen and comedy stars and being a huge fan of comics, but upon first glance, you may not realize the comics are actually his creation and he didn’t go to a big publishing house to produce them. Unlike many Hollywood notables, Seaton didn’t cash in on fame and favors to create the “Legend of the Mantamaji” graphic novel series released October 8, 2014.

“It’s very hard to own anything now and building a brand is what everyone tries to do,” Seaton says. “I felt if I did it all myself I could accomplish both. I wanted something that was identifiable with me – that I could say was truly my creation. It brings great satisfaction to try to create a new company, brand an idea and be able to watch it grow into whatever it will become.”

Tweet: Check out this great #graphicnovel by @ericdeanseaton: #LegendoftheMantamaji http://ctt.ec/4R544+Tweet: Check out this great #graphicnovel by @ericdeanseaton: #LegendoftheMantamaji http://ctt.ec/4R544+

Seaton has spent the last ten years creating an entire world with heroes and villains, magic and mystique all evolving into a legend with 3,000 years of history and material. The product of those long nights are what Seaton has been hauling to comic book conventions since July, almost anonymously.

Unassumingly, Seaton works the crowd of geeks, nerds, blerds, fans, cosplayers and the curious, animatedly telling each one about the epic adventure he penned. Most of the buyers purchase on pitch alone, unaware that after the convention is over Seaton will be back calling the shots on a soundstage with some of the fastest rising stars in young Hollywood.

And this weekend in New York is no different. Seaton will greet thousands of superhero fans at both 972 during New York Comic Con to get them excited enough to try a new hero from an independent publisher – and that’s really the way he likes it.

“I love getting a chance to talk to people face-to-face who love comics as much as I do and love seeing them getting excited about “Legend of the Mantamaji.” The fan/creator connection is an awesome experience,” Seaton said.

About Eric Dean Seaton:
As an episodic director, ERIC DEAN SEATON has helmed 38 different shows, 195 television episodes, 18 music videos and two pilots for Nickelodeon, as well as two pilots for Disney XD. He has also directed episodes of the NBC/Warner Bros. comedy Undateable, BETs Lets Stay Together and Reed Between the Lines. He is a Cleveland, Ohio native and attended The Ohio State University. Eric, his wife, son and daughter live in California. LEGEND OF THE MANTAMAJI is his first graphic novel.

About Legend of the Mantamaji Book One:
The first episode of the three book series that features fast-paced, heart-stopping action combined with a layered, thoughtful story that is full of hair-raising plot twists. Elijah Alexander is a media-hungry, cocky Assistant District Attorney who is about to learn something shocking: he not human. He’s the last of the Mantamaji, a long-lost race of warriors who once protected humanity when the world was young. Now a 3,000 year-old evil has reawakened to visit doom on all of humanity. Can Elijah accept his past, reject his present life, and learn about his talents, in time to defeat the villain who killed all the other Mantamaji before him?

The book features artwork by Brandon Palas, colorist Andrew Dalhouse, who has worked with From Boom, Dark Horse, Image, Marvel and DC and lettering by Deron Bennett, who was nominated for an Eisner Award two years ago for his work on titles like Jim Hensons Dark Crystal, Jim Hensons Tale of Sand and Helldorado, among others. The series is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble stores and Nook, local comic book shops; digitally at iTunes, GooglePlay, Kobo and at the Legend of the Mantamaji website.

Legend of the Mantamaji: Book 1 Paperback October 8, 2014
Eric Dean Seaton (Author)
David Ellis Dickerson (Editor)
Brandon Palas(Illustrator)
Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: And… Action! Entertainment; 1 edition (October 8, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1930315341
ISBN-13: 978-1930315341

Titanic’s Alternate Ending – What Happened to ‘The Heart of the Ocean’

Titanic isn’t a superhero story by any means, but it is one of those stories that endures and the director in me likes a good story. The story portrays real life people that, alongside the made up characters, have all the characteristics of what makes good heroes – flaws, redemption and self-less acts to name a couple.

Few things are more debated than Rose’s decision to throw the giant blue diamond into the ocean, except maybe not sharing the door… This video of James Cameron’s alternative ending is lighting up the internet and it’s pretty shocking. I can only imagine the reaction in the theater had Cameron chosen this version, maybe cries of “Snatch it a run!”

Check it out and tell me what you think. Which ending was better?

h/t:gus tavo-youtube