I sat down with Crowfinders to talk about just about everything! We got into directing, including everyone’s love of “That’s So Raven; world building for Legend of the Mantamaji creating, marketing, our social media successes and my unique way of writing the books that made things easier and faster for me. I also shout out some of our early supporters: Black Girl Nerds, The Shadow League and Thelonious Legend!
Check out the whole interview here: Crowdfinders Episode 9: Eric Dean Seaton
The Glyph Comics Awards recognize the best in comics and with the release of the 2015 nominees, the judging committee shows there is no shortage of talented creators producing quality work made by, for and about people of color. Television directorEric Dean Seaton scored a ‘Rising Star’ nomination for his first graphic novel series, “Legend of the Mantamaji: Book One and Two,” marking another high point in the series’ debut. In the past year, Legend of the Mantamaji has seen Amazon sell outs, been picked up by major distributors including Barnes & Noble, the creation of a 13 city comic convention book tour, Live Action Short and a flurry of excitement from superhero genre fans of all races and ages.
“The nomination came on my daughter Legend’s first birthday, which seems just perfect,” Seaton said. “I am truly honored to be nominated and that people are so supportive of the series. I set out to write a great story first and to make characters that reflect the world around me – multicultural, with strong male and female characters who have depth to their personal stories. It took six years to build the Mantamaji world, working at night after being on set during the day. It was a real team effort and we’re still having so much fun, we’re already well into the next book. There’s so much talent out there, and those nominated represent a very small sample of the great work being published.”
The Legend of the Mantamaji series has been named a “Top Graphic Novel” by Examiner.com and Atlanta Black Star and all three books made the top 10 list for Graphic Novels, Contemporary Women on Amazon. The 2015 Glyph Comics Awards take place on Friday, May 15 at the African American Museum in Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 6 p.m.
About Legend of the Mantamaji:
Legend of the Mantamaji tells the story of Elijah Alexander, an Assistant D.A. who has learned that his childhood storybook legends are actually the true stories of his heritage and that he is the last of a race of mystical knights known as the Mantamaji. After realizing he’s only part human, Elijah struggles with the shift in his world and becomes a hunted man charged with ridding the world of an ancient evil no other Mantamaji has ever been able to defeat. The full-color, action packed series has hair-raising plot twists and smart storytelling for all superhero fans.
The books feature artwork by Brandon Palas, colorist Andrew Dalhouse who has worked with From Boom, Dark Horse, Image, Marvel and DC and lettering by Deron Bennett, who was nominated for an Eisner Award for his work on titles like Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand and Helldorado, among others.
Praise for Legend of the Mantamaji:
“Standouts include female characters who are smart, strong warriors equal to the male characters in the book with no “a**-to-the-camera” poses, great pen work by Brandon Palas, coloring by Andrew Dalhouse of Boom!, D.C. and Marvel, and lettering by Eisner-nominated artist Deron Bennett.” –Buzzfeed Community
“Fans who bemoan the ‘big two’ for a lack of vision, or effort, to create bold new characters and franchises, should learn that innovation can often be found elsewhere. ‘Legend of the Mantamaji ‘ has all of the excitement, imagination and suspense to be a TV or film series on its own, but instead it is here as a comic to be enjoyed by the masses who crave them. ‘Legend of the Mantamaji’ volume one is a must read for those who crave all of the spectacle and action of superhero comics, yet want a comic which offers creative new ideas and a progressive storyline with real weight behind it,” Alex Widen, Brooklyn Comic Book Examiner
“Legend of the Mantamaji is teevee director Eric Dean Seaton’s (Sonny with a Chance, That’s So Raven, Good Luck Charlie) first shot at writing comics, but this is clearly a professional storyteller with writing chops and a lifelong love of the medium, both of which are on full display here. I am not sure what I expected when I was invited to review Legends of the Mantamaji, but I can tell you I was definitely impressed by the quality world-building and storytelling.” –GhettoManga.com
About Eric Dean Seaton:
As an episodic director, Eric Dean Seaton has directed 200 television episodes of 38 different hit TV series, including NBC/Warner Bros. comedy “Undateable,” TBS’s “Ground Floor,” BET’s “Let’s Stay Together,” Disney’s “Austin & Ally” and Nickelodeon’s “Bella and the Bulldogs.” He has also directed 18 music videos and two pilots for Nickelodeon, as well as two pilots for Disney XD. Seaton is a Cleveland, Ohio native and graduate of The Ohio State University. Eric, his wife children live in California. Legend of the Mantamaji, named a Top Graphic Novel series by Examiner.com and Atlanta Black Star, is his first graphic novel series.
For Media Interview | Book Review Requests Contact: Terreece M. Clarke, (614) 467-0361 | Press(at)Mantamaji(dot)com or TClarke(at)LifeSliceMedia(dot)com | LegendoftheMantamaji.com
Riding high on the release of the third book in the Legend of the Mantamaji series, episodic television director Eric Dean Seaton [NBC’s ‘Undateable,’ Disney’s ‘Austin & Ally’] has added new dates to his national book tour for the popular Legend of the Mantamaji graphic novel series. The tour takes Seaton to some of the most popular comic book and pop culture conventions:
“The series has been so well received that we have been able to add more cities and shoot a live action short for the series that debuts in late Spring,” Seaton said. “This entire process has been a dream come true and my favorite part is meeting and interacting with fans. I am offering several exclusives along the tour including the release of the live action short and a sneak peek of the custom Mantamaji costume from the short.”
The Legend of the Mantamaji series has been named a “Top Graphic Novel” by Examiner.com and Atlanta Black Star, sold out twice on Amazon.com and all three books made the top 10 list for Graphic Novels, Contemporary Women on Amazon.
About Legend of the Mantamaji:
Legend of the Mantamaji tells the story of Elijah Alexander, an Assistant D.A. who has learned that his childhood storybook legends are actually the true stories of his heritage and that he is the last of a race of mystical knights known as the Mantamaji. After realizing he’s only part human, Elijah struggles with the shift in his world and becomes a hunted man charged with ridding the world of an ancient evil no other Mantamaji has ever been able to defeat. The full-color, action packed series has hair-raising plot twists and smart storytelling for all superhero fans.
The books feature artwork by Brandon Palas, colorist Andrew Dalhouse who has worked with From Boom, Dark Horse, Image, Marvel and DC and lettering by Deron Bennett, who was nominated for an Eisner Award for his work on titles like Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand and Helldorado, among others.
Praise for Legend of the Mantamaji:
“Standouts include female characters who are smart, strong warriors equal to the male characters in the book with no “a**-to-the-camera” poses, great pen work by Brandon Palas, coloring by Andrew Dalhouse of Boom!, D.C. and Marvel, and lettering by Eisner-nominated artist Deron Bennett.” —Buzzfeed Community
“Fans who bemoan the ‘big two’ for a lack of vision, or effort, to create bold new characters and franchises, should learn that innovation can often be found elsewhere. ‘Legend of the Mantamaji ‘ has all of the excitement, imagination and suspense to be a TV or film series on its own, but instead it is here as a comic to be enjoyed by the masses who crave them. ‘Legend of the Mantamaji’ volume one is a must read for those who crave all of the spectacle and action of superhero comics, yet want a comic which offers creative new ideas and a progressive storyline with real weight behind it,” Alex Widen, Brooklyn Comic Book Examiner
“Legend of the Mantamaji is teevee director Eric Dean Seaton’s (Sonny with a Chance, That’s So Raven, Good Luck Charlie) first shot at writing comics, but this is clearly a professional storyteller with writing chops and a lifelong love of the medium, both of which are on full display here. I am not sure what I expected when I was invited to review Legends of the Mantamaji, but I can tell you I was definitely impressed by the quality world-building and storytelling.” —GhettoManga.com
About Eric Dean Seaton:
As an episodic director, Eric Dean Seaton has directed 200 television episodes of 38 different hit TV series, including NBC/Warner Bros. comedy “Undateable,” TBS’s “Ground Floor,” BET’s “Let’s Stay Together,” Disney’s “Austin & Ally” and Nickelodeon’s “Bella and the Bulldogs.” He has also directed 18 music videos and two pilots for Nickelodeon, as well as two pilots for Disney XD. Seaton is a Cleveland, Ohio native and graduate of The Ohio State University. Eric, his wife children live in California. Legend of the Mantamaji, named a Top Graphic Novel series by Examiner.com and Atlanta Black Star, is his first graphic novel series.
For Media Interview | Book Review Requests Contact: Terreece M. Clarke, (614) 467-0361 | Press(at)Mantamaji(dot)com or TClarke(at)LifeSliceMedia(dot)com | LegendoftheMantamaji.com
Diversity in Comics panel with Ray A. Height, Eric Dean Seaton, and David Walker. photo credit: DeWayne Copeland
This past weekend the Legend of the Mantamaji crew and I made our second stop on the 2015 Book Tour at the Long Beach Comic Expo and had a great time. The crowd was a lot of fun, and eager to learn more about Legend of the Mantamaji which is always a plus.
LBCE was kind enough to highlight me as a special guest and invited me to join a panel on Diversity & Indie Comics with David Walker and Ray-Anthony Height. It was a great opportunity to discuss the state of the industry and what indie creators are doing to advance diversity in comics.
Michelle Rodriguez is wrong…and right, in her recent comments on race switching in superhero stories. I love Michelle, I can’t wait to see Furious 7 and I believe her heart is in the right place. But, both her initial comments and her revised comments leave quite a bit of the story of the role of diversity in the world of superheroes untold.
“It’s not ‘stealing’ when creative minds look at a well known story and ask, “what if?” or even better, “why not?” If a group of astronauts can venture into space and get blasted by an anomalous force which turns them into people who can stretch beyond belief, become invisible, burst into flames, or become the equivalent of living rock, certainly that weirdness can happen to Black people. Especially when racial identity is not key to the story.
Stealing would be systematically casting white actors to play Egyptians without ever thinking about offering the parts to equally brilliant actors of color. Then, only casting actors of color when there is need for a terrorist, a servant, or ironically, a thief. That part Michelle, admittedly, got wrong.
What she got right was that the time is long overdue for superheroes who look like half of the population (women) and the ever growing number of people of color in this country to have the opportunity to tell their stories.
What I wish Michelle had said is that for decades people of color, women and creators from the GLBTQI community have created, contributed and fought for outstanding heroes that look a little more like them.
Heroes that have a different perspective, fantastic backstories and complex villains. Heroes with awesome powers and trials to overcome and of course, that overwhelming call of duty to save, defend, unite etc. Maybe she didn’t know – and that’s okay. But not knowing actually illustrates the problem – these characters and stories ARE out there and doing well, but their creators simply don’t have access to the platforms and power to push them into the mainstream.
Now, let’s be clear. It IS lazy, to simply gender or race swap in lieu of creating a new hero or focusing on the thousands of characters out there that already exist around which a new franchise can be launched. It means looking at the characters and the thousands of indie titles that are creator owned which have been filling in the gaps for multicultural audiences for YEARS.
Since last summer, while directing episodic TV episodes, I have been traveling the country on a book tour for my graphic novel series, Legend of the Mantamaji. I have seen people of all races and ages excited to see a well-drawn, thrilling story with multicultural characters. At the 2014 New York Comic Con, librarians exclaimed their ‘kids’ (library patrons) would go crazy over my novels. That’s not to brag by any means – it’s to show that the need is real, the audience is willing and a multitude of creators and fantastic stories are out there. The only people playing catch up are those who actually green light the shows and films.
It sounds silly right? All of this angst over comic books? But think of it this way – comic books and superheroes represent wish fulfillment for people of all ages and backgrounds. We all want to be the hero or the person that makes a difference. When a kid throws a sheet on her shoulders, slides her brown curly hair into a helmet and pretends to save the world, does she see herself defeating the bad guys or does she imagine that she’s a white male to accomplish the deed? What does it mean to all kids and kids at heart when the only toys you can find at Christmas are of the white male characters in your favorite movies? That the women characters aren’t important? That the characters of color don’t matter?
Beyond altruistic reasoning is what really lies at the heart of the matter – money. It’s a fact that films with diverse casting do better than films that lack diversity. It’s a fact that women now make up close to half of the comic convention attendees and that women account for $7 trillion in consumer spending (and those are 2012 Nielson numbers). African Americans are projected to have $1 trillion in their buying power bank in 2015. The same goes for Hispanics and Asian Americans are inching toward $1 trillion. Native Americans have seen their buying power increase 149 percent since 2000.
The money is there and smart money says that if the full resources of a studio are put behind a great film with a great story and diverse casting that it will be a hit. It just makes sense – and maybe with more Hollywood creators joining the voices of indie creators and fans, we will be able to position ourselves to green light these projects – because it really is time.
Saturday & Sunday Eric Dean Seaton at Booth #353, Sunday he joins “Diversity & Indie Comics” Panel
Television director Eric Dean Seaton is everywhere right now. The in-demand director’s star continues to rise as he crisscrosses networks directing epidsodes for top-rated shows including NBC’s ‘Undateable,’ TBS’s ‘Ground Floor,’ Disney Channel’s ‘Austin & Ally,’ and Nickelodeon’s ‘Bella & the Bulldogs’ while breaking new ground with his graphic novel series Legend of the Mantamaji. Long Beach Comic Expo is the second stop on Seaton’s 12 city book tour and the expo is featuring Seaton as a Special Guest [Booth 353] and as a panelist for the ‘Diversity & Indie Comics” discussion on Sunday, March 1 at 4 p.m. in Room S3B.
“I can’t wait to talk with comic industry pros Denys Cowan, Kevin Grevioux and Ray-Anthony Height on Sunday,” Seaton said. “Small publishers and comic book creators are in the industry at the right time. Comic book and graphic novel readers are vocal with their demands for diverse storylines, characters and creators. Small press and indie creators have been leaders in finding new voices and points of view. They set the trends and everyone else follows.”
Legend of the Mantamajiis a three book graphic novel series that tells the story of Elijah Alexander Elijah Alexander, an Assistant D.A. who has learned that his childhood storybook legends are actually the true stories of his heritage and that he is the last of a race of mystical knights known as the Mantamaji. After realizing he’s only part human, Elijah struggles with the shift in his world and becomes a hunted man charged with ridding the world of an ancient evil no other Mantamaji has ever been able to defeat. The full-color, action packed series has hair-raising plot twists and smart storytelling for all superhero fans.
The books feature artwork by Brandon Palas, colorist Andrew Dalhouse who has worked with From Boom, Dark Horse, Image, Marvel and DC and lettering by Deron Bennett, who was nominated for an Eisner Award for his work on titles like Jim Hensons Dark Crystal, Jim Hensons Tale of Sand and Helldorado, among others.
About Eric Dean Seaton:
As an episodic director, Eric Dean Seaton has directed 195 television episodes of 38 different shows, 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, TBS’s Ground Floor, 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 series.
Praise for Legend of the Mantamaji:
“Fans who bemoan the ‘big two’ for a lack of vision, or effort, to create bold new characters and franchises, should learn that innovation can often be found elsewhere. ‘Legend of the Mantamaji ‘ has all of the excitement, imagination and suspense to be a TV or film series on its own, but instead it is here as a comic to be enjoyed by the masses who crave them. ‘Legend of the Mantamaji’ volume one is a must read for those who crave all of the spectacle and action of superhero comics, yet want a comic which offers creative new ideas and a progressive storyline with real weight behind it,” Alex Widen, Brooklyn Comic Book Examiner
“Legend of the Mantamaji is teevee director Eric Dean Seaton’s (Sonny with a Chance, That’s So Raven, Good Luck Charlie) first shot at writing comics, but this is clearly a professional storyteller with writing chops and a lifelong love of the medium, both of which are on full display here. I am not sure what I expected when I was invited to review Legends of the Mantamaji, but I can tell you I was definitely impressed by the quality world-building and storytelling.” –GhettoManga.com
For Media Interview | Book Review Requests Contact: Terreece M. Clarke, (614) 467-0361 | Press(at)Mantamaji(dot)com or TClarke(at)LifeSliceMedia(dot)com | LegendoftheMantamaji.com
Television director Eric Dean Seaton continues to break stereotypes of African Americans in science fiction and fantasy with his third book in the “Legend of the Mantamaji” graphic novel series.
When people think of superheroes and science fiction, they often imagine the strong chiseled features and extraordinary powers of white male characters. A two-time NAACP Image Award nominee, director Eric Dean Seaton wants to remind comic book and sci-fi fans that Black people can be superheroes, too. With the launch of his third book in the Legend of the Mantamaji graphic novel series on February 11th Seaton hopes positive representation of people of color in comics will go a long way to shatter stereotypes about Black involvement and interest in science fiction and fantasy.
“Science fiction and fantasy stories give people of all ages something to dream about. What does it say to children when the only heroes they read about are white?” Seaton, whose television hits include Disney’s Austin & Ally, NBC’s Undateable and Nickelodeon’s Bella and the Bulldogs said. “Black people do survive the zombie apocalypse, people of color exist in the future. They don’t have to be the first person the monster eats. And our interests go beyond civil rights and slavery. Our history is incredibly important, but so are our dreams and creative imaginings.”
The third book in the Legend of the Mantamaji series finds finds Elijah Alexander, the last of the mystical knights known as the Mantamaji beaten and left for dead. Detective Sydney Spencer has just figured out who is behind the mysterious happenings of a new crime ring and that knowledge has cost her dearly. Time is running out to stop the sorcerer, Sirach, who is hell bent on controlling space, time and reshaping the world in his image.
“One doesn’t have to wait for the “big two” to offer crumbs of diversity when there are great new franchises like “Legend of the Mantamaji” that often put them to shame,” Alex Widen, Brooklyn Comic Book expert for Examiner.com said. “This third volume acts as a perfect bookend to this tale of ancient warriors and sorcerers, and one can only hope that there are more legends to come.”
Seaton’s successful series began with the first two volumes in the series being name “Top Graphic Novels of 2014” by Examiner.com and Atlanta Black Star. With Book Three’s release, the early buzz points to Seaton showing no signs of stopping.
Buy Legend of the Mantamaji today and receive an autographed copy.
What a year this has been! When Legend of the Mantamaji launched, independently through “And…Action!” Entertainment, we had no idea what the reception would be. It’s a big graphic novel series, we were starting from scratch, but I knew people would like the books if I could just get them into their hands. Now, two books into the series and response has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Let’s take a look at what the year brought:
Thank you again everyone for all of your support and don’t forget – Legend of the Mantamaji Book Three launches in February, pre-order here and mark your calendars for the 2015 Book Tour!
Today is the launch of Legend of the Mantamaji: Book Two! It seems like it was only yesterday we were gearing up for the first book launch and here we are again for the second book.
This has been a fantastic ride so far with family, co-workers, fellow artists and friends (new and old) coming together to support Legend of the Mantamaji. Checking Amazon today, there are only 13 copies of Book Two left which is amazing and humbling.
While the team was gearing up for the launch, our new friends over at BlackMensDossier.com posted their article on the series. Please show them some love and visit the site and share the article with friends:
There are few people in the world who don’t like movies. However, as a child, Eric Dean Seaton was more intrigued by the people behind the scenes and listed on the end credits.
Always a fan of storytelling, Seaton began to nurture a love and knack for creativity within the entertainment industry. As a director of various notable television pieces, he has expanded his craft to include that of comic book creator and editor.
– See more at: http://www.blackmensdossier.com/blog/2014/12/07/eric-dean-seaton#sthash.d3VKBI4X.dpuf
Creating well-rounded female characters in comics isn’t hard. Just look around you for inspiration and if you can’t find real life representations, you need to expand your own circle.
The Sanctuants have the ability to conjure biogenic energy in their bodies. Almost wiped from the face of the Earth throughout the centuries, they currently live in secret among humans.
Diversity in comics is usually one of the main topics of the conversations I have when discussing creating the Legend of the Mantamaji with the press. And interestingly, the discussion of race tends to be shorter than the discussion of the portrayal of female characters in the series.
The reality is, creating strong, well-rounded, fully fleshed females isn’t any more difficult than creating any other type of character – and inspiration isn’t hard to find.
In my life and in my career, all the people that have been behind my advancement have been strong women.
When I first came to Los Angeles and started working on comedies, the creators and people in charge were women:
Detective Sydney Spencer, smart, tough with a mean right hook. She believes in the impossible possibility of supernatural happenings happening in her city and she’s going to get to the bottom of it.
They were all the same in that they were smart, strong and extremely talented. They were also mothers. I am lucky that, in my life, I have always been surrounded by women who were strong and who were hustlers. I have always seen women who were doing everything you traditionally saw men do and doing it well.
My mom is a life-long educator who still consults at John Carroll University in Cleveland in Multi-cultural Affairs. My wife owns her own thriving business. So when I created Sydney, Cornerstone and the other female characters in Legend of the Mantamaji, I was drawing on people I have seen, known, worked with or worked for.
Sanctuants from the Legend of the Mantamaji series are explicitly mentioned as equal to the male Mantamaji warriors. It’s an unusual call out among the comic industry, but I didn’t want any of the female leads to be any less than the main hero, just different. It makes the story’s history so much richer.
If I had to boil down three things I wanted to accomplish with the female characters in Legend of the Mantamaji, I have to say I wanted to create a new batch of heroes who are full, real characters; I wanted to make sure people were interested in their journey and I wanted to give women readers what they have been asking for and deserve from comic book creators – real representation.
Lisa Legardi AKA WRATH OF PLAGUE. Her day job she rules the airwaves in America with her own TV network. Her alter ego, Wrath of Plague, has the ability to shoot hundreds of deadly disease and plague-ridden daggers from her body.
That really shouldn’t be unusual. It shouldn’t be noteworthy to show women who have more going for them than being a love interest, a damsel in distress or a hero just waiting in the wings until someone needs help.
From our experience at the conventions and speaking with media pros and readers, people LOVE the Sanctuants and they love Sydney from the beginning to the end. They even want to see more of them. It’s the best response I could ask for and accomplishes all I wanted to do.
READY FOR A BUTT-KICKIN’ GOOD TIME? CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE LEGEND OF THE MANTAMAJI TODAY!