Paul’s Blog has been updated!

I repeat.

Paul’s Blog has been updated!

Everyone is strongly advised to click the link below and catch up with what Twisted Studio’s resident artist and magician is up to.

“Link Below”

Dave’s blog is here. Updated Dec.28, 2016

Paul’s Blog has been updated!

Click here to check out what’s new with our resident magician/artist.

When I started working for Twisted Studio, I wanted to get a feel for the characters and flex my muscles as a writer while showing Paul that I can research and produce something new while keeping it within the world he had been so careful to create and nurture for years. The result of that effort came in the form of the great new nemesis for Styx and gang, the “Termite Union” and a new form to get our stories out. Thus the Twisted Short Stories were born with the first of it’s kind, “A Tragic Loss” – see below.

Before long another short was conceived and a new focus was taken. I decided that instead of a direct companion series to the comics I would write them as a prequel series to prep new fans and open the way for future inclusion of the Termites. This new series would tell the background story of The Underground from the point of view of Raymus. The first of which is entitled “Tempest and Harmony” – synopsis is also below this feature.

This series will continue next year with “The Orphan” which will continue Raymus’ search for identity in The Underground and of course will see new Termite characters introduced. Also coming in 2016 is the sequel to the Tecumseh shorts mentioned in the last feature. Stay Tuned!

“A Tragic Loss”

Stoic as always, Styx and his new steed face off against the Termite Union in the first Twisted Studio Short story EVER! The Termites are like no enemy ever faced before but don’t count out The Hive. Always plotting behind the scenes against the Ants of Coryn, they are sure to get involved if they can. Styx defies all who stand against him but will his guile and fighting ability be enough?

“Tempest and Harmony”

The opening tale in the Raymus story has everything a fan would expect from “The Underground”. Follow the journey of this pacifistic Army ant as he fights to break away from “The Rage” of the Rapax. Experience the seductive call of the pheromonal imperative as Raymus tries to save Suncalf Harbour from both his old tribe and The Termite Union army which hopes to use their village as a trap to destroy the unstopppable Rapax…

Email us today to get your copies for only $3 each or both for $5.

dave@twistedstudio.ca

Growing up in Windsor, Ontario; Forever living under the oppressive shadow of the once mighty city of Detroit, I have always been intrigued by the wealth of amazing history beneath my feet.

I was drawn back in time to my first fishing trip ever as a child with my brother-in-law to this tiny river almost a stream really, to a place named River Canard. The historical plaque there, hidden almost under the bridge forever impressed itself in my memory.

It read,”In the War of 1812, the first engagement in Canada involving British and American forces in significant numbers occurred here on the Canard River. On July 12, 1812, Brigadier-General William Hull invaded Canada and encamped near Sandwich. British commander, T.B. St. George, consolidated his forces consisting of regulars of the 41st Regiment, Indians, and Canadian militia at Fort Malden, south of the Canard and stationed at picquet at the bridge. This outpost was attacked on July 16th by Colonel Louis Cass and about 280 enemy troops. After a brief stand, the outnumbered British fell back towards the fort. The Americans abandoned the position the following day, but later returned several times to skirmish with the British, who reoccupied the post.”

This series of short stories will supplement the main story of Tecumseh’s rise and fall in our comic book series. So far two have been completed with synopses to follow. A third is being penned currently about the Battle of Queenston Heights which was announced on October 13, 2015 with the title of “The Death of our Heroes” to celebrate the 203rd anniversary of that great battle.

“The Red Haired Man”

Who is the Red Haired Man? Follow our heroes both real and fictional from Essex County and elsewhere in Ontario, meet the invaders head on and strike a blow they cannot easily shake off. Their journey takes them from the quarters of Colonel Matthew Elliott at Sandwich, down the Detroit River to Fort Amherstburg then across it into the endless forests of the Michigan interior.

“Bridge over the River Canard”

How can an unassuming bridge in the middle of nowhere cause so much fuss? In 1812, it was the only way for the Americans to continue their conquest from occupied Sandwich. Besides the bridge was guarded visibly by two guards, redcoats Hancock and Dean. Secretly, Tecumseh and his British allies have a trap planned. Can they save Fort Amherstburg and the town of the same name from the same fate as Sandwich?

Email us today to get your copies for only $3 each or both for $5.

dave@twistedstudio.ca

It was approximately eighteen years ago when local artist Paul Reaume came up with the idea for The Underground.  In the years since that first moment of inspiration, the series has seen it’s fair share of research and creative development.  With the intention that the series would include as many real-world facts as possible, countless hours have been spent researching.  Piles of notes, and sketches have littered Paul’s home.  Sleep has been sacrificed more times than he can recall, and meal times have been shared with drawing time.

Why?

Because Paul and his creative team believe so deeply in the potential of the bug infested comic book that they have committed themselves to its proper development.

-Paul Reaume

It is this belief that has driven Paul to compile years of source materials, images and literature in order to create such an expansive universe literally within his backyard.  Now as his team is nearing completion of The Underground’s third installment, all of that research is about to take center stage.

The Underground site is undergoing a bit of a facelift.  The team plans to restructure it in such a way that it better reflects “The Archives”; a massive binder bursting at the seams with information gathered for The Underground.  Every bug, every character, every weapon or location that the creative team has come up with over the years will be here.

And its going to be awesome.  Such a task will take time to execute properly, of course.  Much of the work is expected to be completed throughout July.  After that, there will be no shortage of material to update with.  Paul and his team are making a statement it seems.

The Underground is here.  And it’s not going anywhere.

Click on The Underground banner on the left to check out the project’s site in its entirety.

Another Free Comic Book Day has come to pass.

While we’re always a little saddened to see our favourite day of the year come to a close, we had a really great time celebrating and meeting some new friends.  This was a particularly important Free Comic Book Day for Twisted Studio as we are coming off of a relatively dormant year.  While we have not been inactive in our Twisted duties, we’ve definitely been working more behind the scenes.  This year’s Free Comic Book Day event was a great opportunity to share with our followers what we’ve been up to and what our plans are.

As we did last year, we participated in the FCBD festivities at Paper Heroes.  Shop owner Scott St. Amour hosted another tremendous event, and we couldn’t have been happier being a part of it.  We had the esteemed privilege of sitting alongside some very talented Windsorites.  Horror author Christian Laforet introduced us to his book “The Space Between Houses”, and we were dazzled by the work of the artist known as ‘Phil’. It’s always great to meet and speak with local talents, to share in their creativity and share in our mutual experiences.

Twisted Studio projects The Underground, and Tecumseh were represented at the event with issues of The Underground being sold, and preview art for Tecumseh being displayed.  While the last year has not yielded any impressive amount of progress on these projects, we’ve spent much of our time solidifying some alternate sources of revenue.  Producing a small run comic series is a time consuming and expensive endeavour, while we have been running a preorder incentive program other options were necessary.  To that end we have looked at developing a few games as  a subsidiary division to our main projects.  Additionally, Twisted Studio artist Paul Reaume has been moonlighting as a magician!

Which brings us to our next point about Free Comic Book Day; the debut performance of the cosmic conjurer…the time travelling trickster…the one and only, Dr What!  Just one of Paul’s magical alter egos, the amazing Dr What brought a mystifying performance of comic proportions.  This particular show was tailored to suit Free Comic Book day specifically, but Paul has seen great success with his other illusionist identities as well.  Characters such as “The Peculiar Pirate Paul”, and “The Lucky Leprechaun” have dazzled audiences around Windsor over the last year and a half.  Free Comic Book Day’s performance was a welcomed marriage of Paul’s two passions; Comics and Magic.

As you can tell, May 2nd 2015 was filled with fun and excitement.  While we’re always happy to hear from our fans and followers, the greatest thing to hear this year was how anxious they are for MORE! More bugs, more Tecumseh, more Twisted Studio.

Well thank you to our loyal Twisted Fans.  We hear you loud and clear, and we don’t plan on disappointing!

Three years ago Dave and I decided to attend our first comic convention as a studio.  In hopes of raising awareness of our projects, increasing circulation of our printed books, and learning more about our craft we set our eyes upon a ‘small’ event in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  I use the word ‘small’ loosely here, as the event would prove to be anything but.  The Kids Read Comics Event had arrived in Ann Arbor (the previous year it was held in Chelsea, MI), and it seemed like the surrounding community had banded together to make it a success.

While the main event took over the Ann Arbor District Library; several associated activities, classes and lectures were hosted throughout the surrounding area.  Whether you were sitting in a cafe enjoying a book talk, on campus discussing the use of comics as educational tools, or in a comic shop participating in a drawing class; the theme was the same.  Engaging kids and teens in a way that will ignite their own creative thinking, and foster a new thirst for learning.

We’ve learned so much ourselves in our three years of attendance at the KRC.  We’ve met some extraordinary people, and received some valuable advice.  We’ve sat shoulder to shoulder with established creators, and fresh talent.  I learn something new every year, and it keeps me coming back for more.

The KRC 2014 has concluded, and this year was no different than the rest…actually it WAS different.  This year we brought my son Ayden along with us.  I was so proud of him; to see him engaging with peers, and speaking with professionals.  Equally so, I was impressed again with the event as a whole.  I watched as something ignited within my son this year.  I saw his passion flare, and his inspiration soar.  It’s all I hear about now; his very own book that he’ll be bringing to the KRC next year.

Thank you KRC for nurturing life-long learning, and encouraging a new generation of comic book fans.

Saturday May 3rd 2014 was the 13th annual Free Comic Book Day.  Originally conceptualized by retailer Joe Field, the event was intended to introduce new people to a beloved hobby, to call back former comic book readers, and to thank current comic buyers for their continued support.  Over the past 13 years the day has continued to grow in popularity and exposure.

This was Twisted Studio’s third year attending Free Comic Book Day, and we’ve used it as a kick-off for our yearly ‘tour’ of shows and conventions.  This was a particularly exciting year for us.  We are taking preorders for TWO projects for the first time, but moreover, we were able to spend FCBD with our friends at Paper Heroes Comic Lounge.  Owner Scott St Amour just opened the lounge six months ago, so this was his first Free Comic Book Day, and we couldn’t be happier for him.

Determined to make the event a spectacular one, Scott set about rallying local businesses and artists to the cause.  We jumped at the opportunity, as did Glass Monkey Studio’s April Fawler, and the phenomenally talented Johnny D.  A barbecue was set up to feed the masses.  Served and prepared by Scott’s friends and family, all proceeds from the food were donated to support Muscular Dystrophy.  Patio Palace, Tiffany’s Diner, and Jeff’s Meats were co-sponsors of the event.

There’s no denying the day was as amazing as the Paper Heroes had planned it to be.  With some great cosplayers in attendance, and guests arriving in costume it was hard not to get into the spirit.  As the excitement and adrenaline from the day is only now beginning to fade, we’d like to thank all of our fans who came to see us, and all of the new friends we made throughout the day.  Ofcourse we’d like to offer a sincere thank you to Scott St Amour, his family, and friends for putting on such a tremendous Free Comic Book Day!

To see more pictures from Free Comic Book Day check out our Facebook page, and stay tuned for more information on the next stop in our 2014 Infestation Tour.

The Underground team just updated the Back Issues section of their website, with a dedicated section for the original run of the series.  This is really interesting because what you’ll notice right away when you visit the page is a scan of the original logo from The Underground series.  For those who may not know, Paul Reaume first came up with the idea for The Underground when he was sixteen years old, he printed the first issue of the series when he was seventeen.  Needless to say there has been quite a change in the caliber of  artwork from then to now.

This look into the past of The Underground really got us thinking about the past of Twisted Studio.  The Underground was neither the first nor the last project to be branded with the twisted ‘T’.  In light of that we thought we’d take a look at a couple of the other projects which were pitched to big publishers.

The Dark & The Fallen

The Dark & The Fallen was one of the random story ideas put together for a pitch with Image Comics.  Not surprisingly, we were not picked up by the company, and no publishing deal was made.  In any case, we’ve held on to the artwork from the pitch, there are actually three pages of story drawn up.  Perhaps we’ll post those later for a laugh.  The story focused on Davor Dharkken, a warrior with a shady past.  The Dark One, he is known as by villagers from far and wide.  In a strange stroke of fate or happenstance Davor is forced into the protection of a fallen angel.  From there our adventures would unfold.

The Outlaws 3

The Outlaws 3 would have been thought up around the same time The Underground was actually.  They were both inspired by the same family vacation spot, Smoke Rise Ranch.  As the name suggests this western story followed three outlaws, though they were not all criminals to start.  The trio is made up of an innocent bartender, a hardened bounty hunter, and a card hustler (who is really the only true outlaw in the bunch).  A nasty vendetta with a crooked politician brings these three unlikely companions together in this tale.  Once again the story was NOT picked up by any major publisher, but again we held on to the artwork for later reflection and laughter.

Well there you have it ladies and gents, the past of Twisted Studio.  We’ve dusted off enough artwork for the day, time to put our eyes back to our present and future plans.  We hope you’ve enjoyed this blast from the past, I’m sure there’s plenty more where that came from.