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Noted Creator/Author of the Archangels comic book series, first released in 1995, the latest in the series; ARCHANGELS: THE FALL comic books released July 2005; DVD release in July 2006
Creator, Time Stream – voted best new product & most innovative in gaming by Scrye Magazine
Won the Impact Award – CBA’s highest First-time booth honors in 2002
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– LIGHT IN THE DARK
Patrick’s fascination with the comics began early. He was nine years old when he saw the first Superman movie and it really impressed him – this great Superhero who could fly and catch a falling heroine in his arms. It was while attending Sam Houston State that Patrick’s life drastically changed after he was jilted by a former girlfriend. He headed home, was driving down the highway when he saw a sign with the words, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hurt and depressed, Patrick pulled over, got out and began arguing with the sign and with God. Though he had accepted the Lord at age 12, Patrick felt he had no purpose in life. That “everything kept letting me down.” He begged God to either use his life, or end his misery. Evidently the Lord said “Okay.” Though Patrick had been working on a project called The Guardian, suddenly the idea of ArchAngel flooded his mind and spirit. “It felt like a download,” he says. The impression was so strong that, still on the side of the highway, he wrote out 25 pages. When he got home he wrote out another 50 pages of ideas. “I couldn’t stop writing,” he says. When he was done he was exhausted. Though Patrick was inspired in 1988, the project was shelved for five years because he lacked the resources to produce it. His project got back on track in 1993 when an unexpected inheritance provided much-needed funds for him to move forward on it again. Sadly, his father died that same year, but Patrick is so grateful that just before his Dad’s death, he showed his father the first artwork. “I think you have something here,” his father said, which greatly blessed Patrick.
The release of ARCHANGEL: THE FALL on DVD is tentatively scheduled for July 2006, it will either be available as three 30-min DVDs or two 45-minute DVDs. It will go directly to home video nationwide. The comic books were made available in stores July 2005. As Patrick was shopping in Christian bookstores as a new Christian, he noticed there weren't many products that spoke to his age group. He was inspired to write his comic book story, Archangels: The Saga. He’d always dreamed of making Archangels a movie, but the time wasn't right. He and a friend initially made Archangels a comic book and it was released in 1995 as a comic book series. Today, it has nationwide distribution. Patrick is also one of the artists for Archangels.
Patrick wanted to show Christ as a Superhhero and Savior – to glorify God and plant the seed of the gospel. Archangels has quite a following, with an estimated 2.1 million readers. The core following are both males and females from the ages of 10 – 35 years-old. Patrick says parents and grandparents love to buy the series for their children and granddchildren. Among the people that Patrick reaches are the abused, prisoners, and those chronically ill. In nine years, the Archangel comic book series has sold about 730,000 copies, not including anciliary products.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMICS
Patrick’s heart desire and mission/ ministry is to produce product and comics that point people to Jesus the Savior. Jesus as the Hero. "One does not have to look far to notice the influence of comic book heroes throughout the world; Superman®, Batman®, X-Men®, Spiderman®, Spawn®, the list goes on and on," he says. According to a leading worldwide Comic Book distributor, there are over 2,000 comic book titles published monthly; over 90,000,000 sold each year. These comics have evolved into blockbuster movies, theme parks, video games, television programming, custom jewelry, clothing apparel and much more. Patrick asks a good question, "What if Christians could use this powerful medium to spread the Gospel?"
"The comic book and film industry has, in recent years, manufactured the so-called ‘anti-hero,’ a hero, who is faithless, morally bankrupt, and more often than not... overtly evil. This twist on the traditional morality of classic superheroes has generated issues of great concern throughout the Christian community. This trend will continue to undermine traditional Christian values and thinking unless we offer modern faith-based alternatives," he says. One particular challenge, Patrick says, is that the Christian market is fighting change. “But change is progress,” he says. “The Christian market needs heroes who point people to Christ.”
Patrick and team won the CBA’s Best First-Time Booth honors, the CBA’s highest, at the Convention in 2002. His game Time Stream was voted by Scrye Magazine, the United States’ second largest magazine in gaming, as the best new product in gaming – four & a half stars out of five. A strategy board game, it was cited as having the most innovative idea and concept – kind of like Star Trek meets the Bible.
Patrick works with Cahaba Productions Inc. They are dedicated to fulfilling a great need for progressive and appealing comic oriented products; modern ministry tools that were desperately lacking in the Christian youth market. The strength of Cahaba's products (illustrated comic novels, card games, and inspirational posters) are heroes and legends consistent with the Word of God. Patrick believes this approach will reap a great harvest for God for many generations to come, and reach teenagers right where they are. He hopes that more Christian companies and creative people will come together and influence the present generation - and those to follow - with positive Christian role models and mentors, dynamic stories and heroes that focus on the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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