Help Support Onrie Kampan’s Marx: A Tale Of Survival

Surviving Against The Odds

We always like to spotlight comics crowdfunding campaigns and Onrie Kampan’s personal tale Marx: A Tale Of Survival looks like it’s well worth a look…

SYNOPSIS

Onrie Kompan always knew his grandfather, Marx Melnik (1923-2011), to be a man of high intellect who was respected and loved by everyone.  He led and incredible yet very difficult life.  Now as Marx’s final days approach, Onrie must embark on the difficult task of unraveling his grandfather’s past before his story is lost forever.

MARX is the epic and inspiring story of a Russian Jewish man, born during the rise of the Soviet Union, thrust into war against Nazi Germany, and ultimately betrayed by his own government.  A man who miraculously survived events that claimed the lives of millions.

You can preview the first full chapter of the book by clicking on this link!  We hope you enjoy!

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/5vph19e7exijyypsxl0bo/h?rlkey=6v57y9qw0oe3fg31bb22l7dfc&dl=0

We’re coming to Kickstarter to finance a remastered edition of the book with added content!  This is MARX’s first foray into Kickstarter and we’re excited to finally put it in the spotlight!

The following blurbs are all from customers who have purchased previous editions of the book.  Their feedback can be read on Amazon.com.

“If “Yi Soon Shin” was his lead single, “Marx” is writer Onrie Kompan’s deep cut: raw, personal, idiosyncratic, and cathartic.”

“Met the author at a Comic-Con in Phoenix started with his other work and just fell in love with this masterpiece of writing and stunning visuals of the tales of his grandfather’s life living through some of the most earth-shattering events in recent history.”

“Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys comic books, especially with a backdrop of truth. Though this is not a lighthearted story, it is well worth the read!”

“It was well paced with enough detail to let you get to know his grandfather, without being weighed down with any superfluous filler.”

“A historically accurate and heartbreaking tale that spans generations comes around every once in a great while. Marx, hits all the right spots and left me thinking about it long after I finished. I highly recommend this to everyone.”

“If “Yi Soon Shin” was his lead single, “Marx” is writer Onrie Kompan’s deep cut: raw, personal, idiosyncratic, and cathartic.”

THE BOOK

MARX is a self-contained, fully illustrated 160-page story with each chapter consisting of 24-pages.  The book features three very distinctive and deliberate art styles.

The first and final chapters of the story feature sensational artwork and coloring by Nick Bell with Ben Dimagmaliw (who came on board to colour the final chapter).  Nick’s style perfectly captures precious moments of innocence in Marx’s life.

Chapters 2 and 5 are gorgeously rendered by Vassilis Gogtzilas whose dark and surreal style perfectly captures some the darker moments in Marx’s life, including the time he spent inside a Russian prison camp (also known as “gulag”).  Nick Bell brings the artwork to another level with his dynamic sense of colouring.

The middle two chapters (Chapters 3-4), are brought to life with dynamic realism from artist Dan Dougherty and colorist Kanila Tripp.  Dan’s art style perfectly captures the true horror and panic of war while Kanila’s colors literally pull you out onto the frontlines of one of the bloodiest battles in modern history.

I also worked very closely with acclaimed writer and comics industry legend, JM DeMatteis on the story, who I brought on to edit this project.  JM wrote some of the most influential stories I ever came across, including the first comic book I ever read in my entire life–WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #32!

To have such talents in my corner to bring this story to life is a tremendous honor!

support it here