Sharp Edges in an Otherwise Smooth World The beginnings of Kulprit didn't start with this publication. It started with another publisher sometime in early 1993. Beatnik Production’s entrance into the publishing world of independent comics was begun without fanfare or hyperbole. The small, organized and determined group of creators would meet at a comic shop/coffee house in Montclair, New Jersey to plan out their assault on the comics market. Creators were teamed together and would trade pages of stories and artwork so everyone that completed the work would be represented. Some of the luminaries that passed through the meetings were: Kelly Williams, Gary Alexander, David McClain, Eric White, Kevin Darmanie, Mark Alfred, Clarence Coats, Darrell Goza, David Amaker, Ernie Walker, Anthony Thomas and Sharunda Miller. There was even the occasional visit by 'soon to turn pro' creators such as Mike Oeming and once we started to meet at the publisher’s house; Rashida Lewis was known to stop in for a meeting or two as well as prose writer Charles Cascone. All of these creators went on to produce books of their own but it was Kevin Darmanie's Kulprit which was the most ambitious and lengthy project to be undertaken by any of the Beatnik alumni. Even Mark Alfred's 'Magnicor', which makes sixty installments as a serialized web comic, only filled one twenty eight page comic when done as a comic book. Kulprit has had many incarnations prior to this one. It was first done as a three issue comic book of which two prototypes were produced of the first two issues. These were indistinguishable from 'real' comic books except for the printing of the covers. Kulprit was next issued as an ashcan to be shown at comic conventions and trade shows. Then it became a digest series of books, six in all, to be sold through comic shops. There was interest in the book but the format was somewhat skewed, and far too small, for the comic shop venue even though it sold fairly well as a mail order item. There was also a partially filmed live action version with Roger Larode as Kulprit. Then with the proliferation of comics as edgy movie properties, new life was pumped into virtually all comic book products. Kulprit was now a growing concern again, which was fueled, in part, by the information highway which we all now call the world wide web. Kulprit found its way to the web as a web strip and early review responses for the online strips, and digest books, garnered a healthy dose of "We may just have something here" from all the involved creators. (I suspect they secretly knew it all along.) Each one of Kulprit's incarnations had its own unique signature. Each had a different look and with the exception of the digests, weren't always completed. This brings us to the here and now. The product you hold in your hands is the final, definitive version of this iteration of Kulprit. It's the accumulation of all the earlier versions done with an esthetic for this new millennium and done in a format which fits comic shops and bookstores. The creators have tried not to make it too neat, which they felt would take away from the original flavor of the series. They've also collected all the stories, page for page, from the original series with some of the rougher language toned down to accomodate a more general reading audience. I've read it and it looses none of its impact. It's a story you'll experience more than merely read. It's a chilling story that won't insult your intelligence with contrived plot elements and you're guaranteed to be moved by it, one way or another. That was the point of its creation and this format allows it to shine as one massive narrative, as it should have always been done. With this product, the creators had the freedom to truly create their own personal vision and haven't squandered that promise nor taken it for granted. Future stories of Kulprit may yield different insights into this characters way to see or of his own unique vision. It's a dark vision, to be sure, but who ever said the end of every tunnel would be filled with light anyway? Aja Frost for ScriptGraphics
3