Matt Dorff's Blog

For fans of riveting true crime docuseries like Serial and Making a Murderer,
The Anatomy of Desire is a modern tale of crime and punishment exploring unbridled ambition, blinding passion, and the dark side of desire.

Claire Griffith has it all, a thriving career, a gorgeous boyfriend, glamorous friends. She always knew she was destined for more than the life her conservative parents preached to her. Arriving in Los Angeles flat broke, she has risen to become a popular fitness coach and social media influencer. Having rebranded herself as Cleo Ray, she stands at the threshold of realizing her biggest dreams.

One summer day, Cleo and a woman named Beck Alden set off in a canoe on a serene mountain lake. An hour later, Beck is found dead in the water and Cleo is missing. Authorities suspect foul play and news of Cleo’s involvement goes viral. Who was Beck, an infatuated follower? Were she and Cleo friends or lovers? Was Beck’s death an accident…or murder?

Told in the form of an immersive true crime docuseries, L. R. Dorn’s brilliant reimagining of Theodore Dreiser’s classic crime drama, An American Tragedy, captures the urgency and poignance of the original and rekindles it as a mesmerizing page-turner for today’s readers.

My new graphic novel has been launched on Amazon...

http://goo.gl/J2EXdr -

"From the acclaimed adaptor of THE BOOK OF REVELATION comes a graphic novel depicting the creation of FRANKENSTEIN and THE VAMPIRE along with the horror & science fiction genres. Released to coincide with the bicentennial of “The Haunted Summer,” that period in June, 1816, when Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley and Lord Byron gathered around the fireplace of a mansion on a Swiss lake to concoct the first science fiction and vampire tales in western literature, WE THE MONSTERS develops from this fascinating premise: what if Mary Shelley’s lost journal chronicling those nights trading scary stories with friends on Lake Geneva were found? It would provide a firsthand account of the tales that have been inspiring authors and filmmakers for the last 200 years. Gorgeously illustrated by horror specialist David Seidman, the novel covers not only the stories that were to become FRANKENSTEIN and THE VAMPIRE, but three other original tales that have been lost to time and gave rise to these celebrated sub-genres: THE SERIAL KILLER, THE ALIEN and THE WEREWOLF. WE THE MONSTERS is the ultimate origin story, unlocking the mystery behind the invention of these indelible icons through the interplay between five young people who would all go on to die tragically. For a brief moment their imaginations intertwined to generate stories that have immortalized their creators and turned their creations into a multi-billion dollar worldwide industry."

For best graphic novel of the year!

http://bookgateway.com/2013/11/messia...



Messiah: Origin by Dorff, Arey and Carpenter
NOVEMBER 06, 2013 ADMIN

Part translation, part interpretation and all art. Messiah is amazing!

Messiah: Origin
Written by Matt Dorff and Mark Arey
Illustrated by Kai Carpenter
Zondervan
November 2013

The first in a series, this fully illustrated retelling of the life of Christ starts with his birth and young childhood. Dorff and Arey stay close to the Bible manuscripts but reinterpret them to go along with outstanding artwork by Carpenter.

The art is where this really shines. The illustrations are so powerful they are emotionally moving. Visually breathing new life in to the birth of Christ.

I would have prefered a less formal interpretation but that is such a very minor complaint. I recommend it to anyone who loves the Word, loves art and may be looking for something truly different.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, February 11, 2014

By Aarrgh!!! - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Book of Revelation (Paperback)

What a great job by Matt Dorff. A beautiful job imaging "The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ", captures the dramatic scenes, as well some of the more bizarre descriptions of the coming judgement. Great book to illustrate since many of the passages are very descriptive. Read it with my daughter who is 12 and we both found the illustration very thought provoking and beautiful. Recommend it for the lovers of the prophetic word. Another tool in the understanding of God's great prophetic mystery.

From examiner.com

Graphic novel of the Gospels story of Jesus Christ

Rating:StarStarStarStarStar

November 12, 2013

Messiah Origins, a powerfully written with astonishingly visual graphics novel, has combined all of the books of the Gospel into one captivating piece of biblical history. These complete writings from apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, provide a detailed account of the life and resurrection of God’s only son, Jesus Christ. Now publisher, Zondervan, brings forth the story of Jesus, told in a whole new graphic format. Examiner.com was granted an exclusive interview with the men responsible to bring this book to book stands at this years Comic Con 2013 in New York City. Messiah Origins will captivate both the faithful as well as the skeptics as every page bring the story of Jesus to life.

Father Mark Aery, an Orthodox Priest for over 30 faithful years, with Matt Dorlf, translated ancient Greek manuscripts of the Gospels and created a circular and a completed account of the life of Jesus. Unlike other transitional works Father Mark has undertaken, this project brings an overwhelming amount of emotions retelling the story how a gift from God changed the world forever. A story that lasted over 2000 years, recounts the Magi's journey through the desert to find a child who will be the King to the last supper with the apostles now in a stunningly visual graphic novel.

Illustrator and accomplished artist, Kai Carpenter, brings his years of graphic visualization experience in Messiah Origins book. The story of Jesus needed to be displayed with vibrant emotions of color in order to bring the compelling story to life. Chip Brown, Senior Vice President of Publisher of Harpercollins Christian Publishing was on hand to offer his personal comments about the book. He mentions, “ The Bible is seen as a property of original trans media written from different authors with one common narrative.”Chip also mentions, “Non-spiritual people often quote scripture from the Bible everyday and not realizing it. Messiah Origins offers opportunity for readers to reconnect themselves again to these scriptures, inspired by God.”

The birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ has inspired many to become followers of Christ. But for those who avoid reading biblical scriptures, now have an alternative to better understand the story, visually and offer a chance to reconnect readers spiritually. The life of Jesus became one of the greatest gift ever given to man, woman and child and the book offers many to understand that gift . Messiah Origins is currently available in both Christian book stores as well as Amazon.com.

This is Brian A. Madrid. That’s my story and I am sticking it. For more information regarding Messiah Origins, click on the “Highlighted Tags” throughout this article. Please feel free to subscribe/blog and be notified of new articles/comments via email. Thanks for reading and please share.

Messiah: Origin

By Matt Dorff, Kai Carpenter, and Mark Arey

By: G. Shane Morris|Published: October 8, 2013 6:21 PM

Topics: Arts & Media, Books, Religion & Society, Youth Issues


So much of what makes the book of Revelation (and adaptations) frightening and awesome is the presence of Jesus Christ, unveiled in stark majesty and ready to do battle to crush the powers of darkness, even as they grudgingly kneel before Him. This is God incarnate. This is the Messiah the Jewish nation expected 2,000 years ago. And this is the Jesus whose second coming we eagerly await as our world groans in birth pangs, waiting for its impending resurrection. (Romans 8:22)

But we mustn’t forget that what the people of Israel longed for so keenly beneath the sandal of Roman oppression was not given them. The warrior-King who would reclaim the throne of David and establish Mt. Zion as His capital did not appear, and would not for some time. (Zechariah 8:22) Instead, God the Son cloaked His glory in a servant’s body and chose to arrive in ignominy and poverty, in a backwater that wasn’t even his parents’ home, in a time when few would receive or even recognize Him as the Lord of Glory. (Philippians 2:7)

That’s where Mark Arey, Matt Dorff, and Kai Carpenter’s new graphic novel, “Messiah: Origin,” transports readers: to the humble beginnings of history’s central figure, and the miraculous events surrounding His arrival.

For centuries, theologians and commentators have produced harmonies of the evangelists, narratives that consolidate the four Gospels into a single chronological story—retelling the life of Christ as it really happened. And when scholars combine the breathless immediacy of Mark, the prophetic purchase of Matthew, the surgical precision of Luke, and the cascade of theological riches in John, the picture that emerges is dazzling.
Now add several hundred hand-painted, impressionistic water-color panels that glow with light and feeling, and the opening chapters of the Gospel story begin to look like much more than black-and-white typeset. Kai Carpenter’s artwork truly upstages previous, more “comic-booky” efforts to visually portray the life of Christ. The Annunciation, the Nativity and the childhood of Our Lord come to life in refreshingly un-Christmaslike fashion, full of dramatic close-ups, flesh-toned warmth and luminous gazes. The visuals feel like stained glass without the lead borders, and alternate so effectively between celestial epiphanies and mundane earthiness that some scenes are humbling just to look at. (Ever seen the birth of Christ reflected in an ox’s eye?)
And of course, with text drawn completely from Scripture and freshly translated by Mark Arey, an Eastern Orthodox clergyman who previously translated Zondervan’s Revelation graphic novel, the story comes through faithfully in virtually every way. Of particular note, the details surrounding Luke’s account of Holy Family’s arrival in Bethlehem, Christ’s birth, and Matthew’s story of the visit from the Magi (who didn’t show up until some time later, and definitely weren’t present at the manger, as frequently depicted), are executed with clarity and dexterity.
As a graphic novel, this will naturally appeal to younger readers. But I want to make a case for “Messiah: Origin” as more than a ploy to persuade middle-schoolers to sit down and read a good chunk of the Bible without the use of Ritalin. As someone who’s spent his life promising to break out the sketch pad and indulge his favorite hobby more than a few times a year, I can testify to the work Carpenter put into his beautiful illustrations, and deeply appreciate the brushstrokes that many readers will spare just seconds to enjoy. In our age of computer-generated imagery, Photoshop, and printers capable of turning out hundreds of pages per minute, it’s increasingly difficult to slip into the artist’s shoes or share the rapture Michelangelo’s patron must have experienced when he first stepped into the finished Sistine Chapel.
Call me old-fashioned, but I think there’s something important and essentially human about falling in love with the way another person has distributed pigment across a canvas. And there’s no question: “Messiah: Origin” offers a prime opportunity for readers of all ages to do so. But more importantly, it places in fresh perspective an account that each year becomes far too closely associated with—or even eclipsed by—a plump, jolly, wish-fulfilling elf and his aerodynamic caribou. Unlike Kris Kringle, however, the characters of Advent really lived, really encountered mysteries and fears that exceeded their understanding, and really witnessed their God step down from His throne and into a woman’s womb.
Yes, this novel’s depictions involve imagination, license and a good deal of skill. But they also tell a story that’s not only historical, but is the basis on which history itself makes sense.
Treat yourself to this little museum of visual talent. Use it to ready your heart for the coming Christmas season. And let it remind you of the unexpected Messiah Who was humbled so that you and I could be exalted.

After ten months in release!

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Book of Revelation, The - Dorff and Koelle
Created on Sunday, 04 August 2013
Written by Bert Saraco
In graphic novel format, this depiction of the last book of the Bible dramatically places us shoulder to shoulder with John The Revelator.

The Book of Revelation
Illustrated by Chris Koelle
Translation: Fr. Mark Arey & Fr. Philemon Sevastiades
Adaptation: Matt Dorff
192 pages, soft cover
Zondervan
ISBN-10: 0310421403
ISBN-13: 978-0310421405

I know – you've seen that title somewhere, right? Sure, but you've never seen The Book of Revelation in this form before. Correction: you've never seen it done in this form successfully. There have been some noble efforts at telling the story in graphical form, but they usually fell into one of two categories: 1) the simplistic, inoffensive gospel tract, or 2) the scare-tactic Jack Chick horror comic. Thankfully, this is neither of those - at last, comic book fans (for lack of a better term) have a graphic-novel style treatment of the last book of The New Testament, rendered with style and dynamics in an appropriately dark treatment, with a text that respects the intelligence of the reader.

Matt Dorff created the script based on the work of Mark Arey and Philemon Sevastiades, clergymen of the Greek Orthodox Church (you've gotta' trust a translator named Philemon), who translated from original Greek manuscripts. The script is fresh and fast-paced, replacing the familiar King James verbiage with more modern terms. The slight adjustment in our thinking (for instance, seeing the word 'presbyters' in place of 'elders' or 'four Living Beings' in place of 'beasts' around the throne) snaps us out of our expectations and allows us to open our minds to a new understanding of what we might have already read a dozen times.

Of course, as in film, a good script is no guarantee of a good movie experience – the graphic artist, like the director, has the job of making the words come to life, and Chris Koelle does a masterful job in The Book of Revelation. The temptation with this subject matter would be to go over-the-top with wild, horrific imagery that would overpower the message. Koelle instead works with a limited pallete of blacks and near-blacks and sepia-based tones giving way to reds, amber, and glowing yellows as John's vision moves from earthy happenings to glorious heavenly events.

Not a 'study' book or a book trying to push a particular theology, The Book of Revelation instead brings us emotionally closer to John and how the revelation must have impacted him. There are many references directly to John's expressions of hope, fear, amazement and awe as he sees images that he can comprehend but with ramifications he could not possibly understand.

In a departure from frequent efforts to render John's vision relatable to modern sensibilities, Koelle illustrates what John saw in the context of his (John's) own day. In other words, world rulers are depicted as Emperors and Kings, and more obscure aspects like the flying locust-like creatures that are released from the pit are drawn as close to the Biblical desription as possible instead of being re-invented as the modern one-man attack vehicles of some popular interpretations. At the same time, Koelle never tries to be too explicit or exacting in some of the difficult imagery, opting for a realistic, emotionally evocative rendering style.

Dorff and Koelle have produced one of the first solid Bible-based graphic novels that can stand on its own two feet and command the respect of fans of the medium. What's always been a visual story has finally been done right.

- See more at: http://tollbooth.org/index.php/home/b...

Die hilfreichsten Kundenrezensionen
5.0 von 5 Sternen Das Buch der Offenbarung 5. Juli 2013
Von Rolf Ständeke/Echo Nord
Die Offenbarung des Johannes, ist so viel ich weiß, das letzte Buch der kanonischen Bibel. Sein Inhalt ist heute noch rätselhaft wie früher. Es liefert die Schrift der bekannten Sinnbilder des Christentums. Das Buch mit den sieben Siegeln, die vier apokalyptischen Reiter, die Hure von Babylon und die Zahl 666 , die Zahl des Tieres. Das alles ist in der Johannes Offenbarung enthalten. Der Prophet Johannes schrieb ende des ersten Jahrhunderts seine apokalyptischen Visionen von der christlichen Endzeit. Er klagte das römische Kaisertum an, um seine Glaubensgenossen gegen Repressalien zu schützen. Er sieht wie Christus selbst in Gestalt eines Lamms erscheint und neben dem Thron Gottes Platz einnimmt. Und ich sah. dass das Lamm das erste der sieben Sigel auftat. Und ich hörte eine der vier Gestalten sagen wie mit einer Donnerstimme. Sicherlich ist das Alles schwer zu verstehen. Nun ist es aber Matt Dorff und Chris Koelle gelungen, dieses einmalige Werk als Graphic Novel zu interpretieren. Ein gelungenes Werk, wie ich meine. Die ungekürzten Bibeltexte wurden in Illustrationen umgesetzt. Die amerikanische Originalversion, basiert dabei auf einer modernisierten Neuübersetzung. Wie schon erwähnt, ein Werk, dass auch zum Denken auffordert, obwohl die Panels bewusst so gezeichnet wurden, als wäre es Licht. Die Farbe der Darstellungen sind sparsam eingesetzt um die Thematik besser erscheinen zu lassen. Gelungen. Fazit: Ein grandioses bildgewaltiges, ich nenne es wieder Werk, aus dem Atrium Verlag Zürich. Klare Illustrationen werden genial wiedergegeben. Auch die Schreckensversionen. Dies ist die Offenbarung Jesu Christi, die ihm Gott gegeben hat, seinen Knechten zu zeigen, was in Kürze geschehen soll.

Revelation Graphic Novel a New Media Approach to John’s Visions

By A. David Lewis | Apr 17, 2013


Comments
None of Zondervan’s previous entries into the graphic novel market suggested they were on the verge of something as ambitious as The Book of Revelation, a 192-page graphic adaptation of the final book of the Bible that is aimed at adults, not the juvenile market. Translated by Mark Arey and Philermon Sevastiades, adapted by Matt Dorff, illustrated by Chris Koe, and produced by Chris Diamantopoulos, Revelation released in late 2012.

The book’s adult focus is a departure from the previous six titles from Harper’s Z Graphic Novels imprint, aimed at reaching young readers with manga-style comics featuring superheroes, martial arts, and sci-fi, and including such titles as Hand of the Morningstar, Tomo, and TimeFlyz. Prior biblical adaptions, such as Kingdoms, The Manga Bible, and Son of Sam, were for juvenile readers—a reasonable but limited strategy in a crowded Christian children’s marketplace. Zondervan is now a part of the HarperCollins Christian Publishing Group, and this Book of Revelation is unquestionably aimed at an adult marketplace that is both Christian and multimedia, for a generation raised in the visual languages of film, TV, and the Internet.


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Book of Revelation art director Matt Dorf says that this is just the first in a new line of graphic novels from Zondervan. “We will be launching a graphic novel series in October, titled The Last Adam, and volume one is Firstborn, a narrative-driven arrangement of Matthew Mark, Luke, and John’s Gospels,” as fashioned by Revelation translator Father Mark Arey, a Greek Orthodox priest. “Then in 2014, we'll be releasing The Last Adam: Witness, a continuation of the Gospel narrative.” With new artists for each book, a new and compelling visual style is meant to attract readers to the illustrated scripture “in a way that brings biblical art back into the cultural foreground, as it hasn't been since the 17th or 18th century,” says Dorf.

Illustrator Chris Koelle and translator Fr. Mark Arey were both on hand at the New York Comic-Con last October, handing out glossy samplers of their full-length visualization of John’s sacred sights. They weren’t just targeting comics fans; they were linking markets and navigating between media, their work having already been released as a third-quarter 2011 mobile phone app for iPad and iPhone. “From a gaining knowledge perspective and in terms of a ‘focus group’ response, it was very successful,” notes Dorf. “But due to circumstances, the main one being we had not finished production on the book and were quite a bit over schedule, we decided to pull the app down and regroup.”

For all of the pedigree and solemnity that Father Arey and his late colleague Father Philemon Sevastiades brought to the project, this graphic novel had its roots more in motion pictures than in comics. Their sampler described producer Chris Diamantopoulos envisaging Revelation as “a thrilling fantasy epic, the ultimate good-versus-evil saga, ‘Lord of the Rings’ on steroids.” (It no doubt helped that Diamantopoulos is a movie and television actor, seen on The Office, 24, and even starring in The Three Stooges.)

Father Arey himself sees it “a bit like traveling back to the 1st century in a time machine” via what he regards as“immersive visual narrative. If we can bring eyes to scripture in the form of a page-turner, we'll have achieved something special.” His Adapter’s Note in the final product, a full-color, 190-page softcover epic, explained that the advantage their adaptation had was a “language of cinema” shared with their potential readers. This graphic novel is less sequential art than cuts and transitions between literalized imaginings of the centuries-old text.

Arey says that more than 40,000 copies have already been sold, though, says Dorf, “crossing over has been a challenge. Barnes & Noble stocks the book in the Christian section of its stores, often at the opposite end from where the graphic novel section is.” The crisp, spare layout and full, literal depiction of the scripture makes for an aesthetic and shocking experience, no matter the audience.

The only less-than-literal license taken by the creative team is the frequent view of John reacting to what he must witness, both its glory and its horror. As the closest thing readers have to a relatable common man, even one as extraordinary as the biblical revelator, John provides a vital touchstone for a visceral experience of Revelation’s prophecy. What the adaptation sacrifices in interpretive nuance or comic book purity, it makes up for in raw impact. For the first time in centuries, audiences can feel the awesomeness of John’s vision of a world to end and one to come.