news-record.com

Penn-Griffin art teacher Robert O’Hara is breaking into the comic book industry with a project that supports the country’s military.

O’Hara drew the artwork for one of the stories in the new “Untold Stories from Iraq and Afghanistan” comic, published by Heroes Fallen Studios.

Proceeds from the book will be split among the USO, Soldiers’ Angels, Wounded Warrior Project and Fisher House Foundation — organizations that support soldiers and their families.

The publishing house will keep a small percentage of the proceeds to help with printing. All work on the comic book, however, is donated by artists and others in the industry.

On the studio’s website, President Clayton Murwin of Virginia says he searched for artists, writers and other industry insiders who would do the work for free.

“One of the stipulations I made (was) that no one involved with this project would make money off the backs of our troops.”

A friend, who is retired from the comics industry, introduced O’Hara to people working on the project.

O’Hara, who has a master’s of fine arts, is retraining himself to work on comics and is working on his own title, called “Second Dawn.”

“I’ve been getting my foot wet,” he said of the comic book industry.

The “Untold Stories” project takes the stories of soldiers and puts them into comic form — a medium that O’Hara said he’s always enjoyed. That’s one reason why he agreed to join the project, though not the main reason.

“I liked the idea of doing something with my hands and it resulting in (support for the military),” O’Hara said.

He has family in the military, he said, and doing something to support the troops means a lot to him.

O’Hara worked on the story written by Sgt. Brian Duclos called “AirBurst.” Duclos’ writes about an air-burst bomb attack that injured many soldiers, including a friend. The soldier had to have her leg amputated, and the story follows what life was like after the accident.

“It’s very interesting and poignant,” O’Hara said. “It’s not just drama but the aftermath. It gives the story validity because it’s real life.”

O’Hara said the five-page story shows the soldier, Duclos, in his day-to-day life.

“Though these horrible things happened, he still has a job to do.”

After reading the script, O’Hara agreed to the project and turned the work out in two weeks last January.

“The is the first time I’ve seen my work handled by (an inker) I didn’t know,” O’Hara said. But he’s pleased with the result. “Things never turn out the way you envision it unless you do it yourself.”

O’Hara also plans to help on a Sept. 11 project the studio is creating.

“We’re hoping this will be a successful project that will lead to support for more volumes,” O’Hara said.

The studio is working on the second volume of the comic now and is looking for more volunteers and soldiers willing to tell their stories.

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, Ext. 241, or elizabeth.seagraves@news-record.com