Christian Beranek
Christian Beranek
by Melanie C. Jordan
Christian Beranek is a graphic novelist, actor, musician and film/TV producer. My dear friend Chris has developed the prequel and origin material for the following films; Seven, Babylon A.D. and Max Payne. Comic lovers know him for his work on Dracula vs. King Arthur which he worked alongside with Chris Moreno and Adam Beranek. He also had his hands in Willow Creek #0-1, Grimm Fairy Tales, Starship Troopers #9-10, “Ahiga” and many , many others.I met Chris around a year and a half ago on MySpace. I checked his background and of course was very impressed. I must admit he’s a tough man to tie down for an interview but, I got him. You think you’ve been busy, wait till you see all the goodies Christian has been working on for our entertainment. In the following interview Chris and I cover all the goodies!
I.mag: Ready to where? is a new web comic you are working on. Please briefly tell your fans what this is about.
C.B: Ready to Where? is a web comic created by Andrea Grant about a group of people who work at a fashion magazine in New York City. The reader follows their day to day lives as they navigate deadlines, fashion events and relationships. The artwork is by the amazing Liza Biggers. She actually paints every panel individually and composites them for each strip. Thomas Mauer lends his usual steady hands for the letters.
I.mag: What role do you play in this web comic?
C.B: I edit and produce the strip. Basically I make sure we keep the schedule on track and work hand in hand with Andrea and our sponsor theFashionSpot.com to get the word out to readers.
I.mag: How did it come about?
C.B: Andrea and I have been dying to work together for years. She brought the idea up over a phone call and from there we formulated a plan. I all happened very quickly and within a few months we were up and running.
I.mag: You’re working with PopCult. For those that don’t know about PopCult please briefly tell what Pop Cult is.
C.B: PopCult is a creative solutions group. We’re a team of “PopCultivators” who help individuals and companies navigate the ever changing world of geek culture. Along the way we throw events such as last year’s PopCultour celebration at San Diego Comic Con.
I.mag: What are you bringing to the table?
C.B: I’ve had some success in a variety of entertainment fields. I also appreciate PopCult’s forward thinking strategies and think I can be an asset. Hopefully that will translate into some good things and
opportunities.
I.mag: This big event is coinciding with c2e2. What is c2e2?
C.B: c2e2 is a convention being held in downtown Chicago April 16 – 18. PopCult is throwing an event April 17 – 18 right next door at Reggie’s Rock Club. Consider a place to go get something to eat during the day and then check out some cool performances and unwind after the show.
I.mag: You have been a busy beaver yet you still found time to work more into your schedule. You are launching a webcomic hub called, “The Webcomic Factory”. Briefly tell your readers about this New Launch.
C.B: The Webcomic Factory is a site that will not only act as a hub for webcomics I’m affiliated with, but also as a daily 
content provider featuring a multitude of properties created by myself and Tony DiGerolamo. We’ll be working with some amazing artists and have some concepts that we hope will resonate with audiences.
I.mag: Can you tell us about some of the features?
C.B: In addition to providing daily content, The Webcomic Factory will also be acting as an ambassador for the medium. Tony D and I consider ourselves “Webcomic entrepreneurs” and we want to be available to those currently working in or interested in starting their own comics. We’ll also be going to conventions to speak about the joys of the web.
I.mag: Who are some of the artists?
C.B: We’re working with such luminaries as Justin Stewart, Tom Kurzanski, Alfa Robbi, Ivan Cortez and Fernando Sosa among many others.
I.mag: Can you give us a glimpse into what you wrote?
C.B: Sure, here’s a sample strip from In A Relationship with art by Justin Stewart. You can get a sneak peek of IAR here: http://www.twitter.com/narelationship
I.mag: You are starring in a Musical,” High School sucks”. Will you be doing any singing?
C.B: No singing in this one, but I do get to strum a guitar! I play a principal who has questionable motives. It’s been a blast shooting it. Peter Flores, the director, is a name to look out for.
I.mag: What made you say yes to this position and are you a fan of musicals?
C.B: Peter and I have worked together before on a few shorts. He told me he had a feature in the works with a role that would be perfect for me. No way could I say no to that. And yes, I love musicals. My favorite being Guys and Dolls. Marlon Brando was awesome in that.
I.mag: What can you tell us about this musical? Who are you working alongside with?
C.B: It’s a coming of age tale for the YouTube generation. In fact, many of the actors are celebrities there: http://www.youtube.com/user/TimothyDeLaGhetto2 http://www.youtube.com/user/ClipCritics http://www.youtube.com/user/SUPEReeeGO their success via that network is making for some excellent results on film. I hope audiences will feel the same way I do.
I.mag: Kingdom Comics has several projects in the workings. I know you can’t announce these projects BUT can you tell us about the process?
C.B: It’s been a pleasure working with Disney and the Monsterfoot guys. We’ve taken our time and crafted several projects that not are only cool action adventure stories but also pay homage to Walt Disney’s legacy. It’s an honor to be a part of that. As for the process, the projects will debut as 120+ page graphic novels with the hope that one day they’ll be turned into films.
I.mag: Please, any last words?
C.B: I want to thank your readers for tuning into this interview. I can be found tweeting away here http://www.twitter.com/beranek if they’d like the latest news as it comes in — we do live in the age of new media, don’t we?
And thank you, Melanie, for having me here!
