History of Police In America Comic
Phase One: We need to raise $6000 to offset the cost of ther artwork and writing.
Phase Two: We need to raise $170,000 for printing one millinon units
Phase Three: We need to raise $10,000 for shipping.
All people who pledge non-anonymously will be in the credit page!
I am Elizabeth J. Moisant, the owner and president of Silver Phoenix Entertainment of Oak Park, Illinois. My son Charles plqns to educate at least one milloin people about the history of Police in America. For the past ten years, Silver Phoenix has created numerous informational and niche, high concept entertainment comic books.
Now we're producing the most important comic book you'll ever own … but cannot buy.
WHAT ARE YOU RAISING MONEY FOR?
THE HISTORY OF THE POLICE IN AMERICA cannot be purchased because Silver Phoenix Entertainment wants you to have it for FREE!
Our goal is to print and distribute a MINIMUM of 1,000,000 copies. That's no typo … we said ONE MILLION COPIES. They will go to every comic shop, every school, and every police precinct we can find. We want to place copies of this comic inside every patrol car in America. The plan is to release the first of three issues on "FREE COMIC BOOK DAY" May 6, 2017
This story begins when an encounter with the local police leaves 18-year old Janet Hastings with a poor perception of law enforcement and their representatives. Searching for her life's path, the young woman determines that a life in public service DOES NOT mean entering law enforcement as many in her bloodline did over the last 150 years.
Through the eyes of Janet's great-grandfather Everett, the reader sees the history of her multi-cultural family's emigration from Ireland in the 1880's, working with the Night Watchmen, and then joining the early New York City Police Department. Along the way, the family deals with departmental corruption, bribery, as well as impeding the public's rights, while performing their chosen duty to protect and to serve.
THE HISTORY OF THE POLICE IN AMERICA is a frank look at the development of American law enforcement from it's inception through 1960. This is NOT a propaganda piece, telling you that all officers of the law have never strayed from the straight and narrow. Likewise, this book does not play apologist for the factions whose poor judgments fan the fires of protest.
The public must understand WHY the police do what they do and HOW they do it. They need to ask questions and get answers … but the dialogue has to start somewhere.
We think THE HISTORY OF THE POLICE IN AMERICA will begin that constructive discussion.
HOW THE MONEY WILL BE USED
Primarily, the funds will be used to purchase the materials that make up the comics themselves. The art, the cost of printing (the most expensive part) and to cover shipping costs of the finished comics.
We also hope to pay the creative staff that helped put this book together. So far, the creative team includes:
SGT. JOE FITZGERALD, a 15-year veteran of the Berwyn, Illinois Police Department and founder of The Peele Group, LLC, a police consulting firm. Joe's concept of an honest history of local law enforcement as told in sequential art form provided the inspiration for the Silver Phoenix creative team.
Sgt. Fitzgerald also holds a Ph.D.in Organizational Leadership from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
BRIAN K. MORRIS, also Silver Phoenix Entertainment's Editor-in-chief, has been an independent publisher/editor, novelist, "award winning" playwright, and indy comic scripter, specializing in public domain revivals and strong, positive characters, particularly females. When approached by Charles D. Moisant to write the book, he refused to do just recitations of one fact following another. Instead, he amplified on Sgt. Fitzgerald's timeline, weaving a multi-generational narrative with multi-cultural characters as real as today's headlines.
JEFFREY MOY, currently a video game designer, has worked on such prominent comic book properties as LEGIONAIRES, GEN 13, and STAR TREK VOYAGER for DC Comics and Wildstorm Studios, among others. Jeffrey has painstakingly illustrated each panel of Brian's script, researching every event to make certain his visuals are not only exciting, but accurate from the design of a specific patrolman's badge to the skyline of 1880's New York City.
TOM KELLY, cover artist (English version)
DOMINIQUE WHITNEY, Alternate cover comic book artist (SPANISH VERSION.)
Current plans call for this comic book to be distributed to every comic shop and school in America with NO cost to the recipeint. This means THE HISTORY OF THE POLICE IN AMERICA will be completely FREE not only to the reader, but for whomever carries it.
We will also drop ship copies to individual police precincts that opt in to this fundraising program.
The creative team makes many appearances at various pop culture conventions throughout the year and this book will be handed out for FREE to all attendees. Extra funds would be used for promotion of this project to the comic book-buying community as well as the media.
Should we exceed our goals, we will begin work on the next books in this series. Issue two, "Rights and Wrongs," deals with the evolution of personal rights with the advent of the Miranda Rulings of 1966. Then the third issue will examine police work in a post 9-11 America. These three issues will then be collected in a trade paperback to be distributed to schools and libraries across the nation.
We also intend to produce a version in Spanish and other languages as the funding becomes available.
HOW SOON YOU NEED THE FUNDS?
The sooner, the better to purchase the materials that make up the physical comic book itself and then to pay the creative team for their efforts. We also intend to pursue any available State and Federal grant money and would use the results of this campaign as matching funds.
As for any risks, they are minimal. While crowdfunding plays a huge part of our distribution network, YOU can help us distribute our work more widely and faster.
WHY THIS MEANS SO MUCH TO YOU
First of all, you are going to get a terrific done-in-one comic story. Brian K. Morris' story will make you smile and make you think. Needless to say, Jeffrey Moy is at the top of his form and his art will take your breath away.
Secondly, you can receive special updates via IndieGoGo that you won't find anywhere else as well as glimpses of special artwork and personal appearances by members of the creative team.
We will also offer special incentives such as wallpapers, autographed copies and alternative covers.
HOW THANKFUL WILL WE BE?
No more third person narrative now. This is Charles D. Moisant, speaking from the heart:
I've wanted to publish a book that will make a difference in the way we all live here in America. Unfortunately, relations between local communities and their law enforcement officers today are strained beyond the breaking point. Every day, there are fresh reports of violent protests against perceived police brutality. This hurts and concerns me deeply.
In my experience, the vast majority of police are good men and women. They devote their lives to serving the public, to maintaining the law, and protecting the citizenry. Unfortunately, the 24-hour news cycle and social media offers up easy access to videos of police abusing their authority, sometimes with fatal consequences.
But I feel this is similar to the Flight Industry where tens of thousands of airplanes take off and land safely without incident. But it's the one that crashes which receives all the media attention.
The initial reaction to this comic book has been overwhelmingly positive, from the public, to law enforcement agents, even street gang members. This is not a comic book that people merely want to read … they feel it could pave the way to improving life in America by easing tensions in this election year.
Whether this comic book is fully financed or not, it WILL be completed and produced. Brian's script is done, Joe has fact checked it, Jeffrey is in the process of illustrating it, and Tom Kelly and Dominique Wittney has produced an eye-catching covers that screams for your attention.
We want EVERYONE who can read a comic book to have a copy of THE HISTORY OF THE POLICE IN AMERICA. I feel it will change how the public views law enforcement and I want YOU to be a part of history with us.
And if only 1% of the people who read this comic book can see the police from a new perspective, if it can build understanding and ease tensions in our communities, then the effort of putting this book together will have been worth it.
Given the state of our economy in this election year, I understand that you may hesitate to invest your money, even if the cause is a noble one. Whether you contribute or not, please spread the word about this project on your social media outlets, your blogs, your company and church newsletters, as well as your friends. We need everyone's help to save America.
Thank you for your consideration and always remember that you are loved.
Your new friend,
Charles D. Moisant
Creative Director
www.silverphoenix.net
