Ben Bishop is a talented comic book artist and writer who is utilizing Patreon in hopes of funding his next graphic novel, The Aggregate.

I first met Bishop at New York Comic-Con in 2008. I was strolling through the Artist Alley, not really looking for anything specific, when a particular work of art stood out among the hundreds I’d already glanced over. I found myself flipping through the 300-page Nathan the Caveman, the first self-published graphic novel that he had created. As I spoke with Bishop about the concept behind the novel, I knew I needed to read the book. I bought a copy, brought it home with me, and finished it that night in one sitting. The next day, I went back to Bishop’s table at the convention and explained to him how much I enjoyed the honesty and humanity of the story through the medium of a graphic novel.

I have since been following Bishop’s work, immersing myself in the short story work he did for the 2014 Harvey Award nominated The Reason for Dragons, as well as the multiple award winning, The Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the Wilderness. I am thrilled to announce that his latest project, The Aggregate is in the works.

The Reason For Dragons
Written by Chris Northrop
Illustrated by Jeff Stokely
Colored by Chris Northrop and Andrew Elder
Letter by Chris Northrop
Cover by Jeff Stokely
Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Cover Price: $19.95

“All men have to fight battles, big or small.”

In The Reason For Dragons, the new graphic novel from Archaia, Chris Northrop and Jeff Stokely explore this idea to its fullest. This is a coming-of-age adventure filled with fire-breathing dragons, knights, misunderstood relationships and bravery at its best.

Wendell is a scrawny, geeky teen who just wants to fit in. Bullied by thugs from school and feeling less important than his step-father, Ted’s, precious motorcycle named Lilly, Wendell is disappointed with life in general. When pushed by two tormenters into entering the abandoned, “haunted” Arthurian fair at the edge of town, Wendell seizes the opportunity as a way to prove his fearlessness. What Wendell finds at the fairgrounds is something he didn’t expect: a man dressed as a knight who believes himself to actually be a knight. As Wendell and the knight, Sir Habersham, spend the night avoiding a “dragon,” it becomes apparent to Wendell that his acquaintance is insane””or is he?