Today we’d like to introduce you to Stanley Bostwick.
Hi Stanley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always been obsessed with stories. I’ve always loved movies, comics, and books, and I’ve always wanted to tell my own. Bleakheaven has been the culmination of that. My team, including my wife Casi, and I started coming up with the main story for Bleakheaven in 2017. It started as this pipe dream for an animated series about superheroes, monsters, gangsters, the cosmic, and the supernatural- all the stuff we think is cool and grounded in human emotion. By 2019, I realized its potential and decided we needed to pursue it, regardless of the fact we’re all nobodies from Idaho and Utah.
I always looked up to my older brother Josh growing up, and as an artist, he was a major influence on me creatively and how I was influencing Bleakheaven. I always envisioned it in his style, so it was no question that he needed to be the head artist. I was blown away as he began bringing the world to life through his concept art. I know they are just rough sketches and basic concepts, but to me, it’s the greatest art in the world. From these seeds, I decided we could start with comics and build up to the pipe dream of animation.
To start, we’d do an anthology miniseries with each story being tangential to the main series we would someday create. Somehow I convinced Josh as well as Rufus and Pibby, other artists we worked with at our day job, to help me put together our first publication Welcome to Bleakheaven #1-2. The first illustration produced was one of my favorites. The poster for Welcome to Bleakheaven was penciled by Josh, inked by Rufus, and colored by Pibby. In that moment I knew these characters would soon be going out into the world to make a difference. It still brings me a sense of wonder every time I see it.
In March 2020, we were able to officially put Bleakheaven Comics together and I was ready for anything! Except of course what would happen just a week or so later? We all know how the shutdowns went, and by the summer Bleakheaven’s grand entrance into the world was pretty well derailed. Those were some of the hardest months as I tried tirelessly to get the company to take root. The artists were delayed and events were canceled. I decided then to do the one thing I still do regardless of what’s happening outside my control. I decided to continue to write. and I convinced those around me to write as well.
Halloween of that year is what I consider to be Bleakheaven’s official birthday. After a long road, we finally published the first installment of Welcome to Bleakheaven. It was a flip book #1 on the front and #2 on the back. There were only six pages of art for each story. In this day and age of content, I don’t expect it to be very impressive, but it was proof that we were real comic book creators. We pulled it off, and I knew we could do it again. When I held that book for the first time, I knew I’d never give up on Bleakheaven. The possibilities were endless.
By that point, I wanted more. My team and I were eager to continue moving forward. We already had other titles we were working on. The Priest of Bleakheaven, by me, Marx and the Man in Black by Casi Bostwick, Erwin by Alexander McCaulley, and Credence by Donald Roos. I felt and still feel, strongly these stories were important to tell. Over time, these feelings were validated by many of the people I worked with. Greg from Black Cat Comics and Eric from Utah’s Rogue Trader were the first ones outside the team to see the potential Bleakheaven had. They ordered an exclusive cover of WtB #1-2 and gave us our first event.
They wouldn’t be the only ones that had faith in us either. In 2021, I had the pleasure of connecting with Kirk Smalley and Stand for the Silent, an anti-bullying and suicide prevention charity. We didn’t have any money to give, but Kirk saw the potential in Credence staring Burt the Mothman, and we started down another very long road, even though I didn’t know it at the time. We decided to do issue #0 in conjunction with Stand for the Silent, and we’ve been pushing ourselves to make it as great as it can be for the past two years. Donald and the artists should all be very proud of that book. I know I am, and I know it will make a difference in at least a few kids’ lives. As long as we have the opportunity to help just one, it’s all been worth it.
Of course, Credence isn’t the only book we’ve been putting out or that’s in the works. Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the greatest artists, writers, and creators both in and out of the industry. Walden Wong in particular has been invaluable in helping us become more than I ever thought we could be. His experience as an inker in the industry for over 20 years has given me a lot of guidance and knowledge that helped me become a better editor and publisher than I would be otherwise.
That can be said of many people we work with. The support we’ve received and the response to the books we’ve been able to publish has been incredible. I’m extremely grateful I’m able to continue creating these stories. I know they are all important and will change some small part of the world for the better.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
If anyone tries to tell you pursuing any passion, including doing comic books, is easy, they’re probably trying to sell you something. I knew it would be hard, but I didn’t know how hard it would be or even what kind of hard it would be. The main thing I’ve had to learn from this is more patience.
When we started in 2020, I thought we’d be a lot further along than we are now in terms of publications. On the other hand, we’ve had a better response and worked with a lot more incredible people than I ever really imagined. It taught me if you stick with it, it’ll all work out, just not in the way you want it to.
The main issue is real life and money gets in the way quite a bit. It’s a stressful balancing act of making sure I’m not neglecting the business, my family, or any number of things. Fortunately, I have a team that believes in it as much as I do. They work very hard for the dream and a few peanuts. The artists in particular have a lot to deal with, so I do my best to be patient as they can do their work when they’re able to.
Honestly, Bleakheaven wouldn’t be going anywhere without the continued support of my team. They give me a lot of motivation to move forward. In difficult times, I try to focus on what I can, which is usually writing. I also do my best to do at least one thing for Bleakheaven a day.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I started in the film. I do editing work for my day job, but as I said, I’ve always been passionate about telling my own stories. I recently finished up a short film I shot back in 2018 called Ghost Roommate. I’m proud of that and have even been able to send it off to a few film festivals.
I’m more proud of the comics I’ve written, edited, and published though. Welcome to Bleakheaven #1-2 will always be one of my favorites just because I proved to myself I could do it. Brynoch the Destroyer on webtoons is also one of my favorites, as I’m a big fan of fantasy and comedy so it’s a lot more relaxed and I can have a lot of fun there that I can’t in the regular stories. I’m also trying to branch out to other kinds of writing. I’m excited about my short story Philosophe being published in a new magazine soon.
Bleakheaven has to be my biggest achievement. Most things I’ve accomplished are either within the company or because of the company. I think one big thing that sets me apart is my obsession with the quality of my work and the work of those around me. Casi often tells me the main thing that sets me apart is my drive.
What do you think about luck?
I think I’m extremely lucky to be able to put these stories out there in any capacity at all.
I consider myself very fortunate to be able to work with everyone I’ve been working with – the dedicated writers chipping away at their stories, the artists giving me top-notch work, those I’ve been able to reach out to, and who’s reached out to me. I don’t know if it’s luck, but I’m grateful for all of them.
Pricing:
- Comics – $5
- Large Figures – $20
- Small Figures – $10
- Shirts – $25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bleakheaven.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bleakheaven_official/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bleakheaven
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanley-bostwick-954908173/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BleakheavenCom
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bleakheavencomics9458
Image Credits
Ashlee Bostwick, Walden Wong, Josh Bostwick, Rufus Zaejodaeus, and Pibby Pierce
