INTRO
This series of blogs will take a deeper dive into the team behind Free Fall Comics, learn about what drives them to do what they do, the ups and the downs and everything in between. Starting the series off with the founder of the company L.A Keim (Lucas Kiem).
At a young age, I always loved movies. 'Jurassic Park' had a massive influence on me, leading to my aspiration to become a storyteller. The magic of the big screen, the special effects, the action and the immersive experience of being engrossed in storytelling were something I wanted to share with others. Watching movies, sometimes even alone, became an addiction. It wasn't long before I started coming up with my own stories, tales I hoped to one day share with the world. But it wasn't just one story; every so often, a spark of creativity would unleash a landslide of stories from all genres.
As soon as I was able to, I started making short films, even doing a few film workshops to learn. But my best learning came from actually doing it, being on set, being in the trenches, and directing stories not matter how bad they turned out i loved every minute of it. I would even work on other sets, as any crew member I could get, and would learn from other experienced filmmakers by doing so. But there was something missing. I had ideas, but those ideas would never see the light of day—not in Australia and most likely never in Hollywood.
FROM FILM TO COMICS
I chose to leave film and focus on comics. This way, I could tell the stories I cared about the way I wanted to without being restricted by budgets. Although comics still cost a lot, they were always much cheaper than filmmaking, and stories could be told much faster and exactly how I envisioned them. I fell in love with the freedom of being a self-publisher; there was no one telling me what I couldn’t add to my script. I could go anywhere with it—the world of comics became my playground.
My first project I adapted was Roundhouse Hooligans, a screenplay that was meant to be an action TV series or a mature animated series. I still hope it can become something more than just a comic series someday. It took a while to adapt; I was in new territory, and there was a lot of trial and error. But luckily, the story was fleshed out in the screenplay as a 20-episode TV series. Once I got the hang of it and had a almost completed comic book script series, I was ready to look for artists.
FIRST EVER PRODUCTION BEGINS
I brought on Samir Samo, a talented artist who truly brought the story to life. To save costs, I decided to color the pages myself, but I quickly realized my inner critic was way too harsh. As a writer first and an artist second, I figured it was best to leave the coloring to the pros—especially since my jam-packed schedule doesn't leave much room for mastering new skills.
This first comic book was never shown to the public eye..UNTIL NOW!!
Although I loved the artwork, I was going through my own struggles at the time, which shaped me into a more mature writer. I no longer wanted to just write fun stories; I wanted to write stories that would really speak to readers—stories about struggle and pain, the kind of things we can all relate to.
So, I did the insane: I scrapped the whole project, which was close to completion, and decided to take another approach. Although this was a costly choice, I never thought of it as a mistake. It was something I had to learn as a creator. With two issues out and a third on the way, I'm glad I went with my gut feeling. The artwork now, though there's nothing against the original artist, better complements the darker themes of the story in a more creative way. While nothing is ever perfect, I couldn't be happier with how Roundhouse Hooligans turned out in the end. The customer feedback we get always touches my heart.
FINDING MY WHY
This was only the start of Free Fall Comics. I went from just wanting to tell stories to wanting to help others tell theirs too. I realized I wanted to build a creative empire. That kid with a big dream never left me, and I remembered my "WHY." It was only a matter of time before things began to fall into place. We had the chance to bring on other creators, grow our publishing company to new heights, and build something truly great that we could all be proud of.
Although this is still a work in progress and we have a long way to go, I believe we're on the right path to success. If we hold on and keep working hard, Free Fall Comics could truly become something big. Like everyone, I hope to one day do what I love full-time. For me, that means telling stories to the world and giving everyone something to truly enjoy.
Thanks for coming to read about me rambling on about myself!
If you have managed to get this far into my monologue, there’s plenty more where that came from. Stay tuned for the next installment, where another team member will take center stage and let their creativity shine for your amusement.
Much Love,
L.A Keim