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Chris Ward

Barack Obama - "Political Power Comic Book Biography"

I had the opportunity do some freelance writing for Bluewater Productions, 
and chose to write the Barack Obama comic book biography. At the time, 
Obama was beginning to make huge waves and there were multiple "cash-in" books on shelves.

But I wanted to write a book that someone like myself would actually read because,
let's face it, political figures make pretty boring comic book material. 
 
I plotted and wrote the 22-page book, which I handed off to artist Azim Akberali in South Africa. 
The combination of lighthearted and even-handed material combined with Azim's hyper-realistic, 
painted artwork made this book stand out from the crowd.
 
I also wove myself into the story (taking cues from comic writing legend Harvey Pekar)
and made it more relatable: weaving in details and history about Springfield, IL 
(near where I grew up, and where Obama announced his candidacy) with Obama's story. 
 
The independent book sold 20,000+ copies -- very respectable for
a small publisher in this publishing climate. 

I outsold at least one Batman book, which I am very happy with.
 
With little PR support from Bluewater productions, I did all the earned promotion outreach myself. 
The book was even featured on a Conan O' Brien segment by accident, but I used that screenshot to my earned media marketing advantage. Key hits/mentions: