Bridgwater author publishes graphic novel

5:12pm Thursday 13th November 2008

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A YOUNG Bridgwater author has published a new sci-fi noir boasting a host of weird and wonderful creatures.

During his time at Bournemouth University, Brad Fear developed a large portfolio of creatures and decided to do something with them.

That is where the idea for his graphic book came in, and he soon started work on developing characters and the outlines of a plot.

Two and a half years later, A Macabre Myth of a Moth-man has been published and Brad, aged 22, hopes it is just the beginning of his writing career.

He said: “The idea as a whole is quite big and I have got the rest of the story to tell. If it all goes well, I hope to complete five books in the Moth-man saga, but the first book has been wrapped up well so it's a story in itself.

“I've already started work on the next one.”

A black comedy, the book is based on the old film noir genre, so all the characters are exaggerated - for example the femme fatale is “astonishingly good looking”.

The story runs in an alternative 2001, a timeline where weird and wonderful creatures have come to exist, including the half-man half-insect Moth-man.

Targeting both British and American readers, Brad wrote A Macabre Myth of a Moth-man for 15 to 25-year-olds and has had a lot of praise so far.

He said: “Initially I thought it would just appeal to boys, but a lot of girls have read it and told me they love it. Everyone seems to have enjoyed the read, which is really encouraging.”

Published in hardback and paperback, the book is currently available in bookstores and hundreds of online retailers, including the book's own site www.moth-man.co.uk.