34. Building the Epiphany Engine with Joe Illidge

Joseph P. Illidge is a name that rings bells in my circle of comics fandom. Over 31 years, he has helped usher in stories featuring many of my favorite characters of all time. Static. Hardware. Nightwing. He paired Greg Rucka with Shawn Martinbrough for one of the most acclaimed Detective Comics runs, and even oversaw the No Man's Land event in the Batman office. What else would you expect from someone who learned under the direct tutelage of the late Dwayne McDuffie? Today, Joe joins the show to talk about his career, the importance of supporting Independent Black Comics, and his involvement in the crowdfunded project Epiphany Engine, arguably the biggest Black Comics crossover of all time. About Joseph P. Illidge:Joseph started his editorial career at Milestone Media, Inc., the influential comic book publisher profiled in the MAX documentary “Milestone Generations”His groundbreaking editorial runs on the Batman line of comic books for DC Comics and Lion Forge’s “Catalyst Prime” superhero imprint featured in The Hollywood Reporter  reflect Joseph’s expertise in curating inclusive hero fiction.Profiled as one of the “Best Editors” in comics, Joseph was featured in the History Channel documentary series, “Superheroes Decoded”, discussing popular heroes from Superman to The Black Panther.Joseph is a member of the Board of Directors for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and the recipient of a Citation from the New York State Assembly for exemplary community service through career achievement. About Epiphany Engine:EPIPHANY ENGINE is a 192-page, original graphic novel composed by some of the best, most talented African American Creators in the Comic Book Industry. Dubbed "The Dream Team", these creators represent Black Excellence in every aspect of the game.  Basically, this is a vision powered by creative excellence. The story centers around the McKali family, a family of brilliant scientists, whose latest experiments to better mankind by unlocking the secrets of the universe are met with horrifying results. As an experiment brings forth a mysterious being, a cosmic-level threat named Abzylom, who wants to collapse this reality and mold a new universe while destroying the family in the process. While trying to stop Abzylom, tragedy strikes the family and they are separated from one another and scattered across the multiverse. Unfortunately, they must also deal with the consequences that their failed experiment has gone astray, accidentally disrupting the fabric of the multiverse and placing creation itself at risk.  The family must save not only themselves but existence as we know it as well.  Consequently, the rupture has brought great beings of power to action. With the odds stacked against them, the brave McKali family has to not only escape from the clutches of their cosmic foe but also build an army of heroes from across the multiverse to defeat Abzylom, as well as find each other and heal from their family’s loss.This is only the beginning of the thrilling adventure that awaits you in the pages of the EPIPHANY ENGINE Graphic Novel! For More from Comics Are Dope:Get This Week in Comics, our weekly e-mail newsletter: http://thisweekincomics.comSubscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@comicsaredopeJoin our online Discussion Communities:Facebook - http://bjkicks.link/communityDiscord - http://bjkicks.link/discord