Reforming Scripture Study Haters One Comic Book at a Time

Tracy McKay, who blogs at Dandelionmama.com writes that iPlates "piqued my grumpy tween into devouring a scripture story and raving about it to his friends. No joke."

Our favorite quote:

I might even like reading scriptures if I could read them all this way. I can’t wait for the next one.   ~Jeffrey M, Age 11, Hater of scripture study.

 Read the whole review here.

"The perfect baptism gift for an eight-year-old boy"

Shelah Mastny Miner and her eight-year-old son Isaac review iPlates Volume 1 on Shelah Books It.

Our favorite parts:

From Isaac: "Wow. That was cool!"

From Shelah:  "A story a prepubescent boy would love, with plenty of blood and piles of arms and made up Nephite curse replacements."

"As entertainment/a gentle push toward doctrinal stories for a Mormon? I think it succeeds"

Read the whole review here.

iPlates Ad

iPlates in Costco

Our publisher, Leicester Bay Books, just signed a contract to sell iPlates--Volume 1 through Costco. Stephen and Jett may even be signing books at a Utah Costco this December. Stay tuned to find out when and where!

Even Adults Like It

Theric Jepson, editor of the award-winning "Comics Issue" of Sunstone, and Monsters and Mormons, gives iPlates a thoughtful review.

Some highlights:

And if the name Zeniff doesn’t immediately bring to mind a hundred adaptations, that’s exactly why I think Zeniff was a great plan.

May I just say that I enjoyed the frontispieces? Based on old pulp images, silent-movie posters, greek vases, midcentury American high-school yearbook covers—these were fun for the adults in the house. May we see many more volumes in the future.

Read the whole review here.

The Ogden Standard-Examiner

Cal Grondahl--Ogden Standard-Examiner

Doug Gibson at the Ogden Standard-Examiner gave iPlates: Volume I a glowing review.

Our favorite part: "Not only does Joe [Doug's seven-year-old son] insist I read a chapter of Volume 1 to him each night, he then grabs the slim comic book and reads the whole shebang himself."

Read the whole review here.

And check out Cal Grondahl's cartoon, imagining the missionary possibilities of Book of Mormon comic books.

Book of Mormon Girl Likes Book of Mormon Comic

The Book of Mormon Girl author Joanna Brooks has this to say about iPlates Volume 1:

9-year-old daughter DEVOURED Stephen Carter's super excellent Book of Mormon comic book iPlates. Wish I'd had a copy to give to my nephew at his baptism last week. Highly recommended for 7 - 12+.

First Review

iPlates received its first review from Rachel Mabey Whipple on the blog Times and Seasons, where she compares various comic-book approaches to the Book of Mormon.

A few good quotes:

The iPlates collaboration is a particularly good example of how the comic book medium requires reader interaction.

Carter and Atwood are also good at visualizing characters who develop through time. Young Zeniff the spy is fleshed out, as are the Lamanites he had been taught to caricature. He matures and ages, as does his son Noah. The drawings of the characters show how each person is a single, continuous entity, even as his choices and experiences change and mold him through time.

Read the post here. 

iPlates Preview

Take a gander at the first story in iPlates Volume 1, "Ammon: Warrior Missionary."

Open publication - Free publishing - More ammon

Covers

One of my favorite things about iPlates is the freedom to experiment with different artistic styles for the various covers.  This one was inspired from old 50s and 60s yearbooks. 

Writer's Introduction

By Stephen Carter

 

I admit it—I used to think the Book of Mormon was boring.

OK, the war stuff was cool: I liked the parts where the Lamanites get shish kebabed in the spiked trenches, and when Teancum uses his mad ninja skillz to assassinate Amalickiah. And who can forget the scene where Shiz attempts a one-man zombie uprising after Coriantumr cuts off his head!

But I still had a hard time connecting with the characters. I never knew what motivated them. Why was Nephi righteous? Why was King Noah wicked?  Did Chemish really have nothing interesting to say about his life? Maybe I missed the class on Book of Mormon characters at EFY.

Writing the iPlates gave me the chance to really dig into these character’s heads—to see their human side, to understand what kind of struggles they might have gone through. And it worked! I actually got so attached to Abinadi that I teared up when (spoiler alert for all those naughty people who haven’t actually read the Book of Mormon) I wrote his martyrdom scene.

This collection is best described as historical fiction—with an emphasis on the fiction. So don’t go telling your Sunday school teacher that (spoiler alert) Abinadi’s disguise of choice was an afro wig. It ain’t so. I use actual Book of Mormon events to structure the stories, but I make up most of the stuff in between.

With that in mind, sit back and enjoy the iPlates—featuring 100 percent of the Book of Mormon’s violence, tons of bonus character development, and a dollop of preaching large enough to convince your mom that you can read the iPlates during church.