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Comics No Laughing Matter

Posted: May 6th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Saying Glenpool resident Aaron Ballinger likes comic books is an understatement.

Ballinger named his three children after comic book characters.

He has at least 10,000 comic books.

?I stopped counting after 5,000, and that was 10 or 15 years ago,? he said.

And he?s in the midst of working with 11 other comic book artists and writers to create Equinox Comics, a company he hopes will one day rival Marvel Comics and DC Comics, with its main office in Glenpool.

Ballinger, who works as a recruiter for Tulsa Community College, is the co-creator of Equinox Comics.

The name ?Equinox? refers to the time of year when the sun crosses the plane of earth?s equator, making night and day about the same time length, Ballinger said.

Thus, the name references the constant battle in the Equinox comic series between balancing light and darkness, or good and evil, Ballinger said.

In March, the group published its first Equinox comic book. It is 40 pages and has two stories.

So far, people have bought about 220 copies of the 300 first run of Equinox.

Shawn Cowan, one of the writers, said Equinox offers a comic book that not only adults but also their children can enjoy.

The Equinox characters will not use adult language or participate in activities that aren?t suitable for a young audience, he said.

?Kids can actually read it, and the parents don?t have to worry about what their kids are reading,? Cowan said.

Additionally, the plot line is one that adults can enjoy, he said.

In the first issue, the first story, ?Equinox: Genesis,? stars Ebon, the main hero, who can lift 80 tons and run and fly 200 miles per hour. In the story, Ebon battles Ooze, and readers get a glimpse at upcoming villains.

Ballinger and co-creator Timothy Lackey have more than 400 characters, many they will introduce in upcoming issues of Equinox.

Ballinger met Lackey in the fifth grade.

?I walked by, and I saw him drawing these super heroes, and I thought, ?That?s cool. I want to do that, too,?? Ballinger said.

From that point on, the duo wanted their own comic book.

After Ballinger graduated from the University of Oklahoma, he told his friends he wanted to make his and Lackey?s comic book dream a reality.

He began scouring the Internet for artists and writers in Oklahoma.

He soon found Tommy Brownell, of Rose, who serves as a writer for Equinox. [Editor's note: Tommy Brownell is the real name of former pro wrestling referee Tommy 3 Count]

Brownell wrote the second story for the first Equinox comic.

The story stars Hellrazer, a female character who is half human, half vampire.

Even though she might sound like a villain, Hellrazer is a good character, raised by a man who instilled in her a moral code that she hung on to as she grew older, Brownell said.

Hellrazer understands that even though she can?t live as a typical human would, she can help ensure others will have normal lives, safe from villains, he said.

In her first appearance in Equinox, Hellrazer battles ?Tonton Macoute,? a villainous monster who preys on children.

The Equinox team sets out to write stories with a positive outlook, he said.

?The Hellrazer story is a dark story in a dark place, but it has an optimistic ring to it,? Brownell said.

Brownell said his writing has a common theme on the importance of self acceptance.

Overall, Equinox has a long list of hero characters who are just that ? heroes.

?They will stand up for what is right,? Brownell said. ?Unfortunately in this day in age, heroes like that only seem to be in comic books and movies. But we want to provide that for people. We want to show good guys who are good guys.?

Anyone interested in buying a copy of the Equinox comic book can either contact Ballinger through the Equinox Facebook or Myspace account or buy a copy at Wizard?s Asylum Comics and Games at 7165 S. Mingo Road in Tulsa.

Tags: Tommy 3 Count