The Story | A Call to Arms | The Cast | The Team
 

The Story ...
It is April in the year 1775. War is only weeks away - maybe even days. The British know it and so do the members of the newly formed colonial Continental Congress. Only through the use of a vast network of spies can either side hope to keep one step ahead of the other. Nowhere is this struggle more intense than in New York City, the bustling headquarters for all of Britain's activities in the colonies. Like Berlin during the height of the Cold War, New York is a city of pivotal importance. It is a place where colonists and those loyal to the crown are equally represented and an uneasy tension fills the air.

In the last several weeks, the British have become desperate to maintain their control over the colonies and have secretly enlisted the services of a powerful and mysterious group of individuals who call themselves 'The League.' Unbeknownst to the British, the League is a maniacal and treacherous organization whose members possess dangerous supernatural powers that threaten to bring chaos to the land and ultimately destroy the colonies themselves.

Nathaniel Finch is a budding scientist, a successful business man, and the editor of a weekly newspaper in New York City. An exceptionally intelligent and hard working man, Nathaniel could easily have found himself to be one of the most influential men in the Colonies, knee deep in politics, along side men like Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Benjamin Franklin. But as much as Nathaniel might be tempted to lead what some would call an 'ordinary life', he has a different set of priorities. Perhaps better than anyone, he knows that there are things in this world - mysterious, unexplainable, deadly things - that represent more of a threat to life and liberty than taxation without representation.

To combat these threats and to keep those around him safe, Nathaniel Finch has become the masked spy known as The Black Coat. Even as a revolutionary war is burgeoning around him, The Black Coat, assisted by a network of agents, fights another kind of war - a war unseen by most men. His determination, skill, and wits are his only defenses against ancient curses, mythical creatures, and enchanted science.

The Black Coat faces his greatest challenge in the form of The League. All of his intelligence, all of his strength, all of his courage will be put to the test in a battle for the survival of not just him and his men, but for a new nation!

"A Call to Arms":
In the First Series...

The Black Coat faces off against a brilliant scientist and maniacal killer known as The Butcher who has been murdering helpless women and targeting agents of the Black Coat's spy network - The Knights of Liberty. As he tries to put a stop to this unstoppable and seemingly unkillable killer, the Black Coat begins to discover that these murders are just the beginning of a much larger plot against the Colonies - and there's more at stake than the lives of a few innocent women. The future of a new nation may be hanging in the balance!

The Cast :
GOOD GUYS:


The Black Coat/ Nathaniel Finch - The resourceful leader of a network of spies for the Continental Congress. Nathaniel Finch is a respected business man and the editor of a weekly newspaper in New York City. As the Black Coat, he takes on the assignments that are too dangerous for other agents. To aid in his work, he has created a vast array of tools, weapons, and gadgets that give him the edge in most situations. More often than not, however, the Black Coat relies primarily on his wits, luck, and skill with a sword to get him home in one piece. The Black Coat is incredibly brilliant and is ahead of his time in many ways although his natural curiosity and self assuredness can often lead him to make hasty decisions.


Ursula Morgan - Ursula is the Black Coat's second in command. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the Knights of Liberty (the Black Coat's Spy Network). She is a headstrong woman that often finds it necessary to get her hands dirty in the fight against the British. Her husband, Josiah, is on assignment in Europe, but has not been heard from in some time. While she continues to work for the cause of Liberty at home, Ursula and the Nathaniel share a special but difficult relationship as they support each other through the many trials they face.


Ben Franklin - A friend of Nathaniel's and the Continental Congress' Ambassador to England at the beginning of the war. He and Nathaniel share many common interests in the sciences and frequently swap theories and ideas.

The Knights of Liberty (The Black Coat's Agents) - Colonial supporters, men and women that volunteer their services in gathering information on the British and their movements. Most of them are common citizens around town that have access to the British military and its officers in some way. The nature of the business means that not all of the agents can be trusted and there is always the threat of a potential double agent in their midst. Despite the risks, the Black Coat finds most of the agents to be trustworthy and an invaluable resource in his battle against The League.

BAD GUYS:

Lt. General Savidge - General Gage , Governor of New York City and commander over all British military in North America, has returned to England and left Lt. General Savidge in charge. Savidge is a reasonable man, but took a chance out of desperation and called upon The League to help get the colonies back under control. Feeling a bit like Pandora, he made a decision he is already beginning to regret.


Constable Griffin - A typical British lower officer who deals with much of the everyday conflict that goes on in the streets of New York. He is a simple man and is a sympathetic character in many ways, but he is also arrogant and close-minded. He will not hesitate to follow orders, and though he tries to maintain peace in the city, he doesn't like having to feel subservient to those he considers to be traitors to the crown.


Captain Blithe - Captain of the pirate ship 'The Graveyard'. Blithe is a ruthless pirate but works as a privateer for the English under the direction of Lt. General Savidge. He and his crew are often called in to do the crown's dirty work on the open seas. Captain Blithe loves money, and will side with the British as long as they provide it for him.

THE LEAGUE:

The Mummy - The Leader of the League. He hides a mysterious past and since his entire body underneath his clothes is wrapped in bandages, it's almost impossible to tell his age. The Mummy is a quiet leader but has great power that inspires fear in The League's other members. None of them really know the limits of his power and he uses that uncertainty, combined with their fear, to control them.


The Butcher - A.K.A. Wilhelm Krauss. A German scientist obsessed with the field of reanimation. When it was discovered that he was killing innocent townspeople in order to have fresh test subjects for his experiments, he was sentenced to hang for his crimes. Before the execution, Wilhelm convinced his brother Fredrick to use his reanimation techniques on his body after he was dead. The experiment was a horrifying success bringing Wilhelm back to life but turning him into a monster in the process. A side effect of the technique however is that Wilhelm is now immortal. He needs no food or water or air to breathe, broken bones heal, and severed limbs regenerate.


Fredrick Krauss - Wilhelm's brother. Fredrick and Wilhelm were forced to leave Germany after Wilhelm's crimes destroyed their family name. Left with nothing and having been party to his brother's dark experiments, Fredrick turned to the occult. He is now partnering with his brother in an attempt to win the favor of the League and achieve an elite status within their ranks.

Creative Team:
Ben Lichius (Co-Creator/Co-Writer)
- Ben has spent his career in the video game industry, working as an artist for companies such as Take 2 and Hasbro Interactive. He is currently the Art Director for Vicious Cycle Software where he works on games for current generation console systems. Ben works closely with the world of comics on a regular basis as many of the games he helps to create deal with comic licenses. Having been a comic fan since the age of 10, he has enjoyed collaborating with companies like Marvel, DC, and IDW. "The Black Coat" is a blend of all the things that Ben enjoys most - action, drama, history, mythology, and science fiction. Ben currently lives in Durham, NC with his beautiful wife and daughter.
Click here to visit Ben's website.

Adam Cogan (Co-Writer) - Adam is a writer, game designer, illustrator and creator with eight years of video game industry experience, culminating with the fan favorite "Robotech: Battlecry". Some of his previous clients include: TDK Mediactive, Harmony Gold USA, Marvel Entertainment, Fox Interactive, THQ Inc, Hasbro Interactive, Take 2 Interactive, Mattel Interactive, GT Interactive, BMG Music, Scholastic, and many others. Wishing to return to his first love-comics, Adam is now directing that same uncontrollable world-building compulsion at the comic book industry. He currently co-writes for "The Black Coat" with Ben Lichius, and has authored many other creator-owned projects. He lives in North Carolina with his charming wife Melanie, whose smiles are terminally infectious.
Click here to visit Adam's website.


Francesco Francavilla (Co-Creator/Artist) - Francesco started his career in comics 15 years ago in Italy, winning first prize in 2 different contests organized by some of Italy's biggest comic book conventions. Later he published several stories in the anthology "Amazing Comics." In 2000, he created the short animation "Accendi la speranza" that has been aired on several TV networks and garnered applause from the political and medical communities. In 2001, Francesco married his lovely wife Lisa and established himself in the US, freelancing and working as a media production artist for a large corporation. In 2004, he met Ben Lichius and started the "Black Coat" adventure with him, creating concepts, storyboards, and the final pencils.
Click here to visit Francesco's website.

Chris Studabaker (Letterer) - Chris currently studies art and computer animation at the University of St. Francis in Indiana. In addition to lettering comics, he has created and written several comic series and short stories, including the fantasy story "Black Rose" and a humorous take on the Greek pantheon in "Olympus Inn." His first graphic novel, "Under the Midnight Sun," is currently in production.
Chris wishes he had a personal website, but can be contacted for lettering or writing at christopherstudabaker@yahoo.com

Other Contributors:
Jeremy Colwell (Inker/Letterer)
- Jeremy is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Art. He currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two young sons. His published work includes Reflux Comics #3 (Reflux Comics), Awakenings #3-6 (8th Day Entertainment), and Project EON #1 (Cellar Door Publishing). He also does private commissions.
Click here to visit Jeremy's website.

Jim Charalampidis (Colorist) - Jim was born in Toronto, Canada and has spent 7 years in post-secondary art education. He is now based out of Ottawa Canada, where he has for the past 2 ½ years worked with Amberwood Entertainment as a background painting and background key painter for "Houze Houndz", "Ben the Bear", and most recently "Zero Man". Currently he is working as the colorist on "Danger Girl: Back in Black." His other comic works include colors for Dynamic Forces' "Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes" and covers for "Zombie Highway" and "GI Joe vs. Transformers" #1 (alternate DF cover).

Euan Mactavish (Colorist) - Coming Soon...