By Jami Coon
And it came to pass, he being talented with color drew the record of the people.
Another verse of scripture? Well, yes, in a manner of speaking.
In recent years, attempts have been made to introduce to the masses the keystone of the Latter-day Saint faith -- the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Movies such as 'God''s Army' and 'The Book of Mormon Movie' made valiant efforts, but were not praised by moviegoers.
Yea, fear not, and be of good courage, for behold, at the end of this week there will be yet another form of 'Mormon media' introduced into the world. 'The Golden Plates,' an illustrated novel by Michael Allred.
With more than 300 images, Volume I: The Sword of Laban and the Tree of Life, will cover 1 Nephi 1-14. Other volumes will follow with approximately 12 volumes completed by the time Moroni exhorts readers to pray to know of the truthfulness and then bids the world adieu.
Artist Michael Allred, from Lakeside, Ore., said he never thought it was possible to do a graphic novel of the Book of Mormon.
'I''ve always wished that there was a visual interpretation of the entire Book of Mormon because I just felt it would be so much more accessible,' Allred said. 'I also thought it was impossible to do. I thought, ''Wow, whoever does this -- good luck.'''
A part of the comic book industry for 15 years, Allred previously worked for companies such as Marvel and DC Comics. He is most noted for his characters Madman and Red Rocket 7.
'He has a retro feel to his art; it is very consistent,' said Doug Dial, owner of Fantasy Rules, a comic book and game store in Pleasant Grove. 'When you see his art, you recognize it. His art can tell a story without any words. He is just that good.'
Allred actually received an offer to have Madman drafted into a film. With that project being put on hold, however, it has given him the time he needed to do 'The Golden Plates.'
'While I was moving the chess pieces of my career and trying to determine how to launch this new Madman series -- you know, you''ll often hear of a still, small voice -- and I clearly heard ''put the Kingdom of God first,''' Allred said, 'and I immediately set this aside and put 'The Golden Plates' on the front line. Once we made the commitment, it was amazing how everything else fell perfectly into place.'
Things have not always fallen so easily into place for Allred. Though he had an ideal childhood in the church, when his parents separated, difficult times followed and he fell away. Then, Allred said he had a staggering experience, similar to that of Alma the Younger in the Book of Mormon.
'I didn''t see an angel or anything, but I would say that was the beginning my conversion,' Allred said. 'My whole life has been about progressing in the gospel.'
He said he hopes his comic book will serve as a tool in aiding others to become interested in the Book of Mormon and the church. A statement in 'The Golden Plates' makes it clear the illustrated novel is no substitute for the Book of Mormon, Allred said. Also, at the end of the book, he has added statistics and facts about the church and its membership.
'My original intent was to be subversive - where people who follow my work just think they are buying my latest project, and before they know it, the missionaries are at the door,' Allred said.
Allred said he self-published the comic book because he initially intended to solicit to the comic book market. Therefore, 'The Golden Plates' cannot be found at Deseret Book or Seagull Book and Tape. Comic book stores will be the primary carriers.
Considering the church is not the primary publisher, Dial said there are many who have mixed emotions towards a comic book representing a book of scripture. Some people who are not familiar with comics are quick to pigeonhole it as not real literature -- as somehow lacking, he said.
Orem Institute instructor Ted Gibbons, who saw some drawings and was not unhappy with them, said he was a little skeptical at first, but he was ultimately impressed.
'There will be some critics -- and maybe justifiably so,' Gibbons said. 'But his target is not the church. I just know I liked what I saw, and I think there will be people who see this and be interested enough to want to read the book.'
Gibbons said he is nervous about how the doctrine is represented, but said he thinks there is potential to do good.
As far as the script goes, Allred said it was easy to do because he just used scripture. He said he removed repetition such as 'and it came to pass,' 'thee' and 'thou,' but took great care to not alter the meaning.
The meaning of the Book of Mormon is to convince the world that Jesus Christ lives, but Allred said his goal for his graphic novel is somewhat smaller than that.
'I want this to be easily absorbed by anyone who is 12 years and older, but at the same time I want a 60-year-old woman to look at this and say ''Oh, my! This is so interesting. I have got to learn more about this,''' Allred said. 'I am hoping this will be a tool that will lead people to the Book of Mormon.'