Bamn creators step into comics ring as champion contenders Part 1

     Bamn cover in color

Jay Payne, Dave Dean and Troy Jeffrey Allen of Bamn are set up at left most flank of DC Conspiracy's tabled array at Sept.'s Small Press Expo. A miniature wrestling ring with an origami crafted version of their lead comic book character Bamn sets on the table's back-edge center; surrounded by issues of Crystal Clear and Bamn comics.

After introductions are made Troy, wearing a Doctor Doom t-shirt, and Dave, sporting a casual button down, conduct a synopsis on their two titles. Troy delivers most of the rundown. But they all, which includes Jay at a later introduction, speak deliberately about business with an artist's aggressive vigor. Their speech is casual, but has the tenor of being clothed with informal business wear. The trio's creative initiative comes across as a prospect fortified in refined concept and surveyed to a reasoned extent.

A few days later, over a conference call the roots for their well-founded expectations and journey so far begins to be traced into a comprehensive blueprint.

"It's already trying to live up to
a standard of a father-figure. Or
a mother-figure."
                                  For starters, a wrestling comic book isn't out of the ordinary. And the three creators readily acknowledged that so far proffessional wrestling hasn't been a big hit in comic books. Still, this was a subject the group was very familiar with for a number of years. Along with that factor, they felt Bamn had a different story to offer.

      Molly Hammer

"Family, friends, loved ones. Those are some of the main driving forces. At least there in the beginning stages of Bamn comics. We're already telling the story of a group of kids with different backgrounds but have a love of wrestling. I myself have quite a few friends with different backgrounds that like wrestling and we're very close. Bamn is like a father-son tale. It's already trying to live up to the standard of looking up to a father figure. Or a mother-figure. And it's also a splice of life. You know, trying to pick yourself back up."

During our conversation's mileage they didn't interrupt each other except for a few enthusiastic knots of time. Otherwise there were obvious nods as audible agreements to another's statement were being issued. The group seems to work well together. And in Bamn, which revolves around a diverse group of teens getting mentored in the ring by an ex-wrestler looking to do more with his life, that close knit association strongly makes the book relatable.

The group's own personal, diverse background finds common ground in wrestling and comic books. A dual factor that led to Bamn's conception.

Jay prefaces the backdrop. "Well David and I we've always been wrestling fans for forever. We're big movie buffs and comic book fans. We decided to put the idea of the two-and-two together into a comic book. As far as myself, my mother worked for the state dept. And I had the advantage at a very young age to travel all over the world. A lot through South America... and I had the opportunity to live in Greece. I went to a school [in the U.S.] for art design for a couple of years. Got a chance to hone my skill. Then I started to discover that I really like graphic design and advertising and all that stuff. At the same time I was working in a comic book store. So I also got the idea for this comic book."

   Bamn cover

"Basically.. it's like when I was 11 or 12." Dave continues. "You know both [Jay and I] started picking up comics and watching wrestling and what not. I want to say about five years ago Jay came to me with this idea of putting wrestling and comic books together. We had these little doodles of Bamn. Not what you see now as Bamn but ends up growing to this hulk-like thing we have now."

"It's really cool that we tried to gear the book
towards this area and that you guys got it."

"Well pretty much I was met about five years...little more than five years ago." Troy states. "Just before I was going to head on out to join the real world. Jay and Dave they were working on this comic book off and on for three years. Jay was looking at the story and wouldn't tell me about it. "I'd be like 'oh why don't you try this or try that' and it occurred to me I should be able to write comics. I was actually in college for film and ran out of money and decided to go ahead and work at the shop meantime. But the book kind of materialized when they kept talking about it and talking about it. I never was really... 'oh maybe I should write it.' Then I was working at the store and realized 'you know I really do know comic books really well'. Because comic books now, comics are being written like movies. I had gotten to the point where I was comfortable with a script format, and heavily analyzing how to write comic books for a year. And heavily analyzing how to write film probably for a little less than that. So one day I was working... Jay came in and he and Dave started talking about the comic. They were talking to me specifically about the comic. I was like 'you know why don't you let me take a crack at it'.

"It just kind of worked out. Everything just kind of fell together like kismet... I had been a huge wrestling fan in high school before college years. Yeah we had some backyard wrestling for what it's worth. It was really nothing. But a difficulty was I was supposed to be learning film and I tried out to be a professional wrestler. That lasted for about 6 months. Thank God I didn't get hurt; I didn't get injured. And I got to the point where it was do I want to do movies or do I want to do wrestling. Then I actually got booted out of wrestling. Just because I was a loud mouthed punk kid.

"And pretty much fast forward 5 years later and the experience provided me with pretty much a lot of material for the Bamn comic book."

In far too many instances, concept and product will not translate to a readership. As an independent comic, gaining a generous circulation has the obstacle course of working on the publishing part-time. After the regular work hours. And creators have to market themselves, a job generally regulated to suited departments or agencies. At the SPX, they would find out just how well their title would register to the general appeal of comic book readers.

"You know I was really happy to find that people who had bought the comic last year", Troy explains on the recent SPX, "Specifically came by to see what we had this year. That was pretty gratifying because it proved there is an audience for it. It also proved (they all laugh at this recently revealed revelation) that girls don't like Bamn. And it proved that guys liked Bamn. I really tried to keep the book testosterone filled. So it's really good to see that they get it. It's really cool that we tried to gear the book towards this area and that you guys really got it."

The creative trio, however, stresses their endeavor to reach all audiences. They have personal influences that inspire telling the comic book story. That led to the debut of a new comic book title. The conversation with Jay, Dave and Troy regarding subjects of the economy's effect and behind-the-scenes operations continues to conclusion in Part 2.