Mark Melton has been drawing since he can remember. His love for comic books is just as great. In 1996, his senior year of high school, he created the script to "The Island of Conformity" as an English project. He felt it would make a great comic book and then spent the next three years painting the comic book in water color.  By 1999 he had started his own independent comic company called "Vision Land Comics". Funding was low and he could not afford to print "The Island of Conformity" in full color but was determined to see it go to print. He ran a print run of 1000 copies in black and white through Small Press Co-op.  The Christian community was not too interested in "Christian comic books" and only one church purchased some of the comics.  Mark quickly found that he was not going to cover his costs as no one was buying his book.  Not wanting to let the disappointment of 800 copies still remaining, he continued to draw and came across another independent comic company: Quest Comics.

Mark did pencils for two stories in Quest Comics "Chronicles" series as well as color work for many pin ups and covers for their line. Quest Comics hit some bumps and went under but Mark kept creating. On the side he continued to work on his pet project "Angeldreams" and actually had two issues done but wasn't happy with the story or art and scrapped it all to begin again. In the mean time he joined up with Megazeen and has contributed pencils and inks on "The 6th Seal of Revelation" with writer John Finlay which appeared in Megazeen #3-5. Mark also created the sci-fi "Azalea" for the pages of Megazeen (appeared in Megaunity: Red and Megazeen #7-9) but sadly that project fizzeled out after 4 installments. With Megazeen, Mark continued to color pages for them and help with colors on many other projects including the Original Teen Enforcemnet agency by Henry Chmielefski.

Working on so many side projects made Mark miss his "Angeldreams" project and in 2005 began to focus 100% on it. By the spring of 2006 issue #1 was ready to see print and the first print run sold out. It took another year for issue #2 to come out and #3 is currently at the printers. Mark was able to find some amazing talent to help out on his Angeldreams comics with some gorgeous art by: Jeff Slemons, Darrin Haggard and Caleb Sutter. Besides continuing on Angeldreams, Mark is currently working on a story with Megazeen founder Joey Endres called "Rosemary", did the color work for "Lioness" from the Ragged Capes story, the color work for Collosians #1 by Joey Endres, and is coloring the pages of "316" by Pat Boone and Eric Mereced.  Besides doing comic work Mark also does commissioned paintings that range from acrylic to water color.  Here is a list of spots where you can see Mark's work and purchase his comics and other art.

http://www.visionlandcomics.com
http://www.markmelton.blogspot.com
http://www.christiancomics.net

For quite some time I have been thinking about why the super-hero idea has been such a popular and enduring one. I believe one reason is that the super-hero concept is a glimpse of the Christian believers’ eternal weight of glory (II Cor 4:17).

Basic Biblical theology teaches the concept of justification, sanctification and glorification.

Justification has to do with our right standing before God. Sanctification has to do with the present process we are going through in this life (as born again Christians) to conform us to Christ’s image. Glorification has to do with the resurrection body that we will have in the future.

What will our glorified body be like?

Our glorified body will be like Christ’s resurrection body (Phil 3:20, 21; I John 3:2). This body will be one of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39) not flesh and blood (I Cor. 15:50, 51). This glorified body is incorruptible-does not decay (1 Cor 15:42) and is immortal (I Cor 15:52-54). It is a glorious body (I Cor 15:43a). It is powerful and does not get tired (I Cor 15:43b). The resurrection body will be heavenly (I Cor 15:47-49). The resurrection body will be luminous, shining, dazzling, bright like the sun (Matt 13:43, Dan, 12:3; Luke 9:29). The believers in their resurrection bodies will reign with Christ during the millennium (Rev. 20:4, 6).

Our resurrection bodies will be like the angels who do not marry nor do they die (Matt, 22:30; Luke 20:35, 36). Since these bodies are like the angel they possess great strength. An angel rolled away the great stone that blocked the entrance to Jesus’ tomb (Matt 28:2). Angels are so startling that powerful soldier faint from fright at the sight of them (Matt 28: 4). Angels slayed the mightiest of human warriors (2 Kings 19:35, II Chron 32:21). Angels are the executioners of God’s wrath (Matt. 13:39-42, 47-50), but the believer in his resurrection body will judge angels (I Cor. 6:3).

Since these bodies are like Christ’s resurrection body they will be able to do the same things he does. Jesus could materialize behind locked doors (John 20:12, 26, Luke 24:36). Jesus ascended into heaven in Hi own body (Mark 16:19, Acts 1:9-11). Jesus could vanish from the sight of man (Luke 24:31), as did the angel of the Lord (Judges 6:21).

In summary it would seem that our own resurrection bodies will have “power” of flight, de and dematerialization, great strength, limitless endurance, awesome and frightening brightness, authoritative judgment, ageless immortality, absolute sinless perfection (I Cor 1:8);

Could it be that the super-hero notion in some imperfect and earthly way reflects the glorious image of Christ’s own resurrected body and the believer’s future estate?

(Reprinted from Alpha-Omega #110, 2003)