BILLINGS — Just in time for the Halloween season, a Billings native is taking pop culture by storm with a comic book character he created when he was just 9 years old.
The character is "Ironface," created by Dan Paul Schafer; Ironface is a ruthless killer that is similar to the slasher icons from 1980s movies.
Once known as Hank Charlson, a serial murderer who terrorized the town of New Jersey, he was captured and unwittingly turned into the unstoppable killing machine IRONFACE by the hands of the very cops who tried to stop him.
Born and raised in Montana, Schafer made a big impact on the local theater scene, creating small plays and wowing the audience with his range of acting skills. With a target of $15,000 on Kickstarter, people around the country have piled in their support for this grisly creature, exceeding the financial goal within its first 24 hours.
Now, catching the attention of some professionals in the comic book world, "Ironface" is making headway within the medium of graphic novels and even an animated series. For those aspiring artists out there who have similar dreams, Schafer offers this advice.
"Keep working. Work, work, work, work... Don't be too lazy about it," he said. "Artists have a tendency to criticize themselves and destroy their work a lot. Don't get upset, just keep working. Put your head down and share, share your ideas... all the time... If you don't share, you're not going to get any better. Other people have to see it, so they can tell you what you're doing. And don't be too sensitive about what they say about your work. Try to keep an open mind about it."
For more information, visit the Kickstarter page.
