From the Dust Giveaway

Salt Lake City Comic Con might not be the first place you’d expect to see LDS products, but this one was there and it was a hit!  It is Volume #1 of From the Dust, an LDS serial graphic novel. Yes, a comic book. A beautifully illustrated comic book that is meant to entertain, but also informs.

And the author/illustrator is my almost-brother-in-law. You haven’t you heard that term before? He is really my sister’s brother-in-law, but that makes him almost mine too, right? His name is Michael Mercer, a graduate from BYU, and he is very talented and has big ambitions with this series.

My daughter Sabrina, a comic book fanatic, has the 107-page print version of Volume #1 The Last King of Judah, but there is also a multi-touch edition for iPad and iPad mini that I’m sure kids would love. The printed book is good quality paper, not like the typical comic book. The illustrations are amazing. In this first volume, you are introduced to the series and to many of the characters with information about each one, like Jeremiah, Zedekiah, Lehi, and Nephi.  Then there are several pages that describe the geography, the “Dangerous Empires”.

Then we get to the 16-page storyline that starts with Jeremiah in this volume. The comic storyline is followed by scriptures and details to explain what is going on. It helps teach what is going on in the scriptures in a way younger and older children will enjoy and understand. There’s also a sneak peek at Volume #3.

When I first heard of this comic book, I thought it would be just for kids, but I learned several things reading it. There is a lot of good information included with all of the entertainment and it’s really meant for the whole family. Don't forget to check out the apparel available on the website.

I especially enjoy how Michael links the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon history and stories together. So often we study them separately even though they are part of the same history.

This is just the start to a whole series. Michael would like to expedite the release of Volume #2 and others so he started a Kickstarter  page.  He’s hoping to get more volumes out and eventually a series of movies. I love the idea of this being made into movies!

So go like From the Dust on Facebook. And order a hard copy or multi-touch edition for a great family Christmas present. Check out all the great reviews on Amazon so far. And you can also enter to win one print version of Volume #1 The Last Kind of Judah here right now. And I’ll throw in some popcorn and candy so you can enjoy some fun family time when you get it in the mail if you are the winner.

To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you are doing this Christmas season to remember our Savior in your home. And to help get the word out about From the Dust, if you share this information on Facebook or on your blog, leave a comment here letting me know that you did and I will give you 2 extra entries. Enter until Wednesday, December 11th at 11:59pm. I will choose a winner and post it here as soon as I can after. (I have finals that week and the next, but I will try to post it soon after.)