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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Neither a bird, a plane or Superman, but rather a combination of Silver Age heroics, noir detective story and 1990s-style paranormal action adventure, Captain Bottle Works is bursting onto the comics scene later this month with his first standalone story.

Longtime friends and local artists Matthew Lamb, Glenn Klimeck and K. Brandon Wilt have combined their love of superheroes, talents for drawing and a sketch idea into the first Hero Works Publishing comic: “The Legacy of Captain Bottle Works.”

The superhero started as an exercise in an art camp at Bottle Works, but in a short amount of time has become the premiere publication for the group that highlights young artists and local landmarks.

Lamb, Bottle Works’ creative director, came up with the idea during a “design your own superhero” class last year.

After reflecting on the legacy of legendary comic artist and Johnstown native Steve Ditko, he wondered why more super stories weren’t being produced from their shared hometown.

That led him to pitch the idea to Klimeck, who also works at Bottle Works, and Bent Wookee Comix owner Wilt.

“It all feels very serendipitous,” Lamb said.

The trio has spent hours together every Thursday planning, collaborating and editing what has become a 60-page book that will be released Sept. 30 during the second Ditko Con, a celebration of Ditko’s career and pop culture influence.

However, the idea to partner – a first for the three – started at last year’s Batman Day at the State Theater, where the artists were on hand to draw, sell wares and chat with visitors.

Also there was Rhode Island playwright and creator of theatrical performance “Ditko,” Lenny Schwartz who was directing the premiere of his play “Bill Finger: Rise of the Bat.”

After chatting with the local artists, whom he has befriended since the first Ditko Con, Lamb approached Schwartz about penning a story for their joint comic, which the playwright gladly accepted.

“I am a fan of all of their work and I jumped at the chance,” Schwartz said. “I asked them what they are interested in drawing, and each had a different answer and aesthetic. So, I just tempered the script with each of the eras and their personal interests.”

All three artists were astounded by how accurate Schwartz’s story was to each of their unique interests and personalities.

“I don’t know how he did something so much in my wheelhouse,” Klimeck said.

Wilt added that the script was “spot-on.”

Schwartz based his tales on questions he asked and flipping through their work at Batman Day.

After that, he just let his imagination run wild.

The trio and writer worked together to tweak the stories a bit, adding references to local landmarks, including the Inclined Plane and Stone Bridge, but when it was done, they all were pleased with the final product.

Schwartz said he’s looking forward to collaborating more with the three artists.

The comic starts with Lamb’s Silver Age-inspired story – a classic superhero tale in the same vein as Blue Beetle and similar characters of the time – what Ditko started out doing and Lamb has always loved.

That’s followed by Klimeck’s noir, which he said was driven by his love of 1940s private eye movies. To keep with that style, those pages will be printed in black and white.

The capstone is Wilt’s specialty of mixing supernatural with hints of horror – a style he has been passionate about for years.

“It was an awesome opportunity to showcase the type of work I do,” Wilt said.

Klimeck noted that working with the others was probably the easiest collaboration experience he’s ever had.

“We all kind of did what we felt was right for the project,” Lamb added.

Additionally, each artist created a Ditko-homage cover for their section.

Wilt and Klimeck credited Lamb for bringing this all together and taking a editor-type role to make sure it all worked and commended him for everything he has done.

Although the three stories are set in vastly different genres, Wilt said they all tie together and hinted at the students’ work being the key.

However, none of the artists would divulge anymore details preferring to keep the mystery alive until the book’s release.

“The Legacy of Captain Bottle Works” is available for pre-order on IndieGoGo where sample pages, additional details and early-bird perks are offered.

Lamb said the comic was put there to raise some additional funds to help defray publishing costs and will also be on sale at Ditko Con.

Although this story is ready to print, the trio of artists said they are not done.

The goal of Hero Works Publishing is to feature local artists and get more comics produced from the home of Ditko.

For more information, visit www.indiegogo.com and www.bottleworks.org. 

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