Pakkins' Land
Encyclopedia
Pakkins' Land is an epic all-ages fantasy
story created by husband and wife team, Gary
and Rhoda Shipman
. Originating as a critically hailed comic book series, the story was written by the pair with Gary Shipman illustrating the series.
Pakkins’ Land tells the tale of Paul, a young boy who finds himself in a magical world filled with talking animals, mystery and excitement.
copied issues called ashcans
. Because of the nature of these first three issues being creator-produced, they were very low-edition, and as such have since become extremely rare.
In October 1996 the independent comic book company, Caliber Comics
, began publishing the first of the six issue monthly series (including republishing the ashcan editions), Pakkins' Land: Paul's Adventure, as its flagship title in launching an all-ages imprint, Tapestry. The issues consist of black & white interior pages with full-color covers that become the series published format for almost the entire next decade.
In June 1997 Tapestry published the stand-alone Pakkins' Land Issue # 0, to serve as a prologue to the Pakkins' Land series.
With the first six-issue story arc concluded, in August 1997 Caliber began publishing (under its own label after dissolving the Tapestry imprint) the second six-issue installment of the series, Pakkins' Land: Quest For Kings, which continued the overall story. Issue # 1 was published with two variant covers, one which featured the art of Jeff Smith
of Bone fame.
Starting in September 1997 the Pakkins' Land saga was further serialized in 17 short offshoot stories as a full-color weekly webcomic
strip presented by online comics' retailer, mania.com.
In October 1997 Caliber repackaged the entire six issues of Pakkins' Land: Paul's Adventure and the Pakkins' Land Issue # 0, publishing it as a trade paperback entitled: Pakkins' Land: Paul's Adventure.
In November 1997, with Issue # 3, Pakkins' Land: Quest For Kings began a bi-monthly publishing schedule.
In April 1998 Caliber began publishing Pakkins' Land: Forgotten Dreams. Caliber ultimately published only three issues of the four issue series.
In December 1998 Caliber published A Caliber Christmas which featured a seven-page Pakkins' Land story, entitled: Pakkins' Land: Christmas Remembered.
In March 2000 Image Comics
published a larger-sized Issue # 4, which wrapped up the Pakkins' Land: Forgotten Dreams story arc.
In 2000 Pakkins' Land Volume One: Paul's Adventure, Revised Edition ISBN 0-9700241-1-8 was published as a trade paperback by the Shipman's own self-publishing
imprint, Pakkins Presents. The graphic novel features a revised look at the first six-issue series, including additional new art and writing.
In 2001 the trade paperbacks Pakkins' Land Volume Two: Quest For Kings ISBN 0-9700241-2-6 and Pakkins' Land Volume Three: Forgotten Dreams ISBN 0-9700241-3-4 were published by Pakkins Presents.
In April 2003 the trade paperback Pakkins' Land Volume Four: Tavitah ISBN 0-9700241-4-2 was published by Pakkins Presents.
In May 2005, Pakkins' Land was realized for the first time in complete full-color as the independent comic book company, Alias Enterprises
1, began publishing a newly revised edition of the series as a monthly title.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
story created by husband and wife team, Gary
Gary Shipman
Gary Lee Shipman is an American comic book illustrator and writer. He is father to three children.-Biography:Shipman, with wife Rhoda Shipman, created the independently produced comic book series Pakkins' Land, both plotting out the stories together and Gary scripting, lettering, penciling, and...
and Rhoda Shipman
Rhoda Shipman
Rhoda Shipman is an American comic book writer and mother to three children.-Biography:Shipman, with husband Gary Shipman, created the independently produced comic book series Pakkins' Land, writing and editing the series...
. Originating as a critically hailed comic book series, the story was written by the pair with Gary Shipman illustrating the series.
Pakkins’ Land tells the tale of Paul, a young boy who finds himself in a magical world filled with talking animals, mystery and excitement.
Characters
- Paul - Human
- Mr. Brambles - Bear
- Gus - Jackal
- Tikvah - Flying Squirrel
- Aryah - Lion (The King)
- Rahsha - Human (The Evil King)
- Sedek - Human (The King)
- Shani - Wolf
- Hazak - Gorilla
- Lila - Racoon
- Jeremiah - Elephant
- Nahmer - Tiger
- Sampson - Killer Whale
- Twila - Dolphin
- Kafatz - Kangaroo
- Tamarah - Elephant
- Tavitah - Human (Princess)
- Pip - Bat (Dark Flyer)
- Adelbert - Rabbit
Publication history
1995 saw the first appearance of Pakkins' Land in the form of black & white xeroxedXerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
copied issues called ashcans
Ashcan copy
An ashcan copy is a term that originated in the Golden Age of Comic Books, meant to describe a publication produced solely for legal purposes , and not normally intended for distribution.-Origins:...
. Because of the nature of these first three issues being creator-produced, they were very low-edition, and as such have since become extremely rare.
In October 1996 the independent comic book company, Caliber Comics
Caliber Comics
Caliber Comics or Caliber Press was an American comic book publisher founded in 1989 by Gary Reed. Featuring primarily creator-owned comics, in the next decade Caliber published over 1300 comics and ranked as one of the America's leading independent publishers...
, began publishing the first of the six issue monthly series (including republishing the ashcan editions), Pakkins' Land: Paul's Adventure, as its flagship title in launching an all-ages imprint, Tapestry. The issues consist of black & white interior pages with full-color covers that become the series published format for almost the entire next decade.
In June 1997 Tapestry published the stand-alone Pakkins' Land Issue # 0, to serve as a prologue to the Pakkins' Land series.
With the first six-issue story arc concluded, in August 1997 Caliber began publishing (under its own label after dissolving the Tapestry imprint) the second six-issue installment of the series, Pakkins' Land: Quest For Kings, which continued the overall story. Issue # 1 was published with two variant covers, one which featured the art of Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith (cartoonist)
Jeff Smith is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the self-published comic book series Bone. His current series, RASL, focuses on an art thief who hops through dimensional barriers, hiding out on various parallel worlds.-Early life and education:Jeff Smith was born in McKees...
of Bone fame.
Starting in September 1997 the Pakkins' Land saga was further serialized in 17 short offshoot stories as a full-color weekly webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
strip presented by online comics' retailer, mania.com.
In October 1997 Caliber repackaged the entire six issues of Pakkins' Land: Paul's Adventure and the Pakkins' Land Issue # 0, publishing it as a trade paperback entitled: Pakkins' Land: Paul's Adventure.
In November 1997, with Issue # 3, Pakkins' Land: Quest For Kings began a bi-monthly publishing schedule.
In April 1998 Caliber began publishing Pakkins' Land: Forgotten Dreams. Caliber ultimately published only three issues of the four issue series.
In December 1998 Caliber published A Caliber Christmas which featured a seven-page Pakkins' Land story, entitled: Pakkins' Land: Christmas Remembered.
In March 2000 Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
published a larger-sized Issue # 4, which wrapped up the Pakkins' Land: Forgotten Dreams story arc.
In 2000 Pakkins' Land Volume One: Paul's Adventure, Revised Edition ISBN 0-9700241-1-8 was published as a trade paperback by the Shipman's own self-publishingSelf-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
imprint, Pakkins Presents. The graphic novel features a revised look at the first six-issue series, including additional new art and writing.
In 2001 the trade paperbacks Pakkins' Land Volume Two: Quest For Kings ISBN 0-9700241-2-6 and Pakkins' Land Volume Three: Forgotten Dreams ISBN 0-9700241-3-4 were published by Pakkins Presents.
In April 2003 the trade paperback Pakkins' Land Volume Four: Tavitah ISBN 0-9700241-4-2 was published by Pakkins Presents.
In May 2005, Pakkins' Land was realized for the first time in complete full-color as the independent comic book company, Alias Enterprises
Alias Enterprises
Alias Enterprises is a United States publishing company. Their main divisions are Alias Comics and Cross Culture . Based in San Diego, California, it was founded in January 2005 by Brett Burner and Mike S. Miller...
1, began publishing a newly revised edition of the series as a monthly title.
Awards
- 1997 Harvey AwardHarvey AwardThe Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
Nominee in the category of Best New Talent . - 1997 Russ Manning AwardRuss Manning AwardThe Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award is an American award presented to a comic book artist whose first professional work appeared within the previous two years. It was named after comic book artist Russ Manning...
Nominee for Most Promising Newcomer. - 1998 Eisner AwardEisner AwardThe Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
Nominee in the category of Talent Deserving Of Wider Recognition.
Novel
ISBN 0-9700241-1-8 published 2000- Chapter 1: My Adventure
- Chapter 2: The Long Way!
- Chapter 3: Cliff Hanger
- Chapter 4: The Awakening
- Chapter 5: Death Ridge
Comic Book
- Issue # 1: Paul's Adventure
- Issue # 2: The Long Way!
- Issue # 3: Cliff Hanger
- Issue # 4: Death Ridge
- Issue # 5: Stranger In A Strange Land
- Issue # 6: The Gathering
Novel
ISBN 0-9700241-2-6 published 2001- Chapter 1: Quest For Kings
- Chapter 2: The Gathering
- Chapter 3: The Captive
- Chapter 4: ...And A Little Child Shall Lead Them
- Chapter 5: Forbidden City
Comic Book
- Issue # 1: Quest For Kings
- Issue # 2: ...And A Little Child Shall Lead Them
- Issue # 3: Forbidden City
- Issue # 4: The Rescuers
- Issue # 5: The Confrontation
- Issue # 6: Stand Off!
Novel
ISBN 0-9700241-3-4 published 2001- Chapter 1: Cave In
- Chapter 2: The Symbol
- Chapter 3: Rasha's Dungeon
- Chapter 4: The Confrontation
- Chapter 5: The Healer
Comic Book
- Issue # 1: Forgotten Dreams
- Issue # 2: Awake Sleeper!
- Issue # 3: Strange Dreams
- Issue # 4: These Dreams (published by Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
)
Novel
ISBN 0-9700241-4-2 published April 2003- Chapter 1: The Change
- Chapter 2: Awake Sleeper!
- Chapter 3: Strange Dreams
- Chapter 4: These Dreams