This past March, Strongsville resident Ryan Drost got to live out his superhero dreams with the printing of Stealth Hammer, a comic he created and self-published. With more than 500 copies sold, Drost welcomes us into his world of witches and a spirited protagonist inspired by his wife.
Q: What inspired you to use mythology and science fiction to build Stealth Hammer’s world?
A: This is a love letter to all the storytelling themes I grew up with. I always loved the blending of myths and the supernatural with technology. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe did a lot of that, so did Thundarr the Barbarian. I liked the idea of a superhero being thrown into that type of world.
Q: What are some examples of how mythology and technology coexist in the comic?
A: On the hero side, mythology and technology learn how to work together to help our hero. On the villain side, they are forced together. The creatures from African mythology called Tokoloshe — these little goblin, gremlin-type creatures — they have cybernetic parts because that technology was forced onto them.
Q: What’s next for Stealth Hammer?
A: I have been submitting the comic to publishers. It’s a tough process. They have to be willing to take a chance and see the vision I have. We don’t want to lose the momentum that we have right now. If we aren’t able to find a publisher sometime this summer, we are talking about possibly doing a second Kickstarter for issue two. I have an outline for the first six issues and ideas for at least 50 more.
