Year or so ago, I announced that Cory Rosen and I were looking for actors and actresses to be a part of our audio project, now we would like to reveal them to you!
Let’s keep this post short and sweet!
Here is the cast of ‘The Knight of Iaddash!’
I am very excited at the possibility of working with all of these people! If you’d like to support our Kickstarter now is the time! We have under 4 days to complete our funding, and will not be able to make it without your support! Cory will be editing and producing the score for the project, and I wrote this story! We both are keen to make this project into a reality! The money raised through this kickstarter goes to our cast and to making this project the best we can!
If you’d like to support us, please consider supporting us here:
I was sitting in the back of my high school Spanish class drifting into another world. I probably should have been paying attention but I had other things on my mind. I was thinking of a story, one with a Knight and a sword.
My mind went to Ephesians 6:10-18, it’s a passage about the armor of God. The idea really started there. ‘What if in my story, an all-powerful God gives a knight armor to help him on a dangerous mission’. At first I called this God Shaddai, stealing one of God’s names from the Bible. Then, being highly creative and wanting to be slightly less on the nose, I turned the name backwards and Iaddash was born.
In that classroom, I drew my first sketch of what would soon become Kahsa. That picture is lost to time. But there are a few that survived from that era. Here are some of my first sketches of the crew.
Early sketches of Kahsa, Stratia and Agape. Drawn in by Kenny in high school.
Yes, that’s right Agape had a gun. A laser gun to be precise. Eventually I dropped the whole laser gun idea. My brain was running purely on Star Wars in those days. Agape no longer has a gun. And lasers no longer exist in the world.
I shared my idea with plenty of my classmates, making more doodles. And this continued into college where I actually started to write my first draft of the story. I’m looking at that first draft right now. I didn’t get very far and compared to what would eventually be the finished project, it wasn’t that good. Initially, Kahsa would steal the knight’s armor from Agape, and Bark and Agar were very different people named Batsi and Akar. Akar, interestingly enough is the Hebrew word for troubler. I guess I thought Agar sounded a bit cooler though. Despite the barely started draft, this idea just wouldn’t die.
At some point I wrote a multi book outline and shared it with one of my best friends in college, that treatment ended up becoming the foundation of what I’d eventually write. At one point we were roommates and I put about 40 thumbtacks into our wall to outline the second book, he was also my RA at the time. Good thing Covid hit and we needed to leave campus or else I would have owed the college more money! After publishing a short story and a book of poems, I felt confident to make the Knight of Iaddash dream a reality. And so I did!
When Reading Isn’t Enough
When I imagined The Knight of Iaddash, I imagined it first as a movie, replaying scenes in my head and talking through the character lines. That’s kind of how my brain works. In college I realized that didn’t seem to feasible so I wrote it as a book! While writing it, I only used about half my ideas, so I split it into two parts. If you read the end of book 1, you know something huge happens. That wasn’t in the original plans but I did make the first completed draft. It really was a perfect decision to take the story to even greater heights in the next book (which is still releasing it this year btw!).
After writing the book I had plenty of friends look over it, I hired an amazing editor, got a talented artist, and planned on releasing it. But the story continued on in my head. I wanted other so have a similar experience that I had when imagining the story. I want them to hear my characters and to be a part of the action. Then I heard Cory Rosen’s production of Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde. So the two of us chatted, and we put together a proof a concept.
One day, I’m gonna share the proof of concept. However, at that point I only snagged Cory for the music/recording and was stubborn enough to try to do the rest myself. As a result, we had 3 people voicing a scene, one of which was myself. This was our test run. If you’ve watched our trailer you know that Cory is a much better audio producer than I am, so I am very glad to be working with him!
Compiling the Cast
After our test run, Cory and I entered our preproduction phase. The first book was released around this time as well. We found a cast, held tryouts, and the kid that watched all of those behind the scenes clips of The Clone Wars and other animated shows was really happy! Doing something like this was always one of those unreachable dreams, and yet, here we are. We’re doing it, and it’s really fun!
The cast read throughs were a lot of fun as well! Everyone brought different ideas and perspectives to the table about what they thought their character might sound like and it was really cool to hear their interpretation. They play their characters very well too! If you need proof, check out our kickstart trailer below! We’ve got an incredible cast!
A picture of number of our actors on the scripts first read through!
And now we’re here. We’ve got a cast, we’ve got a trailer, and we’ve got a kickstarter as well. The goal of this kickstarter is to raise $5,000 dollars. That’s how we pay our cast and move forward in its production. If we reach $10,000 we’ll hire someone to help Cory with the sound design, and if we reach $20,000 I’m gonna green light book 2’s audio production!
Without our cast, this project cannot be made, so if you would like to support us to raise the necessary funds, please watch this super cool trailer and consider supporting us on kickstarter. The lowest tier starts at $5 and gets you season 1 ad-free!
At the time or writing, we are nearly at 50% funded, thank you to everyone who has already supported us. We wouldn’t be able to do with without you.
Inside the Mist
This project will inevitably mean different things to different people. For some it’s a really cool project to listen to or to be a part of. As for me, this project reminds me of God’s grace. So much regarding Iaddash has been shaped by my faith. The themes I put in this book are formed from lessons I’ve learned in life. And, I’ve seen God’s hand at every step of this process. He’s given me plenty of friends to support and critique the first two books in the drafting phase, he’s used book two to help me process through the covid pandemic, he brought Cory and I together both as friends and as collaborators in college, he’s provided the cast, I’ve worked with many great artists, and now we’re here! I’m trusting him that if he wants this project to be a reality, then he’ll provide the funds. I’m also praying that this story might inspire others to tell their own stories, and to think about the beauty and challenges of faith. I ultimately hope Christ uses this to point other people towards his love.
What you create matters. And your voice mattes as well. I hope that God will honor our efforts and I pray I can be a good ambassador of the faith he’s given to me, whether this project is big or small.
However we need your help to make this happen! We will be paying our cast, that’s where this kickstarter comes in!
AN EXCITING TRAILER!
Want to learn more or to hear voices from the cast? Or, are you itching to see Cory and I read from a teleprompter in slightly poor lighting? Watch this video!
COOL REWARDS!
In addition to making this project possible, there are plenty of rewards for supporting. Anyone who supports us at the $5 tier will receive an ad-free version of the audio drama! You could also get the ebook or some cool desktop wallpapers!
We’ve also got some really special physical rewards for you as well!
Here’s a preview of some of the items you will be able to get if you support us! Get them while supplies last!
Nearly Everything!This Euthymeo Plush is sooo cuddly!Everyone needs a good bookmark!Some cool mini posters and postcards!GLORY TO THE GLORYBUDS!Soundtrack available for purchase!Love this hat, and I’m not even a hat guy! I’m still obsessing over these stickers!
SUPPORT US NOW!
Creating something special out of The Knight of Iaddash has been a dream of mine since high school, but I can’t do it without the help of others! I wouldn’t be able to do any of this with without the support and talent of our cast and crew, and this project will not be able to go forward without the financial support of friends, family, and all you lovely strangers I’ve yet to meet! Please continue giving to The Knight of Iaddash’s kickstarter. If you are able to give, sharing it with someone who might be interested would also be a huge help! We would also covet your prayers! It is by God’s grace that this project has come this far and I hope that I can glorify him through it!
If you would like to support us, now is the time! Thank you for considerations.
Hope you enjoy this concept sketch for The Knight of Iaddash 2! I’m no illustrator, but I am pretty proud of how this one turned out. There’s also another surprise if you keep scrolling!
It’s almost the end of February and the release of the Knight of Iaddash 2 is coming closer! Currently, I am doing one final pass over the text to make sure that there are no obvious errors. The way I do this is by reading everything out loud. This is just an extra pass I like to do before I publish something. Call it quality assurance if you will!
Things have been moving a little slower unfortunately. It has been my intention to release this book in April but I might consider postponing it by a month or two. This is for two reasons. There were some complications while working on the cover, the printer to scan the final paintings needed a part replaced. However, I’ve mostly just been busy. Cory and I continue to push towards April’s Kickstarter, and I’ve been teaching a lot so a lot of my current energy is going into that.
If you didn’t know, we are planning on Kickstarting The Knight of Iaddash Book 1 into an audio drama/audio book hybrid. Last year we did our casting, and if we can raise the needed funs, we’ll make it into a reality!
If I do postpone Book 2 because of the kickstarter, I may consider providing an early ebook version of it as a bonus reward. That could be fun!
A preview:
Also, because you’ve all been so patient with my sporadic updates. I figured that it might be fun to share a scene from book 2 as you wait. If you have no’t read the first book already, this blurb will spoil the ending, so read KOI1 first by buying it from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or Apple Books.
Anyways, here’s a preview from one of the chapters of The Knight of Iaddash 2: Into the Gates of Sheol. I hope you look forward to reading more.
Kahsa sat on the ground, reciting the lines of Iaddash and scratching Euthymeo’s leathery dragon head. This had become a ritual of sorts urged by Agape. He was not to blindly recite the words, but to think on what they mean and thereafter apply them to his own life. He had been told that many believers in Iaddash would recite such words in times of trial. He had been told that they would bring him peace. Yet Kahsa found no peace.
“He lets the strong fall and makes the weak leap,” Kahsa recited the words aloud, his voice masked with determination. He continued.
“He upholds us in power and revives the meek.
And from his right hand, he lends his strength …”
Kahsa’s mind shot back to the year before. Once again he stood staring down the man who had so quickly become his enemy. Burning flames erupted from his old master’s hands as the two of them balanced on an unstable bridge made of wood and rope. He had tried to forget that fateful night, but forgetting it had become impossible.
“He lets the strong fall …” Kahsa recited again. In his mind’s eye, the menacing Agar stared back at him, smiling. His face was lit red with embers. “He makes the weak leap,” Kahsa said again, trying to move his foot forwards. This is where everything went wrong. He had to be strong, he had to push forward. He would not lose this time. With a burst of adrenaline, he found himself lunging towards Agar with the green Sword of Iaddash held tightly in his hands. He attacked again and again, hoping to throw him off guard, but Agar was quick and refused to fall. In desperation Agar loosened the ropes of the bridge, making it difficult to balance, yet Kahsa didn’t give up. He would not back down. He made his way towards Agar until at last, he went for the killing blow.
“Have mercy!” cried Agar.
“You don’t seek mercy,” Kahsa said, staring down at him, his Sword lit green in his hand. “I won’t fall for that again.” Kahsa lifted his Sword. He would rewrite the mistakes of his past. He would kill Agar, and with one swift strike, he would satisfy the prophecy he was meant to fulfill.
“From the darkness shall arise, a Knight of might and valor, and by the Sword of Iaddai, shall come Agar’s last hour.” Kahsa stretched out the green Sword with both his hands, ready to strike. At last he would to deliver the final blow, he would show Agar his power, he would show no mercy …
“When the Sword glows green with light, then the Knight has come …” He was the Knight of Iaddash, he was to defeat Agar. It was his destiny, it was his prophecy, nothing could get in his way, he was the Knight of Iaddash. The strength of Iaddash flowed through him, he had rejected the darkness, accepted the light, and soon all would be well …
Pain seared through Kahsa’s hand as he dropped the sword! An arrow had struck his right hand! His dominate hand! Kahsa looked at it in terror as it swelled up. Agar smiled as flames erupted across the entire bridge. The Sword of Iaddash had been lost, falling deep into the pit below. Though this memory was altered compared to reality, its end was the same.
“No, this can’t happen!” howled Kahsa. “This can’t happen … stop!” he yelled at his old master, who was now engulfed in a strange shadowy flame. “I can’t lose. Not again.” Kahsa’s words were muffled by the flames as the bridge snapped and sent him tumbling down into the depth of Agar’s castle. Agar stood high above, watching his descent and laughing. Somehow Agar had not fallen from the broken bridge. Kahsa tried to remember more lines of Iaddash, more of the prophecy, but he failed. He had tried to reach for the Sword yet found himself unable. Instead, he fell, watching his life tumble away from the world above, falling farther into the hellish void that lay below. He curled on the ground, gripping his trembling right hand, looking for the light of his Sword—or any light at all—but was unsuccessful.
He had failed. And now every day, he bore a reminder of that failure. Each pang of pain that ran through his body would be a reminder of what a terrible Knight he had become. Just a year ago, it had been prophesied that he would be the one to defeat Agar. Kahsa had escaped his old life under the lordship of Agar and pledged himself to a new master, a far better one: a God named Iaddash. The one true God, as Agape would say. And yet, he was defeated. He had failed his mission and lost the most important weapon of all: the Sword of Iaddash.
“You cannot defeat Agar like this,” a strange and cold voice rang out. It was strong—it was powerful—and it held promise. Kahsa tried to pull himself to his feet yet failed, falling over in pain once again. He cried for help, but none would come.
It was a nightmare, one Kahsa had many times many before, but it had never gone on this long or felt this real. He had to remember the lines of Iaddash. He had to look for the light. He had to …
Oh boy! It looks like Kahsa is having a bad dream. You’re going to also find out that the wound Kahsa received at the end of book one plays a major part in this story as well. What happens when the promised knight fails to achieve his prophecy? I guess you’ll just have to read the book when it releases!
I was looking through some of the poems I wrote over the past few years, and I found one I wanted to share with my readers.
Over the past year I’ve been in a bit of a rut, feeling really down and trying to cling to Jesus the best that I can. By faith I believe I’m coming out of that season, however, that season was a very real and hard one to go through. Some days I felt like I couldn’t see any evidence that Jesus was doing anything in my life.
I was wrong of course, Jesus is always at work. And even in the darkness, I caught glimpses of his grace and the passion I once had for him. That’s what this poem is about! I hope you enjoy it!
Howdy! It’s been awhile hasn’t it? While I’ve not been blogging I’ve been hard at work on an exciting new series that I am currently in the process of editing. It will likely be some time before this story is ready to be released but I wanted to share a special preview with you all.
The series is called “The Knight of Iaddash” and it revolves around a young man named Kahsa who is called by a God to kill his old master Agar. The only problem is… Agar cannot die. The series is a two part saga with room for expansion that explores themes such as friendship, spirituality, and the quest for both freedom and strength.
If this has peaked your interest, here’s a chapter from the first book I’ve been working on. Enjoy!
If you’re feeling down this Christmas then you’ve come to the right place. This blog post is not about how you can ‘fix’ your Christmas season, though I do hope you find a bit of joy hidden in it’s depth. Instead, I want to take a look at one of aspect of the Christmas story from a very different point of view.
Today’s blog post is going to be something a bit different. Recently a friend of mine sent me a short story he wrote and I absolutely adored it! His story was just too interesting and powerful not to share, and so, with his permission I am sharing it with you today!
My latest book, Poems for the Redeemed Heart is out now! As I mentioned in a previous post, this project is very near and dear to me. It collects poems I wrote throughout both High School and College, most of which I never was really intending to publish. I hope you consider purchasing a copy. I think you will find it highly enjoyable!
What exactly is the book about? Here is an a description from the book’s back cover
This book is for redeemed hearts! It is for those who have been brought from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light! In short, it is a book for Christians and perhaps anyone interested in learning more about who Jesus is from a creative point of view.
Contained within are over sixty poems meant to stir your heart towards encouragement and genuine worship through theologically packed poetry that seeks to exalt Jesus Christ and edify the soul.
May the Lord use the words contained in this book to direct your heart towards him, the great redeemer of all who call upon his name!
Poems for the Redeemed Heart is 177 pages. And is currently selling on Amazon.com for $11.99!
Covid19. It has turned our lives upside down. One moment I’m enjoying my senior year at Lancaster Bible College, and the next I’m going home because I am no longer able to work or learn alongside of friends. There were so many people I was hoping to spend the rest of my senior year with. And I treasure the fun that I had. But with the universities closing and classes being moved online, things will have to change.
This isn’t your usual blog post from me. This isn’t about a movie I watched or a book I am writing. It’s about fear. Its about living in world that’s constantly changing, the threat of sickness and death, and how we respond to it. Many of you might not be afraid of this Corona Virus, younger people have only mild symptoms, you may think it isn’t your issue. But it has become all of our issue. The rhythms of life in America have been halted, the new normal reigns supreme, and in this time of uncertainty, we are very prone to fear.
The Back KAB 