Ideas can spark from unexpected places, though sometimes their beginnings are a mystery. Horror master Stephen King once said he doesn’t know where his ideas come from – a writer’s job is simply to recognize a good one.
Strongsville resident Ryan Drost found inspiration for his three-issue (and counting) Stealth Hammer comic right at home. Drost named his self-titled superhero after his wife, Jami, taking inspiration from her two workplace nicknames. An illustration of the character – also modeled after Jami – further cemented the idea.
“You write what you know,” says Drost. “I figured I’d just write my character on the personality I know best, which is Jami.”
Stealth Hammer launched in 2020, with a second issue dropping the following year. Set in a world of high-tech gadgetry and supernatural mythology, the all-ages adventure follows a teen heroine who finds herself part of a grand legacy of protectors.
Pages pop with color and cartoon splendor, a departure from the dark and gritty comics that populate many shop shelves. Ultimately, Stealth Hammer melds Ms. Marvel, Jim Henson’s creature shop, and the robot-centric antics of the Mega Man video game series, according to Drost.
Motivated by its muse, the comic also seeks to inspire a cross-generational audience, says Drost.
“My wife has always been someone who fights for what’s fair,” he says. “She uses the phrase, ‘That’s not how the story ends,’ which is all about not giving up. That’s my hero’s mantra.”
You’re the one
Although not a comics fan herself, Jami is thrilled about having a super powered secret identity, of sorts.
“It’s great to see Ryan have fun with it, and have me be included in the way I am,” says Jami, a full-time graphic designer who lends her skills to the pages of Stealth Hammer. “I get caught up with Ryan’s ideas coming to life. When I’m reading a draft of the next issue, I have to take a step back and realize that I’m a superhero.”
Drost has successfully crowdfunded three issues of Stealth Hammer so far, with fundraising on a fourth issue set for later this year. Interested readers can find the series at North Coast Comics and Carol and John’s Comic Shop. Physical copies can also be ordered from GlobalComix or Drost’s personal website.
Drost has released one issue annually since the launch, the vision brought to life by a small team of collaborators. Stealth Hammer’s lighter tone makes it a perfect entry point for children into the world of caped derring-do, Drost believes.
“Seeing comics nowadays, it’s harder to find something for kids,” Drost says. “There’s not much space between Dogman and Batman. You’re either going super kiddy, or super mature.”
A spark of inspiration
Drost grew up as a quintessential Gen X kid weaned on the popular franchises of the era. A Return of the Jedi comic became a gateway into the medium, and soon Drost was visiting local shops for the newest Green Lantern, Spider-Man or X-Men.
“I wasn’t thinking about making my own comics, but I liked creating stories,” Drost says. “G.I. Joe would help the Transformers, and I’d build their headquarters with Lego.”
In later years, as the idea for Stealth Hammer percolated, friends of Jami’s connected Drost with his soon-to-be lead artist Joel Jackson. Meanwhile, Drost’s 1980s pop culture podcast proved an unexpected recruiting ground, yielding a guest list of comic creators who later contributed to Stealth Hammer.
Though friends suggested Drost start with a standalone issue, he was determined to tell a sprawling multi-arc epic. Ideas for characters or stories are often collaborative efforts – a drawing of a tiny robot from Jackson, for example, led Drost to create a small army of the little automatons.
“It’s not just me on an island,” says Drost. “Stuff I write will spark an idea for something Joel draws. Then something Joel draws will spark an idea for a story element.”
Drost also creates rudimentary storyboards that act as a blueprint for future issues – he currently has six installments planned out “shot for shot.” While Drost has been producing an issue a year, his ideas for a larger story arc could produce 30-40 installments before the series concludes.
Without a publisher, Drost self-funds his work through Kickstarter, raising roughly $9,000 for each of his three issues. In late summer, he’ll launch a campaign for the fourth installment, undertaking a press junket that includes podcast appearances and YouTube interviews.
Even with multiple successful crowdfunds, the process hasn’t gotten any easier, Drost notes.
“Anyone who does a Kickstarter campaign knows that the first one is hard, and they get harder, because you’re trying to reach a wider audience,” Drost says. “For the third issue, I sold some of my comic collection to bring down the goal.”
Being a “nobody” in the industry, Drost knows the chances of being produced by a major distributor are somewhat remote. Yet, stoking the fires of creation daily is enough to keep him going.
“I simply enjoy doing this – it’s a creative outlet for me,” says Drost. “There’s part of me that wishes I’d done this decades ago, but I realized that you’re meant to do the things you do when you do them.”
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