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Star Noir: Book One

Star Noir: Book One

Star Noir: Book One

Star Noir: Book One

Star Noir: Book One

A 1940's detective teams up with a grey alien to stop a shapeshifter killing LAPD officers.

A 1940's detective teams up with a grey alien to stop a shapeshifter killing LAPD officers.

A 1940's detective teams up with a grey alien to stop a shapeshifter killing LAPD officers.

A 1940's detective teams up with a grey alien to stop a shapeshifter killing LAPD officers.

Tony James
Tony James
Tony James
Tony James
3 Campaigns |
Queens, United States
$4,450 USD by 112 backers
$2,495 USD by 63 backers on Apr 2, 2023
Highlights
Mountain Filled 3 Projects Mountain Filled 3 Projects

Books One and Two are now InDemand! Click Here!

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L.A. Noire meets X-Files. Star Noir is a 6-Part detective story following Homicide Detective Alan Miller and his grey alien partner Ellis Tate as they travel across 1940’s Los Angeles to find an elusive shapeshifter killing officers in Central Station

It’s inspired by the grit and tone of noir books like James Ellroy’s The Big Nowhere, has the snappy dialogue of Humphrey Bogart’s The Big Sleep, and depicts a stylized 1940’s Los Angeles as seen in movies like Chinatown and L.A. Confidential.

Please read the first 9 pages from the 42-Page Book One to get a sense of the quality of both the art and story, which you can expect from Star Noir! Scroll down further for a full breakdown of the story.

Here are a few additional pages pulled from the 42-Page Book One!

1947. Detective Alan Miller, a man who has nightmares about being abducted by aliens, is called to investigate the murder of beloved Traffic Detective Patrick Perkins. When Alan arrives to the crime scene on the 6th Street Bridge, he finds the late Detective brutally murdered with his heart removed from his chest.

Detective Miller’s only lead in the case is a beautiful silver Studebaker Starlight left abandoned on the bridge with another person’s blood inside.

With more questions than answers, Alan is met in the middle of the night by a grey alien who speaks to him telepathically. The alien informs Alan that a shapeshifter not only killed Patrick Perkins, but that this creature is hiding within Central Police Station.

Alan brushes off his encounter, but the next day, finds the same grey alien speaking to his Captain in Central Station. Alan barges into the office with his 1911 pistol drawn, only to find a benevolent short young man named Ellis Tate waiting for him. The Homicide Captain pairs a reluctant Alan with Ellis to solve Patrick Perkins’ murder.

This is a world where everyone has a dark secret. The central theme explores how those secrets consume those who choose to hide their demons from others. As Homicide Captain Gene Higgins puts it: “The Devil can’t hide from his sins forever.”

Star Noir is packed with vintage cars, bombastic lounge singers, appearances from celebrities likes Orson Welles, classic gangsters, and of course, aliens. At the heart of it is a gripping murder mystery that deepens with every page turn.

We have some great incentives for the book, including an 11x17 vintage poster of the cover!

There's also a set of 3 baseball cards showcasing some of the officers of Central Station. The front of each card shows the Detective's badge number, and on the back, character info, personality stats, and even which sidearm they use! 

More cards will be added to enable backers to collect a full set L.A.P.D. Detectives!

We have an amazing team for Star Noir! The artist, Pablo De Bonis, has worked on books like North Bend for Scout Comics. Our colorist, Vinicius Townsend, has worked for publishers like IDW on titles like G.I. Joe. Marco Ventura, a published Italy-based letterer, puts a great deal of creative thought and style to bring this noir book to life. 

Hi There! I'm Tony JamesI've written a number of stories in various genres and mediums over the last decade. My last comic, Reloader, a cyberpunk comic about a virtual reality bounty hunter, was successfully crowdfunded.

I also work on a webcomic called Mustachio, about a talking pistachio with an over-sized mustache. I also have a YouTube channel called The Writest, where I breakdown storytelling in video games! I have a profound love for character driven stories. Noir and Sci-Fi are two of my favorite genres, and I'm excited to have written a story combining them!

The art team has already been taken care of for Book One! The funds raised will go towards printing and shipping costs. Ensuring your books and perks arrive in great condition using Gemini mailers and poster tubes.

Paper quality is also very important to us. Due to the ongoing paper shortage, the cost of professional grade paper is higher than usual. We want to make sure Star Noir's print quality matches the art and story!

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