E-News Article - Dennis Poirier

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    Dennis Poirier is currently unemployed. It is not sad news as he has time to explore his once hidden talent of drawing. Combined with his growing knowledge of storytelling, Dennis is pursuing his life long dream to publish a graphic novel. "Planet Fiction- the story of Imagi-Nation," was written as a novel a few years ago. Dennis felt the description of his world was too narrow for just words. "Since my teens I've been drawing these really interesting characters", explains Dennis; "that a simple text description did not do the story justice. You have to see what I see."

    Even after attending Biff Mitchell's Science Fiction Writing in The Maritime Writer's Workshop on the UNB campus, Dennis still struggled with his urge to write only when inspired. Dennis owes a lot to NBFC screenwriting workshops (Gretchen Kelbaugh, Tony Sekulich, BronweN's Writer's Roost, to name a few) who reinforced Biff's mentoring of outlining the entire story arc before writing. As an artist, Dennis strives on inspiration, but languished in writing mental blocks because he was unprepared for what happens next in the story. He went back to the basics and followed some Incredible Hulk storylines that captivated him. ("Planet Hulk", a 2010 animated Marvel feature, is highly recommended!) Dennis had an aptitude to reproduce the Hulk as early as 6 yrs old. In grade 8, his homeroom teacher allowed him to post a Hulk drawing on the back wall of the classroom, along with a drawn reproduction of Remington statue he had seen in a book. The Hulk, the strongest and biggest character of the Marvel Universe, stands out with his gamma radiated green skin, but may seem like a boring character study. In Dennis' opinion he has so many more layers than any other superhero. "He's a 'good guy,' but his strength is his rage, and is often deemed destructive, and therefore is an outcast. What fuels his rage? trying to harm Betty Ross, his love interest; harming the innocent, such as children, so Hulk is also capable of great love and caring". Ang Lee portrayed the Hulk as a tortured, yet brilliant mind inside Bruce Banner, but his bottled up rage manifested itself as his rampaging alter ego. Dennis enjoys the second Hulk movie better. "Tim Roth as Abomination was a worthy foe for the Hulk. I didn't like mutated poodles for a fight scene. Online, Gia Milani once explained to me: "Ang Lee's Hulk is a chick flick, which happens to have a big green protagonist." Once he got the reasoning, he was able to comprehend the academy award winning director's approach with the subject matter that has endured for 30 years as Dennis' favorite comic book icon.

    Marvel Comics would be a dream job to have, but Dennis knows they rarely accept new submissions, let alone new artists for existing titles, such as the Hulk. His story is more suited for Heavy Metal. The science fantasy magazine is also a favorite of Dennis' and is delighted to recognize artists' concept design work in feature films: like H. R. Giger in the Aliens franchise, Mobius in Luc Besson's the Fifth Element, and more recently Frank Miller's success with Robert Rodriguez's Sin City and 300. "Comic books/graphic novels adapt very easily to feature film, they are storyboards for a film." Along with decades of research in Greek, Celtic, Egyptian and Norse mythology, he wants his readers to rediscover mythical beasts and legends, a little like J.K Rowling (Harry Potter) challenges her readership to do. Dennis loved to read the 12 Labors of Hercules from his aunt Martina's encyclopedia as early as age 8. His appetite for reading Greek mythology grew to understand his namesake, Dionysus, and read every story about the Olympian god. "Characters are defined by their names. I'm pretty proficient at discovering the etymology of a person's name. Many look up astrology to see if they are compatible with certain people, I just look up the meaning of their given names. It says a lot about their character."

    Imagi-Nation is about an author/artist named Davinci Dennis who created a compendium of characters long ago, but left it aside to pursue a career in CGI animation. The characters in Imagi-Nation feel abandoned, and one of the characters opens a porthole to fetch the "Author" to complete his story. However a beautiful actress, Heather Wayne, is sucked into the vortex with him. Davinci must guide Heather through his fantasy world to reclaim possession of his reality. As he explains to Heather his surroundings, it creates a clever opportunity to present necessary exposition. He must find the real antagonist before he usurps his mind and takes over his place in reality. With a backbone "script" now written, a surprise ending will keep the readership guessing who summoned Davinci into his fantasy world.

    "The Davinci Dennis character parallels my own personality. I'm the hero of the story, not because I'm a narcissistic writer, but because Davinci follows my own adult life story arc. He begins very shy around women, but grows to understand they have dreams and desires too. Even through his fantasy world revolves around him, when he is able to understand that sharing the beauty he sees locked in his mind will allow someone to not only understand him, but to to be intimate on a level he is comfortable with and contribute greatly, which will help solve the situation."

    Dennis is now pitching the story to independent graphic novel publishers, but may self publish as a series and pursue a publisher with a completed graphic novel. In one form or another, he hopes to have Imagi-Nation in circulation by summer of 2010.

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