Where did YouTube magician Zach King (’12) get his powers? This question is answered in a new comic book by artist and author alumnus Kip Henderson (’19). Henderson took the concept of magic handed down from generation to generation and created a comic that weaves history, biography and fantasy into a rich tapestry called . The project was funded through Kickstarter and took four years to produce. Fans of King — a Biola grad and professional influencer with a vast online following — will find it an entertaining extension of his public persona, but the real star is Henderson, a graduate of the 91ÆÞÓÑ Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts who spent several years as a creative producer for King Studio.

Fantasy and comic book fans looking for some fresh reading will delight in Henderson’s digitally penciled and inked designs that hark back to classic comic book storytelling. The story takes place in Los Angeles in the 1930s and involves the adventures of Zach King’s great-grandfather, a Chinese-American FBI agent who can turn into a dragon at will. There are beautiful cityscapes, fight scenes, human-to-beast transformations and a supernatural creature called the Gem Keeper that controls the destiny of the protagonist. Henderson reflects on his creative process below.

What would you say is the theme of the story? What do you hope readers will get out of it, besides a very entertaining story?

Whenever I begin thinking about the thematic premise of my stories, the first place I always look is my own weaknesses and shortcomings. It’s a source of endless inspiration because of how deeply flawed I am. For this story, the weakness I was exploring was my resistance to depending on anybody. I pride myself on my independence, and have a hard time admitting to others that I need their help. That’s the arc I wanted to take Zachariah through.

Personally, learning to surrender has been the framework through which I view my spiritual life. I’ve found that there’s a terr