Gates The Comic by Hal Hefner, Presented by Heavy Metal

Hal Hefner is the artist, writer and creative producer of Gates, a NEW science fiction comic book presented by Heavy Metal Magazine.

Hal is the Chief Creative Officer of CATMONKEY STUDIOS.

“Hef” is an artist, illustrator and all around creative producer who loves to tell stories. Hal grew up in the dark and eerie woods of upstate NY–in a small town called Mohawk, where the Iroquois once roamed. He was educated at the Munson Williams Proctor Institute of Art where he studied Fine Art and received an AFA. Upon graduating, Hal attended RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Illustration with a focus on the digital and traditional painting medias.  Hal also concentrated on Graphic Design technique, becoming an expert in the Adobe Creative Suite. While at RIT, Hal also studied creative writing to combine his art and design with his words. Hal is a storyteller, educator, artist, and creative director/producer who enjoys the exploration of media and storytelling techniques.

Hal now lives in Los Angeles, California, working  daily from his studio, creating and digging into the deep subconscious of his mind to come up with the stories, art and more for the Gates, storyworld. Gates is a new science fiction project that has begun in the form of a comic book that pays tribute to old school sci-fi with a modern twist.

Since he got his first easel and watercolors and pencils, Hal has been drawing, creating and writing stories. Hal loves to draw and paint. He is skilled in the traditional painting techniques such as acrylic, oil, watercolor, gauche and more but his preferred method is to combine these mediums and complete the process digitally in Photoshop.

Hal produces Gates, the online comic using a combination of illustration, creative writing and design skills to create each, unique and original piece of comic art that is updated weekly. Hal is a science fiction lover that creates art with a respect for past science fiction artists and storytellers from Hieronymous Bosch to Rod Serling.

Hal is also a highly accomplished Graphic Designer, digital colorist and has taught drawing, color theory and digital painting at the Comic Book art Institute in Los Angeles, with indie comic vet Mat Nastos.

When Hal is not working on the online comic, Hal helps other creative, advertising and marketing folks find jobs in the online space in Los Angeles, as a team building strategist for various ad agencies, interactive studios, entertainment studios, software companies and more. Hal recently finished up a wonderful experience building teams for Fourth Wall Studios, who won an Emmy in 2012 with their RIDES.TV platform and their project, Dirty Work.

Hal is also writing ebooks and creating other aspects of the Gates story world, which is comprised of thousands of years of history. The online comic book is being used as the flagship to launch the Gates universe which as it develops, will be a full blown transmedia experience told on multiple platforms.

For more in formation, see Hal’s Officiate Website

You can follow Hal on Twitter, be his friend on Facebook and connect on deviantART and on LinkedIn

Hal and the Heavy Metal crew of 2010 after a successful San Diego Comic Con.

(Left to Right) Hal Hefner (creator of Gates), Leon Tan (Producer, War of the Worlds Goliath), Stephan Lokotsch (Producer, LMS), Dan LuVisi (Artist/Creator/Producer of Last Man Standing – LMS), Phuong Dung Do (Marketing specialist)

 

 

Below are some videos that you can learn more about me an my processes and properties.

Introduction video to Gates the epic Science Fiction Comic Book:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvThv06FP_c[/youtube]

The Trailer to Gates the comic
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_YEuWQ8jfM&feature=related[/youtube]

An interview with deviantART that I did at the 2011 San Diego Comic Con:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMPgQENUtn8[/youtube]

deviantART panel at the 2011 Amazing Arizona Comic Con alongside of Dan LuVisi and Karl Alstaetter:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hKTSbek6y8&list=UU1KfaywoLwjHYLzNzFfs8Lg&index=4&feature=plcp [/youtube]

Interview with deviantART at the 2011 Amazing Arizona Comic Con (also starring Dan LuVisi):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77w3Rj9PN7M&feature=related[/youtube]

 

A Spoof on Giorgio Tsoukalos and the show Ancient Aliens. This is a commercial for the Gates soundtrack, which is dedicated to the Ronnie James Dio, Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfjfiVHljtU&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLC11CDD53A48F0D4F[/youtube]

Transhumanism Event at Parsons in NYC in May of 2011: 
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUhaLvuRMvk&list=UU1KfaywoLwjHYLzNzFfs8Lg&index=1&feature=plcp[/youtube]