Gates The Comic by Hal Hefner, Presented by Heavy Metal

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

“Hef” is an artist, illustrator and all around creative innovator who doesn’t pigeonhole himself in just a role as “comic artist”.  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 minor in Graphic Design. He now lives in Los Angeles, California with his beautiful wife and two amazing daughters. He works daily from his home studio, plotting, writing, painting, screaming and getting crazy as he digs into the deep subconscious of his mind to come up with the comic art for Gates, a new science fiction comic that pays tribute to old school sci-fi with a modern twist.

Hal is an artist first and foremost and loves to 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 nerd that creates art with a love for past science fiction artists and creators from Hieronymous Bosch to Rod Serling.

Hal is also a highly accomplished Graphic Designer, digital colorist and has even 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 creative recruiter, headhunter and staffing expert. You can read about his experience here.

For Gates, Hal is also writing ebooks and creating other aspects of the Gates franchise, which is comprised of thousands of years of history. The online comic is being used as the flagship to launch the Gates franchise which as it develops, will be a full blown transmedia experience.

Hal’s Officiate Website: Hal Hefner Dot Com

HAL’s CLIENT LIST:::
Han Solo Adventures (video game), Hero Games, Evil Hat Productions, Spacedog Entertainment, Team Zenyatta, Breygent Marketing, Alderac Entertainment Group, Nifty Comics, Strange Horizons, Nova Eth Publishing, Gensler / Studio 585, Coca Cola, DirecTV, Citysearch California Tan, Fractal Dimensions, Hustler magazine, Jay Comics, Star Wars Day celebration, Eleventh Hour, Challenging Destiny Magazine, Shadis Magazine, California Tan, Basement Games, Fractal Dimensions, Fractal Spectrum Magazine, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, FILTER, Rochester Space and Science Center, Hanna Design, Perkins & Will, Toyota, Gold’s Gym, BLT–just to name a few.

Hal loves connecting with fans. You can follow him 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:

The Trailer to Gates the comic

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

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

Interview with deviantART at the 2011 Amazing Arizona Comic Con (also starring Dan LuVisi):

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.

Transhumanism Event at Parsons in NYC in May of 2011: