Fantasy World Fanatics Young Artists Patrick Blaine And Jason Gorder Try To Make Names For Themselves Working With Science-Fiction Comic Books

Some kids never grow up.

Patrick Blaine and Jason Gorder are both teenagers in their mid-20s, living in a wonderland of laser-beaming super powers, skin-tight costumes and secret identities.

The two sci-fi junkies are trying to make a name for themselves in the muscle-bound fantasy world of comic books.

Blaine, 27, and Gorder, 25, got their start with a ragtag band of amateurs, pushing a 99-cent photo-copied book to local comic shops.

After a “chance” meeting with a professional artist, they worked together for Image Comics, one of the industry’s largest companies.

While working at a comic book shop, Gorder met a customer whose brother works in the industry. Gorder persuaded the artist to come to Spokane for a comic book convention, where he and Blaine could introduce themselves.

Chance Wolf, who draws Image’s grittier Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles resurgence, saw samples of the pair’s work and connected them with Image on two titles, “Shadowhawk” about a vigilante, and “The Others,” a freakish superteam of mythical creatures hiding from the rest of the world.

After working together on one issue of “Shadowhawk” and a three-issue run of “The Others,” Blaine and Gorder split up professionally, although they remain friends.

Blaine, who does pencil art, pays his rent by free-lancing and working at the Comic Book Shop on Division. Gorder, who draws with ink, landed a full-time job working on “Darkchylde,” a new title from Image about a sexually abused girl who is empowered by a demonic transformation.

Gorder also inked several issues of Marc Silvestri’s “Cyberforce” on Image, as well as an issue of Marvel Comics “X-Force,” a spin-off of the popular comic-book-turned-Saturday-morning-cartoon, “X-Men.”

Gorder is humbled by being able to work with the top names in comic books, while Blaine sees it as a sign of success.

“When you start thinking of your heroes as peers that’s a pretty cool feeling,” Blaine said.

Gorder still thinks of them as his heroes. To him, the best part of the job is all the inside gossip and free comics - privileges of working for a large company.

“When the UPS truck shows up with that box of free comics, it’s like getting a visit from the ice cream truck,” said Gorder.

Eventually, Gorder would like to publish his own comic.

Blaine has dreams of penciling “The Incredible Hulk” on Marvel, but he won’t be satisfied until he is able to draw his own creations, such as Jessica and her sidekick, Rage.

“I created these characters because I was tired of drawing everyone else’s heroes. I think it’s everyone’s dream to do their own character and have it be a household name like Captain America, Superman or Spiderman,” said Blaine. “Also I’d like the chance to do work on a character I grew up on and being a part of that history.”

The yet-to-be-published adventures of Jessica and Rage are based on the couple searching for lost treasure guarded by soul-possessing devils.

“Basically, it’s an excuse to draw monsters fighting bigger monsters,” Blaine said.

But being a comic book artist isn’t all biceps and bikinis.

It takes practice with drawing everyday life.

“Don’t just draw people with muscles, draw trees and cars because sooner or later you’ll have to draw them,” Blaine advises would-be comic artists.

Gorder spends 10 hours a day drawing, with breaks for video games.

He is most challenged by the discipline his work requires.

“I’d love to go out golfing right now but I have to ink this page,” he said.

To help get them in the mood, both Gorder and Blaine have their own apartment quasi-studios wallpapered with super-hero posters and painted with a menagerie of action figures.

Blaine keeps a stack of his favorite comics next to his desk.

When he’s got the extra cash he follows about 80 different titles. He reads them for two reasons: to gauge the competition and because he’s still a fan.

“It’s like a soap opera for kids, you can count on it being there every month,” said Blaine, who once sold thousands of comics out of his collection to keep from getting evicted.

Gorder has over a dozen boxes of comic books in his bedroom closet. He also has enough merchandise to open a small stand in Riverfront Park, everything from a Batman soap dispenser to a Spiderman telephone.

“I’ve given in to the fact that I’m a big kid.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo