Airborne Productions, Inc: Comic Book Diplomacy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tucson, Arizona – July 4, 2013 – In a time where Russo-American relations are closer to war since 1983, is Soft Power being flexed from Tucson, Arizona? Independent Film Producer and Comic Book Publisher James A. Bretney hopes so. With Putin publicly humiliating Obama in Syria, with Snowden and blocking US actions in Europe and Latin America, James A. Bretney is hoping to promote closer ties to the erstwhile cold war ties with a comic book?

"It is not a comic book," Bretney snaps menacingly. "It is a graphic novel." Bretney's graphic novel is about the Russian submarine, K-141, the Kursk sunk in the Barents Sea 13 years ago in a mysterious accident in August 12, 2000. "It was their 9/11," Bretney continues.

Soft power is a concept developed in 1990 by Joseph Nye of Harvard University to describe the ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce, use force or give money as a means of persuasion. Bretney's international collaborators are hoping this cross cultural exchange will help others give peace a chance.

"My own mother was born in the Philippines before she emigrated legally to the United States. Sasha Janowicz was born in the Soviet Union. He went to college in Poland. He is now an Australian citizen. He wrote the story. Our illustrator Andrea Montano, she was born in Columbia. She is an American. We have dedicated our lives to the idea that the pen is mightier than the sword and that the best thing you can do with your pen is to make great art."

Bretney has had his own experience wielding a sword as an Iraq War veteran. "The Bible says 'There is a time for war and a time for peace.' It also says "Blessed are the peacemakers.' Look all I am saying is that there are things in war that I never want to see again. War always hurts the civilians and the innocents and it robs us of our bravest and best men. I grew up with nuclear bombs aimed at me. If there's anything I can do to prevent from ever happening again, I will."