The Man Who Shook the Earth

by Mark Bertolini & JE

The Man Who Shook the Earth is the forgotten story of the Operator, the world's very first superhero, and his evolution throughout the ages, as he gets progressively more and more desperate to keep up with the new times and heroes.

"The Man Who Shook the Earth is everything we love and have grown to hate about superheroes told in a story that hits all the right marks about the addictive side of crimefighting...a graphic novel that is interesting, heartfelt and beautifully told."
- JIMMY PALMIOTTI (writer of Harley Quinn and creator of Paperfilms)

"A really solid work and a fun romp through comics history in a clever way."
- KYLE STARKS (creator of Rock Candy Mountain and The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton)

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#The Story

The Man Who Shook the Earth is the story of the Operator, the world’s first masked crimefighter, following his life from his humble local beginnings settling disputes and rescuing cats, to his 1950s-1960s pulp-style adventures, to his grim and gritty 1980s exploits, and through to his 1990s superhero team-ups and beyond.

The Man Who Shook the Earth is my long-gestating one-shot graphic novel - 68 pages long, in full color, created with my friends, artist JE and letterer/designer Amal Desai - and it is the first official release on my new imprint, Quick & Dirty Comics! This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, to form a “company” for my comic work, a home for all of my creator-owned work. Not really a publishing company per se, but a unified HQ for my work. Recently I’ve gained back the rights to a few of my books that were previously with publishers, so it seemed like the right time to make this move.

#Preview

#Bios

Mark Bertolini (co-creator, writer) is a Toronto-based writer of comic books and graphic novels. His first published original graphic novel was the post-apocalyptic tale Long Gone in 2012. He has created and written other titles such the super-smart thriller Knowledge; the grindhouse/sci-fi mashup Scum of the Earth, the superhuman crime caper Bastard’s Waltz, the pulp-style anthology The Hand of Glory, the time travel story The Argus, and most recently, the lighthearted mashup comic Bigfoot Frankenstein. Mark has also contributed many short stories to such anthologies as Caliber Presents; the mind-bending Imaginary Drugs; and the New York Times Bestselling FUBAR series. Mark is a father of two and stepfather of two more, and with his wife Julia, he is raising the next generation of avid readers and creators. More can be found about Mark at https://markbertolini.wordpress.com/, on Twitter: @mark_bertolini, and Instagram: @markbertolini

JE (co-creator, artist) grew up in France on a steady diet of US comics, European graphic novels and all the Japanese animation that pervaded the airwaves at the time. Unlike most people, he never stopped drawing once he grew up, nor gave up his dependence on chocolate. A sample of his work can be found here: https://www.je-comics.com/

Amal Desai (letters, design) is a Chicagoland-based comic book letterer, writer, and graphic designer. He is the lead letterer and graphic designer for Lesser Known Comics and Apothic Press. He's lettered books for Scout Comics, Source Point Press, and numerous successfully crowdfunded series. Amal will have writing and lettering credits on From Your Grave, a series coming soon from Geek N Game. More information can be found at https://lettersbyamaldesai.crevado.com/

#Stretch Goals

For an initial stretch goal (amount TBD) I can offer PDFs of some of my other work, such as Bastard’s Waltz (TPB), Knowledge (TPB), and The Hand of Glory (TPB).

After that, profits from funds after costs will be divided equitably amongst each member of the creative team. No one was compensated for the work when it was first created and released, and it would be nice to be able to pay everyone for their work now - once the book is printed and shipped, of course.

#Timeline

The book is complete and ready to go to print right after the campaign ends.

Printing and shipping should take around three months, so delivery of rewards is expected to be done around Sept/Oct ‘25.

Zoop will always be here to communicate with supporters should any delays occur, if there’s confusion about delivery, or if any other concerns pop up.

Frequently asked questions

Yes! We encourage you to get more than 1 item! That could be multiple copies of the same reward, or you can mix and match rewards! There is no limit, unless otherwise stated in the reward description.

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Please use the notes section in the last checkout step or you could e-mail us at hello@wearezoop.com with that info during the campaign if you'd like to get it out of the way. Otherwise, we'll be reaching out to all supporters of rewards that require feedback shortly after the campaign is over.

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No - this is it! We're essentially your in-campaign pledge manager. If you are interested in supporting these creators, this is the time to do it!  And it's the exact reason we allow you to purchase as many rewards as you want during the campaign!