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Interviewed by Richard Vasseur/Jazma VP www.jazmaonline.com
RV: What is the basic storyline of "Templar"?
KH: Templar is the story of Isaiah, a supernaturally gifted modern day knight, a member of a secret, surviving arm
of the famed Knights Templar. This elite unit of Knights, brought together in the early 1100's by a divinely guided
Scottish farmer, exist to rid the Earth of the Three Tribes of the Nephilim: Vampires, Were-creatures, and Flesh-
Eaters.
In Templar we get in the trenches and get a glimpse into Isaiah's secret life as the Knight Protectorate of New York
City. Naturally we try to load both barrels with action but this isn't your typical, 'vampire hunter' sort of story. A
Knight Protectorate must be a 'ghost' of sorts. For the sake of secrecy, they are forbidden to get involved in
anything unrelated to the Nephilim. They can't even reconnect with old friends and must forsake family in order to
keep them safe. But Isaiah grew up in New York. He has friends in the city, even a girl he'd consider his soul mate.
Daily he must bear witness to the ‘evil of men’ and pass it by in his ‘higher calling’, the pursuit of the Nephilim.
Templar is the story of a superhero in chains, torn between his sense of duty, his love, and the code of conduct
expected of him by his superiors.
RV: Are there more than one Knight Protectorate and what do they do?
KH: Yes, every major city has a Knight Protectorate assigned to it. Even the great forests and jungles of the world
are partitioned and assigned to ‘Wilderness Protectorates” who search them for Nephilim.
Over the years the number of Knight Protectorate’s have dwindled though. Many of the Seneschal (high ranking
knights) believe that it’s a sign of the Apocolypse. In truth it’s a vow of celibacy that these particular knights were
never supposed to take.
RV: Who are some of the supporting cast?
KH: I don’t believe in supporting cast! All characters are stars in their own right, with their own fascinating stories,
motivations, and lives!
I’m kidding of course… a little. I’ve been accused of being a bit obsessed with character development. In my
defense, I believe a good story is made better with a cast of characters that don't just ‘exist’ in the current flow of
the story, but who have histories of their own and futures to consider. Detailed bio's for all of the supporting cast
are posted on the web site.
The first supporting character in Templar is the city itself, New York. A town with so much diversity and flavor it
offers a writer so many avenues to explore that it's no wonder so much has been set there. Todd and Dave
(Dabila, pencils) understand this best, dropping tons of Easter Eggs" into the book in homage to the city. Take a
"Where's Waldo" look at each panel and you never know what (or who) you might find.
Katie Gida seems to be little more than the love interest (and pin-up opportunity) of the story but she's so much
more. On the surface she's a pretty stripper working for a mid-level Mafioso. Truth is, she's a living sacrificial lamb,
enslaved by Tony Valentino who promised to kill her brother if she ever left. But Katie's got a destiny that's far
more meaningful than playing the damsel in distress, and over time her own unknown ties to the supernatural are
revealed.
Tony Valentino and his gang are the culmination of every gangster movie ever made. A brutal pack of dogs that
run the neighborhood, Tony is like the godfather of Fort Hunt, and the muscle he surrounds himself with has kept it
that way long enough for it to be a given. Tony and his crew are shining examples of the 'evil of man' that Isaiah is
forced to overlook.
Father Jason Gida is Katie's brother, a Priest who serves as parishioner of Saint Thomas where he, Isaiah, and
Katie grew up. Jason's unaware of his sister's enslavement, believing that she's there of her own free will and
naturally he doesn't like it. He's the first character to have contact with Isaiah after the templar’s return to New
York, due to the fact that he's an exorcist. Templars can handle the three tribes just fine but possession is a bit out
of their scope.
NYPD's finest (those not in Tony's pocket) are represented first by Detective Steven Boddilucci, another orphan
from Saint Thomas. Steven is the antihero of the story, a vain cop who believes in doing right so long as he's
rewarded somehow. Katie's former boyfriend, Steven isn't aware of the details of her arrangement with Valentino
and intends to save her one day, but when he accidentally encounters Isaiah, he gives the Templar something
new to concern himself with: the attention of the NYPD.
McManus is a Rogue Templar, hunted by the Knights for breaking his vow of celibacy and marrying the woman he
loved. McManus lives on the streets and continues his duties as a Templar even though they'd kill him if they could
find him. Traveling in the same circles, McManus is sure to meet up with the new Knight Protectorate eventually.
Detective Kileagh Bonner comes later in the story, a clairvoyant detective and 9/11 widow who complicates
Steven's life and becomes involved with McManus' crusade to empty the streets of Nephilim.
RV: What genre would you describe this comic as?
KH: That’s a wonderfully tough question, one that I’ve considered over and over again. If I could define my own
genre I'd call it a Supernatural Action/Drama, but since I can’t then I’d say Templar fits in: Horror/Supernatural,
Action/Adventure, or Literature/Myths & Legends.
That didn’t help at all, did it?
RV: Where did the idea for "Templar" come from?
KH: Templar is the culmination of years of being a sci-fi, horror, history, and superhero fan. Odd combination, I
know. Since I was a kid I’ve been drawn to the fantastic like a moth to flame. In my head all of these brilliant works,
separated in the ‘real world’ by licensing agreements and lawyers, got to co-mingle. Colossus got to square off
against Michael Meyers and Freddie Kruger found out that the White Queen was not someone to trifle with.
At the same time, I wanted for the real world to be more fantastic than I often found it to be. To me, it’s a lot more
appealing to believe in miracles than it is to listen to the often-droning boredom of scientific hypothesis. It’s a lot
more fun too. So I began to look for the fantastic in ‘real life’ and I found it in myth, legend, conspiracy…
No I don’t believe that the world is run by the Illuminati, but it sure is fun to entertain the thought. Templar is my
real world Colossus vs Jason, dipped in the river Styx, entwined with real world history, and sprinkled with the real
life problems that I believe would befall a modern superhero in our reality.
RV: How and why was Enterlight Studios formed?
KH: Todd Rayner and I met working for a small, indy press, where most of our work was free. We struck up a
conversation or two about Templar and a few other stories and decided that we had a lot of the same ideas about
breaking into the comic business. Enterlight is a ‘house of ideas’ really, a coalition of two guys with skill sets that
compliment the other’s, and similar dedications to becoming industry professionals. We don’t really have designs
on publishing anything ourselves, at least not yet. For now it’s just faster to say “Enterlight Studios” than it is,
“Keith Holmes and Todd Rayner”. Both phrases mean the same thing.
RV: What is "Project: Archangel"?
KH: Project: Archangel is another story that Todd and I are working on, with the help of the very talented Ken
Hensley on pencils. The feel of Project: Archangel is a great deal lighter than Templar’s dark shadows.
Project: Archangel is the story of a covert government funded team of psychic ‘superheroes’ investigating an
energy called the ‘Crooke’s Omnibus”. Once barely considered real, the Omnibus has grown in power, fed by the
fears of a global population that can communicate like never before. Instant knowledge of world events like
catastrophes and war has given the people of the world new things to fear. The result is a form of psychic energy
that has begun to physically manifest in the forms of myths, legends, and horrors. It’s the job of the Archangel
agents to neutralize these manifestations while desperately trying to find a way to stop the Omnibus before it
destroys the world.
RV: What else can we expect to see from Enterlight Studios in the future?
KH: Todd and I have discussed a number of ‘next projects’. The “Templar Universe” is so expansive that there are
virtually limitless stories still to come from it. In fact we’ve even approached other writers in various cities/countries
about helping to develop the stories of the Templars in their home cities, and have others waiting in the wings to
tell some more stories from the templar world. At the top of our list right now though, we have:
Ridden: The story of a young California girl who is ‘possessed’ by the spirit of Callisto, from Greek mythology. We
actually have a few issues of this written.
Templar: London
Templar: Cairo
The Four: A historical fiction story of a group of Templars sent to America as it begins to grow.
RV: Who has been the most influential person in your comic career?
KH: Who can not be inspired by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby if you're in this business?
Raven Gregory (The Gift, Grimm Fairy Tales) is a big influence and incredible help in making these projects see
the light of day. The man gave me hours of his time and invaluable guidance, though he didn’t know me from the
next guy off the street.
Doug Bryan with Infinity Uprising Studios is one of the most inventive writers I’ve ever known and is a big inspiration
to me.
RV: What comics did you read as a child and do you read now?
KH: My favorites were: Alpha Flight, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man, The Outsiders, New Mutants, and X-caliber.
Sadly today I don’t get to read nearly as much as I want to. My modern ongoing fav’s are/were: NYX, Fathom, and
Grimm Fairy Tales.
RV: How can someone contact you?
KH: Well, please come to the web site first of all. We're adding on all the time and will have a forum up soon. We
also have a facebook page. Just search for: Enterlight Studios – Graphic Entertainment and become a fan. But I
love e-mail so please feel free to catch me at keith.holmes@enterlightstudios.com.
RV: What words do you have for your future fans?
KH: Believe in angels. Believe in miracles. Believe that good will triumph over evil… and thanks for believing in us.
RV: What is the basic storyline of "Templar"?
KH: Templar is the story of Isaiah, a supernaturally gifted modern day knight, a member of a secret, surviving arm
of the famed Knights Templar. This elite unit of Knights, brought together in the early 1100's by a divinely guided
Scottish farmer, exist to rid the Earth of the Three Tribes of the Nephilim: Vampires, Were-creatures, and Flesh-
Eaters.
In Templar we get in the trenches and get a glimpse into Isaiah's secret life as the Knight Protectorate of New York
City. Naturally we try to load both barrels with action but this isn't your typical, 'vampire hunter' sort of story. A
Knight Protectorate must be a 'ghost' of sorts. For the sake of secrecy, they are forbidden to get involved in
anything unrelated to the Nephilim. They can't even reconnect with old friends and must forsake family in order to
keep them safe. But Isaiah grew up in New York. He has friends in the city, even a girl he'd consider his soul mate.
Daily he must bear witness to the ‘evil of men’ and pass it by in his ‘higher calling’, the pursuit of the Nephilim.
Templar is the story of a superhero in chains, torn between his sense of duty, his love, and the code of conduct
expected of him by his superiors.
RV: Are there more than one Knight Protectorate and what do they do?
KH: Yes, every major city has a Knight Protectorate assigned to it. Even the great forests and jungles of the world
are partitioned and assigned to ‘Wilderness Protectorates” who search them for Nephilim.
Over the years the number of Knight Protectorate’s have dwindled though. Many of the Seneschal (high ranking
knights) believe that it’s a sign of the Apocolypse. In truth it’s a vow of celibacy that these particular knights were
never supposed to take.
RV: Who are some of the supporting cast?
KH: I don’t believe in supporting cast! All characters are stars in their own right, with their own fascinating stories,
motivations, and lives!
I’m kidding of course… a little. I’ve been accused of being a bit obsessed with character development. In my
defense, I believe a good story is made better with a cast of characters that don't just ‘exist’ in the current flow of
the story, but who have histories of their own and futures to consider. Detailed bio's for all of the supporting cast
are posted on the web site.
The first supporting character in Templar is the city itself, New York. A town with so much diversity and flavor it
offers a writer so many avenues to explore that it's no wonder so much has been set there. Todd and Dave
(Dabila, pencils) understand this best, dropping tons of Easter Eggs" into the book in homage to the city. Take a
"Where's Waldo" look at each panel and you never know what (or who) you might find.
Katie Gida seems to be little more than the love interest (and pin-up opportunity) of the story but she's so much
more. On the surface she's a pretty stripper working for a mid-level Mafioso. Truth is, she's a living sacrificial lamb,
enslaved by Tony Valentino who promised to kill her brother if she ever left. But Katie's got a destiny that's far
more meaningful than playing the damsel in distress, and over time her own unknown ties to the supernatural are
revealed.
Tony Valentino and his gang are the culmination of every gangster movie ever made. A brutal pack of dogs that
run the neighborhood, Tony is like the godfather of Fort Hunt, and the muscle he surrounds himself with has kept it
that way long enough for it to be a given. Tony and his crew are shining examples of the 'evil of man' that Isaiah is
forced to overlook.
Father Jason Gida is Katie's brother, a Priest who serves as parishioner of Saint Thomas where he, Isaiah, and
Katie grew up. Jason's unaware of his sister's enslavement, believing that she's there of her own free will and
naturally he doesn't like it. He's the first character to have contact with Isaiah after the templar’s return to New
York, due to the fact that he's an exorcist. Templars can handle the three tribes just fine but possession is a bit out
of their scope.
NYPD's finest (those not in Tony's pocket) are represented first by Detective Steven Boddilucci, another orphan
from Saint Thomas. Steven is the antihero of the story, a vain cop who believes in doing right so long as he's
rewarded somehow. Katie's former boyfriend, Steven isn't aware of the details of her arrangement with Valentino
and intends to save her one day, but when he accidentally encounters Isaiah, he gives the Templar something
new to concern himself with: the attention of the NYPD.
McManus is a Rogue Templar, hunted by the Knights for breaking his vow of celibacy and marrying the woman he
loved. McManus lives on the streets and continues his duties as a Templar even though they'd kill him if they could
find him. Traveling in the same circles, McManus is sure to meet up with the new Knight Protectorate eventually.
Detective Kileagh Bonner comes later in the story, a clairvoyant detective and 9/11 widow who complicates
Steven's life and becomes involved with McManus' crusade to empty the streets of Nephilim.
RV: What genre would you describe this comic as?
KH: That’s a wonderfully tough question, one that I’ve considered over and over again. If I could define my own
genre I'd call it a Supernatural Action/Drama, but since I can’t then I’d say Templar fits in: Horror/Supernatural,
Action/Adventure, or Literature/Myths & Legends.
That didn’t help at all, did it?
RV: Where did the idea for "Templar" come from?
KH: Templar is the culmination of years of being a sci-fi, horror, history, and superhero fan. Odd combination, I
know. Since I was a kid I’ve been drawn to the fantastic like a moth to flame. In my head all of these brilliant works,
separated in the ‘real world’ by licensing agreements and lawyers, got to co-mingle. Colossus got to square off
against Michael Meyers and Freddie Kruger found out that the White Queen was not someone to trifle with.
At the same time, I wanted for the real world to be more fantastic than I often found it to be. To me, it’s a lot more
appealing to believe in miracles than it is to listen to the often-droning boredom of scientific hypothesis. It’s a lot
more fun too. So I began to look for the fantastic in ‘real life’ and I found it in myth, legend, conspiracy…
No I don’t believe that the world is run by the Illuminati, but it sure is fun to entertain the thought. Templar is my
real world Colossus vs Jason, dipped in the river Styx, entwined with real world history, and sprinkled with the real
life problems that I believe would befall a modern superhero in our reality.
RV: How and why was Enterlight Studios formed?
KH: Todd Rayner and I met working for a small, indy press, where most of our work was free. We struck up a
conversation or two about Templar and a few other stories and decided that we had a lot of the same ideas about
breaking into the comic business. Enterlight is a ‘house of ideas’ really, a coalition of two guys with skill sets that
compliment the other’s, and similar dedications to becoming industry professionals. We don’t really have designs
on publishing anything ourselves, at least not yet. For now it’s just faster to say “Enterlight Studios” than it is,
“Keith Holmes and Todd Rayner”. Both phrases mean the same thing.
RV: What is "Project: Archangel"?
KH: Project: Archangel is another story that Todd and I are working on, with the help of the very talented Ken
Hensley on pencils. The feel of Project: Archangel is a great deal lighter than Templar’s dark shadows.
Project: Archangel is the story of a covert government funded team of psychic ‘superheroes’ investigating an
energy called the ‘Crooke’s Omnibus”. Once barely considered real, the Omnibus has grown in power, fed by the
fears of a global population that can communicate like never before. Instant knowledge of world events like
catastrophes and war has given the people of the world new things to fear. The result is a form of psychic energy
that has begun to physically manifest in the forms of myths, legends, and horrors. It’s the job of the Archangel
agents to neutralize these manifestations while desperately trying to find a way to stop the Omnibus before it
destroys the world.
RV: What else can we expect to see from Enterlight Studios in the future?
KH: Todd and I have discussed a number of ‘next projects’. The “Templar Universe” is so expansive that there are
virtually limitless stories still to come from it. In fact we’ve even approached other writers in various cities/countries
about helping to develop the stories of the Templars in their home cities, and have others waiting in the wings to
tell some more stories from the templar world. At the top of our list right now though, we have:
Ridden: The story of a young California girl who is ‘possessed’ by the spirit of Callisto, from Greek mythology. We
actually have a few issues of this written.
Templar: London
Templar: Cairo
The Four: A historical fiction story of a group of Templars sent to America as it begins to grow.
RV: Who has been the most influential person in your comic career?
KH: Who can not be inspired by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby if you're in this business?
Raven Gregory (The Gift, Grimm Fairy Tales) is a big influence and incredible help in making these projects see
the light of day. The man gave me hours of his time and invaluable guidance, though he didn’t know me from the
next guy off the street.
Doug Bryan with Infinity Uprising Studios is one of the most inventive writers I’ve ever known and is a big inspiration
to me.
RV: What comics did you read as a child and do you read now?
KH: My favorites were: Alpha Flight, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man, The Outsiders, New Mutants, and X-caliber.
Sadly today I don’t get to read nearly as much as I want to. My modern ongoing fav’s are/were: NYX, Fathom, and
Grimm Fairy Tales.
RV: How can someone contact you?
KH: Well, please come to the web site first of all. We're adding on all the time and will have a forum up soon. We
also have a facebook page. Just search for: Enterlight Studios – Graphic Entertainment and become a fan. But I
love e-mail so please feel free to catch me at keith.holmes@enterlightstudios.com.
RV: What words do you have for your future fans?
KH: Believe in angels. Believe in miracles. Believe that good will triumph over evil… and thanks for believing in us.
