DAWN The Goddess of Birth and Rebirth, Lover of Death, is the wonderful creation of Joseph Michael Linsner also known to his follower's as The MAN! Dawn has traveled along the pages of Cry for Dawn, Lucifer's Halo, Crypt of Dawn and Dawn, Return of the Goddess series and many other things........ your mind included!
DAWN first appeared in Cry For Dawn 1*where she was more of a "cover girl" than a main character. She continued making the cover of CFD and glimps appearances in between the pages, but never had her own part in a story until *Drama*, when her background is revealed in *Fall of the Goddess", which took Dawn to a meeting with Death for the first time. The miniseries *Dawn* soon followed. In *Dawn* or *Lucifer's Halo* as the collective series is called, She helps lead Darrian Ashoka, who is a living embodiment of the Horned God (Death) on his path, as he too transcends heaven and hell.
Below you will find some interesting DAWN/JML factoids. Hope you enjoy!
DAWN/LINSNER TRIVIA
Friday, Dec. 13th, 1968 - Joseph Michael, the second Linsner boy, is born in Flushing General Hospital.
Summer 1971 - Young Joe Linsner sees his first movie in the theatre;”A Boy Named Charlie Brown”.
December 13th, 1972 - JML gets his first of many Mego Batman dolls, thus beginning one of the greatest love affairs of all time.
January 1973 - JML enters kindergarten, a point from which he has been often heard to complain, “It was all downhill from there”.
Summer 1973 - Influenced by Evel Knievel, JML tries to jump a concrete stairwell behind his apartment building, sans helmet. Luckily for him, a man at the bottom of the stairs catches him before impact.
July 1975 - A friend of JML’s father gives JML his first Conan comic, which he refers to as “Co-Man”. (As in Bat-man, Super-Man....)
Fall 1975 - JML learns to read, saving himself from being left back in the second grade, a thought which inspires suicidal visions in him.
August 1978 - JML is hijacked by his parents, from Flushing, Queens, to Elmont, Long Island. The culture shock is so extreme that he grows up to be a comic book artist.
Fall 1978 - JML enters the work force. He gets his first job as a paperboy for the Long Island newspaper, Newsday. He would hold this job for five years, ultimately making thousands of dollars - which he promptly spent on comic books.
January 1979 - Helen Linsner allows her son to hang up his first (of many) centerfolds, Miss Candy Loving, the Playboy 25th anniversary Playmate. “Boy, was she buxom”.
Spring 1980 - Young JML sees the film that would become his favorite: John Borman’s “Excalibur”. The multiple layers of subtext in the movie plant seeds in JML’s brain which would gestate for years to come.
November 1982 - JML wins first prize in the fan art contest at the Thanksgiving Creation Comic Book Convention in New York City.
September 1983 - JML is accepted to the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan. He attends for a mere three days due to a clerical error involving his transcripts.
Spring 1986 - JML applies for a scholarship at New York’s prestigious School of Visual Arts. Out of 5,000 applicants, he makes it to the top 100, but he ultimately bones the interview. He decides not to go to college after all.
June 1986 - JML graduates from high school. He swears he will never again put himself through the hell of sitting in a classroom.
July 1986 - JML gets a job in a warehouse, making $150.00 a week (after taxes).
May 1987 - JML quits his day job at the warehouse, goes to Peru for a month, and realizes that American life ain’t so bad.
August 1987 - After a summer spent laboring over submissions for comic book companies, JML finally scores an interview at Continuity Comics in Manhattan, at which he is promptly torn to shreds. He ends his summer by resuming his day job at the warehouse.
September 1987 - JML ends a month-long absence from his draftsman table, the longest he has gone without drawing in his entire life. He dives back into his art with renewed vigor, determined not to let the bastards keep him down.
November 1987 - JML weasels a free table at the Thanksgiving Creation Comic Book Convention, and sets up for the very first time, selling color sketches for $15.00 apiece. It’s at this show that he finds out how much it would cost to print up a black and white comic.
December 1987 - The idea of self-publishing a black and white horror anthology is born.
January 1988 - JML spies a martial-arts movie poster in a video store, entitled “Pray for Death”. This concept twists itself around and eventually mutates into “Cry For Dawn”. The only person who would ever catch onto this and make the connection is Stan Lee.
Spring 1988 - JML becomes a self-publisher. His first endeavor is a full-color poster titled, “Saint George Was Wrong”, with a print run of 2,000.
Spring 1988 - JML gets his first commercial job doing storyboards for a Swatch commercial, directed by Richard Schenkman. This would prove to be the first of many creative collaborations between the two.
August 1988 - JML leaves his day job at the warehouse (again) for a day job airbrushing Tony Alamo-style denim and leather jackets at “Just Brass” in Freeport, Long Island. During his tenure there he designs a couple of dozen biker T-shirts.
Fall 1988 - JML gets his first comics work in print with Continum #1. The cover is done buy Linsner, as well as a four-page story.
December 1989 - Cry For Dawn #1 hits the stands, and Dawn makes her first appearance. Much to the disappointment to many fans, she is only featured on the cover and as emcee to three of the four stories within.
October 1993 - Cry For dawn Productions explodes.
June 1994 - Dawn rises from the ashes of Cry For Dawn in the pages of “Drama”, SIRIUS Entertainment’s first publication, and Linsner’s first in color.
June 1995 - sees JML release the 1st issue of “Dawn: Lucifer’s Halo”, Linsner’s first attempt at a Dawn storyline. The first issue outsells both Batman and Superman.
December 1996 - JML, overwhelmed by a crazy workload of writing, penciling, inking, and painting Dawn, hires Eva Hopkins to color in the lines, type and (wo)man the phones.
December 1999 - JML celebrates Dawn’s tenth year in print.
The first printing of Cry For Dawn #1 came out during the last week of December 1989, although Joe Linsner and Joe Monks only got their copies the following week in January 1990.
The most reprinted piece of Linsner's artwork is the piece originally used on the cover of Cry For Dawn #1 third printing.
Subtle Violents San Diego limited edition was the first comic featuring a "nude" cover even though it was never marketed as that.
Linsner uses Prismacolor Pencils.
Psychobabble, which was featured in Drama #1 was intended to appear in Cry for Dawn #10.
For *completists* of Linsner's works, there are a total of 5 individually different prints from the *1999 3 Store Tour* sold at four different appearances.
Joseph Linsner does not own a driver's license.
Check back often as I continue to probe the minds of those die hard Linsner Fanatics for all the Tearful Details. If you want to contribute to this page, please email me and give me the lowdown on your info!!!!!!