Onrie Kompan Productions
Onrie Kompan Productions has been focused on creating high-quality comic book titles helmed, produced, and published by writer/creator Onrie Kompan since 2008. Their signature series, The Yi Soon Shin Trilogy, has been in publication for 15 years and has sold over 150,000 copies outside of the direct market at comic conventions across the world, with over 300,000 units in print.
Yi Soon Shin follows the story of the true-to-life Korean Admiral who successfully defended his country against invading forces from Japan. Outnumbered 10 to 1 in nearly every single skirmish, Admiral Yi never lost a single battle despite overwhelming odds and rivalries from within his own camp, as well as pressure from his own jealous King.
Admiral Yi bravely faced and defeated the most brutal Samurai commanders from Japan and saved his country from brutal oppressors who showed no mercy to the innocent people of Korea. He is recognized as a national hero, and his tactics are still referenced and studied by nearly every military organization in the world.
To date, the series has sold out at over 100 comic conventions throughout the world and is one of the few titles to sell over 1,500 copies at a single comic convention multiple times. It is Onrie’s claim to fame and one of his proudest accomplishments in the field.
Co-written and edited by comics legend David Anthony Kraft, Yi Soon Shin has been warmly embraced by the comics world. The first graphic novel features a very powerful and moving introduction by Stan Lee. That book alone has sold over 9,000 copies and is about to go back to press with a remastered edition due out later this year on Kickstarter.
The Yi Soon Shin Trilogy was also a major hit in Korea, inspiring films like Roaring Currents and Hansan: Rising Dragon from director Kim Han-Min, starring Oldboy actor Choi Min-Sik.
Having visited the country multiple times for both research and business, Onrie was made an ambassador at Admiral Yi’s home village of Asan, where yearly festivals are held to honor their national hero’s victories. He also appeared on several television programs and documentaries focused on his efforts to make Admiral Yi a world-recognized hero in the United States.
Yi Soon Shin shines thanks to the illustrators involved with the project. Giovanni Timpano (The Shadow, Batman, Call of Duty) and El Arnakleus (Legendary Pictures) have seamlessly carried the series thus far, with the aid of painter/colorist Adriana De Los Santos and lettering from Joel Saavedra, who works as Onrie Kompan Productions’ resident production manager.
MARX: A Tale of Neglect is Onrie’s second stand-alone published graphic novel and features the artwork of multiple talents, including Nick Bell, Dan Dougherty, and Vassilis Gogtzilas. The book was edited by one of Onrie’s favorite writers, J.M. DeMatteis, another comics veteran whose work is widely known and embraced in the field. MARX has sold through its first two print runs and is about to go back to press with a third printing that will be showcased on Kickstarter in the coming months.
The story follows Onrie’s grandfather, a Russian Jewish soldier who fought the Nazis on the frontlines during World War II. Onrie spent the remaining days of his grandfather’s life hearing his stories of survival and bravery and eventually assembled an incredible team of illustrators with the help of DeMatteis to weave a story that is brutally real. MARX is at times tragic, disturbing, but ultimately heartwarming and redemptive.
Onrie’s latest title debuted in 2023. Having come up with the concept during Covid, he finally managed to release it last year, and it was met with rave reviews from fans all over! War Lion takes place in the fictional city of Sector-2687 and tells the story of an old revolutionary and his daughter who are determined to get revenge and liberate their home from the tyrant that destroyed their lives and now controls their city.
To date, most, if not all, of Onrie’s projects were based on historical fact. War Lion is the first series where Onrie tested his limits and broke out of his shell to create something completely original.
Onrie wanted to tell a unique story, set within the parameters of superheroism and science fiction, to not only branch out but also test his will and ability to tell a story that was meaningful and very personal to him. As the saying goes, a writer writes best when they write what they know and base it on their own personal experiences.
War Lion is a three-issue mini-series featuring incredible artwork by up-and-coming artist Dexter Wee, with each issue containing 48 pages without ads. For this book, Onrie brought on independent comics writer/editor Chuck Pineau to help steer this book in a direction that would allow him to tell the most raw and unrestricted story. The first issue was colored by Kote Carvajal, and Issue #2, set to release later this year, was colored by Steve Cannon. The conclusion to War Lion is in production now and will be coming out in 2025. Don’t miss it at conventions and on Kickstarter!
Onrie has always focused on creating projects that matter to him and assembles creators from around the world to bring his stories to life. He continues to collaborate with remarkable and highly talented creators. At conventions, Onrie’s goal is to engage with as many readers as possible in the hopes that his comics will be a gateway to ALL comics. On the side, he also resells comics through multiple livestream platforms, including the Comic Book Shopping Network and The Experience. He has a HUGE collection of back issues, as well as independent comics that he picks up at other shows.
He started out in the corporate world, working in the finance industry for about ten years. His goal was always to branch off on his own and create the kind of comics that mattered to him. Onrie’s passion for getting his work out into the world has made it possible for his books to continuously stay in print.
All of his unique titles have seen, and continue to see, multiple print runs. This year, Onrie plans to release the highly anticipated War Lion #2 and the penultimate issue of the Yi Soon Shin Trilogy, which is currently in production. Completing both books will set another major milestone for the independent publisher/creator.
Onrie was always inspired by Stan Lee and had the honor of meeting the comic book legend multiple times. On their first meeting, Stan imparted Onrie with some inspirational wisdom that he has carried throughout his entire career:
“When you do what you love, it’s not work, it’s play.”
Meeting Stan Lee so early in Onrie’s career was the ultimate shot in the arm, but the field of comics is incredibly challenging. There is an influx of new content pouring into the direct market on a weekly basis, and staying committed to only a few projects at a time can be arduous. However, Onrie was always convinced that focusing on fewer projects is the key to attaining the kind of success that will allow each of his individual projects to continuously stand out and stand the test of time.
Very early in his career, Onrie discovered that rather than solely working through the available methods of distribution in comics, engaging with new readers at larger events such as comic conventions provided a better means of distributing his comics. This allowed him to turn his passion into a full-time job filled with adventures on the road.
He participates in about 15-20 conventions a year, has traveled to every major city multiple times, and sells out at most events he attends, often with moments to spare. Most of the time, he works these shows alone, and on occasion, he has help from friends and fellow collaborators.
Working conventions is difficult, but it has become a science for Onrie. He treats every show as an ongoing experiment, tweaking what he can when he can, and utilizing his social skills to not only convert new readers but to test himself to do as much as possible while providing the best experience for each new reader.
It takes a lot of fortitude, and Onrie is known for his forward efforts to get out there, standing out in front of his tables and booths not as a means of pulling people away from neighboring booths (a practice he firmly avoids and discourages), but as an effort to engage in a polite and meaningful way with customers.
Having always been greatly inspired by Stan Lee’s bombastic showmanship, Onrie adopted that same excitable approach to sharing his work with the world. So when you see him at conventions, be sure to come on by and say hello! Onrie warmly greets all of his fans, whether they are at conventions or shopping with him online.
He also has a number of new projects in the works and is preparing to take on additional freelance projects in order to bring his name and brand to the next level.
You can follow Onrie on social media by scanning this QR code. If you follow him, he’ll follow you right back!