Thunderstruck Pictures

06/29/2023

We SMASHED through our Kickstarter funding goal and the 3rd Stretch Goal reward for all backers has been unlocked. That means everyone will get a free exclusive Christina trading card and the super-rare collectible CHOPPER #0 prequel comic book in digital format that previously was only sold at San Diego Comic Con.

06/28/2023

CHOPPER is fully funded! Less than 20 hours left on the CHOPPER short film & comic book Kickstarter + exclusive new add-on rewards + Stretch Goal bonus products unlocked. LET'S KEEP the MOMENTUM GOING! Please share this post with your friends and followers. Support indie films & comic books. Look at the comments below...

06/27/2023

Eliana Jones (Night Hunter, Lamborghini, Nikita) and David Hayter (Metal Gear Solid, X-Men, Watchmen) have been cast to play the lead roles in CHOPPER. I'm excited to work with them. See comments for more info.

06/26/2023

I'd like to give a shout-out to a horror comic book project I found on Kickstarter. It looks fun and campy. Alien invaders and cannibal cheerleaders in the summer of love 1969 was too tempting to pass up. Plus the cover art on some of the variant options is eye-catching. Both naughty and nice covers are available. See comments. Better hurry though - there's only 14 hours left before the Kickstarter ends.

06/25/2023

WIN A FREE KICKSTARTER REWARD
For a chance to win CHOPPER #1 and #2 comic books signed by the creator + MOVIE POSTER, you must like, comment and share this post. Only 3 days left on the CHOPPER Kickstarter. Help spread the word about CHOPPER by sharing the project link http://kck.st/3INkVTn with your friends and followers on Facebook & Instagram. WINNER announced on June 29.

Thunderstruck Pictures produces movies and comic books in the horror and sci-fi genres.

06/14/2023

I'm stoked that Eliana Jones will be joining the Chopper cast. She began acting at the age of 11 playing young Alexandra Udinov in Nikita. But, perhaps the most cherished opportunity for her was working with Ben Kingsley in Night Hunter. To learn more about this new horror film, see the Kickstarter link in the comments. We're offering some incredible rewards, including exclusive behind-the-scenes videos and limited-edition comic book collectibles.

06/09/2023

Several years ago, I painted some cover art for CHOPPER, a comic book series published by Asylum Press. The writer Martin Shapiro sold the movie rights to the story and they have launched a Kickstarter campaign for a short horror film based on the comic book. The film will be submitted to film festivals around the world and will serve as a proof of concept that they will show to Netflix and other distributors to get a feature film financed.

They are now selling a limited edition collectible METAL Virgin Cover of Chopper #1 painted by me and premium 11"x17" art prints. You can choose from a variety of other reward packages when you make a pledge, including limited-edition collectibles (only available on Kickstarter), an exclusive behind-the-scenes video, a VIP pass to the film screening, and the chance for YOU to be a character in the next comic book. See the Kickstarter page at https://bit.ly/3oGBYj3

06/08/2023

I’m happy to announce that we’ve secured Eliana Jones to play the lead role of Christina in Chopper. She’s a great young actress with a long list of movie and TV credits, including Night Hunter, Lamborghini, and Northern Rescue. Check out the Kickstarter for more info. Link in bio.

06/06/2023

ALL NEW on Kickstarter! CHOPPER comic books, movie posters, and VIP passes to the film. Dive into the terrifying, high-octane world of CHOPPER, a modern-day reimagining of the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow with supernatural drugs, deadly ghosts, and outlaw motorcycle gangs. https://bit.ly/3oGBYj3

Sons of Anarchy meets Nightmare on Elm Street

06/03/2023

Here's a teaser page from the first issue of the Chopper comic book series. You can buy a printed book signed by the writer or a digital copy at our Kickstarter. If you like horror movies, you'll love Chopper, which is a modern-day reimagining of the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow set in the world of outlaw bikers. See link in bio.

06/02/2023

Join the Kickstarter campaign for CHOPPER, a chilling horror short film based on the comic book series by Martin Shapiro. Your support can bring this haunting, motorcycle-driven tale to life!

06/02/2023

As a comic book creator, I want to give a shout out to Sebastian A. Jones, a fellow comic book creator who has inspired us to continue publishing new books. Many years ago, Sebastian was a guest speaker at Martin Shapiro's comic book writing class. The students learned so much from him. Since then, we've watched him grow his company and product line, and what he has accomplished is remarkable. Take a few minutes out of your day and visit his Kickstarter at https://bit.ly/sc2023ks Only 10 days left to grab this beautiful variant cover by artist Tehani Farr.

06/02/2023

Another sneak peek page from Chopper issue #1 comic book. No lettering yet. Dialogue bubbles coming soon when we publish the graphic novel. Printed and digital Kindle eBook formats will be available. Get your copy at our Kickstarter event: https://bit.ly/3oGBYj3

06/02/2023

Here's another page from Chopper #1 comic book. An establishing shot of the girls arriving at the wild Daytona Bike Week rally. I like low-angle camera shots. In real life, I've cruised down that same Daytona street multiple times. To buy the comic book, see our Kickstarter page link in the profile bio above.

05/31/2023

We have launched the Kickstarter for our short film CHOPPER, which we will shoot in Los Angeles this summer. CHOPPER is 80% funded, and we just need that last 20% to make it happen. There are lots of great rewards at all backer levels, including limited edition movie posters and comic books, a VIP pass to the film screening and after-party, a behind-the-scenes video, and even a chance for YOU to be a character in the next comic book in stores nationwide. Click the link below:

Sons of Anarchy meets Nightmare on Elm Street

05/27/2023

Another page from Chopper #1 comic book. Imagine being chased by this headless poltergeist on a motorcycle! Our Kickstarter launches on Tuesday, May 30 with exclusive rewards, including a chance for YOU to be a character in the next comic book: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/followthethunder/chopper-a-horror-short-film

05/22/2023

Here is a sneak peek page from Chopper issue #1 comic book. The headless Reaper collects another soul. ☠️ Stay tuned to our page for more Chopper artwork we'll be releasing over the next 7 days leading up to our highly anticipated Kickstarter launch. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/followthethunder/chopper-a-horror-short-film

05/21/2023

Location scouting in Los Angeles for the junkyard scene in my short horror film. I like this place. It's cinematic at night with the cars stacked up helter skelter bathed in moonlight. A scary spot where ghosts hang out. 👻

05/17/2023

I found this clip from an old episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm featuring my friend, actor and stuntman Dave Reaves who plays a biker in this scene. It's funny with Larry David wearing the red MAGA hat. I've cast Reaves to play the Reaper in the Chopper short film I'm directing.

05/16/2023

Actor Dave Reaves will play The Reaper in my upcoming film Chopper. Dave's Hollywood credits include such popular TV series as The Terminal List, SEAL Team, Mayans M.C., Hawaii Five-0, and Lethal Weapon. He is most known for playing the Zabrak fighter in the TV series The Mandalorian, and a funny scene as a badass biker in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

05/13/2023

Stuntman Dave Reaves being custom-fitted for headless neck collar by our SFX artist. He will be playing the iconic Reaper in Chopper

05/11/2023

Our talented SFX make-up peeps Victoria Margiasso and Yun Nam created these practical headless appliances to do the headless VFX shots for my horror film Chopper. Our stuntman playing the headless reaper will wear a green screen hood to remove the head and replace it with the location background in post production. It's a difficult shot to do when the actor is moving or the camera is moving.

05/10/2023

Here is the original Reaper kusarigama sword I designed for Chopper. I hired a blacksmith to forge it out of steel. A great weapon to hang on the wall, but it cannot be used in a movie sword fight or swinging it near an actor on set. Too risky. Especially with that ball and chain attached to it. It's fine for insert close-ups -- or if a real killer shows up. 🤠🥷

05/10/2023

Renowned sword expert and prop maker Dragon Dronet at Renegade Effects in Hollywood created these kusarigama swords for my film Chopper. Imagine a headless outlaw biker on a motorcycle wielding one of these bad boys! One is aircraft aluminum and one is rubber urethane (safe to use near actors). Can you guess which one is real and which is fake?

05/09/2023

We're shooting a short horror film in Los Angeles this summer based on Martin Shapiro's comic book series Chopper. I'm happy to announce that Baked Studios has joined the production team and will be doing the headless biker VFX shots and ghost realm effects. They're a top-notch VFX company that creates visual effects for major feature films and TV series, including Jumanji: The Next Level, The Last Witch Hunter, Superman and Lois, and 9-1-1.

05/03/2023

The Writers Guild strike started today after weeks of failed negotiations for a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Sadly, the giant billion-dollar corporations who own the networks and streaming services (Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony) refuse to give in on some of the more egregious issues at stake. This means nearly all TV series and daily shows will stop production. Be prepared for a long strike and watching re-runs on TV.

05/02/2023

We went to Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida. Thousands of motorcycles. Here's a taste of Main Street action. This is the town where our Chopper comic book series is set. It was fun to see some of the places depicted in the book.

05/01/2023

Hey Guys! We are launching a Kickstarter campaign for our short horror film CHOPPER, which is based on the comic book series published by AsylumPress.

There are lots of great rewards at all backer tier levels, including limited edition signed Chopper comic books and even an IMDB Associate Producer credit on the film. Hit the NOTIFY BUTTON here to learn more: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/followthethunder/chopper-a-horror-short-film

05/01/2023

One of the things that set horror movies apart from other movies is the way in which the genre caters itself to independent low-budget filmmaking. The horror genre often relies on limited locations, a small number of characters, and no big-name stars driving up the budget, which means that just about any indie director can shoot a horror movie on a fairly low budget.

This is even more true for "found footage" movies like The Blair Witch Project, which inherently allows the film to look raw and unedited as a way to seem more realistic. It famously grossed over $240 million at the box office on a ridiculously low budget of only $60,000 and managed to be highly successful despite the casting of entirely unknown actors. It is one of the most profitable movies of all time when judged solely by its return on investment.

05/01/2023

When people think about comic book movies, generally the first thing that pops in their mind is Marvel and DC superheroes like the Avengers and Batman. However, numerous other movies in a variety of genres you wouldn’t expect started off as comic books or graphic novels.

Men in Black was originally an obscure, cheaply-made black & white comic that only sold about 1000 copies when it first came out. Hardly anybody knew about it until the publisher Scott Rosenberg set it up at Sony.