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Julian Darius
In 1996, while still an undergraduate, Dr. Julian Darius founded what would become Sequart Organization, which publishes non-fiction and documentary films on comic books and promotes the medium as a legitimate form of art. After graduating magna cum laude from Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisconsin), he obtained his M.A. in English, authoring a thesis on John Milton and utopianism. In 2002, he moved to Waikiki, teaching college while obtaining an M.A. in French (high honors) and a Ph.D. in English. In 2011, he founded Martian Lit. He currently lives in Illinois.
BOOKS AND MOVIES BY JULIAN DARIUS
 Shedding Skin: Two Tales of Horror and Identity (author) |  Nira/Sussa (author) |  And Still Your Fingers on Your Lips (author) |
 The Slave Factory (author) |  Watching People Burn (author) |
TOP MAGAZINE CONTENT BY JULIAN DARIUS
The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin, Chapter 1
A merry little vibration against her clitoris awakened Yelena Moulin. Jack, her psychiatrist, had recommended the device, which looked like a suction cup dangling on a string from a short straw and recharged itself on… [more]
Nine
My name is George, and I have a nine-inch cock. This is its story.
And Still Your Fingers on Your Lips
A cross section of the sharp young minds who flourished under his tutelage will slowly be reduced to paper towels. The ink will become wet black splotches suspended in liquid purple. A dendrochronology more than… [more]
OTHER MAGAZINE CONTENT BY JULIAN DARIUS (22 TOTAL)
2 Days Left for Lazarus Kickstarter
This is just a quick note to say that our Kickstarter for the 70-page Lazarus, the Forever Man#1 has just two days remaining! It’s a weird story about the Biblical Lazarus, how immortality works, negotiating multicultural identity,… [more]
Page Four of Martian Comics #5
Here’s page four of “The Canals of Earth” (a.k.a. the self-contained Martian Comics #5), written by Julian Darius, with art by Mansjur Daman and colors by Diego Rodriguez: We’ve previously revealed the first page of… [more]
The First Page of Martian Comics #5
Here’s the first page of “The Canals of Earth” (a.k.a. the self-contained Martian Comics #5), written by Julian Darius, with art by Mansjur Daman and colors by Diego Rodriguez: The comic is on Kickstarter now,… [more]
Martian Comics #3 Preview
We’re pleased to present the first two pages (a complete story!) of Martian Comics #3 — a special 52-page issue featuring seven stories! The above story was written by Julian Darius, illustrated by Jason Muhr,… [more]
Martian Comics #1 Preview
We’re pleased to present a preview of Martian Comics #1, containing a complete eight-page story — the first chapter of “The Girl from Mars.” If you prefer, you can download the entire story now as… [more]
Carlos Danger #1
He thinks he’s the hero New York deserves, but he’s sure not the one it wants right now. He is… Carlos Danger!!! [more]
Watching Alice Die
I’m sitting and smoking and watching Alice pop these huge blue pills into her mouth. She just scoops them up in her hand and pops them in like it’s nothing, like they’re candy, but they’re… [more]
16 Characters, 44 Stories, and the Bird Flies Away
Frank Monroe saw the ants below. He thought of his dad. A mostly empty bottle of fine Irish whiskey sat on the glass endtable inside his penthouse. He gripped the rail. The big plasma TV… [more]
We’ll Take a Lover in the Afterlife
Dreamed on 15 Jan 2013. I was at my parents’ house, helping them move electronics around the living room. Everything we moved had other things behind it, flattened cardboard boxes propped up against the wall,… [more]
Optimus Prime, Pedophile
Did you know that the beloved leader of the Autobots had a fetish for underage girls? Or that a Megatron look-alike not only shared the same fetish, but repeatedly tried to rape those girls? Or that… [more]
Nostalgia in Three Acts
CHARACTERS Brian Watkins, a twenty-one-year-old male David Watkins, Brian’s father Charlene Watkins, Brian’s mother Jane Higgins, Brian’s twentyish girlfriend John Burrow, Brian’s twentyish friend Nate Peterson, a twenty-two-year-old male ACT ONE: April 27, 1970 ACT… [more]
Fuck “Polite”
In my novel Nira/Sussa, there’s a scene in a Midwestern Japanese restaurant with holes in the floor so patrons can sit in what they perceive to be Japanese style without, you know, actually having to do so.… [more]
The Most Brilliant Art in the Vatican Museum
In the Vatican Museum, religious paintings you’ve seen in books all your life mix with modern religious depictions that have impressed some unknown cardinal. There, awe-inspiring classical statuary serves to remind you how much fuller… [more]
The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin, Chapter 10
In the holofeed wall above the phony flickering fireplace, the fifteen-year-old Mira Mira sat in the defendant’s chair, listening to testimony against her. Yelena thought her neon blue skin undercut the way her lawyers had… [more]
The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin, Chapter 9
A dozen colored spotlights, gaudy and grandiose, caressed Yelena Moulin. Glitter rained down upon her, caught like sparkling dust as it descended through the colored layers of light. The rest of the room was lit… [more]
The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin, Chapter 8
The hardest thing about spending days underwater was keeping the mind busy.
The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin, Chapter 7
“My therapist says it all goes back to her. She was very doting, in a lot of ways. I was her wonderful, genius son. But she could turn on you in an instant. Criticize viciously.… [more]
The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin, Chapter 6
In the early hours of the morning, before the sun had risen against the snow and the mountains outside the living room’s glass wall, Yelena knocked on Mr. Pollard’s door. Veronique answered, clad as always… [more]
The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin, Chapter 5
Yelena felt the latex surface of the couch beneath her. This shouldn’t be happening. I shouldn’t have any weight. She knew full well she had no skin or nerves to feel through. She reached out… [more]
The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin, Chapter 4
Yelena stood staring at the door to her den, thinking this isn’t right. She told herself that she must’ve opened the door all the way, then stepped back into the room to retrieve something, only… [more]
The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin, Chapter 3
Closing the door, Yelena felt absurd, hiding from her mom in her own home. The room looked like an old-fashioned study, the kind in historical holofeeds, with a wooden desk and books printed on dead… [more]
The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin, Chapter 2
Wilbur lay on his side, his wrinkly face pressed into a padded black helmet. The helmet’s soft leather interior concealed a large array of electrodes. His long tongue hung from his mouth and appeared stuck… [more]
NEWS CONTENT BY JULIAN DARIUS (56 TOTAL)
The Official Index to the Martian Universe
This document is intended as an index to the Martian Universe, listing all stories in their recommended reading order. It is current as of The Synthetics Vol. 1 (Oct 2021). Red text is used for… [more]
The Tears of Khera Available in Print
Martian Comics Vol. 2: The Tears of Khera is now available as an oversized graphic novel! The softcover book is over 11.5″ tall, showing off Mansyur Daman’s beautiful artwork. The Tears of Khera is an… [more]
A Martian Reading Order
I’ve been asked about this, so I thought I’d share with you my own suggested Martian reading order. Of course, you can read whatever you want, and most stories stand on their own. Also, most… [more]
Martian Lit Publishes its 30th Comic
Martian Lit has published its 30th comic: Kimot Ren #5! Our comics line began in 2014, almost six years ago. In that time we’ve published 30 standard issues: Martian Comics #1-19 Kimot Ren #1-5 Necropolitan… [more]
Martian Comics Vol. 1: Moon to Moon on Kickstarter!
Our first collected edition, Martian Comics Vol. 1: Moon to Moon, is a beautiful 240-page book collecting 13 stories, written by Julian Darius with work by 15 different artists and colorists. The stories span 18,000… [more]
Necropolitan #2 on ComiXology Now!
Martian Lit is proud to release Necropolitan #2, continuing the story of history’s worst serial killers in Hell! On Mark’s second day in Hell, he makes the rounds with Jack the Ripper and John Dillinger… but… [more]
The Synthetics #0 Now on Kickstarter with Exclusive Print Edition!
Martian Lit is proud to launch the Kickstarter for our comic book The Synthetics #0! We’re offering a signed-and-numbered print edition of the comic, limited to 100 copies and exclusive to this Kickstarter! And if you act… [more]
Martian Comics #13 on comiXology!
Martian Lit is proud to release Martian Comics #13, featuring two new exciting stories set in the Martian Universe! In the first story, illustrated by Andi Supriyono and Fahriza Kamaputra, set during World War II, an… [more]
Martian Comics #12 Released on comiXology!
Martian Lit is proud to release Martian Comics #12, our giant anniversary issue featuring three exciting stories of Martian interaction with Earth! The 65-page issue, also featuring a bunch of extras, is priced at $4.99.… [more]
One Week Left for Necropolitan on Kickstarter: Join the Team of History’s Worst Serial Killers in Hell!
The Kickstarter for our horror comic Necropolitan is currently 49% funded with just over a week left to go! Just $3 gets you Necropolitan #1, just $4 gets you issue #2, and just $7 gets you both issues!… [more]
Necropolitan Now on Kickstarter with Early-Bird Rewards!
Martian Lit is proud to launch the Kickstarter for our comic book Necropolitan! As a backer, you can get the 42-page issue #1 and the 32-page issue #2, along with plenty of extras! Watch history’s most infamous… [more]
Publishing Update
We’re working hard to get more comics out, and we have a ton in various stages of completion. We thought now would be a good time to update you on where we’re at and where… [more]
The Synthetics #1 Now on comiXology!
The first issue of The Synthetics, featuring three exciting stories of the Robot Revolution on Mars, is now on ComiXology! The 46-page issue, also featuring a bunch of extras, is priced at $3.99. The comic is written… [more]
Martian Comics #11 Now on comiXology
Martian Comics #11, featuring the next chapter of our serial “The Girl from Mars,” is now on ComiXology! The 23-page issue is priced at $2.99. The comic is written by Julian Darius, with art by Sergio… [more]
Lazarus, the Forever Man #1 Now on comiXology
The first issue of Lazarus, the Forever Man is now on ComiXology! The 70-page issue, also featuring an interview with comics and religion scholar A. David Lewis, is priced at $5.99. The comic is written… [more]
The Synthetics #1 Live on Kickstarter! Two Free Books!
Our next comic, The Synthetics #1, is live on Kickstarter here! It takes place in the same Martian Universe in which Martian Comics is set, but features tales of robot life! We know it hasn’t been long since… [more]
Covers Revealed for The Synthetics #1 and Martian Comics #14-15
Martian Lit is proud to reveal the cover to a number of upcoming comics. First is The Synthetics #1, with a cover by artist Steven Legge and colorist Donovan Yaciuk. This exciting new series focuses… [more]
Free Book for Anyone Pledging by Monday
To encourage early pledges to our new Kickstarter for Lazarus, the Forever Man #1, we’re offering an incentive: a free PDF of by book analyzing Jack Kirby’s bizarre comics continuation of 2001: A Space Odyssey! The book, published… [more]
70-Page Lazarus, the Forever Man #1 Now on Kickstarter!
Martian Lit is proud to launch the Kickstarter for our newest comic book, Lazarus, the Forever Man #1! The massive, 70-page first issue follows our 24-page zero issue, which reprints the first two Lazarus stories from… [more]
Our Comics Plans through Mid-2018
Martian Lit is now able to reveal its publishing plans through around mid-2018. Our next release will be Lazarus, the Forever Man #1, featuring an ambitious 70-page story, illustrated by Sergio Tarquini and Sara Nietto.… [more]
Martian Comics #16 Cover Revealed
Martian Lit is proud to reveal the cover to Martian Comics #16, by Jason Muhr and Andrei Tabacaru, the artistic team behind the indy hit Voracious. Muhr previously illustrated two short stories in Martian Comics #3.… [more]
Necropolitan #2 Cover Revealed
Martian Lit is proud to reveal the cover to Necropolitan #2, in which the protagonist makes the rounds with serial killers on his first full day in Hell. The cover is by series artist Steven… [more]
Martian Comics #13 Cover Revealed
Martian Lit is proud to reveal the cover to Martian Comics #13, which will feature two stories of Martian intervention on Earth. The cover is by Marlena Mozgawa. It depicts the Martian goddess Earth, who… [more]
Announcing The Synthetics
Martian Lit is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of our fifth comics title: The Synthetics! The comic is set in the Martian Universe, which is shared with three other comics: Martian Comics, Kimot Ren, and… [more]
Martian Lit Releases Martian Comics #10
Martian Lit is proud to release Martian Comics #10! The 21-page issue concludes “The Second Most Dangerous Game,” written by Julian Darius, with art by Mansyur Daman. The sci-fi riff on the classic story by… [more]
Lazarus, the Forever Man #1 Cover Revealed
Martian Lit is proud to reveal the cover to Lazarus, the Forever Man #1, a special 70-page issue that follows the Biblical Lazarus as he comes to terms with his past, while first-century history unfolds… [more]
Martian Lit Releases Lazarus, the Forever Man #0
Martian Lit is proud to release the debut issue of Lazarus, the Forever Man! The 24-page zero issue reprints the Lazarus stories from Martian Comics, in preparation for his ongoing series! The series stars the Biblical… [more]
Kimot Ren #3 Cover Revealed
Martian Lit is proud to reveal the cover to Kimot Ren #3, a 37-page issue featuring the next four chapters in the saga of the Martian android stranded in the Wild West! The cover is… [more]
Martian Comics #9 Now on comiXology!
The ninth issue of our ambitious indy sci-fi comic Martian Comics is now on ComiXology! The 24-page issue is priced at $2.99. The comic is written by Julian Darius, with art by Mansyur Daman. It continues “The Second… [more]
2016 Year in Review… and 2017 in Preview
In 2016, Martian Lit published six comics: Martian Comics #4-8 and Kimot Ren #1. In addition, we’ve already hit the ground running in 2017 by publishing Necropolitan #1 (although it and Martian Comics #8 are not yet available… [more]
Martian Comics #11 and Lazarus, the Forever Man #1 Covers Revealed
Martian Lit is proud to unveil two new covers! The cover to Martian Comics #11 is by Mansyur Daman and painter Roni Setiawan. It relates to the story “The Second Most Dangerous Game,” which is… [more]
Martian Comics #9 Cover Unveiled
Martian Lit is proud to reveal the cover to Martian Comics #9. The cover is penciled by Ace Continuado, inked by Jeffrey Huet, and colored by Donovan Yaciuk. For more information, visit the Martian Comics… [more]
Hours Left for Martian Comics Kickstarter!
Our Kickstarter for Martian Comics #5 is currently in its final hours and needs your help! The comic focuses on how Mars has seen Earth through the ages, from Martian prehistory to that planet’s space… [more]
Final Two Weeks for Martian Comics Kickstarter!
Our Kickstarter for Martian Comics #5 is currently in its final two weeks and needs your help! The comic focuses on how Mars has seen Earth through the ages, from Martian prehistory to that planet’s… [more]
Martian Comics #8 Cover Unveiled
Martian Lit is proud to unveil the cover to Martian Comics #8. The cover is by Janaina Medeiros. The issue continues our exploration of 20th-century history, while also beginning a new story. For more information,… [more]
Martian Comics #6 Cover Unveiled
Martian Lit is proud to unveil the cover to Martian Comics #6. The cover is by Ean Moody. The issue focuses on JFK, and the cover features an homage to the Oliver Stone film JFK.… [more]
“The Canals of Earth” is on Kickstarter Now!
Martian Lit is proud to launch the Kickstarter for our newest sci-fi comic book, “The Canals of Earth!” Watch as Mars looks to the sky and sees Earth, imagining her as a four-armed goddess with her… [more]
Martian Comics #5 Cover Revealed
Martian Lit is proud to reveal the cover to Martian Comics #5! The cover is by David A. Frizell and references the classic movie Voyage to the Moon. The issue offers a self-contained story exploring… [more]
Hours Left for Martian Comics Kickstarter
There’s just 12 hours left on our Kickstarter for a special 52-page issue of Martian Comics. We’re close to our goal; in fact, we’re less than $250 away. Rewards include a print version of the… [more]
Martian Comics #4 Cover Revealed
Martian Lit is proud to reveal the cover to Martian Comics #4. The cover is by series artist Sergio Tarquini and colored by Diego Rodriguez. Before we can get there, however, we need to get… [more]
Martian Comics 52-Page Sci-Fi Special is Now on Kickstarter
Martian Comics is back on Kickstarter, trying to fund our huge 52-page third issue. It’s got seven stories in it, illustrated by three different artists. Check out the video and the rewards, which include a… [more]
Behold! The Cover to Martian Comics #3
Martian Lit is proud to reveal David A. Frizell’s cover to Martian Comics #3: Yes, you read that cover right: it’s a 52-page special. Besides continuing our main story, “The Girl from Mars,” the issue… [more]
Martian Comics #1 and #2 on ComiXology
Martian Comics #1 and #2 are now available on ComiXology! If you’re a fan of mind-bending sci-fi like Philip K. Dick, this is the comics series you’ve been looking for. Martian Comics does for sci-fi… [more]
Martian Lit Reveals the Cover to Martian Comics #2
Martian Lit is proud to reveal the cover to Martian Comics #2. The cover is by series artist Sergio Tarquini and colored by series colorist R.L. Campos. The issue contains two stories: the first continues… [more]
Martian Lit Releases Laura Madeline Wiseman’s American Galactic
Martian Lit is proud to announce the release of its first book of poetry: American Galactic, by Laura Madeline Wiseman Opening with an epigraph from Charles Simic, “Lots of people around here have been taken for… [more]
Martian Comics is on Kickstarter!
Martian Lit is proud to announce its first Kickstarter… for its first comic book, Martian Comics! The first issue is written by Julian Darius and Kevin Thurman, with art by Sergio Tarquini, interior colors by… [more]
Martian Lit Releases Nathaniel Tower’s Nagging Wives, Foolish Husbands
Martian Lit is proud to announce the publication of Nathaniel Tower’s Nagging Wives, Foolish Husbands, a collection of absurd and literary short stories examining the surreal experiences of married life. The book has already received considerable… [more]
Martian Comics #1 Cover
Here’s Darick Robertson’s beautiful cover for Martian Comics #1 — Martian Lit’s ambitious first comic book, coming in 2014. The comic is written by Julian Darius and Kevin Thurman, with interior art by Sergio Tarquini.… [more]
Praise for CS DeWildt’s Dead Animals
CS DeWildt’s Dead Animals, a short story collection published by Martian Lit, is winning tremendous praise as an innovative literary offering that is at once realistic and mind-bendingly troubling. J.J. Anderson, author of Trailer Park… [more]
Martian Lit Releases CS DeWildt’s Dead Animals
Martian Lit is proud to announce the publication of CS DeWildt’s Dead Animals, a collection of short stories and flash. The book doesn’t pull its punches, and it focuses on damaged and damaging characters. But… [more]
Watching People Burn Trailer Released
Martian Lit has released its first video, a trailer for Julian Darius’s Watching People Burn. The book is an original, illustrated, historical screenplay. It reads quickly. It’s gotten rave reviews. And it’s cheap — currently… [more]
Watching People Burn for 99 Cents or Free
Watching People Burn, Julian Darius’s original historical screenplay, is now available on Kindle for 99 cents — and free to borrow and read for Amazon Prime members. The deadliest school massacre in U.S. history, its… [more]
“The Slave Factory” on Kindle for 99 Cents
“The Slave Factory,” a short book by Julian Darius, is available exclusively on Kindle for the low price of 99 cents — and is free to read for Amazon Prime members.
Watching People Burn Now Available
Martian Lit’s first book, Julian Darius’s Watching People Burn, is now available for purchase. The original historical screenplay dramatizes the Bath school disaster, an coordinated terrorist attack in rural Michigan in 1927 that blew up a… [more]
The Invading Other: Over a Century of Martian Stereotyping
For at least 113 years, humans have stereotyped Martians as invaders, as butchers, as sadists, as strange-looking monsters, and even as rapists of white women.
Hello, Humans
Our website has now launched, including our “About Us” page, which contains crucial information about our mission.
MAGAZINE ARTWORK BY JULIAN DARIUS
Green Thumbs
When Poison Ivy appears at my backyard gate the Martians offer bouquets of Virginia creeper and woven crowns of red-tongued honeysuckle. I’m so startled that Dr. Isley is in my garden— butterfly bush, tea roses,… [more]
One: Strain [of] Reflection
Net the tulips with their own wither. (It will fit better as the colors fade.) To black tripping white, pledge pieces of the fallen. Flatten the table’s surface pretending to be Columbus’ demise. We know… [more]
