Eric Cooper promotes his Knight Seeker books Oct. 30, 2010 at Classics Bookstore in Trenton. (Photo by Monica Haley.)

By Timmy Waldron

Eric Cooper stood outside Classics Bookstore dressed in a form-fitting Lycra outfit, his shaved head polished and shiny.

Before him on a table were spread comics and novels. Looking at the comic covers, then back up at the man, it was possible to see a resemblance — author Eric Cooper was dressed as Knight Seeker, the superhero he created.

The Knight Seeker novels chronicle the adventures of Nygel Spinner, a Trenton native, who is imbued with superpowers while working on the roof of a local downtown building.

Cooper, 35, a Ewing resident, spoke with fans and introduced the uninitiated to the universe he created. It’s a universe filled with heroes, villains, aliens and everyday people. And, of course, a main character who was created in Cooper’s own image.

“No other creator I know of has based a character on himself,” Cooper said. “I’m the first of my kind.”

When exploring the Knight Seeker novels, readers quickly discover a unique world, not often found in other superhero stories. The ethnically diverse cast stands out amongst Cooper’s homogenized counterparts elsewhere in the comics industry.

“Diversity in comic books and Sci-Fi doesn’t exist,” he said. “I wanted to create a world with multicultural characters, because it seemed right. It made the stories more realistic.”

Spinner is a middle-class, African-American college student, who works for a local news station. It was important to Cooper to create a hero that reflected a segment of the population which seemed to be under-represented in the superhero world.

“In comics you usually see characters that are really poor or really rich,” he explained. “So many of the contemporary costumed heroes were born out of extreme situations, the thing that makes Knight Seeker different is that for him, it’s a choice. There’s no trauma that made him become a super hero.”

Cooper decided to use Trenton as the backdrop for the character’s origin.

“There was a need for New Jersey to have a superhero that brought pride to the state,” he said. “We have a lot of great things here and no one promotes it.”

But the Knight Seeker’s adventures aren’t confined to the Garden State. Cooper’s books take place in New York, Philadelphia, and reach far across the globe. His character’s stories take place back in time and even in space. The writing has a cinematic feel that makes for action packed reading. Fans have frequently told Cooper that they feel as if they are reading a movie, not a book. But, it’s not all action. There are lessons to be learned in each of his novels.

“The first book, Knight Seeker, is about learning to appreciate yourself and the people around you. The second book, Crimes of Passion, is about looking at one’s faith and finding out what you believe in, and what you can accomplish,” Cooper said.

Those underlying messages make the stories not only enjoyable to read, but life affirming as well.

Cooper has become a regular fixture at comic book conventions all across the country, where he frequently appears in costume, as Knight Seeker.

“I get a great reception there,” he said. “People seem really interested in the character.”

From these appearances he has drawn the attention of an army of artists who now contribute to his books. His novels are illustrated with key scenes appearing every few chapters. Cooper sees the marriage of his words and the artists’ illustrations as a cutting edge way of telling superhero stories. It’s an innovation that he calls a “Caption Book”, another first for the Knight Seeker franchise.

Beyond the books, there is much more on the horizon for Cooper and his character. He is presently working with 12 voice actors on an audio book version of the first novel and writing a script for a short film version of Knight Seeker. There is a Knight Seeker comic book, created independently, but with Eric’s approval. The writer and artist team of Keith Thomas and Blair Smith have produced one issue, with a second on the way. When asked how he was able to bring all these people to the Knight Seeker Empire, Cooper said it was because of his reputation for actually finishing the work. With all these Knight Seeker projects in production, it might not be too long before we see Trenton’s own superhero on the silver screen.

Find out more about Eric Cooper and his Knight Seeker books on his website: http://www.knightseeker.com.