The Death Of Ragnarök
Rostam vs Thor
When Persia's mightiest hero collides with the thunder god of Asgard, you get The Death of Ragnarök, Vol. 1: Rostam vs. Thor. This story brings their two greatest champions face to face at last. Can they get beyond their vastly different languages and personalities, or are they fated to suffer the destructive consequences of simple misunderstandings?
THE STORY
When Persia's mightiest hero collides with the thunder god of Asgard, you get The Death of Ragnarök, Vol. 1: Rostam vs. Thor. Although these mythologies never met, the Vikings did sail down the Volga River and Caspian Sea to trade with, and sometimes raid, the Persian coast. This story brings their two greatest champions face to face at last. Can they get beyond their vastly different languages and personalities, or are they fated to suffer the destructive consequences of simple misunderstandings?
The goal of this 25-page epic comic is to bring to light the rich legends, myths, and history of pre-Islamic Iran and pre-Christian Scandinavia in a way that preserves the sacredness of when they were first told yet leave room for spectacular action.
ABOUT ME
I'm Behzad Afshar-Naseri. This comic began with a conversation.
I was talking with Robert Atkins about another Rostam story when he pointed out that Thor, like Rostam, is a mythological figure in the public domain. Marvel owns the version we see in the Avengers, but not the god himself. The moment he said it, the thought hit me: "What if Rostam and Thor met in the same comic?"
I was born in Iran in 1977, and we moved to Minnesota in 1978. Growing up, I loved the Minnesota Vikings and their players, and my mom told me stories of Rostam. I thought the two lived separately — that neither their cultures nor their heroes had ever crossed paths.
Fast forward, I left the US Navy in 2000 then attended Florida Gulf Coast University, where I studied English. I concentrated on Medieval English like The Canterbury Tales and Le Morte d'Arthur, Old English such as Beowulf, the Icelandic Sagas, and how much of Viking culture was preserved in the writings of the Arab diplomat Ahmad ibn Fadlan and the Persian geographer Ahmad ibn Rustah.
After several years teaching English around the world and starting a small business with my wife, I went back to school at the Savannah College of Art and Design for Sequential Art. I just graduated — and this will be my first comic!
MEET THE TEAM
Two emerging SCAD grads, backed by industry veterans who've drawn some of comics' most iconic characters.
Behzad Afshar-Naseri — Writer & Creator
Behzad is a writer and recent SCAD Sequential Art graduate making his comics debut with The Death of Ragnarök. Born in Iran and raised in Minnesota, he grew up between the Persian legends his mother told him and the Norse-rooted lore of his beloved Minnesota Vikings — the two mythological worlds that collide in this book. A Navy veteran with a background in English and medieval literature, he brings a lifetime of research and personal history to the story.
Nathan Tada — Interior Art & Cover A
Nathan Tada is an artist built for spectacle. A recent SCAD Sequential Art graduate, his work spans fairytale boxing, unicorn kaiju, superhero showdowns, and massive sci-fi cities — all rendered with a cinematic dynamism that makes every page feel like it's barely containing the action. His specialties in large-scale drama and mythological storytelling make him a natural fit for a clash between legendary figures, and his own deep interest in mythology means he's not just drawing these characters — he's a fan of the source material.
Robert Atkins believes Nathan has a future at Marvel. This is the book where it starts.
Edgar Wolv — Colors
Edgar Wolv is a graphic arts professor and colorist with over 20 years of experience across publishing, advertising, and sequential art. His collaborations include work for Rolling Stone Mexico, Panini Comics, and Electronic Gaming Monthly, and he served as a sequential colorist on storyboards for TV commercials across Mexico and Latin America.
A cancer survivor and published author in his own right, Edgar brings a rare combination of technical mastery and personal understanding of what it takes to bring a book to life. We're proud to have him painting the worlds of The Death of Ragnarök.
Dave Sharpe — Letters
Dave Sharpe brings over three decades of professional lettering to The Death of Ragnarök. A graduate of the Joe Kubert School, he began at Marvel in 1990, hand-lettering in the Marvel Bullpen, and went on to develop and lead Marvel's in-house lettering department. His credits span some of the biggest names in comics — Green Lantern, Action Comics, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, The Defenders, Spider-Girl, and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, among countless others across Marvel, DC, and a long list of independent publishers.
We're honored to have a letterer of Dave's caliber shaping the voice of this book.
with Robert Atkins — Cover B
Robert Atkins is best known as lead artist on IDW's G.I. Joe, where he drew the relaunch and created over 130 covers and more than 40 issues across the series. His Marvel credits include Amazing Spider-Man, Venom, Heroes for Hire, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and The Savage She-Hulk, with additional work on Legion of Super-Heroes for DC and Lara Croft and the Frozen Omen for Dark Horse. Beyond comics, he's created packaging art for NERF, Marvel Legends, and Star Wars.
A fellow SCAD graduate, Robert now teaches in the Sequential Art department — where he served as a mentor on this very project. We're thrilled to have him bringing his iconic style to Cover B.
THE REWARDS
THE SCROLL — Digital Edition
$5
The legend, delivered to your screen. Get the complete 25-page Death of Ragnarök: Rostam vs. Thor as a print-ready digital PDF, yours the moment it's finished.
Includes: Digital PDFCOVER A — Print Edition
$10
Hold the legend in your hands. A physical copy of the full comic with Cover A by Nathan Tada.
Includes: Physical comic (Cover A) + Digital PDFCOVER B — Print Edition
$15
The same epic clash, wrapped in an alternate cover by industry veteran Robert Atkins.
Includes: Physical comic (Cover B) + Digital PDFTHE COLLECTOR — Both Covers
$22
Why choose a side? Get both the Cover A and Cover B editions — the complete set.
Includes: Both physical comics + Digital PDFTHE CHAMPION — Comic + Cards
$50
Step into the arena. The full comic plus the Rostam & Thor character cards — two legends, two pantheons, one battle in your hands.
Includes: Cover A comic + Rostam & Thor character cards + Digital PDFTHE CHOSEN — Your Likeness (Limited to 2)
$75
The gods are watching, and now so are you. Everything above, plus your own likeness drawn into the pages of the comic.
Includes: Everything in The Champion + your likeness in the comicTHE MENTOR — Portfolio Review (Limited to 10)
$100
Learn from the next generation. Everything above, plus a one-on-one portfolio review with artist Nathan Tada.
Includes: Everything in The Chosen + portfolio review with Nathan TadaTHE PATRON — Original Page (Limited to 22)
$200
Own a piece of the saga. Everything above, plus an original hand-drawn interior page — one of a kind.
Includes: Everything in The Mentor + one original interior pageTHE LEGEND — Cover A Original (Only 1)
$600
The cover that started it all. Everything above, plus the original Cover A artwork by Nathan Tada.
Includes: Everything in The Patron + original Cover A artworkTHE IMMORTAL — Cover B Original (Only 1)
$1,000
Ascend to myth. Everything above, plus the original Cover B artwork by Robert Atkins — a one-of-a-kind centerpiece from a DC and Marvel veteran.
Includes: Everything in The Patron + original Cover B artwork
EARLY BIRD TIERS
COVER A — Early Bird (Limited to 25)
$7 (reg. $10)
Be among the first. Physical Cover A comic at our launch-day price.
Includes: Physical comic (Cover A) + Digital PDFTHE COLLECTOR — Early Bird (Limited to 25)
$20 (reg. $25)
Both covers at our launch-day price for the first 25 backers.
Includes: Both physical comics + Digital PDFTHE CHAMPION — Early Bird (Limited to 25)
$45 (reg. $50)
Comic + cards at our launch-day price for the first 25 backers.
Includes: Cover A comic + Rostam & Thor character cards + Digital PDFFIRST 20 BACKERS BONUS
The first 20 backers — at any tier — receive a signed face drawing by Nathan Tada.
ADD-ONS
CHALLENGE COIN — $25
A die-struck copper medallion: Rostam on one side (English & Persian), Thor on the other (English & Younger Futhark runes). A collector's piece commemorating the clash.ARTIST'S EDITION (Inks) — $15
The pure inks edition — Nathan Tada's linework as drawn, printed on 100% post-consumer recycled stock, with the artist's process notes. The craft beneath the color.ROSTAM & THOR CARDS — $10
The two-card character set, for backers who didn't grab The Champion tier.THE COMPLETER SET — $15
Four more character cards — Giv, Beowulf, the White Div, and Grendel's Mother. Complete your collection.
STRETCH GOALS
$3,000 — FUNDED!
We make the book. The Death of Ragnarök becomes real.$4,000 — DIGITAL WALLPAPER PACK
All backers receive a set of character wallpapers for phone and desktop.$5,000 — STICKER
A die-cut character sticker added to every physical reward.$6,000 — BOOKMARK
A themed bookmark added to every physical reward.$7,500 — ENAMEL PIN
A collectible enamel pin added to every physical reward.$10,000 — BONUS CHARACTER CARD
A brand-new character card added to The Champion tier and up.
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES
Every dollar you pledge goes directly into making this book real. Here's the honest breakdown:
Art & Creative Team — ~55%
The largest share goes where it should: to the artists. This covers Nathan Tada's pencils and inks across 25 pages plus character turnarounds, Robert Atkins' Cover B, coloring, and Dave Sharpe's lettering. As we hit higher funding levels, our inker's page rate goes up — so the more we raise, the more our artists are paid.Printing & Production — ~20%
Printing the physical comics, character cards, and reward items through Greener Printer, an eco-conscious printer using recycled stock and soy-based inks.Rewards & Fulfillment — ~12%
Producing and packing the stickers, cards, coins, and other rewards that go out to backers.Kickstarter & Processing Fees — ~8%
Kickstarter's platform fee (5%) and payment processing (3%).Buffer & Contingency — ~5%
Set aside for the unexpected — print overruns, shipping surprises, and the inevitable hiccups of a first campaign. Anything left over goes straight back into making the book better.
Note: Shipping is collected separately at checkout and goes entirely to delivering your rewards.
PRODUCTION TIMELINE — The Death of Ragnarök
We're not starting from scratch — the script is complete, character designs are finished, and Cover A is done before we even launch. Here's the road to delivery:
July – August 2026 — Interior art (inking) by Nathan Tada
August – September 2026 — Coloring
September – October 2026 — Lettering by Dave Sharpe
October 2026 — Printing with Greener Printer (eco-conscious, recycled stock)
November 2026 — Rewards ship to backers
November 20–22, 2026 — Premiere at Twin Cities Comic Con
We've built real buffer time into every stage, so we're confident in these dates.
SHIPPING
All rewards ship from Stillwater, Minnesota, USA. We'll pack and send every order personally — these books are going out from our hands to yours.
Shipping is charged separately from your pledge and is collected after the campaign through our pledge manager, once we confirm your address and final order. This keeps reward prices honest and means you only pay the actual cost of getting your rewards to you.
Estimated shipping costs:
United States — $4.50 for the comic, $6–$9 with extras
Canada — $12–$16 for the comic, $15–$20 with extras
UK & Europe — $15–$20 for the comic, $18–$25 with extras
Australia & New Zealand — $18–$25 for the comic, $22–$30 with extras
Original artwork and the challenge coin add weight and require protective packaging, so those tiers may carry slightly higher shipping.
A note for international backers: any customs fees, import duties, or VAT charged by your country are not included in shipping and are the backer's responsibility. We'll do our best to keep that smooth with accurate customs declarations.
We currently ship to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. If you're outside these regions and want to back the project, reach out and we'll see what we can do.
This is the book I didn't know I'd wanted to make my whole life — the two heroes of my childhood, finally meeting on the page. It started with a single "what if?" and became the thing I'm most proud of.
I can't make it without you. Back the campaign, pick the rewards that speak to you, and help a first-time creator and a remarkable team bring this story to life. Every pledge, every share, every bit of word-of-mouth gets us closer.
Thank you for being here at the very beginning.