Education

Masters has established himself as a force in both the indie film and indie comic industries. His journey, marked by relentless passion for storytelling, which has made him a unique figure on the scene. Nathyn Brendan Masters' artistic journey began at Columbia College Chicago, where he honed his skills in film/video and writing. This academic foundation equipped him with the technical prowess and narrative insight necessary to navigate and innovate within the creative industries. Masters' education was not merely a pursuit of knowledge but a launchpad for his ambitious career.

Founding Night Phoenix Press

In 2006, Masters founded Night Phoenix Press, a comic book company that would become the primary outlet for his creative endeavors with the superhero comic Night Phoenix being the titular character the company would be built around, publishing his urban fantasy comic "Epitaph: Beginning of the End". While Masters originally envisioned "Night Phoenix" as the central hub of Night Phoenix Press, most characters would be introduced in the Epitaph books which boasted a diverse cast of characters including Victor Locke, a demon hunter and paranormal investigator born with supernatural strength and power, who would become the new star of the Night Phoenix Press Universe. The series was revamped in 2009 with artist Joseph Canave and colorists Kayla Swain, Tricia Cunningham, and Lelia Pacheco to breathe new life into the series. This not only improved the visual aesthetics but also allowed Masters to reintroduce and develop key characters, Victor Locke, Zombie Girl, Nightevil and Damious. Later Masters' would write and draw the first three issues of Victor Locke Demon Hunter, and Decoy, which introduced Etsuji Hayashi, a man who was killed by vampires and after making a deal with Heaven was resurrected with vampire-like powers to hunt vampires, this series also introduced readers to ex-Sisterhood of Lilith Breeders Rahaab Diab, Katrina Knox, Jill Morgan, and soul collector Soul Fyre. These additions enriched the Night Phoenix Press universe, adding layers of complexity and intrigue.

Filmmaking

Masters' talents extend beyond the realm of comics. He ventured back into filmmaking, leveraging his YouTube channel as a platform to showcase his work. In 2013, he wrote, produced and directed "Epitaph: Bread and Salt", based on the Epitaph comic wherein he portrayed Victor Locke. He later changed the comic series name to "Epitaph Bread and Salt", but this change came years later, too late to capitalize on the movie which had gained over a million view before it's removal from Youtube. Master created several more films including "The Perfect Letter", "Crisis Function" an Epitaph spin-off called "Beauty Secrets" (retitled Epitaph: Beauty Secrets) about Amanda Gray a human test subject for Frank Stein Industries who suffers a deadly complication from a beauty product and is hunted so she doesn't blow the whistle on the bio-tech company. Masters also shot a real time, no-budget thriller called Ambient Evil and also directed and starred in a Crisis Function spin-off called Transit, an action horror project based on two short projects he produced and inspired by the 2002 Jason Stratham movie "The Transporter" and the "Elevator Game" ritual game creepypasta.

Recent Works and Future Projects

In 2017, Masters undertook the ambitious project of remastering all his books, initially offering them on Amazon and Comixology before pulling them for further refinement aimed at crowdfunding and direct sales. This continuous process of innovation and improvement reflects Masters' dedication to delivering the highest quality content to his audience.

From 2018 to 2020, Night Phoenix Press released several significant works, including Victor Locke Demon Hunter: Demon Noir, the collected edition of Epitaph Bread and Salt "Beginning of the End" Collected and an extended version of Hexcraft Mechanics: Ultimate Control (formerly Epitaph: Ultimate Control). These releases introduced new characters and expanded the universe Masters had meticulously crafted.

Masters has currently written and produced CurseRisen: Communion of the Fallen, a reboot of the Epitaph comics under a common moniker tying the strands from all the Epitaph and Hexcraft Mechanics books together under this one line of comics, making it easier for new readers to get into the books and easier to market. The first two issues were experimental and done via his in-house graphic design company Blackout Texture Shop, which has expanded into generative AI. The books were produced using AI art, human editing and page design. He also created two AI art books based on his comic characters called Monstergirl AI with a third one on the way. Masters returned to traditional drawing with a badgirl comic called Darc! and the upcoming CurseRisen: Unification Series, Breeder one-shot, and the Victor Locke Demon Hunter Reboots set for 2025.

One of Masters' most exciting projects set for 2024 is the sci-fi, supernatural, superhero, escape horror role-playing game Blastback Core. Set in the Night Phoenix Press universe and designed as an open-source d20 game, encouraging fans to create and profit from their own content. This innovative approach not only expands the Night Phoenix Press universe but also fosters a collaborative community of creators.