140521_25599_640A West Virginia State University professor’s latest graphic novel is a supernatural horror story intertwined with environmental issues.

Set in the southern West Virginia coalfields, “Carbon,” was written by Danny Boyd, an assistant professor of communications. It tells the story of what happens when an evil coal operator unwittingly awakens and releases a cursed and banished underground civilization onto the surface and the only thing that stands in the way of the end of the world is a disgraced, ex-pro baseball pitcher and a community of courageous coal miners, according to a news release.

“I have been thinking about this for story for nearly 10 years,” said Boyd, who during that time has transitioned from a successful movie-making career into creating award-winning graphic novels. “The primary goal is to entertain, but the story also reflects many real and complicated issues that face the coal industry today.”

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