Recently on our Comm Talk by Geek Devotions podcast, Dallas sat down with Ron McKinney, founder of Studio BLESS, to talk about their incredible new anime project, Ascension After. This series brings a faith-filled, visually stunning perspective to the events of Revelation, blending biblical truth with the artistry and emotion of anime. In our conversation, we walked through the questions below, and even more that didn’t make it into this article.

If you love anime, storytelling, and seeing faith brought to life through art, you won’t want to miss this one.

🎧 Listen to the Podcast Episode

📺 Watch the Interview on YouTube

Questions and Answers

Question (Dallas – Geek Devotions): What is Studio BLESS and what is Ascension After?

Answer (Ron McKinney – Studio BLESS):
Studio BLESS is a studio that inspires faith through visual storytelling. Our headline project, Ascension After follows the events of the book of Revelation from the Bible from the dual perspective of John the Apostle in the late 1st century who receives visions of the end of time as we know, and Darius Wayman, a modern-day teen who is experiencing the prophecies in real time.

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Question: You’re obviously an anime fan. What’s the top anime that inspired you personally—and which anime has helped inspire Ascension After?

Answer:
The anime that has inspired me the most hands down would be Naruto. Growing up alongside Naruto as a kid and then later as a teenager through Shippuden and now as an adult, it felt like I was watching a brother of mine win. That show has spoken to me deeply about idleness and being alone and what you choose to do with those feelings. And we see that through the different paths that Naruto and Sasuke take and how it shaped and molded the lives around them. I can write a thesis about how much Naruto means to me.

As far as Ascension After, there are a few anime that inspired the story with the forerunner being Attack on Titan. Not many shows can grab the viewers’ attention and not only keep but build momentum over the course of the story, and Attack on Titan does it nearly flawlessly. The stakes are high, it’s a serious plot with room to breathe, and it makes you care about the characters and wondering what’s next. So when you see the first episode of Ascension After, you will see some influence of Attack on Titan for sure.

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Question: We see what you’re doing, but the real question is why are you creating this anime? What is the heart and purpose of it?

Answer:
The heart behind everything that we do and produce at Studio BLESS is to create faith-based content that not only shares the gospel and its message but does it of quality and excellence. The goal is that even if one person is saved or impacted by what we do, then all the hard work is worth it.

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Question: Like you, I’m a fan of and inspired by Todd McFarlane’s work. What specifically about his story has inspired how you handle Studio BLESS?

Answer:
The whole story behind how Todd first started in college striving to become an artist and being rejected over 300 times, to then creating one of if not the best runs of Spiderman ever, to then going on to create Image Comics and more, it’s all very inspiring to me. I love how he is able to adapt to whatever scenario he is in and finds a way to move forward without losing quality or his love for creating. Also seeing how he was able to pivot his art into business has really helped me see how far we could go with Studio BLESS if we continue to honor the Lord in all that we do.

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Question: If, as a Christian, I wanted to recommend your anime to my non-Christian friends, what can I tell them about it that would catch their attention?

Answer:
The first thing I would suggest is that you should show them the teaser trailer and let the work speak for itself. Speaking directly I would start off with saying “You know, there is this really cool anime about to come out about the world ending.” That normally raises a few eyebrows.

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Question: You spent several years just getting to this point. In your interview with Elijah from Anime Relatable, you mentioned that during this time, the Lord really challenged you to not work on your own work and focus only on what He has for you. That dedication to obey is inspiring. What did you do to help keep yourself accountable to that process?

Answer:
I reminded myself daily that I am not only doing this for me, but for the people around me, and the people that we would eventually reach with Studio BLESS. That year I didn’t mention why I wasn’t taking any commission work because the Lord told me not to. To see if I would honor His word and trust Him in it. So it took a lot of nights praying that this would work out, and staying true to the vision and calling that He gave me.

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Question: In your interview with Rapzilla, you mentioned that after your near-death experience and a dream from God, your art shifted dramatically overnight. That kind of transformation is powerful. How do you stay spiritually grounded now to keep creating from that same place of purpose and not slip back into just creating for the sake of content?

Answer:
I am constantly reminded in the scripture to use my gifts and talents to honor God and serve the people that are given to me to serve. I pray often that if I become puffed up or think higher of myself than I ought that God would strip me of this project. I’d rather be apart from Studio BLESS and watch it flourish in holiness and prosperity than to steward it with evil intentions and watch it crash and burn. So this thought keeps me in line and reminds me that I am ultimately a tool to tell people about Jesus, and to me that’s all that matters.

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Question: How do you discern the difference between a creative idea that’s just cool and one that’s truly God-inspired?

Answer:
Well firstly it’s kinda like this tingle I get if I discern if it’s God-inspired or not. Like I’ll have an idea with Godly concepts but won’t get a feeling, and other times a thought will pop up and it’s an overwhelming feeling that I can’t quite explain. Then I take the idea and line it up against scripture and make sure it’s sound biblically. If it passes those steps I create until I come up with something that I am satisfied with and get critique from trusted peers.