A Kickstarter campaign launched by Voyage Comics is turning the fearless life of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz into a vibrant new comic book. Titled Fear Nothing: The Heroic Life of Father Al, the project aims to introduce young readers to a real-life hero whose mission across continents mirrored the courage of his childhood comic book idols.
Father Al, born in Washington, D.C., in 1930, was no stranger to struggle. Inspired early on by wartime comic books like Boy Commandos, he felt a pull not just toward action, but toward sacrificial service.
That call led him into the priesthood and out into the world — eventually founding the international charity World Villages for Children and building schools and orphanages in South Korea, the Philippines, and Mexico.
But his journey wasn’t without opposition. Fear Nothing dramatizes his stand-offs with political forces, poverty, and illness — portraying him as a saint-in-the-making who never backed down from injustice.
It’s the fifth installment in Voyage Comics’ series spotlighting North American saints and Catholic figures whose legacies still echo today.
Voyage Comics, founded in 2018 by Aleteia’s writer Philip Kosloski, is known for its creative storytelling that bridges faith and popular culture. With Kosloski writing and a team of top-tier artists — including veterans from Marvel and DC — Fear Nothing blends spiritual depth with high-impact visuals.
“This isn’t just a biography in panels,” says Kosloski. “It’s an invitation for young readers to see holiness as heroic.”
Indeed, Father Al’s life could rival any action film. As detailed in Kevin Wells’ acclaimed biography Priest and Beggar, he battled tuberculosis, bureaucratic red tape, and personal isolation. Yet he established safe havens for thousands of at-risk children — known as Boystowns and Girlstowns — staffed by the Sisters of Mary, the religious community he founded.
The comic also includes opportunities for supporters to get involved. Kickstarter backers can sponsor books for children in Father Al’s programs or even visit one of the schools in Mexico — complete with a pilgrimage stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Father Al was declared “Venerable” by Pope Francis in 2015, a key step in the path toward sainthood. With this new comic book, his story is poised to reach a new generation — many of whom might discover that true heroism doesn’t wear a cape, but lives a life of love, service, and faith.
For readers used to seeing Catholic figures in stained glass, Fear Nothing offers a fresh take: a man in motion, armed not with superpowers, but the Gospel.
