The Finger Lakes region offers a tranquil retreat from the hustle and bustle of Broadway or Hollywood, yet even small towns have big stories to tell — at least, David Ebeltoft certainly thinks so. Ebeltoft, a comic book author and screenwriter living in Corning, is enjoying a remarkable year.
About 15 years ago, Ebeltoft changed careers to become a self-taught screenwriter.
“I went to a bookstore and read the forward to every single screenwriting book on the shelves,” he said. “At the core of everything is a great story.”
Ebeltoft’s tenacity paid dividends. Upon completing his maiden screenplay, he was introduced to up-and-coming director Rod Blackhurst. While that project faltered, their friendship endured. Several years later, they had something more promising. Directed by Blackhurst and filmed in the forests of New York’s Southern Tier, Ebeltoft’s film “Here Alone” earned accolades at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016 and secured a Netflix release.
“That allowed the film and screenwriting doors to open for me,” he said, “and I was able to wedge my foot in before they could close again.”
Ebeltoft couldn’t have predicted that eight years later he’d be standing on the Montana prairie chatting with “Game of Thrones” legend Kit Harington, but he has the photo to prove it. Released in April 2024, “Blood for Dust” is Ebeltoft’s third feature film, starring Harington alongside Scoot McNairy and Josh Lucas.
Resembling gritty Texan crime thrillers like “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water,” “Blood for Dust” is a story of friendship, desperation and bad decisions. But for Ebeltoft, who grew up in North Dakota, the frigid northern winter imbues the film with a chilling gravitas that can’t be matched.
A measure of silver screen success now assured, Ebeltoft has redirected his focus to a different facet of pop culture: comic books. Once an avid teenage comic enthusiast, Ebeltoft felt he had strayed from the path when he became more interested in literature and film, but has since reignited his passion for comic collecting.
“There's no limit to your imagination with comics,” he said.
Through a mutual connection, Ebeltoft met Los Angeles-based comic writer Jordan Hart and their collaboration began.
“We felt we should put our hat in the creator ring,” Ebeltoft said. “Jordan had a few comics under his belt already, but I was super excited to think about comics as a new campfire to tell a story around.”
The result is a five-issue release, “The Cabinet.” It features a young female heroine, Avani, who is loosely inspired by Ebeltoft’s spouse. With vibrant visuals by Italian artist Chiara Raimondi, “The Cabinet” is a wickedly funny, inventive odyssey chronicling Avani’s attempts to save the world from an evil entity with her mystical 17th-century cabinet.
“I wanted this to be a fun adventure series, quite departed from my very dark film work,” Ebeltoft said. “I wanted a warm, fuzzy feeling in my gut, and I wanted my wife and my kids to have that, too.”
Since the comic’s spring publication, Ebeltoft has toured regional comic book conventions, promoting “The Cabinet” and meeting local fans. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, reminding him that connecting locally — even from the Finger Lakes — can spark global connections, too.
“Living in the Finger Lakes allows me to take these big emotional stories that have a universal resonance but keep them within the small area that I know, love and draw inspiration from,” said Ebeltoft. “It’s a unique perspective because, let’s be honest, this is a really unique area.”
Jon Heath is a contributor to CITY.
About 15 years ago, Ebeltoft changed careers to become a self-taught screenwriter.
“I went to a bookstore and read the forward to every single screenwriting book on the shelves,” he said. “At the core of everything is a great story.”
- Comic book author and screenwriter David Ebeltoft lives in Corning.
“That allowed the film and screenwriting doors to open for me,” he said, “and I was able to wedge my foot in before they could close again.”
Ebeltoft couldn’t have predicted that eight years later he’d be standing on the Montana prairie chatting with “Game of Thrones” legend Kit Harington, but he has the photo to prove it. Released in April 2024, “Blood for Dust” is Ebeltoft’s third feature film, starring Harington alongside Scoot McNairy and Josh Lucas.
Resembling gritty Texan crime thrillers like “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water,” “Blood for Dust” is a story of friendship, desperation and bad decisions. But for Ebeltoft, who grew up in North Dakota, the frigid northern winter imbues the film with a chilling gravitas that can’t be matched.
- ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED.
- The cover of "The Cabinet," a five-issue comic release from Ebeltoft and Los Angeles-based comic writer Jordan Hart.
“There's no limit to your imagination with comics,” he said.
Through a mutual connection, Ebeltoft met Los Angeles-based comic writer Jordan Hart and their collaboration began.
“We felt we should put our hat in the creator ring,” Ebeltoft said. “Jordan had a few comics under his belt already, but I was super excited to think about comics as a new campfire to tell a story around.”
The result is a five-issue release, “The Cabinet.” It features a young female heroine, Avani, who is loosely inspired by Ebeltoft’s spouse. With vibrant visuals by Italian artist Chiara Raimondi, “The Cabinet” is a wickedly funny, inventive odyssey chronicling Avani’s attempts to save the world from an evil entity with her mystical 17th-century cabinet.
- ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED.
- A page from “The Cabinet.”
“I wanted this to be a fun adventure series, quite departed from my very dark film work,” Ebeltoft said. “I wanted a warm, fuzzy feeling in my gut, and I wanted my wife and my kids to have that, too.”
Since the comic’s spring publication, Ebeltoft has toured regional comic book conventions, promoting “The Cabinet” and meeting local fans. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, reminding him that connecting locally — even from the Finger Lakes — can spark global connections, too.
“Living in the Finger Lakes allows me to take these big emotional stories that have a universal resonance but keep them within the small area that I know, love and draw inspiration from,” said Ebeltoft. “It’s a unique perspective because, let’s be honest, this is a really unique area.”
Jon Heath is a contributor to CITY.
