Bravo Blast Entertainment – Custom WooCommerce Build & Web Comics System
Bravo Blast Entertainment, LLC is an independent comic publisher based in Smithboro, Illinois, producing titles like Bliss McKenzie: Time Traveler, British Steel, and X.XXXI.
Kenney Mesnard (Creative Director, Writer, and Colorist) reached out to me looking to upgrade their website. The existing site was pretty bare—limited content, no real structure, and a checkout experience that wasn’t doing them any favors.
Building a Solid Foundation from Scratch
Instead of trying to patch what was already there, I started fresh with a clean WordPress install and built a fully custom theme on a development server.
Once the design direction and color palette were locked in, I implemented:
- WooCommerce for eCommerce functionality
- Square for payment processing
- United States Postal Service integration for real-time shipping calculations
The result was a streamlined, easy-to-manage store that actually supports their products instead of getting in the way.
Custom Web Comics System (The Fun Part)
This was the standout feature.
Ken wanted the ability to publish web comics panel-by-panel, organized into chapters, without needing to mess with code every time he added content.
So I built a completely custom system using:
- A dedicated “Comics” custom post type
- Flexible content fields powered by Advanced Custom Fields
- A structure that allows individual panels, ordering, and chapter grouping
Now he can manage and publish comics directly from the WordPress admin like any other content—no hacks, no workarounds.
Hosting Without Breaking Email
They also wanted me to handle hosting, but didn’t want to disrupt their existing email setup.
No problem.
I had them update their DNS A records to point to my server, while leaving their MX records untouched. The site was migrated over cleanly with zero impact to email, and everything was up and running without downtime.
Ongoing Impact
This project is a good example of what I tend to do best—taking a rough idea (or a rough site), rebuilding it properly, and adding custom functionality that actually fits how the client works.
No bloated themes. No fighting the platform. Just a system that makes sense and is easy to manage long-term.