A ferocious battle, Jonah being swallowed by a whale, founding fathers forging a nation, Christ’s resurrection. It’s all available in scenes so realistic you could swear they are real people, if not real actors.

Welcome to the world of artificial intelligence at Kingstone.com, the company that captured the Bible in comic book form and is now latching onto technology that moves so rapidly it seems to evolve every week.

Stephen Soltau, the company’s design director, makes it sound simple. He says he “teaches” software available from Google and other tech giants to make created images come alive, dresses them in period costumes, makes them talk, and ensures there’s no awkward lip sync, like the kind once seen in old Japanese monster movies.

There are both challenges and opportunities. Sometimes AI has “hallucinations,” where it goes off and does its own thing. “I make sure there is consistency,” he says — like maintaining the same-colored beard on a recurring character.

Sometimes it’s a matter of figuring things out on the fly, such as how to make a hammer look like a hammer and how a character should use it. Like a hammer, Soltau says, AI is simply another tool for the publisher.

Founder and CEO Art Ayris is a busy man. The longtime executive pastor of First Baptist Church of Leesburg has also written and produced two feature-length films for Kingstone — The Touch and, more recently, No Vacancy. Both films are based on the life-changing missions of the church’s Christian Care Center, which treats drug and alcohol addiction, feeds the hungry, shelters homeless families, and offers free healthcare, pregnancy care, and other vital services.

Kingstone is also working with another company that is animating its comic books. Beyond reaching young people with the Scriptures in illustrated form, Ayris is also using storytelling to present American history in a compelling and accessible way.

He says he has been disheartened by what he calls “leftist revisionist histories.” His response? “We want kids to understand and love America.”

“Our best seller is The U.S. Constitution,” Ayris says.

It’s also been one of Soltau’s favorite projects. Political opponents are often divided into two camps — originalists and living constitutionalists — but Soltau says Kingstone’s version is “based on facts.”

The book was written in consultation with historians and fact-checkers, he adds. “The concept,” Soltau says, “is, ‘How did we get here?’”

In graphic novel form, the book explains each amendment and the latest applicable Supreme Court ruling. The Second Amendment, for instance, delves into the ongoing debate over gun regulation, referencing the 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, which affirmed individual gun ownership rights while allowing certain restrictions.

One caption reads: “Heller cleared up much, but many questions remain. For instance, how far can government regulations go in making it difficult to qualify for gun ownership?”

It also explores the enduring discussions surrounding the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech, the press, and religion. A narrator character summarizes the issue by stating, “The First Amendment is not freedom FROM religion. It is freedom FOR religion.”

The book’s cover captures the message perfectly: the narrator holds the written document surrounded by the founding fathers, while protesters on opposing sides shake their fists in front of the Capitol.

Another major Kingstone project, America, Part 1, was released on July 4th.

“AI allows a little company in Leesburg to do big things,” Ayris said.

The technology is also helping reduce production costs for consumers, who can now go to Kingstone.com to download or stream content for just $1.99.