Marshawn Lynch Has a, "Beast Mode 510," Comic Coming

Marshawn Lynch is known for many things. Being a former Pro Football player and loving Skittles enough that they hired him and made ad campaigns poking fun at how much he usually hates press conferences are two fun aspects of Lynch. Also, he has acted and is a fan of comics enough that he's partnered with AWA to release, "Beast Mode 510," as was recently announced. That is, of course, a nickname he earned through his superb playing of football, and it makes a pretty good name for a superhero comic as well. The number comes from how it is, "Set in the heart of the 510," as AWA's website about the comic discusses. Set to release as an original graphic novel this October (you can preorder it via Amazon or at your local bookstore),  the plot involves a superhero (who looks a lot like Marshawn Lynch) invovled in, "What begins as a surprise birthday celebration for his mother [that] spirals into a globe-spanning conspiracy involving missing young women, Silicon Valley corruption, Yakuza assassins, reptilian billionaires, and a million-dollar bounty on his head."

"Beast Mode 510," features a great creative team, including Axel Alonso (formerly of Marvel), Marshawn Lynch, and Sheldon Allen on plotting, plus the amazing Denys Cowan on art and Dexter Vines providing inks. Chris Sotomayor is the colorist with AndWorld Design, serving as letterer. My curiosity is piqued, and I look forward to hearing more about this comic as the release date nears!

The, "ILLuminati," Kickstarter Has Some Superb Talent Involved!

I've talked about a number of Kickstarters this week, but I guess there have just been some really snazzy ones lately. That said, there is a new Kickstarter campaign for, "ILLuminati: A Thriller Where Hip-Hop & Comics Collide." It is an original comic being made in a partnership between the publisher AWA and radio personality/author/all-around cool guy Charlamagne Tha God. A number of fantastic talents are involved in bringing this comic to life, including Sanford Greene, Bill Sienkiewicz, Bryan Edward Hill, Denys Cowan, and more! The story focuses on, "When a rising hip-hop star dies under mysterious circumstances, her twin sister, a young woman with psychic abilities, journeys to the City of Angels for answers and becomes enmeshed in a dark conspiracy that snakes its way through the pillars of power, fame, and pop culture."

Charlamagne has talked plenty of times about his fondness for comic books so this isn't a case where a celebrity pretends to be involved in a book, he really worked hard with a team to create this 128-page original graphic novel and it looks really cool. I'd encourage folks to check out the campaign on Kickstarter whether they want to back at a lower level and get a digital copy, or go for the notable variant covers and other cool rewards! I've already backed it and I'm excited that's it already well past its goal!

Mad Cave Studios Has Expanded to Lunar For Distribution; The Trend Continues

I wrote earlier this month about how AWA was expanding their comic distribution beyond Diamond to also work with Lunar. I discussed how it seemed like there was a trend where--if I may quote myself--"I'm pretty sure these publishers who are sticking with Diamond but also willing to work with Lunar and/or PRH are hedging their bets on Diamond's comic division folding or otherwise not being used by a chunk of stores." Now, Mad Cave Studios will be working with Lunar as well as Diamond. More publishers expanding to other distributors. Bets are getting hedged.

I honestly think that even if folks hate Diamond, they do need them for the distribution of a chunk of stuff, but ever since 2020 (which seems like eons ago) Diamond has lost its once firm grip on the comic distribution market as the sole entity. As long as Image and a variety of other publishers stick with Diamond as their sole distributor their comic division will struggle along. Plus, many comic and comic/collectible stores will need Diamond for a variety of items besides comics. Still, times are rapidly changing.

AWA to Expand Distribution to Lunar and I See a Trend

In these new comic-book distribution wars, you've got three major parties. Diamond once was the sole monopoly, but now finds itself, "On the ropes," as it were with Image and a few smaller publishers solely using it. Meanwhile, Lunar has DC and some small publishers who utilize it with Diamond. Then, there is Penguin Random House and its immense growth in the comic-book space (they already were known for their book distribution) thanks to taking on Marvel as a client and now soon having IDW and Dark Horse within its fold. This makes the news that another little publisher known as Artists, Writers, and Artisans (AWA) is going to be distributing with Lunar now but still sticking with Diamond too at first blush seem like small news. However, it makes me feel like I can sniff out a plan of some sort being enacted by a number of publishers.

I'm pretty sure these publishers who are sticking with Diamond but also willing to work with Lunar and/or PRH are hedging their bets on Diamond's comic division folding or otherwise not being used by a chunk of stores. I have my own anecdotal evidence that comic shops hate Diamond and you can find most folks who sell comics saying they despise Diamond on the internet or such. When stores have the option to buy from a publisher via a method other than Diamond they will often take it. Many a shop has told me if Image dumped Diamond they'd probably not bother with it at all outside of specific customer orders from any small publishers that happen to only use Diamond.

If Image leaves Diamond...hoo boy.

Comic-book publishers want to be sure if Diamond's comic division folds or more shops outright quit using Diamond that they can still get distributed in shops. Making sure you have a deal cut with another distributor that releases comics stores basically have to sell (DC and Marvel) ensures you'll at least be an option when the time comes for a store to place an order. I could be reading into all this too much, but the way everything is going with comic-book distribution I feel like this is less of me having a hunch and more of me noticing a subtle trend. Time will tell.

Bill Jemas Founds, "Be Good Studios," and Leaves AWA

I was just talking about Joe Quesada leaving Marvel and now it is time to discuss good ol' Bill Jemas. He's always up to something. Whether he's working at Marvel, attempting to launch a storytelling universe for Double Take out of an old zombie flick (those honestly weren't bad comics), or creating AWA with another former Marvel employee, Axel Alonso. It seems Jemas is ready to move on again, leaving AWA to found Be Good Studios. This break may not be as cordial as Quesada's with Marvel, as Jemas seems to throw some shade at AWA in a press statement about how Be Good Studios will be an, "...entertainment business owned and operated by the artists, writers, and artisans who show and tell the stories and work for the business." 

Apparently, this new business will involve NFTs  (everyone knows I am not fond of those) and Web 3--whatever that actually is. Seeing Jemas get involved with these buzzword concepts gives me pause, but when Bill Jemas is doing something it is bound to make waves even if I'm not the target audience for it. I've previously said, "Bill Jemas is a man who seems to either achieve incredible success or astounding failure. No matter how things go they are always interesting, and he always has plans." This latest news further illustrates that and I wish Jemas the best in his newest venture.

Charlamange Tha God Will be Developing Comics

I'm a big fan of the radio show, "The Breakfast Club," which has Charlamange Tha God as a host. I also really enjoyed, "Tha God's Honest Truth," a show he hosted and which will be returning for another season this Summer. He's discussed his fondness for comic books on multiple occasions and now is going to be getting into the comic-book business. Charlamange will be working with Simon and Schuster as well as AWA to develop ideas and get talent to create various titles. He's already tapped Kevin Grevioux to do a new graphic novel for Simon and Schuster called, "Darkstorm," about, "...a reluctant superhero with PTSD who is seen as an anti-hero except to those who know him best." 

That synopsis sounds a little generic but Grevioux is a good writer so I'm optimistic about it. A comic that will be coming from AWA  is, "The Vindicators," and it centers on a, "...diverse superhero team and a relatable origin story set in a bleak dystopian future." I've enjoyed other stuff by Grevioux that I have read and I am a fan of Charlamange's work so my interest is quite piqued in all of this. I look forward to reading the upcoming comics and imagine Charlamange will discuss them on his radio show and when his television program returns.

That, "Chariot," Comic is a Great Read

I consider friend of the blog Bryan Edward Hill to be a talented guy. He writes good comics ("American Carnage," was one of my favorites of 2019) and is really fun to talk to--as my interview with him shows. One of his latest comics, "Chariot," got some buzz when it was optioned after some issues came out, but movie-stuff aside, it is simply a fantastic comic. Published by AWA, it is written by Hill with art by Priscilla Petraites, "Chariot," is kind of like a sci-fi spy thriller meets, "Knight Rider," if the car were a female and didn't hesitate to kill people (bad guys though, the car isn't just blatantly homicidal).

Hill throws a ton of ideas on the wall in, "Chariot," and they, amazingly enough, all stick. You've got a down-on-his-luck ex-con struggling to get by, sisters dependent upon technology in different ways (one has become the car the other is like an organic-mech hybrid), a sick kid, lots of gunfights and car chases, and despite a lot of this stuff sounding a bit formulaic, Hill brings it all together in a way that feels fresh. It's like he takes a bunch of boilerplate ideas that are uninspired by themselves, but when all smashed together make a delicious stew of weirdness that pleases your palate.

Plenty of praise must be given to Petraites as well. People will tell you that comic-books are difficult to really show car-related action in. She excels at making everything feel like it is truly in motion, however. Plus, with a mix of genres happening she doesn't miss a beat whether it's grounded or surreal imagery. She can draw everything from a dingy junkyard to a sleek and surreal computer-world, and both look awesome. There is no, "Clash," of style, everything just blends perfectly whether it's grimy gunfights or high-tech vehicles darting down roads.

"Chariot," was a five-issue mini-series and it hints that more volumes could be coming in the future. The book wraps-up some plot points but leaves other mysteries dangling in a tantalizing manner. I know after how much I enjoyed this (apparently first) volume of, "Chariot," I would be eager for more. Now we just need to see if the optioned adaptation will be as good as the comic!

5 out of 5 stars (for all five issues overall).

Endpaper Entertainment is the Newest Comic Publisher to Emerge on the Scene

The last couple of years have seen a number of promising new publishers emerge on the scene. You've got AWA, Bad Idea, and others I'm sure I am forgetting. Now, a bunch of comic industry pros have gotten together and formed Endpaper Entertainment. They have plans to "...develop content and properties for multiple media platforms and genres, including film, TV, comics, prose, audio, gaming, and merchandise. Genres are similarly wide, from mystery to SF to YA." A new publisher isn't always that notable, but one member of the executive team caught my eye for a very specific reason that makes me think Endpaper could have some legs. That name? James Killen. 

There was a point where James Killen was arguably one of the more powerful people in the comic-book publishing market because he was Barnes & Noble’s buyer for science fiction, fantasy, graphic novels, and games. If your comic publisher was hoping to get the trade paperback of your comic into the last big bookstore chain, Killen was who you talked to. Now, he was laid-off from the position when Barnes and Noble did a business restructuring a year or so ago, but here is now, with a ton of connections and industry knowledge about how to get a comic-book paperback or hardcover into major bookstores. 

Killen maybe doesn't have too much insider knowledge for floppies, but any collections or original graphic novels are sure to benefit from the multitude of people he knows from years of experience. There are other execs and veterans here, but seeing Killen's name makes me think Endpaper Entertainment could grow into a force to be reckoned with. You never know.

Bill Jemas Always Has Interesting Plans

Bill Jemas is an interesting man. He did a lot for Marvel in the early 2000s to save the company, later on launched a fascinating comic-universe for the video-game publisher Double Take that ended up sadly dying a nasty death due to corporate infighting, and then someone gave him a lot of money to recruit other folks with comic knowledge and AWA was formed. In a tragic twist, almost right after the week after AWA started releasing comics (the ones I read are pretty fun) Diamond shut down comic distribution. That hasn't stopped Jemas and AWA, however. While some publishers are dramatically scaling-back ideas for titles to publish, Jemas is a man who always has plans. They are trying to hire those with skills in journalism and nonfiction writing for undisclosed projects (e.g. comics that aren't announced yet).

Bill Jemas is a man who seems to either achieve incredible success or astounding failure. No matter how things go they are always interesting, and he always has plans. I'm quite interested in seeing what he does next. Plus, I'm a journalist and have a pitch for a vaguely autobiographical comic focused on a shlubby blogger who ends up solving mysteries such as, "Who finished the almond milk?" Hire me for a project, Bill, you (most likely) won't regret it!

This New Comic-Book Publisher Is Off To a Really Bad Start

Comic-book publishers come-and-go with startling frequency. Some have been here for decades and are quite stable but others pop-up, make some books (if they are lucky) and then go bankrupt and fade away. For every new publisher who looks really promising (for example, Bill Jemas' latest venture, AWA, is building hype well along with a stable of talent) there are those who seem doomed from the start. For example, "Terrific Production LLC." That is not a typo, it is just, "Production," and it has not been making itself look good.

Owned by Andrew Rev, the company is most notable for acquiring the rights to publish the old Rob Liefeld creation, "Youngblood." Apparently Lielfeld has not truly owned a chunk of the rights to these characters for some time and the company that did up and sold them to Rev. Liefeld and Rev do not like each other at all, and even though I have my own feeling about Liefeld, he seems pretty spot-on in this situation of disliking Rev. Rev is doing one of the most annoying things someone can do to get business contacts--blindly tweeting at famous creators a desire to work with them.

Yes, that's right, a man who owns am multimedia company is doing the same thing as those people who you vaguely recall meeting once or twice that, "Friend," you on Facebook only to immediately try to sell you a product except this is even worse because it is just tweeting at random professionals tweets aimlessly. This is the equivalent for comic-creators of a cold-call from a telemarketer interrupting your dinner. I could be wrong, but Terrific Production LLC. does not look like it will be achieving much success in the field of comics or any of its other multimedia endeavors. Don't worry too much about Liefeld either, however, he already is working at a new line of characters that look just like his other teams of Youngblood, X-Force, etc. I guess he knows his formula and sticks to it!

A New Publisher Named AWA/So That's What Bill Jemas Has Been Up To!

Back in October of 2018 I talked about how someone had given Bill Jemas a lot of money. Jemas of course has been in the realm of comics for decades, helping revitalize Marvel in the early 2000's when he was in charge with some great ideas (the Ultimate line) and some stinkers he wishes people would forget ("Marville," for sure). He also later on did the Double Take comics I at first hated, then liked, then found out were cancelled. Jemas has a number of people who love him as well as folk who absolutely hate him. In October of 2018 it was evident investors had given him a lot of money and rumors swirled of other comic-pros he maybe had scooped-up. He essentially said to everyone to check-back in 2019 and all went silent. Until now.

"The New York Times," just had an article this week talking about none other than Bill Jemas, plus his friend Axel Alonso (who either left or was forced out of Marvel a bit ago depending who you ask) and Jon Miller, a man most notable for brokering the deal Mark Millar made with Netflix to adapt his comic-properties into shows. These three are behind Artists, Writers, and Artisans, or AWA. Jemas and Alonso both have a lot of connections so they've got some big names working on the handful of comics they've announced they'll be putting-out (although Comicsbeat observed on many titles who the artist may be isn't noted yet). J. Michael Straczynski who wrote that stellar, "Supreme Power," comic and a lot of trash is returning to comics for the first time in 3 years to do an interconnected superhero universe, and there will be standalone titles too. Those will be coming too from Peter Milligan, Christa Faust, Michael Moreci, and Frank Cho (yes, he'll be doing his usual Cho-thing with a series about well-drawn sexy women who compete in athletic events to be Queen of the Galaxy, or such).

Frank Cho's going to be Frank Cho.

Drawing to some degree from the early Vertigo years (Alonso worked there before Marvel) and Image's structure and philosophy, creators will own a stake in their projects (how much of a stake is unclear as these aren't fully creator-owned), and there is a Creative Council (a bit like Image's board, I suppose) which has talent such as, "Screenwriter and director Reginald Hudlin, the novelists Margaret Stohl and Gregg Hurwitz...the comic book writer Garth Ennis," and Straczynski is on the council as well as he orchestrates whatever super-hero universe he has in mind. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those on the council have their own projects in the works for AWA as well.

Jon Miller's presence in all this makes it clear that AWA isn't setting out solely to create comics. I imagine the company's intention is to make these works as a proof-of-concept of assorted IPs that could then be turned into movies or television shows. After all, I don't think it is too cynical to assume that Jemas and friends were given a ton of money by investors for purposes besides simply making (hopefully good) comics. Jemas has overseen a lot of comic-book-related-endeavors. Some have been good, some bad, but always intriguing. Alonso has a great degree of experience as an editor and plenty of chums too, so between them and Miller clearly a lot is going to be happening in the near future with AWA. Whether this all turns out to be highly successful or is a colossal failure I of course am unable to predict, but with Jemas involved it's sure to be interesting. I look forward to when AWA's first comics come out and I am able to read them.