io9: devil's due

Europe's SF Secret Returns To American Shores

Graeme McMillan — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:40:00 PDT

One of the more unexpected - and most welcome - comic stories to come from last weekend's Comic-Con was the announcement that Devil's Due Publishing has partnered with European publisher Humanoids to bring some of their best stories to American audiences, starting with Nazi-science-gone-wrong tale I Am Legion and dark humor book The Zombies Who Ate the World. But what makes Devil's Due's latest attempt different from similar- and failed- ventures by DC Comics and Humanoids themselves?

For one thing, Devil's Due is being smarter about the format: each European album is being broken down into regular US-style comic books in initial publication before being collected again later, as opposed to the previous attempts to get fans and retailers excited about paying more for a bigger chunk of something that they know nothing about.

And for another, they're also being smarter about the material chosen to (re)introduce the line to American audiences. While the Humanoids line - which spun out of Metal Hurlants, the original version of Heavy Metal magazine — has an incredibly impressive back catalog of SF and fantasy material, Devil's Due is playing it cool by choosing material produced by familiar American creators to bring in the US audience: I Am Legion is drawn by Planetary and Astonishing X-Men's John Cassaday, while The Zombies Who Ate The World is illustrated by BRPD's Guy Davis.
Both series launch in November, with work by Kurt Busiek and Butch Guice, amongst others, waiting to follow.

Devil's Due Partners With Humanoids [ICv2]

Monster Garage Creator Brings You Zombie Biker

Graeme McMillan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:20:00 PDT

It's the same old story: Mechanic invents super-fuel, Mechanic refuses to sell super-fuel formula to corporation, Corporation drowns mechanic in super-fuel, Mechanic rises from the dead to take revenge on corporation. How many times have we read that old chestnut? Soon we'll have another chance when Chopper Zombie, a new graphic novel from the creator of Discovery Channel's Monster Garage, hits the stands.

Chopper Zombie springs fully-formed from the brain of Thom Beers, the man responsible for Discovery shows like Deadliest Catch, Verminators and Monster Garage. Well, actually, from the brain of his son:

We've been doing series like Biker Build-Off and Monster Garage because I just love choppers. My son Max, who's ten, loves zombies. He told me that choppers and zombies go together... So, we gotta do it! Choppers and zombies. And wait until you see this chopper. Awesome.

Currently running as an online comic, the completed 144-page graphic novel, to published by Devil's Due, will make its debut at the end of this month at San Diego Comic-Con.

[Chopper Zombie]

Alien Abductees Tell Their Own Story In Serpo

Graeme McMillan — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:30:00 PDT

When you hear the words "US Government" and "legal alien exchange program" together, your first thought probably has more to do with border control than outer space. But apparently the government has had a top-secret human/alien exchange going on for years, and an upcoming comic is threatening to spill the beans for all to see.

Cornering the market on UFO paranoia (following on from Whitley Strieber's The Nye Incidents), indie publisher Devil's Due plans to uncover the unknown horror suffered by countless Americans in this summer's new book Serpo:

The lines between history and conspiracy will blur this August as Devil's Due presents the all new original graphic novel Serpo in collaboration with Invisible Hand Studios (Urban Monsters) and executive producer Vin Di Bona. Combining rumors, purported U.S. government files, and first-hand accounts, Serpo will unveil a shocking story of 12 Americans taken to live on an alien planet.

"If you're a conspiracy or black ops believer, Serpo will knock your socks off and even make you question your mother for the truth!" says Di Bona.

Scripted by critically acclaimed writer Jason Burns (A Dummy's Guide to Danger, The Expendable One) and drawn by artist Joe Eisma (A Dummy's Guide to Danger), Serpo combines the scale and suspense of Close Encounters with the controversy and government suppression of The X-Files.

"Working on Serpo was a really unique experience for me as a writer because, unlike other adaptations, this one being based on fact or fiction is still unresolved," states Burns. "Conversely, it's also a unique story for the reader because it challenges them to make up their own minds as to whether or not they believe the events actually took place."

My bet? They didn't. But I like the "out" that they give themselves there: "It's based on fact... or is it?"

If you're wondering where you know the name of "executive producer" Vin Di Bona, by the way, then the answer is "You watch too much crappy television"; Di Bona's credits include America's Funniest Home Videos, America's Funniest People, America's Funniest Pets and America's Funniest MacGuyver, making him perfect for this story of humans being kidnapped, falling over objects while accompanied by hilarious sound effects and ultimately constructing an escape craft out of a hairclip and aluminum foil.

[Devil's Due]

Zen Returns To Comics From Outer Space

Graeme McMillan — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:30:00 PDT

Most people think of zen as a state of calm reflection. Only the chosen few understand that zen is, in fact, named after one of the most deadly interstellar ninjas in history, and star of comic page, computer game and chromium-covered trading card set from the 1990s. Now, twenty-one years after his creation, Zen the Intergalactic Ninja is heading back from oblivion to a comic store near you to try and save the world. And not in the way that you'd expect.

The revival of the character - initially taking the form of reprints of his original stories, starting with a 99 cent first issue - will emphasize the environmental aspect of Zen's original stories, according to writer Stephen Stern:

To me, comic-books should always be more than just damn good entertainment... That's why Zen turned his sights on saving Earth's environment, back in the early 90's. My co-creator Dan Cote and I had the opportunity to get the message across to hundreds of thousands of young people, through our Archie Comics series, an action figure line from Just Toys, and both a GameBoy and NES game from Konami.

So, considering that Zen was an infant rocketed into space to avoid his death before being raised by masters of ancient martial arts and becoming a defender of the environment, does that make him a mix of Superman, Kung Fu and Captain Planet?

Zen: Intergalactic Ninja to return at Devil's Due [Comic Book Resources]

Finally, Someone Out To Stop Aliens Joyriding and Abandoning Human Abductees

Graeme McMillan — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:00:43 PST

What could unite Communion's Whitley Strieber, the writer of A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5 and post-X-Files alien abduction conspiracies? That would be The Nye Incidents, an upcoming comic book based upon an unmade screenplay sequel to the book and movie that made Strieber's name. We've got more about the project, and exclusive art, under the jump.

Any project that advertises itself with the line "The story Whitley Streiber was too terrified to tell himself" is going to be a winner, if only because who wouldn't want to read a story so scary that it has to be written while someone holds your literary hand? The graphic novel, adapted from Streiber's unproduced screenplay by Nightmare on Elm Street veteran and sci-fi novelist Craig Spector, is apparently based on Streiber's real life investigations into alien abductees who return to Earth mutilated and under mysterious circumstances. Are aliens going on surgical joyrides with human test subjects, or is there something even more sinister going on? With the book due in April from publisher Devils Due Publishing, here's an advance look at what you can expect.

The Nye Incident [Devils Due Publishing]