Broken Frontier

Speakeasy Comics announced today that it has joined forces with entertainment powerhouse Ardustry Industries in a long-term partnership that will secure the publisher’s reputation as a major player in comics and intellectual property development.
 
The move will alter the company’s business model, allowing for the publisher to pursue a mix of licensed, company-owned and creator-owned projects. The alliance allows for Speakeasy Comics to continue to explore the printed medium while letting Ardustry Entertainment take interesting projects into other entertainment mediums.
 
“As any publisher out there knows, it’s a tough market, and this partnership helps secure our place with the larger publishers,” commented Speakeasy’s Adam Fortier, who will now hold the position of Speakeasy’s CEO. “Barry [Levine] and I have been in discussions for some months now, in a far-reaching deal that allows us to diversify our line, and still provide a publishing alternative for new talent, all under the Speakeasy banner that fans and retailers have grown to love.”

Fortier promised more news and information concerning existing and future titles as those details are finalized.
 
Ardustry’s Barry Levine will take the title of President of Entertainment for Speakeasy Comics upon completion of the deal. Levine will be responsible for moving projects from the printed page to other media, including the big screen.
 
Ardustry is a three-year-old company that was started by Chairman Peter Sahagen.
 
Prior to joining Ardustry as President, Barry Levine worked with Mike Richardson, owner and president of Dark Horse Entertainment and Comics. Barry primarily worked with Mike in comic adaptation for films. They have recently set up projects with the various studios, such as Damn Nation at MTV/Paramount, The Nightmarist with John Goldwyn at Paramount, Criminal Macabre at Sony, and properties that will be announced over the coming months. Barry was instrumental in bringing Image Entertainment into a partnership with Dark Horse Indie Films, currently run by Mike Richardson.
 
He was also known as a music supervisor for films such as Judge Dredd, Street Fighter, Die Hard 3, and the Academy Award winning Driving Miss Daisy. “I worked closely with Mike Richardson for 3 years, and I would have to say he is one of the smartest man that I have met in the comic book industry. I consider him my mentor and friend,” says Barry.
 
Barry started his career as one of the top rock photographers in the world, photographing everyone from KISS, Motley Crue, and Queen, accumulating a catalog of well over 10,000 photographs, and documenting well over a 1,000 musical acts during his career. It is this combination of creative and business sensibilities that make him such an integral part of the Speakeasy Comics and Ardustry Entertainment alliance.