Broken Frontier

Devil’s Due Publishing has always had its finger on the pop cultural pulse but starting this year, they are expanding into other branches of that world as well as continuing to produce comics. At the DDP panel at Wizard World Chicago, publisher Josh Blaylock was joined by Jeffrey Brown, Shawn Smith, and the appropriately named (considering his employer) Jim Demonakos.

First up, the team wanted to discuss their new venture into the realm of collectible toys. Shawn Smith, new to Devil’s Due, has had success with his Ninja Town property, which has spun into plush toys, miniature plushies, and key chains. Devil’s Due is set to produce a comic based on the characters called Ninja Town: Adventures of the Wee Ninja by Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani. There is also a Nintendo DS video game based on the Ninjas in the works. With adorable yet quirky characters such as the Geeky Ninja, Mayor Ninja, and the Ninja Consultant, it’s easy to see the appeal of this franchise.

New toy properties also include vinyl toys based on Jeffrey Brown’s Incredible Change-Bots comic. Like the Transformers of old, these can convert into other forms, though ones of a decidedly more mundane and humorous nature. First in the line will be "Balls" the Golf Cart and "Microwave" the…well, the Microwave, along with his symbiotic pals Poppy and Soupy. Each toy will come with a mini-comic written and drawn by Brown.

Discussion at the panel then turned to Devil’s Due’s comics, particularly Tim Seeley’s popular slasher horror farce, Hack/Slash. The Hack/Slash Annual (the first of its kind) will collect a story that began life as a webcomic on the Suicide Girls website, where Cassie Hack has proven quite popular. Meanwhile, Hack/Slash #15 will delve into the past of the Hack family and tie them to the Re-Animator films in a horror franchise crossover. Of the upcoming Hack/Slash film, the creators could say little at this time and Seeley himself was running behind schedule and unable to make the panel.

Josh Blaylock discussed two projects of his own, starting with Voltron: A Legend Forged. This miniseries will detail previously unknown details from the origin of the famous robots of the 1980s cartoon. Mercy Sparx, a character who has frequently appeared in Blaylock’s art, will focus on a demoness who is drafted by Heaven into hunting down rogue angels. Mercy will be a rather anti-heroic but likeable star, described as "a hot version of Billy Bob Thornton’s character in Bad Santa."

Larry Hama will return to military action comics with Spooks: Omega Team #0, a new series he developed with author R.A. Salvatore. Art will be provided by Adam Archer.

Also in the military and espionage genre is The Corps!, a new series by Rick Remender and Roberto Carlos. Inspired by an old toy line that had no previous backstory, Remender’s series will focus on a billionaire who founds his own private army.

As always, Devil’s Due is pursuing licensed comics of popular properties. Their latest include an Americanized version of the manga series Vampire Hunter D, a miniseries whose first arc will be called "American Wasteland." The world of video games will be represented by Bionic Commando by screenwriter Justin Marks and Jean Diaz, one of several comics created through DDP’s new Capcom license. Another familiar face will be Zen: Intergalactic Ninja by Joe Casey and Joe Abraham. Many pieces of old Zen artwork are being re-colored for the series’ covers, including a Mike Mignola image.

Dawn of the Dread Force will be produced by a group of animators, including James Raiz, Gerardo Sandoval, Rob Armstrong, Danimation, Simon "Seed" Bork, and writer Kurt Hathaway. This series will be part of the "giant mech" genre of science fiction, with the added twist of the mechs gaining sentience and rebelling.

Rest is a series developed by Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia and featuring his likeness. With story by Mark Powers and art by Shawn McManus, the book will focus on a conspiracy involving a new drug that prevents the lead character from sleeping.

Chopper Zombie by Todd Livingston, Thom Beers, and Scott Keating is a graphic novel spinning out of the t.v. show Monster Garage and written primarily by and for "motorcycle nerds," as the panelists claimed. Its horror-based storyline can be enjoyed by anyone however.

Serpo by Jason Burns and Joe Esma will mix fact and fiction in a story inspired by real people’s claims of being taken to another planet as part of an alien exchange program with the American government.

Finally, the panel discussed the Halloween 30th Anniversary Special, a collection of Michael Myers-based short stories by Stefan Hutchinson. This is sure to please horror fans and viewers of the films, though sadly DDP was unable to convince the license holders to allow a Halloween/Cassie Hack crossover.

As always, Devil’s Due is releasing a wide variety of fun and quirky products, proving once again that they know and love pop culture in all its forms.