Broken Frontier

A recent surprise in the comics industry was the announcement of Kingdom Comics, the Disney Company’s new in-house comics and graphic novel division. On hand at Wizard World Chicago to discuss the imprint, its scope, and its implications were creative directors Ahmet Zappa and Christian Beranek.

Zappa and Beranek reiterated for those unfamiliar with Disney’s comics output that the company is one of the largest and most popular publishers of comics in the world, particularly overseas. Kingdom Comics will try to break new ground for the company by focusing on its live action movie and television properties. Zappa and Beranek have been given access to the Disney Vault and all the hundreds of media properties contained therein. In addition, new properties and stories will be considered if they fit within the Disney mold and spirit.

Disney’s animated films and t.v. series are not within the purview of Kingdom, as these are already well represented through the company’s existing comics and through licensing deals like the one with Slave Labor Graphics. Zappa and Beranek’s aim is for stories that skew towards a slightly older audience, generally PG13 style adventure stories in the vein of the Pirates of the Caribbean and National Treasure films. As Kingdom Comics is in-house and part of the Disney Company, it will not face the complicated approval process that publishers working with licensed Disney properties have.

Kingdom Comics will not produce any single issues. The focus will be solely on full graphic novels, generally in the 120 page range. The publisher is not actively taking submissions, as these would be too many and too overwhelming. Nonetheless, Zappa and Beranek know what they are looking for in creators and properties. They are scouring the conventions and the comics industry for potential recruits. For artists, they are concerned primarily with people who can create sequentials and prove their storytelling ability. For writers, they are ideally looking for creators that already have art examples for their stories or previously published work, as reading scripts is a time-consuming process.

Details on specific Kingdom Comics projects could not yet be revealed but the panelists promised we would see exciting work from best-selling novelists, screenwriters, and superstars of the comics industry. The Disney brand is well known and loved and many creators are anxious to be a part of the imprint. Another advantage is Disney’s wider distribution, which will get the comics into bookstores, libraries, chain stores like Wal-Mart, and anywhere that a potential audience can be found.

Zappa also spoke briefly about the upcoming Fraggle Rock movie, of which he is a producer. Most of the original cast and characters of the beloved Jim Henson series will be returning for the Fraggles’ journey into "Outer Space" (the human world). As Fraggles are known for their love of singing and dancing, the film will feature celebrity cameos (ala The Muppet Movie) of many famous musicians, who will perform in the film. A few songs from the original series will be sprinkled in but the focus is mostly on new music and new interpretations. Writer/director Cory Edwards is extremely passionate about the project, having arrived on the Henson lot with a stuffed Fraggle in his backpack and numerous shots of photo reference detailing how Fraggles could interact with the larger, human environment. The film will be released in 2009.

Along with providing information on their upcoming comics and film projects, Zappa and Beranek kept the crowd entertained with their own unique brand of humor. The pair playfully ribbed each other about wrestling ability, swimming pool karate, Beranek’s Darkwing Duck toy (which Zappa claims he takes on vacations with him and buys breakfast and bacon bits for), and their visit with Walt’s cryogenically frozen head in the Disney Vault (though contrary to popular belief, this is not Walt Disney but some other guy named Walt. The duo was not entirely sure what he was doing there).

With creative directors that have such passion for their work—and who are already characters in their own right—we can expect great things from Kingdom Comics.