MVCreations has gone solo!
MVC has recently broken off from CrossGen's CGE imprint to self-publish. This move comes in light of the recent difficulties CrossGen has faced.
When asked to comment, MVC's Val Staples remarked, "CGE was a great concept and we were happy to have made the move to them earlier in 2003. But, due to complications they have had to face, our production was disrupted not long after coming on board."
"CGE's inability to pay MV for our products delivered to Diamond cut off our income. In addition, the furthered delay of our projects eliminated any potential income for the future. This, in turn, hurt our ability to pay our artists on time and worked against our continued efforts to deliver on-time, quality comics."
"After discussing things with CGE, we all felt it best that we part ways while CrossGen restructures and attempts to get things back on track and creator payments caught up. We all hope the situation improves for CrossGen. The last thing this industry needs is another publisher who falls off the map."
"All during the month of October, we have been getting our delayed issues into stores. Thanks to CGE turning over purchase orders for our titles and Robert Chong's Quantum FX printing for their speedy delivery and great customer service, we should be caught up by the end of December with all titles and payments to our dedicated freelance creators."
As for MVC's future plans, things appear to be on track as planned. Editor Leanne Shaw said, "We have some new and exciting projects lined up. Some of which have recently been solicited."
"October saw the launch of the Masters of the Universe: Rise of the Snake Men mini-series. This is an adaptation of Episodes 30 and 31 of the new cartoon series, but with some changes. The comic version is more brutal, and is a jumping off point for the direction Spring 2004's Volume Three regular series story will go."
"The art from newcomer Andie Tong is very dynamic and fits right in with this action packed mini-series. Expect to see Andie again on a long awaited Prequel mini-series debuting sometime in 2004. Written by Marv Wolfman, it will deal with the events that made Randor become king and will explain why Keldor (now Skeletor) is tied closely with the destiny of Prince Adam (He-Man)."
"Starting in December, we have the Masters of the Universe Encyclopedia. This is a five issue mini-series that is filled with info from cover to cover and topped off with art from Emiliano Santalucia and Enza Fontana. It covers the characters, comics, and cartoon episodes from what we distinguished as Season 1: July 2002 - August 2003. This is the ultimate guide that is certainly no light read."
"Then, as the icing on the cake, February sees the launch of Masters of the Universe: Volume 3. But there will be more details on that soon enough!"
Masters of the Universe is just one of the titles MV has in regular production.Rob Zombie's Spook Show International has created quite a buzz both in and especially outside the comic book industry.
"Spook Show International is doing what we hoped it would. And that's take a unique comic product and get it into the eyes of non traditional fans," commented Staples. "News of the comic has graced a multitude of publications and websites, like MTV and Rolling Stone. We know Rob's book isn't for everyone. But the book is very entertaining and filled with fantastic art. This is Rob's creation, and he's spent a great deal of time making sure it's just how he envisioned it."
Spook Show International is a horror anthology that ties in with Rob Zombie's House of a 1000 Corpses movie and showcases a few of Rob Zombie's original ideas. The comic features fantastic art from Gene Colan, Kieron Dwyer, Will Conrad, Eddy Barros and Pat Boutin, as well as a host of fantastic covers by talented creators.
There has been talk about the future of the Don Bluth based Dragon's Lair and Space Ace mini-series. Fans have seen only the first few issues solicited with no signs of the last half of the mini-series. "Dragon's Lair and Space Ace are books that we spent a great amount of time and money on. Unfortunately, they did not perform as well as we had hoped," said Staples.
"Don Bluth's style has a timeless quality and the stories are a ton of fun. Despite their initial performance, we still plan to release the remaining issues on a quarterly basis starting next year."
Last, but certainly not least, is MVCreations' own Tales of the Realm. This creator-owned series has gotten favorable reviews from all over. As an adventure comedy that mixes fantasy with every day life, it features a trio of actors on their quest to make it to the big screen.
"Working with Robert Kirkman to bring our idea to life has been a lot of fun," commented MV Art Director and TOTR artist Matt Tyree. "His writing is a pleasure to illustrate and it brings out the best in my ability. I think Tales of the Realm is the strongest work I've ever done, and I'm confident it improves leaps and bounds with every issue."
Keep an eye out for MVCreations' comics in the Comics & Graphic Novels section of Diamond's Previews each month!
