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Archaia Recruits All-Star Creative Team for ‘Hawken’

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ARCHAIA RECRUITS ALL-STAR CREATIVE TEAM FOR ‘HAWKEN’

Graphic Novel Anthology Behind the Eagerly Anticipated, Free-To-Play Mech Game Welcomes an Impressive Line-Up of Artists

CHICAGO, IL (April 16, 2012) – Award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment announced the creative team behind HAWKEN, the original graphic novel prequel to Adhesive Games’ upcoming free-to-play, mech, first-person shooter (FPS) from indie game publisher Meteor Entertainment.

Hawken is the story of a human-colonized planet that has been industrialized to the point of collapse. This crumbling world sets the stage for an ongoing hunt for vital resources and a brutal battle for survival. Written by Jeremy Barlow (Mass Effect: Homeworlds, Star Wars), the epic tale will span three decades, capturing key moments in the ambitious rise and tragic fall of this post-apocalyptic world and the pivotal few who determined its fate.

Each key moment in the story will be presented by a new artist, whose unique style and mood fits the tone of the unfolding events. The anthology boasts an impressive army of visual talent, including Federico Dallocchio (Starcraft, Modern Warfare 2: Ghost, Suicide Squad), Nathan Fox (DMZ, The Haunt), Stefano Gaudiano (Daredevil, Amazing Spiderman), Michael Gaydos (Alias, True Blood), Bagus Hutomo (Shrapnel, Heavy Metal), Christopher Moeller (Iron Empires, JLA: League of One), Moritat (Elephantmen, Transmetropolitan), Alex Sanchez (Star Wars: The Old Republic, JSA Classified), Brian Thies (Winter Soldier, Dark Tower), Greg Tocchini (Last Days of American Crime, X-Force), and Francisco Ruiz Velasco (Inhumans, conceptual artist on Hellboy 2, The Hobbit, and Pacific Rim).

The graphic novel will release in March 2013, following the game’s debut on 12-12-12. Aside from serving as the game’s narrative counterpart, the book will offer a veritable survivor’s guide for gamers—character profiles, weapon stats and schematics, maps, glossaries, strategies, and keys to unlocking special bonuses and feature in-game. The overall reading experience is designed to not only welcome fans into the Hawken universe, but equip them with exclusive tips and tools that enrich their overall enjoyment of the game as well.

Overseeing the creation of the graphic novel are DJ2 Entertainment and Eisner Award-nominated writer/artist and Co-Founder of Adhesive Games, Khang Le (Flight Vol. 2). “We’ve had a blast extrapolating the core fiction as envisioned by creative director Khang Le and his team at Adhesive, and wanted to make sure the extended universe we developed alongside Archaia was as captivating and provocative as the game itself,” said Dan Jevons, DJ2 Co-CEO.

DJ2 brought in Joe LeFavi of Quixotic Transmedia to develop a publishing strategy for Hawken, whose passion for the material and credibility as a brand builder in the publishing space made him the obvious choice. Quixotic later sealed the deal with frequent collaborator Archaia Black Label, a division of Archaia designed to help entertainment brands launch and expand into publishing. LeFavi will serve as Archaia’s Transmedia Producer and Executive Editor on the book alongside Archaia’s own Publisher, Mike Kennedy. “It’s rare to see a gaming brand take story so seriously from day one,” said Kennedy, who spent 18 years as a Producer in the video game industry. “That’s why we pulled out the stops and put together such a phenomenal creative team. Hawken has created an incredible world and we intend to do it justice.”

Archaia hosted a panel at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) in Chicago, IL on Friday, April 13 and debuted an exclusive preview of the game and graphic novel. Archaia also plans to distribute four limited-edition Hawken posters during key conventions throughout 2012. Each poster will feature original art from Khang Le, and together play a unique role in the game’s closed beta release in October 2012. The first of four posters premiered at C2E2.

                              
About Archaia
Archaia is a multi award-winning graphic novel publisher with more than 70 renowned publishing brands, including such domestic and international hits as Mouse Guard, Return of the Dapper Men, Gunnerkrigg Court, Awakening, The Killer, Days Missing, Tumor, Syndrome, Artesia, The Engineer, and an entire line of The Jim Henson Company graphic novels. Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds, building one of the industry’s most visually stunning and eclectic slates of graphic novels. Archaia was named Graphic Novel Publisher of the Year according to Ain’t it Cool News, Graphic Policy, and Comic Related, and was honored with nine 2011 Eisner Awards nominations and two Awards for Best Graphic Album and Best Anthology. Archaia has also successfully emerged as a prolific storyteller in all facets of the entertainment industry, extending their popular brands into film, television, gaming, and branded digital media. www.archaia.com

About Meteor Entertainment
Meteor Entertainment is a newly formed video game publisher in Seattle, Washington.  Assembled by Adhesive to support HAWKEN and many future projects. Meteor is building out a top tier roster of talent to successfully publish this F2P game globally, setting the standard for customer service and community engagement. To learn more about Meteor Entertainment visit www.meteor-ent.com and be sure to check out www.playhawken.com.

About DJ2 Entertainment
Based in Santa Monica, California, DJ2 is an independent, multi-platform production company that develops and produces content for theatrical, television, mobile, and videogame platforms. DJ2 is also a full service management company representing a roster of top writers, actors, directors, artists, and creatives. Leveraging decades of experience and outstanding industry relationships with film and TV studios, comic publihers, talent agencies, game developers, and game publishers, DJ2  provides a one-stop shop for project development, career guidance, and management. www.dj2.co

About Quixotic Transmedia
Quixotic is an entertainment consultancy that specializes in transmedia brand development, formulating innovative strategies and turnkey creative solutions that inspire brands to unearth their cross-platform potential. As the business of storytelling continues to evolve, Quixotic Transmedia is committed to serve as a trusted guide for brands eager to develop, produce, and promote their ideas across multiple forms of media. Here we provide a friendly and informed perspective on the transmedia space, enabling our clients to overcome the bewildering learning curve and seize the many opportunities of this ever-evolving marketplace. Our unique process is designed to educate brands on how to produce rich content incorporating media both new and old, utilize emerging technologies and social media as dynamic storytelling and marketing tools, and open an array of accessible entry points that engage fans on multiple levels. In support of this mission, Quixotic has fostered a vast network of quality vendors in every facet of the industry, ensuring that clients make the right friends and align their brands with industry pioneers capable of bringing their ideas to life. Learn more about how you can change the way that you share stories with the world at www.quixotictransmedia.com.

Archaia Announces Partnership with Meteor to Publish ‘Hawken’ Graphic Novel

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HAWKEN and Archaia Get Graphic Together

Graphic Novel Will Explore the Rich World Behind the Eagerly Anticipated, Free-To-Play Mech Game

SEATTLE, WA (EMERALD CITY COMICON/March 31, 2012) – Meteor Entertainment and Eisner Award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment have teamed up to produce and publish a hardcover graphic novel for HAWKEN, Meteor’s upcoming First-Person-Shooter (FPS).  HAWKEN is already generating major online buzz as a fan-favored underdog within the gaming community. Produced by Adhesive Games, an independent game studio based in Pasadena, HAWKEN has been praised for groundbreaking gameplay and visuals that rival most AAA console titles. HAWKEN is the first title from indie publisher Meteor Entertainment.

Meteor is holding a panel at Emerald City Comic Con in their hometown of Seattle, WA on Saturday, March 31st from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM in Room TCC 102 in the Washington State Convention Center. Representatives from both Meteor and Archaia will share more details about their publishing partnership and hint at some big announcements for Archaia’s next appearance in Chicago, IL at C2E2, in Chicago April 13-15, 2012.

HAWKEN is the story of a post-apocalyptic, human-colonized planet that has been industrialized to the point of collapse. This crumbling world is the setting for a hunt for vital resources and a brutal battle for survival. Writing the graphic novel for Archaia is Jeremy Barlow, whose recent work on the Mass Effect 3 comic books made him an easy choice for another high-profile games-to-comics translation. In addition to Barlow’s script, Archaia is assembling a team of popular artists, including Moritat (Elephantmen, Transmetropolitan), Stefano Gaudiano (Daredevil, Amazing Spiderman), and Khang Le (Flight), with more names to be announced at C2E2.

Eisner Award-nominated Flight writer/artist and Adhesive Games co-founder Khang Le crafted HAWKEN’s vast mythology, which was later extrapolated alongside DJ2 Entertainment, a new LA-based production company that specializes in transmedia brand development.  “It’s amazing to look around and see so many trusted friends behind HAWKEN. With 1.2 million views on YouTube and 250,000+ users already registered for our 12/12/12 beta release, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come,” said Le. “Just goes to show that, with a great team behind you, anything is possible.”

The graphic novel is set to release in March 2013 following the 12-12-12 beta release of HAWKEN the game. While the game showcases the visually stunning and high action FPS experience, the graphic novel will expose the world’s vast mythology and explore the key characters and events motivating the war in-game. Reading the graphic novel is designed to not only serve as a narrative counterpart to the game, but also enrich the gaming experience with secret clues and codes that unlock special features in-game. “We wanted to do something special in publishing, but we needed a partner with enough artistic integrity and proven quality to pull it off,” said Mark Long, game veteran and CEO of Meteor Entertainment.

The Meteor-Archaia partnership was facilitated by Joe LeFavi of Quixotic Transmedia, who spearheads business development for Archaia’s Black Label division, a unique development pipeline designed to work alongside entertainment brands eager to launch and expand into publishing. “What excited us most about Hawken was their determination to revitalize, if not redefine, how people see and appreciate mechs,” said LeFavi, who will serve as executive editor and Archaia’s transmedia producer on the book. “Boasting influences from Blade Runner and Tekkonkinkreet to Nausicaä and Ghost in the Shell, Hawken is a breathtaking portrait of a war-torn world where greed is good, war is life, and survival is for the few with the most ammo. To find such a gritty and grounded vision of our future was inspiring. Sure, the game is gorgeous and really fun, but Meteor isn’t simply creating a great game. They’re creating an entire universe fans can enjoy and explore for years to come.”


About Archaia
Archaia is a multi-award-winning graphic novel publisher with more than 50 renowned publishing brands, including such domestic and international hits as Mouse Guard, Return of the Dapper Men, Gunnerkrigg Court, Awakening, The Killer, Days Missing, Tumor, Syndrome, Artesia, The Engineer, and an entire line of The Jim Henson Company graphic novels. Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds, building one of the industry’s most visually stunning and eclectic slates of graphic novels. Archaia was named Graphic Novel Publisher of the Year according to Ain’t it Cool News, Graphic Policy and Comic Related, and was honored with nine 2011 Eisner Awards nominations. Archaia has also successfully emerged as a prolific storyteller in all facets of the entertainment industry, extending their popular brands into film, television, gaming, and branded digital media.

About Meteor Entertainment
Based in Seattle, Meteor Entertainment is a newly formed video game publisher focused on building out a top tier roster of talent to successfully publish F2P games globally, with an emphasis on compelling content and setting the standard for customer service and community engagement.  Meteor’s 12/12/12 launch of HAWKEN, created by Adhesive Games, will be its first tentpole title. To learn more about Meteor Entertainment visit www.meteor-ent.com <http://www.meteor-ent.com>  and be sure to check out www.playhawken.com.

About DJ2 Entertainment
Based in Santa Monica, California, DJ2 is an independent, multi-platform production company that develops and produces content for theatrical, television, mobile and videogame platforms. DJ2 is also a full service management company representing a roster of top writers, actors, directors, artists and creatives. Leveraging decades of experience and outstanding industry relationships with film and TV studios, comic publihers, talent agencies, game developers and game publishers, DJ2  provides a one stop shop for project development, career guidance and management.  www.dj2.co/

About Quixotic Transmedia
Quixotic is an entertainment consultancy that specializes in transmedia brand development, formulating innovative strategies and turnkey creative solutions that inspire brands to unearth their cross-platform potential. As the business of storytelling continues to evolve, Quixotic Transmedia is committed to serve as a trusted guide for brands eager to develop, produce, and promote their ideas across multiple forms of media. Here we provide a friendly and informed perspective on the transmedia space, enabling our clients to overcome the bewildering learning curve and seize the many opportunities of this ever-evolving marketplace. Our unique process is designed to educate brands on how to produce rich content incorporating media both new and old, utilize emerging technologies and social media as dynamic storytelling and marketing tools, and open an array of accessible entry points that engage fans on multiple levels. In support of this mission, Quixotic has fostered a vast network of quality vendors in every facet of the industry, ensuring that clients make the right friends and align their brands with industry pioneers capable of bringing their ideas to life. Learn more about how you can change the way that you share stories with the world at www.quixotictransmedia.com.