Tag Archives: nick barrucci

Dynamite and Coffin Comics announce a Co-Publishing Agreement

Chaos Comics

After a photo teased it, Dynamite Entertainment and Coffin Comics have announced the start of a historic co-publishing agreement, set to offer fans the ultimate collaboration and releases many have been waiting on for years. Following the surprise in-person announcement at Swornfest 2026 in Mesa, Arizona, this past weekend, after extensive meetings and planning between Dynamite’s Nick Barrucci and Coffin’s Brian Pulido, the full cast of characters and world of the original Chaos! Comics line will be reunited for limited-time reprint collections and merchandise, available through multiple channels, including direct-to-consumer crowdfunding campaigns and the direct market.

It all kicks off soon with a massive Kickstarter showcasing the character that began it all — Evil Ernie! In a projected three-volume set, all of the beloved original misadventures of the Evil One will be collected comprehensively for the first time ever. Presented in multiple formats, the books will amount to well over 1,500 pages. Each edition will feature a unique cover. Smiley, the Psychotic Button’s specials and solo stories will also be included in this set, while other superstars, including Lady Death, Purgatori, and Chastity will have appearances. Key storylines, including Youth Gone Wild, The Resurrection, Revenge, Straight to Hell, Destroyer, and more, will be presented in these can’t-miss tomes.

Future Kickstarter campaigns will focus on Lady Death, Purgatori, Chastity, and the Coffin universe.

As further details are confirmed, Dynamite and Coffin will keep fans up to date on book contents, formats, pricing, and launch dates. Other goodies projected to be offered include limited-edition issue reprints with epic enhancements, like metal or glow-in-the-dark effects, on top of all-new artwork from top names. A trading card set is being considered for parallel development. Posters, prints, T-shirts, patches, and challenge coins are planned.

The thrill ride mythos of Chaos! began in 1991 with the debut of Evil Ernie created by writer Brian Pulido and brought to life by the late great Steven Hughes. A couple years later, the scope and success of the effort expanded with the founding of a separate publisher and a string of new characters and titles including Lady Death, Purgatori, Chastity, Jade, Bad Kitty, Lady Demon, and many more. Pulido was revered by fans for his dark, pulse-pounding storytelling, great collaborative eye for artists, and unparalleled engagement with fans, aka the “Fiends.”

Steven Hughes established the iconic look for many of the Chaos! mainstays. His detail-oriented, moody artwork matched both Ernie’s edgy verve and the innovative “bad girl” trend, which featured Lady Death at the forefront. His visual blueprint laid the groundwork for countless creators who have tackled the characters to this day, including Ed Benes, Mike Deodato, Al Rio, Jim Balent, Ivan Reis, and countless others.

The Chaos! library outside of Lady Death was acquired by Dynamite Entertainment in 2010 and has featured in several best-selling comics and crossovers. Industry icons like Tim Seeley and Mirka Andolfo have contributed to the evolving characters, and they’ve crossed paths with Vampirella, Red Sonja, Hack/Slash, and more.

Pulido continues his tales of Lady Death and his reputation of connecting directly with “Sworn Nation” to this day through Coffin Comics. New characters, including La Muerta, Lady Satanus and Hellwitch, have wowed, and a new era of fans and creators keeps the energy alive with record-smashing Kickstarters and conventions.

More news on the Evil Ernie project and future plans will be coming soon!

ComicsPro announces its 2025 Industry Award Winners

ComicsPro Industry Awards

ComicsPro awards two industry Appreciation Awards each year. One award is for professionals who are still active in comics and the other is for those who have passed away and left a mark on the profession of comic retailing.

After accepting nominations, the final ballot voted on, the winners have been announced. Members of ComicsPro could vote for one Award recipient in each category.

Below are this year’s nominees and winners, congratulations to all:

INDUSTRY AWARD NOMINEES

  • Jackie Estrada: Comic-book convention organizer, book editor, co-publisher of Exhibit A Press, Former administrator of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, and past president of Friends of Lulu.
  • Joe Ferrara: Facilitator of the Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, long term comic store retailer who created and runs one of the oldest stores (celebrating its 50th year in 2026) in the United States: (Atlantis Fantasyworld of Santa Cruz, California).
  • Nick Barrucci: Long term comics industry insider (45+ years in the industry) who is founder and CEO/Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment.
  • Scott Snyder: Comic book author who is the architect and overseer of the Absolute Universe line of comics from DC.

MEMORIAL AWARD NOMINEES

  • Peter David: Writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games who wrote for Marvel, DC, and a variety of different companies.
  • Ramona Fradon: Comics artist who in a 74 year career co-created the superhero Metamorpho and illustrated Aquaman and Brenda Starr, Reporter.
  • Jim Shooter: Comics writer, editor, and publisher who worked for DC and Marvel and launched comics publishers Valiant, Defiant, and Broadway.
  • Archie Goodwin: Comics writer, editor, and artist who was chief writer and editor of Creeepy and Eerie (Warren) and was editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics.

ComicsPro announces its 2025 Industry Award Nominees

ComicsPro Industry Awards

ComicsPro awards two industry Appreciation Awards each year. One award is for professionals who are still active in comics and the other is for those who have passed away and left a mark on the profession of comic retailing.

After accepting nominations, the final ballot is in. Members of ComicsPro can vote for one Award recipient in each category.

Below are this year’s nominees and congratulations to all:

INDUSTRY AWARD NOMINEES

  • Jackie Estrada: Comic-book convention organizer, book editor, co-publisher of Exhibit A Press, Former administrator of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, and past president of Friends of Lulu.
  • Joe Ferrara: Facilitator of the Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, long term comic store retailer who created and runs one of the oldest stores (celebrating its 50th year in 2026) in the United States: (Atlantis Fantasyworld of Santa Cruz, California).
  • Nick Barrucci: Long term comics industry insider (45+ years in the industry) who is founder and CEO/Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment.
  • Scott Snyder: Comic book author who is the architect and overseer of the Absolute Universe line of comics from DC.

MEMORIAL AWARD NOMINEES

  • Peter David: Writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games who wrote for Marvel, DC, and a variety of different companies.
  • Ramona Fradon: Comics artist who in a 74 year career co-created the superhero Metamorpho and illustrated Aquaman and Brenda Starr, Reporter.
  • Jim Shooter: Comics writer, editor, and publisher who worked for DC and Marvel and launched comics publishers Valiant, Defiant, and Broadway.
  • Archie Goodwin: Comics writer, editor, and artist who was chief writer and editor of Creeepy and Eerie (Warren) and was editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics.

Comic Icon George Perez to Be Featured on The Original Art Show Tonight with a Charity sale!

George Perez custom shirt

This Friday, December 2nd 2022 at 7PM EST/4PM PST, the Original Art Experience Show hosted by Nick Barrucci will pay tribute to legendary comic creator George Perez with a night featuring original art and three custom shirts hand-made by Carol Flynn, George’s wife. The proceeds from the shirts will go to Carol while part of the proceeds of key pieces of the art sold during the show will be donated to Tower Cancer Research Foundation and Lustgarten Foundation: Pancreatic Cancer Research in George Perez’s name.

On June 9th, 1954, George was born in the South Bronx, the son of Puerto Rican immigrants. He broke into the industry as an assistant to Rich Buckler and made his debut with Marvel on Astonishing Tales #25 in 1974. He would co-create the first Puerto Rican superhero White Tiger with writer Bill Mantlo before rising to prominence while working on Avengers and Fantastic Four. In 1980 he would jump to DC Comics and team with Marv Wolfman on New Teen Titans as well as work on Justice League and the industry changing maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths. He then went on to a celebrated run as writer and artist on Wonder Woman. In his 45-year career, he was known for detailed and realistic rendering, and his ability to draw complex crowd scenes. George was respected by his peers and adored by fans the world over. George passed away in May of this year due to complications from pancreatic cancer.

During his career, George could be seen often on the convention circuit wearing bright and colorful button-down shirts featuring various animated characters and other designs. One of his most notable was a pink shirt with the character of Lambchop on it. These shirts were made for him by his wife and three of her handmade shirts will be up for sale. These feature patterns that include Tweety & Sylvester, a frolicking panda and hot air balloons. Proceeds from the sale of these shirts will go to Carol.

Also appearing on the show will be Bill Cox, owner of Comic Art Fans, the leading site for comic book art.

Offered during the show are original pieces of art ranging from Bob Layton pieces in homage to George Perez and also pages from Thanos vs Hulk by Jim Starlin, Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider and Wolverine by Ron Garney. George’s longtime art agent Spencer Beck of the Artists Choice provided the shirts and worked with Bob Layton on the art for the show. There will be many more surprises as well. Part of the proceeds from the Bob Layton art will go to help aid pancreatic cancer research in George Perez’s name. Tower Cancer Research Foundation is based in Southern California, and funds leading local researchers, making us a launchpad for additional funding and discoveries here and on the global stage. Lustgarten Foundation: Pancreatic Cancer Research has funded more than $250 million in research grants and been a leading force in every major advancement in pancreatic cancer research.

This special episode of The Original Art Show airs on The Exp, December 2nd, 2022 starting at 7pm ET / 4 pm PT and can be watched here:

Matilda Lutz, Wallis Day, and Robert Sheehan join Red Sonja

Red Sonja

The leads for Millennium Media‘s Red Sonja have been set. The movie will star Matilda Lutz, Wallis Day, and Robert Sheehan and be directed by M.J. Bassett.

The film is based on the comics by Dynamite Entertainment and the heroine created by Robert E. Howard for Marvel and later adapted by Roy Thomas. Details of the film have been kept quiet.

Joey Soloway and Tasha Huo handled the script for the film. It also stars Michael Bisping, Martyn Ford, Eliza Matengu, Manal El-Feitury, and Katrina Durden.

The film’s producers are Mark Canton, Courtney Solomon, Luke Lieberman on behalf of Red Sonja LLC, Millennium Media’s Les Weldon, Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger and Yariv Lerner, and Joe Gatta. Avi Lerner, Trevor Short and Boaz Davidson are exec producing for Millennium Media, alongside Dorothy Canton, Millennium Media’s Tanner Mobley, Nick Barrucci for Dynamite Entertainment, Lati Grobman and Christa Campbell for Campbell Grobman Films, Eclectic Picture’s Heidi Jo Markel, and Soloway on behalf of Topple.

(via Deadline)

Hannah John-Kamen will Star in Red Sonja

Red Sonja

Hannah John-Kamen will wield the sword of Red Sonja in the upcoming film from Millennium. John-Kamen is no stranger to blockbusters having played Ava/Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Sophie in Tomb Raider, and been on shows such as Game of Thrones, Black Mirror, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. This is a potential breakout moment for the actress with her first major headlining role.

Joey Soloway is directing the project and co-wrote the script with Tasha Huo.

Red Sonja was created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel ComicsConan the Barbarian comic in 1973. She debuted in Conan the Barbarian #23. Based on several characters from Robert E. Howard‘s world she has headlined her own stories and films. The Millennium film is based on the comics published by Dynamite Entertainment. Nick Barrucci of Dynamite Entertainment is one of the producers.

Dynamite Issues a Statement Regarding Their Stance Over Comicsgate

A little over a week ago, Dynamite Entertainment found itself in hot water after the publisher’s involvement with the harassment group Comicsgate was fully unraveled. What started as anger over covers turned into a revelation the involvement was much deeper. The comic publisher had been releasing variant covers with CG involved individuals for some time now and it was revealed after things had boiled over that Dynamite founder Nick Barrucci had been working with Comicsgate ringleader Ethan Van Sciver in various capacities.

Comicsgate is a harassment campaign presented as a consumer revolt. A conservative, regressive backlash to the world moving forward with equality and generally growing up. You can read more about it here.

Dynamite has officially released a statement regarding their involvement and the fallout from it.

Dynamite Entertainment is a partner in the fight for equality and inclusion. Our company was founded on these core values more than 15 years ago and they are essential to the creative process – the work of visionary artists and entrepreneurs – that we are passionate about. Intolerance has no place in our company or our industry. The impulse behind this brief association was that of helping a friend of many decades and his family, and not how that assistance could potentially affect our valued colleagues, partners, and friends. That association is behind us and this time has strengthened our resolve to continue working with the most diverse talent in creating the best comics possible.

It’s a statement…

What the statement glosses over is the publisher, and more importantly Barrucci’s, actual involvement with the movement that has been ongoing for years. Were they instrumental in getting EVS up and running? Did they connect and hire creators? What other services did they provide? These are all unanswered questions that will haunt the publisher until it comes clean. While being involved with Comicsgate the publisher at the same time was hiring rather progressive creators, some of whom have been targets of CG. It feels like a poor attempt to have their cake and eat it too.

The initial reaction to the statement has been one of skepticism and a general consensus that it’s a weak attempt at a response.

Dynamite and Barrucci need to sit down and answer hard questions to get behind the situation and come clean with their involvement and more importantly show through action their values. As a saying goes, deeds not words, and it’s a saying they should be focusing on as a publisher.

Around the Tubes

Bitter Root #6

It’s a new week and we’ve got lots coming at you. While you wait for that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

Newsarama – Dynamite’s Nick Barrucci Decries ‘Cancel Culture’ and ‘Retail Minority That are Loud & Equivalent of Keyboard Cops’ in ComicsPRO Keynote – An interesting read.

NBC – Minnesota’s only black-owned comic book store celebrates black history year-round – Go check out this shop!

Live Law – How A Footballer Turned Lawyer Created A Graphic Novel For Legal Awareness? – There’s been some “legal” comics and graphic novels but it’s a space that has the potential to grow.

CBLDF – CBLDF Launches Rory D. Root Comics Ambassador Grant To Support Retailer Programs Celebrating Free Expression – This is fantastic to see.

Reviews

Talking Comics – Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P.
Comic Attack – Bitter Root #6
ICv2 – Churchill: A Graphic Biography
AIPT – Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues #3
Comics Bulletin – Hellblazer #27
CBR – Tomorrow #1

Comic Art Sale to Benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Dynamic Forces CEO Nick Barrucci is opening up some of his personal art collection to the public! It’s one-of-a-kind, original pieces of comic book art from some of the industry’s top names, including Tom Raney, Mark Bagley, Scott Hanna, and Patrick Zircher! These pieces include pages from some of your favorite books, including The Outsiders, The Punisher, Uncanny X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man, The Order, Robin, and more!

Barucci has been a fan of art collecting for many years, and has been picking up pieces for the past 30 years. This has led him to build up a collection of over 400 pages of art. While he contemplated selling off parts of his collection through art houses, he decided to offer it directly to fans.

Even better, part of all the sales benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The CBLDF is a non-profit organization who provides legal aid, education, and advocacy to protect the First Amendment rights of the readers, creators, retailers, publishers, and librarians of comics, manga, and graphic novels.

While orders will be randomly filled, it will be per artist.  Fans can order Mark Bagley pages and/or Patrick Zircher pages and/or Tom Raney and Scott Hanna pages.  Each random page will be available at $75.00 plus shipping and handling.

You can order art from Tom Raney and Scott Hanna here.

You can order art from Mark Bagley here.

You can order art from Patrick Zircher here.