Official Press Release
TOP COW ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL 2010
Pilot Season 2010:
Pilot Season 2010 will begin anew as a 6-week event debut in the fall. The 6-week schedule is a new element to this year’s Pilot Season competition. Additionally, the promotion will return to include 6 different creative teams after 2009’s event where all the properties were co-created by Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri. Top Cow will be debuting the contestants for the 2010 competition at Comic-International with a Pilot Season 2010 Declassified preview book.
Created by Matt Hawkins and written by screenwriter Brad Ingelsby with art by Thomas Nachlik with a cover by Bagus Hutomo of IFS, Pilot Season: Forever #1 focuses on a pharmaceutical company, Longevity, and their development of a drug that extends human life and counters the debilitating effects of aging almost indefinitely.
Created and written by William Harms and debuting art from Jerry Landon with a cover by Rafael Albuquerque, Pilot Season: 39 Minutes #1 turns a heist story on its head when a bank robber’s only solution to getaway from a surrounded bank full of customers and employees is to kill everyone in town.
Created and co-written by Marc Silvestri and co-writer Jeff Katz with art by Allan Jefferson, Pilot Season: Crosshair #1 centers on former assassin for the CIA, Justin Weller, who just settled into the life of a loving husband and devoted father in the suburbs, coping with the discovery that he has been brainwashed to kill the President of the United States.
Created and written by Filip Sablk and debuting art from David Marquez with a cover by Jenny Frison, Pilot Season: The Asset #1 redefines the femme fatale for the digital age when you’re matched with the woman of your dreams; the same woman who’s trying to get you killed.
Created and co-written by the team behind Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box, Bryan Edward Hill and Rob Levin, with jaw dropping art from industry legend Brian Stelfreeze, Pilot Season: 7 Days from Hell #1 finds ex-pat turned mercenary John Bishop mortally wounded, but spared from Hell by a renegade demon seeking redemption.
Created and co-written by Marc Silvestri and David Wohl with art from Stjepan Sejic, Pilot Season: Midway Earth #1 sees our home planet as the strategic prize in a brutal war between two alien races.
Top Cow Bible Addendum:
Hot on the heels of the Top Cow Bible, which debuted at Comic-Con International 2009, Top Cow will debut the Top Cow Bible Addendum #1 at Comic-Con International 2010. The 32 page, prestige format comic will feature over 25 brand-new properties spotlighted and introduced to the world for the first time. This collection will include upcoming contestants in Pilot Season 2010 as well as new properties debuting as series from Top Cow and Minotaur Press in 2010 and 2011. Each property will include a summary and brand new key art and showcase Top Cow’s motto of “We Create…” Additionally, the back of the Top Cow Bible Addendum #1 will contain several pages of “In Development” properties, which will tease upcoming projects.
Pitt Comics and Reprints:
Top Cow proudly announces that it has acquired the rights to Pitt, the seminal character created by legendary artist Dale Keown. Keown has long considered himself part of the Top Cow family and this deal solidifies his ongoing relationship and commitment to the Cow. As part if this, Top Cow will collect previously published Pitt comics in trade paperbacks (which have never been collected before) as well as produce new Pitt comics and merchandise. Future Pitt comics will feature covers by Keown and be co-written and art directed by the creator.
Minotaur Press Revival:
Top Cow proudly announces the return of the Minotaur Press imprint to their line. The imprint is best known for releasing such series as Obergeist by Tony Harris and Dan Jolley and Felon by Greg Rucka. The return of the imprint is part of Top Cow’s efforts to create three distinct, clear lines of comics. These lines will include Top Cow Universe, which encompasses series such as Witchblade The Darkness, and Artifacts, that take place in the shared Top Cow Universe; Top Cow Productions, which will include stand alone color series such as Mysterious Ways, Sunset, and Rest; and lastly, Minotaur Press, which will act a home for more independent styled series. The first series to launch under the revived Minotaur Press will be Echoes created and written by Joshua Hale Fialkov (Tumor, Alibi) with toned art by Rahsan Ekedal. The series follows a man, who discovers his dead father may have been a serial killer and when new bodies begin to surface he’s left to wonder if he has inherited his father’s tendencies. The second series planned for release under the Minotaur Press line is Last Mortal. Last Mortal is co-created and written by Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik (Pilot Season: Asset) and newcomer John Mahoney and co-created and drawn by Thomas Nachlik (Pilot Season: Forever). That series tells the story of a small time criminal who discovers after trying to kill himself that he is immortal.
Mysterious Ways:
Video game industry legend Jason Rubin makes his triumphant return to comics with a brand new series entitled Mysterious Ways. Best known for creating Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter, Rubin made his initial splash in comics with The Iron Saint (originally published under the title Iron and the Maiden). The Iron Saint makes its collected trade debut at Comic-Con International along with a special sneak peek of Mysterious Ways #1 as part of the Top Cow First Look trade paperback. Mysterious Ways features art by Green Lantern Corps artist Tyler Kirkham, inker Sal Regla, and colorist Arif Prianto of IFS. The series follows the story of washed up ex-cop Sam, who has slid into a pit of despair and drinking his life away after killing his corrupt partner. When a serial killer begins killing innocent women around town, the police suspect Sam. As Sam races to clear his name he discovers that the Lord works in very Mysterious Ways indeed. Mysterious Ways is slated for release in late 2010/early 2011.
Rest:
Top Cow Productions and DiVide Pictures are proud to announce the return of fan favorite property Rest. Originally published by Devil’s Due Publishing, Rest chronicles the adventures of John, a man who becomes one of the first human test subjects for a drug, which removes the need for sleep. Imagine what you could do if you had an extra eight hours every day and always felt awake and refreshed. The dream soon becomes a nightmare as John discovers that he may not be the first subject and the drug may have unforeseen side effects. Three issues of Rest, issues #0, #1, and #2, have been released previously. Top Cow and DiVide will be utilizing a unique publishing plan to relaunch Rest. Issues #3-5, which complete the series, will be released exclusively digitally in single-issue form, along with making issues #0-2 available digitally. The issues will be released leading up to the release of the trade paperback in October at New York Comic-Con. More details will be forthcoming on specifics for the digital release plan.
There’s so much I enjoyed about Rest, but a lot I had trouble with as well. Written by Mark Powers with art by Shawn McManus, Marco Castiello and Abhishek Malsuni the story is about an experimental drug that causes it’s user to no longer need to sleep. The idea of a society that runs 24/7 intrigues me, and I hoped that’s what this series would explore. That’s also its biggest let down. While some of the implications are mentioned (the increased need for resources, but also increased output) that’s it, they’re mentioned. There’s no debate at all as to whether this would benefit society.
