Syfy has announced the pulpy adventure comic Five Ghosts is in development as a TV series to be produced by Universal Cable Productions, Black Mask Studios, and BenderSpink. The pilot is being written by Evan Daugherty based on the critically acclaimed comic series by Frank J. Barbiere and Chris Mooneyham, about a 1930s era treasure hunter possessed by five literary ghosts (Merlin, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Musashi, and Dracula) whose unique abilities he can draw on during his adventures. The series will be executive produced by BenderSpink and Black Mask. Black Mask’s Matt Pizzolo and Brett Gurewitz will co-executive produce with BenderSpink’s executive producers Chris Bender, Jake Weiner and producer Jake Wagner.

Black Mask Studios, the publishing/production company founded last year by musician/entrepreneur Brett Gurewitz, comic book writer Steve Niles and filmmaker/transmedia-specialist Matt Pizzolo, acquired the film/tv/transmedia rights to Five Ghosts late last year, developing it for television as well as other transmedia adaptations to be announced.

Five Ghosts was funded on Kickstarter in 2012 and previewed at San Diego Comic Con that year when Pizzolo (who would later co-found Black Mask Studios) shared his San Diego Comic Con table with then-unknown writer Frank Barbiere. Five Ghosts was picked up by Image Comics and premiered at Emerald City Comic Con becoming one of the breakout hits of 2013. Black Mask entered into an agreement with Universal Cable Productions in July 2014 to develop Five Ghosts together for television as well as other media.