WonderCon 2017: IDW Announces Dread Gods, Giantkillers, Demi-God, and Kid Lobotomy
Debi Moore
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You’ve gotta hand it to IDW… in the crowded comics field, it’s hard to stand out; but based on their titles alone, we can’t wait to learn more about the publisher’s projects that were announced this weekend at WonderCon 2017.
Three hail from IDW’s new line with Ominous Press – Dread Gods and Demi-God, both written by Ron Marz, and Bart Sears’ Giantkillers – while the fourth entry is new IDW imprint Black Crown’s debut title, Kid Lobotomy from Peter Milligan and Tess Fowler.
From the Dread Gods/Giantkillers/Demi-God Press Release:
IDW Publishing announces a partnership with Ominous Press to bring a new line of epic adventure comics to the market. The brainchild of comic art master Bart Sears, Ominous Press will tell stories of larger-than-life heroes and villains in fantasy and science-fiction settings.
Ominous Press had a brief, initial life in the mid-’90s, before the crash of the comic market brought down so many fledgling publishers. Now Ominous Press returns, releasing all-new material through IDW beginning in July. Ominous Press is comprised of Chief Creative Officer Bart Sears, Publisher Sean HusVar, Editor-in-Chief Ron Marz, and Art Director Andy Smith.
The initial lineup of Ominous Press titles includes:
- Dread Gods, written by Ron Marz and drawn by Tom Raney, in which gods in a fantasy world discover they’re actually monsters in a post-apocalyptic hell;
- Giantkillers, written and drawn by Bart Sears, telling the story of a broken warrior who must protect a child destined to be the universe’s last hope against the ultimate villain; and
- Demi-God, written by Ron Marz and drawn by Andy Smith, about a fame-seeking hero gaining great power, but forgetting the great responsibility part.
“Telling your own stories, the way you want to tell them, is the dream of everyone creating comics,” said Sears. “Ominous Press partnering with IDW gives all of us the chance to do just that. These are the kind of epic stories we grew up on, the kind of stories that made us want to create comics in the first place.”
Ominous Press Publisher Sean HusVar said, “I’m so pleased that Ominous has become part of the IDW family. We couldn’t ask for a better home, and I have every confidence that this will be a long and prosperous partnership.”
Each title will initially launch as a four-issue mini-series. Each series stands alone, intended to be read independently, but with connecting plot threads that create a larger canvas.
Dread Gods will be the first title, with Issue #1 debuting in July. Dread Gods #1 will have a standard cover by series artist Tom Raney, a wraparound cover by Bart Sears, and incentive covers by Kenneth Rocafort (1-in-10) and the legendary Neal Adams (1-in-25). Dread Gods #1 will be an oversize 48-page issue, including the lead feature by Marz and Raney, a backup story by Bart Sears, and a wealth of additional content, all for $3.99. Giantkillers and then Demi-God will follow.
From the Kid Lobotomy Press Release:
Shelly Bond made headlines when she announced Black Crown, her new creator-owned imprint during IDW’s ECCC panel. She’s back at it again, this time at WonderCon, with juicy details to divulge about how Black Crown is taking shape, and she’s invited Peter Milligan and Tess Fowler to headline the imprint’s debut.
Milligan (Shade, the Changing Man) and Fowler (Rat Queens) will team on Kid Lobotomy, which will not only kick off Black Crown in face-melting fashion, but also set the tone of the buzz-worthy and hotly anticipated new line (no pressure, guys)!
Kid, as he’s affectionately referred to, is the youngest descendant of a strange, overbearing hotelier. While he sports rock star good looks, Kid Lobotomy has more in common with Hannibal than Morrissey in his prime. Unsuspecting hotel guests who check in to “The Suites” are in danger of losing more than their luggage. Living up to his name, Kid has shed a few brain cells in his day, which naturally makes him qualified to perform a lobotomy or two. And why let those brain bits go to waste when he can use them to help — or unwittingly harm — his subjects? Ultimately, Kid hopes to restore some of his sanity. But can he survive the truth about his cursed lineage and face what runs rampant throughout the torturous hotel hallways? Simply put, you’ve never read anything like this.
Editor Shelly Bond proclaimed that “Peter Milligan is one of the most talented writers in the history of the written word. One of comics’ original provocateurs, Milligan is quietly crafting a new monthly series that’s worthy of your consideration. In other words: He. Cannot. Be. Stopped. It was either give him the Black Crown debut series or commit him to the nearest… posh hotel… so he can get on with his goddamn writing!”
Co-creator/writer Peter Milligan added, “Kid Lobotomy is a sub-cranial Gothic scream of obsession, love, and the perennial dream of an upgrade to the executive suite. Torn from the deepest region of my hippocampus and hurled at an unsuspecting world, this is different from anything I’ve written and unlike anything you’ve read.”
“Fortunately,” Bond continues, “Milligan is aided and abetted by co-creator/artist extraordinaire Tess Fowler, whose bold storytelling, lush inks, and affinity for all things dark and twisted will no doubt make Kid Lobotomy your new favorite monthly series.”
Tess Fowler was quoted as saying, “I’ve just done the comic artist equivalent of running off to join the circus. Send help. No wait. Don’t. Just come with me.”
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