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A Comic Book Publisher Creates Its Own Origin Story

American Ronin, about highly trained corporate operatives; Fight Girls, about warriors vying to be queen of the galaxy; and Bad Mother, about a parent searching for her missing daughter: These are some of the stories that are coming from a new comics publisher, Artists, Writers & Artisans, one that is posing the question, what stories could we develop if we begin with a blank slate?

In comic books, there are two main publishing models. One emphasizes flagship characters — like Batman and Spider-Man — whose success largely benefits their companies, DC and Marvel Comics. The other is creator-focused, where hits like The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, can mean a financial windfall for its creators. AWA is aiming for something between the two: It will have interconnected superhero comics like DC and Marvel as well as stand-alone series like Image. And all of its creators will have a financial stake.

It’s an approach reminiscent of old Hollywood. “The model here really is the old United Artists model, where people who are actually doing the creative have ownership, control and decision-making power over the work that they’re doing,” said Bill Jemas, a former vice president of Marvel who is the chief executive and publisher of AWA. Joining him at the helm are Axel Alonso, a former editor in chief at Marvel, as chief creative officer and Jonathan F. Miller as chairman. Miller helped broker a deal in 2017 between the comic book writer Mark Millar and Netflix, which bought his library of characters for development on the streaming service. Jemas and Alonso say the first of AWA’s titles will arrive some time this fall.

[Read about TKO, another new comics publisher aiming to shake things up.]

“What we’re offering creators is an opportunity to bet on themselves without putting it all on the line,” Alonso said, during a recent conference-call interview with Jemas. Their stable of writers and artists includes both veterans and newcomers, Alonso said. They would be paid to produce the work as well as own their stories and characters, a percentage of the company or both.

Besides AWA — whose team also includes Frank Cho, the writers Peter Milligan and Christa Faust and the artist known as ACO — there are other newcomers to the field trying to rupture the mold of comic books publishing. TKO Studios, which announced itself in December, plans to binge-release its mini-series, simultaneously selling collected editions of those stories and offering the first issue of each comic free. AHOY Comics, which began publishing in September, is more old school, but it is trying new things: It includes extra material — prose stories, cartoons, even a crossword — in its issues, and is also publishing Second Coming, a comic book featuring Jesus Christ, in July.

AWA has its own biblical title, Archangel 8, which is written by Michael Moreci and is about one of God’s angels who goes rogue.

To help shape the comics, the publisher has a creative council, which includes the screenwriter and director Reginald Hudlin, the novelists Margaret Stohl and Gregg Hurwitz, the comic book writer Garth Ennis and J. Michael Straczynski, a screenwriter and co-creator of Netflix’s “Sense8.”

Straczynski took a sabbatical from comics about three years ago, but kept busy working on multiple projects: an autobiography, a novel and a screenplay, adapting his Rising Stars comic book series for MGM. “I was open to returning to comics if the project was something challenging, so when Bill and Axel approached me about creating an entirely new, cohesive, shared comic-book universe, the prospect was too much fun to resist,” he wrote in an email. Straczynski has developed the origin point of AWA’s superheroes.

He has worked for comic companies with different publishing models. At DC and Marvel, “you always kind of know where the guard rails are,” he noted, including an obligation to bend, but not break the characters. With creator-owned work, “you can go as far as you want, since only you bear the consequences if you mess it up,” he wrote. Straczynski was drawn to the blended approach of AWA. “You get to create a new universe for what has every opportunity to become a major company, while taking real chances.”

In developing AWA’s superhero universe, Straczynski and Alonso took a broad look at others. Straczynski postulated that DC’s heroes, which generally emerged out of the postwar ’40s, were largely authority figures, while Marvel’s, which mostly emerged from the ’60s, were anti-establishment. “Who are we writing our stories about, and for, and what are we trying to say that’s relevant to a contemporary audience?” he wrote.

AWA has big ambitions and hopes to create a library of material like that of Marvel. “I think it’s fairly safe to say that Marvel is the most valuable entertainment franchise in the world,” Miller said. After the Netflix deal, he wondered if there were similar opportunities. He and Jemas got together, and Alonso soon joined them. “One of the great things about doing things this way is that you get to try a lot. Some things will hit, you never know when and where, but that’s part of the idea,” he said. “As long as you keep getting your turns at bat, then you’ll get some hits.”

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Lynbrook student writes book about her community

A Lynbrook High School student recently wrote, illustrated and self-published a children's book to help educate local youths about her community's history.

Emma Lenz, a junior, created the 24-page "Memories of Lynbrook," which focuses on a young girl named Georgie who looks through her grandmother's scrapbook of Lynbrook memories. The grandmother shares various facts about the village, including the history of local schools, historical figures and monuments.

Lenz read from her book and delivered a PowerPoint presentation during visits to each class at the Lynbrook Kindergarten Center in January and February. The effort was part of the project for her Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the highest honor that can be earned in the organization.

"I wanted to do a project that would impact my community in a positive way," said Lenz, 16. "My strengths are art and history, and with this book I'm combining both of them together."

Lenz did research both online and at the Lynbrook Public Library while working with the Historical Society of East Rockaway and Lynbrook. She also provided a copy of the book to each class at the kindergarten center and distributed worksheets to students there, asking them to share their own favorite memories of Lynbrook.   

The book, self-published through IngramSpark, is available for purchase online.

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Michael Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.

03

‘Green Book’ Actor Joe Cortese to Play Roger Stone in Showtime’s Roger Ailes Limited Series (Exclusive)

Showtime has added cast another key figure to its upcoming limited series on former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes. Joe Cortese has joined the project as Roger Stone, TheWrap has exclusively learned.

Cortese’s role is currently slated for one episode. He is currently shooting his scenes for “The Loudest Voice” this week in New York, all of which will be opposite Russell Crowe’s Ailes. Stone is a longtime informal political adviser to President Donald Trump and self-proclaimed “dirty trickster.”

Cortese is coming off his role as Gio Loscudo in Peter Farrelly’s Oscar-winning “Green Book.”

Also Read: Josh Charles to Play Gretchen Carlson's Husband on Showtime's Roger Ailes Limited Series

“The Loudest Voice” is based on former New York magazine reporter Gabriel Sherman’s best-selling book, “The Loudest Voice in the Room.” The limited series about the former Fox News chairman will debut this summer.

The miniseries will detail Ailes’ rise to power and how he built Fox News into a cable news behemoth, as well as address the sexual harassment accusations and monetary settlements that brought his Fox News reign to an end. Ailes’ tenure at the network ended in July 2016 following a lawsuit filed by Gretchen Carlson, who accused Ailes of sexual harassment. More women followed Carlson with similar accusations against Ailes. He died in May 2017 at the age of 77.

Naomi Watts will play Gretchen Carlson, while Simon McBurney will play legendary media titan Rupert Murdoch. Seth MacFarlane, a frequent critic of Fox News, will play Brian Lewis, the network’s former public relations chief for over 17 years, and Ailes’ closest confidante and supporter. Sienna Miller will play Aisles’ wife, Beth. Josh Charles was also cast on Thursday as Carlson’s husband, Casey Close. 

Sherman co-wrote the initial episode of the limited series with Oscar winner Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”).

Stone was indicted earlier this year on charges stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, including making false statements to Congress, interfering with a congressional investigation and witness tampering. He has denied the charges, and is scheduled to go on trial in November.

Cortese is represented by McCaffrey Talent Management; Amsel, Eisenstadt, Frazier & Hinojosa; and Integrated PR.