- Popular sci-horror transmedia franchise increases page counts due to success of digital/paper release model -

Halo-8 Entertainment opened up pre-orders today for the next mini-series in its popular GODKILLER franchise and has increased page count by nearly 50% (from 96 pages to 136 pages) for the same price: $6.66 digital, $16.66 paper, $19.99 digital-paper hybrid.

“Anna and I were about to get ourselves in trouble by letting this mini-series run longer than it was supposed to,” said writer-creator Matt Pizzolo, “but, thanks to the audience support and overall success we had with the first experiment of this hybrid digital/paper model, we’re able to afford giving more content for the same price.”

In fact, Halo-8′s previous digital-paper hybrid experiment with GODKILLER: TOMORROW’S ASHES Book 1 was so successful it inspired Pizzolo to partner with Steve Niles (writer 30 DAYS OF NIGHT) and Brett Gurewitz (owner Epitaph Records, guitarist-songwriter Bad Religion) on Black Mask Studios, a new publisher-distributor devoted to the model.

“We’re blessed with a pretty diverse audience that supports our stories regardless of the format we use as an interface. It’s cool that people learn about Godkiller on Netflix or Xbox or an Atari Teenage Riot show and then come to the comics for more story. Most of those readers don’t use pull lists so we have to be innovative about getting our comics to them,” said Pizzolo.

Pizzolo pointed out that the comic book format has some creative advantages over the animated GODKILLER films.

“Tomorrow’s Ashes taps into esoteric theories about using sexual energy as a conduit for the collective unconscious and to power quantum magic, so the visual content gets pretty over the top at times… I mean, I escalated things in the writing and then Anna just took it off the rails–she even surprised me with how far she took it. Walk Among Us had some Jung and Crowley, but we’re delving into it a lot more here–and when you dramatize that stuff and see the characters going through it… it can get pretty graphic,” said Pizzolo. “What’s interesting is we actually have a lot more flexibility to explore these themes in the comic book. When we do the illustrated film version, I have a feeling we’re gonna dial it back… partly because the threshold for transgressive art shifts wildly between comics & video and partly because video platforms have been getting really conservative lately–iTunes has a different sensibility than Borders did.”

GODKILLER’s first series WALK AMONG US debuted as both a comic book and an “illustrated film” that married the comic’s sequential art with dramatic voice performances by a genre-star studded ensemble including Lance Henriksen (ALIENS), Davey Havok (singer AFI), Danielle Harris (HALLOWEEN), Nicki Clyne (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), Bill Moseley (THE DEVIL’S REJECTS), Lydia Lunch (art-punk icon), Tiffany Shepis (NIGHTMARE MAN), and Justin Pierre (singer Motion City Soundtrack) with music by Atari Teenage Riot. The experimental animated film was distributed by Warner Brothers on VOD to 80 million homes (through Time Warner Cable, Comcast, and dozens more) before hitting Netflix Streaming and Hulu.

GODKILLER: TOMORROW’S ASHES vol 2: Spiderland is written by Pizzolo and illustrated by Anna Wieszczyk (LUCID) who’s been GODKILLER’s sole artist since it debuted in 2008.

Tomorrow’s Ashes release schedule
Book I: The Scars That Bind
..Issue 1 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues Jan 24
..Issue 2 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues Feb 21
..Issue 3 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues Mar 20
..Graphic Novel – street date Fri Apr 6
Book II: Spiderland
..Issue 1 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues May 29
..Issue 2 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Wed June 20
..Issue 3 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues July 10
..Issue 4 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues July 31
..Graphic Novel – street date Tues July 31
Book III: For Those I Love, I Will Sacrifice
..dates/issues TBA

- Double disc set features over an hour of new content including
magic rituals, Morrison’s writing process, extended interview w/ Frank Quitely -

Halo-8 opened up pre-orders today for the new 2-Disc DVD Special Edition of acclaimed documentary GRANT MORRISON: TALKING WITH GODS, about the comic book visionary behind The Invisibles, All Star Superman, and the recent Action Comics reboot. The double-disc set features a gorgeous cover illustration by Camilla D’Errico and will be released May 16th through massmarket retail as well as to Direct Market comic book stores through Diamond Comics Distributors. Halo-8 has also made a standalone disc-2 available in its Halo8store for owners of the original edition who wish to upgrade. Directed by Patrick Meaney for his Respect Films banner with Producer/DP Jordan Rennert and produced with SequArt Publishing, this new edition precedes the August 14th release date for the team’s follow-up WARREN ELLIS: CAPTURED GHOSTS. Meaney and Rennert are currently producing CHRIS CLAREMONT’S X-MEN, THE IMAGE REVOLUTION, and the OCCUPY COMICS documentaries.

This Special Edition features over an hour of never before seen material including Morrison’s magic rituals, an examination of his creative process, and an extended interview with Frank Quitely.

Praise for GRANT MORRISON: TALKING WITH GODS

“Bold, brave, and honest. A fascinating study of the man behind some of the most influential and controversial comics.”
(–Mark L Miller, Ain’t It Cool News)

“Incredibly interesting and sometimes shocking… a peek into the mind of the infinitely creative.”
(–Matthew Meylikhov, Multiversity Comics)

“A contemporary comic book legend… the charismatic subject of this admiring portrait will intrigue the previously unconverted.”
(–Dennis Harvey, Variety)

“A thoroughly engaging picture of Grant Morrison built up from a rich cloth of threads. Drop dead gorgeous… an absorbing film.”
(–Rich Johnston, Bleeding Cool)

“Fans of superhero comics idolize Grant Morrison, a fast-talking, bald-headed Scot prone to discussing quantum physics, his personal problems, his alien abduction, and whatever else he fancies in a full-speed blurry burr. They’re the ideal but not the only audience for Patrick Meaney’s documentary, assuming a larger audience might enjoy watching a colorful soul in perpetual monologue.”
(–Gregg Rickman, SF Weekly)

“A no-brainer if you’re a Morrison fan, a Vertigo acolyte, or a comic book history buff.”
(–Cyriaque Lamar, io9)

About the film

“Grant Morrison is a transcendent, transgressive artist, he changed the way a lot of us read comics while also blowing the minds of people who don’t read comics at all,” said Halo-8 president Matt Pizzolo. “Patrick, Amber, and Jordan have put together a smart, slick, and insightful film that offers a deeper look at the writer without demystifying him… that’s no simple feat.”

“It’s extremely exciting to partner with Halo-8 to release this film. They have extensive experience releasing films that are challenging and transgressive, just like Grant’s work, so it seems like the perfect match. I’ve been nothing but impressed by their plans for getting the film out there,” said Meaney. “Talking With Gods is a unique film that needs a unique distributor and Halo-8 is the perfect match.”

“We’re encouraged by the enthusiasm and experience that Halo-8 is bringing to the project,” said Yoder. “They know our audience and the marketplace, and we’re excited to be working with them.”

GRANT MORRISON: TALKING WITH GODS examines Morrison’s 30-year career and the real-life events that inspired his stories. Featuring extensive interviews with Morrison himself, the film delves into his early days growing up in Scotland, the start of his career in comics, the crazy years of the ’90s as his life and his comics became enmeshed, and his recent attempts to turn personal troubles and social darkness into compelling comics. The film also gives insight into his creative process, including a look into his vaunted idea notebooks. Complementing Morrison’s own words are interviews with many of his most important collaborators, including Warren Ellis, Geoff Johns, Douglas Rushkoff, Frank Quitely, Dan DiDio, Frazer Irving, Phil Jimenez, Cameron Stewart, Jill Thompson, Mark Waid, and others.

“The film is designed to be accessible both to long time fans of Morrison and to people who don’t know who he is but are interested in the story of a modern philosopher and magician with radical ideas about the universe and our place in it,” said Meaney.

- Popular sci-horror transmedia franchise returns as comic series with unique digital/physical release model -

Halo-8 Entertainment opened up pre-orders today for the next mini-series in its popular GODKILLER franchise with a unique, new release model: readers who purchase the Digital/Physical Bundle will receive ongoing, monthly digital comics until the culmination of the story arc when they’ll receive the collected trade paperback. Breaking with current trends, the digital comics will be released as DRM-free PDFs and CBRs, rather than hosted in a closed-app environment.

GODKILLER-creator Matt Pizzolo (who also serves as President of Halo-8) developed the non-traditional release model for the recent OCCUPY COMICS anthology he organized, a Kickstarter-driven charity project that enables purchasers of the book to receive ongoing, short digital segments prior to the physical book’s completion.

“A lot of comics readers these days prefer to ‘wait for the trade’ before committing to a story, so this enables them to keep up with the new content as it becomes available while they wait for the collected book,” said Pizzolo. “This pairs the convenience of digital with the unique experience of holding a physical book, but brings digital upfront since it’s the fastest, most efficient way for readers to get content as soon as it’s available.”

The project reunites writer Pizzolo with illustrator Anna Muckcracker Wieszczyk (who recently drew Archaia’s LUCID and the OCCUPY COMICS promo image).

GODKILLER is no stranger to unique release methods. The first mini-series GODKILLER: WALK AMONG US debuted as a comic book but reached its largest audience as an “illustrated film” that married the comic’s sequential art with dramatic voice performances by a genre-star studded ensemble including Lance Henriksen (ALIENS), Davey Havok (singer AFI), Danielle Harris (HALLOWEEN), Nicki Clyne (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), Bill Moseley (THE DEVIL’S REJECTS), Lydia Lunch (art-punk icon), Tiffany Shepis (NIGHTMARE MAN), and Justin Pierre (singer Motion City Soundtrack) with music by Atari Teenage Riot. The experimental animated film was distributed on cable-VOD to 80 million homes (through Time Warner Cable, Comcast, and dozens more) before hitting Netflix Streaming and Hulu.

Though the illustrated film edition of this new GODKILLER series is already in production, Pizzolo hopes an aggressive digital comics campaign will cater to existing comics readers while also introducing the comic version to fans who discovered GODKILLER in its animated format.

“Obviously digital comics have the potential to grow comics readership beyond the core Cape Crowd in the way bookstores did with graphic novels and manga–but to an exponentially larger degree. All the innovative funding and production and release methods these days are really shaking things up… it’s telling that 2012 has already been called The Year of the Creator–there are a lot of opportunities out there for clever, innovative, and entrepreneurial creators,” said Pizzolo.

The new mini-series GODKILLER: TOMORROW’S ASHES vol. 1 “The Scars That Bind” is a 96-page collected book split into 3 digital issues. Halo-8 is charging $6.66 for the 3 digital comics, $16.66 for the collected book, or $19.99 for the Digital/Physical Bundle.

Tomorrow’s Ashes release schedule
Book I: The Scars That Bind
..Issue 1 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues Jan 24
..Issue 2 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues Feb 21
..Issue 3 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues Mar 20
..Graphic Novel – street date Fri Apr 6
Book II: Spiderland
..Issue 1 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues May 29
..Issue 2 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Wed June 20
..Issue 3 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues July 10
..Issue 4 – delivered digitally to subscribers on Tues July 31
..Graphic Novel – street date Tues July 31
Book III: For Those I Love, I Will Sacrifice
..dates/issues TBA

About Halo-8 Entertainment
Halo-8 Entertainment (www.halo8.tv) is a film, comics, & transmedia studio that marries art with technology, producing and distributing daring, creator-owned media. The studio is known for integrating film with tech innovations such as the “illustrated film” format designed for GODKILLER which Wired called “a horrific yarn of quantum physics, culture jamming, and conspiracy theory” and influential comics creator Ben Templesmith (creator 30 Days of Night) called “the new frontier of comics and animation,” for supporting outsider-culture documentaries such as the comics-writer bio-doc GRANT MORRISON: TALKING WITH GODS which Wired called “an instant classic” and Ain’t It Cool News called “bold, brave, and honest,” and for championing controversial documentaries such as the animal rights film YOUR MOMMY KILLS ANIMALS which Variety called “a miraculously evenhanded treatment of a snarlingly divisive debate” and currently holds a 91% positive ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. Upcoming releases include CTRL+ALT+COMPETE, a documentary about startup-culture and creative/tech entrepreneurship featuring Atari-founder Nolan Bushnell, Twitter-financier Mike Maples Jr, and The Guild creator Felicia Day; and WARREN ELLIS: CAPTURED GHOSTS, a documentary about the visionary, influential comics writer & futurist behind groundbreaking series Transmetropolitan, Planetary, Fell, The Authority, featuring interviews with Academy Award-winner Dame Helen Mirren, Avengers-director Joss Whedon, illustrator Darick Robertson, sci-fi hero Wil Wheaton, and many more.

- Indie distrib nabs docu on startup culture, tech entrepreneurship at CES -

Halo-8 Entertainment has secured worldwide rights to “CTRL+ALT+COMPETE,” the first theatrically-premiered feature-length documentary film conceived intrepreneurially within tech giant Microsoft, it was announced yesterday at CES during the OnStar Tweet House social media programming.

Produced by Emmy-winning production company TEN100 (YEAR OF THE QUARTERBACK: THE MARINOVICH PROJECT), directed by Peabody-winning editor-producer turned first-time helmer Brian Giberson (editor ESPN 30 FOR 30: PONY EXCESS and Head of Production for Halo-8) and Executive Produced by Microsoft’s Daryll McDade (who initially conceived the project) and Xbox Executive Producer Tina Wood Summerford, the film delves into startup culture by tracking five teams of tech entrepreneurs at high-stakes competitions DEMO, GDC, and SXSW ACCELERATOR intercut with advice and anecdotes from luminaries and moguls Nolan Bushnell (founder Atari, creator Pong), Felicia Day (THE GUILD), Tony Hsieh (CEO Zappos), Cliff Bleszinski (Design Director Epic Games, Gears of War), Mike Maples Jr (financier Twitter), Tim O’Reilly (CEO O’Reilly Media, founder Web 2.0 Summit), Veronica Belmont (Revision3 Tekzilla, This Week in Tech), and dozens more.

Deal was negotiated by Halo-8 President Matt Pizzolo (who also served as film’s writer-producer) following its premiere at Napa Valley Film Festival. Halo-8 is planning a theatrical run for Winter 2012.

“CTRL+ALT+COMPETE has been a real whirlwind for us, it was never the intention for Halo-8 to distribute when we first boarded the production,” explained Pizzolo. “Brian was given the opportunity to direct and then recruited me to help as the production grew in scope. We both fell in love with the project but never expected we’d get to distribute.”

“I didn’t know what to expect when I got the call that Microsoft wanted to make a film, of course my first response was kind of cynical and I wondered if this would be a longform commercial,” said Giberson, “but Microsoft was incredibly supportive and genuinely, almost shockingly, hands-off the creative choices. Not only does the film feature more non-Microsoft technology than Microsoft technology, but Microsoft even takes the toughest beatings from interview subjects. I was given incredible latitude for candor, and that’s only because Daryll McDade’s idea was for Microsoft to support the creation of an aspirational film about tech entrepreneurship but not to mess with the content.”

“You could certainly say that I took some risks with this project,” said McDade. “Having been a part of a number of startups myself, I get the passion, fortitude and insanity of tech entrepreneurship, so I wanted to ensure that we told an authentic story about what it’s like. We explored a number of distribution options for the film, but I was so impressed by Brian and Matt’s understanding of both art and technology as well as Halo-8′s startup approach to film distribution that it felt like the perfect home for the film. My hope is that the film helps demystify startup culture and inspires people to pursue their dreams to be innovators and inventors.”

Beyond the traditional Silicon Valley startups, C+A+C also features some of the brightest stars of gaming. Xbox’s Summerford said “My passion is the gaming industry and it was incredibly important to me that the entrepreneurs and icons in that industry had a chance to tell their story and be heard. Their storylines are a wonderful addition. I hope that when people watch this film they are inspired… inspired to follow and conquer their dreams.”

About CTRL+ALT+COMPETE

PopVox CEO Marci Harris at SXSWi Accelerator

CTRL+ALT+COMPETE focuses on young entrepreneurs whose products range from political reform solutions to personal safety apps to indie video games to cloud-computing for families to micro-rentals of empty commercial spaces. What they all share is an ambitious and optimistic desire to use technology to solve problems for millions of people… and also to create value and jobs.

“There’s a lot of talk about entrepreneurship creating most of the jobs… and it’s absolutely true,” Bushnell told the filmmakers.

“Entrepreneurs are heroes in that they create value for society,” said Scott Case, CEO of the Startup America Partnership, formerly CEO of Malaria No More and CTO of Priceline. “They create jobs. They create innovation. They fail and they make mistakes that lead through complicated areas so others can be more successful behind them.”

Guardly CEO Josh Sookman at DEMO

CTRL+ALT+COMPETE starts at DEMO, a three day conference in Palm Desert where innovative tech developers vie for the eyes, hearts, and wallets of the world’s most elite financiers. DEMO has been known as “six minutes that can change your life” because it is structured as a fast-paced competition of six minute prototype demonstrations. The event has launched such game-changing tech companies as Palm, Tivo, E*TRADE, Salesforce.com, Java, and many more. C+A+C follows two teams of entrepreneurs running the DEMO gauntlet while profiling the power-brokers and gatekeepers whose tastes can make or break a new entrepreneurial venture.

AboutOne CEO Joanne Lang at DEMO

The film then moves to the Independent Games Festival at the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC), the annual, 23-year old, San Francisco-based event where innovative game designers present their latest efforts. Some of GDC’s notable launches include Microsoft’s popular Fable franchise and the Playstation Move motion controller. C+A+C follows a team of young game developers nominated for an IGF award while also catching up with gaming rockstars Nolan Bushnell (founder Atari, creator Pong), Cliff Bleszkinski (Gears of War), Randy Pitchford (Duke Nukem Forever), and Keith Arem (Call of Duty: Black Ops)for advice on innovation through gaming.

The film’s final destination is SXSW Interactive‘s Accelerator Program, a relatively new segment of the venerable multimedia festival which recently served as the initial launchpad for Twitter and Foursquare. C+A+C follows one entrepreneurial team seeking to use SXSW as a launchpad and another competing in Accelerator, a high-stakes demo competition of ongoing elimination rounds leading to ultimate winners who reap key strategic partnerships, mentorships, and startup cash. C+A+C also gets insight on social-media from Veronica Belmont (Revision3 Tekzilla, This Week in Tech) and Allison Mooney (Google Trends & Insights) as well as venture capital tips from Ben Huh (whose LOL-cats driven Cheezburger just raised $30M) and Brian Wong (whose Kiip raised $4M and made him “the youngest person to ever receive funding by a venture capital firm” -Wall Street Journal).

By showcasing these young entrepreneurs’ successes, failures, and resilience alongside the insights and analysis of seasoned, veteran pioneers, CTRL+ALT+COMPETE hopes to reach and inspire the next generation of visionaries who will face tomorrow’s problems and solve them through intelligence, technology, and entrepreneurial perseverance.

Entrepreneurs Profiled in CTRL+ALT+COMPETE:
AboutOne.com
Joanne Lang
Guardly
Josh Sookman
Supergiant Games
Amir Rao
Greg Kasavin
LiquidSpace
Mark Gilbreath
PopVox
Marci Harris

Interview Subjects in CTRL+ALT+COMPETE:
Nolan Bushnell (Atari, Chuck E. Cheese)
Felicia Day (The Guild)
Tony Hsieh (CEO Zappos)
Cliff Bleszinski (Epic Games, Gears of War)
Adam Ostrow (Mashable)
Josh Harris (Pseudo)
Jim Marggraff (Livescribe, Leapfrog)
Gary Kremen (Match.com)
Micah Baldwin (Graphicly)
Veronica Belmont (Revision3 Tekzilla, This Week in Tech)
Tim O’Reilly (O’Reilly Media, Web 2.0 Summit)
Mark Suster (GRP Partners)
Steve Martocci (GroupMe)
Allison Mooney (Google Trends & Insights)
Daniel Sieberg (ABC Tech This Out)
Scott Case (Startup America Partnership)
Matt Marshall (VentureBeat)
Christine Herron (Intel Capital, 500 Startups)
Mike Maples Jr (Floodgate)
Randy Pitchford (Gearbox Games, Duke Nukem Forever)
Keith Arem (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
Chris Shipley (Guidewire consulting)
Mitchell Kertzman (Hummer Winblad Venture Partners)
Phil Sanderson (IDG Ventures)
Jenn Karlman (InLabs)
Brian Selzer (Ogmento augmented reality games)
Tommy Tallarico (Video Games Live)
Brian Wong (Kiip)
Christina Gagnier (IP attorney Gagnier Margossian LLP)
Naval Ravikant (Angel List)
Ben Huh (Cheezburger)
Ryan McIntyre (Foundry Group)
Richard MacManus (Read, Write, Web)
Simon Sinek (Start With Why)

About Halo-8 Entertainment
Halo-8 Entertainment (www.halo8.tv) is a film, comics, & transmedia studio that produces and distributes daring content reaching audiences via movie theaters, cable-VOD, DVD, and digital platforms. Recent releases include the documentary on transgressive comics visionary Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods (which the Seattle Post Globe called “the most inspirational picture on the state of the creative imagination in the 21st century”), the megapopular animated series Xombie: Dead On Arrival (which Bloody Disgusting called “one of the best online animated series to date”), the legendary NY hardcore documentary N.Y.H.C. (which Cinematical called “smashing… a terrific, well-told, engaging story”), the innovative, animated sci-horror epic Godkiller (which Wired called “a horrific yarn of quantum physics, culture jamming, & conspiracy theory”), and the critically-acclaimed animal rights documentary Your Mommy Kills Animals (which earned a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes). Upcoming releases include the comic books & futurism documentary Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts (featuring Helen Mirren, Joss Whedon, Wil Wheaton, Brea Grant, and Patton Oswalt), hardcore punk documentary Edge: Perspectives on Drug-Free Culture (with Minor Threat’s Ian MacKaye, AFI’s Davey Havok, and H2O’s Toby Morse), and the next installment of sci-horror epic series Godkiller 2: Tomorrow’s Ashes (franchise starring Lance Henriksen, AFI’s Davey Havok, Motion City Soundtrack’s Justin Pierre, Battlestar Galactica’s Nicki Clyne, Bill Moseley, and Danielle Harris).

- Activism-inspired charity anthology intends to fundraise for protests while simultaneously creating art around the movement’s themes -

Occupy Comics went live on Kickstarter today, launching a comics campaign to support the Occupy movement artistically and financially. The 30-day Kickstarter effort seeks to raise money for the Occupy Wall Street protesters by funding the creation of a hardbound, deluxe, collectible anthology book that compiles new art and stories by comics pros inspired by the movement. Beyond actual hard costs (which will be kept as low and transparent as possible) all funds raised through Kickstarter and all revenue generated by the book will be donated to support the movement.

This is the first project of its kind to bring together artists and writers inspired to create change by making art together and utilizing that art to financially support a social protest movement in an organized, sustainable way.

The current roster of artists and writers includes:
(in alphabetical order) *updated with latest additions*
Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead)
Mike Allred (Madman)
Marc Andreyko (Manhunter)
Susie Cagle (Notes on Conflict, arrested at Occupy Oakland)
Mike Cavallaro (Parade (with fireworks), Life & Times of Savior 28)
Kevin Colden (I Rule the Night, Grimm’s Fairy Tales)
Molly Crabapple (Dr. Sketchy’s)
Tyler Crook (Petrograd, B.P.R.D.)
Vito Delsante (Superman, FCHS)
J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League, Spider-Man, Imaginalis)
Guy Denning (painter)
Eric Drooker (Flood!)
Troy Dye (Shrek, Puss In Boots, The Goblin Chronicles)
Joshua Dysart (Swamp Thing, The Unknown Soldier)
Zoetica Ebb (Biorequiem)
Joshua Hale Fialkov (I Vampire, Tumor)
Dan Goldman (Shooting War, 08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail)
Jenny “Devildoll” Gonzalez-Blitz (Coffin Factory art collective)
Brea Grant (We Will Bury You, Suicide Girls)
Zane Grant (We Will Bury You, Suicide Girls)
Joe Harris (Ghost Projekt, Spontaneous)
Dean Haspiel (American Splendor)
Joe Keatinge (Hell Yeah, Glory, Brutal)
Tom Kelesides (Shrek, Puss In Boots, The Goblin Chronicles)
Ales Kot (upcoming projects w/ Image Comics & DC Ent)
George Krstic (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Megas XLR)
Jonathan Swifty Lang (Feeding Ground)
Joseph Michael Linsner (Dawn)
David Lloyd (V For Vendetta)
Patrick Meaney (Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods)
Mark L. Miller (Luna, Nanny & Hank)
Caleb Monroe (Batman: Fearless, Hunter’s Fortune)
Alan Moore (Watchmen, V For Vendetta)
B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick, Superman Confidential)
Jerem Morrow (Kingdom Suicide)
Amancay Nahuelpan-Bustamante (Hijos de P)
Steve Niles (30 Days of Night, Batman: Gotham County Line)
Ryan Ottley (Invincible)
Amanda Palmer (The Dresden Dolls)
Laurie Penny (Penny Red)
Matt Pizzolo (Godkiller)
Darick Robertson (Transmetropolitan)
Steve Rolston (Ghost Projekt, Queen & Country)
Riley Rossmo (Proof, Cowboy Ninja Viking)
Douglas Rushkoff (Testament, media theorist)
Mark Sable (Two Face: Year One, Rift Raiders, Unthinkable)
Salgood Sam (Dream Life, Revolver One, Revolution on the Planet of the Apes)
Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, Witchblade)
Simon Spurrier (2000 AD, X-Men: Curse of the Mutants)
Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night, Fell)
Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffee Man)
Anna Wieszczyk (Godkiller)
Ronald Wimberly (MF GRIMM: Sentences)

[Description of the book from Kickstarter page]
This book is intended to be a time capsule of the passions and emotions driving the movement. We are comic book & graphic novel artists and writers who’ve been inspired by the movement and hope to tell the stories of the people who are out there putting themselves at risk for an idea. What is that idea? Most of the media will tell you the idea is a vague and befuddled mess, but movements don’t coalesce around vague, befuddled messes. We hope that through the medium of comics we can share some of the ideas and experiences driving this movement.

Organizer Matt Pizzolo has posted a blueprint of the fundraising strategy here
http://occupycomics.com/2011/10/11/the-blueprint/

“The idea occurred to me in the first weeks of Occupy Wall Street and it seemed like New York Comic Con would be a great opportunity to expose the protest movement to 100,000 idealistic young people,” explained Pizzolo. “But before NYCC happened, the media coverage turned from blackout to circus so exposure was no longer an issue. We decided it would be better to fundraise and help sustain the movement directly… even if that just means winter coats and port-a-potties.

“I was surprised how many comics creators jumped at the chance to participate when I first started mentioning it. The conversations being generated by Occupy Wall Street transcend politics… I think this is compelling material for comics because it’s about fairness and justice and integrity. It’s not about politics. Regular people are out there putting themselves at risk for an idea.

“Some folks question if the movement needs money, but it certainly needs basic necessities to last through winter. Also, it seems that both sides in DC and partisan media are seeking to impose a partisan paradigm on the movement… the best way to keep things indie is by having sustainable, truly grassroots funding.”

Logistical support for the project is being provided by Pizzolo’s indie film & comics studio Halo-8 Entertainment, though Occupy Comics is not officially a Halo-8 production and Halo-8 will receive no profits from it… in fact, ideally revenue won’t even flow through Halo-8.

“I’m hyper aware of the need to keep things transparent,” said Pizzolo. “Halo-8 is only lending support because it can, but ideally third-party accounts will send all revenue directly to the fund–and I’d love for an indie publisher to step in. I don’t want this getting muddy and the more checks & balances the better. The idea is to keep hard costs as low as physically possible and all other revenue goes directly to the protesters.”

Occupy Comics will debut as a rolling series of digital comics in early 2012, followed by limited edition paper comics, and then compiled into a hardbound, deluxe, collectible anthology book late in 2012.

To learn more, visit www.occupycomics.com

To support the project, visit
www.kickstarter.com/projects/1817933359/occupy-comics-art-stories-inspired-by-occupy-wall

FAQ from the Occupy Comics Kickstarter page:

What is OCCUPY COMICS and what makes it so special?

Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve heard about the Occupy Wall Street movement that has spread across the country and around the world. We believe this is an incredibly unique movement that transcends the usual partisan gridlock and could have a profound affect on all our futures. Even if it dissolves completely, it has changed the conversation in the country and around the world in a way that deserves to be remembered.

Ok, but what’s this book?

This book is intended to be a time capsule of the passions and emotions driving the movement. We are comic book & graphic novel artists and writers who’ve been inspired by the movement and hope to tell the stories of the people who are out there putting themselves at risk for an idea. What is that idea? Most of the media will tell you the idea is a vague and befuddled mess, but movements don’t coalesce around vague, befuddled messes. We hope that through the medium of comics we can share some of the ideas and experiences driving this movement.

Does it actually support the protest movement?

YES! This isn’t *just* about art and time capsules, it’s also about direct action.

All of the writers, artists, business executives, and the publisher are being paid to produce this book… and they ALL are donating 100% of their revenue (not profits, but ALL monies they receive) to the occupiers. They want to support the movement through the winter by providing warm clothes, heaters and bathrooms if possible, and other amenities. For a more detailed breakdown on how the money will flow from pledges to production of the book to the protesters, visit www.occupycomics.com and check out the blueprint.

So what’s the plan exactly?

By funding this project on Kickstarter, we can pay all the creators and executives upfront. They’re pros so if they get paid, they deliver… but it will take a long time–months, at least.

However, the creators and executives will immediately be donating their payments to the protests… so even though the book won’t be done until mid to late 2012, the creators and executives will be able to donate to the protesters during Fall 2011–when the movement needs the $$ most.

Deliveries will start flowing in from the creators throughout 2012, so as they come in we’ll compile them into ongoing digital comics and limited edition print comics. Backers receive these as part of their pledges, but they will also be sold and all revenue from those sales will also flow to the protesters.

When all the art and stories are delivered, we will collect the entire opus into a limited edition anthology. Again, many of these anthologies will go direct to backers of the project and any revenue from sale of the anthology will flow to the protesters.

What if the Occupy Movement dissolves before all the money is spent?

Since the money is all being paid to the creators and executives and they are all agreeing to donate their payments to the Occupy protesters, they will have to make their own decisions of what to do with the money in the event the Occupy Movement dissolves before they can donate. Hopefully everyone will allocate their shares in a way that retains the spirit of the project, but we can’t guarantee that.

Why should I pledge for this project?

There are many reasons to pledge for this project. It’s the first project of its kind to bring together artists and writers inspired to create change by creating art together and utilizing that art to financially support a social protest movement. But maybe you don’t care about that… it’ll still be an awesome comic anthology by some of your favorite artists and writers. And even if you don’t care, maybe the Occupy movement will make history and you can take credit for supporting it decades from now. Who knows?

[about the video: music by Atari Teenage Riot ("Black Flags" instr.), protester portrait by Molly Crabapple, "We Are All In This Together" by Molly Crabapple & John Leavitt, "Occupy Comics" by Anna Wieszczyk featuring Soledad from Godkiller, video edited by Matt Pizzolo.]

For more info, visit www.warrenellismovie.com

Halo-8 at New York Comic Con

WARREN ELLIS: CAPTURED GHOSTS sneak preview screening
Friday Oct 14th, 11:15pm
Cinema Village (22 E 12th St NYC 10003)
Halo-8 and Napa Valley Film Festival are hosting a sneak preview screening of the documentary about comics writer & futurist Warren Ellis (TRANSMETROPOLITAN, PLANETARY, THE AUTHORITY) before its official NVFF premiere next month.

Film features interviews with the Internet Jesus himself Warren Ellis, Ben Templesmith, Molly Crabapple, Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez, Wil Wheaton, Helen Mirren, Joss Whedon, Brea Grant, Joe Quesada, Matt Fraction, Darick Robertson, Stoya, Patton Oswalt, and the infamous Warren Ellis Muppet.

Tickets are on sale now at www.halo8store.com

CAPTURED GHOSTS pre-show drinks
The Captured Ghosts filmmakers will be meeting for drinks at the Reservoir Bar (70 University Place NYC 10003, just 2 short blocks from Cinema Village) from 9pm to 11pm (film starts at 11:15pm).
The first three people that ask Mike Philips about a free ticket (he’ll be wearing a SequArt t-shirt) will get snuck into the show for free!
Come meet the filmmakers and get all the behind-the-scenes dirt!

OCCUPY COMICS launch
This isn’t officially a Halo-8 project, but it’s being spearheaded by Halo-8′s Matt Pizzolo (GODKILLER, THREAT).
Occupy Comics is a project for comics artists and writers who want to support the Occupy Wall Street protests. It will be partly art and stories related to the protest, but largely a fundraising effort to support the occupiers with amenities (bathrooms, winter clothing, etc).
Already a very impressive roster of pros have joined the project, so expect the first official announcements during NYCC. To learn more visit www.occupycomics.com

HORROR ON THE PANELED PAGE panel
Friday Oct 14th, 8:45pm
Room 1A22
Matt Pizzolo will also be appearing on the horror comics panel alongside fellow sickos Christopher Monfette(HELLRAISER), Menton3 (MONOCYTE), Ben Templesmith(30 DAYS OF NIGHT, WORMWOOD: GENTLEMAN CORPSE, FELL), Tim Seeley (HACK/SLASH), Alan Robert (CRAWL TO ME, co-founder Life Of Agony), David Quinn (FAUST),Brandon Seifert (WITCH DOCTOR).

This panel will be a continuation of the conversation begun at the SDCC horror panel where Matt made several NSFW comments that were edited out of the video before it was posted online… so don’t miss it live!

GODKILLER SIGNINGS w/ Nicki Clyne & Pizzolo
Nicki Clyne (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA’s Cally) will be signing GODKILLER DVDs with Matt Pizzolo. Nicki played Soledad in the first GODKILLER filmand is returning for the in-production sequel GODKILLER: TOMORROW’S ASHES. At NYCC, she’ll also be debuting a t-shirt “OH MY GODS! THEY KILLED CALLY!” Fans rejoice!

About Halo-8 Entertainment
Halo-8 Entertainment(www.halo8.tv) is a film, comics, & transmedia studio that marries art with technology, producing and distributing daring, creator-owned media reaching audiences via movie theaters, massmarket DVD, cable-VOD, and digital platforms. The studio is known for integrating film with tech innovations such as the “illustrated film” format designed for Godkiller which Wired called “a horrific yarn of quantum physics, culture jamming, and conspiracy theory” and influential comics creator Ben Templesmith (creator 30 Days of Night) called “the new frontier of comics and animation,” and for championing controversial documentaries such as the animal rights filmYour Mommy Kills Animals which Variety called “a miraculously evenhanded treatment of a snarlingly divisive debate” and currently holds a 91% positive ranking on Rotten Tomatoes.

Halo-8 Entertainment and the Napa Valley Film Festival are co-hosting a special NYC sneak preview screening of “WARREN ELLIS: CAPTURED GHOSTS” at the downtown theater CINEMA VILLAGE (22 E 12th St NYC 10003) during New York Comic Con on Friday October 14th at 11:15pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.Halo8store.com.

CAPTURED GHOSTS will have its official World Premiere November 11th at the Napa Valley Film Festival (alongside the premiere of Martin Scorsese’s HUGO and gala screenings of Alexander Payne’s THE DESCENDANTS & Clint Eastwood’s J EDGAR), but the NVFF organizers made a special exception to co-present this sneak preview screening for fans attending New York Comic Con.

This is the second year in a row Halo-8 will debut a film by Respect Films partners Patrick Meaney and Jordan Rennert during New York Comic Con, following the packed-house that greeted last year’s GRANT MORRISON: TALKING WITH GODS.

WARREN ELLIS: CAPTURED GHOSTS
NYC Special Advanced Screening
Friday October 14, 2011
11:15pm
CINEMA VILLAGE
22 E 12th Street, NYC 10003
212.924.3363
Advanced tix available from www.halo8store.com or direct at these links:
Adult Ticket- NYC premiere: $11 [add to cart]
Student Ticket- NYC Premiere: $8 [add to cart]
Bundle: Adult NYC premiere ticket + DVD pre-order: $20.00 [add to cart]
Mega-Bundle: Adult NYC premiere ticket + DVD pre-order + Grant Morrison DVD: $30.00 [add to cart]

CAPTURED GHOSTS features the most extensive interview ever given by Ellis, whose groundbreaking body of work includes comic books Planetary, Transmetropolitan, Iron Man: Extremis, FreakAngels, The Authority and novel Crooked Little Vein. Spanning from his first memory watching the moon landing as a child to the recent boffo success of RED, Ellis’ acerbic wit and core belief in humanity come across like never before… revealing the unique point of view that has made him such a pivotal and influential figure to his massive audience of artists, journalists, scientists, and fans.

The film features Academy Award-winner Dame Helen Mirren (THE QUEEN), Ben Templesmith (illustrator 30 Days of Night), Matt Fraction (writer Casanova, Invincible Iron Man), Darick Robertson (illustrator Transmetropolitan), Joss Whedon (director upcoming THE AVENGERS), Wil Wheaton (STAR TREK), Brea Grant (HEROES, DEXTER, writer Suicide Girls comic), Claudio Sanchez (Coheed & Cambria), Joe Quesada (Chief Creative Officer, Marvel Entertainment), Stoya (adult film star), Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy), Patton Oswalt (RATATOUILLE), and a Warren Ellis Muppet (!).

Produced by Patrick Meaney and Jordan Rennert through their Respect Films banner in association with Halo-8 Entertainment and SequArt Publishing, WARREN ELLIS: CAPTURED GHOSTS is the follow-up to Meaney’s 2010 GRANT MORRISON: TALKING WITH GODS docu which Variety said “will intrigue the previously unconverted” and Wired called “an instant classic.”

Pizzolo participated in the comments section, discussing the possible applications of the platform (and clarifying some points that were misinterpreted), resulting in a pretty lively and informative conversation.

Check it out here and join the conversation!

San Diego Comic Con has long been a critical launchpad for media properties, but Halo-8‘s announcement marks the first time a tech startup was launched from the massive pop culture event.

During the Halo-8 Transmedia panel Saturday, Halo-8 president Matt Pizzolo revealed a new tech incubator within Halo-8 called EtherLabs that focuses on disruption of media-as-usual. He then gave a first look at its new, in-development transmedia platform EtherFilms.

Pizzolo (who created the popular Godkiller transmedia franchise) was joined on the panel by Tim Seeley (creator of legendary Hack/Slash indie franchise), Brea Grant (comics writer, actress of Heroes, Dexter), and Patrick Meaney (director of documentaries Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods, Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts). Pizzolo demonstrated the EtherFilm technology with Halo-8 content featuring Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren, Avengers-director Joss Whedon, AFI singer Davey Havok, and Halloween star Danielle Harris.

“EtherFilms are designed to disrupt traditional film & TV storytelling methods. While technology for production and distribution has shifted dramatically, the storytelling formats themselves haven’t changed significantly in 100 years,” said Pizzolo. “We believe storytelling has to evolve.”

Though Halo-8 is not known as a tech firm, the studio has consistently married art with technology for innovative approaches to media production, distribution, and storytelling, most recently with Godkiller’s “illustrated film” format that merges comic book sequential art with cinematic storytelling for a unique style of transmedia animation. The critical and financial success of Godkiller enabled Halo-8′s growth in the emerging transmedia sector.

Recently, Pizzolo and Halo-8 partner Brian Giberson served as writer-producer and director, respectively, of the upcoming startup-culture documentary CTRL + ALT + COMPETE by Emmy-winning production company Ten100 (ESPN’s Pony Excess). During production of the film, Pizzolo and Giberson interviewed dozens of tech luminaries including Nolan Bushnell (founder Atari), Mike Maples Jr (early backer of Twitter, Digg), Mark Suster (entrepreneur-turned-VC), Pat McGovern (founder IDG), Matt Marshall (founder VentureBeat), Cliff Bleszinski (creator Gears of War), and Felicia Day (creator The Guild). Pizzolo cited those interviews as a major inspiration in the decision to launch EtherLabs.

The EtherFilm platform aims to disrupt media storytelling by using feature films and documentaries as linear vessels around which sprawling non-linear worlds of content can be accessed interactively. The functionality is based on integrating hypertext and transmedia into longform video libraries.

“Documentaries are a perfect starting point because of their enormous amounts of unused content. Patrick probably shot 100 hours of footage for his two 90-minute documentaries. The other 97% may be apocryphal to the core story, but that doesn’t mean it’s not compelling and important,” said Pizzolo.

“And the types of branded-media franchises Comic Con champions need a platform like this to organize the sprawl of multi-platform content audiences demand. It makes no sense that after watching True Blood on HBO it’s more convenient for me to watch Boardwalk Empire than to read IDW’s True Blood comic books. Media access should be organized by content, not format,” Pizzolo continued.

Halo-8 is leveraging its transmedia library to build EtherFilms, a platform that is dependent on large volumes of branded, franchisable, multi-platform content. Halo-8 titles getting the first round of EtherFilm treatment include:

- Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts – upcoming documentary about the comics writer/futurist whose comics were adapted into last year’s Summit blockbuster RED. The film features interviews with Helen Mirren (RED), Joss Whedon (The Avengers), Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille), Wil Wheaton (Star Trek), futurist Bruce Sterling, and more.

- Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods – documentary about the comics writer behind re-envisionings of Superman, Batman, X-Men, and more. This predecessor to Captured Ghosts will be dynamically integrated with the newer documentary across the EtherFilms platform.

- Godkiller: Tomorrow’s Ashes – sequel to the “illustrated film” Godkiller that built Halo-8′s strength in multi-platform storytelling across animation, comics, serialized novels, and games. The animated series features performances by Lance Henriksen (Aliens), Davey Havok (singer AFI), Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), Danielle Harris (Halloween franchise), Nicki Clyne (Battlestar Galactica), and Justin Pierre (singer Motion City Soundtrack).

- Hack/Slash – upcoming “illustrated film” based on Tim Seeley‘s mega-popular indie franchise about a young heroine who battles horror movie villains. It was announced during the panel that Brea Grant (Heroes, Dexter) will perform the coveted lead role of Cassie Hack.