It tells you how well comics are doing these days that new publishers are starting to roll out. The latest to hear about is Black Mask, from an unusual mix of people, and an unusual mix of books.
Apparently having nothing to do with the mystery magazine, Black Mask is avoiding superhero books. And honestly, some of it is probably going to be controversial: It’ll be putting out Occupy Comics and Liberator, a book about vigilantes going after people who torture animals, both of which will be donating some of the proceeds to the related cause.
Apparently Niles feels that current publishers play it safe and don’t get political which is… a subjective statement, considering some of the books on the stands and coming to them, like DC’s The Movement and Image making a cottage industry of looking at the collateral damage of the military industrial complex.
But some of the other books, and creative personnel, seem to have a more universal appeal. Art Spiegelman, Mike Allred, Darick Robertson, J.M. DeMatteis, and the RZA and Ghostface Killah are all involved in the new company to some degree or another. Those last two will be developing 12 Ways To Die as a tie-in to the upcoming album of the same name. Robertson will be drawing Ballistic, about an air-conditioning repairman and his talking gun. And Black Mask apparently has more in the pipe they’re not ready to talk about just yet.
Regardless of how it goes, it’s always good to see a new publisher opening its doors. We wish them luck, and we’ll be curious to see the first issues. We’re getting in touch with Black Mask and hope to have a more comprehensive look soon.
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Probably the only book I am interested in is Ballistic. The concept sounds fun.
I love Darick Robertson’s work – the guy is basically a legend at this point – these books we’ll be interesting at least to see where they all head.
Niles’ work has interesting sometimes – I LOVE 30 Days Of Night but Criminal Macabre has been meh. However I did like what he did with the Creator Owned Comics series.
so I just found out some more REALLY cool and interesting news about Black Mask. aside from Steve Niles and some other guy, there’s actually one more person that’s been involved with (and is co-owner of) Black Mask and getting it up and running, and that is none other than BRETT motherfucking GUREWITZ. O_o
“Who the hell is Brett Gurewitz” you ask? Alright, fair question, since this is a geek site and not a music site. Gurewitz is many things, but many people know him as the guitarist and one of the founding members of the long-running and highly influential punk band BAD RELIGION. I can go on and on for hours about the band itself, but highlights: been around since 1979 and this year they will be releasing their SEVENTEENTH full-length studio album. their many political and intelligent lyrics are backed up by the fact that most of their members have Ph.D’s.
Anyway, Gurewitz is also the owner of a tiny little indie record label, you might have heard of it, it’s called EPITAPH RECORDS? at this point everyone should know who Epitaph is because they have released so many incredible, influential records since 1980, but I’ll try to make this short too: back in the day, Epitaph WAS the main source of the best punk rock out there. Rancid, NOFX, Bad Religion (obvi), Pennywise. The Offspring’s first successful album “Smash” as well as Rancid’s “…And Out Come The Wolves” were both extremely successful albums, and highly influential records such as Refused’s “The Shape Of Punk To Come” have album been on Epitaph. I could go on forever.
Anyway – the fact that Brett Gurewitz has a hand in the creation of Black Mask is super exciting and as smart as he is, I’m confident that this venture will blow people’s minds.
there’s 16923 mistakes in this comment, whatever. half-asleep when I wrote it.
Yeah, I was focused on the comic talent, and also it’s not really clear what the hell Gurewitz is actually doing at Black Mask aside from being “that guy from Bad Religion” yet.