Eight Things You May Not Know About THE STRANDED

1. It’s a five-issue miniseries launching the new Virgin/SciFi line.

2. It starts from a very simple premise: What if everything you knew about your life was a lie? From there, it spins out a wild web of a narrative about aliens exiled to Earth and given false memories — to protect them from an enemy that won’t stop until they’re all dead.

3. Issue #1 is online as a widescreen digital comic at www.virgincomics.com/stranded.html

4. It’s written and created by Mike Carey, the acclaimed writer whose work spans such diverse comics as X-Men, Lucifer, Re-Gifters, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Crossing Midnight, and Voodoo Child. THE STRANDED is his own creation, and he’s really let his imagination run wild.

5. It’s the first joint venture between comics powerhouse Virgin Comics and TV powerhouse SciFi. And this isn’t just some sign-a-contract-and-take-the-money deal; SciFi has been very closely involved in every aspect of the book. They’re very serious about developing new, exciting concepts through the medium of comics, and interacting with them has given all of us a new perspective on our work. When you write and edit comics most of the time, it’s easy to take certain things for granted…to assume that everyone will understand various shortcuts and visual conventions. SciFi’s outside perspective has really helped us putting together a book that works for comics fans and non-fans alike…without dumbing anything down. (I hope!)

6. It features stunning art by Siddharth Kotian (Eat the Dead), with covers by Marc Silvestri, Greg Horn, and Chris Moeller. Which means it’s a great-looking book all around.

7. It’s the first comic book I’ve edited in five years, following my long stints at Vertigo and Marvel Knights. And I have to say: This is one of the best first issues I’ve ever worked on. If you invest $2.99 in THE STRANDED #1, you’ll get a complete introduction, meet a variety of fascinating characters, thrill to two action scenes…and by the end, you’ll know exactly what we’re about. That’s thanks to everyone involved, but most especially to Mike Carey, who hit one out of the park right away. Thanks, Mike.

8. It’s only the beginning for the Virgin/SciFi line. Keep watching the skies!

 

-Stuart Moore

Welcome to the Tall Tales of Vishnu Sharma

Who is Vishnu Sharma and what sorts of tall tales is he telling? That’s a good question, and one that provokes many different answers. The Tall Tales of Vishnu Sharma: Panchatantra is the latest series from our Shakti imprint, spotlighting the best of India. Created by two of Indian comics’ most promising comic talents, Samit Basu (Devi) and Ashish Padlekar (Walk In), Tall Tales mines the stories of the Panchatantra—India’s precursor to Aesop’s Fables.

But this ain’t your Mother Goose’s story. In these tall tales, the characters of antiquity are being exterminated by other creations of fiction whose strength lies in their mass-market appeal, and whose bloodlust for the rebel Panchatantra characters is as real as the paper this is printed on. The fable-characters’ great hope is the titular Vishnu Sharma, descendant of the first Panchatantra storyteller, but a total child of his time. He’s too busy playing in online tournaments to worry about fighting storybook wars. But when a none-too-fictional talking Lion, Monkey and Bull arrive at his doorstep, Vishnu must choose between following in his ancestors’ footsteps by protecting the tales of the Panchatantra, or silently standing by as they disappear into storybook history.

Fantasy? Sure. Fiction? Not entirely. Around the world, the indigenous mythologies of great cultures are being forgotten. In Mexico and Brazil, Ethiopia and Norway, in China and in India, the effort to maintain our cultural identity in an increasingly integrated world has become a great struggle. The stories of our ancestors are dying out as younger generations are seduced by the Pokemons, the Harry Potters and the Samurai Jacks that are, for better or worse, becoming our new planetary myths. Tall Tales reclaims these stories by giving them a booming voice. So be it the wit of the Monkey, the might of the Bull or the ROAR of the Lion, The Tall Tales of Vishnu Sharma: Panchatantra is bringing the battle to us. And like Vishnu, it’ll be up to you to decide what you’re willing to fight for…. See you on the inside.

– The Chief
& the Virgin Comics Editorial Team

Check out the sneak peek to Issue #1: http://www.virgincomics.com/talltales.html

Shadow Hunter Fan Pictures on Flickr

Jenna Jameson’s Shadow Hunter #0 hit stores earlier this month and we’re beginning to receive pictures from retailers and fans. We’ve created a Flickr group to share and geo-tag photos from across the world. Add Shadow Hunter pictures from your LCS, upcoming special events, from San Diego Comic-Con, or even to show off your signed lithographs. Also, remember to include “JJSH” as one of your tags.

Check out the Widescreen Digital Comic Sneak Peek to Chapter #1 (2/20) to catch up: http://www.virgincomics.com/shadowhunterWS.html

Shadow Hunter #0 on Playboy.com

Playboy’s got Jenna Jameson’s Shadow Hunter #0 as a free download.

Enjoy!

 

 

Adult film megastar and Playboy pal Jenna Jameson has produced a comic book for Virgin Comics, and it’s not what you think. Turns out Jenna has a horror fetish, or as she puts it: “When other folks go back to their hotel rooms at night and watch me, I go back and watch horror films. I’m addicted to them.” With comics pro Christina Z (of Witchblade fame) Jenna has created Jezzerie Jaden, the titular Shadow Hunter. Modeled on Jenna herself, both physically and psychologically, our heroine has been seeing otherworldly visions since childhood, and is soon to discover that her family is, quite literally, from Hell. We’ll shut up and let Jenna, Christina and the amazing art (covers by Greg Horn, Greg Land, Daniel Brereton, J. Michael Linsner and Niko Henrichon, and interiors by Virgin Comics star Mukesh Singh) do the rest.

Jeff Parker on Gamekeeper Series 2

 

Jeff Parker, writer of Guy Ritchie’s Gamekeeper Series 2 (Issue #1 on stands 03/12/08), previews the new arc on Newsarama:

Newsarama: Jeff, for those unfamiliar with Gamekeeper, tell us a little about the concept and characters.

Jeff Parker: For real consistency, let me introduce assistant editor Charlie Beckerman, who has been with this book longer than me. Charlie?

Charlie Beckerman: What Guy wanted from the start was a kind of anti-hero. Picture James Bond in all his slickness and suaveness and then think about the exact opposite… a rough-around-the-edges guy who personifies the phrase “still waters run deep.” That’s our Brock.

Originally from Chechnya, Brock works as gamekeeper on the estate of Jonah Morgan, who he met ten years earlier during a skirmish in the Chechen mountains the Russian FSB (more or less, the post-Soviet KGB). Brock’s a dark, quiet man, owing largely to the loss of his young son during that same encounter, but there’s an animalistic quality inside of him that comes out when it is needed most.

Jonah Morgan, Brock’s friend and employer, was a scientific publisher before he was killed by mercenaries during a raid on his estate. He took Brock in after the loss of his son, but had also been harboring the secret of the Draganov equation, a secret Jonah died protecting.

Amanda Morgan is Jonah’s widow, a tough old bird who values her family above all else. It was Amanda that implored Brock to find Jonah’s killer.

Krista Morgan is Jonah and Amanda’s only daughter. After Brock tracked Jonah’s killer to a carbon broker in Amsterdam by the name of Van Allan, he discovered Krista dating him. It was Krista who unwittingly spilled the secret of the Draganov equation to Van Allan, who had commissioned the mercenaries to extract it.

In the fight during which Brock lost his son those many years ago in Chechnya, we met Sadic, who led the operation to capture and extract the Draganov equation from the scientist. In the battle that followed, Sadic surrendered an eye to Brock’s rage, and that’s a hard thing to forgive.

And then, lastly, new in this arc, you’re going to see the Soccer Club, a team of mercenaries led by a man named Volkes. They’re a rough-and-tumble crew, but they’re efficient. Their star player: a young sharpshooter named the Raven.

Click here to continue reading.

Blue is the New Black!

We here at Virgin Comics did a double-take yesterday morning when we saw a blue guy being interviewed by Matt Lauer on The Today Show. Sure we have a blue guy in Rama from the Ramayan 3392AD comic, but it also made us think about the Blue Man Group, the time when Dr. Tobias Fünke painted his whole body blue, and crazy sports fans on Gameday. Do you have what it takes to turn yourself into a blue guy or girl? Send a picture to blue@virgincomics.com.

Whoever we deem most innovative will win a Ramayan prize package, featuring Ramayan 3392AD Vol. 1 TPB, Ramayan 3392AD Reloaded issues 1-3, and a limited edition Rama: The Warrior Prince collector’s statue. The winner will be selected on January 31, 2008, so get those pictures in soon!

Need a refresher course in our Ramayan 3392AD series? Head over to www.virgincomics.com/ramayan.html to check out a Ramayan 3392AD Widescreen Digital Comic.

Coaltion Comix Update

Read Mike Carey’s latest blog for the Queen’s Rook outline. Post your thoughts about pacing, content, sequence, structure… and, y’know, anything else…

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=215822519&blogID=339729660

See the entire comic unfold at www.myspace.com/coalitioncomix

JANUARY ’08 RELEASES!

Jenna Jameson’s Shadow Hunter #0

SPECIAL PREVIEW ISSUE
ONLY 25 CENTS!

01/02/08

Created by Jenna Jameson
Written by Christina Z.
Art by Mukesh Singh
Cover by Greg Horn

Demons. Slaying. Sex.

What else would you expect from a comic conceived by Jenna Jameson and realized by Witchblade co-creator Christina Z.? In a tale dripping with epic destinies, dangerous creatures and dark passions, one woman will rise from the ashes of her “normal” life to discover a fate she never imagined.

Before a tragic accident that sets our heroine on a quest that will change the world as we know it, she has an encounter with a mysterious figure who claims to know of her “true” potential. Secret origins, strange conspiracies, and a connection to a mythological feminine force as old as time will all be revealed.

This special preview issue features a cover by Greg Horn, prequel story, preview of pages from issue #1, sexy pin-ups, and a revealing interview with Jenna Jameson and Christina Z.

Sadhu: The Silent Ones # 4

Written by Saurav Mohapatra
Art by Manikandan
Cover by Jeffrey Spokes

01/16/08

Once he was a soldier for the British Empire. Now, James Jensen is a sadhu, a mystic warrior, and he searches for the son he had believed to be dead. Joining forces with the legendary hermit king of Limbo, Trishanku, James ventures deep into the Central Indian forest to free his son from the clutches of the Silent Ones. But a lost tribe of warriors waits in ambush for James and Trishanku!

The Tall Tales of Vishnu Sharma: Panchatantra #1

Written by Samit Basu
Art & Cover by Ashish Padlekar

01/16/08



Some old stories never lose their bite…

Something’s invading the stories of our childhood, leaving death and oblivion in its wake. Now, a motley crew of animal heroes from ancient Indian fables must unite to survive. But first they must find the boy destined to save them, the chosen guardian of the Panchatantra. Thing is… he has no idea they even exist.

Vishnu Sharma, would be boy-hero, is too busy playing in online tournaments to care about fighting storybook wars. But when a none-too-fictional talking lion, monkey and bull arrive at his doorstep, Vishnu must choose between protecting the tales of the Panchatantra, or silently standing by as they disappear into storybook history.

With naughty boy wizards, cuddly anime-sociopaths, and a not-so-frightful King of the Jungle, this ain’t your Mother Goose’s story.

Ed Burns’ Dock Walloper #2

Created by Ed Burns
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti
Art & Cover by Siju Thomas

01/23/08

New York City becomes a blood-drenched battleground as each player forcibly takes what they think is theirs. As John “The Hand” Smith and Bootsy move up in the crime-world, having earned the favor of Irish mob boss Mad-Dog Madden, there are still threats that loom among rival mob organizations… and within Madden’s own. Gentleman Jim’s openly racist disfavor of Bootsy is causing strife among Madden’s people, but the real peril comes from Diamond Jack—the gangster with the diamond-studded teeth—who seems to have an unquenchable taste for Smith’s blood. They don’t call this the roaring 20’s for nothing!

THE STRANDED #1

Written by Mike Carey
Art by Siddharth Kottian
Covers by Mark Silvestri and Greg Horn

01/23/08

Over the past two years, Virgin Comics has become the hottest new destination for graphic storytelling. At the same time, SciFi has established itself as THE brand name for fantasy and speculative television, with hit series like EUREKA and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Now, for the first time, these two companies join forces for a new imprint designed to change the face of science fiction entertainment.In THE STRANDED, the first Virgin/SciFi book, five ordinary people must face a terrifying question: What if your entire world — your childhood, your family, all your memories — was a lie? For The Stranded, it’s true; they’re all, secretly, from another world. And now a deadly, otherworldly force has returned to try and kill them, operating through a twisted, altered human called Janus. Their only hope: Tamree, a dark, mysterious woman sent to Earth as their protector. One by one, Tamree must awaken the buried memories of The Stranded — along with their powerful, unique psychic and physical abilities. But even if they can defeat Janus, they must also deal with a deadly threat from one of their own.

THE STRANDED is created by acclaimed comics writer and novelist Mike Carey (X-MEN, LUCIFER, The Devil You Know). The first issue features alternate covers by Marc Silvestri (WITCHBLADE, X-MEN) and Greg Horn (SPIDER-MAN, X-BOX MAGAZINE, ELEKTRA). With THE STRANDED, Virgin and SciFi take a giant leap into the future. Join us — the best is yet to come!

Dan Dare #3

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Gary Erskine
Covers by Garry Leach and Brendan McCarthy

01/23/08

As a brutal threat bears down upon the mining colony of Port Napier, Dan Dare whips the local detachment into a modest—but effective—defensive force. Together with the colonists who were unable to escape, they abandon the settlement to make a final stand in what will most assuredly be a battle of attrition. Meanwhile, back on Earth, the increasingly suspicious Peabody follows a hunch—and what she finds out may have finished the battle for Earth before it’s even begun.

Deepak Chopra Presents India Authentic #9: KARTHIKEYA

Created by Deepak Chopra
Written by Saurav Mohapatra
Art by Virgin Studios

01/30/08

“I was born with a fiery halo that threatened to undo the universe. Thus, Ganga the mighty mother-river bore me away far from the earth deep into the uncharted heavens. I grew to manhood in the care of the six maidens of the stars, the Kritika (Pleidas) of the night sky. Then, I returned to claim my rightful place in Svarga as heralded by an ancient prophecy. I am the slayer of demons and commander-in-chief of Heaven’s army, I am Kartikkeya, the son of Shiva.”

Deepak Chopra and India Authentic bring you a story that tells of the birth and rise of one of heaven’s most formidable warriors, Kartikkeya, the god of eternal youth.

Shekhar Kapur’s Devi #17

Created by Shekhar Kapur
Written by Saurav Mohapatra
Art by Chandrashekhar
Cover by Luke Ross

01/30/08

Tara Mehta, the young woman from Sitapur who was chosen by the gods to host the essence of Devi, celestial warrior supreme, has fought renegade gods, apsara assassins, ruthless crime lords and even the darkness lurking inside her own soul. With the help of a fallen priest, a burnt-out cop and a smart aleck journalist, she has somehow managed not only to survive, but to harness her divine abilities to become the protector of Sitapur. But everything’s about to change.When a mysterious vigilante starts killing criminals in Sitapur, Devi finds herself blamed for the murders. As she tries to piece together the identity of the vigilante, Tara uncovers a secret that goes all the way back to her own childhood. The journey of the girl who became a goddess takes a new twist, as she comes face to face with something that will change her life forever.