Main Menu

Rebellion to publish Scarlet Traces series.

Started by Spaceghost, 19 September, 2015, 09:44:06 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Spaceghost

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but, along with Goldtiger, it's another exciting development in the ongoing strengthening of the 2000 AD portfolio.

Now that non-2000 AD/Meg content is being licenced, the sky really is the limit.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/09/17/rebellion-buys-up-a-creator-owned-property-for-the-first-time-ian-edginton-and-disraelis-scarlet-traces/
Raised in the wild by sarcastic wolves.

Previously known as L*e B*tes. Sshhh, going undercover...

IAMTHESYSTEM

Wonder why their going outside their toothy talent pool? Perhaps they feel that the 2000AD comic needs something that's a little different from the more established toothy characters and storylines.
"You may live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension."

http://artriad.deviantart.com/
― Nikola Tesla

Timothy

Edgington and D'Israeli are hardly outside the 2000ad talent pool.

Dunk!

Loved this world and look forward to new adventures within it, plus with Rebellion owning it I guess we'll get other creative teams having a crack too? Here's hoping.

Dunk!
"Trust we"

IAMTHESYSTEM

Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 19 September, 2015, 11:26:10 AM
Edgington and D'Israeli are hardly outside the 2000ad talent pool.

Agreed but I've never heard of the the other guy who did Goldtiger. I'm sure there must be formal contacts between Rebellion and their creators where ideas are discussed and projects assigned. Perhaps if the Editor heard of something he liked the sound of that was a creator owned project he'd offer the creators a path to being published in what is still Britain's premier Sci Fi comic and you'd hardly say no to that. Were there no 2000AD creative projects being made in house then? Where was everybody ? Has America and it's vast comic industry tempted are best talent away from the mighty Tharg?
"You may live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension."

http://artriad.deviantart.com/
― Nikola Tesla

IndigoPrime

Scarlet Traces started off on some online comic whose name escapes me, but its first print run was in The Meg, so there is history there beyond the names of the creators. It also felt perfectly at home in a 2000 AD title. It ended up at Dark Horse, who produced some truly beautiful hardbacks (along with the WOTW prequel), which only now are being rivalled by things Rebellion and others are putting out.

My take on this is that it's a win-win. Rebellion gets a really first-rate property. The creators get to tell more tales, without, presumably, financial risk. (I'm assuming the same creators will continue on the project.) And more people potentially get access to an out-of-print series that really shouldn't be out of print.

I don't think it's about a lack of talent or a lack of anything else. Rebellion is a publisher, and smart publishers look around for ways to expand and gain marketshare. We've seen 2000 AD inch its way into the US market, produce some truly stunning reprint, and do some pioneering work in digital. I see Scarlet Traces as just another smart strategic move that also has the knock-on effect of potentially being great for a large number of people.


Steve Green

Yep

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_Traces

I chatted to Matt at ICE about whether he'd ever thought of animating some of his work since it seemed a like an ideal candidate, and he mentioned that he'd taken that into consideration when it was at the animated comic stage.

Frank

Quote from: IAMTHESYSTEM on 19 September, 2015, 11:55:12 AM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 19 September, 2015, 11:26:10 AM
Edgington and D'Israeli are hardly outside the 2000ad talent pool.

Agreed but I've never heard of the the other guy who did Goldtiger

Goldtiger is the work of [spoiler]Guy Adams, the writer of Ulysses Sweet, Rogue Trooper, and Max Normal[/spoiler]. He's had a Kickstarter going for it for ages, so Tharg appears to be playing fairy godmother to that project in the same way he is with Scarlett Traces, Demon Nic, and any other project that runs in the Megazine creator owned slot.

Presumably, conversations between Tharg and his droids concerning future projects begin with them discussing what kind of strip the creator really wants to work on next. Projects they've developed (and own) themselves are always going to get more out of creators than rebooting Mean Arena, although I suppose they require an even lighter editorial touch than usual.

Editorial policy now seems to be that once creators are done with a strip it's retired. It's difficult to imagine readers accepting Emma Beeby and Eoin Coveny's Zombo, and farming Lobster Random out would sabotage efforts to tempt its high profile author back to 2000ad, so there's no real value in Tharg owning those IPs. Paying serialisation rights instead of page rates is cheaper too.



AlexF

I'm very excited about all this. I suspect part of the decision behind the Scarlet Traces purchase, and commissioning of new material in particular, relates to the fact that HG Wells's back catalogue comes out of copyright in 2016. Watch for lots of new editions of his work from publishers up and down the land!

Looking forward to Goldtiger, too. I've enjoyed Adams' work in the Prog quite a bit.

CrazyFoxMachine

Yeah this is really exciting news - I bloody adore Scarlet Traces, that and the "prequel" :S and sequel are some of my favourite ever comics :D

Tony Angelino

I got my copy of Volume 1 in the post today. I got the bookplate edition (#132/150). Never read this before but I was impressed with the same creative team's work on Leviathan. Looks good.

Tony Angelino

Started reading it. Really good. An excellent adaptation of Jeff Wayne's 70's concept album. They've even re-used some of his lyrics.