Komikwerks
Encyclopedia
Shannon Denton
Shannon Eric Denton is a veteran storyteller and artist with credits at Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., Jerry Bruckheimer Films, NBC, Disney, Sony, ToyBiz, Marvel Entertainment, Fox Kids, Paramount, CBS, Dimension Films, DC Comics and Nickelodeon.-Biography:...
and Internet design professional Patrick Coyle.
The website, Komikwerks.com went live on March 5, 2001. The initial mission of being to allow independent comic creators the means with which to get their own comics out to readers around the world utilizing the speed and economy provided by the internet.
The site launched with 9 titles including Astounding Space Thrills
Astounding Space Thrills
Astounding Space Thrills was a webcomic by begun in 1997. It is also the title of a comic book series of the same name published by Image Comics....
by Steve Conley, Buzzboy by John Gallagher, Abby's Menagerie by Jenni Gregory, The Crater Kid by Marty Baumann and Johnny Smackpants by Patrick Coyle.
Byron Preiss
Byron Preiss
Byron Preiss was an American writer, editor, and publisher. He founded and served as president of Byron Preiss Visual Publications, and later of iBooks.-Early life and career:...
' startup publishing venture iBooks took an interest in the company and became a minority owner in April 2003. That partnership continued until shortly after Preiss’ death in June 2005.
In July 2003, the company caught the interest of Hollywood management and production concern Circle of Confusion. They announced a deal that would allow the company to shepherd select works on the Komikwerks banner to film, animation, television and video games.
To date, many of Komikwerks properties have been optioned including Jason Kruse's The World of Quest
The World of Quest
The World of Quest is a comic series by Jason T. Kruse shown on the Komikwerks site as a webcomic and later released as a full graphic novel.The currently chapter on the site is "Prison Break"...
, John Helfers and Bernie Wrightson
Bernie Wrightson
Bernie "Berni" Wrightson is an American artist known for his horror illustrations and comic books.-Biography:...
’s The Nightmare Expeditions, Dan Mishkin
Dan Mishkin
Dan Mishkin is a comic book writer, and co-creator of the DC Comics characters Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Blue Devil. Both series used fantasy elements in ironic and often thought-provoking ways. DC gave these series a promotional push by featuring them in free, 16-page insert previews...
and Tom Mandrake's The Forest King and Aaron Sowd
Aaron Sowd
Aaron Sowd is an American comic book creator, writer and artist. Sowd began his comic book career as an inker for Top Cow, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics. He currently works as an illustrator and storyboard artist.-Biography:...
's Masterminds.
In August 2003, Komikwerks published their first printed anthology of strips. Highlights of the book includes work by noteworthy comics, TV and animation pros like Andrew Cosby, Matt Haley, Andy Kuhn, Will Meuginot, Danny Miki among others, and featured the debut of Aaron Sowd
Aaron Sowd
Aaron Sowd is an American comic book creator, writer and artist. Sowd began his comic book career as an inker for Top Cow, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics. He currently works as an illustrator and storyboard artist.-Biography:...
’s Masterminds.
The anthology was a success and was followed up by four additional volumes over the next two years, each with increasing circulation. These volumes featured the works of such names as Keith Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
, Dwayne McDuffie
Dwayne McDuffie
Dwayne Glenn McDuffie was an American writer of comic books and television, known for creating the animated television series Static Shock, writing and producing the animated series Justice League Unlimited, and co-founding the pioneering minority-owned-and-operated comic-book company Milestone...
, Dave Johnson, Art Thibert, Dan Mishkin, Tom Mandrake.
In August 2004 Komikwerks entered into an agreement with comics legend Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
. The result was the launch of Stan Lee's Sunday Comics, which featured premium quality strips, and the return of the Stan’s highly regarded column: Stan’s Soapbox.
In keeping with their goal of publishing comics through the most progressive and innovative means possible, Komikwerks began distributing free comics for the Sony PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
in December 2005.
At Comic-Con of 2005 they unveiled a slate of illustrated novels for young readers. The new book imprint is named Actionopolis. Authors and illustrators contributing to the line include Keith Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
, Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
, John Helfers, Joe Corroney, Budd Lewis, Thomas Perkins, Marsha Griffin, David, Annette and Ben Odell and Jon Bresman.
The first wave of books from the Actionopolis line were released in September 2006. Titles include The Forest King by Dan Mishkin
Dan Mishkin
Dan Mishkin is a comic book writer, and co-creator of the DC Comics characters Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Blue Devil. Both series used fantasy elements in ironic and often thought-provoking ways. DC gave these series a promotional push by featuring them in free, 16-page insert previews...
and Tom Mandrake, What I did on my Hypergalactic Interstellar Summer Vacation by Adam Beechen
Adam Beechen
Adam Beechen is an American comic book writer who wrote Countdown to Adventure and co-wrote Countdown for DC Comics.-Animation:Beechen has written scripts for various cartoon, such as Teen Titans, The Wild Thornberrys, Rugrats, Pink Panther and Pals, The Batman and the Ben 10 franchise...
and Dan Hipp, Heir to Fire by Rob M. Worley
Rob Worley
Rob Worley is an American writer and editor. He is a co-author of Advent Rising: Rock the Planet, a comic book prequel to the Advent Rising video game.-Biography:...
and Mike Dubisch, Spirit of the Samurai by Gary Reed and Rick Hoberg
Rick Hoberg
Rick Hoberg is an award-winning American comic book artist and animator.-Newspaper Strips:Hoberg began his career in the mid-1970s, working in newspaper strips, assisting Russ Manning on Tarzan and Star Wars , and Fred Kida on the daily Spider-Man strip .-Comic books:Between 1977 and 1979, Hoberg...
and The Anubis Tapestry by Bruce Zick, Blackfoot Braves Society by Christopher E. Long and Michael Geiger.
On March 30, 2007, The CW Television Network announced that an animated series based on World of Quest
World of Quest
World of Quest is an animated series based on the graphic novel story by Jason Kruse published by Komikwerks . The series was created by Cookie Jar Entertainment, and was animated by Mercury Filmworks East, for season 1. Season 2 was produced by Vancouver's Atomic Cartoons...
would be part of its 2008/2009 - present lineup.
http://www.comics2film.com/b/index.php?blog=17&title=world_of_quest_leads_charge_of_new_cw_to&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
On March 15, 2008 at 10:30am (ET) World of Quest
World of Quest
World of Quest is an animated series based on the graphic novel story by Jason Kruse published by Komikwerks . The series was created by Cookie Jar Entertainment, and was animated by Mercury Filmworks East, for season 1. Season 2 was produced by Vancouver's Atomic Cartoons...
debuted on The CW Television Network.
Other Milestones
- 2003 – named a "Cool Site" by SCI FI Channel
- November 2004 – provides content for the AOL:Red service.
- November 21, 2005 – books and illustrations are featured on an episode of the NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
prime-time TV series Las VegasLas Vegas (TV series)Las Vegas was an American television series broadcast by NBC from September 22, 2003 to February 15, 2008. The show focuses on a team of people working at the ficticional Montecito Resort & Casino dealing with issues that arise within the working environment, ranging from valet parking and...
(episode #56 - "Mothwoman").
Published works
- (2003) Komikwerks Volume 1
- (2003) Komikwerks Volume 2
- (2004) Komikwerks Presents: Nuts & Bolts
- (2005) Komikwerks Presents: Rockets & Robots
- (2005) Komikwerks Presents: Thrills & Chills
- (2005) Dead Samurai
- (2006) The World of QuestThe World of QuestThe World of Quest is a comic series by Jason T. Kruse shown on the Komikwerks site as a webcomic and later released as a full graphic novel.The currently chapter on the site is "Prison Break"...
- (2006) The Forest King
- (2006) What I did on my Hypergalactic, Interstellar Summer Vacation
- (2006) Heir to Fire
- (2006) Spirit of the Samurai
- (2006) The Anubis Tapestry
- (2006) BlackfootBraves Society
- (2006) Zombie Monkey Monster Jamboree