Piranha Press
Encyclopedia
Piranha Press, an imprint of DC Comics
from 1989 to 1994, was a response by DC to the growing interest in alternative comics
. The imprint was edited by Mark Nevelow, who instead of developing comics with the established names in the alternative comics field, chose to introduce several unknown illustrators with an eclectic and diverse line of experimental graphic novels and stories. Unusual for the time, Nevelow succeeded in getting DC to agree to contracts giving creator ownership to writers and artists.
. Nevelow's associate editor on the imprint was Karen McBurnie. Designer Dean Motter
created the signature Piranha cover format and logo.
After the initial 1989 titles were art directed by John Workman
, the in-house Piranha production design was by Bhob Stewart
from 1989 to 1992, with other design contributions by Dale Crain, Rick Spanier, Richard Bruning
, Veronica Carlin, Margaret Clark and Rick Keene.
Piranha's most successful title was Kyle Baker
's Why I Hate Saturn which had multiple printings. Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children
, a 32-page monthly anthology of Dave Louapre's stories, illustrated by Dan Sweetman, had a 30-issue run from June 1989 to September 1992. Humor series of note were John Blair Moore
's Invaders from Home!!!, Marc Hempel
's 120-page Gregory, and Epicurus the Sage
by William Messner-Loebs
and Sam Kieth
.
Other Piranha writers and artists included Gil Ashby, Mark Badger
, Glenn Barr, Charlie Boatner, Damon Cardwell, Tim Conrad, Michael Davis, Gerard Jones
, Jon Hammer, Alison Marek, Douglas Michael, Steve Parkhouse
, Alec Stevens
and Jennifer Waters.
Artist-writer Alec Stevens was the first creator to sign a contract with Piranha Press in September, 1988, and his graphic novels The Sinners and Hardcore followed in June 1989 and January 1990, respectively. A third book, A Winter Within, was verbally agreed upon, but a contract never materialized. In early 1991, Nevelow left the company.
With his departure, the imprint began to drastically change its editorial direction in an effort to attain the commercial success that largely eluded them.
Piranha's last published comic was the one-shot Prince and the New Power Generation: Three Chains of Gold, which came out in 1994. The imprint was shut down shortly thereafter, replaced by the new imprint Paradox Press
. Howard Cruse
's Stuck Rubber Baby
(1995) was a project that began with Piranha Press. The book took so long for Cruse to draw, however, that it was later published under the Paradox Press imprint by editors Andy Helfer
and Bronwyn Taggart, with design by Robbin Brosterman.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
from 1989 to 1994, was a response by DC to the growing interest in alternative comics
Alternative comics
Alternative comics defines a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to "mainstream" superhero comics which in the past have dominated the US comic book industry...
. The imprint was edited by Mark Nevelow, who instead of developing comics with the established names in the alternative comics field, chose to introduce several unknown illustrators with an eclectic and diverse line of experimental graphic novels and stories. Unusual for the time, Nevelow succeeded in getting DC to agree to contracts giving creator ownership to writers and artists.
History
DC announced its plan to form the Piranha imprint in 19871987 in comics
- Year overall :* Independent publishers continue to enter the comics arena, including Amazing, CFW Enterprises, Imperial Comics, Matrix Graphic Series, New Comics Group, and Rebel Studios...
. Nevelow's associate editor on the imprint was Karen McBurnie. Designer Dean Motter
Dean Motter
Dean Motter is an illustrator, designer and writer who worked for many years in Toronto, Canada, New York City, and Atlanta. Motter is best known as the creator and designer of Mister X, one of the most influential "new-wave" comics of the 1980s....
created the signature Piranha cover format and logo.
After the initial 1989 titles were art directed by John Workman
John Workman
John Workman is an editor, writer, artist, designer, colorist and letterer in the comic book industry...
, the in-house Piranha production design was by Bhob Stewart
Bhob Stewart
Bhob Stewart is an American writer, editor, artist and film maker who has written for a variety of publications over a span of five decades. His articles and reviews have appeared in TV Guide, Publishers Weekly and other publications, along with online contributions to Allmovie, the Collecting...
from 1989 to 1992, with other design contributions by Dale Crain, Rick Spanier, Richard Bruning
Richard Bruning
Richard Bruning is an American graphic designer and comics creator who is currently the Senior Vice-President-Creative Director of DC Comics.-Biography:...
, Veronica Carlin, Margaret Clark and Rick Keene.
Piranha's most successful title was Kyle Baker
Kyle Baker
Kyle John Baker is an American cartoonist, comic book writer-artist, and animator known for his graphic novels and for a 2000s revival of the series Plastic Man....
's Why I Hate Saturn which had multiple printings. Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children
Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children
Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children is a comic book series written by Dave Louapre and illustrated by Dan Sweetman, published by DC Comics under the Piranha Press imprint from June 1989 until September 1992, a total of 30 issues in the run .In late 2006, Dave Louapre announced there would be a...
, a 32-page monthly anthology of Dave Louapre's stories, illustrated by Dan Sweetman, had a 30-issue run from June 1989 to September 1992. Humor series of note were John Blair Moore
John Blair Moore
John Blair Moore is an American comic book writer/artist best known for Invaders from Home, published in six issues in 1990 by Piranha Press...
's Invaders from Home!!!, Marc Hempel
Marc Hempel
Marc Hempel is an American cartoonist/comics artist best known for his work on The Sandman with Neil Gaiman.-Biography:...
's 120-page Gregory, and Epicurus the Sage
Epicurus the Sage
Epicurus the Sage was the name of a 2-issue limited series written by William Messner-Loebs, with art by Sam Kieth. Each issue was bound in a graphic novel format, and was 48 pages long, without advertisements...
by William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs is an American comic book writer and artist from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs...
and Sam Kieth
Sam Kieth
Sam Kieth is a New York Times best-selling American comic book writer and illustrator, best known as the creator of The Maxx and Zero Girl.-Comics career:...
.
Other Piranha writers and artists included Gil Ashby, Mark Badger
Mark Badger
Mark Badger has worked as an illustrator in the comic book industry.His work includes Greenberg, the Vampire and The Gargoyle for Marvel Comics, Martian Manhunter and Batman: Jazz for DC Comics, and Planetary Brigade for Boom! Studios....
, Glenn Barr, Charlie Boatner, Damon Cardwell, Tim Conrad, Michael Davis, Gerard Jones
Gerard Jones
For the entrepreneur see Gérard Jones.Gerard Jones is an award-winning American author and comic book writer.-Biography:Jones was born in Cut Bank, Montana, and raised in Los Gatos and Gilroy, California...
, Jon Hammer, Alison Marek, Douglas Michael, Steve Parkhouse
Steve Parkhouse
Steve Parkhouse is a writer, artist and letterer who has worked for many British comics, especially 2000 AD and Doctor Who Magazine.-Biography:...
, Alec Stevens
Alec Stevens
Alec Preston Stevens is a professional author, illustrator and musician.-Biography:Alec Stevens was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil where his father, a USAF officer stationed in various parts of the world, was on military assignment...
and Jennifer Waters.
Artist-writer Alec Stevens was the first creator to sign a contract with Piranha Press in September, 1988, and his graphic novels The Sinners and Hardcore followed in June 1989 and January 1990, respectively. A third book, A Winter Within, was verbally agreed upon, but a contract never materialized. In early 1991, Nevelow left the company.
With his departure, the imprint began to drastically change its editorial direction in an effort to attain the commercial success that largely eluded them.
Piranha's last published comic was the one-shot Prince and the New Power Generation: Three Chains of Gold, which came out in 1994. The imprint was shut down shortly thereafter, replaced by the new imprint Paradox Press
Paradox Press
Paradox Press was a division of DC Comics formed in 1993 after editor Mark Nevelow departed from Piranha Press. Under the initial editorship of Andrew Helfer and Bronwyn Carlton the imprint was renamed. It is best known for graphic novels like A History of Violence and Road to Perdition...
. Howard Cruse
Howard Cruse
Howard Cruse is an American alternative cartoonist known for the exploration of gay themes in his comics.Cruse was raised in Springville, Alabama, the son of a preacher and a homemaker. His earliest published cartoons were in The Baptist Student when he was in high school. His work later appeared...
's Stuck Rubber Baby
Stuck Rubber Baby
Stuck Rubber Baby is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Howard Cruse, first published in 1995. Set mostly in the 1960s in the Southern United States, in the midst of the Black Civil Rights movement, it deals with homosexuality and racism....
(1995) was a project that began with Piranha Press. The book took so long for Cruse to draw, however, that it was later published under the Paradox Press imprint by editors Andy Helfer
Andy Helfer
Andrew Helfer , usually credited as Andy Helfer, is an award-winning comic book creator best known for his work as an editor and writer at DC Comics, where he founded the Paradox Press imprint.-Biography:...
and Bronwyn Taggart, with design by Robbin Brosterman.
Ongoing series
- Beautiful Stories for Ugly ChildrenBeautiful Stories for Ugly ChildrenBeautiful Stories for Ugly Children is a comic book series written by Dave Louapre and illustrated by Dan Sweetman, published by DC Comics under the Piranha Press imprint from June 1989 until September 1992, a total of 30 issues in the run .In late 2006, Dave Louapre announced there would be a...
, by Dave Louapre and Dan Sweetman (32 issues, June 1989–Sept. 1992) - Epicurus the SageEpicurus the SageEpicurus the Sage was the name of a 2-issue limited series written by William Messner-Loebs, with art by Sam Kieth. Each issue was bound in a graphic novel format, and was 48 pages long, without advertisements...
, by William Messner-LoebsWilliam Messner-LoebsWilliam Messner-Loebs is an American comic book writer and artist from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs...
and Sam KiethSam KiethSam Kieth is a New York Times best-selling American comic book writer and illustrator, best known as the creator of The Maxx and Zero Girl.-Comics career:...
(two issues, 1989–91) - Etc., by Tim Conrad and Michael Davis (five issues, June 1989–Nov. 1990)
- Fast Forward, edited by Andrew Helfer (three issues, Oct. 1992–Jan. 1993)
- Gregory, by Marc HempelMarc HempelMarc Hempel is an American cartoonist/comics artist best known for his work on The Sandman with Neil Gaiman.-Biography:...
(four issues, 1989–93) - The Score, by Gerard JonesGerard JonesFor the entrepreneur see Gérard Jones.Gerard Jones is an award-winning American author and comic book writer.-Biography:Jones was born in Cut Bank, Montana, and raised in Los Gatos and Gilroy, California...
and Mark BadgerMark BadgerMark Badger has worked as an illustrator in the comic book industry.His work includes Greenberg, the Vampire and The Gargoyle for Marvel Comics, Martian Manhunter and Batman: Jazz for DC Comics, and Planetary Brigade for Boom! Studios....
(four issues, July 1989–Nov.1989)
Original graphic novels
- Desert Streams, by Alison Marek (1989)
- The Drowned Girl , by Jon Hammer (1991)
- The Elvis Mandible, by Douglas Michael (1990)
- Hardcore, by Alec Stevens (Jan. 1990)
- The Hiding Place, by Charlie Boatner and Steve ParkhouseSteve ParkhouseSteve Parkhouse is a writer, artist and letterer who has worked for many British comics, especially 2000 AD and Doctor Who Magazine.-Biography:...
(1990) - Invaders from Home!!!, by John Blair MooreJohn Blair MooreJohn Blair Moore is an American comic book writer/artist best known for Invaders from Home, published in six issues in 1990 by Piranha Press...
(1990) - The Laziest Secretary in the World, by Jennifer Waters and Gil Ashby (1990)
- Mars on Earth, by Damon Cardwell and Glenn L. Barr (Jan. 1992)
- Nation of Snitches, by Jon Hammer (Sept. 1990)
- PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
and the New Power GenerationNew Power GenerationThe New Power Generation, also known as The NPG, is the current backing group of musician Prince.-History:The phrase "Welcome to the New Power Generation" was mentioned on the opening track of 1988's Lovesexy...
: Three Chains of Gold, by Dwayne McDuffieDwayne McDuffieDwayne 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...
, Steve CarrSteve CarrSteve Carr is an American film director and producer of several movies, mostly of the comedy and family genre.-Biography:Carr will direct the film adaption of the Rumpus Entertainment comic Meet the Haunteds.-As a director:* Next Friday...
, Deryl Skelton, David Williams and Josef RubinsteinJosef RubinsteinJosef "Joe" Rubinstein is a comic book artist and inker, most associated with inking Marvel Comics' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.-Career:...
(1994) - PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
: Alter Ego, by Dwayne McDuffie, Denys CowanDenys CowanDenys B. Cowan is an American comic book artist and television producer. He gained prominence as the primary artist on The Question, an acclaimed comic book series published by DC Comics for 36 issues from 1987 on, written by Dennis O'Neil.-Career:Denys Cowan is a 1979 graduate of the High School...
and Kent Williams (Jan. 1991) - The Sinners, by Alec Stevens (June 1989)
- Sparrow, by Alison Marek (1990)
- The Wasteland, by Dave Louapre and Dan Sweetman (1989)
- Why I Hate Saturn, by Kyle BakerKyle BakerKyle John Baker is an American cartoonist, comic book writer-artist, and animator known for his graphic novels and for a 2000s revival of the series Plastic Man....
(1990)