Including Work by Fabian Nicieza, Reilly Brown, Justin Jordan, and Top Webtoon Creators
Rocketship Entertainment has announced 17 titles for release in 2022. Helmed by former Webtoon Head of Content Tom Akel and comics creator Rob Feldman, Rocketship crowdfunds and publishes print editions of webcomics as well as original graphic novels. Their graphic novels are distributed by Diamond to the comics market and Simon & Schuster to the book channel. Here’s a look at what’s in store.
Outrage, Vol. 1, by Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza and Batman/Fortnite artist Reilly Brown (see “DC Comics and Epic Games Team Up for ‘Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point’”), is a satire about a mysterious being who can travel through the internet and deliver a swift real-life kick to trolls and other deserving netizens. The webcomic has over 225,000 subscribers on Webtoon. The graphic novel will be published on August 15 as a paperback with an MSRP of $19.99 and a hardcover with an MSRP of $14.99.
Let’s Play, Vols. 2 and 3, by Leeanne Krecic, a romcom about video gamers that has 4.6 million subscribers on Webtoon, was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2019, and is being adapted into a television series by Allnighter (see “In the Media Age of Comics, We’re About to Find Out How Much Is Too Much”). Vol. 2 is scheduled for June 14 and Vol. 3 for November 15, and both will be published as a paperback, with an MSRP of $19.99, and a hardcover, with an MSRP of $24.99.
Stan Lee’s Backchannel, co-written by Akel and Stan Lee with art by Andie Tong (Green Lantern: Legacy), is one of Lee’s final projects, the story of a high school student with an unusual talent for engineering who has been recruited by a group of hackers to disrupt the U.S. prison system. The story originally ran on the Webtoon platform, and the Kickstarter to fund it raised over $100,000. The book will be available on October 4 as a paperback with an MSRP of $19.99 and a hardcover with an MSRP of $24.99.
Urban Animal, Vol. 1, by writer Justin Jordan and artist John Amor, has over 500,000 subscribers on the Webtoon platform; it features Joe Gomez, a high-schooler who’s doing well with grades, girls, and his band, until he turns into a saber-toothed tiger. Now that he’s a shape-shifter he has the added responsibility of saving the human race. Both creators have been nominated for Eisner Awards for their earlier work. The first volume of Urban Animal will go on sale on June 21 as a paperback with an MSRP of $24.99 and a hardcover with an MSRP of $29.99.
Action Philosophers, Vol. 1, brings back the first volume of Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey’s irreverent take on the great minds of history, which was previously self-published and then collected by Dark Horse. The first volume of the new edition is scheduled for December 12 and will be available as a paperback with an MSRP of $17.99 and a hardcover with an MSRP of $21.99.
Faded Away, Vol. 1, by qiseki, is a slice-of-life romance with over 360,000 subscribers on Webtoon. The print edition is slated for December 6 and will be available as a paperback with an MSRP of $19.99 and a hardcover with an MSRP of $24.99.
Adventures of God, Vol. 1, collects the first 50 episodes of Matteo Ferrazzi and Corey Jay’s satirical webcomic, which has over 1.5 million subscribers on Webtoon and was nominated for a Ringo Award. The book will be available as on June 21 as a paperback with an MSRP of $19.99.
Live Forever, Vol. 1, by Marvel colorist Raul Trevino, is a supernatural thriller about a teenage girl who finds the secret to eternal life, and learns that it’s not always good to get what you wish for. The series racked up over 250,000 subscribers on Webtoon. Rocketship will publish Live Forever on November 22 as a 240-page paperback with an MSRP of $19.99.
Girls Have a Blog: The Signature Edition, by Sarah Bollinger and Thorn Kurtzhals, is a complete collection of the diary comic that records the lives of the two roommates and friends who are also comics artists. The comic ran for seven years, starting on Tumblr and then moving to Webtoon, where it was a featured series and garnered over 137,000 subscribers. The complete run of the series will be published on September 13 as a 480-page paperback with an MSRP of $24.99, and a hardcover with an MSRP of $39.99.
Lars the Awkward Yeti, Vol. 1, by Nick Seluk, a gag-a-day webcomic about a socially awkward blue yeti. This is the first book in a Lars trilogy; Seluk has also spun off a webcomic about two of Lars’s organs, titled Heart & Brain. The 160-page paperback will be released on May 3 with an MSRP of $19.99.
Fox Fires, Vol. 1, by Emilia Ojala, is an all-ages fantasy story, inspired by Finnish folklore, in which the Northern Lights (known as Fox Fires) are portals between the lands of the living and the dead. When they disappear, a raccoon dog goes in search of the fire fox who is their source to find out what happened. Fox Fires will be published as a 252-page hardcover on May 10 with an MSRP of $19.99.
Beneath an Alien Sky, by Sid Kotian, is a sci-fi tale about a madman who brings a deadly monster to an alien planet. The series runs on the Webtoon platform. Kotian is a Mumbai-based creator who is the artist for Chris Claremont’s Gambit. Beneath an Alien Sky will go on sale on June 28 as a 130-page hardcover with an MSRP of $24.99.
Born Sexy Tomorrow, Vol. 1, by the webcomics team of VVBG, is a fast-paced space opera that has over 66,000 subscribers on the Tapas platform. The 260-page paperback will be released on November 22 with an MSRP of $19.99.
Metaphorical HER, by James Maddox and David Stoll, follows a poet who builds a following in the local rock scene after offending someone who controls the more conventional channels for success. The story, which racked up almost 60,000 subscribers on the Webtoon platform, is notable for its use of visual metaphors. The book is scheduled for October 25 as a 320-page, embossed leather-bound library edition and will have an MSRP of $34.99.
Spirits: The Soul Collector, Vol. 1, by Colin Lawler and Joseph Grabowski, is an all-ages story about a 12-year-old boy who sees spirits, including the ghost of his younger brother. The webcomic had over 57,000 subscribers on Webtoon and will be published by Rocketship on December 12 as a 180-page paperback and hardcover, both priced at $19.99.
Undeaded, by Eliott “boredman” Ventadour, collects the complete run of the Webtoon series about a traveling salesman who continues his work despite being clinically dead. The print edition is scheduled for November 14 and will be available as a paperback with an MSRP of $16.99 and a hardcover with an MSRP of $19.99.
Source: ICv2
