MattBrady
11-15-2002, 09:26 PM
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Image/PVPcov.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Image/PVPcov_t.jpg" width="175" height="237" border="0" alt="PvP #1 cover by Frank Cho" align="right"></a>Image Comics has announced that Scott Kurtz's PvP will join the publisher in 2003, debuting in 2003 with a new first issue, featuring a cover by Frank Cho. The comic is the extension of Kurtz’s online edition of the strip, found at pvponline.com.
The strip (and comic) PvP follows the staff of Player Versus Player Magazine on their daily routine of covering the world of pop-culture, but Kurtz is quick to point out that it's not a comic book about socially inept geeks who can't get a date or manage to wear a clean shirt.
"PvP is about people like me who were raised as much by popular culture as we were our parents," Kurtz explained. "We eventually grew up, but a part of us is still playing Atari somewhere."
In addition to being a comedy strip, Kurtz has often used PvP as a soapbox of sorts, using its cast to express his feelings and give commentary on everything from the Star Wars prequels to independent comics.
According to Image, “Kurtz distinguished himself as a cartoonist early by choosing to bypass the traditional route of syndication by taking his comic strip, PvP to the Internet instead. Since its debut on the Web in 1998, PvP has grown to a daily readership of over 70,000 people and with Internet traffic of around 8 million page views a month. He began collecting his cartoons and publishing them in comic book format through Dork Storm Press in 2001.
With issue six and a recent trade paperback, PvP Striptease, collecting selected strips originally published online between 1999 and 2001, available in shops now, Kurtz will relaunch series with an all-new PvP #1, on sale in March.
"It was important to self publish and learn about the industry first-hand," Kurtz said in an Image release. "My time with Dork Storm Press was invaluable, but PvP is growing to a point where the limitations of self publishing are holding me back. Image came along to save me from all that."
Image Director of Marketing Eric Stephenson said, "This time last year, Image Comics was publishing a grand total of zero humor comics, but with the addition of PvP we've got two of the best on the market. We're incredibly pleased that Scott has chosen to bring PvP to Image to join Liberty Meadows in broadening the perception of what an Image comic is."
"Scott Kurtz rocks," exclaimed friend and supporter, Liberty Meadows creator Frank Cho. "His masterpiece, PvP, is delightfully funny and wonderfully simple. Scott's wit and grasp of popular entertainment and obscure references are second to none. Not that many comics make me laugh, but PvP makes me laugh -- out loud and constantly. I hope someday soon we can work together on a project, but right now I'm just having fun enjoying his work. I'm excited that he's joining the Image family and adding his outrageous comic to Image's stellar line-up."
"Being with Image grants me the means by which to accomplish a life-long dream," Kurtz added. "What Image did for comic books, it's doing again for the comic strip. I'm proud to be among these ranks and to be published alongside Liberty Meadows. I know that there's a huge push in the industry right now for comics to be taken more seriously. I feel almost guilty taking such delight in drawing a funnybook."
The all-new PvP #1 will be available for order in the January issue of Diamond Previews and will arrive in stores in March 2003.
In anticipation for the slew of quesitons, Kurtz prepared a Image/PvP FAQ, which he posted at his site:
Q. How will your move to Image affect the website?
A. It won't. PvP will still continue to run daily at PvPonline.com.
Q. Why Image Comics?
A. Image was founded to allow creators to deliver their vision to the public without creative interference and while retaining all ownership. Image will provide the big company resources and creative freedom for PvP to grow on.
Q. What about Dork Storm Press?
A. Dork Storm Press will continue to publish Dork Tower, Nodwick, Snap Dragons and the upcoming PS238. Be sure to add these wonderful titles to your comic shop pull list.
Q. What about issues #7 and #8?
A. Dork Storm Press has cancelled issues #7 and #8. The next new issue of PvP will be #1 through Image Comics.
Q. Why start the comic book over at #1?
A. Because half of the comic book stores in America only order comics from 'the big four' (Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image). There are going to be a lot of people discovering the PvP comic book for the first time. It only made sense to start back and number one. It's a new beginning, a new publisher and a new format.
Q. New Format?
A. Yes. Starting with #1, PvP will be presented in the 'landscape' format pioneered by Jim Krueger and used in the popular Liberty Meadows comic book. The comic is stapled at the top and opens sideways. This format is perfectly suited for books like ours because comic strips run long, not tall.
Q. That's not how you published your existing issues.
A. That's true, but I like this format a lot better. Before I was printing the comic strips stacked 2 on 2 panels, leaving a wide open space on the right side of each page. This allows me to print the strips larger than before and it's more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It's also nice to have the same format as Liberty Meadows, to really make the Image humor lineup stand out.
Q. Will the comic book still contain original material?
A. Yes. The comic book will contain all new strips never before seen or published anywhere else as well as re-mastered strips from the PvP archives.
Q. Remastered?
A. I won't just be reprinting old strips. I'll be redrawing them entirely, sometimes expanding on previous storylines. There are a lot of great moments in the history of these characters that I'll want to share with our new readers. I also want to take the opportunity to go back and rework some of the older plotlines, take more time with them, and flesh them out more completely. Think of the new series as the "director's cut."
Q. So no more long form-comic book stories?
A. Not in the individual issues, no. But each issue will still contain the same amount of new material, just in a different format. Each issue will contain new strips and storyarcs no one has ever seen before.
Q. What's the release schedule for the new PvP?
A. Bi-monthly.
Q. Will you be keeping the Dork Storm issues in print?
A. Unfortunately, no. Except for the existing stock, there won't be any issues of PvP available. That includes the PvP Striptease collection. We're sold out of most of our existing stock, but what we do have left, you can purchase from our online store. These could become collector's items, so get 'em while they last!
Q. Will you be collecting issues 1-6 in a trade?
A. I hope to do that through Image Comics in the near future.
Q. So what's the deal with Frank Cho drawing three covers for you? Are you guys dating now or something?
A. Frank and I are not dating. We're both happily married. TO WOMEN! Hey, it was seeing Liberty Meadows in the comic book shop that gave me the courage to start publishing PvP in print. After meeting in San Diego we both became pretty good friends and hope to collaborate on something in the future. I'm excited that Frank is drawing the covers for the debut issue of PvP.
Q. When you're famous, will you forget us?
A. I could never forget you...uh...Bob? It's Bob right?
Kurtz’s online PvP strip can be found at <a href="http://www.pvponline.com." target="_blank">www.pvponline.com.</a>
The strip (and comic) PvP follows the staff of Player Versus Player Magazine on their daily routine of covering the world of pop-culture, but Kurtz is quick to point out that it's not a comic book about socially inept geeks who can't get a date or manage to wear a clean shirt.
"PvP is about people like me who were raised as much by popular culture as we were our parents," Kurtz explained. "We eventually grew up, but a part of us is still playing Atari somewhere."
In addition to being a comedy strip, Kurtz has often used PvP as a soapbox of sorts, using its cast to express his feelings and give commentary on everything from the Star Wars prequels to independent comics.
According to Image, “Kurtz distinguished himself as a cartoonist early by choosing to bypass the traditional route of syndication by taking his comic strip, PvP to the Internet instead. Since its debut on the Web in 1998, PvP has grown to a daily readership of over 70,000 people and with Internet traffic of around 8 million page views a month. He began collecting his cartoons and publishing them in comic book format through Dork Storm Press in 2001.
With issue six and a recent trade paperback, PvP Striptease, collecting selected strips originally published online between 1999 and 2001, available in shops now, Kurtz will relaunch series with an all-new PvP #1, on sale in March.
"It was important to self publish and learn about the industry first-hand," Kurtz said in an Image release. "My time with Dork Storm Press was invaluable, but PvP is growing to a point where the limitations of self publishing are holding me back. Image came along to save me from all that."
Image Director of Marketing Eric Stephenson said, "This time last year, Image Comics was publishing a grand total of zero humor comics, but with the addition of PvP we've got two of the best on the market. We're incredibly pleased that Scott has chosen to bring PvP to Image to join Liberty Meadows in broadening the perception of what an Image comic is."
"Scott Kurtz rocks," exclaimed friend and supporter, Liberty Meadows creator Frank Cho. "His masterpiece, PvP, is delightfully funny and wonderfully simple. Scott's wit and grasp of popular entertainment and obscure references are second to none. Not that many comics make me laugh, but PvP makes me laugh -- out loud and constantly. I hope someday soon we can work together on a project, but right now I'm just having fun enjoying his work. I'm excited that he's joining the Image family and adding his outrageous comic to Image's stellar line-up."
"Being with Image grants me the means by which to accomplish a life-long dream," Kurtz added. "What Image did for comic books, it's doing again for the comic strip. I'm proud to be among these ranks and to be published alongside Liberty Meadows. I know that there's a huge push in the industry right now for comics to be taken more seriously. I feel almost guilty taking such delight in drawing a funnybook."
The all-new PvP #1 will be available for order in the January issue of Diamond Previews and will arrive in stores in March 2003.
In anticipation for the slew of quesitons, Kurtz prepared a Image/PvP FAQ, which he posted at his site:
Q. How will your move to Image affect the website?
A. It won't. PvP will still continue to run daily at PvPonline.com.
Q. Why Image Comics?
A. Image was founded to allow creators to deliver their vision to the public without creative interference and while retaining all ownership. Image will provide the big company resources and creative freedom for PvP to grow on.
Q. What about Dork Storm Press?
A. Dork Storm Press will continue to publish Dork Tower, Nodwick, Snap Dragons and the upcoming PS238. Be sure to add these wonderful titles to your comic shop pull list.
Q. What about issues #7 and #8?
A. Dork Storm Press has cancelled issues #7 and #8. The next new issue of PvP will be #1 through Image Comics.
Q. Why start the comic book over at #1?
A. Because half of the comic book stores in America only order comics from 'the big four' (Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image). There are going to be a lot of people discovering the PvP comic book for the first time. It only made sense to start back and number one. It's a new beginning, a new publisher and a new format.
Q. New Format?
A. Yes. Starting with #1, PvP will be presented in the 'landscape' format pioneered by Jim Krueger and used in the popular Liberty Meadows comic book. The comic is stapled at the top and opens sideways. This format is perfectly suited for books like ours because comic strips run long, not tall.
Q. That's not how you published your existing issues.
A. That's true, but I like this format a lot better. Before I was printing the comic strips stacked 2 on 2 panels, leaving a wide open space on the right side of each page. This allows me to print the strips larger than before and it's more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It's also nice to have the same format as Liberty Meadows, to really make the Image humor lineup stand out.
Q. Will the comic book still contain original material?
A. Yes. The comic book will contain all new strips never before seen or published anywhere else as well as re-mastered strips from the PvP archives.
Q. Remastered?
A. I won't just be reprinting old strips. I'll be redrawing them entirely, sometimes expanding on previous storylines. There are a lot of great moments in the history of these characters that I'll want to share with our new readers. I also want to take the opportunity to go back and rework some of the older plotlines, take more time with them, and flesh them out more completely. Think of the new series as the "director's cut."
Q. So no more long form-comic book stories?
A. Not in the individual issues, no. But each issue will still contain the same amount of new material, just in a different format. Each issue will contain new strips and storyarcs no one has ever seen before.
Q. What's the release schedule for the new PvP?
A. Bi-monthly.
Q. Will you be keeping the Dork Storm issues in print?
A. Unfortunately, no. Except for the existing stock, there won't be any issues of PvP available. That includes the PvP Striptease collection. We're sold out of most of our existing stock, but what we do have left, you can purchase from our online store. These could become collector's items, so get 'em while they last!
Q. Will you be collecting issues 1-6 in a trade?
A. I hope to do that through Image Comics in the near future.
Q. So what's the deal with Frank Cho drawing three covers for you? Are you guys dating now or something?
A. Frank and I are not dating. We're both happily married. TO WOMEN! Hey, it was seeing Liberty Meadows in the comic book shop that gave me the courage to start publishing PvP in print. After meeting in San Diego we both became pretty good friends and hope to collaborate on something in the future. I'm excited that Frank is drawing the covers for the debut issue of PvP.
Q. When you're famous, will you forget us?
A. I could never forget you...uh...Bob? It's Bob right?
Kurtz’s online PvP strip can be found at <a href="http://www.pvponline.com." target="_blank">www.pvponline.com.</a>