DAN VADO ON SLAVE LABOR'S DISNEY DEAL

[MattBrady]

There are more Disney comics coming, but this time, from a publisher few, if any, would’ve picked out of a lineup as potential suitors for the company that Walt & Mickey built.

Announced at last weekend’s Book Expo America, Slave Labor Graphics, home to titles such as Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Lenore, Milk and Cheese, My Monkey’s Name is Jennifer, and an equally eclectic group of creators; has landed the rights to four new Disney-based comics: Haunted Mansion, Wonderland, Tron, and Gargoyles.

While not the first time Slave Labor has published books based on licensed properties, the deal marks the first time the company has partnered with such a mainstream licensor, one that virtually guarantees a rise in the company’s profile.

While Owner, President, and Publisher, Dan Vado acknowledges that the pairing between SLG and Disney may have come as a rather sudden thing to most, the deal has been percolating for over a year.

“Disney originally came to me about something else that, ultimately, we couldn’t get done, but I maintained a cordial relationship with the people who contacted us,” Vado told Newsarama. “A little over a year ago, I made an offhand remark to someone about how I would like to do a story about Wonderland after Alice left – to try and tread upon some new ground within Disney’s version of the world..."

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[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

"I’d like to think that the Disney Stores would see some value in carrying the comics. "

I wish you luck, Dan, but you should talk to the Gemstone people about the chances of this happening.

If they can't get UNCLE SCROOGE and WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES into Disney stores. . .

-Augie

[Drewsander]

So Tron is on its way.
I wondered what happened to that book after all the hype (some of that art looked pretty good). Disney own the rights to some pretty decent comic book property now (not sayin' that the european stuff they've had going for years isn't good, just not my cup of tea. And i am excluding Mickey Mouse etc. from my definition of 'decent' - I ain't no thumb suckin' baby!) It'll be interesting to see whether or not they can create a worthwhile presence alongside The House and their Distinguished Competition.

[emo_pare]

This is interesting and it might just work. I'm intrigued with Wonderland and Tron, wonder how that would turn out. Looking forward to this one.

Btw, didnt Disney acquire the rights for CrossGen's Meridian?! (Correct me if I'm wrong) If it is correct I hope it would return under SLG's banner.

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Originally posted by Drewsander
And i am excluding Mickey Mouse etc. from my definition of 'decent' - I ain't no thumb suckin' baby!)

I'd suggest adding some Noel Van Horn- or Caesar Ferioli-drawn Mickey Mouse stories to your diet. Pick something written by David Gerstein, perhaps. If you can find a Floyd Gottfredson story, even better.

You don't need to be a thumb sucker to enjoy Mickey the adventurer.

-Augie

[March Haire]

I will be getting Wonderland. Do doubt.

I hope this means that SLG gets to publish the CrossGen stuff too.

[Ace]

I'm actually pretty excited about this. It's too bad they couldn't have gotten the Abadazad team on Wonderland. That would have been interesting, but it sounds like SLG knows what it's doing here.

Now if we can get a Pirates of the Caribbean book which is a bit more attuned to the ride than the movie.

I'm going to have to break down and get those Gargoyles DVDs at some point.

[whoME?]

This is phenominal news! I am so happy for SLG i could plotz!

Haunted Mansion and Wonderland interest me quite a bit. I'll pick up Gargoyles and Tron out of support for SLG... and if it turns out that i like them as much as i suspect i might, then bully for me!

I absolutely love it when i hear of small-scale publishers getting big time opportunities!

[Jason Seaver]

You know, at some point Disney is going to really commit to comics and really change the field. They've just got too much good stuff (Uncle Scrooge, Mickey Mouse, Gargoyles, some of their original Euro stuff, CrossGen) to do this low-key licensing out forever, especially if something becomes an unexpected hit.

[JamesMallone]

Gah....Gah.......Gah.....GARGOYLES? ORIGINAL WRITER FROM THE SHOW?!! SET IN THE CARTOON'S CONTINUITY?!!!

HELL YEAH!!!!

*makes mental note to pick up the Gargoyles DVD*

[Lex]

As a huge Gargoyles fan, I'm very excited to see Greg Weisman be able to continue his Gargoyle stories in this format. That's very cool!

And the other three books sound interesting enough to check out too.

I think this was a great move for SLG. It definately made a DC/Marvel reader like me take notice of them. I'll certainly be checking out the rest of their books.

[FIG]

I really liked some of the work for Tron, I hope they are using the same work that was hyped a while back.

[JK Parkin]

Way to go, Slave Labor ... this is definitely a big move for them. Congrats!

Disney could have easily gone to a more traditional publisher to produce "safe" (and likely disposable) versions of these comics, but the fact that they would choose SL gives me hope that these are going to be awesome. I like what we've heard about the titles so far.

One thing I wonder, though ... why no Pirates of the Carribean comic? I would think Capt. Jack Sparrow would have enough of a following to warrant his own comic!

[KyleCowstar]

This sounds great.

[Steve J.]

Originally posted by MattBrady
Haunted Mansion (bi-monthly, black and white, $2.95, issue #1 coming in October)

Wonderland (bi-monthly, full color, $3.50, issue #1 coming in spring, 2006)

I think my non-comics-reading wife would be interested in these, but I'm not sure the B&W aspect of HM is going to appeal to her.

[Vyper]

Gargoyles (bi-monthly, full color, $3.50, issue #1 coming in December or January)

I think I need some alone time now...
GARGOYLES!!!!
This is the best comic-related news I heard all year. Just called my LCS.

[DF2506]

The only comic that made me go, " Wow thats great! " was the
Gargoyles comic! I got the dvd of season 1 earlier this year (I believe) and it was just great! I enjoyed it and it really got me into the whole Gargoyles thing again.

I visit the creators site sometimes. He's always said he wanted to continue Gargoyles if he got chance! Well, congrats to him! He's finally going to get a chance!

And I'm definitly going to check this comic out when it comes out! Hopefully season 2 will be out on dvd by then so that I'm caught up for the comic!

DF2506
" Is glad to hear that the Gargoyles season 1 dvds did really good."

[Matt_Fabb]

I'm most excited about Gargoyles, especially with Greg Weisman, but the 3 other titles also sound like they could be quite interesting. I wonder how Greg Weisman will write the stories for the Gargoyles comic and whether he will just pick up where the cartoon left off, with maybe a recap of the cartoon or whether he will retell some of the cartoon's stories for people new to the series.

[idkidd]

Exciting Stuff. All sound intriguing. How about Spykids and Shark Boy & Lava Girl books?

[AaronStC]

I am all about the Gargoyles comic!

[Jason Seaver]

Originally posted by Matt_Fabb
I'm most excited about Gargoyles, especially with Greg Weisman, but the 3 other titles also sound like they could be quite interesting. I wonder how Greg Weisman will write the stories for the Gargoyles comic and whether he will just pick up where the cartoon left off, with maybe a recap of the cartoon or whether he will retell some of the cartoon's stories for people new to the series.

If we're only getting six issues a year, I'd rather no adaptation issues.

[AnimalMan#1-26]

This sounds like the punchline to a joke

"What is the perfect company to make Disney Comics?"

Slave Labor Graphics!

Did, like, no one on either side of this deal remember that Disney is one of the world's most notorious users of sweatshop and child labor?


Lots of info on this at http://www.nlcnet.org

Shame on SLG for making good on its name.

[350z]

Like many other people, I am especially looking forward to the Gargoyles adaptation. I hope those stories will be a bit more on the PG-13 side of the censorship line...

And, it is ironic that Slave Labor is picking up the books, as Disney is notorious for treating its artists like slaves...(among some other "colorful" things they have done...)...

[JamesMallone]

Can someone give me a recap of what happened in the show (Gargoyles) after the character's island hopping adventures? I only saw a few episodes past that and if this new comic is going to take place after the events of the show I'd like to be up to speed.

[Evermore]

Originally posted by Matt_Fabb
I'm most excited about Gargoyles, especially with Greg Weisman, but the 3 other titles also sound like they could be quite interesting. I wonder how Greg Weisman will write the stories for the Gargoyles comic and whether he will just pick up where the cartoon left off, with maybe a recap of the cartoon or whether he will retell some of the cartoon's stories for people new to the series.

From Ask Greg at Station 8.

Our direction is pretty straight forward. The book we'll be styled to look like the series, and my plan is to pick up pretty much where "Hunter's Moon" left off and do the "third season" that I wanted to do (as opposed to the GOLIATH CHRONICLE version). (The year is 1996. Although I'm probably not going to go out of my way to put a date in the content of the comic that'll scare away a new audience. There's always ASK GREG to fill people in on timeline details. And eventually, I'm hoping to catch up to the present.)

A link to the whole message here.

Evermore