NYCC '07/D3: SCI FI CHANNEL & VIRGIN COMICS TEAM

[MattBrady]

Press Release

”Global Multimedia Enterprise to Create Original Properties Under the SCI FI /Virgin Comics Banner “

NEW YORK COMIC CON, JACOB JAVITS CENTER—February 24, 2007—SCI FI Channel, the television network dedicated to fueling the imagination, is teaming up with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Comics to create a forward-thinking, co-branded multimedia partnership called SCI FI/Virgin Comics. The announcement was made today by Dave Howe, SCI FI Executive Vice President and General Manager and Virgin Comics CEO & Publisher Sharad Devarajan at New York Comic Con, the season’s biggest pop culture and comic book event.

With five new comic book titles serving as a jumping off point, SCI FI/Virgin Comics will develop fresh properties that integrate the unique spirit and vitality of both brands. Delivering innovative, multi-platform projects, original concepts will be considered across all mediums from publishing, film and television to digital and gaming.

“ SCI FI/Virgin Comics marks an important step in our strategy to extend the SCI FI brand into new cross-media platforms. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Virgin Comics to create exciting new titles, characters and stories that can live beyond the pages of the comic book,” added SCI FI’s Howe. “ Virgin is the perfect brand to help us connect with the youth audience around the world.”

"Virgin Comics and I are delighted to collaborate with SCI FI and the rest of the NBC Universal family," said Sir Richard Branson, "to create stories that will inspire a new generation of thinkers and dreamers throughout the world."

"Virgin is one of the world's most dynamic, forward-looking brands," said Bonnie Hammer, President, USA Network and SCI FI Channel. "It's a natural fit for SCI FI, where we've built our business on innovation and imagination."

“With SCI FI we are changing the face of the comic book industry – seamlessly developing characters and stories for books, television, online and other media,” said Virgin Comics’ Devarajan. “Together we are creating stories as innovative as the ways consumers will get to experience them.”

Utilizing the global creative and synergistic resources that exist both at SCI FI Channel, part of NBC Universal, and Virgin Comics, the partnership will aim to attract some of the biggest names and talent from the worlds of comic books, television and movies. SCI FI and Virgin Comics will bring together a multimedia, creative editorial board with members representing comic books, television, movies, digital, gaming, licensing and merchandising. The first SCI FI/Virgin titles, distributed by Diamond Comics, can be expected to hit shelves later this year.

SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 86 million U.S. homes, SCI FI is expanding its global portfolio with an ever-growing group of Channels in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain. SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.

Virgin Comics LLC is a character entertainment company creating original stories and epic myths for worldwide audiences. The company was founded in November 2005 by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Enterprises Ltd., alongside author Deepak Chopra, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and Gotham Entertainment Group, South Asia's leading publisher of comic magazines. Among Virgin Comic’s titles are the breakthrough new comics and graphic novels: Devi, Ramayan 3392 AD, Walk In , John Woo’s Seven Brothers, Guy Ritchie’s Gamekeeper . Feature films based on virgin Comics’ characters are also in the works: an animated feature The Secrets of the Seven Sounds and The Sadhu with Nicholas Cage. www.VirginComics.com

New York Comic Con 2007 coverage brought to you by Comicraft's ELEPHANTMEN #7, on sale right now from Image Comics!

[Knowbrainer]

Could be interesting.


Oh.. first post.

[Carlos Javier]

For some reason I'm really excited about this. The SciFi Channel has always had unfulfilled potential, but maybe its comic brand can get it right.

[tiso_spencer]

You go with the inexperienced company to put SCI-FI into a series of books from a company that was all about bringing the Eastern Indian culture to America. Yeah that will totally work...

[Foenix]

Hmmm.

Scifi is owned by NBC/Universal, and runs frequent Heroes reruns.

There has been talk of a Heroes comicbook off and on since the show premiered.

I wonder if this might be a step in that direction. If so, this could be really huge for Virgin, even moreso than it looks. However, I'll be the first that I'm making quite a few leaps here, and it's a bit iffy. It was the first thing that popped into my head as a possibility, though.

J

[DeTroyes]

Hmm. I wonder if there's any chance for a Farscape comic series now?

[shoeshine]

Oh goody. Now Sci Fi will be filled with crappy indian shows instead of actual Sci Fi programs.

[Psivage]

Wonder how this will effect Battlestar Galactic being published by Dynamite.

[brawl2099]

Originally Posted by DeTroyes

Hmm. I wonder if there's any chance for a Farscape comic series now?

That would be freaking awesome.

Shoeshine- it doesn't sound like Virgin is developing shows for Sci-Fi. It sounds like Sci-Fi is developing comics for Virgin. Little bit of a difference there...

[Newguy]

Originally Posted by shoeshine

Oh goody. Now Sci Fi will be filled with crappy indian shows instead of actual Sci Fi programs.

Crappy Indian Shows>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Crappy Sci Fi original movies.

[RWNeal]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

partnership called SCI FI/Virgin Comics.

They REALLY need to re-think that name!

[shoeshine]

Originally Posted by brawl2099

Shoeshine- it doesn't sound like Virgin is developing shows for Sci-Fi. It sounds like Sci-Fi is developing comics for Virgin. Little bit of a difference there...

It says the two companies will work together in movies, tv, and comics. So Virgin would put stuff on Sci Fi as well as Sci Fi putting out comics.

[Edzo]

Originally Posted by shoeshine

It says the two companies will work together in movies, tv, and comics. So Virgin would put stuff on Sci Fi as well as Sci Fi putting out comics.

I haven't read any of them, but is there any reason why the title put out by Virigin wouldn't fit as a movie/mini on Sci-Fi (or one of the other NBC Universal channels)?

[shoeshine]

The comics Virgin puts out are all very indian. It's a niche market they're going towards. Different niche than what Sci Fi does.

[Kolimar]

Originally Posted by Knowbrainer

Could be interesting.

Agreed. Lots of potential in this partnership.

[SeamusMcClernan]

Originally Posted by RWNeal

They REALLY need to re-think that name!

...one or the OTHER, please.

Or - or - create a third, neutral identity.

Not a fan of seeing the Corporate, "hyphenated" thing creeping into this industry.

[Kolimar]

The complete list of comics-based movies

The Complete List of Comic-Based TV Series

[Kolimar]

Originally Posted by RWNeal

They REALLY need to re-think that name!

I like it...

[astronato]

There is a Flash Gordon series coming on Sci Fi Channel sometime this year. Assuming the show is good, could we have a Flash Gordon comic please?

PLEASE???!!!!???

[Darth Wahu]

Originally Posted by DeTroyes

Hmm. I wonder if there's any chance for a Farscape comic series now?

It's a gotta do!!!!

[Mick]

Originally Posted by astronato

There is a Flash Gordon series coming on Sci Fi Channel sometime this year. Assuming the show is good, could we have a Flash Gordon comic please?

PLEASE???!!!!???

I second this.



Virgin comics just keeps getting more and more exciting.

[Nolon]

Would this allow a new series of "Quantum Leap" comics?

Does Sci-Fi have access to the intellectual property of NBC/Universal? Does Universal hold the IP rights to "Quantum Leap" ?

Would this open up the possibility of a "V" comic?

[Jason A. Quest]

Originally Posted by RWNeal

They REALLY need to re-think that name!

I think it's perfect. I hear "sci fi" and "comics" and the first word that pops into my head is "virgin". My only question is why the D&D folks aren't involved in this too?

[skullduggery]

Originally Posted by shoeshine

The comics Virgin puts out are all very indian. It's a niche market they're going towards. Different niche than what Sci Fi does.

Is that right.
Wow.
I guess I missed all those Indian connections in Walk In.

And Seven Brothers. I mean ... John Woo and Garth Ennis. How could I have missed THAT Indian connection.

[DoctorTom]

Originally Posted by DeTroyes

Hmm. I wonder if there's any chance for a Farscape comic series now?

Not from SciFi/Virgin - SciFi Channel doesn't own the rights to Farscape. Henson (and probably Hallmark) have the rights, and could negotiate to do it elsewhere.

I think they could produce anything made by the old USA Studios, though, since the same company owns them. Maybe they'll put out some Good vs Evil or Invisible Man, but I suspect they'll look more at new properties than trying to milk the old ones some more (especially ones they haven't even bothered to put out on DVD in the United States).

Of course, with our luck we'll end up getting things like Mansquito: The Comic Series. Note how the announcement was written in pure corporatese, without any announcement of the actual properties that might be involved.