TOP COW'S PILOT PROGRAM - TALKING ABOUT PILOT SEASON

[MattBrady]

by Chris Arrant

The comics industry has a long history of fan interaction, and California-based Top Cow Comics is bringing it to a whole new level as they let the readers decide on two new series.

Top Cow's Pilot Season consists of six one-shots, spotlighting established characters from Top Cow's history that have been out of the spotlight recently. Taking a page from the world of television, each of these one shots serve as a sample of what a full-length series would be. After all six issues are released, readers will vote for their favorite issues and Top Cow will the top two will each receive their own series in 2008.

Newsarama caught up with Top Cow's Vice President of Editorial Rob Levin to find out more.

Newsarama: How did the idea of Pilot Season come to be?

Rob Levin: One minor drawback of keeping to a relative small number of titles per month, in our case four to five, is finding room for everything you want to do. Witchblade and The Darkness are mainstays, but then we also focus on developing new titles and dusting off some old ones. In recent years we've done minis with Cyberforce and Strykeforce, but it was years between those and their last appearances. We didn't want that to keep happening, so we decided to do more regular one-shots to keep those titles coming at a slightly more regular clip.

One thing led to another, and we decided that since we had so many great characters we could do new things with, we might as well let the fans in on the fun. Thus the voting and launching of two new series next year. The thing is, we're not just doing the same old thing. Think you've seen one Ripclaw book, you've seen 'em all? Think again. We're putting a new spin on everything, and looking at it all from a different angle. We're not throwing out the baby with the bath water though. What you liked about the characters, what is true to them and interesting about who they are, remains intact. It's just a chance to move in a new direction, reader-friendly style, and see what sparks.



NRAMA: There will be six issues of the series, each featuring established Top Cow characters vying for two spots in new series in 2008. What are the characters that'll be spotlighted?

RL: We'll be kicking it off with Ripclaw and moving on down the line with Cyblade, Velocity, The Necromancer, The Angelus, and the return of Aphrodite IX. We wanted to take characters that were without a title, breathe new life into them, and send them out into the world.

NRAMA: If this is successful, do you plan on doing another Pilot Season with other Top Cow characters?

RL: What do you mean if? I think this promotion just goes to show that if the fans really clamor for something, we're not afraid to give it to them. If they want good books, we'll be obliged to do more.

NRAMA: Wading into the series, in the first issue we have Ripclaw done by writer Jason Aaron and artist Jorge Lucas. Can you tell us what Aaron & Jorge's story is about?

RL: When our story begins, something happens to Ripclaw. He's not the same guy. Still has the same skills, but he's changed. Her carries a duffle bag and walks with a purpose, nothing standing in his way. He fights as if hell is at his back. In this story, he goes after a Yakuza boss for reasons that don't become clear until the end. Put it this way, nothing is going to stop him.

NRAMA: The first issue has some new creative faces to Top Cow, Jason Aaron and Jorge Lucas. How did you go about casting for that issue and the series in general?

RL: I'm always on the lookout for new talent. In the age of exclusive contracts, you have to find the guys with something new to say. Unique voices are hard to find, and often locked up very quickly. Jason was a guy whose work I first heard about from Cameron Stewart, his collaborator on The Other Side. Cam said he was having a blast on the book, and so it put him in my mental rolodex of guys to keep an eye on. I started following interviews and his blog, and really liked what he had to say. Then his books, The Other Side and Scalped, really sealed the deal for me. I think Jason is one of the next huge writers. Not big, Huge.

Once Jason and I had our take on the character all set, we began to approach the art a bit differently than in the past. Ripclaw had been portrayed by Marc Silvestri, Brandon Peterson, and Dave Finch in the past, all of whom put a stamp on the character. But what we wanted to do here was take him out of the costume and the trappings of the genre he had been placed in. He needed a new look to match that style. Enter Jorge Lucas, whose work I've been in love with since Wolverine: Xisle. Jorge knew the character's history, saw where he was headed, and went to town. Man... The detail on these pages is astonishing. He really went all out.

And our lovely and talented (not to mention insanely busy) cover artist, Mr. Tony Moore, lives near Jason and got excited when he heard about the project. He whipped up a quick sketch and immediately got what we were going for. His initial sketch became the impetus for Ripclaw's look, and Jorge then riffed on it to give it his own spin.

NRAMA: Can you give us any hints on upcoming issues?

RL: Sure. The second month’s slate will be Cyblade by indie-star Joshua Hale Fialkov and the inimitable Rick Mays and Velocity by the insanely prolific Joe Casey and a guy I literally had to beg to work with me, Kevin Maguire. All of these guys are new to Top Cow, and they’re bringing killer stuff to the table.

NRAMA: When do you expect to announce the creative teams on the other Pilot Season issues?

RL: Very soon. We want to have a little bit of suspense, but all will be revealed in time… for solicits!

NRAMA: How will fans be able to vote?

RL: The specifics of the voting will be announced shortly, but there will be a number of options across the web for people to join in. I can reveal www.topcow.com, Top Cow's myspace page ( www.myspace.com/topcow) and www.wizarduniverse.com, with more announced soon.

[Varrus]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

by Chris Arrant

NRAMA: Wading into the series, in the first issue we have Ripclaw done by writer Jason Aaron and artist Jorge Lucas. Can you tell us what Aaron & Jorge's story is about?

RL: When our story begins, something happens to Ripclaw. He's not the same guy. Still has the same skills, but he's changed. Her carries a duffle bag and walks with a purpose, nothing standing in his way. He fights as if hell is at his back. In this story, he goes after a Yakuza boss for reasons that don't become clear until the end. Put it this way, nothing is going to stop him.

And the plagiarism of Wolverine is now complete.


Edit: Wow. I just realised that sounds exactly like the kind of Newsarama posts that I hate to read from everyone else. Ouch.

[Speedball93]

3 of these are Cyberforce characters, so why not just launch a new Cyberforce book that is done really well and I think a lot of fans would be happy. Ripclaw is a little too much like Wolverine and from the sound of the direction this is going they are gonna make it a lot closer. Too bad. He could still be a pretty unique character.

[Eric Palicki]

Originally Posted by Varrus

And the plagiarism of Wolverine is now complete.


Edit: Wow. I just realised that sounds exactly like the kind of Newsarama posts that I hate to read from everyone else. Ouch.

Even so, I trust Jason Aaron to give us a good story.

[GenerallZodd]

Originally Posted by Varrus

And the plagiarism of Wolverine is now complete.


Edit: Wow. I just realised that sounds exactly like the kind of Newsarama posts that I hate to read from everyone else. Ouch.

I think the book looks cool, but that remark made me laugh.

[Jason Aaron]

Originally Posted by Varrus

And the plagiarism of Wolverine is now complete.


Edit: Wow. I just realised that sounds exactly like the kind of Newsarama posts that I hate to read from everyone else. Ouch.

You can't argue the fact that Ripclaw is a knock-off of Wolverine. But if anything, I'm trying to move him away from that, not make him more like Wolvie. We're giving him a new direction that's very different from anything Wolverine has ever done, and it's tied into his history and status as a Native American.

[SpyGuy]

VELOCITY by Joe Casey and Kevin Maguire gets my vote, if only because there aren't many female characters with super-speed (let alone ones with their own title) and it gets Kevin Maguire drawing a female lead.

[NightRiver]

Im all over that Necromancer issue! Seriously!!

[Chris Hutton]

WE DEMAND MORE COMMON GROUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ShawnMallory]

Do the two winning titles keep the same creative teams as the one shots?

[00scotty]

Sight unseen my votes are for Necromancer (which the original run was fun) and Aphrodite IX

[Truthseeker]

This sounds really interesting and I really think the Cyberforce characters have a lot of life in them. I think Top Cow should do with them what Jim Lee did with Wildcats and Storm Watch. Get a writer like Warren Ellis, Joe Casey give them the chraracters and let them run. Match them up with an artist and get them out on time.

In regards to the Pilot season, great idea and I am on for all five.

[Lwnasidh]

Bring on more Necromancer!

I've missed that book.

[lanzajr26]

I'm really looking forward to the Necromancer, Aprodite and Cyblade books.

[HeX111]

I'm down to try these out... for about 12 or so issues of the original Cyberforce series (the full series, not the mini-series), I truly loved that book... right around the middle of the series... the first few, meh, the last few, ughhh... but those middle 12 or so... awesome...

and I agree with Truthseeker... get a guy like Casey on a new Cyberforce title and let him go nuts with it...

[G Dog]

Originally Posted by ShawnMallory

Do the two winning titles keep the same creative teams as the one shots?

Good question.

If so, my vote is already going to Cyblade because I loves me some Rick Mays artwork, even though that cover is nowhere my favourite stuff that he's done...

[Thephanboy]

hmmm interesting. might think of starting to look at the Top Cow books now. i really like this idea. i think i jsut might pick up these one shot and see if i will like what Top Cow does

[jsnsbags]

Originally Posted by Jason Aaron

You can't argue the fact that Ripclaw is a knock-off of Wolverine. But if anything, I'm trying to move him away from that, not make him more like Wolvie. We're giving him a new direction that's very different from anything Wolverine has ever done, and it's tied into his history and status as a Native American.

True. And I don't think that wolverine ever stabbed anyone with a gun. And I must add that that is one awesome image btw just for the guys stabbed w/ various objects alone.

[darthdad]

Originally Posted by Jason Aaron

You can't argue the fact that Ripclaw is a knock-off of Wolverine. But if anything, I'm trying to move him away from that, not make him more like Wolvie. We're giving him a new direction that's very different from anything Wolverine has ever done, and it's tied into his history and status as a Native American.

Reading this response has me even more interested in picking this up. although i agree with another posted who mentioned that with all of the cyberforce characters they are doing these one-shots for why not just do a really good Cyberforce book.

[IronWolf]

RipClaw is cool and yes there is quite a Wolveriness about him but Wolverine is Kick ass so that will happen. I hope the Book is good.

[hoarseandbuggy]

I honored to be in such esteemed company with such amazing writers and artists. As is the tradition in my home country, I challenge all the other Pilot Season writers to a steel cage match.

[McNasty]

Originally Posted by Varrus

And the plagiarism of Wolverine is now complete.


Edit: Wow. I just realised that sounds exactly like the kind of Newsarama posts that I hate to read from everyone else. Ouch.

Looks more like a broke-ass Lobo.

[md62]

Good idea. The Velocity issue sounds cool.

[shwa96]

Originally Posted by McNasty

Looks more like a broke-ass Lobo.

Well, according to Giffen, he created Lobo as an over-the-top Wolverine parody, so...

Let the anti-Lobo outrage commence...


Seriously, Aaron is a talented writer who said himself in this very thread that he's conscious of the comparisons, and he's purposefully trying to explore what makes Ripclaw unique. Give him the benefit of the doubt, and see what he has to say.

[Arvandor]

Aphrodite IX will probably get my first vote, but I'll be torn between Necromancer and Angelus.