JEREMY LOVE'S BAYOU NAMED AS ZUDA'S FIRST "INSTANT WINNER"

**MattBrady** · 10-25-2007, 12:09 PM

Along with the ten contestants who will vie for a spot on DC Comics’ Zudacomics.com webcomics initiative, the publisher has selected a project as an “instant winner,” that is, it was picked up immediately by DC for a one-year contract. Said project: Bayou by Jeremy Love.

Love is an example of what appears to be a blend of established creators and new faces which will populate Zuda, the creator has previously published many projects along with his brothers Maurice and Robert, under the Gettosake banner.

Bayou was both solicited and selected as an instant winner by Zuda editorial in preparation for the launch of the site. There will be up to six instant winners per calendar year.

Zuda describes the strip as:

Bayou
Writer/Artist: Jeremy Love

Summary: South of the Mason-Dixon lurks a strange world of gods and monsters born of years of slavery, civil war, innocent blood, hate and strife. The daughter of a poor black sharecropper, Lee Wagstaff, joins a blues-singing swamp monster name Bayou on a southern odyssey through a mythic combination of depression era Mississippi, African mythology and American folklore in order to rescue her childhood friend and save her father’s life.

Bayou will debut at Zudacomics.com when the site launches on October 30th.

Sluggo · 10-25-2007, 12:22 PM

This looks very interesting. I do hope they end up releasing some of these Zuda books in printed editions. I just don't ever see myself getting comfortable with readings comics online as anything other than previews.

CitC · 10-25-2007, 12:24 PM

This sounds pretty interesting. I like the mixing of history and folklore.

I'm still not sure what to make of Zuda yet. I read some web comics regularly, but they are usually in strip format - Even though I love the idea, I find it hard to get into a serialized comic book.

Looking forward to it all though.

Bobby Nash · 10-25-2007, 12:34 PM

Great news. I love Jeremy's work.

Bobby

Mundungus · 10-25-2007, 12:35 PM

That art is wonderful! Hot darn! Story sounds great too. I'll definitely be following this.

DeTroyes · 10-25-2007, 12:41 PM

Anyone else hoping that DC puts together at least one DCU title in Zuda?

J O R Z A C · 10-25-2007, 12:42 PM

Looks really nice. I'll check it, along with alla the others out on said date.

EmeraldGuy32 · 10-25-2007, 12:45 PM

cool beans.

Sluggo · 10-25-2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeTroyes

Anyone else hoping that DC puts together at least one DCU title in Zuda?

Not really. Seems like there are plenty of other venues for that. Zuda will work best for more under-the-radar works to get some attention, in my opinion.

Kevinjohncon · 10-25-2007, 01:06 PM

Hey comics fans!
This does look well done! the white rabbit suggests perhaps an Alice in Wonderland experience?
With Zuda, Dark Horse Presents on MySpace, Drunk Duck, The Chemistry Set, and Wowio, we've got a huge amount of talent showing up via webisodes. Perhaps newsarama can do an article on all the comics web hosters there are, and what their pros and cons are?
-Kev

cosmictuna · 10-25-2007, 01:12 PM

So, he was solicited for work, then made an instant winner?

hmmmmmm.

Xero · 10-25-2007, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevinjohncon

Hey comics fans!
This does look well done! the white rabbit suggests perhaps an Alice in Wonderland experience?

That is most likely Brer Rabbit. Think more along the lines of Fables and Riverworld.

Kevinjohncon · 10-25-2007, 01:21 PM

so that green dude might be a version of Old Man Tarrypin?

Julius Brown · 10-25-2007, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeTroyes

Anyone else hoping that DC puts together at least one DCU title in Zuda?

No, I hope to never see any DCU titles or characters at Zuda. I don't think this is what Zuda is about. Using DCU characters to leverage eyes over to the site will be one of the first clues that Zuda is failing.

Jimmy Palmiotti · 10-25-2007, 01:46 PM

Congrats to Jeremy...this looks cool.

JohnLynch · 10-25-2007, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmictuna

So, he was solicited for work, then made an instant winner?

hmmmmmm.

They got someone to put together a comic so they could have something to draw people during November until the voting finishes and the winner signs the contract and starts pumping out the comics.

The idea sounds interesting enough and the artwork is definitely good enough. I'll check it out.

Noir56 · 10-25-2007, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sluggo

This looks very interesting. I do hope they end up releasing some of these Zuda books in printed editions. I just don't ever see myself getting comfortable with readings comics online as anything other than previews.

It is a start. Man, as time goes by, we are going to a long stream of fresh artists, 24/7 with unusual and brilliant concepts.

ANX · 10-25-2007, 02:56 PM

Wow, That's a GREAT concept and an awesome piece of artwork there. I can't wait to read this when it drops.

mikey_danger · 10-25-2007, 03:05 PM

Absolutely gorgeous looking!

cosmictuna · 10-25-2007, 03:17 PM

I don't question Zuda's need to have people on the site when it launchs. My concern is whether this now reduces the number of instant winners to five possible. They stated that they would choose six throughout the year, now we have one before the doors even open.

If they want comics on the site for the launch date, then hire guys to do it. Don't put them out there under the premise that they had to go through the same process that others will have to go through.

He was asked to produce work for the site. Cool. He's a great artist and creator. But Zuda shouldn't act like this guy was selected out of a pile of thousands of submissions.

Blackbeard · 10-25-2007, 03:30 PM

Wow! This looks fantastic!

Congrats, Jeremy!

steven_eks · 10-25-2007, 03:31 PM

WOW.

The premise alone has sold me to the idea of checking it out.

Can't wait.

Eks

Charlie Hustle · 10-25-2007, 03:37 PM

hm.. sounds pretty cool

Yergie · 10-25-2007, 04:14 PM

I hope this guy likes making this strip and nothing else, because he signed away all of his right to the material when he decided to go through Zuda.
And yes, he did. Go read the contracts.

Not From Around · 10-25-2007, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julius Brown

No, I hope to never see any DCU titles or characters at Zuda. I don't think this is what Zuda is about. Using DCU characters to leverage eyes over to the site will be one of the first clues that Zuda is failing.

They do seem to be aiming this at a very different readership. It's not yet sure exactly what that readership is supposed to be. I'm suspect they may still be trying to figure that out.