Never let it be said that people aren’t pushing the envelope in how people experience comics. Black Mask Studios made big waves earlier in this year with a transmedia collaboration between RZA and Ghostface Killah with their comic “12 Reasons To Die”. Now, with their first wave of titles wrapping up, the Studio is starting to announce their next wave of titles starting with a collaboration with hardcore animal rights activist punk band Earth Crisis for a new “Liberator” series.
The new series, titled “Liberator/Earth Crisis: Salvation Of The Innocents”, will drop March 5 next year, only a day after the release of the accompanying album by Earth Crisis themselves. The series will be written by Matt Miner, creator of “Liberator”, as well as Earth Crisis and will be illustrated by Javier Aranda and Joaquin Pereyra. The series will follow a janitor working in animal testing laboratory who uncovers the illegal procedures performed on animals there and, inspired by the characters of the first “Liberator” series, sets out to stop the procedures and save the animals. That’s pretty heavy for a comic book so it will definitely be interesting to see how that plays out and how the transmedia connection works.
Black Mask also announced that they will be collecting the first “Liberator” series in a book set to come out next year that will also feature 40 pages of previously unreleased stories from some big name creators. You have folks like Ales Kot, Morgan Jeske, Ed Brisson, Tim Seeley, Frank Barbiere, Fabian Rangel Jr, Alex de Campi, Megan Hutchison, Matt Pizzolo and Adam Egypt Mortimer all contributing to this book. If that isn’t an incentive to pick up the trade even if you already bought the single issues, I don’t know what is. And not only that, but Black Mask has a four page preview of the story titled ‘This Is You’ written and illustrated by Tim Seeley for you all to gawk at.
And that’s your bevy of Black Mask news. A new “Liberator” series that will coincide with an Earth Crisis album and a collected edition of the first series that has the best “give us more money” incentive ever. So, check out the preview of Tim Seeley’s story down below as well as Black Masks’ press release below that for even more info.
Black Mask Studios Press Release
Now wrapping up its critically-acclaimed debut slate, Black Mask Studios, the creator-supporting comics publisher founded by Matt Pizzolo (founder OCCUPY COMICS, Halo-8), Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion, Epitaph Records, ANTI- Records),and Steve Niles (30 DAYS OF NIGHT), has presented a sneak peek of its March 2014 offerings with plans to unveil the full slate next month.
MUSIC CULTURE & TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING
Following through on the company’s mandate of utilizing transmedia-storytelling and music culture to bring comics creators to new audiences, March’s releases include another music-comic crossover concept project in the mold of slate one’s 12 REASONS TO DIE by RZA and Ghostface Killah, this time teaming legendary animal rights hardcore punk band Earth Crisis with the animal-avenging vigilante story LIBERATOR.
The 12 Reasons To Die comic book sold nearly as many copies in record stores as it did in comic book stores, demonstrating how effective this multi-pronged distribution approach can be at finding new readers for comic book creators.
CULTIVATING A SAFE SPACE FOR COLLABORATION
Black Mask’s primary goal is to support comics creators, and part of that is by cultivating a space where creators can feel safe to support one another. The March debuting LIBERATOR Volume 1 collected book reflects this mission’s success so far, with the book featuring 40 brand new, previously unreleased comic stories taking place in the world of Liberator written by a range of creators including Tim Seeley (REVIVAL, HACK/SLASH), Ales Kot (IRON PATRIOT, ZERO), Ed Brisson (SECRET AVENGERS, SHELTERED), Alex de Campi (GRINDHOUSE), Frank Barbiere (FIVE GHOSTS), Fabian Rangel Jr (DOC UNKNOWN), Megan Hutchison (OCCUPY COMICS), Matt Pizzolo (GODKILLER), Matthew Rosenberg (12 REASONS TO DIE), and Adam Egypt Mortimer (BALLISTIC).
LIBERATOR/EARTH CRISIS: Salvation of Innocents #1
32 pages / T+ / Full-color / $3.99
Comic book street date: March 5
Album street date: March 4 (Candlelight Records)
“Earth Crisis has wanted to have a comic that went along with an album’s lyrical concept for a while, but we didn’t think one existed that shared the same vision of the band, until now! Liberator and Matt Miner are just what we’ve been waiting for, and we are honored to have him help us tell the story!” -Earth Crisis
“Working with EARTH CRISIS on the comic book side of Salvation of Innocents has been a dream project for me. Our styles, ethics, and ideologies are a fitting match and I’m super excited for folks to read the story.” -Matt Miner, creator Liberator
“It’s crazy to me that it took twenty years for comics to produce a set of animal-minded vigilantes strong enough to roll with EARTH CRISIS. It’s probably the most perfectly aligned superhero team-up ever.” -Matt Pizzolo, Black Mask Studios
Why it’s awesome: Hardcore punk legends Earth Crisis join forces with Liberator for this unique comics & music collaboration, telling the story of a young janitor in an animal testing lab who stumbles on a dark conspiracy and is inspired to rescue the animals.
Different sides of the same story are told in the simultaneously released comic book and concept album.
Synopsis: When Sarah Mann takes a crappy custodial job at a cosmetics lab, she discovers cold-blooded scientist Dr. Elena Reznik’s secret facility where illegal vivisections are performed on live, conscious animals. Inspired by the stories of Jeanette and Damon’s animal liberations, Sarah pulls on her own mask and sets out to rescue the tortured animals.
“Salvation of Innocents isn’t just the story of a badass vigilante rescuing animals. It’s a challenging hero story because it’s true, and it’s the type of heroism any of us can step up and do ourselves.” -Matt Pizzolo, Black Mask Studios
“It’s refreshing to see a comic hero fighting for something I care about, rather than protecting the financial security of the rich.” (-Earth First Journal)
Creative Team:
Creator: Matt Miner
Producer: Matt Pizzolo
Writers: Matt Miner, Earth Crisis
Illustrators: Javier Aranda (pencils/inks), Joaquin Pereyra (colors).
Cover A: Menton3
Cover B: Rod Reis
LIBERATOR v.1 Rage Ignition collected book
144 pages / T+ / Full-color / $14.99
“This comic really really doesn’t screw around.”
(-NY Post)
Why it’s awesome: Acclaimed from the establishment media of the NY Post to the activist trenches of Earth First, Liberator brings real-world vigilante-heroism to comics for the first time–demonstrated by its popular hook “Real heroes don’t wear capes, they wear ski-masks.”
This book collects Liberator issues 1-4 into a single volume for the first time.
“Debut Of The Year… Unmissable.”
(-Comics Beat)
Synopsis: Whether it’s vicious dog-fighting clubs or senseless lab experiments force-feeding oven cleaners to monkeys, Jeanette Francis and Damon Guerrero have had enough. Using any and all means available to them, Jeanette and Damon not only rescue the animals but also avenge them – delivering harsh retribution to the animals’ captors and tormentors.
BRAND NEW STORIES!
Collected for the first time, this 144-page volume includes 40 pages of brand-new, previously unreleased comic stories taking place in the world of Liberator written by:
– Tim Seeley (REVIVAL, HACK/SLASH),
– Ales Kot (IRON PATRIOT, ZERO),
– Ed Brisson (SECRET AVENGERS, SHELTERED),
– Alex de Campi (GRINDHOUSE),
– Frank Barbiere (FIVE GHOSTS),
– Megan Hutchison (OCCUPY COMICS),
– Fabian Rangel Jr (DOC UNKNOWN),
– Matt Pizzolo (GODKILLER),
– Matthew Rosenberg (12 REASONS TO DIE), and
– Adam Egypt Mortimer (BALLISTIC).
“I’m really psyched and honored that so many crazy talented creators have come together, played in the Liberator world, and made all these amazing stories.”
-Matt Miner (creator LIBERATOR)
“I’ve always been an advocate of animal rights and a life long dog owner — the majority of which were rescue dogs. I’ve volunteered with animal rescue organizations, so this seemed like a good way to bring attention to the issue.”
-Ed Brisson (SECRET AVENGERS, SHELTERED)
“Miner’s Liberator world gave me a chance to write a story straight from the heart, entirely fueled by an emotion, stripped down, sharing the points of view of an alienated young man and his dog. There’s something very beautiful and intense in particular in the relationship I’ve witnessed between people and their rescued animals – I wanted to do a story particular for those people, for people who’ve rescued an animal and who sometimes might feel that the rescue might be the only good thing in their life, the only right choice they’ve made; I wanted to share that magical feeling you sometimes get when everything is chaos and darkness, when the world seems to be exploding with molotov cocktails all around you, and then your non-human friend nuzzles into your hand and everything is alright again.”
-Adam Egypt Mortimer (BALLISTIC)
“I was honored to be asked to contribute to a comic series that could inspire true change. I did it for the bunnies… all the fuzzy bunnies.”
-Tess Fowler (THE RASCALS)”
Creative Team:
Creator/Writer: Matt Miner
Illustrators: Javier Aranda (pencils/inks), Joaquin Pereyra (colors)
Cover: Tim Seeley
New Stories:
“This Is You”
Written by Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Tim Seeley (pencils/inks), K. Michael Russell (colors)
“Liber”
Written by Ales Kot
Illustrated by Morgan Jeske
“Broken”
Written by Ed Brisson
Illustrated by Brian Level
“Politics”
Written by Alex de Campi
Illustrated by Sally Jane Thompson (pencils/inks), Jenn Manley Lee (colors)
“What’s a hero, anyway?”
Written by Frank Barbiere
Illustrated by Matthew Marks
“Liberation”
Written & Illustrated by Megan Hutchison
“Anchor Point”
Written by Matt Miner
Illustrated by Tess Fowler
“Unlocking”
Written by Fabian Rangel, Jr.
Illustrated by Jonathan Brandon Sawyer (pencils/inks), Doug Garbark (colors)
“Untouchable”
Written by Matt Pizzolo
“We Are What We Are”
Written by Matthew Rosenberg and Patrick Kindlon
Illustrated by Ariela Rie Kristantina
“Rage”
Written by Adam Egypt Mortimer
Illustrated by Ryan Lee
1/3 of Liberator profits will go to animal rescue initiatives.
