What may have come to Francis Lombard and Shawn Walker in a heat-induced dream has evolved into a full-fledged comic company called Antix Press. Antix made their official debut in October at the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco; with new titles chock full of comedic value. Whereas most new comics companies have been staying in the action adventure mode, Lombard and Walker identified a lack of humor comics on the market and decided to base their new company around that genre.
Antix has launched with two titles—Dr. Grave and Black Market. Lombard and Walker describe Dr. Grave as a “dysfunctional buddy comedy with an occult twist.” Grave is an occult expert, an adventurer and a womanizing boozehound who embarks on adventures with his manservant, Shandar, and stand against the Forces of Darkness.
The fledgling company is a division of GigaPix Studios, a digital studio that has aspirations toward feature films and television. Lombard and Walker had been developing a business plan for Antix, which they pitched after coming on board with GigaPix. “We convinced them just by pitching and showing them the potential,” said Lombard.
Lombard, the editor-in-chief, and Walker, the publisher, are Antix Press. They consider themselves fortunate in that they have GigaPix behind them and are able to draw support from their ranks. It also allows them to grow the company while staving off overhead costs during turbulent economic times. “My day job is basically to move Antix forward,” said Lombard.
The pair joins the industry with a diverse background in both animation and comics. Lombard spent several years working for Humanoids Publishing. “ My time at Humanoids gave me a Rolodex, eliminated any fear of working long hours, and gave me a chance to develop some editorial skills and figure out the priorities of most professional creators,” he said.
Walker recently spent time working as an agent in the animation industry, is a former film student, and has also worked in public relations and as a producer. “I’ve had a diverse background in entertainment, ranging from production, public relations and marketing, business development, as well as being a former agent. These skills sets combined give me a great perspective on the creative value of comics as well as how to bring them to market,” said Walker.
Written and drawn by Ed Clayton, Dr. Grave was originally published through Slave Labor Graphics. Antix collects the first four of six issues into the trade, Dr. Grave: The Unholy Twelve which came out on late 2008..
“Everyone here at Antix and GigaPix thinks Grave is a character that never really had a shot but that people can gravitate toward,” said Lombard. Lombard and Walker said there was a lot of interest in Grave as GigaPix had optioned the movie rights for the series. Upon taking a deeper look, they say they were blown away by what a funny and great character Grave is. “ Ed Clayton is a superb talent, so we knew we had to take it,” they said.
In April, a new series Dr. Grave: The Carnival of Blood is scheduled for release. The new mini-series finds Grave and Shandar broke and homeless. The duo rejoins a circus from their past. A murder mystery ensues and Grave has to sift through the suspects—circus freaks, demonic dummies and gypsies.
Black Marketmeanwhile is described as the “funny, ironic and bittersweet” moments ofThe Wire or Homicide: Life on the Streets. Created by Aspen Daily News columnist Jeremy Madden, the series casts light on the seedy fringe world of ticket scalpers. The first mini-series focuses on several different individuals—a young punk, a family man and a Gulf War veteran. They break the law with their work but find freedom in ticket scalping that most only dream of. A sneak peek at Black Market is available in the Antix Press Primer, a PDF file available for download from their Web site. (http://www.antixpress.com/) It is set for release in the spring.
Antix only has plans of speeding up in the New Year; in addition to the release of Black Market and the new Dr. Grave mini-series they will also release a “comedy” and “exploitation” horror series, Blood Chimp, created by animation guru Bill Kopp. Kopp has worked on The Simpsons, Toonsylvania, Tales from the Crypt and others. Lombard describes the series as “Gory, lurid and yet somehow enjoyably funny.” It takes place on a remote island and involves scientists that have been tampering with nature. Originally created as a military weapon, Blood Chimp escapes from the jungle laboratory and takes revenge on the scientists.
Currently, Antix is working on expanding their distribution. Dr. Grave: The Unholy Twelve is available on Amazon and select local stores in the LA area. The book is scheduled for nationwide release through Diamond and is in the December Previews for product shipping in February. Dr. Grave: The Carnival of Blood will be in the January previews for product shipping in April. Lombard and Walker also say they are in development for a major online initiative with an Internet company that they’ll announce soon. The project will give them a major platform to distribute digitally and also create and offer Web comics.
Lombard and Walker say their long-term goal for Antix is to create a well-rounded library of unique and entertaining titles. “We’d love for Antix to become a brand that the audience instantly associates with edgy humor and comedy. Another goal is to be good stewards of the comics we publish, leading us to be creator friendly, as well as take full advantage of the opportunities for the titles in other platforms, such as film and games,” they said.
“I never expected to go from a lowly editor for Humanoids to the editor and chief for my own comic book company,” said Lombard.
