Beyond VALIANT

[ManofTheAtom]

Alien Books has shown that it is committed to publishing a varied line of comics, not just VALIANT.

The question came up in another thread of what they could do to attract an audience. One of the proposed answered was for them to publish something more commercial and less niche, like the VALIANT Universe.

Now, given their aforementioned commitment to expanding beyond the confines of the VALIANT Universe, that could certainly include licensed properties (of which VALIANT is one...) that are more commercial and better known, which success could help push the visibility of the VALIANT Universe.

One thing I've noticed from many indie publishers like IDW, Boom, Mad Cave, etc is that they focus solely on licensed content and don't really do shared universes.

With VALIANT in their catalog Alien can be different. Now they just need to add some of those properties. Question is, which ones?

What IPs fit the above criteria that no one has snatched up or may be on the verge of losing?

[Chiclo]

Sliders
Babylon 5
Lexx

On a more serious note - probably some terrible tic toc thing like Skibidie Toilet and catgirl animes. I hate the future sometimes.

What are some popular streaming shows? Tiger King? Fisk? Yellowstone?

Maybe true crime comics? Dateline comics?

[ManofTheAtom]

Sliders
Babylon 5
Lexx

On a more serious note - probably some terrible tic toc thing like Skibidie Toilet and catgirl animes. I hate the future sometimes.

What are some popular streaming shows? Tiger King? Fisk? Yellowstone?

Maybe true crime comics? Dateline comics?

Yeah, many modern IPs are not that good, heh.

If IDW folds maybe Alien can get all the IPs they publish and hire Antos to continue overseeing them...

[Chiclo]

I like this game.

Earth Final Conflict, but a reboot after season 1, so they still have Boone and Lili Marquette and Augur, but they bring in Rene Palmer and J Street.

Andromeda, picked up after season 2.

The Antedeluvian Legacy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078NMRBPV?bi ... sb_pc_tpbk

[Chiclo]

Sliders
Babylon 5
Lexx

On a more serious note - probably some terrible tic toc thing like Skibidie Toilet and catgirl animes. I hate the future sometimes.

What are some popular streaming shows? Tiger King? Fisk? Yellowstone?

Maybe true crime comics? Dateline comics?

Yeah, many modern IPs are not that good, heh.

If IDW folds maybe Alien can get all the IPs they publish and hire Antos to continue overseeing them...

Some fans would argue for their preferred company to hire a proven winner. You have chosen a different path, I see.

[ManofTheAtom]

I like this game.

Earth Final Conflict, but a reboot after season 1, so they still have Boone and Lili Marquette and Augur, but they bring in Rene Palmer and J Street.

Andromeda, picked up after season 2.

The Antedeluvian Legacy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078NMRBPV?bi ... sb_pc_tpbk

Those would be cool.

[Chiclo]

FINAL FACTION! https://www.dollartree.com/searchresult ... %20faction

[ManofTheAtom]

FINAL FACTION! https://www.dollartree.com/searchresult ... %20faction

Don't know it, but if it has a following and it's commercial, it fits the criteria.

[Chiclo]

FINAL FACTION! https://www.dollartree.com/searchresult ... %20faction

Don't know it, but if it has a following and it's commercial, it fits the criteria.

It is a line of action figures sold at Dollar Tree, a chain store in the US that sells items for $1.25. The action figures are $1.25 each. Even the vehicles are $1.25 each. They made a one-issue comic and three cartoons to support the line. Dollar Tree appears to have ended the line but plenty of figures are still in stores. Sort of a discount GI Joe, plenty of room to tell stories.

[ManofTheAtom]

FINAL FACTION! https://www.dollartree.com/searchresult ... %20faction

Don't know it, but if it has a following and it's commercial, it fits the criteria.

It is a line of action figures sold at Dollar Tree, a chain store in the US that sells items for $1.25. The action figures are $1.25 each. Even the vehicles are $1.25 each. They made a one-issue comic and three cartoons to support the line. Dollar Tree appears to have ended the line but plenty of figures are still in stores. Sort of a discount GI Joe, plenty of room to tell stories.

Cool.

[Ryan]

Don't you mean VALIANT Beyond?

[ManofTheAtom]

Don't you mean VALIANT Beyond?

I mean beyond the confines of the VALIANT Universe.

[Cyberstrike]

Macross I don't know how much manga that there is on this franchise but if you can the rights worked out there is a huge built in audience for it plus you can steal some of Robotech thunder which given how Harmony Gold has acted over the decades to a lot of companies over the years would be some much overdue karma.

Mobile Suit Gundam While there is ton of manga, I would love to see an American take on the original series from 1978. I think the new anime from Netflix is doing something similar.

Exo-Squad This 90s cult classic animated series was a prototype of the BSG reboot the series ended on cliffhanger and since Universal isn't doing a new series or movie any time soon.

Waterworld Why not? It's an interesting concept that the film only touched on.

Stargate Well someone should do one.

Babylon 5: Crusade I want a Crusade revival. Not a B5 revival, its story told.

Jem and the Holograms IDW proved the concept could be done in comics.

Power Rangers 30 seasons of this show and a reboot movie so pick a season and go. I would like to move beyond the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and go with some of the later seasons like Timeforce, S.P.D., or RPM.

Farscape I think there is still plenty to explore in this universe.

Battlestar Galactica pick a version or a spin-off (Galactica 1980 or Caprica) and tell some new stories.

ALF I just want more ALF.

Night Court the original or the new one I don't care which just more Night Court.

[ManofTheAtom]

Macross I don't know how much manga that there is on this franchise but if you can the rights worked out there is a huge built in audience for it plus you can steal some of Robotech thunder which given how Harmony Gold has acted over the decades to a lot of companies over the years would be some much overdue karma.

Mobile Suit Gundam While there is ton of manga, I would love to see an American take on the original series from 1978. I think the new anime from Netflix is doing something similar.

Exo-Squad This 90s cult classic animated series was a prototype of the BSG reboot the series ended on cliffhanger and since Universal isn't doing a new series or movie any time soon.

Waterworld Why not? It's an interesting concept that the film only touched on.

Stargate Well someone should do one.

Babylon 5: Crusade I want a Crusade revival. Not a B5 revival, its story told.

Jem and the Holograms IDW proved the concept could be done in comics.

Power Rangers 30 seasons of this show and a reboot movie so pick a season and go. I would like to move beyond the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and go with some of the later seasons like Timeforce, S.P.D., or RPM.

Farscape I think there is still plenty to explore in this universe.

Battlestar Galactica pick a version or a spin-off (Galactica 1980 or Caprica) and tell some new stories.

Those are good, yeah.

Acclaim did do a Waterworld comic.

[Cyberstrike]

Macross I don't know how much manga that there is on this franchise but if you can the rights worked out there is a huge built in audience for it plus you can steal some of Robotech thunder which given how Harmony Gold has acted over the decades to a lot of companies over the years would be some much overdue karma.

Mobile Suit Gundam While there is ton of manga, I would love to see an American take on the original series from 1978. I think the new anime from Netflix is doing something similar.

Exo-Squad This 90s cult classic animated series was a prototype of the BSG reboot the series ended on cliffhanger and since Universal isn't doing a new series or movie any time soon.

Waterworld Why not? It's an interesting concept that the film only touched on.

Stargate Well someone should do one.

Babylon 5: Crusade I want a Crusade revival. Not a B5 revival, its story told.

Jem and the Holograms IDW proved the concept could be done in comics.

Power Rangers 30 seasons of this show and a reboot movie so pick a season and go. I would like to move beyond the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and go with some of the later seasons like Timeforce, S.P.D., or RPM.

Farscape I think there is still plenty to explore in this universe.

Battlestar Galactica pick a version or a spin-off (Galactica 1980 or Caprica) and tell some new stories.

Those are good, yeah.

Acclaim did do a Waterworld comic.

Who cares that Acclaim did a Waterworld comic?
Boom did Power Rangers and Farscape comics.
IDW did Jem and the Holograms comic.
Topps did Exo-Squad comic.
Marvel, Maximum, and Dynamite and a few others did Battlestar Galactica
Marvel did ALF comic.
DC did a Babylon 5 comic.
I know someone published a Stargate SG-1 comic,

And Technically Comico did a Macross comic before became Robotech.
A western made Gundam (I know there was some Gundam Wing Manga published in 90s) and Night Court comic are the only ones that has not as far I know haven't any comic book published.

I was thinking in terms of variety.

[ManofTheAtom]

Macross I don't know how much manga that there is on this franchise but if you can the rights worked out there is a huge built in audience for it plus you can steal some of Robotech thunder which given how Harmony Gold has acted over the decades to a lot of companies over the years would be some much overdue karma.

Mobile Suit Gundam While there is ton of manga, I would love to see an American take on the original series from 1978. I think the new anime from Netflix is doing something similar.

Exo-Squad This 90s cult classic animated series was a prototype of the BSG reboot the series ended on cliffhanger and since Universal isn't doing a new series or movie any time soon.

Waterworld Why not? It's an interesting concept that the film only touched on.

Stargate Well someone should do one.

Babylon 5: Crusade I want a Crusade revival. Not a B5 revival, its story told.

Jem and the Holograms IDW proved the concept could be done in comics.

Power Rangers 30 seasons of this show and a reboot movie so pick a season and go. I would like to move beyond the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and go with some of the later seasons like Timeforce, S.P.D., or RPM.

Farscape I think there is still plenty to explore in this universe.

Battlestar Galactica pick a version or a spin-off (Galactica 1980 or Caprica) and tell some new stories.

Those are good, yeah.

Acclaim did do a Waterworld comic.

Who cares that Acclaim did a Waterworld comic?
Boom did Power Rangers and Farscape comics.
IDW did Jem and the Holograms comic.
Topps did Exo-Squad comic.
Marvel, Maximum, and Dynamite and a few others did Battlestar Galactica
Marvel did ALF comic.
DC did a Babylon 5 comic.
I know someone published a Stargate SG-1 comic,

And Technically Comico did a Macross comic before became Robotech.
A western made Gundam (I know there was some Gundam Wing Manga published in 90s) and Night Court comic are the only ones that has not as far I know haven't any comic book published.

I was thinking in terms of variety.

I was just pointing out that one did happen in case you weren't aware of it.

Variety would be good.

[ManofTheAtom]

What about video games? Surely there are many popular ones for consoles other than Nintendo that haven't been adapted into comic books.

[Cyberstrike]

What about video games? Surely there are many popular ones for consoles other than Nintendo that haven't been adapted into comic books.

Right now I can't think of any major game series that aren't with other publishers Dark Horse has published comics based on Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Assassin's Creed, and The Last of Us and maybe a few others I think maybe God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn.

Who knows who owns the rights to the Tomb Raider franchise since the studio that made the games was bought by a company that is struggling to stay in business (which is a long, sad, and angry story).

Exodus is still in development and it's got a prequel prose novel coming out in a few weeks and is a new game. Other than Halo and Gears of War, the rest of Microsoft's major titles are action RPGs Fable, Starfield, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls would be complicated to adapt because of race, gender, class, and canon in each universe. IIRC Marvel did publish some Halo comics years ago but honestly IMHO Halo has peaked and is on a plateau, most of its fans hated the Paramount+ TV show (not being a fan of game I found the first season a perfectly average sci-fi action show that I could watch to wake up too before watching the new Star Trek series). Gears of War looks like a wanna be Warhammer 4oK.

The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 are based on a novel series and a table top RPG respectfully. Baldur's Gate is just a great D&D video game.

Nintendo is super protective of their characters.

[ManofTheAtom]

What about video games? Surely there are many popular ones for consoles other than Nintendo that haven't been adapted into comic books.

Right now I can't think of any major game series that aren't with other publishers Dark Horse has published comics based on Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Assassin's Creed, and The Last of Us and maybe a few others I think maybe God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn.

Who knows who owns the rights to the Tomb Raider franchise since the studio that made the games was bought by a company that is struggling to stay in business (which is a long, sad, and angry story).

Exodus is still in development and it's got a prequel prose novel coming out in a few weeks and is a new game. Other than Halo and Gears of War, the rest of Microsoft's major titles are action RPGs Fable, Starfield, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls would be complicated to adapt because of race, gender, class, and canon in each universe. IIRC Marvel did publish some Halo comics years ago but honestly IMHO Halo has peaked and is on a plateau, most of its fans hated the Paramount+ TV show (not being a fan of game I found the first season a perfectly average sci-fi action show that I could watch to wake up too before watching the new Star Trek series). Gears of War looks like a wanna be Warhammer 4oK.

The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 are based on a novel series and a table top RPG respectfully. Baldur's Gate is just a great D&D video game.

Nintendo is super protective of their characters.

It occurred to me that there's a possible scenario in which Alien could license (or outright purchase the IP if the original owners no longer exist) classic arcade games like Galaga or Centipede and then assign awesome creators that can develop them into great science fiction stories. Create characters, backstories, etc to go with the game play and existing -- limited as it may be -- world building of those games.

[Phantom]

Sliders
Babylon 5
Lexx

On a more serious note - probably some terrible tic toc thing like Skibidie Toilet and catgirl animes. I hate the future sometimes.

What are some popular streaming shows? Tiger King? Fisk? Yellowstone?

Maybe true crime comics? Dateline comics?

my kids put Skibidie Toilet as my ring tone - and I cannot get ride of it.1
I have tried, they have tried. May have to reboot phone

[ManofTheAtom]

Sliders
Babylon 5
Lexx

On a more serious note - probably some terrible tic toc thing like Skibidie Toilet and catgirl animes. I hate the future sometimes.

What are some popular streaming shows? Tiger King? Fisk? Yellowstone?

Maybe true crime comics? Dateline comics?

my kids put Skibidie Toilet as my ring tone - and I cannot get ride of it.1
I have tried, they have tried. May have to reboot phone

[Cyberstrike]

What about video games? Surely there are many popular ones for consoles other than Nintendo that haven't been adapted into comic books.

Right now I can't think of any major game series that aren't with other publishers Dark Horse has published comics based on Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Assassin's Creed, and The Last of Us and maybe a few others I think maybe God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn.

Who knows who owns the rights to the Tomb Raider franchise since the studio that made the games was bought by a company that is struggling to stay in business (which is a long, sad, and angry story).

Exodus is still in development and it's got a prequel prose novel coming out in a few weeks and is a new game. Other than Halo and Gears of War, the rest of Microsoft's major titles are action RPGs Fable, Starfield, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls would be complicated to adapt because of race, gender, class, and canon in each universe. IIRC Marvel did publish some Halo comics years ago but honestly IMHO Halo has peaked and is on a plateau, most of its fans hated the Paramount+ TV show (not being a fan of game I found the first season a perfectly average sci-fi action show that I could watch to wake up too before watching the new Star Trek series). Gears of War looks like a wanna be Warhammer 4oK.

The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 are based on a novel series and a table top RPG respectfully. Baldur's Gate is just a great D&D video game.

Nintendo is super protective of their characters.

It occurred to me that there's a possible scenario in which Alien could license (or outright purchase the IP if the original owners no longer exist) classic arcade games like Galaga or Centipede and then assign awesome creators that can develop them into great science fiction stories. Create characters, backstories, etc to go with the game play and existing -- limited as it may be -- world building of those games.

They just announced that The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver parts 1 &2 was getting re-released now that franchise might make a decent comic if you can figure out it's messy continuity (vampires, magic, demons, time travel, alternate timelines, and ancient gods) and been dormant for almost 20 years. A comic might be a way to at least gage if there are enough people interested in a revival/reboot (sadly a reboot might be required for this one since some of its voice cast has passed away and the voice of the Soul Reaver, Micheal Bell, is getting up there in years).

[ManofTheAtom]

What about video games? Surely there are many popular ones for consoles other than Nintendo that haven't been adapted into comic books.

Right now I can't think of any major game series that aren't with other publishers Dark Horse has published comics based on Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Assassin's Creed, and The Last of Us and maybe a few others I think maybe God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn.

Who knows who owns the rights to the Tomb Raider franchise since the studio that made the games was bought by a company that is struggling to stay in business (which is a long, sad, and angry story).

Exodus is still in development and it's got a prequel prose novel coming out in a few weeks and is a new game. Other than Halo and Gears of War, the rest of Microsoft's major titles are action RPGs Fable, Starfield, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls would be complicated to adapt because of race, gender, class, and canon in each universe. IIRC Marvel did publish some Halo comics years ago but honestly IMHO Halo has peaked and is on a plateau, most of its fans hated the Paramount+ TV show (not being a fan of game I found the first season a perfectly average sci-fi action show that I could watch to wake up too before watching the new Star Trek series). Gears of War looks like a wanna be Warhammer 4oK.

The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 are based on a novel series and a table top RPG respectfully. Baldur's Gate is just a great D&D video game.

Nintendo is super protective of their characters.

It occurred to me that there's a possible scenario in which Alien could license (or outright purchase the IP if the original owners no longer exist) classic arcade games like Galaga or Centipede and then assign awesome creators that can develop them into great science fiction stories. Create characters, backstories, etc to go with the game play and existing -- limited as it may be -- world building of those games.

They just announced that The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver parts 1 &2 was getting re-released now that franchise might make a decent comic if you can figure out it's messy continuity (vampires, magic, demons, time travel, alternate timelines, and ancient gods) and been dormant for almost 20 years. A comic might be a way to at least gage if there are enough people interested in a revival/reboot (sadly a reboot might be required for this one since some of its voice cast has passed away and the voice of the Soul Reaver, Micheal Bell, is getting up there in years).

Yeah, a comic might help that. And if the audience for it is larger than the one for VALIANT, that in turn can help Alien grow.

[Ryan]

When you did this same topic last year I said:

To answer your question though, some niche sci-fi and fantasy properties that could be cool in comics if done with the right people. Thundarr the Barbarian for sci-fi and Karl Edward Wagner's Kane series for fantasy.

News from a few months ago: https://screenrant.com/dynamite-enterta ... n-returns/

First Ever Thundarr the Barbarian Comic Makes History for Dynamite Entertainment -Published Jul 26, 2024

Thundarr's comic debut is set to be Dynamite Entertainment's biggest success yet.

Dynamite Entertainment is set to make history, as they unveil the first ever comic book based on the legendary Thundarr the Barbarian. At this year’s San Diego Comic Con, the publisher announced the expansion of their license with Warner Brothers/Discovery. As part of this expansion, Dynamite now has the rights to produce comics based on pop culture icons such as Ben 10 and Thundarr the Barbarian.

Dynamite Entertainment announced the license expansion, and the new titles, at San Diego Comic Con, including Thundarr the Barbarian. At this point, there is no creative team or release date for the book. It is worth noting that this is the first ever comic book based on Thundarr, despite the character existing for over 40 years. A comic, originally to have been made by Jack Kirby, was planned during the show’s run, but never materialized.

Furthermore, now defunct publisher Whitman had plans for a Thundarr comic, but it too fell through.

Thundarr the Barbarian Had a Cool Comics Pedigree
Despite This, Thundarr Has Never Appeared in Comics

Thundarr the Barbarian aired in the early 1980s, and was created by legendary comics' writer Steve Gerber. Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, Thundarr and his allies Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel fight magical monsters and mad scientific geniuses. Although Thundarr the Barbarian only ran for a few short years, it left a huge impression on those who watched it. Despite its popularity and influence, Thundarr merchandise has been few and far between. Furthermore, there has been no continuation of Thundar’s story. Now Dynamite Entertainment is rectifying this mistake with an all-new series.

While there were several attempts to get a Thundarr the Barbarian comic off the ground, they were seemingly doomed to failure. This is a shame, as Thundarr’s concept lends itself well to the medium. The character also had an excellent comics pedigree. In addition to Gerber’s involvement, comic artists Jack Kirby and Alex Toth helped contribute character designs, and scribes Martin Pasko and Buzz Dixon served on the writing staff. These creators helped make Thundarr the Barbarian one of the most influential and well remembered cartoons of the 1980s.

Thundarr the Barbarian Could Be the Crown Jewel of Dynamite's New Line
In the Hands of the Right Creators, Thundarr Can Shine

Dynamite Entertainment has had great success with their new line of Warner Brothers/Discovery titles, and Thundarr the Barbarian has the potential to be their biggest yet. Fans have been clamoring for a Thundarr comic for over 40 years. After several failed attempts, they get their wish. Thundarr’s world is a rich and terrifying one, and in the hands of the proper creative team, will come back and connect with a new generation of fans. Dynamite is set to make history with their new Thundarr the Barbarian comic, the first of its kind.

[ManofTheAtom]

When you did this same topic last year I said:

To answer your question though, some niche sci-fi and fantasy properties that could be cool in comics if done with the right people. Thundarr the Barbarian for sci-fi and Karl Edward Wagner's Kane series for fantasy.

News from a few months ago: https://screenrant.com/dynamite-enterta ... n-returns/

First Ever Thundarr the Barbarian Comic Makes History for Dynamite Entertainment -Published Jul 26, 2024

Thundarr's comic debut is set to be Dynamite Entertainment's biggest success yet.

Dynamite Entertainment is set to make history, as they unveil the first ever comic book based on the legendary Thundarr the Barbarian. At this year’s San Diego Comic Con, the publisher announced the expansion of their license with Warner Brothers/Discovery. As part of this expansion, Dynamite now has the rights to produce comics based on pop culture icons such as Ben 10 and Thundarr the Barbarian.

Dynamite Entertainment announced the license expansion, and the new titles, at San Diego Comic Con, including Thundarr the Barbarian. At this point, there is no creative team or release date for the book. It is worth noting that this is the first ever comic book based on Thundarr, despite the character existing for over 40 years. A comic, originally to have been made by Jack Kirby, was planned during the show’s run, but never materialized.

Furthermore, now defunct publisher Whitman had plans for a Thundarr comic, but it too fell through.

Thundarr the Barbarian Had a Cool Comics Pedigree
Despite This, Thundarr Has Never Appeared in Comics

Thundarr the Barbarian aired in the early 1980s, and was created by legendary comics' writer Steve Gerber. Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, Thundarr and his allies Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel fight magical monsters and mad scientific geniuses. Although Thundarr the Barbarian only ran for a few short years, it left a huge impression on those who watched it. Despite its popularity and influence, Thundarr merchandise has been few and far between. Furthermore, there has been no continuation of Thundar’s story. Now Dynamite Entertainment is rectifying this mistake with an all-new series.

While there were several attempts to get a Thundarr the Barbarian comic off the ground, they were seemingly doomed to failure. This is a shame, as Thundarr’s concept lends itself well to the medium. The character also had an excellent comics pedigree. In addition to Gerber’s involvement, comic artists Jack Kirby and Alex Toth helped contribute character designs, and scribes Martin Pasko and Buzz Dixon served on the writing staff. These creators helped make Thundarr the Barbarian one of the most influential and well remembered cartoons of the 1980s.

Thundarr the Barbarian Could Be the Crown Jewel of Dynamite's New Line
In the Hands of the Right Creators, Thundarr Can Shine

Dynamite Entertainment has had great success with their new line of Warner Brothers/Discovery titles, and Thundarr the Barbarian has the potential to be their biggest yet. Fans have been clamoring for a Thundarr comic for over 40 years. After several failed attempts, they get their wish. Thundarr’s world is a rich and terrifying one, and in the hands of the proper creative team, will come back and connect with a new generation of fans. Dynamite is set to make history with their new Thundarr the Barbarian comic, the first of its kind.

Cool.