I hope it hasn’t become annoying to you Geekscapists since we announced it here back in July, but we are basically family with the Lionforge folks (one of their head honchos is our very own longtime Geekscapist DJ Hyjak!) so you’ll be hearing a bit more about their original titles and the NBCUniversal TV properties they’ve licensed to develop into comic books! And starting today, you can check out 2 of those titles, Airwolf and Knight Rider, on the Comics Plus App and will be available soon on Amazon, Google Books and more.
I’m excited for these books. I know that I have my own horse in the race (Miami Vice comes out next month) but I’ve become friends with Airwolf and Knight Rider writers David Gorden and Geoffrey Thorne over the past few months and also a fan of their work. David and I spent the past weekend at NYCC doing interviews and promotion for the books and when we weren’t at the convention we could be found wolfing down wings with Big Yanks at the Geekscape NYCC Meetup, rooting for David’s Saint Louis Cardinals or hunting ghosts on the streets of New York (really, we found some green ectoplasmic evidence… and I have proof!). He’s a good friend and I can’t wait to see what he does with the property. Geoffrey Thorne was a regular at the Geekscape booth at San Diego Comic Con and I even had a dream a few weeks ago that he had cast me in an adaptation of The Greatest American Hero (really, I had this dream and I do not understand it… and there is no adaptation of The Greatest American Hero that I know of).
Suffice to say, beyond our personal ties here at Geekscape, they are great creators, they are indie creators, and I urge you all to show them your support by checking out these books. There’s more that I could say (and probably will in the coming months) but I’ll let the artwork from the books’ covers and interiors speak for themselves! The press release about the books follows!
LOS ANGELES and ST. LOUIS – Oct. 16, 2013 – Digital publisher Lion Forge Comics launched two new digital comic books today based on the celebrated 1980s TV shows “Airwolf” and “Knight Rider.” Lion Forge acquired the licensing rights to the properties from NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products earlier this year, along with three additional properties that are set to launch this quarter.
Airwolf is developed as a fresh take on the original series, which centers around a high-tech military helicopter named “Airwolf” and its crew, led by pilot Stringfellow Hawke, as they embark on a variety of highly dangerous, international missions. The comic is written by David Gorden (Catalyst Prime: Accel and Catalyst Prime: Quincredible), with Koi Turnbull (Fathom) handling artwork.
Knight Rider, written by Geoffrey Thorne (Leverage, Ben 10), focuses on crime fighter Michael Knight, the character made famous by actor David Hasselhoff, and his Knight Industries Two Thousand (K.I.T.T.), an artificially intelligent and technologically advanced Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Jason Johnson (Wetworks, Godstorm) is on board as the artist for the comic.
“We can’t wait to let fans relive the action-packed experiences of these iconic shows not only as digital comics, but with contemporary events, technologies and other details incorporated,” said David Steward II, founder and CEO, Lion Forge. “We know readers will appreciate experiencing these stories with a modern twist, while still feeling like they’re reliving past shows.”
“It’s always gratifying to see our television properties reimagined in new and unique ways,” said Chris Lucero, director of Global Consumer Products Licensing for NBCUniversal Television. “With exciting artwork that complements updated storylines, I know fans of our shows will enjoy new adventures with these beloved TV icons.”
The comics are available now via the Comics Plus App and will be available in the future through the Amazon Kindle Bookstore, Google Books and other e-book stores.
Lion Forge will also be releasing the first digital issues of popular NBCUniversal properties “Miami Vice,” “Punky Brewster” and “Saved By the Bell” over the next two months.