Occupy Comics Explained

Date:May–August 2013
Issues:3
Sort:Occupy Comics
Publisher:Black Mask Studios
Editors:Matt Pizzolo

Occupy Comics: Art & Stories Inspired by Occupy Wall Street is a three-issue comic book anthology series published by Black Mask Studios in 2013. Funded on Kickstarter, the series articulates themes of the Occupy Wall Street movement through comics as well as fund-raises on behalf of the protesters.[1] [2]

As Bleeding Cool described it:

Wired explained the perceived relationship between Occupy Wall Street and art:

History

Mission

The project was officially announced by organizational spearhead Matt Pizzolo in Wired Magazine on October 13, 2011, several weeks after the occupation of Zuccotti Park began on September 17, 2011.[3]

According to Wired:

Kickstarter campaign

Occupy Comics launched on Kickstarter November 9, 2011 with a minimum funding goal of US$10,000 and a roster of 30 professional artists and writers, including Charlie Adlard, Marc Andreyko, Kevin Colden, Molly Crabapple, J.M. DeMatteis, Joshua Dysart, Brea Grant, Joe Keatinge, George Krstic, Joseph Michael Linsner, B. Clay Moore, Steve Niles, Laurie Penny, Matt Pizzolo, Steve Rolston, Riley Rossmo, Douglas Rushkoff, Tim Seeley, Simon Spurrier, and Ben Templesmith.

Shortly after the Kickstarter campaign launched, Wired released a follow-up article which explained the project's funding goals and strategy:

Early in the campaign, the project got an unexpected boost when Frank Miller attacked Occupy Wall Street in a controversial and polarizing blog post.[4]

As the campaign closed in on its funding goal, 13 additional contributors were added to the roster, including Vito Delsante, Dan Goldman, Amanda Palmer, Darick Robertson, Mark Sable, and Salgood Sam.[5]

The campaign passed its funding goal and was guaranteed its budget on November 20, 2011, 11 days in on its 30-day funding period.[6]

Shortly after passing its funding goal, six additional contributors were added to the roster, including Mike Allred, Shannon Wheeler, Eric Drooker, Ryan Ottley, Dean Haspiel, Guy Denning, and David Lloyd.[7]

In the final week of its Kickstarter campaign, Alan Moore joined the roster.[8]

Although not an official reunion, the participation of Alan Moore and David Lloyd was considered significant to many observers of the Occupy movement, as the duo's V for Vendetta originated the Guy Fawkes mask that has become emblematic of the movement. Moore and Lloyd have not worked together since V for Vendetta was completed in 1989.[9] [10] [11] [12]

Alan Moore further boosted Occupy Comics' profile when, during an interview with Honest Publishing, he responded to Frank Miller's attack on the Occupy movement. The conflict led to mainstream news coverage of Occupy Comics in The Huffington Post, Deadline Hollywood, MTV, Entertainment Weekly.[13] [14] [15] [16]

On December 9, 2011, the Occupy Comics Kickstarter campaign ended with $28,640 raised from 715 backers, earning 286% of its funding goal.[17]

Public release and formation of Black Mask Studios

See main article: Black Mask Studios. On March 20, 2012, it was announced that Occupy Comics would not be released through an existing comic book publisher, instead a new company called Black Mask Studios would be formed to release the project.[18]

According to Comic Book Resources:

Wired reported that Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and Brett Gurewitz (guitarist-songwriter Bad Religion, owner Epitaph Records) joined with Pizzolo to found Black Mask:

On June 12, 2012, Black Mask Studios opened its webstore and officially released Occupy Comics #1 with the announcement that Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Spiegelman, Bill Ayers, Ryan Alexander-Tanner, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Matt Bors had joined the Occupy Comics roster.[19]

Spiegelman told Wired:

On September 17, 2012, the one-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Comics #2 was released to the project's Kickstarter backers and via the Black Mask Studios website. The cover featured a new and iconic illustration by V for Vendetta artist David Lloyd pitting his seminal character V against the Wall Street Charging Bull.[20]

Lloyd told Wired:

Contributors

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Johnston, Rich. . Big Names Of Occupy Comics To Tell The Story Of Occupy Wall Street – And You Can Fund It On Kickstarter . . November 10, 2011.
  2. Web site: Robot 6 . Creators come together to Occupy Comics . . November 11, 2011.
  3. Thill, Scott . Batman Says 'Raise My Taxes' as Occupy Movement Comes to Comics . Wired . October 13, 2011.
  4. News: Occupy Movement Roils Comics: Miller Attacks; Kickstarter Project Supports . ICv2 . November 13, 2011.
  5. Web site: The Beat . Exclusive: Robertson, Goldman, and Amanda Palmer join Occupy Comics . . November 17, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111119014814/http://www.comicsbeat.com/2011/11/17/exclusive-robertson-goldman-and-amanda-palmer-join-occupy-cpmics/ . November 19, 2011 .
  6. Web site: Occupy Comics: Art + Stories Inspired by Occupy Wall Street . . December 1, 2011.
  7. Web site: Khouri, Andy . 'Occupy Comics' Anthology: Exclusive Creators, Kickstarter and Social Change Through Art [Interview] ]. . November 29, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111202004432/http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/11/29/occupy-comics-anthology-kickstarter . December 2, 2011 .
  8. Thill, Scott . V for Vendetta's Alan Moore, David Lloyd Join Occupy Comics . Wired . December 5, 2011.
  9. Web site: Khouri, Andy . Alan Moore to Contribute to 'Occupy Comics' Anthology . . December 7, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120108020346/http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/12/07/alan-moore-occupy-comics-anthology . January 8, 2012 .
  10. Web site: Johnston, Rich . Alan Moore Joins David Lloyd For Occupy Comics . . December 6, 2011.
  11. News: Alan Moore Will 'Occupy Comics' With David Lloyd, Others . ICv2 . December 6, 2011.
  12. Web site: Robot 6. . Alan Moore and David Lloyd lend their talents to Occupy Comics . . December 6, 2011.
  13. News: Rao, Mallika . Occupy Comics: Alan Moore And David Lloyd Of 'V for Vendetta' Are Onboard (SLIDESHOW) . . December 7, 2011.
  14. Web site: Alan Moore & David Lloyd Part Of Occupy Comics Push . . December 7, 2011.
  15. Web site: Davidson, Danica . "Occupy Comics" With Alan Moore, Steve Niles, David Lloyd, and Mike Allred . https://web.archive.org/web/20120111104819/http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/12/09/occupy-comics-with-alan-moore-steve-niles-david-lloyd-and-mike-allred . dead . January 11, 2012 . . December 9, 2011.
  16. Web site: Collis, Clark . 'Watchmen' writer Alan Moore joins Occupy Comics group, slams Frank Miller for criticizing protesters . . December 7, 2011.
  17. Web site: Occupy Comics: Art + Stories Inspired by Occupy Wall Street . Kickstarter . December 9, 2011.
  18. News: Black Mask Studios; New Comic Publisher . ICv2 . March 22, 2012.
  19. Thill, Scott . Maus Creator Art Spiegelman Joins Occupy Comics' Growing Chorus . . June 12, 2012.
  20. Thill, Scott . See David Lloyd's Ballsy, Bullish Cover of New Occupy Comics . . September 17, 2012.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Occupy Comics".

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