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Leading independent comic book publisher IDW is set to make a move to TV, with its new brand arm IDW entertainment.
Famous for adapting popular TV franchises such as Transformers, X-Files and Star Trek into comic books, IDW plan to reverse their style and create three new TV shows from their existing comic books cannon.
Featuring Zombies, Vampires and Werewolves, IDW Entertainment are looking to go head to head with highly successful series like The Walking Dead and True Blood.
Pedigree writers such as Paul Zbyszewski (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), J. T. Petty (Splinter Cell) and New York Times Bestselling Author Jonathan Maberry are on board to create the new franchises.
IDW Entertainment chief David Ozer hopes working closely with experienced writers and The Walking Dead producers Circle of Confusion will help recreate some of their success and help find new blood from the highly competitive supernatural TV genre.
Taking on such a saturated subject is a gutsy move and originality will be key in determining the success of IDW entertainment.
There are no networks attached to the projects yet and critical eyes will be looking to see what sets the new titles apart.
IDW have promised: “These aren’t your usual vampires and werewolves — it goes much deeper than that.” Time will tell what they have to offer.
The three initial titles being considered are;
Life Undead – an exploration of life in New Orleans during a zombie outbreak. The show will focus around David Mears, a New Orleans cop who is turned to the scourge by Voodoo spirits offering a potentially unique viewpoint for the show. A city surrounding will also set it apart from the rural Georgia we’ve grown to know through The Walking Dead.
Brooklyn Animal Control – will follow a secret agency investigating Werewolves. The agency will have to distinguish between the hairy beasts and the hairy inhabitants of Brooklyn, commonly referred to as ‘hipsters’. A current and topical take on an old subject.
V Wars – IDW also hope to turn Jonathan Maberry’s comic into a TV series based around a global war on vampires. This is worlds away from the popular TV Series True Blood, which also deals with vampires, but it does closely mirror the plot of recent blockbuster World War Z. But, with the film’s unfavourable reviews this could offer an opportunity for IDW to improve on the concept.
IDW must be applauded for attempting to take on mammoth publishers DC Comics and Marvel who at the moment dominate the television arena.
But, has IDW bitten off more than they can chew? IDW CEO Ted Adams doesn’t think so.
He said: “David’s depth of distribution and finance expertise in television, coupled with his production knowledge and his extensive relationships within the entertainment community, make him the perfect choice for spearheading our aggressive move into television.”