Bill Jemas, formerly President and CEO – Publishing, Consumer Products and New Media at Marvel, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at 360 Entertainment, Founder and General Manager of Doubletake at Take Two Games, and
Jemas departed AWA, his most recent launch last week to start his new company which will be an “entertainment business owned and operated by the artists, writers and artisans who show and tell the stories and work for the business. We publish webtoons, comic books and graphic novels, produce and distribute animation and live action, mint & market NFTs, and license our properties for media & merchandise.”
Hm – hope there are enough “artists, writers and artisans” to go around.
To be clear: there are – I’m told things at AWA are going just fine.
With former Marvel EIC Joe Quesada leaving this week, the entire “Ultimate Era” of Marvel execs is on the move. Jemas was responsible for Quesada’s hire at Marvel, and oversaw the launch of the “Ultimate” universe which revitalized the company and led the way to the revamped Marvel now seen in the MCU.
He also had many other controversial projects and actions, which… well someone has to write the book.
Since leaving Marvel, Jemas has launched a variety of projects – with a background like his getting funding has been a snap – for AWA he raised $5 million. At Doubletake he launched an entire line of graphic novels based on Night of the Living Dead and some other unusual takes.
At AWA, reuniting with EIC Axel Alonso, Jemas helped spearhead a more conventional live of launches…while still trying far off the beaten path projects like the iPop webcomic line, which featured take off on classic movies starring digital babies. Don’t believe me?
All kidding aside, Jemas is a visionary with an eye for launching new media – AWA’s foray into NFTs was heavily criticized, but at Be Good, he’ll be able to explore the newest digital frontier with a whole new vehicle. He will never, ever be dull.
Jemas shared his announcement letter with select media partners:
Leaving AWA, starting Be Good Studios.
Last Wednesday, I resigned as AWA CEO & Director. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to help get the business up and running and wish nothing but the best for AWA.
Last Thursday, I started Be Good Studios LLC. Be Good is an entertainment business owned and operated by the artists, writers and artisans who show and tell the stories and work for the business. We publish webtoons, comic books and graphic novels, produce and distribute animation and live action, mint & market NFTs, and license our properties for media & merchandise.
We do not do what other publishers do: commissioning comic book writers to create the original stories, then optioning those stories to Hollywood and hoping for others to re-write the stories, then fund, package, greenlight and produce TV programming and feature films.
Instead, we start with award-winning independent film makers and animators who co-create original stories with wonderfully talented webtoon and comic book artists. Then, we build audience with promotional partners and raise funding for feature films and TV series with strategic Web 3 investors. So, we disintermediate Hollywood from our creative and funding processes and do our film & TV distribution deals from a position of strength.
Twenty-two years ago, as Publisher & COO, I worked and played on the team that turned Marvel from a bankrupt comic book publisher and toy company into one of the great turnaround stories of this, not-so new, millennium. Four years ago, I co-founded Artists Writers & Artisans.
At AWA, I’ve been recruiting, teaching, and learning from a cadre of up & coming creators and producers, including the key players on the team that created the Lesser Evils’ Universe) and are writing, drawing, and publishing the webtoon and comic series and writing, directing, and producing the first short film.
Be Good,
Bill J.
Any comments from AWA on it’s future?
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