Welcome back to the Small Press Spotlight! This week’s installment offers something for everyone, whether you like superheroes or an apocalyptic landscape with a Boy Scouts manual at its core.
AfterShock Comics has recently released Scout’s Honor #3, the third installment in the publisher’s post-apocalyptic thriller from David Pepose (Spencer & Locke, Going to the Chapel). Pepose describes the series as “Mad Max meets Mulan, with a little bit of The Hunger Games, The Last of Us, and The Handmaid’s Tale as well.”
The series centers on a cult that has built itself in the aftermath of nuclear war, but its source material is a Boy Scouts manual. In the latest issue, Kit is pitted against her best friend-turned-bitter rival Dez in the Trials of the Eagle, a deadly series of tests to determine the ultimate post-apocalyptic Ranger Scout.
Scout’s Honor is illustrated by Luca Casalanguida and colored by Matt Milla. Carlos M. Mangual completes the creative team on letters. Head to AfterShock’s website to catch up on the comic.
Second Sight Publishing and The Tygen Network (which will broadcast on Amazon Fire and Roku) have joined forces to publish Chessmasters to coincide with the release of the animated version of the series in June.
Chessmasters is a black superhero team thrust through different time periods to stop evil. The comic book series was created by the late Gary McClendon, who recently passed away from COVID-19, and co-written by CEO of Second Sight, Bradley Golden, who along with COO Marcus Roberts, will serve as co-writers and co-producers on the animated series with John Maurice from The Tygen Network. The network has also added to the deal with the publisher to produce movies, television shows, and other media from several of the company’s titles.
“This was a great opportunity for Second Sight Publishing to branch out into other mediums such as the film industry,” said Golden. “Being able to team up with John Maurice and the new Tygen Network will greatly increase the visibility of not just the company but all the titles we have coming out now and in the future.”
Maurice added, “Getting Second Sight Publishing to help with bringing Chessmasters to life is great. When Gary McClendon passed he left the IP to me and the family. It seemed only right to continue his legacy by continuing the title with Bradley Golden, who was co-creating and co-writing the series with him. Also, it doesn’t hurt that Bradley has created a really good up-and-coming company in Second Sight Publishing.”
Roberts stated, “Opportunities such as this are a dream come true for our company. We are committed to presenting our titles in multiple mediums and by signing on as partners with the Tygen Network, this gives us the ability to do so.”
A Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaign is slated for March 31, with the funds going towards the production of the animated series for Chessmasters. Portions of the proceeds from the publication of the comic will go to McClendon’s family.
