TKO Studios
| Founded | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Tze Chun, Salvatore Simeone |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | Los Angeles |
| Key people | Tze Chun Salvatore Simeone Sebastian Girner |
| Official website | tkopresents |
TKO Studios is an American comics publisher founded by Tze Chun and Salvatore Simeone in 2017.[1]
History
TKO Studios was founded in 2017 by Tze Chun and Salvatore Simeone. Unlike the majority of other American comic book publishers, TKO sell their books directly to consumers and comic book shops, completely bypassing distributor Diamond Comic Distributors.[1]
The first wave of books launched in December 2018 and contained four series, The Fearsome Doctor Fang by Tze Chun, Mike Weiss and Dan McDaid, Goodnight Paradise by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli, Sara by Garth Ennis and Steve Epting and The 7 Deadly Sins by Tze Chun and Artyom Trakhanov. Their first wave of books were all released in three formats; a trade paperback collection, a box set of single issues and digitally in single or collected editions. During their initial release the first issue of each series was available free digitally so consumers and retailers could preview the series before purchasing the rest.[2]
The second wave launched in November 2019 using the same release format for another four series, The Banks by Roxanne Gay and Ming Doyle, Eve of Extinction by Salvatore Simeone, Steve Simeone, Nik Virella and Isaac Goodhart, Pound for Pound by Natalie Chaidez and Andy Belanger and Sentient by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Walta.[3] In 2020 Sentient became the first title from TKO to be nominated for an Eisner Award when the series picked up a nomination for Best Limited Series.[4]
The third wave of books will launch in November 2020 with three titles; Lonesome Days, Savage Nights by Steve Niles, Salvatore Simeone and Szymon Kudranski, The Pull by Steve Orlando and Ricardo López Ortiz and Redfork by Alex Paknadel and Nil Vandrell.[5] In addition to wave three, TKO announced an illustrated prose collection Blood Like Garnets by Leigh Harlen with illustrations by Maria Nguygen and a new series of single release comic books under the banner TKO Shorts with three titles Seeds of Eden, The Father of All Things and Night Train releasing in November 2020.[6]
Media Adaptions
In August 2020 The Banks was put into development as a feature film by production company MACRO with Gay returning to pen the script with Charles D. King, Poppy Hanks, Jelani Johnson, Salvatore Simeone, Tze Chun and Jatin Thakker serving as producers.[7]
References
- ^ a b A New Comics Publisher Aims to Shake Things Up. The New York Times, Dec 19, 2018.
- ^ New Publisher TKO Studios Plans to Change How Readers Buy Comics. The Hollywood Reporter, Dec 10, 2018.
- ^ TKO Studios Releases Second Wave of Comics Outright Geekery, November 1, 2019
- ^ 2020 Eisner Awards Nominations Comic-Con, 2020
- ^ TKO Studios announces new wave of books from Steve Orlando, Steve Niles, other non-Steve creators The Comics Beat, September 24, 2020
- ^ TKO Studios adds zine-sided Knockout Shorts, illustrated prose to Wave 3 offerings The Comics Beat, October 16, 2020
- ^ Roxane Gay to Adapt Graphic Novel 'The Banks' for TKO Studios, Macro The Hollywood Reporter, Aug 12, 2020.