Hermes Press launches its original comic book line in Spring 2012 with Sparrow and Crowe: The Demoniac of Los Angeles, the spin-off of the successful Wormwood audio drama podcast. Dark, suspenseful, funny, and action-packed, Sparrow and Crowe promises to kick the new Hermes Press comics line off in its own inimitable fashion.
Wormwood: A Serialized Mystery debuted in 2007 and ran for three seasons, following the supernatural adventures of Doctor Crowe, a washed-up exorcist haunted by his own demons, and his sardonic Goth girl partner Sparrow. The transition from audio to visual was sparked by artist Jared Souza, according to co-creators David Accampo and Jeremy Rogers:
“We created Wormwood as an audio drama because we knew we could cut loose and tell a long-form, serialized story with a modest budget and a big imagination-not unlike what comics do best. I’m a lifelong comics fan, so when Jared Souza-as a listener of the show-contacted us and asked us about collaborating on a comic book adaptation, it seemed like a no-brainer,” says David Accampo.
“As soon as we looked at Jared’s first penciled pages it was clear that transferring Wormwood into a visual format was going to be a fun new way to tell our devious horror-infused story. With years of intricate character and plot development already done, we began to think about the structure and pacing of comics. As a result, our approach suddenly evolved into something visually dynamic, and we discovered we could flex different muscles and create a scope would be simultaneously unique to print while still maintaining the essence of what had come before in our audio productions.”
“I wanted to bridge the gap between comics and audio drama, feeling the two art forms complimented each other nicely and felt like Wormwood would be the way to do it,” Jared Souza reflects. “In choosing to watercolor this story I hope to convey the surreal paleness of the atmosphere in Los Angeles and to capture some of the feeling of 1970s cinema. Obviously, Sparrow and Crowe is set in the present, but I feel like the mood and cinematographic style of the ’70s is well suited to this type of horror/suspense.”
Sparrow and Crowe: The Demoniac of Los Angeles combines old-school horror with modern cinematic storytelling, as they face off against Crowe’s biggest failure and greatest enemy when a powerful demon possesses the daughter of a Los Angeles crimelord. It’s a catch-22 for the duo, as they’re stuck between both hell and the mob, with the girl’s life hanging in the balance.
Tentative plans are to follow up the Demoniac storyline with the further adventures of the occult pair.
“Fans of Wormwood know we’ve created a big universe for Sparrow and Crowe. They’re not just modern occult detectives, they’re rich characters tormented by the past-and a knack for getting into the worst kinds of trouble. So we’ve still got all kinds of stories to tell, looking both forward and back in the mythology we’ve created,” Jeremy reveals.
As the comic book mini-series begins production as a creator-owned series at Hermes Press, the creators will also launch a fundraising campaign via Kickstarter to help with costs associated with the project in the coming weeks.
“As most comics fans know, it’s a difficult market out there,” said David, “so we’re hoping that Wormwood fans and comics fans will help us bring this next chapter to fruition. We’re trying to make it worthwhile, with some excellent rewards for contributors. Hermes has also really stepped in here, donating some great books to the cause, which we’ll be giving away to donors.”
As the comic book mini-series begins production as a creator-owned series at Hermes Press, the creators have also launched a fundraising campaign via Kickstarter to help with upcoming costs associated with the project. Full details and links to the campaign can be found at the comic’s website, sparrowandcrowe.com.
“As most comics fans know, it’s a difficult market out there,” says David, “so we’re hoping that Wormwood fans and comics fans will help us bring this next chapter to fruition. We’re trying to make it worthwhile, with some excellent rewards for contributors. Hermes has also really stepped in here, donating some great books to the cause, which we’ll be giving away to donors.”
Sparrow and Crowe: The Demoniac of Los Angeles will be available in both print and same-day digital via iVerse next Spring.
For media inquiries, contact Christopher Irving at [email protected].
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