The cult hit comic returns with an all-star line-up for the next thrilling chapter.
After seven wildly successful Kickstarter campaigns – and a drool-worthy selection of creators to die for – the ongoing GHOST Agents project has established its reputation as the standard bearer for exciting, art-forward comics. To date, the work of almost 50 up-and-coming artists can be found within the pages of writer/producer Rocko Jerome’s seminal work.
Now, they’re taking it to the next level with the addition of a living legend to the already impressive art roster. In all of comics, there is only one artist whose work crackles with the dangerous energy and pulsing excitement of Ken Landgraf. The man who coined the phrase and defined the very concept of “Outlaw Comics” has built his career on creating images that stop you in your tracks and blow your hair back. He is respected by Clowes, has collaborated with Perez, and made books that hit so hard they feel like contraband.
And now, Landgraf is joining the burgeoning GHOST Agents movement. In GHOST Agents: Mindmelt, Agent Donna Printiss gets more than she bargained for on a night out at the infamous Studio 54 – and in GHOST Agents: Outlaw Nation, Donna teams up with Agent Max Almond to tackle a pack of hippie methwolves at the Hellspawn Ranch.
“It’s been an honor to have drawn these new issues of GHOST Agents,” says the legendary artist. “It’s cool for me to team up with these young guys who bring so much energy and excitement to the project. They have a fresh way of looking at things that I really like, and I’m putting all the storytelling devices I know into these action-packed pages.”
The love is clearly mutual, as Rocko Jerome discusses his own experience with Landgraf’s comics: “Ken’s art was in the first comic I ever bought off a newsstand. In it, Wolverine and Hercules get into a bar fight over a woman. I was eight years old at the time, and I never looked back. To say this is a thrill is an absolute understatement.”
“It’s great to be teaming up with Rocko Jerome, and always fun to work from his stories,” adds Landgraf. “I kinda bounce off his ideas, and he lets me fly! And I absolutely love the psychedelic coloring by Meesimo – it adds to my line work in a really unique way.”
Meesimo a.k.a. Christian Meesey is the secret weapon in this collaboration.
“Coloring the work of underground legend, Ken Landgraf, is a blast,” says Meesey. “His art bridges the gap between our reality and another bizarre 1970s-infused hyper-exciting alternate universe that aligns perfectly with the world of GHOST Agents. My goal is always to support the work with color and give it a strong finish while letting his singular linework shine through.”
Rounding out the team on this new collaboration is modern wrestling legend, Freya the Slaya. The statuesque star of Ohio Valley Wrestling, as seen on Netflix’s Wrestlers and weekly on YouTube, really brought Agent Donna Printiss to life during a photoshoot with Matt Simpson. These books will feature Freya on covers, as well as several scorching interior shots as no one has ever seen her before.
“The first time I witnessed the inimitable Freya the Slaya in action, I was blown away,” enthuses GHOST Agents writer/producer, Jerome. “Years ago I envisioned Donna as this towering black-haired Amazonian goddess – and several talented artists have brought her to life within the pages of GHOST Agents – but Freya is in a league of her own. She is the living, breathing embodiment of the character.”
Published by Cosmic Lion Productions, whose founder Eli Schwab actually lettered the issues, GHOST Agents makes its long-awaited return to Kickstarter for this new campaign on October 8. The brand now includes a Max Almond action figure from White Elephant Toyz, and there will be a Donna Printiss figure available as an add-on to this campaign. Several tiers also include a download of The GHOST Agents Theme by The Bellfuries, with a flexi-disc version of the tune available as another add-on.
Fans can follow GHOST Agents: Mindmelt and back the campaign here
