DENNIS MALLONEE TALKS ABOUT HEROIC’S RETURN TO THE COMIC SHOPS

Dennis Mallonee has been a friend for about 25 years, and I’ve interviewed him many times over the years. However, today is something special. Heroic Comics is going back to the comic shops instead of being direct-to-consumer only. What does this mean for new readers, lapsed readers, and long-time readers? Well, that’s why Dennis is here today to answer all those questions.

First Comics News: First off, what is Heroic Publishing, and how long has it been around?

Dennis Mallonee: Heroic Publishing is a publishing company focused primarily on producing comic books. This year we’re celebrating our 40th anniversary.

1^st: What makes Heroic Comics different from other superhero universes?

Dennis: Our mission statement sums it up pretty well. We do have a singular vision that involves characters trying their best to live up to the heroic ideal. They may fail, they may suffer setbacks, they may be flawed, but they continue to strive.

1^st: Is this a relaunch, a continuation, or a fresh starting point?

Dennis: It’s both a step back and a step forward. It’s definitely not a relaunch. Because we haven’t been focused on distribution into comic book retail stores, focusing instead on digital distribution and print on demand, there are decades of story material that have never been seen by fans who buy their comics in stores.

1^st: Can brand-new readers jump in without prior knowledge?

Dennis: Absolutely. We’ve picked some good starting points and will be making some wonderful story material available to a new generation of fans.

1^st: Will longtime continuity still matter?

Dennis: Again, absolutely. There are no reboots going on. That singular vision mentioned above is maintained throughout the Heroic comic book line.

1^st: Why is now the right time for Heroic Comics to return to comic shops?

Dennis: We’re coming back in because the distribution model being used by Philbo Distribution actually makes economic sense. Unlike the failed model used by the now-defunct distributor that dominated the market for decades, Philbo uses a model that doesn’t require huge capital expenditures months before any revenue is realized. Good for publishers and retailers alike.

1^st: Are the upcoming comics brand-new stories or reprints?

Dennis: To begin with, they’ll be stories that already exist, but that haven’t been widely (if at all) seen in comic book retail outlets. New to a new generation of readers. And completely new material is on the horizon.

1^st: Will classic Heroic stories be collected again?

Dennis: In addition to the 52-page deluxe format books being offered through Philbo, there are both softcover and hardcover collections available through the Heroic Publishing website, and from our partners at Critical Blast.

1^st: Are older issues being remastered or restored?

Dennis: No need. We have the original print files for all the material that will be included in the Deluxe series of 52-page comics. That having been said, if an error is noticed or an update needs to be made, that is being tended to.

1^st: Will reprints be in color for the first time?

Dennis: If this is a general question, the answer is that at this point, all the material that in the 1980s was originally published in black and white has had color added to it. But none of that material is going into the Deluxe books.

1^st: How will readers know which issues are new versus archival?

Dennis: The Flare Deluxe series begins with Flare’s return to Earth from Olympus in the 20th issue of Flare’s regular comics magazine. The Liberty Girl, Sensational G-Girl, and Fantastic Girl deluxe comics begin at the beginning. There are no archives, as such. These are stories that will be new to comic book readers who’ve never had the opportunity to see them before.

1^st: Will all the comics be in full color?

Dennis: All in color.

1^st: What printing format will be used?

Dennis: 52-pages, standard 6.625″ x 10.25″ format.

1^st: Will new creative teams be joining the Heroic Universe?

Dennis: We expect so, yes.

1^st: Will there be digital editions alongside print?

Dennis: At least for the moment, digital distribution and print on demand do remain our primary focus, so yes, there will be digital editions.

1^st: Are trade paperbacks or hardcovers coming to comic shops?

Dennis: Gradually, yes. The current plan calls for one trade or hardcover every two months, starting with the first Flare trade paperback collection, followed by the trade paperback collection of the original four-issue Alter Ego comic book series by Roy Thomas and Ron Harris.

1^st: What paper quality and production standards can readers expect?

Dennis: The same 70# high bright interior paper stock and 80# gloss covers we get through Ka-Blam Printing on all our physical comics.

1^st: How many Heroic titles will ship each month?

Dennis: To begin with, two per month.

1^st: Which series will launch first?

Dennis: The first issues of the bimonthly Flare Deluxe and the quarterly Liberty Girl Deluxe will be in comic book stores in June. The quarterly Sensational G-Girl Deluxe will appear in July. The quarterly Fantastic Girl Deluxe will appear in August.

1^st: Will releases follow a regular monthly schedule?

Dennis: Two titles each month. The quarterly titles rotate. The bimonthly Flare Deluxe will be complemented by those trade paperback and hardcover releases.

1^st: How far ahead is the production schedule already completed?

Dennis: We have more than a year’s worth of releases essentially ready to go.

1^st: Which Heroic characters are returning in the first year?

Dennis: The 52-page format allows us to present a variety of story material. Flare Deluxe, for example, will not only include stories about Flare, but there will also be stories about her electric little sister Sparkplug, and the ever-naughty Black Enchantress. Liberty Girl Deluxe will include both contemporary and “golden age” tales about America’s Bronze Goddess of Freedom. Sensational G-Girl Deluxe will have a story or two about her grandfather, the original Giant. And Fantastic Girl deluxe will have bonus material that includes the classic “Coming of Aphrodite” stories by Dennis Mallonee, E. R. Cruz, and Dell Barras/

1^st: Are there new heroes being introduced?

Dennis: It depends on how you look at it. These characters will be new to a new generation of readers.

1^st: Will character origins be retold for new readers, seeing your comics for the first time?

Dennis: Yes, we’re making a point of including origins and “All About” featurettes for the benefit of all those new readers we’re hoping to reach.

1^st: What makes the Heroic Universe cooler than all the other superhero universes?

Dennis: That’s a leading question. Cooler? I think that’s kind of up to the reader to judge. But we do promise stories about heroes trying to be heroes. And I think that’s pretty cool.

About Author

Rik Offenberger

Rik Offenberger has worked in the comic field as a retailer, distributor, reporter, public relations coordinator, writer and publisher since 1990. He owns and operates the e-mail bases Super Hero News service, and his published works in print can be seen in The Comics Buyers Guide, Comic Retailer, Borderline Magazine, and Comics International. On the internet he has worked as a writer and/or editor for Silver Bullet Comicbooks, Comic Book Resources, Newsarama and First Comics News. He was the Public Relations Coordinator at Archie Comics for a decade. He is currently the Editor-In-Chief at G-Man Comics. For TwoMorrows Publications, Rik co-wrote The MLJ Companion with Paul Castiglia and Jon B. Cooke, charting the history of Archie’s superheroes, and for Gemstone Publishing wrote chapters of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide to Lost Universes.

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