Ghost Machine, a first-of-its-kind creator-owned and -operated media company officially launched today at New York Comic-Con. Creators co-own all the characters and universes developed for Ghost Machine, sharing in all publishing, media, merchandise, and beyond.
The pioneering creator collective is a global best-of-class roster of artists and writers whose award-winning and iconic works include a who’s who of comic book legends, such as Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, The Flash, The Ultimates, Black Lightning and Green Arrow: Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Brad Meltzer, Peter J. Tomasi, and Maytal Zchut. The company plans to announce additional talent in the months ahead, including one major superstar creator. All creators will be exclusive to Ghost Machine for their comics work after completing their already-committed-to projects.
As the recent Hollywood strikes have shown, creatives are disenfranchised with the traditional industry model – creators seek increased empowerment as a natural progression to an ever-changing entertainment landscape. Ghost Machine’s enterprising business model is at the forefront of this evolution, with the characters and full company ownership shared by its creators in every way.
Ghost Machine’s titles will be published through the original champion of creator-owned comics – Image Comics – the industry’s third largest comic book publisher behind Marvel and DC, which launched in 1992 when seven of the top comic book creators left Marvel Comics to own their own work and ideas. Now, Ghost Machine drives the industry norms and opportunities even further by having top talent collaborate and build out shared universes that they entirely control together. If Image Comics pushed the original boundaries, Ghost Machine is breaking barriers and creating a new frontier for creators.
A two-issue prequel series, Geiger: Ground Zero by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, ships in November and December before Ghost Machine’s first official release in January 2024 with Ghost Machine #1, a 64-page special that will introduce its four shared universes of characters.
Upcoming Titles Include:
Geiger
Set twenty-five years in the future after the mysterious Unknown War, husband and father Tariq Geiger lost his humanity in the aftermath of the nuclear war that took his family from him. Now, capable of absorbing radiation but struggling to contain it, Geiger is known as The Glowing Man. He’s the last person you want to cross paths with… or if you have no one else to turn to for help, maybe he’s the first.
Junkyard Joe
In 1972 during the Vietnam War, a young soldier and cartoonist-to-be named Morrie “Muddy” Davis encountered an unexplainable, deadly but loyal mechanical soldier. Convinced by the Army that what he saw wasn’t real, Muddy created a popular Sunday Strip called Junkyard Joe. Decades later, Muddy comes face-to-face with his old robotic friend…and those looking to turn Joe back into a weapon of war.
Redcoat
Reluctantly fighting for Britain during the American Revolution, Simon Pure stumbles upon the Founding Father’s secret mystical organization and inadvertently gains the power of immortality. Jaded by humanity over the decades, Simon becomes a cheeky mercenary looking for a hot meal and to make some easy money while pursued by an endless list of deadly enemies, ex-lovers, and bill collectors.
Rook: Exodus
A struggling farmer from Earth was given a second chance on a world where every aspect of nature was controlled by humanity, including the winged scavengers who plagued his crops. Now called Rook, the farmer became one of the Wardens and must choose between trying to escape this war-torn world before it’s destruction…or fighting to save it.
The Rocketfellers
In the 26th Century, where everything seems to be picture-perfect, the dysfunctional and imperfect Rocketfeller family discovers their future is in jeopardy and the only place safe from harm is to escape to the past where they have to adapt and hide their distinctive futuristic traditions to the Earth of 2024 which, to them, is filled with strange customs and even crazier people. But that threat hasn’t quite stayed in the future where it belongs.