By Patrick Luce Jun 28, 2005, 19:29 GMT
12 Gauge Comics, the publisher of such hit titles as The Ride, announced it has been signed by Illuminati Entertainment, the first Hollywood management and production company to focus on clients and projects from comics, for representation in film, television, and video games, it was announced today.
The arrangement gives 12 Gauge a powerful Hollywood presence and will allow them to move their projects to mediums beyond the printed page. Illuminati Entertainment President Ford Lytle Gilmore will be handling 12 Gauge's client relationship personally while working very closely with 12 Gauge President Keven Gardner and Managing Editor Doug Wagner, as well as two of the most respected creators currently in the industry: Art Director Brian Stelfreeze and Director of Development (and longtime Illuminati client) Jason Pearson.
"12 Gauge has some of the most exciting and original projects in the comics industry right now, and everything on their publishing slate has a populist that will stretch well beyond comics," Gilmore said in a press release. "Titles like Gun Candy and Body Bags are all natural fits for feature films, as are a number of the stories in the anthology The Ride -- and I'm just as impressed by the titles on 12 Gauge's schedule that they haven't even announced yet. We're ecstatic to be working with them and helping them expand their audience."
Founded by producer Ford Lytle Gilmore in 2002, Illuminati Entertainment is an innovative management and production company focusing on clients with backgrounds in comic books and video games. The company grew out of the convergence of comics, games, film and television and its clients are the creators behind some of the best-selling and most original properties on the market. Illuminati's concentration is not only on creator-owned material, but also on building new brands and franchises that can crossover into ancillary markets.
The company has a strong emphasis on maneuvering its creators from comics and video games into film and television. Their most recent sale is Catacombs, co-written and directed by client (and comic book creator) Tomm Coker for Lions Gate and Twisted Pictures. Prior to forming Illuminati, Gilmore was an independent producer, working primarily on licensed properties including video game and comic book franchises.
"First and foremost, 12 Gauge is in the business to make great comics, and that will always be our number one goal. Once it became clear that there would be opportunities to move our properties into other mediums, Illuminati Entertainment was the obvious choice to help make that happen,” Gardner said in the release. “Ford Gilmore is a comic book fan who has great respect for creators, and he understands what it takes to make the comic page translate to the screen. For all of us at 12 Gauge, the most important thing is quality in everything we do, and we know that the people at Illuminati hold themselves to the same high standards. They simply couldn't put a list of clients together like they have without that being the case."
Visit Illuminati Entertainment for more information on the company or 12 Gauge Comics for more information on the company’s other titles.
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