New publisher Bad Idea is hoping to shake up the comics industry and their presentation at industry summit ComicsPRO was anything but run-of-the-mill. Using Cameo, the publisher hired some affordably priced celebrities and online personalities to talk about their new venture. The video includes appearances by James Van Der Beek, Gilbert Gottfried, Orlando Jones, Xzibit, Ernie Hudson, Real Life Peter Griffin, Morgan Fairchild, Eric Roberts, Bill Duke, Peter Weller, David Koechner, Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin, Beverly D’Angelo, Not Tom Cruise, Tia Carrere, Anthony Michael Hall, Marky Ramone of the Ramones, All Felt No Filter, and Billy Zane. You can watch the video below.
Bad Idea is being led by a group Valiant Entertainment alumni: Co-CEO & Co-Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani, Co-CEO & Co-Chief Creative Officer Warren Simons, Publisher Hunter Gorinson, and Director of Marketing Joshua Johns, According to their initial publicity, Bad Idea’s mantra is “don’t do anything unless it’s special.” Bad Idea will produce an intentionally limited number of series at any given time: no more than one to two single issues per month.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The first Bad Idea release will be ENIAC from writer Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT, Folklords) and artist Doug Braithwaite (Justice). The series is a six-issue, prestige format sci-fi story kicking off in May. The story involves a mission to destroy the world’s first supercomputer before it destroys the world.
Other upcoming Future Bad Idea releases will come from creators such as Mae Catt (Young Justice), Joshua Dysart (Unknown Soldier, Harbinger), Tomas Giorello (X-O Manowar), Lewis LaRosa (Bloodshot Reborn), Adam Pollina (X-Force), Robert Venditti (Justice League), and others. The publisher is also said to be working with Marguerite Bennett (Batwoman), Eric Heisserer (Bird Box, Arrival), Jody Houser (Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy), Jeff Lemire (Black Hammer, Gideon Falls), Peter Milligan (X-Statix), and Zeb Wells (Amazing Spider-Man).
The publisher promises that each Bad Idea comic will have a standard $3.99 cover price, and will feature no variants, no digital editions, and will not be collected into trade paperbacks, hardcovers, or other bookshelf formats. The idea is to drive readers to comic book stores — 20 in the United States to start, growing to 50 over the first year — each month in order to get these books. Participating retailers will have to adhere to strict guidelines set by Bad Idea, including limiting sales to one copy per customer, in order to carry the titles.
What do you think of Bad Idea’s plans? Let us know in the comments.
