AfterShock Comics Merges With TV Distributor Rive Gauche to Form AfterShock Media

AfterShock Comics is merging with Rive Gauche to form AfterShock Media. AfterShock Comics is the home of series like Animosity, Dark Red, Babyteeth, A Walk Through Hell, and Undone by Blood (which is now in development as a TV series with Norman Reedus). Rive Gauche is the distribution company behind TV series such as Homicide Hunter, Something's Killing Me, Very Scary People, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, Ice Cold Killer, My Strange Addiction, My Crazy Obsession, and others. On Monday, the two companies announced a merger to form AfterShock Media. The new company will oversee AfterShock Comics' library of comics. That library includes recent additions We Live by the Miranda Brothers, Miles to Go by B. Clay Moore and The Kaiju Score from James Patrick (now in development as a movie).

Rive Gauche's global distribution inroads will help bring AfterShock properties into new media formats, including television, film, games, and podcasts. Rive Gauche CEO Jon Kramer, who is also the CEO of AfterShock Comics, is now the CEO of AfterShock Media.

"Today is a milestone day for both Rive Gauche and AfterShock Comics, two companies I've had the pleasure of building alongside amazing visionaries, colleagues, and collaborators," said Kramer in a press release. "The significance of this strategic union cannot be understated because our ground-breaking, diverse comic IP will now have a team to support and drive its growth into TV, film, gaming and podcasts, fueled by the development, production and distribution of both scripted and unscripted content. Rive Gauche and I were looking for a way to reenter the scripted space because we saw an insatiable appetite with the proliferation of channels.

"AfterShock Comics proved to be the perfect vehicle offering IP beyond capes and tights, instead spanning many different popular genres. Rive Gauche is committed to maintaining the caliber of unscripted programming it's known for, by identifying and responding to industry trends and demands, while aiming to be just as quality-driven and relevant with scripted programming creation and distribution. We couldn't be more excited and look forward to our next phase of success and the further expansion of AfterShock Media content for viewers and fans to experience and enjoy over years to come worldwide."

As part of the merger, Rive Gauche executive Marine Ksadzhikyan will become COO and EVP of Sales for Rive Gauche. Ksadzhikyan is also the new Head of Business Development and Strategy at AfterShock Media. Kramer will lead the AfterShock Film & TV division as President of Film & TV for Rive Gauche. Mike Marts will remain the Editor-in-Chief of AfterShock Comics, with Joe Pruett as CCO/Publisher. Kramer is the publisher's president.