Press Release
A first in comic book history, IDW Publishing is proud to announce INFESTATION! Starting in January 2011, INFESTATION will infect STAR TREK, GHOSTBUSTERS, TRANFORMERS and G.I. JOE comics with zombies, zombies, and more zombies. To help create this multi-dimensional saga, IDW is teaming up with fan-favorite writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (The Thanos Imperative, Legion of Super-Heroes) and artist David Messina (TRUE BLOOD).
“This is definitely one of those ‘there’s no way they’ll ever do this’ kind of events,” said IDW’s Chief Creative Officer Chris Ryall. “But not only are we doing something fans never thought they’d see, we’re doing it in a way that should confound and exceed their expectations. And doing it with real pros like Abnett and Lanning just makes it that much sweeter, especially knowing what they’ve got planned as a follow-up to this event.”
Setting the stage for this massive event, Abnett and Lanning will pen INFESTATION #1, launching in January 2011. This initial 32-page story begins in IDW’s own ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS universe, where something goes terribly wrong and ultimately infests the worlds of TRANSFORMERS, STAR TREK, G.I. JOE, and GHOSTBUSTERS with zombies and infected robots. From there, the story spins ferociously into each of the four properties throughout February and March, and culminates in April’s bombastic finale, INFESTATION #2.
In February, TRANSFORMERS: INFESTATION #1-2 and STAR TREK: INFESTATION #1-2 will ship bi-weekly. The TRANSFORMERS title will also be written by Abnett and Lanning, with fan-favorite Nick Roche handling the art. STAR TREK will be written by mainstay writers Scott and David Tipton and illustrated by Casey Maloney (Zipper).
March will see the release of the bi-weekly G.I. JOE: INFESTATION #1-2 by writer Mike Raicht and artist Giovanni Timpano, as well as GHOSTBUSTERS: INFESTATION by Erik Burnham (THE A-TEAM: WAR STORIES) and Kyle Hotz (Marvel Zombies).
Artist John K. Snyder III (PHOENIX WITHOUT ASHES) will provide covers for the two INFESTATION issues, as well as 1950s sci-fi film-inspired images for each of the four involved series.
To further commemorate this “decade in the making” event, IDW will be releasing special incentive patches with every issue. Each embroidered, sew-on patch will feature “infected” logos of the four titles. Additional incentives include a painted cover by ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS co-creator Ashley Wood for INFESTATION #1, as well as a special 16-page sketchbook featuring zombified versions of the perennially popular characters from these four universes, as illustrated by artists associated with each property.
The entire event will make its presence felt on the cover of the January Previews catalog, showcasing a special INFESTATION “quadrtych” image of Snake Eyes, Mr. Spock, OPTIMUS PRIME, and Dr. Peter Venkman under attack from a zombie by LOCKE & KEY artist Gabriel Rodriguez.
“We’ve found a way to involve all of these diverse titles in a massive storyline that has ties all the way back to the early days of IDW,” continued Ryall. “I think fans will be amazed by what we’ve pulled together here, as well as the stories that will come out of this once-in-my-lifetime event.”
INFESTATION #1 ($3.99, 40 pages, full color) will be available in stores on January 19, 2011.
TRANSFORMERS: INFESTATION #1 and #2 will be in stores on February 2 and 16, 2011, respectively.
STAR TREK: INFESTATION #1 and #2 will be in stores on February 9 and 23, 2011, respectively.
G.I. JOE: INFESTATION #1 and 2 will be in stores on March 2 and 16, 2011, respectively.
GHOSTBUSTERS: INFESTATION #1 and 2 will be in stores on March 9 and 23, 2011, respectively.
INFESTATION #2 will be available in stores on April 6, 2011.
About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; the BBC’s Doctor Who; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studios; and is the print publisher for EA Comics and ComicMix.
IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.
9 Comments
No more zombies … PLEASE!!!! That train has left the station, arrived at it’s destination, taken a few more trips, crashed, broken down, sold for scrap, recycled, used, and recycled again. Please. Please just stop with the movie monster themes.
The concept of zombies in these universi is dumb, and so overplayed. Why not do a straight up crossover between the four series and just let the dead stay that way?
For the love of God…Stop with the zombies already. You are beating a literal dead horse at this point. (The fact that line has been used as many times as it has should be evidence enough.) Or is this just the Government making sure that everyone who reads comics, watches TV, or likes pop culture in any form is ready for the impending Zombie Apocalypse. If so, at least throw a “The More You Know” tag on these…jeesh
“This is definitely one of those ‘there’s no way they’ll ever do this’ kind of events,”
Should have been.
Why, IDW? WHYYYYYYY? I THOUGHT YOU LOVEDED MEEEEE!
At least they’re not doing it in ongoing titles or miniseries, it’s (so far) a self contained thing that I can safely ignore.
Also, Ghostbusters almost makes sense with zombies. G.I. Joe, and Star Trek, even, it’s a little out of place, but hey, it works.
But will someone please explain to me why 20 foot tall robots fear rotted human corpses?
Okay, here’s how I predict it plays out. Snake Eyes cuts a few zombies in half with his sword, but is eventually over run by their numbers and is eaten alive. He doesn’t scream, because he can’t. Mr. Spock beams down to find Snake Eyes devoured corpse. He tries the nerve pinch on one of the zombies, sees it doesn’t work and then shoots them with his phazer at it’s highest setting. Using a sweeping arc, he takes out about 20 of them. He then decides that zombies are illogical and beams back up to the ship and warps away. Just then, Optimus Prime shows up, just having attended a bar mitzvah (you did know he was Jewish, right?) and barely notices them as he steps on them like cock-roaches. He a robot, so the zombies can’t eat him. Bored, he transforms into a truck and starts to drive away, when zombie Jerry Reed (Snowman from Smokey and the Bandit) busts through his window and commandeers the wheel. Now in control of Optimus Prime, Zombie-Reed and his zombie Basset Hound drive cross-country until the get to new york, where they promptly crash into Ecto-1. Prime is towed away by AAA, while Zombie-Reed shares insurance information with Pete Vinkman. Vinkman, then makes a wisecrack about how much Smokey and the Bandit 3 sucked, sending Zombie Reed on a zombie rage, killing Vinkman before he can break out his proton pack. This is why Vinkman is a ghost in the upcoming Ghostbusters 3 movie. Zombie-Reed is then mowed down by a machete wielding Fred Rogers (Of Mr. Rogers fame).
Sing it with me, “This is the ultimate show down…”
So in this case, knowing is half the battle, but the other half is just a lot of obligatory violence against squishy undead? I can get behind that…
I really hope they were being sarcastic about this being a first in comic book history, being something the fans never thought they’d see (maybe never this far behind the trend), and one of those “they’d never do this” kind of events. It may have made more sense if they had just figured some supernatural way of having a portal open to the underworld which accidentally also opens a rift into the Transformers realm (unless they’re supposed to be here too then nevermind) and releasing a massive amount of ghosts and other spectres and somehow the ghosts take over some humans or some Cobra/G.I. Joes and take over some Transformers and I don’t know, it makes as much sense as what they’re already doing with Zombimus Prime.