MGM has acquired the female-driven comic book property MERCY SPARX with a script adaptation by up-and-coming scribe Nick Shafir. The Picture Company and Assemble Media are producing.
The characters and concepts first appearance was in Mercy Sparx #0 with a preview in DDP Quarterly #1
The comic book series follows the female demon Mercy Sparx who is sent from Hell to Earth on a secret mission, which she must complete while hiding amongst humans. On earth, Mercy has an existential crisis and begins to see the gray area between good and evil, forcing her to choose her place within it. Shafir’s script is said to be akin to a female Constantine with an irreverent tone.
Created and written by Josh Blaylock with long time contributing artist Matt Merhoff, the comic book has become a cult favorite among fans since its debut ten years ago and the studio sees this as a franchise with an empowering female character at the center.
Jack Heller of Assemble will produce along with The Picture Company partners Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona. Comic creator Josh Blaylock will exec produce along with Assemble’s Scott Veltri.
Heller and Assemble developed the script and controlled the rights to the property, then partnered with The Picture Company.
MGM’s Elishia Holmes will oversee the project for the studio along with Sandino Moya-Smith.
Shafir is on a hot streak, with MERCY SPARX being his second spec sale in the past few months.
Since inception, Mercy Sparx has primarily been published by Blaylock’s Devil’s Due imprint, with a stint at Arcana Comics.
I would remind everyone, before FOMO starts making buyers go crazy, that Image’s “Morning Glories” had it’s rights purchased years ago. You do realize that the Studios buy up everything to prevent losing their jobs when a different studio buys a comic concept and may succeed. Then its sits on a shelf. Pre production is the expression used for, ” maybe…one day….” The way it works: Hollywood waits for another medium (Comic books, Gn’s)to take a chance on the concept, only THEN it buys. The creator makes the greatest amount of cash from their work at that point. Once a property is sold, they is no need for the creator to write any more. That’s why most indie comics rarely go beyond 9 issues. By then, its bought up, or abandoned by the creator for something more likely…
Most options though are normally about a year in length (the longer they likely retain, the more expensive they have to pay the creators). But yes, it’s a way for Studios to buy a property and place on the shelves to see how it fairs in the next year or two, depending on how long they retained the option.
Also, most indie or smaller books, the option money by no means makes them rich.. But it is just another form of income for most creators. From what I’ve gathered, most creators make their money if they get a decent “ongoing” title and continue to release TPB for their books, that’s where most make their residual income from their works.. unless of course their property is optioned and actually then goes off to be produced and filmed.
Single issues are pay day for the day they’re released but TPB if they keep printing them, the creators get money from such sales until they no longer own the copyrights.
This for me is a selling opportunity. Or check the bins. If you are buying off movie news you are doing it wrong
Yup. Sell what others are wanting or buying. Buy low, sell high. If you’re buying at secondary marked up prices, either you’re just a collector or you’re a really bad spec/flipper..
Hey Anthony can you forward my email to Alana please? Jasoncodydavis@yahoo.com
You might not want to publicly place your email here, bots and spammers will pick it up. If you’re on the forums, you can PM/DM members as Alana is very active on the forums.
Nevertheless, I pointed your comment to Alana on the forums. 😉