Official Press Release
TAMPA, FL., December 5, 2001 - The CrossGen artistic stable continues to expand with the hiring of veteran penciler Jeff Johnson and veteran inker Mark Pennington. Both have already relocated to Florida and will be working on separate projects beginning immediately. As well, current CrossGen inker, Andy Smith, is moving from inker to penciler.
Jeff Johnson has been penciling comics since he drew Wonder Man for Marvel
in 1991. Along the way he has worked for every major comics publisher
including Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, and Valiant, working on such books
as Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Green Lantern, Jonny Quest, and more.
He joins CrossGen to work with Chuck Dixon on Dixon's newly created third
title, set in the same world as The Path. A title for the series is
forthcoming. Before moving to that title, Johnson will begin by penciling
the relief issue, Ruse #6.
Mark Pennington has worked on some of the comic industry's most high-profile
projects since his career began in 1988. He has inked X-Men, X-Force,
Fantastic Four, and Daredevil for Marvel, Death: The Time of Your Life and
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight for DC, Violator, Angela, and The Tenth
for Image, and many others. Pennington will immediately begin inking pages
of the February 27, 2002 releasing The Path over the pencils of Bart Sears,
a penciler he has worked with in the past.
Originally planned inker for The Path, Andy Smith, is moving from that title
into the role of penciler. Smith, who started his career as a penciler, will
begin by drawing the relief issues Crux #11 and Meridian #22. During this
time he will also begin preparation for his new regular assignment,
penciling duties on his own monthly title scheduled for release late 2002.
"Andy started his career as a penciler and has always wanted to get back to
it," said Bart Sears, CrossGen Art Director. "With the hiring of Mark
Pennington, we felt that now was the right time to institute Andy's
promotion. We would hate to wait until the fans had become accustomed to
seeing Andy's inks over my pencils on The Path before making an inevitable
creative switch. This way Andy can spend time preparing for this penciling
assignment while we launch The Path with a creative team that will be
together for the long haul and not be broken up part way through. We felt
this was the best plan for all involved."
CrossGeneration Comics is based just outside of Tampa, Florida. Since their
initial launch on May 24, 2000, CrossGen Comics has set unprecedented sales
records for a new start-up comics publisher by debuting their first six
releases on the comic book industry distributor's Top 100 sales list. Since
then they have grown into the comic industry's fifth largest publisher. They
were recently awarded the Diamond Gem Awards for Comic Publisher of the Year
(2000) Under 5% Market Share and New Publisher of the Year (2000). CrossGen
Comics is unprecedented in that their entire line of comics is currently
published in four foreign languages and in at least 11 foreign countries.
They recently struck a long-term development deal with Branded
Entertainment, a film and television production company helmed by long-time
Batman film and animated feature executive producer Michael Uslan. The
company has also opened the first publisher-owned online mall for its
licensed apparel, products, collectibles and comics at www.crossgen.com.
Their unique and innovative approach to comic book publishing is sure to
make them a company to watch out for well into the new millennium. The
CrossGen Comics, The First, Mystic, Sigil, Scion, Meridian, Crux, Sojourn,
Ruse, and Negation are available now in comic book specialty stores
everywhere, with a different one on sale each Wednesday. Their next monthly
title, The Path, will be in stores on February 27, 2002.
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