It is not the first time Richard Branson has dressed himself up as a super hero. But in this instance it is isn't just about getting a bit of cheap publicity. The Virgin founder yesterday announced plans to launch Virgin Comics and an associated animation business that he hopes will set him up against the industry's powerhouses, Marvel and DC.
Mr Branson is launching the business in partnership with Virgin Books, the author Deepak Chopra, acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and south Asian comics publisher, Gotham Entertainment Group. The comics business will be based in New York and Virgin Animation will be located in Bangalore. The aim is to create entertainment products for the rapidly growing Indian market. The company also hopes that it will be a source for producing characters and comics that will prove popular around the world, much as Japanese Manga has found a global audience.
Using the likes of Spider-Man and X-Men owner Marvel Comics as the model, Virgin Comics is aiming to push those characters into films, cartoons, toys, video games and other consumer products. The Shakti comics imprint will have its roots in India, but two further lines, Maverick and Director's Cut, will bring in creators from around the world, the company said. The director John Woo will work on a title through the Director's Cut line.
It intends to launch its first titles in mid-2006 and will simultaneously be exploring partnerships for animation development. Mr Branson said Virgin Comics would "help to launch the Indian comic market and spin it into the west".
"On the back of global movie and licensing deals, the market for comics and graphic novels worldwide is exploding," added Adrian Sington, executive chairman of Virgin Books. "In the USA sales of graphic novels have grown by 44.7% in the year to date. In the UK the market has doubled since 2003. Much of the growth in both territories has come from the emergence of comics out of Asia."
Mr Chopra was named one of Time Magazine's 100 heroes and icons of the century. He is a best-selling and prolific self-help author, penning more than 40 books. Mr Kapur gained world attention with the Indian film Bandit Queen and went on to direct the Oscar-nominated Elizabeth. He is also co-producer of the West End musical Bombay Dreams.
He described comics as being part of the "brave new world" of entertainment. "Comic book characters are the new cult; the new religion."
