Red Giant Entertainment

American comic book publisher

For other uses, see Red giant (disambiguation).

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Red Giant Entertainment, Inc.

Traded as| OTCQB: REDG
Predecessor| Castmor Resources, Ltd.
Founded| 2005 (2005) in Nevada
Founder| Benny R. Powell
Country of origin| United States
Headquarters location| Clermont, Florida
Distribution| Diamond Book Distributors[1]
Key people| Benny R. Powell (CEO)
Chris Crosby (CTO)
Mark Fischbach Board member
Publication types| Comic books
Fiction genres| Superheroes
Imprints| Absolute Comics
Official website| www.redgiantentertainment.com

Red Giant Entertainment, Inc. is a Florida-headquartered comic book publisher and "transmedia" entertainment company established in 2005. Red Giant was founded by Benny R. Powell, former marketing writer for Priceline.com.[2] Other key players included David Campiti, director and COO; and Chris Crosby, CTO and the CEO of Keenspot Entertainment.[3] Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach joined the board in November 2014.[4]

## History

[edit]

The company was incorporated June 27, 2005, in Nevada under the name Castmor Resources, Ltd. Red Giant Entertainment, Inc., meanwhile, was established in Clermont, Florida, in 2010. Castmore acquired Red Giant Entertainment on June 11, 2012; changing its name to Red Giant Entertainment, Inc. on June 26, 2012.

On March 4, 2013, Red Giant acquired ComicGenesis, LLC ("ComicGenesis"), a Nevada limited liability company that operated a user-generated comics site that hosted over 10,000 independent webcomics.[5]

David Campiti of Glass House Graphics joined Red Giant's board of directors in 2013,[6] as board director and COO; he left the company in 2018.[citation needed]

## Works

[edit]

### Comics

[edit]

#### Webcomics

[edit]

Red Giant published webcomics with partner Keenspot. Titles included Wayward Sons: Legends, Exposure, Jade Warriors, Buzzboy, Medusa's Daughter, Katrina, and Porcelain.[7] [8][non-primary source needed]

#### Giant-Size Comics

[edit]

Red Giant's Giant-Size Comics was a print comic book line of free, ad-supported anthology titles which debuted on May 3, 2014, as part of Free Comic Book Day. The line featured work by Mort Castle, story editor Brian Augustyn, and Larry Hama.[9][10][11]

As of 2019, Red Giant began crowdfunding projects under the Absolute Comics imprint.[12] Comics falling under this label are all set within one shared universe, with cross-over events happening frequently. Some of the series in the Absolute Comics Universe are White Widow, Dual Identity, and Wayward Sons.[13]

#### Collections

[edit]

* The Cartoon Art of Mike Deodato, Jr. (Dec 2013)
* Mike Deodato's Jade Warriors (Spring 2014)
* Mike Deodato's Comics & Stories (Summer 2014)[14][non-primary source needed]
* Mike Deodato Jr's Sketchbook (2014)

#### Graphic novels

[edit]

Source: [15]

* Banzai Girl Volume 1 Dreams Betrayed (November 2014)
* Buzzboy: Sidekicks Rule! Paperback (January 3, 2012)
* Drow Tales Volume 1: Moonless Age TP Paperback (July 3, 2012)
* Exposure Volume 1 (January 21, 2014)
* Exposure Volume 2 Blind Faith (November 2014)
* Medusa's Daughter Graphic Novel HC (2012)
* Medusa's Daughter Graphic Novel Library HC (February 17, 2015)
* Roboy Red Graphic Novel Comic (2012)
* Wayward Sons Volume 1 (Wayward Sons: Legends) (December 2011)
* Wayward Sons Volume 2 (Wayward Sons: Legends) (February 2014)
* Wayward Sons Volume 3 (April 2014)
* Wayward Sons Volume 4 (October 2014)

### Film

[edit]

The following Red Giant Media film projects are in various stages of development, production or release:

* Niko: The Journey To Magika (Released on Hulu on December 12, 2014)[16][non-primary source needed][17][18][non-primary source needed]
* Katrina (status: In production)
* Omphalos (2014) (status: post-production) [19]
* Shockwave, Darkside (status: RELEASED;[20][21] UK Premiere: August 21, 2014[22])

### Television

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The following Red Giant television projects are in various stages of development and production.

* Exposure (status: development announced; Kevin VanHook producer)[23][24]

### Video Games and Apps

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Bandai Namco Games America Inc. announced a partnership to provide more comic influenced games on July 23, 2014.[25]

## Partners

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Strategic partners include:

* Bandai Namco Games[26]

## Controversy

[edit]

Red Giant became embroiled in controversy related to a benefit comic it sponsored in response to the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. In April 2011 the company announced it was spearheading Japan Needs Heroes, a Kickstarter crowd-funded anthology project which was intended to benefit "victims of Japan's tragedies." Including a foreword by Stan Lee, and contributions from, among others, Larry Hama, Mike Deodato, and Peter David,[27] the project was described this way:

> Japan Needs Heroes is a comic book anthology project that will be released early summer 2011, with creators from across every genre and representing nearly every major comic book publisher. It will focus on stories of inspiration with messages of hope and promises of a better tomorrow by working with the heroes in each of us. It is expected to be between 200 to 300 pages and will be published in full color with its printing being provided at cost by the printer.[28]

The project was fully funded in May 2011, and a second round of funding took place in 2013.[27][29] By January 2014, however, nothing had been delivered to project backers.[30] Finally, in January 2015, digital downloads were sent to the Kickstarter backers.[31]

In regardings to the printed hardcover and paperback books, however, although Red Giant claimed the project had gone to the printer,[32] as of at least February 2015 nothing had not been mailed to project backers.[27] In the summer of 2015, at San Diego Comic-Con, Lee and Campiti displayed printed copies of Japan Needs Heroes[33] (although still no hard copies had been delivered).

Finally, after many years of silence, Powell of Red Giant claimed that the books (and associated merchandise) had been held by the warehouse company and not released.[34] Ultimately, Red Giant issued refunds and released the donations to the Japan Society.[citation needed]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Our Publishers
2. ^ "LinkedIn Profile: Benny R. Powell". LinkedIn.com.
3. ^ Aboraya, Abraham (Apr 5, 2013). "Meet Red Giant's 5 Key Players". Orlando Business Journal.
4. ^ "Mark 'Markiplier' Fischbach Joins Red Giant Entertainment's Board of Directors: YouTube Superstar Brings Extraordinary New Media Expertise To Board". CNN Money. Archived from the original on 2014-11-12.
5. ^ "Red Giant Entertainment 10K Filing". SEC. February 20, 2014.
6. ^ "Top Comics Industry Talent Agent Joins Red Giant Entertainment: David Campiti Brings Over Three Decades Experience to Red Giant Board of Directors". Marketwired (Press release). March 5, 2013. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013.
7. ^ "Keenspot.com Homepage".
8. ^ "Red Giant's 'SUPERNOVAS' Explodes Onto comiXology". Marketwired. April 7, 2013.
9. ^ "Red Giant To Join In Free Comic Book Day". FreeComicBookDay.com. 2014. Archived from the original on 2013-12-16.
10. ^ Aboraya, Abraham (April 5, 2013). "They Might Be Red Giants". Orlando Business Journal.
11. ^ "Comics Veteran Brian Augustyn Joins Red Giant Entertainment". The Wall Street Journal. November 19, 2013. Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
12. ^ "About Us". Absolute Comics. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
13. ^ KIT, BORYS (April 10, 2013). "Web Comic 'Wayward Sons' Getting Big-Screen Adaptation: From "The LEGO Movie" producers Lin Pictures, the movie follows a group of aliens who inspire humanity's myths and legends". The Hollywood Reporter.
14. ^ "Red Giant to Release New Original Projects From Superstar Comic Artist Mike Deodato" (Press release). MarketWired. September 5, 2013.
15. ^ "BN Search". Retrieved 23 December 2014.
16. ^ "Red Giant Entertainment Wraps "Magika" Post-Production". Marketwired. March 6, 2013.
17. ^ "Niko: Journey to Magika". IMDb. January 19, 2014.
18. ^ "Red Giant Animated Movie NIKO: JOURNEY TO MAGIKA To Premiere On Hulu". Press Release. November 28, 2014. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
19. ^ "Omphalos (2014) - IMDb". IMDb. February 16, 2014.
20. ^ "Red Giant Entertainment - SHOCKWAVE DARKSIDE Feature Film". RedGiant. February 20, 2014.
21. ^ "Shockwave Darkside (2014) - IMDb". IMDb. February 21, 2014.
22. ^ Barraclough, Leo (June 27, 2014). "London FrightFest Unveils Biggest Ever Line-up - Variety". Variety. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
23. ^ Aboraya, Abraham (July 30, 2013). "'I, Robot' effects supervisor to produce Red Giant's 'Exposure' as TV show". Orlando Business Journal.
24. ^ Aboraya, Abraham (July 31, 2013). "Behind the deal: Red Giant's 'Exposure' to become TV show thanks to San Diego Comic-Con". Orlando Business Journal.
25. ^ "BANDAI NAMCO Announces Outcast Odyssey as a Part of San Diego Comic Con Mobile Games Lineup!". Wall Street Journal. July 23, 2014. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
26. ^ "BANDAI NAMCO Announces Outcast Odyssey as a Part of San Diego Comic Con Mobile Games Lineup!". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
27. ^ a b c Johnston, Rich (February 11, 2015). "Red Giant Entertainment Needs Heroes". Bleeding Cool.
28. ^ "Comic Book Icon Stan Lee Joins Industry Creators for Japan Benefit Graphic Novel: JAPAN NEEDS HEROES, a comic book anthology will donate 100% of its profits to help those affected by tragedies in Japan". PRWeb (Press release). April 7, 2011. Archived from the original on April 13, 2011.
29. ^ Benny Powell (2013). "JAPAN NEEDS HEROES II". Kickstarter.
30. ^ "JAPAN NEEDS HEROES stalled Kickstarter project, a timeline". YouTube. January 2, 2014.
31. ^ "Japan Needs Heroes - Digital Download". Red Giant Entertainment, Online Store. January 16, 2015. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
32. ^ "Red Giant Entertainment Fans and Investors Group". Facebook. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
33. ^ "Foreword writer Stan "The Man" Lee and Dazzlin' Dave Campiti celebrate the release of Red Giant's benefit book JAPAN NEEDS HEROES!". Red Giant Entertainment, Facebook. July 12, 2015.
34. ^ Benny Powell (April 2, 2021). "Update #33: And Now... Fulfillment". Kickstarter.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website