Comics Experience founder Andy Schmidt gave comics readers a Thanksgiving treat this week – the trade paperback release of his Source Point Press book Achilles Inc.! Available on shelves at your local comic book shop or comiXology as of November 27, the original story – written by Andy and featuring art by Daniel Maine, Francesca Zambon, and Marco Della Verde – debuted last year at C2E2 and challenges readers to think about some dark social implications of superpowers.
Specifically, what happens when super”heroes” become the new ruling class.
A concept like that presents a plethora of opportunities to explore the world. Which is why the trade paperback release of Achilles Inc. contains brand new short stories from course alumni and Creators Workshop members Jason Czaplicki, Frank Gogol, and Albert Lim.
“The case files were written by Comics Experience alumni and members. So these are writers who have been honing their craft for a while. And it was a thought experiment I had and a fun way to collaborate with folks beyond the classroom setting. Each of the three case files is a set before the events of the Achilles Inc. mini-series and provide us with insight into Ransom’s life prior to landing on this case that leads him into a head on collision with Power Corps, the most powerful organization in the world,” Andy says.
“The whole idea was to expand on the world of Achilles Inc. Because there’s a lot going on all over, and it’s all connected. This is a fairly fully realized world we’ve built, and the initial mini-series only scratched the surface. Which is probably why I’m talking with Source Point Press about continuing doing another series once my schedule opens up.”
Andy turned to these writers because of the high quality of talent nurtured in the courses and forums.
He says, “The community provides an incredible sounding board for ideas, artwork, and scripts. What’s truly exceptional is that the community is so focused on being honest and helpful and there’s such an emphasis on the craft, that the level of feedback is remarkably high, even for someone who’s been working professionally in comics and the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. I can honestly say that Achilles Inc. is better for the being a part of the Comics Experience community.”
The Achilles Inc. trade paperback from Source Point Press is now available online and at your local comic book shop!