![Will "The Sixth Gun" be for NBC what "The Walking Dead" is for AMC?](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/b5/9e/b59e918ed208057adf18413d9c1513ab.JPG?itok=3obMu9yC "Will "The Sixth Gun" be for NBC what "The Walking Dead" is for AMC?")
An eclectic summary of news from January 27th - 29th, 2013!
Oni Press' "The 6th Gun" gets TV pilot order!
According to the Hollywood Reporter, NBC has ordered a pilot for a TV show adaptation of Oni Press' "The Sixth Gun" for their upcoming schedule. Calton Cuse, one of the producers of "Lost", is set to produce the pilot and the script will be written by Ryan Condal. The pilot will be produced at Universal TV, which is NBC's sister studio.
"The Sixth Gun" was created in July 2010 by writer Cullen Bunn (who is now writing several Marvel comics) and artist Brian Hutt. The series has run for roughly 23 issues, and Oni Press has packaged them in four trade collections; sales on such collections should pick up just by the mass media interest alone. Both Bunn and Hutt were nominated for a Harvey award for their work on the series in 2011 and 2012, but did not win. The SyFy Channel also expressed interest in the comic for a TV adaptation in 2011, but their plans fell through. The series chronicles six magical pistols available in the old West (after the Civil War) which bestow amazing powers to those who carry them. The titular sixth gun is gained by the series protagonist, Becky Montcrief. Other figures own and compete for the guns, which can change owners only when the first owner dies (or is slain).
Naturally, the success of "The Walking Dead" on AMC is encouraging networks big and small to test the waters on adapting comic books which don't belong to major superhero conglomerates.
ComiXology branches out to the U.K.!
Digital comics distributor ComiXology announced yesterday (Jan. 28th, 2013) that they are opening a European branch in Paris, France to better expand their business to overseas markets. The division has been tentatively called "ComiXology Europe", which isn't to be confused with the band "Europe" or "Justice League Europe". ComiXology offers a library of 30,000 English language comics from over 75 publishers, and has offered over 100 million downloads since October.
The setting of the new branch in Paris, France is no surprise; France has a very strong graphic novel market. ComiXology's app is among the top iTunes apps in several European countries, including France, Italy, and Spain. With time ComiXology plans to add foreign publishers and alternate language content to these markets, and this expansion makes that easier.
Founded in 2007, ComiXology is quickly capitalizing on technology and smart business deals to become very close to the Diamond Distribution of the legal digital comics trade. It continues to impress by how they grow every year and prove that there are more fans out there than the ones who buy the weekly comics at shops.
BOOM! Studios adds new Cartoon Network comic series to roster!
Seeing success from their licensed "Adventure Time" comic and subsequent spin-offs, it was announced yesterday (Jan. 28th, 2013) that another Cartoon Network cartoon series will get the BOOM! Studios treatment. Published by their kiddie imprint, "kaBoom", a licensed comic for "Regular Show" is set to hit comic shelves in April. It will be written by K.C. Green (creator of the web-comic "Gunshow") and drawn by Alison Strejlau.
Created by J.G. Quintel, "Regular Show" follows a blue jay named Mordecai and a raccoon named Rigby who have wild adventures as groundskeepers for a park. The show has run for four seasons on CN and has won an Emmy.
Read last week's indie comics news here!
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