Category: Blogs and Online Projects

The collaborative art blog RELAUNCHED started off as DC FIFTY-TOO and then MARVEL UNIVERSE TOO - with artists reimagining their own approaches to DC and Marvel Comics properties, respectively. Today, Relaunched announces its next theme month, WATCHMEN TOO:

Rumors have abounded for the last several years that DC Comics was planning a series of prequels and/or sequels to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ ground-breaking 1985 classic Watchmen. Recently, the rumors seem confirmed, and the controversial series appears to be a go-ahead.

However you feel about the planned followup series – pro or con – it is an interesting thought experiment to ponder how exactly you might handle taking characters who served their original story so completely and perfectly and instead placing them into scenarios where they blossom into their own characters, independent of Moore’s overreaching themes of morality, authority and relativity.

For the month of February, Relaunched will host WATCHMEN TOO, and we invite all interested participants to create their own prequel or sequel to Watchmen, utilizing any of the characters (or concepts or situations) in the series in the service of inspiring their own followup.  You can submit anytime starting today up through February 25 - we know, it’s short notice, but get your inspiration on!

If you have any questions, ask them in the comments, and don’t forget to check oursubmission guidelines - thanks!

Check out Relaunched here!

Last year, when DC Comics announced a sudden relaunch and revamp of their entire line, I had an idea to organize and curate something of a response to the event. I contacted some independent and alternative artists of my acquaintance – and had quite a few more introduced to me in the process – and asked them to imagine and create their own revamped take on DC’s vast volume of characters, titles and concepts.

The result was DC FIFTY-TOO, which received a lot of positive coverage all over the web. The participants also had a blast taking part, and I was encouraged to repeat the effort with MARVEL UNIVERSE TOO: WHAT IF, where the crew from Fifty-Too (plus a few extras) jumped in and tackled the Marvel Universe.

Even though I had the hectic job of managining and organizing the event, I even had time to get in on the act. From the Marvel Universe, I gave long-time Alpha Flight regular Puck his own ongoing series, and on the DC side I was ecstatic to pencil a Plastic Man cover which was subsequently inked by the great Stephen DeStefano, hands down one of my favorite cartoonists:

After Marvel Universe-Too, there was a lot of buzz among participants as to what to do next – Vertigo, Valiant, classic Golden Age characters, assorted independent titles, even Harvey Comics - but the fact was that running and organizing the events were taking a big bite out of my free time, and I didn’t think I could continue to run the show.

Luckily, all-around good dudes Ryan Cody and Benjamin Birdie stepped up to shoulder two-thirds of the burden. With the new year, we’ve rebranded the DC Fifty-Too/Marvel Universe-Too site as RELAUNCHED - inviting artists to reimagine any comic book property which tickles their fancy – and have opened to door to general submissions, so that anyone can participate.

Our first entry went up last Tuesday - a great take on Dennis the Menace and friends by Charles Guthrie – and our second entry is due to go up any moment now – plus we’ll be announcing our first theme month on Thursday! I hope you’ll check out the site and keep an eye on the new submissions, and – if you’re an artist yourself – that you’ll consider contributing as well. Swing on by!