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A slightly milder version of this rumor appeared in the latest Lying in the Gutters:
EVERY EPIC COMES TO AN END
There's been quite a bit of doom and gloom talk about the ending of Epic of late. The line, championed by Bill Jemas, was seen as a way to inject new talent and explore new types of projects at Marvel, and also reducing the costs of production. Compared against the Marvel Knights deal, it was a remarkably cheap way to increase marketshare and spark new vitality into the line. Problems with creator-owned issues however, saw the likes of John Romita Jr and Mark Millar take projects elsewhere, and as the rejection notes started to go out, a number of bright hopefuls began to turn slightly bitter.
This week, however, I've continued to hear about the marginalisation of Bill Jemas within Marvel. Lying In The Gutters has already reported how his legendary editorial ambitions were thwarted on all but the Ultimate books (whose creators seem happy to have him) and the increase of Presidential positions saw Jemas' role diluted within the company. There have also been reports of headhunters seeking to replace him. And now I hear that Jemas has moved out of his Marvel office.
If these stories are true, it might also back up the word that Epic is to be dismantled. With many projects that had been given the green light, suddenly being discontinued and cancelled before they were even announced, and with Jemas being in less of a position to champion them, the current Epic setup may not be for long.
The contractual grounds that Epic championed, however, maybe useful for other projects. Nothing like cheap production costs after all! |
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