“Graphic.ly is a fantastic partner that enables us to engage our audience through comics in as tech-savvy and efficient a way as we do with film and animation,” said Halo-8 president Matt Pizzolo. “Our goal is to provide our stories in every format our diverse audiences demand. Our stories are format-agnostic: we want people who love comics to enjoy our stories as comics and people who love ill-films to enjoy them as ill-films… and if our audience enjoys this digital format then we’ll finally make comics that even trees can love.”

Following this launch, Halo-8’s coming slate includes:
– The Long Knives is a ten-issue mini-series that will be released monthly on Graphic.ly prior to print editions. The illustrated-film is currently in pre-production and cast attachments will be announced in the coming weeks.
– An all-new Godkiller: Walk Among Us epilogue issue will be released via Graphic.ly shortly before the debut issue of the new mini-series Godkiller: Tomorrow’s Ashes (currently in production). The spinoff series Godkiller: Adventures In Outer City is in pre-production.
– How I Lost My Virginity -by Alexandra Jones will be the next original series to debut from Halo-8 via Graphic.ly. The sly, subversive college sex comedy mixes secret societies and government conspiracies with one girl’s coming of age adventure, so it’s not quite as schizophrenic an entry into the Halo-8 canon as it sounds.
– The Hack/Slash illustrated film is currently in pre-production. It will have a uniquely different style of animation and the content will integrate existing comics with all-new material written and produced for the illustrated-film. The actress playing Cassie Hack is nearly set, so expect cast announcements in the coming weeks.
– Black Sky is currently in development and should start pre-production shortly.
– More updates coming soon on the further developments of Medusa: Year One (pretty exciting progress with a very cool change of direction) as well as developing projects that haven’t been formally announced yet.

About The Long Knives & Godkiller: Walk Among Us

The Long Knives is a dark tale of revenge about an awol black ops team and the resilient brother and sister they should not have abducted. Written by Matt Pizzolo (Threat) and illustrated by newcomer Ana Ludeshka , The Long Knives takes place in the near future when a viral pandemic has crippled law enforcement. Amid the looting and lawlessness, a murderous gang of awol black ops are abducting children… but no one knows why. When teenage brother and sister Manny & Bird wind up in their clutches, they’ll uncover a dark conspiracy with terrifying consequences. Pizzolo and Ludeshka merged the story’s gritty realism with a Tim Burton-esque otherworldy visual style and Giallo-horror aesthetic for a uniquely realized horror adventure.

Godkiller sizzle reel from Halo-8 Entertainment on Vimeo.

Godkiller: Walk Among Us is the epic story of a boy on a quest to save his dying sister. Written by Matt Pizzolo (Threat) and illustrated by Anna Muckcracker (Lucid ), Godkiller takes place in a dark-future after economic collapse, after nuclear holy war, and after Earth is colonized by alien races. Tommy and his kid sister Lucy live in an orphanage in one of the few remaining city-states, but Lucy is critically ill and desperately in need of a new heart. Tommy’s odyssey to find a new heart for his sister begins when he follows an organ-stealing prostitute named Halfpipe out of the city-state and into the savage borderland known as Outer City.

Godkiller is a transmedia property that was created simultaneously as a comic book and as an “illustrated film” that integrates the sequential art with 3D-CGI and voice performances by Lance Henriksen (Aliens), Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), Danielle Harris (Halloween 4, 5, I, II), Nicki Clyne (Battlestar Galactica), punk icon Lydia Lunch, Justin Pierre (singer Motion City Soundtrack) and Davey Havok (singer AFI).

A recent review in Twitch described illustrated film as “a very close relative to the motion comic but with more cinematic ideals in mind. Motion comics try to bring life to existing material, illustrated films aim for an original cinematic experience through the use of illustrations. The techniques used to accomplish both visions might be quite similar, but the illustrated film is way more ambitious than the motion comic.”

Pizzolo pointed out “because our artwork is created from the outset for both comics and illustrated film, we’re not bound to any existing architecture the way a motion comic is… it’s kind of like the difference between a movie shot in 3D versus a 2D movie that gets a 3D Post Conversion.”

Recent coverage of Godkiller:

“Pizzolo sprinkles a little of everything naughty and twisted into this story and the result is an unpredictable adventure/horror/sci-fi/porno mash-up that is definitely not for kids, but it’s damn cool… The terrors and debauchery in GODKILLER have to be seen to be believed… Looked at from a distance, this is a fairy tale about a boy on a quest to save someone he cares about, but as one becomes invested in this film, it drags you through the gutter that is Outer City and relishes in the filth that goes on in its winding streets and wretched alleyways. Pizzolo’s story really pulls the reader through the shit and on the side of Tommy so we care about this adventure and root for the innocent kid to make it out of this hell alive…. Muckcracker shows a talent for both design and dramatic angles resulting in a film that sucks you in and makes you feel filthy for being there. GODKILLER is one of those stories which sticks with you long after seeing it. It’s filled with sordid fun and cracked horror. Pizzolo has a talent for both quick and heady dialogue as well as creative and fresh concepts that make this devious world of GODKILLER a place you’d want to dive into despite how dark it is.” (–Ambush Bug, Aint It Cool News)

“There are certain stories that come along every few years that challenge viewers, readers, and the world in ways almost so shockingly in your face that it is hard to process upon the first viewing. A perfect example of this would be Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE which was a sweeping narrative that encompassed many of the social issues that were plaguing the country at the time… So when I sat down to watch GODKILLER I could imagine myself being one of those critics who watched A CLOCKWORK ORANGE for the first time… GODKILLER dares to get in your face and test your best inhibitions while at the same time doing its best to make you THINK. Pizzolo is giving you a healthy dose of social commentary to go along with your bloody genre offering… a flawless piece of genre fare… a treat for fans of horror, sci-fi, comics, and animated films that is not to be missed.” (–Theo Scheresky, Bloody Disgusting)

“A horrific yarn of apocalypse, quantum physics, culture jamming & conspiracy theory.” (–Scott Thill, Wired)

“Once in a while an underground niche will burst to the surface and lay down a title that has the power to reach a wider audience. That’s exactly the kind of film Godkiller is. I loved the art style, dug the soundtrack and simply swooned at the cyberpunk storytelling. I didn’t check my watch once and I’m already looking forward to Pizzolo’s next project. I believe it’s a quality addition to regular animation and live action film that captures cinematic strengths through another layer of abstraction. Great stuff.” (–Niels Matthijs, Twitch)

“Intriguing… mixes dark visuals, graphic violence, profanity and a speed metal soundtrack into an oddly alluring post-nuclear holocaust.” (–John DeNardo, SF Signal)

“An adventure through a frightening, violent post-apocalyptic landscape.” (–Michael Gingold, Fangoria)

“Godkiller, I must say – I really am at a loss of words. Godkiller essentially stabbed me in the gut and has left me quite speechless. I’ve honestly never seen anything quite like Godkiller before. Built from the ground up, inventing as they go, Godkiller certainly is an inventive film and interesting notion. It challenges conventional cinema, both live action and animated. It also is clear that, had this been a live action film, it would have essentially been unfilmable, because I can only imagine how many laws would be broken based on the torture placed on the characters. It’s an experience in and of itself watching the film. With technology today being quite different from what it used to be in the realm of the “motion comic”, I can only imagine how much more intense the next film is going to look. And, given Pizzolo’s ideas here, how freaking disturbing it’ll be. To summarize, Godkiller: Walk Among Us is a disgusting and filthy good time. It will push your limits for conventional cinema as well as your tolerance levels for gore and things of the dark nature. Watch at your own risk.” (–Matthew Meylikhov, Multiversity Comics)