Comic-Con 2011: Three Creators Join Frank Miller at Legendary Comics

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Creators Paul Pope, Matt Wagner and Simon Bisley are joining Frank Miller to work on books for Legendary Comics, the comic book imprint of Legendary Pictures.

The artists were on hand for the announcement at Legendary’s panel at the Indigo Ballroom Saturday at Comic-Con, along with the line’s editor, comics veteran Bob Schreck and Miller, the creator of Sin City and 300.

Wagner is writing The Tower Chronicles, which will act as the signature book of the imprint. Bisley, a British artist known more for his painted covers, is working on the interior art.

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Tower revolves around a supernatural bounty hunter named John Tower who “is as mysterious as the adventures he goes on,” Wagner said. The character is to be the imprint’s iconic hero.

On the Pope side, Legendary will reissue a revamped version of the artist’s out-of-print art book titled PulpHope, stripping away 100 pages and throwing in 100 new ones incorporating work Pope has done in the music, toy and clothing spheres, as well as other material. That book is looking at a winter release.

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The news came on top of focusing on Miller’s upcoming graphic novel, Holy Terror, which is the imprint’s inaugural work.

Schreck said part of his mandate in searching for artists came from Legendary CEO Thomas Tull telling him he wanted writers and artists “who wouldn’t be afraid to tell me I’m full of crap.”

Without a good character, “it’s a waste of time,” he said. “It’s noise and aggrevation. We want to put out really good stories and be on the cutting edge.”

He also said the books would be available digitally, putting the company among the growing ranks of publishers who are making that push.