I’m not sure if this is the craziest cross-promotion I’ve ever seen, but it is likely the tastiest. In a move that it certain to give readers comfort after their much decried buyout and unceremonious exit of their former CEO, Valiant is teaming up with a doughnut shop to promote the launch of their latest Shadowman comic. I mean, doughnuts are a delicious snack. Easy to grasp with one hand, they are perfect for consumption alongside a comic. To be fair, this is probably the perfect match in terms of doughnut shop and comic book, thanks to the partnership with Portland-based Voodoo Doughnut. Maybe they could’ve partnered up with one of New Orleans’ great doughnut shops (or even the famous Cafe Du Monde), but none of them have a name that’s quite as on-the-nose.
Here’s the full press release.
ComicsPRO 2018: Valiant and Voodoo Doughnut Unveil Exclusive Collaboration in Celebration of SHADOWMAN #1 – In Stores March 28th!
Valiant Entertainment is proud to announce a new collaboration with the world-famous Voodoo Doughnut in honor of Shadowman – Valiant’s voodoo-powered hero, returning to comic shops worldwide on March 28th in SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – that will be made available exclusively to retailers attending the ComicsPRO 2018 Annual Membership Meeting in Portland, Oregon.
Custom designed by Voodoo’s renowned team of sugar-inspired artisans, attending retailers will have their choice of two exclusive Shadowman specialties, each adorned with a hand-piped rendition of the character’s iconic mask – chocolate on a vanilla frosted doughnut filled with chocolate Bavarian cream, or vanilla on a chocolate frosted doughnut filled with raspberry jelly – during Valiant’s annual ComicsPRO presentation on Friday, February 23rd.
The first-of-its-kind collaboration between Valiant and Voodoo Doughnut will debut just weeks before the release of SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – the first issue of the powerful new ongoing series from superstar writer Andy Diggle (Green Arrow: Year One) and explosive artist Stephen Segovia (Action Comics). In the epic tradition of X-O MANOWAR and BLOODSHOT REBORN, a staggering new beginning for Valiant’s supernatural icon starts here on March 28th with PART ONE of “FEAR OF THE DARK” – a tense and gripping three-issue introduction pushing Jack Boniface to the farthest edge of fear itself…and into a startling, adrenaline-fueled fight for survival as Shadowman takes command of the birthright he was born to uphold!
Don’t fear your demons… Fight them! Orphaned as a child and raised on the margins of society, Jack Boniface never knew his place in the world. Until he discovered it waiting for him…in a darkness far older than the reign of men…
Unbeknownst to him, Jack was fated to become the next in a long lineage of Shadowmen – mortals bound to violent voodoo spirits of immense power – that could safeguard our world against incursions from realms beyond. For years, he struggled to control the loa’s murderous urges – a battle he eventually lost.
But now, after years of self-imposed exile, the man once known as Shadowman is returning home to sharpen the weapon within…and unleash a reckoning on the evils of our world that will soon send shockwaves through heaven and hell alike…
On March 28th, “FEAR OF THE DARK” grips the Valiant Universe with the must-read first issue of 2018 as high-octane storytellers Andy Diggle and Stephen Segovia present a stunning introduction in SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – featuring covers by Tonci Zonjic (Who is Jake Ellis?), Renato Guedes (BLOODSHOT SALVATION, Wolverine), Juan José Ryp (BRITANNIA), and Travel Foreman (Animal Man, The Ultimates)!
From his first appearance in 1992 onward, Shadowman has stood at the forefront of Valiant’s shared superhero universe, with sales of more than 5.5 million in comics and graphic novels. Shadowman was also the basis of a blockbuster video game franchise from Acclaim Entertainment, and, in 2017, it was announced that Oscar nominee Reginald Hudlin (Marshall) would direct the upcoming Shadowman feature film from a script by screenwriters Adam Simon (Salem) and J. Michael Straczynski (Thor, World War Z).
The ComicsPRO Annual Membership Meeting brings together many segments of the comic book industry with the goal of working together to improve the sales and the profile of comic books. Many retailers, publishers, distributors and other vendors consider the ComicsPRO Annual Membership Meeting to be the most useful and productive retail-vendor interaction in the industry. ComicsPRO AMM attendees put an emphasis on professional and courteous discourse between every industry segment.
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About Valiant Entertainment:
Valiant Entertainment is a leading character-based entertainment company that owns and controls the largest independent superhero universe in comics. With more than 80 million issues sold and a library of over 2,000 characters, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman, Archer & Armstrong, and many more, Valiant is one of the most successful publishers in the history of the comic book medium. Today, the company’s characters continue to be forged in publishing, licensing, film, video games, and beyond. Valiant consistently produces some of the most critically acclaimed comics in the industry and has received numerous industry awards and accolades, including a Diamond Gem Award for Comic Book Publisher of the Year. Valiant also recently announced a multi-picture deal to bring Bloodshot and Harbinger to the big screen as feature films. Visit them online at ValiantEntertainment.com.
About Voodoo Doughnut:Voodoo Doughnut is the exciting brand branching out from Portland, Oregon. Creators of the Bacon Maple Bar, Portland Cream and Memphis Mafia, Voodoo has taken the world by storm. With their crazy concoctions, their kooky co-founders have taken the classic doughnut shop and taken it to a whole new level. Cat Daddy and Tres built their “little doughnut shop that could,” into a dynamic fun zone in front of and behind the counter, with locations in Oregon, Colorado, Texas, California and their latest pastry palace to open this spring on the Citywalk at Universal Studios, Orlando.
Oh, and here’s a preview of the upcoming Shadowman #1 from Andy Diggle (Daredevil, The Losers) and Stephen Segovia (Ninjak, Action Comics).
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Cover A by Tonci Zonjic
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Interior Art by Stephen Segovia with Ulises Arreola
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Interior Art by Stephen Segovia with Ulises Arreola
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Interior Art by Stephen Segovia with Ulises Arreola
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Interior Art by Stephen Segovia with Ulises Arreola
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Interior Art by Stephen Segovia with Ulises Arreola
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Interior Art by Stephen Segovia with Ulises Arreola
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Interior Art by Stephen Segovia with Ulises Arreola
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Interior Art by Stephen Segovia with Ulises Arreola
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Interior Art by Stephen Segovia with Ulises Arreola
SHADOWMAN (2018) #1 – Interior Art by Stephen Segovia with Ulises Arreola