Posted in: Boom, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News | Tagged: mickey mouse, steamboat willie, Uncanny Valley

Boom Studios Reveals Mickey Mouse Is Central To Uncanny Valley

Boom Studios and Tony Fleecs plan a secret cover reveal for Uncanny Valley #6 with a Steamboat Willie/Mickey Mouse variant cover.

As Bleeding Cool previously reported, Stray Dogs and Feral creator Tony Fleecs homaged Todd McFarlane and Dave Sim's iconic Spawn #10 cover for his new series with co-creator Dave Wachter, Uncanny Valley. We speculated that this might be the most sought after variant on the series… but that changed based on the new information we learned today. Because ahead of the first issue's FOC this coming Monday and in a move reminiscent of Robert Kirkman's Energon Universe, Boom Studios and Fleecs let retailers in on a secret reveal variant on Thursday. And just like Kirkman's Void Rivals and Transformers reveals, Bleeding Cool caught wind of it, but unlike Skybound, Fleecs and Boom didn't ask retailers to #KeepTheSecret. So we aren't.

Surprisingly, this secret reveal variant isn't on issue #1, which as we previously stated, is FOCing on Monday… it's on issue #6. But the one-per-store cover can only be unlocked by stores that order at least 20 copies each of Uncanny Valley issues #1-5. Why? Because according to Boom and Fleecs (and Arsenal Comics owner Timmy Heague, who is also pushing this initiative to his fellow retailers), the incentive is intended to reward stores that support the entire Uncanny Valley story. And the pot of gold at the end of that proverbial rainbow is a one-per-store variant that will be the only one to feature the TRUE identity of the series villain.

And based on what I've seen, it's a variant cover that is sure to get readers… and collectors talking this fall. Why? Let's just say that Boom is following in Image's footsteps when it comes to leveraging a certain public domain icon. Steamboat Willie, the first appearance of Mickey Mouse, now out of trademark. You know, once upon a time Boom, used to license comics from Disney, including Mickey Mouse comics. Will this mean they won't be allowed to again? And will Boom be doing the same with Batman in ten years time?

Boom's even making it easier for retailers to up their orders on issue #1 by adding a blank sketch cover ahead of FOC as well, but this is almost certainly guaranteed to be the rarest cover of the entire series. And since more retailers read Bleeding Cool than the countless emails they get from publishers, consider this a public service announcement.

This is what was said in a recent retailer email from Timmy Heague, leaked to Bleeding Cool;

FOC is this Monday March 18th! It's also the first week of titles to be on FOC from BOOM that will have the new freight rebates. Think Percy Jackson meets Roger Rabbit. Series Artist Dave Wachter truly knocks it out the park with the artwork that brings the real world face to face with living cartoon characters. This ongoing series has a villain introduced in issue two that's full origin is revealed in issue six.

Our goal is to always put the direct market first and do everything and anything that services retailers the best. Pictured here is what Tony and I have cooked up for Uncanny Valley to further support this title in your stores!

Like Tony's previous smash hit Stray Dogs, this must-read series pays off the most for fans who read the entire series. So we've cooked up a new incentive intended to reward the retailers who support the series in its entirety, not just issue #1. If you order 20 copies each (any combination of covers, net of returns) of UNCANNY VALLEY #1 – #5, you will unlock a ONE-PER-STORE variant of issue #6. This cover will be the ONLY cover appearance of the true identity of the series' villain. The villain's identity and cover artist shall remain a mystery for now, but suffice to say this iconic nearly-century-old silhouette "started it all!"

We also added a blank sketch cover to issue #1 which we think will be a fun purchase for fans wanting to draw *REDACTED* on a copy of Uncanny Valley!

While we want to keep this big reveal secret, we wanted to follow suit from recent comic book successes like Skybound's Energon Universe where retailers were let in on the secret that was Transformers being in Void Rivals #1. Our success is your success and vice versa and we cannot wait to explore the world of Uncanny Valley with you!

UNCANNY VALLEY #1 (OF 6) CVR A WACHTER
BOOM! STUDIOS
FEB240016
(W) Tony Fleecs (A/CA) Dave Wachter
Oliver is a seemingly typical 12 year old boy… except for a mysterious family history that seems to start and end with his mother, and unexplainable powers, that is. He can do things other boys can't, to the point of landing him in some trouble. Baffled by the surreal cartoonish nature of his abilities and followed by a murder of peculiar crows, the mystery behind Oliver's family history finally unfolds! Written by fan-favorite writer Tony Fleecs (Stray Dogs, Local Man) and illustrated by acclaimed artist Dave Wachter (Punisher, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), discover what makes Oliver special and strange as he searches for his place in the world.In Shops: Apr 10, 2024 SRP: $4.99

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