Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: June 2024, scout comics, solicts

Latest From Scout Comics, Creators & Investors On Handling Bad Press

Recently Bleeding Cool reported on problems being faced by Scout Comics and upset comic book creators. There have now been developments.

Recently Bleeding Cool reported on problems being faced by Scout Comics and a number of upset comic book creators. They had been trying to get the rights to their comic books back, without success, after a diverse set of publishing concerns. Previously Scout Comics told Bleeding Cool that they were "in the process of reaching out to every active creator and discussing our vision and plan for their title, along with any outstanding issues/problems and ways forward." And there is definite evidence that this has been happening

Comic creator Matthew Erman posted "LONG LOST, @lisa_sterle  and I's breakout comic, is no longer a SCOUT COMICS title as of today after we mutually agreed to part ways and terminate the publishing contract." Louis Southard posted "I am very happy to announce that the publishing and multimedia rights of the MIDNIGHT WESTERN THEATRE series have been returned to me. Here are some unrelated panels from the book. Here's to a happy ending!" Dakota Brown told me "Scout is sending me a termination notice for Toymaker. It seems that anybody who tweeted about it may be getting the same" and then "Termination agreement signed on both sides!" I understand the seroes may now be picked up by Magma Comix. And Peter Goral of Phantom Starkiller and Count Draco told me "Trent is supposedly drafting up a termination agreement for both my publishing and multimedia rights".

I am aware that Lesa Miller Chief Operating Officer of Scout Comics told Christian Dibari, Kiyarn Taghan that their general counsel would forward a draft termination agreement but wanted to know if they wanted Scout to continue selling the back stock and send royalty payments or split it in two, with each able to do what they wish with it. They replied saying they were happy with Scout keeping the stack, just that they wanted the contacts for Provenance Of Madness and Tales Told In Techno-Horror terminated.

Comic book retailers have also been told that previously solicited books from Scout Comics will be cancelled. The ones listed in the new Diamond Previews and Lunar are still valid, but James Haick of Scout Comics tells me "We are resoliciting a lot of titles and doing a big relaunch in July. We will still have a few titles coming out before then though."

Lesa Miller told Bleeding Cool "We do not have any comment on the comments of creators we worked with and have since parted ways with. We have finalized our separation agreement with Pete Goral amicably. Scout has responded to everyone who reached out and we have resolved most of the issues brought to our attention. Whatever issues remain outstanding, we continue to seek resolution. As before, we encourage any of our creators to contact me personally with any concerns.  lesa.miller@scoutcomics.com"

But what of Steven Gagnon, co-CEO of Element Media Group, now investing in Scout Comics, ahead of a relaunch with Dark Harbor Comics in July? Element Media Group was founded in 2012, by Gagnon whose family owned a string of marinas up and down the east coast, and he graduated college with a degree in Marine Biology, worked with Underwater Contractors as a Project Supervisor and is also gearing up for the launch of Element Sports Group, for which Steven Gagnon is also an acting Co-CEO. and was formerly President of the sports group of Madison Sports and Entertainment Group, and worked as a supervisor in the offshore oil and construction industry for International Underwater Contractors.

His website is stevengagnonelementmediagroup.net which states that "The company acquires, develops, finances, produces, and distributes film, television, and Broadway shows. With many great titles on the way, Steven Gagnon anticipates their entrance into the marketplace will create a splash… Unlike other entertainment companies, Element Media Group is becoming an aggressive global studio. Some of the talent they have acquired and work with are at the top of the industry, enjoying the freedom Element Media Group offers them. Steven and his team do not believe in micromanagement, which allows the talent opportunities to decide where they want to go with their career… In the current era of entertainment, Steven Gagnon believes he and Element Media group are well-positioned to take the industry by storm. He understands that there will be a big shift from linear entertainment to digital regarding the way people console media. Devices are the name of the game anymore, and while he doesn't see theatres going anywhere anytime soon, he believes the future of the industry will cater to devices. What's more, Steven has prioritized migrating more exposure to local content through sophisticated platforms, opening the door for localized talent to shine and gain an audience."

However Gagnon doesn't list any of these movies, TV or Broadway shows on his site, and I haven't found any announced that have been produced under his name or the Element Media Group, or promoted on his social media. His website does however have an article titled How To Handle Bad Press In The Film Industry. Which recommends "if you have an error that needs to be rectified, be sure to unveil your plan of action publicly. Doing so can help prevent the negative impact from damaging your brand. One of the essential factors you can consider when building a solid relationship with the media is being responsive to negative press."

You know what? Scout Comics has been very responsive. Though enquiries made to Element Media Group were not replied to. Here are the newly corrected solicitations for Scout Comics for June 2024.

Scout Comics June 2024 updated solicitations

ACTION TANK VOLUME 1 SCOOT COLLECTOR'S PACK ISSUE 1 AND COMPLETE TRADE PAPERBACK TPB & 1 COMBO $14.99
Mike Barry
A NONSTOP/SCOOT collector's pack! This beautifully designed hangable package (measures 8.5 x 12.75) includes a collectible first issue (bagged and boarded) and the complete trade paperback! A young boy wakes up to find himself on the other side of the solar system! If he wants to get home in time for his mom's spaghetti carbonara, he must rely on his brains, his courage and the advice of a mysterious talking unicorn guy. As the epic journey unfolds, the boy discovers he's been drafted into the Intergalactic Space Trooper Squadron and that he now controls the most powerful piece of technology in the universe… The Action Tank!. 6/12/2024

BLACK DEMON TALES: DESCENT #3 $4.99
Veronique Medrano, Armando Zanker
When the international corporation Nixon-Ivo comes into the small fishing town of X to create a "shrimp farm," they snatch up workers and slowly shut other boats out of business. Juan and Xavier de los Ángeles go out on one last desperate trip and stumble upon a new kind of shrimp that they believe will give them an edge. But even as they are caught in the crosshairs of a hurricane, they witness a massacre on the seas. For the company isn't just running other shrimpers out of business: they are also murdering their competition. As if summoned by this spilled blood and corporate greed, the Black Demon emerges. Can a family survive a hurricane of mythical proportions that seems bent on altering the landscape of a small coastal town? 6/19/2024

BLADE IN THE DARK #5 $4.99
Morgan Quaid. Willi Roberts
FINAL ISSUE! Caught under the charms of the demon Masuku, Rook and his sister venture into the halls of Magnus, the defeated god. Revived by the water goddess, Goblin attempts to rescue his friend while Rook and his sister are forced into a reckoning. Masuku seeks to use the blood of the slain gods to accomplish some dark plan, and only two mortals and a trickster stand against him.! 6/5/2024

CLAIRE AND THE DRAGONS SCOOT COLLECTOR'S PACK ISSUE 1 AND COMPLETE TRADE PAPERBACKE TPB & 1 COMBO $14.99
Wander Atunes
A NONSTOP/SCOOT collector's pack! This beautifully designed hangable package (measures 8.5 x 12.75) includes a collectible first issue (bagged and boarded) and the complete trade paperback! Claire is a young girl, tough-minded and independent. She isn't afraid to explore her world—which is how she encountered the old hermit Lontar. That crazy old coot is inspired by a supernatural revelation he had many years ago. He believes that if he leaves a cave where he has lived for many years, the world will be invaded by dragons. He is convinced that he must remain in self-imposed exile until the emergence of a true hero, someone who is capable of leading humanity in the fight against these terrible creatures. Treated as if he were crazy by the local villagers, he relies on Claire to provide for his needs. However, Claire has not yet realized that Lontar believes that she is the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy! 6/19/2024

GIRRION – CLASSIC COMIC TAG TPB $6.99
Tom Lintern
Making digital comics collectible! This plastic collectible card that contains a PDF of the complete GIRRION graphic novel! Collects all 9 issues! Girrion is a sweeping sci-fi fantasy story of a hero's journey in a distant time and world, in a realm called Gania inhabited by peaceful creatures known as the Gunflins. For centuries they have learned to harness the power of varied and ancient technologies from their violent past. The saga is told through the eyes of Jarra, a poor factory worker who dreams of escaping his world of endless toil, until one day his deepest wish comes true, though not in a way he would have ever wanted, when his city is attacked by a dark entity called the Halodron. He manages to escape the conflict, but only to be thrust into a war of other-worldly magic and weaponry. Collects the nine issue series. 6/5/2024

JOYLESS – SCOUT PREMIERE PREVIEW $3.99
Jocelyn Manns, Ryan Manns. Emanuele Simoncini
Jane Joyless, the galaxy's most dangerous criminal, is pursued across the stars by Vin, a devastatingly handsome bounty hunter she's hopelessly in love with. Both were victims of a new kind of crime: the theft of memories. He thinks she's wronged him and is out for revenge, but Jane's searching for the truth about their relationship, and her own mysterious past. Originally written for the screen by award-winning sibling writing duo, Ryan and Jocelyn Manns. 6/19/2024

SAM AND HIS TALKING GUN SCOUT LEGACY COLLECTOR'S PACK ISSUE 1 AND COMPLETE TRADE PAPERBACK TPB & 1 COMBO $19.99
Drew Ferguson, Lee Ferguson
A Scout Legacy collector's pack! This beautifully designed hangable package (measures 8.5 x 12.75) includes a collectible first issue (bagged and boarded) and the complete trade paperback! Sam stands in a room full of bodies, blood, and broken things. There is only one thing on his mind, there is only one thing that matters – Colt. His brother, by choice, not blood. Colt, the one who put a bullet through the only other person Sam cared about. The one who broke Sam's mind… and left the shattered pieces in a locked room. But now, Sam is back. He has his talking Gun. And no matter the cost, no matter the consequence – Colt has to pay. 6/26/2024

SHEPHERD VOLUME ONE CLASSIC COMIC TAG TPB $6.99
Andrea L. Molinari, Roberto X. Molinari. Luca Panciroli, Ryan Showers, David Mack
Making digital comics collectible! This plastic collectible card that contains a PDF of the complete THE SHEPHERD – VOLUME 1 graphic novel! Collects all 5 issues! After Professor Lawrence Miller's teenage son Val's tragic death, he cannot shake the sense that his son's soul is lost and wandering between heaven and earth. Grief-stricken, Lawrence has become convinced he can rescue his son, but at what cost? What lengths will Lawrence go to in this supernatural thriller from the father/son writing team or Andrea Lorenzo Molinari and Xavier Roberto Molinari. 6/12/2024

SHEPHERD VOLUME TWO PATH OF SOULS CLASSIC COMIC TAG TPB $6.99
Andrea L. Molinari, Roberto X. Molinari, Jess Hara, Kyle Huston, Riccardo Burchielli
Making digital comics collectible! This plastic collectible card that contains a PDF of the complete THE SHEPHERD – VOLUME 2 – PATH OF SOULS graphic novel! Collects all 6 issues! In life, Dr. Lawrence Miller, aka, The Shepherd, was a husband, father, and professor. In the wake of a terrible family tragedy, he now wanders the "Seam," that ever-shifting place between this world and whatever comes next, helping other troubled souls, guiding and restoring them. The Shepherd happens upon a very unusual district in the Seam, a "hospital" for souls who have died in combat. Here warriors of all cultures and eras gather. These lost souls are locked in ever-repeating cycles of violence and trauma. They are still fighting the battles that claimed their lives, struggling against the specters of unresolved fears, broken hopes, and shattered dreams. 6/12/2024

THIRTEEN ORIGINS: GILA GIRL #1 $4.99
Henry Barajas, Salomée Luce-Antoinette
CHISPA: The Thirteen Origins is a series of one-shot origin stories for the members of The Thirteen, a group of Mexicans and Mexican Americans who discover they are chispas, able to wield impossible powers. Angela Garay has always followed in her mother's shadow, helping her with costuming and stagecraft at their local playhouse. She tries to stand up for what's right with the support and backing of her mother, protecting vulnerable members of society. But when Angela suddenly gains the abilities of a lizard in the middle of a protest, she is thrust into the position of having no footsteps to follow in. 6/19/2024

TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO FLOGORIA #1-#6 COMPLETE SET 1-6 $39.99
Sam Moore
This beautifully designed hangable package (measures 8.5 x 12.75) includes all three issues (bagged and boarded) of the hit Scout series, TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO FLOGORIA! HITCHERHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY meets CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY with a hint of STARGATE! After a freak work accident involving a fishing boat, a supposedly non-existent sea creature, and an interdimensional gateway, anxiety-addled Harry Blandford finds himself stranded on the far-off world of Flogoria. Can he survive long enough to find a way back home? Flogoria shocks Harry out of his comfort zone. He can no longer just blend in with the crowd. He's exotic, a weirdo, an actual alien! The people he interacts with aren't just passing acquaintances. His foes are trying to hunt him down, and his allies see him as their only hope. Whether they're friends or enemies, Harry has become a key part of their lives. Allocations may apply. 6/12/202

Missing from the previous solicits are the following: Forever Maps Legacy Edition #1 by Michael Lagace and Todor Hristov, Mare Hollow TPB by Jake Tacito, Mitch #6 by Maxim Simic, Once Our Land Scout Legacy Edition #1 by Peter Ricq, Pulp Bytes Nonstop Collector Pack by Pat Higgins, Sudden Death TPB by Alexander Banks-Jongman and Robert Ahmad, Girrion TPB Comic Tag Card by Tom Lintern, Rogues #4 by El Torres and Pablo Moreno Collar, Roman Ritual #3 by El Torres and Jaime Martinez.

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