March 26, 2018: American Mythology, the Maryland-based publisher of comic books and graphic novels, is proud to spearhead a bold new era for fantasy and adventure with “Fear on Four Worlds,” an epic event that unites the iconic heroes of literary great Edgar Rice Burroughs into a shared comic book universe! Beginning with the special one-shot Carson of Venus #1 in June, the four-part “Fear on Four Worlds” storyline will continue across additional special issues in the ensuing months: Moon Maid #1, Pellucidar #1, and The Land That Time Forgot #1, and the aftershocks of this cataclysmic event will ripple through individual miniseries throughout 2018 and beyond!
The first chapter of “Fear on Four Worlds” premieres with Carson of Venus #1, written by the talented Christopher Mills (Gravedigger, Femme Noir) and debuting the gorgeous art style of newcomer Cyrus Mesarcia. Two worlds collide as a group of unlikely explorers from Caspak – the prehistoric realm known to Burroughs fans as “The Land that Time Forgot” – leap across our solar system to the danger-fraught landscape of Venus. Stalked by alien beasts and treacherous villains, their only hope for survival lies in a legendary figure from eighty years in Earth’s past: long-lost astronaut Carson Napier!
“I first discovered Edgar Rice Burroughs in elementary school when I borrowed a copy of Swords of Mars from the bookmobile. Burroughs’ unbridled imagination really inspired me then, and still does today,” says Christopher Mills. “When I was offered the Carson of Venus and The Moon Maid writing gigs, I was thrilled! I never thought that I’d get the opportunity to play around in ERB’s sandbox, and the prospect of doing so was exhilarating, as his works have influenced my own work to a great extent over the years. In re-reading and researching the novels in preparation for writing the comics, I was once again struck by Burroughs’ incredible imagination and pure skill as a storyteller. The man was a genius, and his creations just keep on finding new audiences even after a century in print.”
Mike Wolfer, editor-in-chief of American Mythology, says, “When looking at all four Edgar Rice Burroughs properties, one of the first things that we discussed was how to combine them all into one shared universe. I personally enjoyed the Marvel Universe back in the ’70s because of the cohesion. I loved that every once in a while one superhero would wander through the book of another hero; there were cameos, and small events in one series could have major ramifications in a totally unrelated series months or even years later. And that’s what we want to do with our ERB Universe.”
The debut issue of Carson of Venus features a wide selection of cover variants, providing fans and retailers with the freedom of choice:
- “Pulptastic” Main Cover by Mike Wolfer (Lady Death, Friday the 13th)
- “Visions of Venus” Variant by interior artist Cyrus Mesarcia
- “Character Design” Limited Edition Variant, also by Mesarcia, limited to a print run of only 350 comics
- “Blank Sketch” Variant, perfect for professional and aspiring artists to illustrate
Carson Napier, the protagonist of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Venus Series, debuted in 1934’s Pirates of Venus as an ambitious rocket pilot intent on reaching Mars, but due to a miscalculation, his ship hurtled out of control. His trajectory drawing him towards the Sun, Napier survived by crash-landing on the cloud-enshrouded planet Venus. Marooned and forever barred from returning to Earth, he quickly found himself in the midst of an alien war for dominance, a reluctant hero facing monsters, winged men, and atomic-powered barbarians.
American Mythology’s revival of Carson Napier as a 21st Century hero (and the cornerstone of their Burroughs-inspired science fiction universe) marks a bold new era for the publisher, as they make time-honored concepts of star-spanning fantasy accessible to curious newcomers while simultaneously rewarding lifelong fans with an expansion that both respects and modernizes iconic characters. “Fear on Four Worlds” is a perfect jumping-on point for new readers, an initiative guaranteed to deliver innovative, captivating storytelling month after month.
Regarding the logistics of the crossover, Mike Wolfer says, “We’re dealing with the planet Venus, the Earth’s moon, the island continent of Caspak, and Pellucidar, at the Earth’s core. Also, each of the novels that our licenses are based upon were set in different time periods in Earth’s history. But then I thought of the very premise of our first ERB series, The Land That Time Forgot, and the answer was right in front of us. In Land, we’ve shown that there is an invisible time barrier around the continent of Caspak that not only hides it from the rest of the world, but also separates it from present time – it is, indeed, a land that time forgot. Our modern day characters passed through that veil, and found themselves on Caspak at the time that heroes Bowen Tyler and Lys La Rue were still trapped there (the time period seen in the first Caspak novel). What we’re doing in ‘Fear on Four Worlds’ is expanding that premise; traveling back through that veil will not necessarily transport you to the time from when you came, or the place, and we’ll see Abby Tyler and Ethan Bradley attempt just that, which thrusts them into a solar system-spanning adventure that’s both thrilling and horrifying.”
American Mythology’s line of Carson of Venus, Moon Maid, Pellucidar, and The Land That Time Forgot titles are officially licensed from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Comic book fans and ERB enthusiasts are no stranger to seeing Burroughs’ iconic heroes in four-color adventures, courtesy of the bestselling Warlord of Mars and Dejah Thoris series currently in print. In offering an expanded universe of titles to the Burroughs mythos, American Mythology is proud to build upon the successes of recent years and entice new sci-fi fantasy audiences to the comic market.
The Carson of Venus #1, debuting “Fear on Four Worlds”, will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ April 2018 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in June. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies with their local comic book retailers.
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