( ENSPIRE News ) Charlamagne Tha God Amplifies Black Narratives In New Superhero Comic
ENSPIRE Contributor: Megan Grosfeld
On April 13, 2022 multimedia mogul and best-selling author Lenard “Charlamagne tha God” Mckelvey, announced the expansion of his media empire with plans to develop new lines of graphic novels and comic books series. Charlamagne tha God has tapped renowned creator and comic book professional Kevin Grevioux as a writer for an original graphic novel project, Darkstorm, to be released under Charlamagne’s Black Privilege Publishing, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Charlamagne and Grevioux partnered with AWA Studios, the independent developer of relevant stories from the world’s most outstanding artists, writers, and artisans, to develop original comic book series.
“If you know anything about me, then you know how much I love comics. I’m the guy who got Wolverine holding a microphone tattooed on his arm when he was 17 because of my love of comics. Partnering with Kevin Grevioux to present this new universe, filled with Black and Brown GOD-level superheroes is a dream come true. A lot of the black superheroes I loved growing up were street level, and that’s cool but I want to see Omega level superheroes that look like me and the people around me and that’s exactly what we are giving you with Darkstorm and The Vindicators,” said Charlamagne.
“I am blessed and excited to continue the important work with my Black Privilege imprint on Simon & Schuster and begin partnerships with comic book veterans like Bill Jemas, Axel Alonso, and the whole team at AWA Studios. It’s collaborations like this that help to build an empire and I’m grateful to have found good ones.”
Charlamagne and Grevioux are developing original IP to be brought to life as graphic novels and comics. Grevioux is a seasoned entertainment professional with decades of experience as a creator, screenwriter, producer, director, actor, and comic book professional. A graduate of Howard University, he is best known for the creation of the Underworld film franchise and recently made his directorial debut with his screenplay King of Killers based on his graphic novel. With experience writing for both Marvel and DC Comics, Grevioux brings a multitude of expertise to the partnership.
Grevioux commented, “I feel blessed to be working with a guy that is as successful as Charlamagne, a one-of-a-kind cultural icon with global reach. He also has an incredible genre IQ for science fiction, comics, and fantasy. So, I truly believe that he is the absolute perfect partner for these ventures. The world’s really not ready for what we have in store.”
The first project from Charlamagne and Grevioux will be a signature superhero epic series, Darkstorm, to be published by Charlamagne’s Imprint, Black Privilege Publishing. The graphic novel, featuring art by Ken Lashley, will chronicle the tales of a PTSD-laden and reluctant superhero that is projected as an anti-hero except to those that know him best. The stories told in this project will reflect Black Privilege Publishing’s mission to amplify Black and brown narratives.
Lashley added, “When you get the opportunity to work on some great characters you jump at the chance. l am drawn to strong characters of color, and there are not many in mainstream comics, but Darkstorm is just that. It’s also created by Kevin Grevioux who is a very talented writer and created another powerful character in The Blue Marvel, so it’s a win-win… it’s very exciting.”
Besides the Black Privilege graphic novel series, Charlamagne has finalized a deal with AWA Studios–the growing comic entertainment company founded by former Marvel executives Bill Jemas and Axel Alonso– to develop original comic book series. The first series in development is entitled The Vindicators, which presents a unique and stimulating take on a diverse superhero team, with a realistic origin basis that is relatable even against the backdrop of a dystopian future.
AWA CEO Bill Jemas commented, “Charlamagne Tha God is one of the most compelling voices in culture today. His passion for comics was abundantly clear when we met him. But what truly blew us away was his handle on comic storytelling. We look forward to working with him and bringing his amazing concepts and vision to life starting with The Vindicators.”
More details on these exciting upcoming projects will be announced soon.
About Charlamagne tha God
Lenard “Charlamagne tha God” McKelvey is a multimedia mogul, Radio Hall of Fame inductee, and best-selling author. With nearly two decades at the pulse of culture in TV and Radio, he serves many roles as a co-host of The Breakfast Club, which drives millions of listeners daily, host of Tha God’s Honest Truth, a late-night show on Comedy Central he co-created with Stephen Colbert, and an executive producer for numerous television and film projects.
Continuously growing his media empire, Charlamagne has established several partnerships including The Black Effect Podcast Network with IHeartMedia; SBH Productions, his scripted audio company with renowned comedian, actor, and writer, Kevin Hart & Audible; and Black Privilege Publishing, his publishing imprint at Simon & Schuster. He is also the author of The New York Times Best Seller Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It and the nationally best-selling book, Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me.
Because of his deep passion for mental health, especially in the Black community, Charlamagne founded the Mental Wealth Alliance, a forward-thinking foundation created to destigmatize, accelerate, and provide mental health outreach and care across the U.S. while building an unprecedented long-term system of generational support for Black communities.
For more information on Charlamage click here
About Kevin Grevioux
Kevin Grevioux is a creator, screenwriter, producer, director, actor, and comic book professional with decades of experience. Similar to many other successful industry figures, Grevioux is a Howard University Graduate. He is most known for the creation of the Underworld franchise and acting in the same as fan-favorite Raze. Recently, Grevioux has been busy with his directorial debut of his screenplay King of Killers based on his graphic novel starring Alain Moussi, Frank Grillo, and Stephen Dorff. Grevioux is both a Marvel and DC Comics writer on Spider-Man, Blade, Iron Man, Batman, Superman, and Blue Marvel which he created for Marvel.
For more information on Kevin Grevioux click here
About Black Privilege Publishing
Black Privileged Publishing is an imprint under Simon & Schuster in partnership with bestselling author Charlamagne tha God. Black Privilege Publishing focuses on opening new doors in the publishing marketplace by amplifying Black and brown narratives, rethinking traditional approaches to the industry, and engaging with the audiences Charlamagne knows best: Cutting-edge, connected, and culturally aware. Charlamagne started Black Privilege Publishing to be a safe place where Black voices tell their unapologetically Black stories—with freedom, bandwidth, and power.
To learn more about Simon & Schuster’s Black Privileged Publishing visit here
About AWA Studios
AWA was founded by former Marvel executives Bill Jemas and Axel Alonso and is chaired by Jon Miller. The company is backed by Lupa Systems, Sister, and Lightspeed. Armed with critically-acclaimed graphic fiction in a generation, AWA has established itself as an industry leader in terms of its relationship with artists and writers by providing creators the freedom, incentive structure, and editorial support to pursue their boldest, most original, and socially relevant work. AWA assembled a lineup of the world’s most renowned comic book talent, including such creators as J. Michael Straczynski, Frank Cho, Garth Ennis, Mike Deodato Jr., Christa Faust, and many more. With the formation of AWA’s Film & TV Studios, the company is building a distinct array of new cutting-edge film and TV projects grounded in its growing library of groundbreaking stories. Managed by Hollywood veteran Zach Studin, AWA’s film & TV branch recently announced its first project, Chariot, an event feature film, based on the AWA graphic novel by Bryan Edward Hill. Warner Bros. secured this project after competitive bidding for Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) to direct, with 21 Laps producing.
For more information on AWA visit here
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