October 6, 2006

Following up on Alias' Move with Mike S. Miller
by Rik Offenberger

News broke yesterday about Alias Comics becoming a Christian only publishing company. Newsarama caught up with Alias' Mike S. Miller to find out which titles will continue and which titles will be looking for new publishers. Also Mike let's us know about his own future plans.

Newsarama: To start off with, and just so we have the naming correct - are you doing away with Alias and only publishing under the name Cross Culture Entertainment?

Mike S. Miller: No, we're maintaining Alias as a brand and a company, and may well do away with Cross Culture as an imprint, since we will no longer need a Christian imprint if we are a Christian publisher.

NRAMA: Will your Christian comics be sold in the direct market as well?

MSM: Yes. Whether by Alias, or by the publishers for which Alias is producing work, the direct market will still be a target market we intend to reach.

NRAMA: Are items sold in Christian Book Stores returnable like the newsstand or final sales like the direct market?

MSM: Christian bookstores, I believe, operate on a returnable basis much like secular bookstores.

NRAMA: Which titles will no longer be published by Alias/Cross Culture and what titles are continuing?

MSM: Alias will continue to publish books like Daniel, David: The Shepherd's Song, David's Mighty Men, Opposite Forces, Armor Quest, as well as several new titles still in the planning and development stages. All the other books we will continue to sell through available stock until it is sold out, but we won't produce any new works that aren't Christian themed in one way or another. We also aren't canceling any mini-series mid story arc, and we're trying to wrap up any ongoing series at the end of the current story arc. We don't want to leave readers hanging.

The mini-series will all wrap up, that includes Hyper-Actives, Revere and Pistolfist. We've canceled Semi-Auto Angel, because we didn't want to start a new series after making this decision. As I said, we don't want to chop stories off mid-arc, but I don't have answers for what issue will be the last for ongoing titles like Tenth Muse and Legend of Isis.

NRAMA: What titles have you been able to place with other publishers?

MSM: I will announce what is happening with my books shortly, as for other books, we're working to get them in front of other publishers, but nothing concrete has happened to date. Most of the Alias titles are seeking new publishers. If anyone wishes to contact me about a desire to publish this book or that, please feel free.

NRAMA: Why not continue to publish your own work?

MSM: I didn't really think it would be fair to make a blanket decision on publishing Christian content, then say 'oh, except my stuff'. This is a new vision for Alias that we feel is blessing the company, and to prop myself up as the 'exception' makes the 'rule' seem a little false. Long story short.

NRAMA: If you are publishing you work at other publishers will you, yourself, also be doing non-Christian work for hire?

MSM: Yes, actually I'm in the middle of negotiating a contract for the sequel to George R. R. Martin's The Hedge Knight, called The Sworn Sword which will be published by DBPro and Marvel Comics. It's a project I've been waiting to do for years, and now it looks very close to happening. And now that it has moved to Marvel, it looks like I'll be working for one of the big two again... Not something I planned on, but interesting how that works out anyway. I'm also working out the details on what's happening with Imaginaries, Sixgun Samurai, Lullaby, and all my in-progress productions. I should be making an announcement next week if everything goes as planned.