Oni Press and the Nacelle Company have announced a line of comics based on old toy and animation properties, including the Sectaurs, Biker Mice from Mars, Robo Force and more.
The Nacelle Company has been gathering up these properties since they were formed in 2017, with the idea to turn them into new cartoons, toys, films, podcasts and, now, comic books and graphic novels. Some of them appeared in comics decades ago as tie-ins to the original toy line or cartoon, back in the 1980s and 1990s when deregulation led to a huge influx in toy lines supported by animated shows that were as much ads for the toys as they were stories abut the characters. And in some cases, maybe more so. (Box Brown’s excellent The He-Man Effect tells the story of that particular era really well). Nacelle revealed several of the toy revivals at this year’s Toy Fair.
“Toys and comics have a long and storied history of mutual admiration and cross-collaboration. From Transformers and Micronauts to G.I. Joe and ROM, some of the most impactful comics stories ever told have drawn inspiration from the world of toys. Alongside our partners at Nacelle and our amazing cast of creators, we’re working to craft the next chapter in that time-tested legacy,” said Oni Press President and Publisher Hunter Gorinson. “Having seen firsthand Nacelle’s exciting and ambitious plans for the future, I know toy fans and comic readers alike are going to have a lot to look forward to in the Nacelleverse.”
These properties aren’t exactly G.I. Joe or Transformers, and I don’t remember there being any sort of previous connection between The Sectaurs and Power Lords, for instance. But the plan is for these to be all part of the same connected “Nacelleverse.” Oni will publish an oversized, 40-page one-shot by writer Melissa Flores with art by Diogenes Neves, with a wraparound cover by Mike Deodato, Jr., which will be followed by more comics focused on the individual properties.
“This fantastic partnership with Oni Press helps us expand our storytelling capabilities in a way that we know resonates with fans – through the limitless power of comics and graphic novels. Building upon the rich history of the many fan-favorite toy lines that populate the Nacelleverse and building a roadmap for fans to enter the interconnected world of our upcoming animated series, these series will be tailor-made entry points for longtime fans and new readers. Before anyone hits play on one of our series, they’ll know exactly what the events leading up to the first fade are,” said Nacelle Founder and CEO Brian Volk-Weiss.
Look for the one-shot to come out next spring.
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