Adaptations for 'One Trick Rip-Off', 'Welcome to Showside'

A new production company formed by film director/producer Sridhar Reddy and Z2 Comics publisher Josh Frankel has announced plans to adapt comics by Ian McGinty and Paul Pope for the screen. Called Modern Prometheus, the company's plan is to bring the upcoming Welcome to Showside by McGinty to television as an animated series, with a film version of Pope's The One Trick Rip-Off to follow.

The announcement may be read as a show of intent from Z2 Comics, as Welcome to Showside's first issue is only solicited this October. McGinty, who writes and draws the series at Z2, is best known for his work on projects like Bravest Warriors, and his new series seems like a continuation in his interest with all-ages storytelling. The series follows the adventures of Kit, Belle and Moon, who live in an average southern town that sometimes opens up portals to the Nexus Realm which unloads countless monsters and demons onto their front door. The heroic trio are the only ones who can keep Showside safe from the attacks.

That's a pretty good pitch not just for a comic, but for a TV show --- you can see why somebody would be interested in animating the concept. Musician Henry Rollins will be among the voice cast for the pilot, with Modern Prometheus already making plans for a full season.

The One Trick Rip-Off, on the other hand, is planned as a live-action movie, written and directed by Reddy. Creator Paul Pope has been named as an executive producer for the movie, and has apparently been working with the production team for more than three years on getting the screenplay right. Reddy and Pope previously collaborated on a short film, 7x6x2.

First published as part of Dark Horse Presents, the most recent version of The One Trick Rip-Off was a collection at Image, which brought the story into color thanks to the work of Jamie Grant. The story centers on Tubby and Vim, a couple looking to leave LA behind and start a new life for themselves --- if only they could find the money to pay for it. They decide that their best bet is to rip off their friends, with the slight wrinkle that their friends are all members of the One Trick Gang, who all possess the ability to control minds. So that ends up going great for them.

From the initial announcement on THR, it appears that Z2 Comics was founded with the purpose of adapting creator-owned comics for other media, be it on the big or small screen. Hollywood appears to be in a crazy scrabble to pick up comics licenses, so it's no surprise to see even new publishers emerging with an eye on fast-tracking stories for adaptation.

Other books at Z2 include Dean Haspiel's Fear My Dear: A Billy Dogma Experience. Expect further announcements in this vein over the coming year.