5/24/2006

In the Entertainment World of Comic Book Franchises, Alias Comics is Shining Brightly
Alias Comics Succeeds in Comic Book Market Penetration with Christian & All Ages Comics Sold Through Comic Books Stores

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., May 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- As the world awaits the release of the third film installment from the blockbuster X-MEN franchise, X-Men: The Last Stand, there is no question that comic book franchises are having a major impact in today’s entertainment culture. Like the very story of David vs. Goliath that one of their comic series illustrates, Alias Comics has carved a doorway into the half billion-dollar comics industry and achieved success in connecting Christian and All-Ages comic books with their audience through Comic Book outlets and book store chains. In the comic market, where content is not rated or censored, Alias provides a positive alternative which has created a very loyal fan base.

“From video games to film and television, the popularity of the comic book has certainly impacted the cultural landscape to the degree that the medium is at the center of pop culture,” explains Leo Partible, author, filmmaker and contributor to The Gospel According to Superheroes: Religion And Pop Culture, Behind the Screen: Insiders On Film, Faith And Culture. “The New York Times even mentioned that comic books may replace the novel as the literary form of choice for the next generation of readers. By creating high quality comics in new and inventive ways for all ages, the folks at Alias Comics are in a good position to entertain and enthrall this new generation and beyond. And who knows? The next C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien may be found in these comic books.”

Alias Comics is both a comic studio and publisher of family-friendly and Christian themed story lines reaching every segment of the comic book market, competing head-to-head with market-leading companies like Marvel and DC Comics both in quality of artwork and in content.

Alias Comics runs the complete spectrum of themes including Biblical/evangelistic stories, to more allegorical story lines equivalent to C.S.Lewis’ “Narnia” or Max Lucado’s Wemmicks writings, as well as purely entertaining stories including genres such as 3D CGI, fantasy, detectives, stuntmen, and classic superhero tales, with multiple series targeting the 13-29 age group and beyond. Alias’s offerings include Christian titles such as the very popular David series created by Royden Lepp, and the graphic novel David’s Mighty Men which reverently follows King David and his warrior companions, created by Javier Saltares who has also created for comics industry heavyweights like Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse Comics. (see below for artwork for these titles) Alias Comics are purchased and read by every type of comic book reader from new fans, to parents who read to their kids, to veteran collectors.

“I don’t say this very often, but GOD is clearly moving aggressively into this area of entertainment,” states Scott A. Shuford, Founder/CEO of FrontGate® Media which handles the coordination of promotions inside Alias Comics. “I've been watching this area for three years. It feels like the beginning of a Passion- like student movement but within the comics world.”

Alias Comics broke into the Top 20 for distribution in the Comic Book market, ranking #19 overall in market share by sales, and ranking #11 for actual retail units sold in mid 2005 (rankings provided by Diamond Comics, the largest distributor of comic books). The company continues to see aggressive sales for their comic series, as well as their comic book sampler line.

One product unique to Alias is its low-priced Comic Book Digest, a comic book preview magazine which highlights upcoming Alias titles with 10-12 page segments of select titles of a given month’s release. A minimum of 50,000 copies of each issue of the Digest are ordered and sold by comic book retailers each month.

Alias Comics made a big splash at the San Diego Comic Con in Summer 2005 and looks forward to the upcoming 2006 Con in July. At the nation’s largest Comic convention (which includes movies, video games and toys in addition to comics,) the company presented with a six-booth space where dozens of Alias artists and creators convened to sign books and art for the 75,000 fans in attendance.

Alias has an exclusive distribution agreement with Diamond Comics for distribution of its titles into the comic book and bookstore markets and a separate distribution arrangement into the CBA stores for its Cross Culture imprint, under which it simultaneously publishes its Christian titles. This gives Alias Comics’ Christian Comics line full penetration into both CBA and ABA stores.

Alias Comics has already garnered strong industry support from leading outlets such as AP News, Christian Retailing and Infuze Magazine (infuzemag.com), as well as online comic sites such as Newsarama.com and The Pulse.

In addition to achieving their own goals, Alias is also providing opportunities to help other companies reach this consumer audience through their comic series, including companies such as SongTouch and Thomas Nelson. “As exciting as it is to be doing the work we are doing for the comic market, we are very excited to be producing work for several Christian publishers, such as a multi-book series for Zondervan and a graphic novel segment of Ted Dekker’s new book, SAINT, for Thomas Nelson/WestBow, in addition to producing comic graphic novels for the CBA market with our Cross Culture line,” explains Alias Publisher Brett Burner. “We are also in the throes of producing BUBBLEMAG, a Christian youth magazine, which debuts this month... as a youth pastor myself, it is such a blessing to be able to publish work that I can count on will edify our youth!”

About FrontGate® Media: FrontGate® Media creates customized campaigns connecting organizations directly with their desired target audiences, saving time and money for companies with a desire to reach the Christian consumer through an exclusive family of market- leading emedia, print media and events in which every vehicle is a leader in reaching their audience. FrontGate® Media serves as “Your Gateway to the Christian AudienceSM.”

Additional information about FrontGate® Media and services the company provides, as well as information about promotion through Alias Comics can be found online at www.frontgatemedia.com  or by calling 949.206.9806.