The stuff I did for Crossgen was right after the Waid blowout. I did the work freelance with the discussion that I'd be brought 'in house' when Silken Ghost was done, so I wasn't present for the drama there on site. I've always felt like I dodged a bullet after hearing the stories. I will say that the actual WORK itself I did for them is some of the most satisfying I've done in my career. I was being 'supervised' by ARTISTS rather than (mostly unqualified) editors. I didn't get paid for all of it, of course, but aside from that, I was pretty happy with my experience and the work that resulted from it.
Marvel did do a half hearted miniseries rhen gave up when it didnt work. They had the perfect opportunity to reintroduce crossgen, malibu and even gargoyles when they did secret wars and just did nothing. Even now all they need to get started is have a sigil bearer in the marvel universe and build from there
I loved Crossgen comics. Negation. Meridian. Way of The Rat. Ruse. Scion. The Path. Sojourn. All their titles were very good. The only thing the company needed was a kick azz 1970's style vampire hunter book and maybe a couple of humor titles purely for kids. Meridian is the perfect Disney property. Meridian is begging to be used as a license to print money. It's the perfect comic book for today's "young adult" audience and it's a natural fit for Disney's whole "princess" tradition.
For about 3 years, CrossGen was the only thing that kept me in comics. I found Scion #1 by chance, and was hooked from there. I was blown away by Meridian once that Steve McNiven fellow took over (I wish he'd draw something else I care about), I loved the pure genre goodness of Sojourn, Ruse, Way of the Rat and El Cazador...By the end, I was collection their Forge and Edge compendiums, so basically their entire line. When the company died, I fell out of comics completely, and didn't come back until certain youtube reviewers started showing up on my suggested video list. Given all that, it broke my heart to see Mark Waid and Ron Marz acting the way they do. Then it made me angry. I'm totally willing to believe any narrative of Mark Alessi-good, Waid and Marz-bad. ...One other aspect that is worth mentioning was that back in the day a lot of people seemed enraged about the whole artist-on-staff policy they had. People on-line acted like it was was an insult to the industry to expect people to move to Florida and then show up in an office. I don't want Marvel to try to revive the line (I feel insulted that the first attempt at a revival turned Samandahl Rey into a teenaged girl), but I wish they would release some Omnibus collections. A complete Meridian collection would have a place of honor right next to, or even above, my Savage Sword of Conan Omnis.
It's the same for me - within a couple of months of CrossGen's start, literally all I was buying was CrossGen, and I was picking up the whole line, except for the titles Waid wrote when he came on (I've always hated his writing, which I realize puts me in a minority). It was a huge disappointment when it went under, and I really haven't been back to regular comics reading since.
Crossgen came out when I was in college and I remember really loving much of what I read. Negation was one of my absolute favorite titles on the stands at the time. It sucks that Bedard never got to finish Negation War and complete the story. Route 666, Ruse, El Cazador and lots more were fun as hell. Great episode!
would love a video about "Sojourn" was a fantasy comic book series published by "CrossGen" about the adventures of the archer Arwyn and her friend Gareth as they traveled in a fantasy world with dragons, trolls, and magic. Starting in 2001, it ran for issues before it was forced to end by the bankruptcy of "CrossGen" in 2004
I was a big fan. I bought most of their line in physical monthlies, and the few that I didn't, I read online by buying subscription to their website. (Which was pretty cheap per month, if I remember right.) I hate that it ended up the way that it did. They didn't even get to complete their first 5-year story arc because Negation War, which was supposed to end the first "chapter" of CrossGen ended mid-stream. So even from a fan perspective, there wasn't any closure. I think in the end they did a lot of pioneering stuff that the rest of the industry picked up and used, like trying out different publishing formats with different kinds of trades and digital. I thought it was cool that they were committed to different genres. I love superheroes, but it was neat to see some top notch talents on other kinds of comics. They took coloring to another level and I noticed Marvel and DC upped their coloring game after CG. Despite the negativity and complaints, some artists seemed to find their stride while working in that studio setting. CG was the first place I noticed guys like Cheung, Land, Epting, Eaglesham, and DiVito a standout artists. Scion and The First were my favorite, but I liked them all. I still have complete runs of most of their titles. I guess they're kinda like Shooter's Valiant -- they'll probably never be worth any money, but I like having them in my collection. They're quality books.
I remember Crossgen from back in the day, when I first learned of the group via Wizard print magazine (when that was a thing at the time). I remember reading The Mystic, where I first learned of the art style of Brandon Peterson). I also read The The First, which was penciled by Bart Sears. I didnt get to the other titles sadly. I enjoyed reading the The First & The Mystic & followed them regularly until they were abruptly ended due to Crossgen closing down (which I didnt learn about until after the fact). To this day, I wish they at least finish the big crossover they were planning. I always wondered why they closed down. Thank you Perch for making this video about how Crossgen did & why they folded. This crass behavior by "comic pros" is why the comics industry is in the sorry state it is in now. Crossgen was a great thing, but these idiots just made it hard for everyone else to enjoy what was a great thing.
I met Mark Alessi once at the 2002 Wizard World meeting in Chicago. He was running give away contests at the CrossGen booth. My girlfriend had already won a Mystic Poster earlier in the day and when I won a set of trade paperbacks, he gave them to me but was pretty mad and told us to get lost and let someone else win. I kind of get it now, but we were young and at our first Con so it sort of wrecked our mood for the whole day. A few things that resulted from that exchange. My girlfriend refused to any other Cons. I ended up buying CrossGen books until they folded (some of the art was amazing!) I kept the poster when my girlfriend and I broke up a year later- it has never been taken out of its tube and it is still somewhere in my Mother's garage. As a side note, around 2014 Mark Waid co-owned a comic book store in my home town in Muncie, Indiana (about 5 miles from my mother's garage). I was browsing there with my kids when he came in with a scowl on his face. He was speaking pretty harshly to the woman working there. We left without buying anything even though my daughter had her eye on a copy of Mouse Guard.
I really enjoyed Crossgen back in the day. I didn't realise that was how Alessi lost his money. Scion was by far my favorite, with Sojourn a close 2nd. Sigil got good when Dixon took over & Mystic when Lopresti was on art. Plus I also liked The First (Bart Sears at his finest) & Route 666. So many great titles. Its such a shame Disney eventually brought them. In the right indy hands right now, these could be so great.
Scion was my favorite too. The story was awesome and Cheung's art and that great coloring made for a top-notch comic book. I also really liked The First, Mystic, Brath, Route 666, and Sigil too. Heck, I liked them all. It sucks that it ended up the way it did.
So I see these graphic novels come in commonly at my job. The tie in to the symbol and what it means across the many diffrent storylines was pretty interesting.
I was one of the artist who got a call from Alessi one Sunday afternoon before the company started and after about fifteen minutes of listening to him, decided that it wasn't for me but also that there were gonna be big problems. His pitch was to create a company that would incorporate all the best genres of comics past and bring them to new heights. That didn't sound exciting and I guess in the end, it wasn't enough to ignite a larger readership either. But it gave a start to a lot of great new talent, which is where its lasting achievement is...
I've never read any crossgen, but took a gamble and bought Complete Scion & Sojourn runs from ebay for a fair proce. Those packages should arrive this week so good timing finding this new video
This is actually the first I’ve ever heard of the Mark Waid Black Wreath story. I’d like to say it sounds like peak Waid, but it seems he was just getting started.
A big part of the love for CrossGen by the fans, besides enjoying the stories of their shared universe (Sigilverse), was the tight-knit message boards that CG ran. Many of the creators were encouraged to-and did-participate on the boards and in weekly chats. I know I enjoyed it and would visit numerous times a day. Plus I read all their Sigilverse comics and later even many of their Code 6 line that included titles like The Red Star, Abadazad and even Lady Death. Many fond memories of CrossGen comics.
@@SamGuthrie1977 Yeah, I agree. They were with Image before the move to CrossGen, so I'm surprised they didn't move again and just continue on. It's not like they rebooted when they went to CG, they just continued the story on from the Image issues.
@@GloryQuest I think Sword of Lies was the last mini-series they did with Red Star. My copy says it was published by Archangel Studios. But yeah you're right -- it bounced around for awhile.
SamGuthrie1977 it's been awhile, so I may not be remembering right, but I think they did finish that story under their own Archangel Studios. I just wish they would have done more after that. I think they did re-release the trades and even some hardcovers, but nothing new content-wise that I'm aware of. It was so well done and unique, I would like to see more! 😀
@@GloryQuest I wanted to see more too, it was a really cool concept. If I remember right, Sword of Lies didn't finish the story. It was still going on, just never finished.
Good memories. Back when I was really into comics. They had some really good books with spectacular artwork. It died though cause enthusiasm got slapped down by reality.
I missed this whole thing by about two months when I shifted out of comics retail and into working in a tabletop game store full-bore. Interesting to hear yet another version of the stories I remember hearing back then. Dimly recall one guy claiming that his wife had been murdered for her insurance money, which shows that insane conspiracy theories were around even back then.
I really enjoyed the books CrossGen produced. They showed a lot of promise. Then they screwed the pooch. Plus, I never realized Mark Waid was such a despicable human being. No respect for him at all.
When it comes to Mark Waid, I tend to separate Mark Waid the writer from Mark Waid the person. As a WRITER, he has written some of the best comics I have ever read. As a PERSON, he's freaking HORRIBLE. Almost the same way I feel about John Byrne (John Byrne is my favorite comic book artist and writer of all time. As a professional, he's freaking AWESOME. But as a person... well... he's NOT a very nice person. His temper is very legendarily horrid).
How about Malibu Ultraverse Comics from the 90’s. I really enjoy your history pieces and insights, I am that whale and 40’s ish guy you talk about. Lol(?!?)😬 Been gone and now I’m back. There’s just something about visiting brick n mortar LCSs. Just keep doing what you’re doing. It’s good stuff.
I wish marvel/disney could at least put out the stuff that was never collected into trade paperback. I know there isnt enough demand to be profitable but damn I want it
This video had so much juice, it was downright delicious. Now the rumor about a black wreath for someone's dearly departed wife all made sense. Also, now I understand the context of Mark Waid throwing a phone across the room. I was wondering what makes a grown man violent in comics.
This video helped remind me of two things: how good Cross-Gen was and what an utter piece of shit Mark Waid is. Actually, I didn't need reminding on that last one.
CrossGen is a weird animal. I liked the ambition of it mostly. And while I agree that it can definitely serve as what to do and what not to do as a publisher, the only reason you can say that is because they tried.
Ruse was the only comic I read from. Crossgen. Waid and Guice’s Ruse was a fantastic title and told some great Sherlock Holmes-y type stories. I even read the Marvel owned Ruse in the early 2010’s. I believe it was 4 issues. I would read more if they ever make them, that’s for sure
We have trades from Mystic, Sigil and Meridian. Mystic is our favorite - there is some really gorgeous 90s-styled art in that book. The Meridian books were mini-sized and would be perfect for today's young adult audience if reissued..As for other companies that deserve a look: POPXP! did a feature on Malibu but you could do one as well. The 1980s companies like First, Comico and Eclipse should get some exposure as well. And it would be great to see something on a couple of the long-running Florida indies: Bill Black's AC Comics (Fem Force) and Roland Mann's Silverline (Cat & Mouse, etc.)
Crossgen is a big part of my collecting history. I loved it from start to abrupt finish! I have all the issues still and will never sell them... they came at the same time I was starting to pay attention to the names on the books, and at the same time I really fell in love with DC comics in a way that had only happened with Marvel in my youth. It's so sad that we were left hanging at the very major crossover it had built up to. I hope someday to see a proper revival, but realize that's likely to never happen.
Yeah me too. Heck, maybe if we all scrounge up enough money we could pay Tony Bedard and Paul Pelletier to finish those last few issues of Negation War. I guess if Disney found out, they'd sue us LOL
@@SamGuthrie1977 We'll just title the final three issues "Raw Noitagen" #4-6 of a 6 issue limited series. Call it a nod to Zatanna, because it'll be a magical miracle if we get it under any circumstances.
Caught on with Crossgen on the tail end of their existence with Chuck Dixon's series Way of the Rat, The Path & Brath. Fun series. Shame it folded. Lucky for me never picked up Waid or Marz books as they are notorious for burning their bridges & fizzing out quickly on any series they are on.
UNBELIEVABLE, what is going on with some of these individuals, it sounds like too many have bought into the stereotypical baloney that you're not a true artist if you aren't "eccentric" or behaving like a spoiled toddler! I can't imagine a Julius Schwartz or a Martin Goodman putting up with those attitudes for one second!
Several of the books were naturals for film adaptation. I still find it weird that Disney has never done anything with properties like Meridian, Sigil (at least after Chuck Dixon took it over), and Ruse, among others.
As you know, sometimes companies (Like Disney) will buy a characterverse just to sit on it and hide it from the public so as not to split attention from the characters they consider to be their true bread and butter.
Crossgen rocked! I had quit collecting any other company other than this. Too many titles coming out led me to dropping those, too,but I enjoyed them all
I remember a swedish company started to print a mag with 4 of the crossgen comics in it. Didn't last long though. Too bad what happened with Crossgen, I liked the comics.
I still have every issue from the CrossGen universe. They aren't worth spit on the secondary market, but even if the were, I would never sell them. I intend to reread the entire thing beginning to end at some point.
"Ruse" was the only Crossgen title I bought. I stopped when Mark Waid left it. Nobody else in comics writes banter like he does, and banter was the essence of the characters. This is the first time I've heard any behind the scenes stories about him, and all I can say is... wow.
I randomly found a Cross Gen graphic novel in an antique shop like 5 years ago and fell in LOVE! I've been looking for more ever since and have recently found all of Meridian online!
When I served in Korea, Sojourn, Mystic and the First were the main titles that I read. Amazing world development and breath taking art. Some of my absolute best memories of the tour was reading Crossgen during my free time
I only purchased the CrossGen titles that George Perez worked on. I am an old school fan of his work. He was the only reason I looked at their line-up.
I was a big fan of Crossgen. I always wanted to know what was the deal with Emma, the character from Ruse. Who was she and what was the deal with her powers? This was never revealed. Does anyone out there know the answer?
I picked up a scattering of different issues from their various books but it all didn’t really click until I found The Negation. I absolutely loved that storyline… it’s an absolute shame it wasn’t completed before their bankruptcy.
I fell in love with crossgen comics at an early age. My favorites being meridian, Sigil, mystic, sojourn and Crux. Each story was so unique and yet they could interconnect them so smoothly, I mourn the crossover even they were building up too. Excellent video I always wanted to hear a deeper history of what happened to Crossgen.
Just found this video, Damn Crossgen was a tragedy on all fronts Imagine if they were still active today, maybe if it succeeded long term, the industry would be healthier
I loved Cross Gen actually, however I don't know if the "Magical Fantasy"crowd was the same as the "Superhero/Sci-Fi" crowd. The books seemed to be aimed at the D&D crowd...which is quite niche. To me, this is also the reason Joe Madureira's Battle Chasers book failed.
I agree, its why I never picked one up despite the talent that they had working there. I just never cared for that genre. I did try the Ultraverse books for a bit, hell even Darkhorse's attempt at a superhero book X
Nah. Battle chasers failed because it took over three years to get 9 issues out. I dropped most hero stuff for this and never regretted it until the end.
I worked at CG from the beginning to the end. I understand this is only a 22-minute video but you got a lot wrong and left out a ton of stuff. Was Mark overbearing at times? Yes, but he was also very kind to us too. I see you did not include that Diamond, Marvel, and DC screwed us over on a contract. We were making a small profit at one point. We created a school learning program that was making money for the company. We also were the first comic company that made digital comics on DVD. The company was ahead of its time. If we had come out the same time as the Iphones we would have had comics on that. I am not saying everything was great but I felt it was one of the best times in my career. A group of us chatted about it a number of years back and we all said we would do it again.
So, I don't know about wrong (although I'm open to feedback) but there's absolutely a lot missing. I have two more videos coming... one one the innovation they did (which covers much of what you mentioned) and another on the various obstacles they faced (which yes... includes the Diamond contract info, as well as the mass-returnability from Borders that came at the wrong moment). If you're interested, I'd be happy to interview you/give you a forum as well... I'm trying to get the full story from many angles.
I know someone who worked at CrossGen as well, and have studied the company as part of my research as I venture into publishing. Would love to hear your thoughts about CrossGen. If you don't mind, I can be reached at info@animatedconcepts.biz. Really enjoyed the work and the company's ambitions!
Perch you killin it, I loved crossgen, they created the perfect universe, I loved almost all their books, the ceo got power hungry though, wanted to do too much
There were some great things that came out of Grossgen. Beth Widera got MegaCon and Ran a great show for years. She also did the school reading program.
HOLY SHEETS That Mark Waid story. How does he still get work? LIke I get he's a pretty good writer but I could never hire someone like that. That's....that's just evil.
You left out some things. Crossgen tried to downplay their problems and were still looking for new investors in 2003. But when they declared bankruptcy in 2004 it revealed debts of multiple millions of dollars, so when Disney bought the company for $1 million in 2004, that was about ten cents on the dollar and no one benefited from that. Crossgen owed a lot of people money and in the fall of 2003 their publicity person stated that everyone would be paid on October 15. But October 15th came and went and no one was paid and no further statements came out. In December 2003 the publicist was laid off so he was not heard from again. Employees were already reporting that businesses who Crossgen owed money to would arrive at the offices and find themselves locked out and no one would talk to them. When Crossgen folded, all of the employees who had uprooted their lives to move to Tampa found themselves with nowhere to go and they had to find friends and family to help them go back to where they came from because they hadn't been paid either. Instead of blaming himself for selling his company for $30 million but talking a lot of the money in stock instead of cash, Mark Alessi blamed Steven Spielberg for not buying the film rights to the Crossgen characters as he'd been waiting on Spielberg for months to make a decision, which never happened. Also, Marc Alessi is dead now.
The only CrossGen titles I followed were the licensed titles Space Ace and Masters Of The Universe, both of which had to be finished by other companies. Just going by those it did seem like a good company. So was Dreamwave but backstage nonsense and poor business decisions crashed that company as well. This is not an easy business to succeed in I guess if you want to be a big publisher.
Hey, Perch! Excellent concise breakdown of CrossGen! Now that the "Sigil" omnibus is coming out, please do more CrossGen videos! The entire line is collectible as single omnibuses because the premature cancellation ensured short runs of 45 issues max. I always thought Disney was sitting on a goldmine by having purchased this IP because they could have continued developing an original mythology with a built-in fan base longing for the climax of the saga in "NEGATION: WAR"! "Meridian" was the only title that satisfyingly concluded and Sephie would have been an ideal heroine for the Mouse to showcase. "Negation" was my favorite title with Obregon Kaine and the CrossGen abductees in the Negation universe. The entire saga owes more than a little tip of the hat to Michael Moorcock's concept of the Eternal Champion and multiversal conflict even though CrossGen only has two universes and the Sigil-Bearers hailed from different planets in the same universe. What an incredible comic experiment both creatively, logistically and commercially! CrossGen was responsible for getting me into comics and I bought everything they put out! I was crushed when they folded.
I bought a few trades of Crossgen books at a discount book store in the UK. Very cheaply bound. The pages fell out as soon as you opened them. Don't think I finish any story inside.
Maybe it’s been said in the comments. But I think you could have mentioned more that Crossgen tried to marry old school with modern tech. Technology had finally evolved enough that creators could work a book together from different continents. But this led to unintended delays, unfinished stories, book announcements that never happened. Crossgen said enough! We’re making you come to Florida. You will work your book and it will be on time. As a customer, I may be waiting for 4 months between issue 3 & 4. But Crossgen was there on time
CrossGen was (sort of) revived recently for a one-shot called CrossGen Tales in 2022, Sigil Omnibus which came out today & the Mystic Omnibus which is set for August of 2024.
Great video. I had no idea about half this stuff. It always seemed to me that the comics themselves were half-pitched as video games or something. No real super-hero titles (a big negative in the market at the time) and the shared-universe aspect seemed forced. I only read a few issues of the Sherlock Holmes-style character (forgotten the name) and it was ok, but not great.
Interesting. I recall Mark Waid actually admitting that he punched a wall on a stream with Ethan Van Sciver (a little bit before EVS became associated with CG)
RUSE was probably my favorite book in the early 2000s....after hearing about the company culture, I'll just say I'm glad I can separate the art from the personalities creating them.
Thank you! I do a mix; there are a lot of videos and I hit a lot of topics... so you may find stuff you like and stuff you hate... but hopefully always a good mix.
That's sad because there are fans that will swear by Cross-Gen as an amazing comic company that told very good stories!? They didn't ever put out any animated films!? I have never read any stories from this company but the art is not only unique but top notch in quality!
I’d love a more detailed retrospective. I have just about every crossgen comic and I’m always after more info. Anyone have details about the school literacy initiative they did?
The Cross Gen reboot with Sojourn, Way of the Rat, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang were really good. Too bad they were never finished when the company ceased operation.
I interviewed for an inkers spot and I would have gotten the job but they were already in trouble and were just looking for colorist and pencillers. I was told this by the art director.
I didnt get to read a ton But the Path was freaking fantastic I still regularly reread the first trade paperback. Way of the rat , sojourn ruse, and meridian were also pretty dang good and Brath was just starting to get going when it fell apart. Loved those books.
16:15. Alessi had the money to pay his staff. He chose not to. Waid was angry over that. Alessi bought his new fiance an engagement ring at a cost that could've paid the staff he owed money to. Alessi was not broke at all.
When Alessi had haircut and fingernail inspections on the employees, can you say crazy ?!?! I inew that company would not last when they offered all their comics forever digitally for 1 lump sum. What about in 10 years ? Who is going to be paying for the digital rights ? Another dreamer who got josed in the comics business. Remember the initial write up in Wizard that made Mark out to be like The Godfather ?
Crossgen: too many comics that no one knew too fast. dude had plenty of money but forced everyone to live in Florida. paid too much for talent that mostly wasn't that talented. Alessi famously told everyone to "Get back to work" on 9/11 where a ton of people had friends and family. Crossgen was a cluster starting from the beginning.
As much of a lifelong fan ( since the 1960’s ) of Marvel and DC that I was ( am ), when CrossGen’s comic books had been out for a few issues I gave up most all of my DC/M comic books to make room in my wallet for everything CrossGen, and the more issues that came out the better it got ( for me ). I loved it all and was never disappointed, right to the bitter end. For anyone who knows me, making that kind of switch meant something was legit ( to me ) about CrossGen, although I admit much of what DC/M was publishing at the time wasn’t exactly making me happy to open my wallet each week. Sound familiar? I loved the Sigilverse, but I agree ( not that it matters, of course ) with Chuck Dixon, who wrote some of CrossGen’s best series. If CG could somehow be resurrected ( please, dear Lord in Heaven ) or if they’d been able to regroup and continue, the best thing, or one of the best things, they could do/should have done would be to bring the Sigilverse to a climactic close story wise, and set all of the series in their respective real world locations ( Brath - Ancient Rome; Archard's Agents - Victorian England; Way of the Rat - China… Incidentally, CG’s top selling pirate series, El Cazador, was not set in the Sigilverse, but in real world ( Earth ) 17th century age of piracy. It was immensely great, and my favorite as well as the favorite of thousands of others. All of these titles I’ve mentioned were written by Chuck Dixon ). I still hold out hope that a miracle of miracles will happen and someone(s) who really know what they’re doing as well as the lay of the land regarding CrossGen’s many wonderful series, the creative and editorial professionalism required for comic book success, and the state of the comic book industry/market today in both the west and east, will gain control of the CGU and like Jean Grey never should have been, CrossGen will be resurrected to greater glory and a bright future that could be a new standard for what comic books heading forward into the future in this era can be when done well, and done smart.
This was a good video! Quite insightful. Will you be doing a video on Dreamwave comics? I miss those Transformers comics. There was a lot of good content before they went under.
Mark Waid is lucky bc as someone who is engaged to be married if I was ever in that position I would personally track that individual down and kick the crap out of them
I was 6 in 2001 and Scion was one of my favorite series as a child its what got me into wanting to create comics as a child the crossgen lineup in a whole was amazing i wish theyd have some of the old creators i.e artists maybe not the writters after hearing all this lol but id buy more scion releases or way of the rat
The stuff I did for Crossgen was right after the Waid blowout. I did the work freelance with the discussion that I'd be brought 'in house' when Silken Ghost was done, so I wasn't present for the drama there on site. I've always felt like I dodged a bullet after hearing the stories.
I will say that the actual WORK itself I did for them is some of the most satisfying I've done in my career. I was being 'supervised' by ARTISTS rather than (mostly unqualified) editors. I didn't get paid for all of it, of course, but aside from that, I was pretty happy with my experience and the work that resulted from it.
I'm always reminded... I badly need to hit you up for a chat some time.
@@ComicsPerch --- I'm around. Whenever you're ready. :D
@@chuckgibson3973 Can't wait fer P. ll
@@ComicsPerch Perch, friendly reminder.
Was 💧FATHOM🌊 part of Cross🔱Gen❓
Ah, Crossgen: another stable of cool characters that Disney/Marvel owns and won't do anything with, just like Malibu/Ultraverse.
Oh hell yeah. You have just made my cool list. I miss malibu/ultraverse so much
@Michael Turner Really? That sucks
@@geekprotagonist1139 Same.
Yeah and that really sucks. At this point, they should sell it to another company or person who would do something interesting about that.
Marvel did do a half hearted miniseries rhen gave up when it didnt work.
They had the perfect opportunity to reintroduce crossgen, malibu and even gargoyles when they did secret wars and just did nothing.
Even now all they need to get started is have a sigil bearer in the marvel universe and build from there
I loved Crossgen comics. Negation. Meridian. Way of The Rat. Ruse. Scion. The Path. Sojourn. All their titles were very good. The only thing the company needed was a kick azz 1970's style vampire hunter book and maybe a couple of humor titles purely for kids. Meridian is the perfect Disney property. Meridian is begging to be used as a license to print money. It's the perfect comic book for today's "young adult" audience and it's a natural fit for Disney's whole "princess" tradition.
For about 3 years, CrossGen was the only thing that kept me in comics. I found Scion #1 by chance, and was hooked from there. I was blown away by Meridian once that Steve McNiven fellow took over (I wish he'd draw something else I care about), I loved the pure genre goodness of Sojourn, Ruse, Way of the Rat and El Cazador...By the end, I was collection their Forge and Edge compendiums, so basically their entire line. When the company died, I fell out of comics completely, and didn't come back until certain youtube reviewers started showing up on my suggested video list.
Given all that, it broke my heart to see Mark Waid and Ron Marz acting the way they do. Then it made me angry. I'm totally willing to believe any narrative of Mark Alessi-good, Waid and Marz-bad. ...One other aspect that is worth mentioning was that back in the day a lot of people seemed enraged about the whole artist-on-staff policy they had. People on-line acted like it was was an insult to the industry to expect people to move to Florida and then show up in an office.
I don't want Marvel to try to revive the line (I feel insulted that the first attempt at a revival turned Samandahl Rey into a teenaged girl), but I wish they would release some Omnibus collections. A complete Meridian collection would have a place of honor right next to, or even above, my Savage Sword of Conan Omnis.
It's the same for me - within a couple of months of CrossGen's start, literally all I was buying was CrossGen, and I was picking up the whole line, except for the titles Waid wrote when he came on (I've always hated his writing, which I realize puts me in a minority). It was a huge disappointment when it went under, and I really haven't been back to regular comics reading since.
Well do I have good News for you. Im almost finished now with the sigil Omnibus and am hyped for the mystic omni coming in August
Crossgen came out when I was in college and I remember really loving much of what I read. Negation was one of my absolute favorite titles on the stands at the time. It sucks that Bedard never got to finish Negation War and complete the story. Route 666, Ruse, El Cazador and lots more were fun as hell. Great episode!
Negation was my favorite as well. For me, it was like cosmic Dirty Dozen/Suicide Squad.
would love a video about "Sojourn" was a fantasy comic book series published by "CrossGen" about the adventures of the archer Arwyn and her friend Gareth as they traveled in a fantasy world with dragons, trolls, and magic. Starting in 2001, it ran for issues before it was forced to end by the bankruptcy of "CrossGen" in 2004
I only recently discovered Sojourn and I am really disappointed that it ended so quickly. Kinda like the tv series Firefly.
I was a big fan. I bought most of their line in physical monthlies, and the few that I didn't, I read online by buying subscription to their website. (Which was pretty cheap per month, if I remember right.) I hate that it ended up the way that it did. They didn't even get to complete their first 5-year story arc because Negation War, which was supposed to end the first "chapter" of CrossGen ended mid-stream. So even from a fan perspective, there wasn't any closure.
I think in the end they did a lot of pioneering stuff that the rest of the industry picked up and used, like trying out different publishing formats with different kinds of trades and digital. I thought it was cool that they were committed to different genres. I love superheroes, but it was neat to see some top notch talents on other kinds of comics. They took coloring to another level and I noticed Marvel and DC upped their coloring game after CG. Despite the negativity and complaints, some artists seemed to find their stride while working in that studio setting. CG was the first place I noticed guys like Cheung, Land, Epting, Eaglesham, and DiVito a standout artists.
Scion and The First were my favorite, but I liked them all. I still have complete runs of most of their titles. I guess they're kinda like Shooter's Valiant -- they'll probably never be worth any money, but I like having them in my collection. They're quality books.
Amen.
I remember Crossgen from back in the day, when I first learned of the group via Wizard print magazine (when that was a thing at the time). I remember reading The Mystic, where I first learned of the art style of Brandon Peterson). I also read The The First, which was penciled by Bart Sears. I didnt get to the other titles sadly.
I enjoyed reading the The First & The Mystic & followed them regularly until they were abruptly ended due to Crossgen closing down (which I didnt learn about until after the fact). To this day, I wish they at least finish the big crossover they were planning. I always wondered why they closed down. Thank you Perch for making this video about how Crossgen did & why they folded.
This crass behavior by "comic pros" is why the comics industry is in the sorry state it is in now. Crossgen was a great thing, but these idiots just made it hard for everyone else to enjoy what was a great thing.
That Mark Waid bit is really saddening to here.
I met Mark Alessi once at the 2002 Wizard World meeting in Chicago. He was running give away contests at the CrossGen booth. My girlfriend had already won a Mystic Poster earlier in the day and when I won a set of trade paperbacks, he gave them to me but was pretty mad and told us to get lost and let someone else win. I kind of get it now, but we were young and at our first Con so it sort of wrecked our mood for the whole day. A few things that resulted from that exchange. My girlfriend refused to any other Cons. I ended up buying CrossGen books until they folded (some of the art was amazing!) I kept the poster when my girlfriend and I broke up a year later- it has never been taken out of its tube and it is still somewhere in my Mother's garage. As a side note, around 2014 Mark Waid co-owned a comic book store in my home town in Muncie, Indiana (about 5 miles from my mother's garage). I was browsing there with my kids when he came in with a scowl on his face. He was speaking pretty harshly to the woman working there. We left without buying anything even though my daughter had her eye on a copy of Mouse Guard.
I really enjoyed Crossgen back in the day. I didn't realise that was how Alessi lost his money. Scion was by far my favorite, with Sojourn a close 2nd. Sigil got good when Dixon took over & Mystic when Lopresti was on art. Plus I also liked The First (Bart Sears at his finest) & Route 666. So many great titles. Its such a shame Disney eventually brought them. In the right indy hands right now, these could be so great.
Scion was my favorite too. The story was awesome and Cheung's art and that great coloring made for a top-notch comic book. I also really liked The First, Mystic, Brath, Route 666, and Sigil too. Heck, I liked them all. It sucks that it ended up the way it did.
I couldn’t get into The First, but The Path is a masterpiece.
So I see these graphic novels come in commonly at my job. The tie in to the symbol and what it means across the many diffrent storylines was pretty interesting.
I was one of the artist who got a call from Alessi one Sunday afternoon before the company started and after about fifteen minutes of listening to him, decided that it wasn't for me but also that there were gonna be big problems. His pitch was to create a company that would incorporate all the best genres of comics past and bring them to new heights. That didn't sound exciting and I guess in the end, it wasn't enough to ignite a larger readership either. But it gave a start to a lot of great new talent, which is where its lasting achievement is...
I've never read any crossgen, but took a gamble and bought Complete Scion & Sojourn runs from ebay for a fair proce. Those packages should arrive this week so good timing finding this new video
ps. i know sojourn's story isn't complete.
This is actually the first I’ve ever heard of the Mark Waid Black Wreath story. I’d like to say it sounds like peak Waid, but it seems he was just getting started.
Mark Waid’s “Ruse” was fantastic. Could have been a great show or movie and probably would have if Waid hadn’t been so toxic
Sending someone a black reef with that kind of message is disgusting & cold blooded
A big part of the love for CrossGen by the fans, besides enjoying the stories of their shared universe (Sigilverse), was the tight-knit message boards that CG ran. Many of the creators were encouraged to-and did-participate on the boards and in weekly chats. I know I enjoyed it and would visit numerous times a day. Plus I read all their Sigilverse comics and later even many of their Code 6 line that included titles like The Red Star, Abadazad and even Lady Death. Many fond memories of CrossGen comics.
The Red Star was really cool. I still wish they'd finish that comic.
@@SamGuthrie1977 Yeah, I agree. They were with Image before the move to CrossGen, so I'm surprised they didn't move again and just continue on. It's not like they rebooted when they went to CG, they just continued the story on from the Image issues.
@@GloryQuest I think Sword of Lies was the last mini-series they did with Red Star. My copy says it was published by Archangel Studios. But yeah you're right -- it bounced around for awhile.
SamGuthrie1977 it's been awhile, so I may not be remembering right, but I think they did finish that story under their own Archangel Studios. I just wish they would have done more after that. I think they did re-release the trades and even some hardcovers, but nothing new content-wise that I'm aware of. It was so well done and unique, I would like to see more! 😀
@@GloryQuest I wanted to see more too, it was a really cool concept. If I remember right, Sword of Lies didn't finish the story. It was still going on, just never finished.
Good memories. Back when I was really into comics. They had some really good books with spectacular artwork. It died though cause enthusiasm got slapped down by reality.
I missed this whole thing by about two months when I shifted out of comics retail and into working in a tabletop game store full-bore. Interesting to hear yet another version of the stories I remember hearing back then. Dimly recall one guy claiming that his wife had been murdered for her insurance money, which shows that insane conspiracy theories were around even back then.
This just makes me hate Mark Waid even more than I already do
Alessi had the money to pay his staff. He chose not to. Waid was angry over that!
@@rockon8174 waid is a fake nice guy
@@nope5023 Alessi owed him and his co-workers money.
I really enjoyed the books CrossGen produced. They showed a lot of promise. Then they screwed the pooch. Plus, I never realized Mark Waid was such a despicable human being. No respect for him at all.
When it comes to Mark Waid, I tend to separate Mark Waid the writer from Mark Waid the person. As a WRITER, he has written some of the best comics I have ever read. As a PERSON, he's freaking HORRIBLE. Almost the same way I feel about John Byrne (John Byrne is my favorite comic book artist and writer of all time. As a professional, he's freaking AWESOME. But as a person... well... he's NOT a very nice person. His temper is very legendarily horrid).
There's stacks and stacks of these books in dollar bins at a LCS I frequent. Never thought to read them
How about Malibu Ultraverse Comics from the 90’s. I really enjoy your history pieces and insights, I am that whale and 40’s ish guy you talk about. Lol(?!?)😬 Been gone and now I’m back. There’s just something about visiting brick n mortar LCSs. Just keep doing what you’re doing. It’s good stuff.
Wow, I haven’t heard that name in years...
My cousins didn’t buy it so I never read it much but I remember seeing ads for them.
I enjoyed there comics, decent story and artist....I was hoping Marvel would use them but other than the mini series a few years ago...nothing since.
I wish marvel/disney could at least put out the stuff that was never collected into trade paperback. I know there isnt enough demand to be profitable but damn I want it
Did an interesting interview with Mark Alessi back in the day. They actually reproduced it in their publicity kits they would send out later.
I did not know this about Marz and particularly Waid...also wont be picking up anything he does for DC.
This video had so much juice, it was downright delicious.
Now the rumor about a black wreath for someone's dearly departed wife all made sense. Also, now I understand the context of Mark Waid throwing a phone across the room. I was wondering what makes a grown man violent in comics.
This video helped remind me of two things: how good Cross-Gen was and what an utter piece of shit Mark Waid is. Actually, I didn't need reminding on that last one.
CrossGen is a weird animal. I liked the ambition of it mostly. And while I agree that it can definitely serve as what to do and what not to do as a publisher, the only reason you can say that is because they tried.
Ruse was the only comic I read from. Crossgen. Waid and Guice’s Ruse was a fantastic title and told some great Sherlock Holmes-y type stories. I even read the Marvel owned Ruse in the early 2010’s. I believe it was 4 issues. I would read more if they ever make them, that’s for sure
One of my favorites as well.
We have trades from Mystic, Sigil and Meridian. Mystic is our favorite - there is some really gorgeous 90s-styled art in that book. The Meridian books were mini-sized and would be perfect for today's young adult audience if reissued..As for other companies that deserve a look: POPXP! did a feature on Malibu but you could do one as well. The 1980s companies like First, Comico and Eclipse should get some exposure as well. And it would be great to see something on a couple of the long-running Florida indies: Bill Black's AC Comics (Fem Force) and Roland Mann's Silverline (Cat & Mouse, etc.)
Crossgen is a big part of my collecting history. I loved it from start to abrupt finish! I have all the issues still and will never sell them... they came at the same time I was starting to pay attention to the names on the books, and at the same time I really fell in love with DC comics in a way that had only happened with Marvel in my youth. It's so sad that we were left hanging at the very major crossover it had built up to. I hope someday to see a proper revival, but realize that's likely to never happen.
Yeah me too. Heck, maybe if we all scrounge up enough money we could pay Tony Bedard and Paul Pelletier to finish those last few issues of Negation War. I guess if Disney found out, they'd sue us LOL
@@SamGuthrie1977 We'll just title the final three issues "Raw Noitagen" #4-6 of a 6 issue limited series.
Call it a nod to Zatanna, because it'll be a magical miracle if we get it under any circumstances.
@@bretts8070 LOL Minus Conflagration #3 - #6.
@@SamGuthrie1977 It's been too long... we only got 2 issues? Meh... I haven't opened those boxes in over a decade.
@@bretts8070 Yeah just the first two issues. Me either, but I may revisit some of them soon. Good times.
Caught on with Crossgen on the tail end of their existence with Chuck Dixon's series Way of the Rat, The Path & Brath. Fun series. Shame it folded. Lucky for me never picked up Waid or Marz books as they are notorious for burning their bridges & fizzing out quickly on any series they are on.
UNBELIEVABLE, what is going on with some of these individuals, it sounds like too many have bought into the stereotypical baloney that you're not a true artist if you aren't "eccentric" or behaving like a spoiled toddler! I can't imagine a Julius Schwartz or a Martin Goodman putting up with those attitudes for one second!
Some of this kinda crap does happen at the Big Two, but the Big Two can tell you to pack ur ish and get the hell out.
Several of the books were naturals for film adaptation. I still find it weird that Disney has never done anything with properties like Meridian, Sigil (at least after Chuck Dixon took it over), and Ruse, among others.
As you know, sometimes companies (Like Disney) will buy a characterverse just to sit on it and hide it from the public so as not to split attention from the characters they consider to be their true bread and butter.
I thought for sure Disney would have done something with Meridian.
I really enjoyed CRUX and Sigil when I was in junior high and high school, miss the CrossGen studio.
Crossgen rocked! I had quit collecting any other company other than this. Too many titles coming out led me to dropping those, too,but I enjoyed them all
I was always felt the rapid expansion did them in.
I remember a swedish company started to print a mag with 4 of the crossgen comics in it. Didn't last long though. Too bad what happened with Crossgen, I liked the comics.
I still have every issue from the CrossGen universe. They aren't worth spit on the secondary market, but even if the were, I would never sell them. I intend to reread the entire thing beginning to end at some point.
"Ruse" was the only Crossgen title I bought. I stopped when Mark Waid left it. Nobody else in comics writes banter like he does, and banter was the essence of the characters.
This is the first time I've heard any behind the scenes stories about him, and all I can say is... wow.
I randomly found a Cross Gen graphic novel in an antique shop like 5 years ago and fell in LOVE! I've been looking for more ever since and have recently found all of Meridian online!
When I served in Korea, Sojourn, Mystic and the First were the main titles that I read. Amazing world development and breath taking art. Some of my absolute best memories of the tour was reading Crossgen during my free time
I only purchased the CrossGen titles that George Perez worked on. I am an old school fan of his work. He was the only reason I looked at their line-up.
8:40 Alessi was like Jobs. Man even addressed me on the Crossgen message boards. 😐. Had the nerve to call me a "bully." 😗
I was a big fan of Crossgen. I always wanted to know what was the deal with Emma, the character from Ruse. Who was she and what was the deal with her powers? This was never revealed. Does anyone out there know the answer?
Didn't even know about CrossGen till this video. Would love to hear more about this.
I picked up a scattering of different issues from their various books but it all didn’t really click until I found The Negation. I absolutely loved that storyline… it’s an absolute shame it wasn’t completed before their bankruptcy.
What about Chuck Dixon?
What about him?
@@davidgraham8299 Well, he was a big part of CrossGen, and wrote the only one of their books I've ever read, El Cazador (I quite liked it)
I fell in love with crossgen comics at an early age. My favorites being meridian, Sigil, mystic, sojourn and Crux. Each story was so unique and yet they could interconnect them so smoothly, I mourn the crossover even they were building up too. Excellent video I always wanted to hear a deeper history of what happened to Crossgen.
Just found this video, Damn Crossgen was a tragedy on all fronts
Imagine if they were still active today, maybe if it succeeded long term, the industry would be healthier
I loved Cross Gen actually, however I don't know if the "Magical Fantasy"crowd was the same as the "Superhero/Sci-Fi" crowd. The books seemed to be aimed at the D&D crowd...which is quite niche. To me, this is also the reason Joe Madureira's Battle Chasers book failed.
I agree, its why I never picked one up despite the talent that they had working there. I just never cared for that genre. I did try the Ultraverse books for a bit, hell even Darkhorse's attempt at a superhero book X
Nah. Battle chasers failed because it took over three years to get 9 issues out. I dropped most hero stuff for this and never regretted it until the end.
I worked at CG from the beginning to the end. I understand this is only a 22-minute video but you got a lot wrong and left out a ton of stuff. Was Mark overbearing at times? Yes, but he was also very kind to us too. I see you did not include that Diamond, Marvel, and DC screwed us over on a contract. We were making a small profit at one point. We created a school learning program that was making money for the company. We also were the first comic company that made digital comics on DVD. The company was ahead of its time. If we had come out the same time as the Iphones we would have had comics on that. I am not saying everything was great but I felt it was one of the best times in my career. A group of us chatted about it a number of years back and we all said we would do it again.
So, I don't know about wrong (although I'm open to feedback) but there's absolutely a lot missing. I have two more videos coming... one one the innovation they did (which covers much of what you mentioned) and another on the various obstacles they faced (which yes... includes the Diamond contract info, as well as the mass-returnability from Borders that came at the wrong moment). If you're interested, I'd be happy to interview you/give you a forum as well... I'm trying to get the full story from many angles.
I know someone who worked at CrossGen as well, and have studied the company as part of my research as I venture into publishing. Would love to hear your thoughts about CrossGen. If you don't mind, I can be reached at info@animatedconcepts.biz.
Really enjoyed the work and the company's ambitions!
@@ComicsPerch I have no problem talking about Crossgen. And for the record, we did make money.
@@gevdarg Sure no problem.
@@LancerX916 Thanks! Look forward to talking with you.
Perch you killin it, I loved crossgen, they created the perfect universe, I loved almost all their books, the ceo got power hungry though, wanted to do too much
I loved the artwork in Scion #1. Jim Cheung's armor design and the colours were eye candy
I remember reading about Crossgen's revolutionary way of doing comics in Wizard magazine. Never expected to hear so much drama about it.
I loved their stuff. I had no idea, this much chaos was going on. Such a shame.
There were some great things that came out of Grossgen. Beth Widera got MegaCon and Ran a great show for years. She also did the school reading program.
HOLY SHEETS That Mark Waid story. How does he still get work? LIke I get he's a pretty good writer but I could never hire someone like that. That's....that's just evil.
You left out some things.
Crossgen tried to downplay their problems and were still looking for new investors in 2003. But when they declared bankruptcy in 2004 it revealed debts of multiple millions of dollars, so when Disney bought the company for $1 million in 2004, that was about ten cents on the dollar and no one benefited from that.
Crossgen owed a lot of people money and in the fall of 2003 their publicity person stated that everyone would be paid on October 15. But October 15th came and went and no one was paid and no further statements came out. In December 2003 the publicist was laid off so he was not heard from again. Employees were already reporting that businesses who Crossgen owed money to would arrive at the offices and find themselves locked out and no one would talk to them.
When Crossgen folded, all of the employees who had uprooted their lives to move to Tampa found themselves with nowhere to go and they had to find friends and family to help them go back to where they came from because they hadn't been paid either.
Instead of blaming himself for selling his company for $30 million but talking a lot of the money in stock instead of cash, Mark Alessi blamed Steven Spielberg for not buying the film rights to the Crossgen characters as he'd been waiting on Spielberg for months to make a decision, which never happened. Also, Marc Alessi is dead now.
The only CrossGen titles I followed were the licensed titles Space Ace and Masters Of The Universe, both of which had to be finished by other companies. Just going by those it did seem like a good company. So was Dreamwave but backstage nonsense and poor business decisions crashed that company as well. This is not an easy business to succeed in I guess if you want to be a big publisher.
Hey, Perch! Excellent concise breakdown of CrossGen! Now that the "Sigil" omnibus is coming out, please do more CrossGen videos! The entire line is collectible as single omnibuses because the premature cancellation ensured short runs of 45 issues max. I always thought Disney was sitting on a goldmine by having purchased this IP because they could have continued developing an original mythology with a built-in fan base longing for the climax of the saga in "NEGATION: WAR"! "Meridian" was the only title that satisfyingly concluded and Sephie would have been an ideal heroine for the Mouse to showcase. "Negation" was my favorite title with Obregon Kaine and the CrossGen abductees in the Negation universe. The entire saga owes more than a little tip of the hat to Michael Moorcock's concept of the Eternal Champion and multiversal conflict even though CrossGen only has two universes and the Sigil-Bearers hailed from different planets in the same universe. What an incredible comic experiment both creatively, logistically and commercially! CrossGen was responsible for getting me into comics and I bought everything they put out! I was crushed when they folded.
I bought a few trades of Crossgen books at a discount book store in the UK. Very cheaply bound. The pages fell out as soon as you opened them. Don't think I finish any story inside.
I forgot about Negation! That was the first audio book that I ever heard! That was an amazing time!
Maybe it’s been said in the comments. But I think you could have mentioned more that Crossgen tried to marry old school with modern tech.
Technology had finally evolved enough that creators could work a book together from different continents. But this led to unintended delays, unfinished stories, book announcements that never happened.
Crossgen said enough! We’re making you come to Florida. You will work your book and it will be on time.
As a customer, I may be waiting for 4 months between issue 3 & 4. But Crossgen was there on time
CrossGen was (sort of) revived recently for a one-shot called CrossGen Tales in 2022, Sigil Omnibus which came out today & the Mystic Omnibus which is set for August of 2024.
Great video. I had no idea about half this stuff. It always seemed to me that the comics themselves were half-pitched as video games or something. No real super-hero titles (a big negative in the market at the time) and the shared-universe aspect seemed forced. I only read a few issues of the Sherlock Holmes-style character (forgotten the name) and it was ok, but not great.
I'd like to see you talk about Cliffhanger, if you ever get the chance. I miss this era when creators tried to branch out beyond cape books.
Andy Smith actually discredited that Mark Waid wall punching story. Evidently Mark just opened a door and it got away from him. No punching involved.
Interesting. I recall Mark Waid actually admitting that he punched a wall on a stream with Ethan Van Sciver (a little bit before EVS became associated with CG)
RUSE was probably my favorite book in the early 2000s....after hearing about the company culture, I'll just say I'm glad I can separate the art from the personalities creating them.
Isn't the 3rd incarnation of Valiant, or even IDW, what CrossGen was trying to accomplish?
Found a new comics channel, subscribed. I dig the history stuff, well done👍
Thank you! I do a mix; there are a lot of videos and I hit a lot of topics... so you may find stuff you like and stuff you hate... but hopefully always a good mix.
So glad I stumbled on this video; made me go to eBay and order all of Scion books.
I used to read Crossgen comics. They were pretty good. I wish they were available for digital sales.
That's sad because there are fans that will swear by Cross-Gen as an amazing comic company that told very good stories!? They didn't ever put out any animated films!? I have never read any stories from this company but the art is not only unique but top notch in quality!
I’d love a more detailed retrospective. I have just about every crossgen comic and I’m always after more info. Anyone have details about the school literacy initiative they did?
The Cross Gen reboot with Sojourn, Way of the Rat, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang were really good. Too bad they were never finished when the company ceased operation.
Never heard of this company. Knowledge is power. Please do another video.
The black wreath , made me cringe...geez
Ruse was a great book, too bad it didn’t continue.
I interviewed for an inkers spot and I would have gotten the job but they were already in trouble and were just looking for colorist and pencillers. I was told this by the art director.
It's funny, because in terms of purchase price, the same has been said about WCW.
I didnt get to read a ton But the Path was freaking fantastic I still regularly reread the first trade paperback. Way of the rat , sojourn ruse, and meridian were also pretty dang good and Brath was just starting to get going when it fell apart.
Loved those books.
Use to read them for free on the there website
16:15. Alessi had the money to pay his staff. He chose not to. Waid was angry over that. Alessi bought his new fiance an engagement ring at a cost that could've paid the staff he owed money to. Alessi was not broke at all.
No excuse for that stupid act from Waid, tho.
When Alessi had haircut and fingernail inspections on the employees, can you say crazy ?!?! I inew that company would not last when they offered all their comics forever digitally for 1 lump sum. What about in 10 years ? Who is going to be paying for the digital rights ? Another dreamer who got josed in the comics business. Remember the initial write up in Wizard that made Mark out to be like The Godfather ?
@Dave Ravies Never heard of you. Were you the coffee boy?
Crossgen: too many comics that no one knew too fast. dude had plenty of money but forced everyone to live in Florida. paid too much for talent that mostly wasn't that talented.
Alessi famously told everyone to "Get back to work" on 9/11 where a ton of people had friends and family. Crossgen was a cluster starting from the beginning.
2:20 Mark Alessi acquired HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS in that sale to Ross Perot. 😗.
Still the best artwork I've ever seen drawn in comics!
In my opinion I feel Mark was a visionary that changed the comics landscape
The fact that Waid still gets work after doing such a scummy thing shows how you what terrible people are in this industry.
As much of a lifelong fan ( since the 1960’s ) of Marvel and DC that I was ( am ), when CrossGen’s comic books had been out for a few issues I gave up most all of my DC/M comic books to make room in my wallet for everything CrossGen, and the more issues that came out the better it got ( for me ). I loved it all and was never disappointed, right to the bitter end. For anyone who knows me, making that kind of switch meant something was legit ( to me ) about CrossGen, although I admit much of what DC/M was publishing at the time wasn’t exactly making me happy to open my wallet each week. Sound familiar?
I loved the Sigilverse, but I agree ( not that it matters, of course ) with Chuck Dixon, who wrote some of CrossGen’s best series. If CG could somehow be resurrected ( please, dear Lord in Heaven ) or if they’d been able to regroup and continue, the best thing, or one of the best things, they could do/should have done would be to bring the Sigilverse to a climactic close story wise, and set all of the series in their respective real world locations ( Brath - Ancient Rome; Archard's Agents - Victorian England; Way of the Rat - China… Incidentally, CG’s top selling pirate series, El Cazador, was not set in the Sigilverse, but in real world ( Earth ) 17th century age of piracy. It was immensely great, and my favorite as well as the favorite of thousands of others. All of these titles I’ve mentioned were written by Chuck Dixon ).
I still hold out hope that a miracle of miracles will happen and someone(s) who really know what they’re doing as well as the lay of the land regarding CrossGen’s many wonderful series, the creative and editorial professionalism required for comic book success, and the state of the comic book industry/market today in both the west and east, will gain control of the CGU and like Jean Grey never should have been, CrossGen will be resurrected to greater glory and a bright future that could be a new standard for what comic books heading forward into the future in this era can be when done well, and done smart.
This was a good video! Quite insightful. Will you be doing a video on Dreamwave comics? I miss those Transformers comics. There was a lot of good content before they went under.
Mark Waid is lucky bc as someone who is engaged to be married if I was ever in that position I would personally track that individual down and kick the crap out of them
It was so upsetting that it folded before they finished the final series that wrapped up all the series.
I was 6 in 2001 and Scion was one of my favorite series as a child its what got me into wanting to create comics as a child the crossgen lineup in a whole was amazing i wish theyd have some of the old creators i.e artists maybe not the writters after hearing all this lol but id buy more scion releases or way of the rat
I vaguely remember those comics
The CrossGen funding got screwed by Enron?
I LOVED the First!!