M2, a Los Angeles production company that makes content for many platforms, has launched Macroverse, a digital comics platform. It opens with DeadTown, an exclusive original series, and more creators are set to follow. The stories use a tap-through format designed for phones and tablets rather than for the printed page.
Co-founder Eben Matthews said he and his team love comics. He sees digital storytelling as a way for creators to reach readers worldwide, connect with fans directly and earn money from their work. Co-founder Adam Martin added that comics already drive much of the wider entertainment business, and that link will only grow. Their aim is a cross-platform experience that keeps fans engaged for the long run.
M2 has been testing ways to blend comics and digital media since 2015. Early projects adapted print comics with animation and effects. They included standalone apps for 12-Gauge Comics titles, such as Luke McBain, a vehicle for Trace Adkins, and a Boondock Saints prequel produced by Matthews.
Work sped up in mid-2017, after M2 found artist Steven Perkins. That made DeadTown the natural first title. A beta version was then shown at Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con 2017, where the response was very positive.
DeadTown is drawn in black-and-white noir style, inspired by films like A Touch of Evil and The Maltese Falcon. It follows a hard-boiled anti-hero in a near-future world overrun by zombies. Martin and Matthews created and wrote it, while Perkins did the art.
Macroverse is available for iOS and Android. The first three DeadTown episodes are out, with Episodes 1 and 2 free and Episode 3 at $0.99. New episodes arrive every two weeks for $0.99 each. Alternatively, a $9.99 Season Pass opens all 36 episodes of Season One as they come out, which saves more than 50%.
Martin and Matthews founded M2 as a writer and director team. Together they have about 40 years of experience in film, television, animation, comics, advertising, games and new media. Since 2009, the studio has worked for clients such as Activision, Legendary Pictures, 505 Games, 12-Gauge Comics, Netscout and Laemmle Theaters.