Two weeks after it was revealed Virgin Comics had shuttered its New York City office and cut loose its eight-person staff, Editor-in-Chief Gotham Chopra admits, “Things have been turbulent.”
In an article at the LA Times’ Hero Complex blog that traces the rise and fall of the two-year-old venture, Chopra says the “downsizing” wasn’t driven by the publishing business, but by economic concerns faced by its parent company, Richard Branson’s Virgin Enterprises Ltd.
“It’s been tough times,” Chopra says, “not so much in the comic-book business as in airline business and the tel-com business and in the money business; Virgin Money is a lender for mortgages and tuition, and it’s not the best time right now.”
Still, it’s tough to deny that Virgin Comics’ titles never seemed to gain a foothold in the comic-book market. Of course, when names like Nic Cage, John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Hugh Jackman and Jenna Jameson are attached, sales of the actual comics probably weren’t a primary concern.
Chopra promises more information about the company’s future will be released next week. He points out, however, that problems with the publishing division won’t affect Virulents, director John Moore’s adaptation of the mystical-war comic.
September 10th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I wonder if they are moving to LA to be closer to POW! and Stan Lee. He is supposed to be creating 10 new superheros for them to be adapted to the bigscreen and comics.
Maybe POW! and Virgin will join forces?
September 10th, 2008 at 11:40 am
I don’t see why they’d need to be geographically closer to Stan Lee and POW.
September 10th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Not sure what to make of the whole Virgin Comics bruhaha. I expected them to close up shop pretty quick, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see free webcomics in support of movie projects or soemthing like that as their next model. Or some kind of pay-by-ads thing, not unlike the model they have set up where you can view a commercial online to earn a penny toward your Virgin prepaid phone or something.