Fintan Studios’ breakout comic, the forgotten, hits the shelves in April 2002. Set in gritty Philadelphia, the forgotten introduces a mysterious vigilante investigating the murder of an exotic dancer while unknowingly becoming the topic of a university student’s term paper on long-since forgotten heroes.
“We plan on making a real splash with this first issue,” says Evan Young, who along with partner Jareth Grealish founded Fintan Studios and created the forgotten. “We have three extraordinary things going for us with this first issue: a great noir mystery with touches of the superhero genre; fantastic pencils by newcomer John Forcucci; and a spectacular cover by acclaimed Nightside artist Tom Derenick.”
In addition to producing quality stories and art, Fintan Studios, founded by Young and Grealish in 1999, believes that the success of any small publisher hinges upon its ability to deliver its product as promised. “It’s a sad fact that even the most devout comic book fans have come to expect their favorite titles to ship late, or sometimes not at all. This is incredibly frustrating for retailers and buyers alike, and it’s a problem that we just won’t have,” said Young.
“When we began this project, we decided right from the start that we’d never solicit the first issue until all four books were completed and ready for press,” said Grealish. “Right now, I have four finished issues sitting on my desk ready to go to a very reliable printer. What better way to ensure that we meet our delivery dates?”
So how exactly did an upstart operation like Fintan, owned and operated by two writers, manage to pull off this feat? “We did it by being patient, putting in years of hard work, and treating our artists fairly while paying them on time,” Young explains. “It’s important to us to have outstanding relationships with our freelancers. The best way to maintain those relationships was to keep our promises; promises we take very seriously.”
“It shows in the work. We feel confident that this book will impress anyone who gives it a read,” Grealish added. “And putting out every issue on time - now that will impress retailers, publishers, fans, and everyone else in the industry who knows how much work it takes to produce a comic.”
Issue 1 ships to retailers in April, and the next three installments of the B/W, four-issue series will be published bimonthly in June, August and October. Issues 1 and 2 are 32 pages and will each retail for $2.95. Issues 3 and 4 bump up to 40 pages at $3.50 each.
In addition to the eye-catching cover by Tom Derenick on issue 1, Cryptopia artist Pat Quinn’s work graces the cover to issue #2. “The cover is a key ingredient to successful sales, and each cover of the forgotten has a unique style that will really grab the buyer’s attention,” said Grealish.
