A new comic book namedScrapperis coming from Cliff Bleszinski. In what will beGears of Wardesigner Bleszinski’s first comic book, he and co-writer Alex De Campi will be mixing sci-fi action with the story of a stray dog battling against totalitarian forces.Scrapperwill be published by Image Comics as a six-issue miniseries, with art supplied byDC Comics BombshellsandBatman ‘66artist Sandy Jarrell.
Bleszinski is best known for his work in the video game industry. He’s played key roles in thecreation ofGears of War,Unreal Tournament, and evenFortnite. But after leaving Epic Games, Bleszinski took his talents in interesting new directions. He opened two bars, launched an independent game studio, and invested in theater production. He even recently published his memoir,Control Freak: My Epic Adventure Making Video Games.
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The next project that Bleszinski is taking on is an original comic book namedScrapper. InScrapper, a stray dog and his friend Tank are said to be fighting for justice in a post-apocalyptic domed city named New Verona. In the effort,Scrapperappears to discover a terrifying truth. Image Comics describes the book as Brian K. Vaughan’sPride of Baghdad, the story of a group of captain lions escaping a Baghdad zoo, meets thenoir sci-fi filmBlade Runner.
ButScrapperis apparently also a personal story for Bleszinski. He says that the choice of a dog protagonist ties into his feelings over the loss of his dog Teddy, as well as his feelings about adopting his new dog Lady. He describes the story ofScrapperas “deeply personal work,” and that it’s an honor to write it with Eisner-nominated comic veteran Alex De Campi.
De Campi’s recent work includes a variety of digitally-published independent comic work in recent years, includingBad Karma,Mayday, andThe Brandenburg School for Boys. She’s also worked onWonder Woman,Judge Dredd, andArchie vs. Predator, betweenwriting for television likeBlade Runner: Black Lotusand directing her own films. De Campi teased this new comic project with Cliff Bleszinski at the end of March.
TheGears of Wardesigner has undeniably left a significant impact on the video game industry, andBleszinski may yet return to video game developmentyet. But that he’s now exploring comics is an interesting and exciting direction. With the support of a talented co-writer like De Campi, and an exceptional up-and-coming artist like Jarrell, Bleszinski is positioned to thrive. Hopefully,Scrapperis just the first of Bleszinski’s comic book efforts.
