Black Mask Studios
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Comic books, graphic novels, multimedia content production |
| Founded | March 20, 2012 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Founder | Matt Pizzolo, Steve Niles, Brett Gurewitz |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Matt Pizzolo (founder) |
| Products | Comic books, graphic novels, multimedia adaptations |
Black Mask Studios is a publisher specializing in comic books and graphic novels, established in 2012 by Matt Pizzolo, Steve Niles, and Brett Gurewitz. Based in Los Angeles, California, the company was created to build new support systems for comic creators and to champion provocative artistic expression. Its distribution network includes Simon & Schuster for book publications, Lunar Comics Distribution, and Diamond Comic Distributors for comic book distribution.
The studio is well-known for works such as Elisa Romboli's Alice In Leatherland, Matthew Rosenberg's 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, Magdalene Visaggio's Kim & Kim, Matt Miner's Liberator, Tini Howard's The Skeptics, Vita Ayala's The Wilds, Curt Pires's Mayday, Amancay Nahuelpan's Clandestino, Fabian Rangel Jr.'s Space Riders, and Kwanza Osajyefo's White.
On the Word Balloon podcast, writer Matthew Rosenberg—known for his work on Uncanny X-Men and Batman—recognized Black Mask as a vital platform for emerging talent. He praised founder Matt Pizzolo’s strategic vision in spotting promising creators, noting that many influential writers launched their initial creator-owned projects with Black Mask. Host John Siuntres also remarked on the company’s significant role in fostering fresh voices within the comic industry.
History
On March 20, 2012, the launch of Occupy Comics, a charity comic inspired by and supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement, was announced under a newly formed company: Black Mask Studios, founded by Matteo Pizzolo, Steve Niles, and Brett Gurewitz. Niles highlighted the necessity of such an enterprise, pointing out that controversial titles like V for Vendetta would face challenges finding publishers today. The company embraces the mottos "to create you must destroy" and "Inspire, never meddle," which reflect its disruptive approach to business.
Black Mask opened its webstore on June 12, 2012, debuting Occupy Comics No. 1 with contributions from notable figures including Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spiegelman, Bill Ayers, Ryan Alexander-Tanner, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Matt Bors. The second issue was released on September 17, 2012, featuring a cover by David Lloyd—the original artist of V for Vendetta—depicting V standing defiantly against the Wall Street Charging Bull statue.
In February 2013, Black Mask introduced its initial comic lineup employing a dual distribution strategy aimed at both traditional comic retailers and direct-to-consumer digital-physical subscription services. By October 2014, the publisher expanded significantly with a second lineup comprising 15 new series led by titles such as Sinatoro from Grant Morrison and Vanesa Del Rey and Disciples by Steve Niles and Christopher Mitten.
Expanding beyond print media, Black Mask Studios ventured into multimedia adaptations to maximize the value of its intellectual properties. These projects include a television adaptation of Five Ghosts, executive produced for Syfy and Universal Cable Productions; an animated film trilogy based on Godkiller; as well as TV adaptations of The Disciples, Mayday, and Sinatoro, involving prominent producers like Chris and Paul Weitz. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Mask currently has 11 projects in development across various studios, highlighting its increasing influence and strategic leadership within the entertainment sector.
More recently, Warner Bros. Pictures is developing a cinematic universe centered on Black Mask’s comic series BLACK, with Gerard McMurray attached as director. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Television is producing an animated adaptation of Faust, penned by founder Matteo Pizzolo. Additionally, Picturestart is working on turning the comic series 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank into a feature film scripted by Matthew Robinson.
These initiatives demonstrate Black Mask Studios’ progression from an independent comic book publisher to a diversified multimedia content producer operating globally with multiple revenue channels.
Titles
Black Mask Studios introduced its initial collection of titles on May 1, 2013, beginning with Occupy Comics No. 1. The second wave appeared in late 2014 and extended into mid-2015, followed by the third group titled Black Mask's Class Of 2016, which launched in spring 2016.
In May 2017, Kim & Kim garnered Black Mask its inaugural Eisner Award nomination. That year also saw the announcement and release of the politically charged comic Calexit, which attracted considerable attention for its dystopian storyline set in a California governed by martial law.
| Year | Title | Author(s) | Artist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Occupy Comics | Various contributors | Various artists | |
| 12 Reasons To Die | Matthew Rosenberg and Patrick Kindlon | Multiple artists | Created by Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan, producer Adrian Younge, and executive producer RZA | |
| Ballistic | Adam Egypt Mortimer | Darick Robertson, Diego Rodriguez | ||
| Liberator | Matt Miner | Javier Aranda, Joaquin Pereyra | ||
| 2014 | Toe Tag Riot | Matt Miner | Sean Von Gorman | Featuring Andy Hurley from Fall Out Boy. |
| Godkiller | Matt Pizzolo | Anna Muckcracker Wieszczyk, Ben Templesmith (covers) | Received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews; topped Diamond Comic Distributors Advanced Reorder Charts; produced three print runs. | |
| Godkiller: Walk Among Us | Matt Pizzolo | Anna Wieszczyk | ||
| Critical Hit | Matt Miner | Jonathan Brandon Sawyer | ||
| Pirouette | Mark Miller | Carlos Granda | ||
| Last Born | Patrick Meaney | Eric Zawadzki | ||
| 2015 | We Can Never Go Home | Matthew Rosenberg and Patrick Kindlon | Josh Hood | Awarded the Diamond Gem for Best Graphic Novel; underwent three printings. |
| Mayday | Curt Pires | Chris Peterson | ||
| Space Riders (volume 1) | Fabian Rangel Jr. | Alexis Ziritt | Experienced three print runs. | |
| The Disciples | Steve Niles | Christopher Mitten | Printed twice. | |
| Transference | Michael Moreci | Ron Salas | Two printings completed. | |
| Young Terrorists | Matt Pizzolo | Amancay Nahuelpan | Top-selling independent graphic novel (#1 Mature Readers); Amazon #1 Bestseller; four print runs. | |
| Clandestino | Amancay Nahuelpan | Amancay Nahuelpan | Printed twice. | |
| Tony Dreannan | Ayhan Hayrula | |||
| 2016 | Jade Street Protection Services | Katy Rex and Fabian Lelay | Fabian Lelay, Mara Jayne Carpenter, Annie Wu (covers) | Two print runs. |
| Kim & Kim | Magdalene Visaggio | Eva Cabrera, Claudia Aguirre, Tess Fowler and Devaki Neogi (covers) | Nominated for Eisner and GLAAD Media Awards; initial printing sales reached 20,000; two printings total. | |
| BLACK | Kwanza Osajyefo | Jamal Igle, Khary Randolph (covers) | Designed by Tim Smith III; featured in The New York Times Arts Section; first print sold 22,000 copies; two print runs. | |
| The Skeptics | Tini Howard | Devaki Neogi, Jen Hickman | Two separate printings. | |
| 4 Kids Walk into A Bank | Matthew Rosenberg | Tyler Boss | Praised in The New York Times Book Review; initial printing sold 31,000 copies; three print runs. | |
| The Forevers | Curt Pires | Eric Pfeiffer | ||
| No Angel | Eric Palicki and Adrianne Palicki | Ari Syahrazad, Jean-Paul Csuka | Printed twice. | |
| The Dregs | Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler | Eric Zawadzki | Two print runs completed. | |
| Fabian Rangel Jr | Alexis Ziritt | Printed twice. | ||
| Holly Interlandi | Zoe Chevat | |||
| Ryan K Lindsay | Sami Kivela | |||
| Matteo Pizzolo | Amancay Nahuelpan, Tyler Boss | Earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly; Amazon Bestseller status; featured in The New York Times Arts Section; first printing sold 25,000 copies; five print runs total. | ||
| M.L. Miller | James Michael Whynot | |||
| Magdalene Visaggio | Eryk Donovan | |||
| Patrick Kindlon | Maria Llovet | Two separate printings. | ||
| America's Sweetheart | Kwanza Osajyefo | Jennifer Johnson | Spin-off series from BLACK. |
Unproduced
| Title | Writer(s) | Illustrator(s) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinatoro | Grant Morrison | Vanesa del Rey | Initially revealed in 2014 |
| Our Work Fills The Pews | Vita Ayala and Matthew Rosenberg | Yasmin Liang | Publicly announced in 2016; reported to be undergoing "retooling" as of 2019 |
| Run for the Shadows | J.M. DeMatteis and Matt Pizzolo | Josh Hood | Made public in 2016 |
| We Can Never Go Home (volume 2) | Matthew Rosenberg and Patrick Kindlon | Josh Hood |