Ghost Machine (company)

Ghost Machine

Company type	Collaborative media enterprise
Industry	Comic book publishing
Predecessor	Mad Ghost Productions
Founded	October 2023 (2023-10)
Founder	Brad Meltzer, Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Francis Manapul, Peter J. Tomasi, Lamont Magee, Maytal Zchut, Brad Anderson, Rob Leigh
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Brad Meltzer, Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Francis Manapul, Peter J. Tomasi, Lamont Magee, Maytal Zchut, Brad Anderson, Rob Leigh, Ivan Reis, Peter Snejbjerg
Products	Creator-owned comic books published via Image Comics
Owner	Founding creators (joint ownership)

Ghost Machine (previously known as Mad Ghost Productions) is a U.S.-based collaborative media enterprise founded in October 2023, dedicated to publishing creator-owned comic books via Image Comics. Created to allow its contributors to retain and profit from their intellectual properties, the company was unveiled during the New York Comic Con on October 12, 2023. The initial roster of exclusive writers and artists includes Brad Meltzer, Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Francis Manapul, Peter J. Tomasi, Lamont Magee, Maytal Zchut, Brad Anderson, and Rob Leigh.

At its inception, the founding creators stressed that their debut publication, Ghost Machine #1 (scheduled for January 2024), would diverge from traditional superhero narratives familiar from their prior collaborations with publishers such as DC Comics. Instead, the launch features four interconnected universes exploring genres like science fiction, historical fantasy, post-apocalyptic fiction, and horror.

History

Ghost Machine was officially introduced on October 12, 2023, at the New York Comic Con as a creator-owned cooperative media company distributing comics through Image Comics. The announcement occurred during the Lunar retailer breakfast event, accompanied by a panel discussion on October 13 and the distribution of a promotional Ghost Machine #1 ashcan comic.

The founding team comprises notable creators such as Brad Meltzer, Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Peter J. Tomasi, Maytal Zchut, and Brad Anderson. The company's structure is built on exclusive joint ownership and management by its creators, who share revenue streams from publishing, media adaptations, merchandise, and additional avenues. This collective ownership framework is highlighted in the editorial introduction of the first issue, titled "Welcome to the First Fully Shared Creator-Owned Universes!"

Brad Meltzer explained that Ghost Machine was founded to address the historical lack of control and financial participation that creators had over highly profitable properties. The initiative reflects broader industry trends toward empowering creators, as seen in the 2023 Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes, by promoting shared ownership and creative autonomy.

The company intends to move beyond conventional superhero stories. Geoff Johns remarked, "We want to create beyond superheroes," while Bryan Hitch added, "Heroes yes. Capes no." The rollout commenced with Geiger: Ground Zero (November 2023), a prequel series by Johns and Frank, followed by the 64-page Ghost Machine #1 set for January 2024. By April 2024, four shared universes focusing on character-driven narratives were planned: The Unnamed (featuring Geiger and Redcoat), the science fiction saga Rook: Exodus, the family-oriented time travel story Family Odysseys, and a horror-themed universe.

Initially kept under wraps, the horror universe was later disclosed as Hyde Street, co-created by Brazilian artist Ivan Reis alongside writer Geoff Johns. Reis joined the company in December 2023 as a principal creative contributor.

On December 6, 2023, Danish artist Peter Snejbjerg signed an exclusive agreement with Ghost Machine. His debut project is Hornsby and Halo, scripted by Tomasi, which centers on two teenagers—one demonic and one angelic—who uphold cosmic equilibrium. This story partially premiered in Ghost Machine #1.

Ghost Machine refers to these contributors as its "first wave." Additionally, in May 2024, colorist Brad Anderson and letterer Rob Leigh entered into exclusive contracts with the company.

The Unnamed

The Unnamed universe encompasses "an enigmatic assembly of heroes spanning different eras," incorporating earlier characters created by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, such as Geiger and Junkyard Joe. The lineup includes:

• Geiger — Set a quarter-century after the Unknown War in a post-nuclear environment, this story follows Tariq Geiger, who becomes the Glowing Man, a being that absorbs radiation yet struggles to master it. Ghost Machine launched with Geiger: Ground Zero, a two-issue prequel released in November 2023, with the second volume of Geiger planned for April 2024.

• Ghost Machine #1 — This 64-page anthology, released in January 2024 as the publisher’s debut title, introduces figures from its four interconnected universes.

• Junkyard Joe — Johns and Frank’s narrative about Morrie "Muddy" Davis, a young soldier turned aspiring cartoonist who confronts a lethal robotic soldier during the Vietnam War. Years later, Muddy reconnects with the robot as it escapes those seeking to repurpose it as a weapon.

• Redcoat — Created by Johns, Bryan Hitch, and Brad Anderson, this series chronicles Simon Pure, a soldier compelled to serve Britain during the American Revolution who attains immortality through a secret mystical order. Over time, Simon becomes a cynical mercenary evading adversaries, former lovers, and creditors.

• First Ghost — A supernatural tale by Brad Meltzer set within the White House.

Rook: Exodus

Rook: Exodus — Developed by Johns, Jason Fabok, and Brad Anderson, this series is an expansive science fiction saga set in a future where humanity exerts control over all natural elements. It follows a struggling farmer who rises to become one of the "Wardens," adopting the moniker Rook. He must decide whether to abandon a doomed planet or fight for its survival. His bird-shaped helmet enables him to communicate with birds, employing them as scouts and weapons.

Family Odysseys

• The Rocketfellers — Penned by Peter J. Tomasi with artwork by Francis Manapul, this series focuses on a dysfunctional family from the 26th century enrolled in the Witness Protection Program who escape danger by traveling back to 2024. They face cultural challenges while discovering their pursuers have tracked them through time.
• Hornsby and Halo — Also written by Tomasi with illustrations by Peter Snejbjerg, this story follows teenagers Rose Hornsby (a demon) and Zach Halo (an angel) who exchange families to preserve the cosmic equilibrium between Heaven and Hell. The narrative delves into themes of nature versus nurture amid an epic conflict of good versus evil intertwined with adolescent drama.

Hyde Street

Hyde Street — Co-created by Johns and unveiled in December 2023 alongside artist Ivan Reis, recognized for his work on DC Comics' Green Lantern, including the 2009–10 Blackest Night. This horror-themed universe combines the vast scale of Blackest Night with the intellectually stimulating drama reminiscent of Twilight Zone. The flagship title Hyde Street is set to launch in 2024, following Reis’s variant covers featured in Ghost Machine #1.

Current series

Title	Author	Illustrator	Colorist	Launch date
The Unnamed
Geiger (vol. 2)	Geoff Johns	Gary Frank	Brad Anderson	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
Redcoat		Bryan Hitch
Tales of the Unnamed: The Blizzard		Andrea Mutti		REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
Rook: Exodus
Rook: Exodus	Geoff Johns	Jason Fabok	Brad Anderson	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
Hyde Street
Hyde Street	Geoff Johns	Ivan Reis	Brad Anderson	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
Family Odysseys
The Rocketfellers	Peter J. Tomasi	Francis Manapul	rowspan="2" Template:TBA	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
Hornsby and Halo		Peter Snejbjerg	Template:DTS

Standalone issues

Title	Writer(s)	Artist(s)	Colorist(s)	Publication date
Ghost Machine #1	Geoff Johns Lamont Magee Peter J. Tomasi Maytal Zchut	Gary Frank Bryan Hitch Jason Fabok Francis Manapul Peter Snejbjerg Ivan Reis	Brad Anderson Francis Manapul Bjarne Hansen	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
It Happened on Hyde Street: Devour #1	Maytal Zchut	Leila Leiz	Alex Sinclair	October 30, 2024
It Happened on Hyde Street: The Soulless #1	Lamont Magee	TBA

Trade paperback collections

#	Title	Contents collected	Page count	Release date	ISBN
Geiger
1	Geiger, Volume 1	Issues #1-6 of Geiger (Vol. 1)	160	November 30, 2021	Template:ISBNT
2	Geiger, Volume 2: The Nuclear Knight	Issues #1-6 of Geiger (Vol. 2) Content from Geiger: 80-Page Giant #1	160	February 18, 2025	Template:ISBNT
3	Geiger, Volume 3	Issues #7-9 of Geiger (Vol. 2) Geiger: Ground Zero #1-2	160	June 18, 2025	Template:ISBNT
4	Geiger, Volume 4	Issues #10-15 of Geiger (Vol. 2)	152	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Template:ISBNT

|- ! colspan="7" |Junkyard Joe |} |- ! |"Junkyard Joe, Volume 1 |

• Issues #1-6 of Junkyard Joe

| 208 | June 7, 2023 | Template:ISBNT |} |- ! colspan="7" |Tales of the Unnamed |} |- ! |"Tales of the Unnamed: The Blizzard, Volume 1 |

• Selections from Image! 30th Anniversary Anthology #1-12

| 112 | July 24, 2024 | Template:ISBNT |} |- ! colspan="7" |Redcoat |} |- ! 1 |"Redcoat, Volume 1: Einstein and the Immortal |

• Issues #1-7 of Redcoat
• Content from Geiger: 80-Page Giant #1

| 192 | March 18, 2025 | Template:ISBNT |} |- ! 2 |"Redcoat, Volume 2: American Icons |

• Issues #8-14 of Redcoat

| 152 |

1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting

| Template:ISBNT |} |- ! colspan="7" |Rook: Exodus |} |- ! 1 |"Rook Exodus, Volume 1: Fight or Flight |

• Issues #1–6 of Rook: Exodus

| 192 | April 22, 2025 | Template:ISBNT |} }

Hardcover

#	Title	Collected issues	Page count	Publication date	ISBN
Geiger
1	Geiger: Deluxe Edition	Issues #1-6 of Geiger (Vol. 1) Content from Geiger: 80-Page Giant #1	272	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	Template:ISBNT
Junkyard Joe
	" Junkyard Joe: Deluxe Edition	Junkyard Joe issues #1-6	"208	" REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	" Template:ISBNT

Other media

In October 2022, it was revealed that a television series adaptation of Geiger was underway at Paramount Television Studios, with Geoff Johns and Justin Simien spearheading the development. Johns is taking on the roles of showrunner, pilot episode writer, and executive producer, collaborating with Simien and Gary Frank in executive production.

By November 2025, Ghost Machine had joined forces with Atlas Entertainment to produce a feature film adaptation of Redcoat. The project is managed by producers Charles Roven and Alex Gartner, while Johns is responsible for the screenplay, based on a story he co-created with Bryan Hitch.