Premier Pop C Pop Culture News – Movies, Comics, Television, Books, Toys, Games, and More Surge Licensing, the agency that discovered the independent comic book “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and launched a global entertainment and licensing sensation, has reached an exclusive representation agreement to develop television, film, video games, toys, apparel, and other tie-ins for Axe Cop, a web-comic that recently exploded on the scene.
“In a most coherent and beautiful way, Axe Cop turns the absurd and ridiculous into an action packed adventure, that can only be described as fun!”
Ethan Nicolle, a 29-year old Eisner Award-nominated comic book artist, went home for a routine family visit last year not knowing that both he and his 5-year old brother Malachai were about to create a groundbreaking Internet sensation. They spent an afternoon play-fighting, which took a highly creative turn in which they collaborated – Malachai telling the story of Axe Cop and Ethan illustrating – on the making of Axe Cop, a good versus evil tale with brilliantly bizarre characters. Ethan posted the one-page comic to Facebook for friends and family, and from there Axe Cop was live.
From the moment Axe Cop was posted, it instantly went viral. Four days later it was the 89th most popular search term on Google and within two months, Newsarama was calling it “the best comic ever.” More accolades followed with Collegehumor.com describing Axe Cop as “hilarious as it is bad a**!” and MTV’s Splashpage citing it “simply put: it’s the comic every kid wishes they could draw and every adult wishes they could write.” USA Today, GQ, and Entertainment Weekly also took notice as Axe Cop garnered millions of obsessive fans nearly overnight.
Axe Cop, along with his flying gatling-gun-armed pet T-Rex Wexter™, Dinosaur Soldier™, Ninja Moon Warrior Brothers™, Sockerang™, Baby Man™, and other hilariously absurd pals do battle in a good versus evil tale that has a twistedly refreshing saga. Brilliantly bizarre baddies such as the one-eyed robot Psydrozon™, Pretzel Head™, King Evilfatsozon™, Vampire Man Baby Kid™ and Dr. Stinky Head™ also play leading roles in the Axe Cop tale.
Over the past year, Ethan quizzed Malachai on how the story progressed, made sense of it all, and brought it to life through dazzling and hysterical neo-retro comics. The collaboration continues today and is the perfect synthesis of child wonderment and experienced aptitude.
Since their first session a year ago, the Nicolle brothers have created more than 80 episodes of Axe Cop and a hilarious advice column, Ask Axe Cop, both of which were recently published as a trade paperback by Dark Horse Comics and sold out in their first printing. Dark Horse will also launch an all-new Axe Cop three-part comic book mini-series in March 2011.
“I have never enjoyed such fresh stories and characters, which fully capture and embody the imagination of youth as I have with Axe Cop,” said Elan Freedman, Vice President of Surge Licensing. “In a most coherent and beautiful way, Axe Cop turns the absurd and ridiculous into an action packed adventure, that can only be described as fun!”
