Some of the biggest names in comics and TV are teaming up to tell stories of labor rights while raising money for striking writers.
Grant Morrison, Brian Michael Bendis, and Matteo Pizzolo, all WGA members and comic book writers, have teamed up with a bevy of other writers, top artists and Black Mask Studios to celebrate the ongoing labor movement in Hollywood with General Strike: Calexit and Other Tales of Fighting the Good Fight. The anthology book, from the creators of Calexit, follows labor organizer Gen. Strike through the Calexit universe and tells stories “dedicated to the struggle for economic equality.”
The new book, which is available for pre-order on Kickstarter, tells stories by a roster of WGA writers, including writer/producer/WGA NBCU Lot Coordinator Judalina Neira (The Boys, Gen V, The Flash), Rodney Barnes (Winning Time, The Boondocks), Tamara Becher (Doom Patrol, Daredevil), Daniel Dominguez (Seis Manos), Charley Feldman (X-Men ’97, Teen Titans Go!), Grant Morrison (Happy!, All-Star Superman), and Brian Michael Bendis (creator of Miles Morales and Jessica Jones). The project is being run by WGA-member writer and publisher Matteo Pizzolo (Calexit, Godkiller, Rogue State).
“Our initial idea was to put together an anthology of new stories set in the world of Calexit, but, when we proposed that to the creators, they envisioned using Calexit as a launchpad for something bigger that could help support the community through the strikes,” Pat Shand, head of Black Mask Special Projects, said. “And that’s how General Strike came together.”
The book won’t just tell stories set in a fantasy world, either, as Black Mask Studios is matching the writers’ rates with donations to the Entertainment Community Fund. On top of that, the creators retain ownership of the IP to their stories and characters.
“With the longest-running dual strikes in Hollywood history reaching a crescendo, this is an amazing moment to celebrate the power and solidarity that got us here and also to keep telling stories that inspire us to fight these good fights,” Calexit writer/co-creator Pizzolo said. “The WGA and SAG strikes are part of the bigger labor movements growing across the country and around the world, but they’re also unique because they focus on creative artists – the public outpouring of support we’ve seen here hasn’t always been the case with past Hollywood strikes. It’s really inspiring and we’re hoping this project can honor that and also support the workers who are still struggling due to the impact of the strikes.”
Gen. Strike, a bubblegum-chewing labor organizer making her debut in General Strike, will be introduced to the world via a set of covers by comic book artists Tyler Boss (4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, What’s The Furthest Place From Here?), Iolanda Zanfardino (Alice In Leatherland), Ben Templesmith (30 Days Of Night), Ramon Villalobos (America Chavez), Creees Lee (Lab Raider), Elisa Romboli (A Thing Called Truth), Amancay Nahuelpan (Calexit), and Darick Robertson (The Boys).
Artists working on the stories include Antonio Fuso (Something Is Killing The Children: House Of Slaughter), Jamal Igle (BLACK, The Wrong Earth), Butch Mapa (Star Wars Adventures), Tyler Jenkins (Grass Kings), and Josh Hood (We Can Never Go Home).
“This strike isn’t just about writers in Hollywood, it’s about the exploitation of labor. As a proud member of the WGA and a recipient of Strike Fund assistance, I jumped at the chance to participate in this anthology,” Becher said of the project.
Previous initiatives from the creators of Calexit include raising money for families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border during the Trump Administration, running voter registration on the floor of San Diego Comic-Con, supporting Indivisible’s Get Out the Vote campaign, and donating to bail funds during the George Floyd protests.
General Strike: Calexit and Other Tales of Fighting the Good Fight is available for pre-order now on Kickstarter.
