Welcome to the 5TH DIMENSION!

For a couple of weeks now, I've been teasing on my Facebook page about a big announcement I've been planning on making. I intended to pull up the curtain on Friday but, because of deadlines and work commitments, didn't have the time to do it right.

So without further ado, here we go.

I'm very excited to announce that I'm a majority partner in a new publishing company, a little entity we decided to call 5th DIMENSION COMICS.

The key word in that sentence being "partner." While the bulk of the initial day to day operations/decisions fall to me, this new venture wouldn't exist without the trust and enthusiasm of a few old friends. So let me introduce them to you:

Comic book readers will remember the name DEV MADAN as the co-creator/penciller of the fondly remembered DC Comics series YOUNG HEROES IN LOVE. He's very busy these days running the entire video game industry from his secret headquarters in Seattle but he's agreed to lend his digital expertise to the company and his creative mojo to a super-secret project he's currently slaving away on. And where Dev goes, can the Young Heroes be far behind?

Personal friends will know well the names of my other two partners in this enterprise: STEVE DOBIEJKO and JOE (certified f'n awesome) PODVARNEY.

Facebook friends in particular know Steve as the ruthless bastard who cuts me to shreds with his wit and sarcasm every time I update my status. In reality, while he is every bit as ruthless, witty, and sarcastic as we're led to believe, he's also a shrewd business man and an original thinker who is lending his insight and acumen to the company.

Joe is our man of mystery. He's a lover, as the ladies will certainly attest. Rumor has it he spent some time in the underground pitfighting circuit and I once heard he killed a dog. Or maybe I once told someone Joe killed a man. Hard to say.

Joe also sports an impressive business acumen and has agreed to lend his reservoir of intelligence to our enterprise. It's not an overstatement to say that, literally, this company wouldn't exist without Steve, Joe, and Dev. While I'm mouthing off up front, they're the behind-the-scenes trio that have made the whole thing happen.

So...what about the company itself?

5th Dimension will be producing original, full-color graphic novels for the comic book and book store market. It's not our only objective but it's our primary purpose.

Our publishing plan is still taking shape but I can say we're going to roll out smart and, beginning in the February PREVIEWS, will have product listed for the rest of the calendar year. Graphic novels, lithographs, instructional DVD's and more beginning with the collected (and completely remastered) edition of ARMOR X by myself and Andy Smith.

I'll be talking a lot about ARMOR X between now and February. No need to spill the details right now but, suffice to say, if you read the original series, you've never read this ARMOR X before.

Initially, our content will also be available for digital download through Graphic.ly and we've got some surprises in store for what you're going to find when you enter 5th Dimension: Digital.

For now, I'm blowing the spider-webs off my blog and this will be the place where I'll be touching base to update everyone on what we're up to. Once the official website is up, I'll shift the party over there but if you'd be so kind0 please check back often for the latest goings on.

And most importantly, I want to hear from you! If you're an established comic book creator who wants to put together an original graphic novel, hit me up. If you're a new talent looking to break into the business, let's talk. If you run a comics news website and want to help spread the word, I'm ready to chat. If you own a comic book store, lets have some words about possible incentives to order and promote 5th Dimension product.

I'm easy to find at keithchampagne@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you!

Blog powers...REACTIVATE!!

So it's never a good sign when it takes three tries to successfully remember one's login info and access one's own blog.

Anyway...lots of good coming down the pike and I'll be trying to update my blog at least once a week. Look for a big announcement next Friday, which off the top of my head is the 19th of November, where the first pieces of my master plan will be unveiled.

Come back, readers!

Dick Giordano

I've been pretty wrapped up the past week with the new addition to our household, so much so that I only today learned that the great Dick Giordano passed away this weekend.

I never met Mister Giordano personally. Anything I know of the man was gleaned by religiously reading his editorials every month in the back of DC's books. He had left his position at the company before I started working for DC although I did actually ink him on a job for a Flash annual in the mid-90's.

Imagine that. Me inking one of the greatest inkers in the history of the comic book medium. And man, did I fuck it up. You ever want to talk about stagefright, that job was a classic case. Mr. Giordano was an artist whose work I studied for years. Every page he inked was a textbook in what an inker does. So you'd think I might have been a little more competent but sadly, that wasn't the case.

Nonetheless, I still have the originals filed away and it's a small joy of my career that our paths touched, at least briefly.

There are a lot of people who knew Mr. Giordano personally, who are more eloquent than I am, and will write about the man, the artist, the executive, and his accomplishments in much more touching fashion than I ever could.

I would just like to say that the name and work of Dick Giordano touched my life on a monthly basis for many, many years. I read his columns, I studied his work, I hoped that one day he might hire me if I were ever lucky enough to impress him with my samples. His passing leaves a hole in my youth (which is starting to look like Swiss cheese as more of my heroes pass away), and a void in this crazy little business that will never be filled.

I am deeply, deeply saddened by his passing.

As Dick would always say, "Thank you and good afternoon."