Leading Canadian animation studio Copernicus has announced it has attached acclaimed comic book writer and member of the Man of Action Entertainment’s writer’s collective Joe Kelly (I Kill Giants, Deadpool, Avengers Assemble) to their upcoming animated series SKULLKICKERS. Kelly will collaborate with the Copernicus team to adapt the comic series into a new 2D adult animation, via Copernicus’s partnership with service writing company Baboon Animation.
Adapted from the comic series written by Jim Zub and illustrated by Edwin Huang and Chris Stevens, SKULLKICKERS introduces Rex and Rolf, a pair of infamous monster-hunters operating out of the downtrodden village of Mudwich. When their latest job accidentally uncovers a necromancer’s nefarious plan to raise an unstoppable army of the dead, these two monster-mashing mercs become entangled in demonic deals way beyond their pay grade. Their exploits put them in the crosshairs of deadly elven assassin Kusia, sent by king and clan to make mulch of these morons, but no matter how many times she tries, our heroes prove far too dumb to die. Facing a full-blown career crisis, the elvish cutthroat casts off a hundred years of strict orders and signs on with our meatheads and their carefree mercenary life…If you can’t kill ’em, join ’em?
Kelly is a member of the renowned studio and writers collective Man of Action Entertainment and has created and written for numerous award-winning animation titles including Avengers Assemble and Sonic Prime. On the comic book side, he created I Kill Giants, which he also adapted as a feature film starring Zoe Saldana. His legendary Superman story, Action Comics #775: “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?” was adapted by Kelly into a hit DC Universe animated film, Superman vs. The Elite.
Beyond those production credits, Kelly is also credited with crafting the origin story, supporting cast, and distinct fourth-wall breaking, comedic personality for Deadpool that captured audiences in the record breaking films Deadpool, Deadpool 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine.
Man of Action Entertainment is the bi-coastal writers’ collective behind comic’s largest franchise characters as well as original characters such as Ben 10. The group launched Disney XD’s Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man and Marvel’s Avengers Assemble as EXP/writers, and also created characters for Big Hero 6, featured in Disney/Marvel’s Academy Award-winning feature film.
Writer and Producer, Joe Kelly of Man of Action says “Jim Zub is a madman who put his love for all things fantasy through a cosmic meat grinder and delivered unto us the divine sausage that is Skullkickers. It’s an epic as much about the power of stories as it is the hilarious fumblings of two fools hacking, shooting, and drinking their way through the fantasy genre. I fell in love with Rex, Rolf, and Kusia – their story is unique and Jim has a lot to say thematically in the book that sets Skullkickers apart from just another fantasy tale. I’m hoping to bring that heart, the side-splitting laughs, and buckets o’ gore to life with the Copernicus crew to provide a hell of a ride. ”
Emily Kaye, Head of YA at Baboon Animation, says “As a lifelong lover of fantasy and tabletop games, I can say wholeheartedly that Skullkickers is a fantasy lover’s dream.”
Head of Development at Copernicus Studios, Dylan Edwards says “For the last few years North American audiences have been telling us they’re eager to see more adult animated content in the genre space. Skullkickers hits all the right notes for a viewer that enjoys stories with a more pulpy flavour. This series sits alongside shows like Invincible and Castlevania that have some grit with a healthy dose of irreverence while still honouring the conventions of their genres.”
