DC Comics passes on modern ‘Jesus’ book
T HE
author and illustrator of a comic starring Jesus Christ as a modern-day superhero is searching for a new publisher after DC Comics canceled its release weeks before a March 6 publication date.
Satirical comic book series “Second Coming” was canned by DC after conservative Web site CitizenGo circulated a petition calling it “outrageous and blasphemous.” The petition, which urged DC to cancel the series, drew more than 230,000 signatures.
DC, which owns the “Batman,” “Superman” and “Wonder Woman” franchises, initially said it would delay publication. But when Second Coming’s creators asked for the rights to their comic back, the nation’s largest comic publisher seemed to be happy to comply and rid itself of the controversy.
“It wasn’t because of any displeasure with DC or their editorial staff,” author Mark Russell said in an interview with Syfy News.
“It was just that they wanted to push the release date back to some undetermined point in the future, and I had made some minor changes at their request, after which I was warned that requests for more significant changes would probably be on the way. So I decided I would rather keep the story intact and remain true to the original vision and get into the hands of readers in a more timely fashion.” The comic, illustrated by Richard
Price, tells a story in which God is disappointed with Jesus’ first effort to save humankind and sends him back in present day to room with a new superhero called “Sun Man.”
“Would DC Comics publish similar content about other religious leaders, such as Mohammed or Buddha?” CitizenGo asked.
A week after being nixed, there is still no new publisher, but Price suggested that’s because it takes time.
“There’s a pile of negotiations that go into something like this,” he tweeted.
Tribune soars
Tribune Publishing shares surged, to close up 15 percent, on Tuesday after The Post reported that McClatchy was prepping to make a second offer to buy the publisher of the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News and other papers.
The Post reported exclusively late Sunday that McClatchy — the owner of papers including the Miami Herald, Sacramento Bee and Kansas City Star — was about to make a new bid as soon as this week, only two months after its last offer was rejected.
McClatchy is said to be working with Evercore on the deal.
McClatchy’s previous offer of $16.50 a share, was reported to include $15 in cash and $1.50 in stock in a combined company. After the December rebuff, the stock slumped, and a new deal isn’t expected to require as hefty a premium.
One of McClatchy’s chief backers is Chatham Asset Management, a New Jersey-based hedge fund run by secretive investor
Anthony Melchiorre, who is also principal owner of American Media, the parent of supermarket tabloid National Enquirer. Tribune’s former chairman,
Michael Ferro, was said to have objected to the previous offer at the last minute. While he does not have a seat on the board, his 26 percent stake still gives him behind-the-scenes influence.
Sources say Ferro is frustrated over the continuing lack of a deal and is more open to an offer. He is said to feel that the best deal for rolling up smaller regionall publishers in the embattled industry would be a Tribune-Gannett merger.
McClatchy’s stock fell 5 percent, to $5.70, on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for McClatchy declined to comment.
Clevver sale
Defy Media sold its Clevver pop culture news brand aimed at millennial women to Hearst Magazines.
“Clevver’s content entertains and engages more than 15 million subscribers,” a spokeswoman for Hearst Magazines said in a statement. The channels being acquired include Clevver-branded Style, News, TV and Music as well as Spanish-language Clevver TeVe.
“This investment underscores our commitment to premium video,” the spokeswoman said. Terms were not disclosed.
Defy Media once soared on the digital scene with revenue close to $50 million. Founded in 2006 as Alloy Media, the company had ggone public and then became pprivate again when Zelnick Media acquired it in 2010.
In March, Defy laid off 8 percent of its workforce and sold off properties. By November, Defy ceased operations as creditors froze its assets. “Unfortunately, market conditions got in the way of us completing our mission,” the company said at the time. “Our main focus right now is to find homes for these great brands and people so that they can continue to thrill and delight their millions of viewers with as little interruption as possible.”