TKO Studios

TKO Studios
Founded2017
FoundersTze Chun Salvatore Simeone
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationLos Angeles
Key peopleTze Chun
Salvatore Simeone
Official websitetkopresents.com

TKO Studios is an American comics publisher founded by Tze Chun & Salvatore Simeone in 2017.[1]

History

TKO Studios was founded in 2017 by Tze Chun & Salvatore Simeone. Unlike the majority of other American comic book publishers, TKO sold their books directly to consumers and comic book shops, completely bypassing distributor Diamond Comic Distributors.[1] In 2020, TKO Studios signed a deal Ingram Publisher Services / Publishers Group West to handle book distribution.[2]

The first wave of books launched December 10, 2018[3] and contained four miniseries: The Fearsome Doctor Fang by Tze Chun, Mike Weiss, and Dan McDaid; Goodnight Paradise by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli; Sara by Garth Ennis and Steve Epting; and The 7 Deadly Sins by Tze Chun and Artyom Trakhanov. Their first wave of books were all released in three formats; a trade paperback collection, a box set of single issues, and digitally in single or collected editions. During their initial release the first issue of each series was available free digitally so consumers and retailers could preview the series before purchasing the rest.[4]

The second wave launched in October 28, 2019 using the same release format for another four miniseries: The Banks by Roxane Gay and Ming Doyle; Pound for Pound by Natalie Chaidez and Andy Belanger; and Sentient by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Walta.[5]

In 2020, Sentient became the first title from TKO to be nominated for an Eisner Award, when the series picked up a nomination for Best Limited Series.[6]

The third wave of books launched in November 9, 2020 with three comic book miniseries: “Lonesome Days Savage Nites” by Salvatore Simeone and Steve Niles The Pull by Steve Orlando and Ricardo López Ortiz; and Redfork by Alex Paknadel and Nil Vandrell.[7] In addition the three miniseries, TKO released an illustrated prose collection Blood Like Garnets by Leigh Harlen with illustrations by Maria Nguygen and a new series of one-shot comic books under the banner TKO Shorts with three titles Seeds of Eden, The Father of All Things and Night Train.[8]

In 2021 Lonesome Days Savage Nites was a finalist for a Bram Stoker Award

TKO Rogue

In November 2021, TKO announced TKO Rogue, an imprint focused on prose works. The first two books from this imprint will be Brood X and One Eye Open, coming out January 2022.[9]

Published works

Comics miniseries

Release date Title Story Art Cover(s) Colors Letters Miniseries boxed set Trade paperback
WAVE ONE
December 10, 2018
The Fearsome Doctor Fang Tze Chun
Mike Weiss
Dan McDaid Daniela Miwa Steve Wands ISBN 9781952203015 ISBN 9781732748514
Goodnight Paradise Joshua Dysart Alberto Ponticelli Giulia Brusco ISBN 9781952203022 ISBN 9781732748521
Sara Garth Ennis Steve Epting Elizabeth Breitweiser Rob Steen ISBN 9781952203039 ISBN 9781732748538
The 7 Deadly Sins Tze Chun Artyom Trakhanov Giulia Brusco Jared K. Fletcher ISBN 9781952203008 ISBN 9781732748507
WAVE TWO
October 28, 2019
The Banks Roxane Gay Ming Doyle Jordie Bellaire Ariana Maher ISBN 9781952203060 ISBN 9781732748583
Pound for Pound Natalie Chaidez Andy Belanger Daniela Miwa ISBN 9781952203046
Sentient Jeff Lemire Gabriel Walta Steve Wands ISBN 9781952203077 ISBN 9781732748590
WAVE THREE
November 9, 2020
Redfork Alex Paknadel Nil Vendrell Giulia Brusco Ryan Ferrier ISBN 9781952203138 ISBN 9781952203091
The Pull Steve Orlando Ricardo Lopez Ortiz Triona Farell Thomas Mauer ISBN 9781952203145 ISBN 9781952203107
Lonesome Days, Savage Nights: The Manning Files Vol. 1 Salvatore Simeone Szymon Kudranski Thomas Mauer ISBN 1952203112 ISBN 978-1952203114

Comics shorts

Release date Title Story Art Cover Colors Letters Collected in
WAVE ONE
November 9, 2020
TKO Shorts #1: Seeds of Eden Liana Kangas
Joe Corallo
Paul Azaceta Jeff Powell TKO Presents
Tales of Terror

ISBN 9781952203565 (TPB)
November 15, 2021
TKO Shorts #2: Father of All Things Sebastian Girner Baldemar Rivas Steve Wands
TKO Shorts #3: Night Train Steve Foxe Lisandro Estherren Patricio Delpeche
WAVE TWO
February 28, 2021
TKO Shorts #4: Dame from the Dark Rob Pilkington Kit Mills Ariana Maher
TKO Shorts #5: Hand Me Down Alex Paknadel Jen Hickman Simon Bowland
TKO Shorts #6: Killiamsburg Erick Freitas Jelena Đorđević-Maksimović Steve Wands
WAVE THREE
June 1, 2021
TKO Shorts #7: River of Sin Kelly Williams Chas! Pangburn
TKO Shorts #8: Roofstompers Alex Paknadel Ian McEwan Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
TKO Shorts #9: The Walk Michael Moreci Jesús Hervás

Prose novels

Release date Title Story Art Cover Colors ISBN
November 9, 2020 Blood Like Garnets Leigh Harlen Maria Nguyen Maria Nguyen
Jared K. Fletcher
Maria Nguyen 9781952203732 (TPB)
January 11, 2022 Brood X Joshua Dysart M.K. Perker 9781952203282 (TPB)
One Eye Open Alex Grecian Andrea Mutti 9781952203299 (TPB)

Original graphic novels

Release date Title Story Art Cover(s) Colors Letters ISBN
June 1, 2021 (preorders)
July 6, 2021 (retail)
Djeliya Juni Ba 9781952203244 (TPB)
9781952203275 (HC)
Scales & Scoundrels – Book 1:
Where Dragons Wander
1
Sebastian Girner Galaad Jeff Powell 9781952203220 (TPB)
9781952203251 (HC)
Scales & Scoundrels – Book 2:
The Festival of Life
2
9781952203237 (TPB)
9781952203268 (HC)
November 15, 2021 (preorders) Graveneye Sloane Leong Anna Bowles 9781952203176 (TPB)

1Originally published by Image Comics in 2017-2018 as Scales & Scoundrels #1-10

2Originally published by Image Comics in 2018 as Scales & Scoundrels #11-12 plus 250 pages of original content.

Media adaptions

In August 2020 The Banks was put into development as a feature film by production company MACRO with Gay returning to pen the script with Charles D. King, Poppy Hanks, Jelani Johnson, Tze Chun and Jatin Thakker serving as producers.[10]

References