INTERVIEW WITH UDON - 2008 PLANS UNVEILED!
Jim Zub, Project Lead of Udon Entertainment, happily sat down with us to unveil the company's involvement with Street Fighter's 20th Anniversary. As a joint effort to reveal the news the exact time as their official Press Conference panel in New York Anime Festival, 4pm EST today, we share with you THREE new Street Fighter comic series and its relation to the highly anticipated game SUPER STREET FIGHTER II TURBO HD REMIX, as well as shedding some light on next year's 300+ PAGE STREET FIGHTER BOOK!
SFD: Hello Jim! Thanks for taking your time to sit down with us for this exciting announcement on your 2008 plans of Street Fighter the Comic Series! Let me first congratulate your team on the fantastic Street Fighter Manga titles and the UDON'S Art Of CAPCOM book that came out in 2007. Amazing work!
UDON: Thanks! Our manga line has launched quite strongly and we're really happy with the response we've received from retailers and fans. Though 2007 was exciting 2008 is ramping up to be our biggest year ever.
SFD: Can you please tell us a bit about the three different titles that will launch in 2008?
UDON: We've got three Street Fighter comic series that will be running simultaneously alongside Capcom's upcoming marketing blitz for Street Fighter HD and Street Fighter IV. First up is Street Fighter II Turbo, continuing our main Street Fighter comic storyline with the epic tournament story arc. Secondly is another Street Fighter Legends series, this time centered around the strongest woman in the world, Chun-Li. Last, but certainly not least, is the launch of our brand new Street Fighter III: New Generation comic series.
SFD: Are you planning on releasing the books on a monthly base?
UDON: The 3 books will be rotating, with one coming out each month. In that way we can maximize the quality of the comics and continue to provide artwork to Capcom for Street Fighter-related advertising and merchandising.
SFD: How many issues should we expect for each new Comic Book series?
UDON: Street Fighter II Turbo will be a 12 issue maxi-series. SF Legends Chun-Li is 4 issues. Street Fighter III will be 6 issues to start, with strong potential for it to become an ongoing series.
SFD: Which artists do you have working on each series, and why did you choose them?
UDON: We're excited to welcome Jeffrey 'Chamba' Cruz onboard as the new penciler of our SF2Turbo comic series. His dynamic action-oriented style marries itself perfectly to the exciting tournament storyline. The Chun-Li series art chores are being taken care of by UDON veteran Omar Dogan, the same artist who knocked our Sakura series out of the park. The SFIII series is being drawn by Joe Ng. I know our fans will be happy with his faithful take on the Street Fighter III style.
SFD: Will Ken-Siu be returning as the lead writer?
UDON: Absolutely. Ken's writing all three series so that they mesh well together and weave the many character storylines into a cohesive whole.
SFD: Why was Chun-Li chosen for the next Legends series?
UDON: Omar loves drawing the ladies. :) In all honesty, Chun-Li is incredibly popular and her story is at the core of the upcoming Street Fighter live action movie. We wanted to create our own movie-equivalent storyline and show her strengths in a focused solo adventure. She's a fascinating character with a rich history.
SFD: Will Cheap-Shots or Street Fighter Mini be returning?
UDON: We've got some fun ideas for the humor section. You'll have to wait and see...
SFD: Do you have any guest artists planned for any of the series?
UDON: Yes, we do but we're not ready to formally announce any names just yet.
SFD: Many fans know of your involvement with the up-coming Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. Will there be any tie-ins with the up-coming Street Fighter books?
UDON: The character endings in SFT2HD are meant to work with our series but also stand alone for people who are just playing the video game without reading the comic.
SFD: Every year, we notice that Udon releases a giant 300+ page book around Convention Season (Eternal Challenge, The Ultimate Edition and UDON 's Art Of CAPCOM). What are your plans for 2008's big hit?
UDON: Good question. This year our "tent post" convention book is called Street Fighter Tribute: 20 Years of the World Warriors. This high end prestige art book will be a gigantic love letter to Capcom, with all new pin-up artwork by the UDON crew and dozens of other professional artists. Propelling it to an even higher level, we'll be taking art submissions from fans. The best artwork will be put in the book, giving up-and-coming artists a chance to be part of Capcom history. Look for more details on Capcom's website in the new year.
SFD: Is there anything else you would like to leave for the fans?
UDON: After years of crossing our fingers, Capcom has finally come around and is creating Street Fighter IV. This intense momentum will propel the Street Fighter franchise to new heights and we're excited about being part of the celebration. We're hoping the many fans, new and old, will come along with us for the wild ride.
SFD: Jim, thank you for spending this time with Team SFD. We hope to see you again at Anime North 2008! Best of luck on your books!
UDON: Thanks! Look for more exciting announcements in early 2008.
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