Mike Quackenbush Thanks Fans For Support, Releases Another Image From #MASKcrusade Campaign

When I first heard the rumors about a new M.A.S.K. comic series back in March, Wyatt and I were given a unique opportunity to share a true fan's desire to write the story. I first met Mike Quackenbush through his #MASKcrusade on Twitter and then got to hear about his campaign first hand in an interview on MASKast. I really felt like Mike had the heart of what fan's could hope for in a potential IDW series and even likened his quest to our own of writing a live-action movie. Mike even gave us the exclusive story and art that was presented in his pitch to IDW.

If you've been keeping up with the latest news, you know that the new IDW series scheduled to be released Nov 2016 will be written by Brandon Easton. Mike shares in our excitement and believes Easton will do a great job in bringing M.A.S.K. back, but also hopes there is still a chance to formally publish his concept one day. Mike wanted to share a final message with everyone who supported his #MASKcrusade campaign...

"For M.A.S.K. fans like you and me, this has been a remarkable few months. The announcement of Hasbro’s shared cinematic universe, rumors of a comic book series, and then, just this week…eye-popping artwork from Tommy Lee Edwards and confirmation from IDW Publishing that this autumn, a M.A.S.K. comic book written by Brandon Easton will hit store shelves!

Back in March, I mounted an online campaign using #MASKcrusade in an effort to grab the attention of IDW Publishing. I was very lucky to find support from fellow M.A.S.K. fans worldwide, to the tune of thousands of tweets and social media mentions, until the volume grew to a level that could not be ignored. I was given the chance to pitch my story for the revival of M.A.S.K. in comic book form, and this would not have been possible without you, your support, and perhaps, your generous and altruistic pledge to back some random guy you’ve never heard of before. Thank you.

I’m proud of what I submitted, and I am happy that I was even in the running for the job of writing the new M.A.S.K. comic book. I’m grateful to the editors at IDW who not only humored me - a complete unknown - but were also never patronizing about it. They were gracious, and they had no reason to be, other than, they are just good people. They wanted to hear ideas, and they wanted to get the best possible story and bring it to life. With Brandon Easton, I am confident they will. His rightfully-acclaimed work on Watson and Holmes, to say nothing of his contributions to Agent Carter (Yes. THAT Agent Carter) and the animated ThunderCats, assures me, and anyone familiar with his work, that he is the agent best suited for this mission.

I’m not here solely for my…what’s the opposite of a victory lap? No. I want to share some eye-popping art of my own! I commissioned the super-talented Ares Taveras to help me bring this to life, and it accompanied my pitch to IDW Publishing. It’s a re-imagining of my very favorite M.A.S.K. vehicle, Hurricane. I wanted to take the somewhat-vague idea of a “field command post” and nudge it in the direction of a futuristic tank. And I wanted to pit this sleek powerhouse against a really agile opponent - Vampire.

Just seeing a dynamic image like this excites my imagination! There’s good reason to be excited - a new M.A.S.K. comic is just months away! I plan to be the first in line to hog up all the copies. Look for me - I’ll be the middle-aged white dude smiling like a 10-year-old when that day comes."

- Mike Quackenbush

Thanks goes out to Mike for allowing Agents of M.A.S.K. to be the hub during his campaign! We are very glad he is part of our fan community that seems to be growing by the minute in this exciting time!