Dynamite and NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products
are proud to announce that the beloved television action hero Colonel Steve
Austin will celebrate his 40th Anniversary by returning to comics in the
upcoming Six Million Dollar Man: Season 6 series, set immediately following the
classic television continuity. Featuring
the writing talent of award-winning author James Kuhoric (Army of Darkness) and
artwork by Juan Antonio Ramirez, the upcoming Six Million Dollar Man: Season 6
comic series will launch with covers by legendary painter Alex Ross (Kingdom
Come).
A direct follow-up to the classic television series, the
Season 6 series pits Steve Austin and his trusted handler Oscar Goldman against
a rogue faction of the OSI. A new type
of infiltration agent is the key to the treacherous power play - one that is
robotic and completely obedient to the traitors. Can a soulless machine make the world's first
Bionic Man obsolete? Six Million Dollar
Man: Season 6 will hold special appeal for longtime fans, as the infamous
villain Maskatron debuts for the first time within story continuity with a
violent and terrifying purpose.
Furthermore, Austin's role as a NASA pilot will return to prominence, as
conspiracies involving extraterrestrial technology and close encounters take
root at the OSI.
"Being able to tell a story about Steve Austin is a
lifetime ambition," says writer James Kuhoric. "The Six Million Dollar Man was a
cornerstone of positive childhood memories, and stuck with me over three
decades. The idea of a man who could do
anything he wanted, but always chose to do the 'right thing,' captivated
me. Time and time again, Steve would
show us that it really wasn't the machine that made the man special, it was the
man that made the machines special. That
little spark of childhood, that hidden gem that told me to do the right thing,
stuck with me all this time. Every time
since that I would hear the distinctive opening credits sequence, I would be
brought back to a purer frame of mind -- one where you could solve any problem
with bionic limbs, a wry smile, and a raised eyebrow."
James Kuhoric has written many original creator-driven
and licensed comic books. His list of
writing contributions includes Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, and his
Spike TV Scream Award-winning run on Army of Darkness. Collaborating with Jeff
Katz, he brought three of the biggest horror franchises together with Freddy
vs. Jason vs. Ash and its sequel Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash: The Nightmare
Warriors. His original creations Dead
Irons and Legendary Talespinners were featured as key releases by Wizard
Magazine and Comic Shop News. He is also
the Editor-in-Chief of Bleeding Cool Magazine, as well as the Vice President of
Publishing for Avatar Press.
"When the guys at Dynamite launched Kevin Smith's
Bionic Man (a modern reimagination of the character), I read it loyally every
month, but I still missed the original," says Kuhoric. "When Dynamite approved my pitch for the
continuation of the original series picking up after the final fifth television
season, I knew I had to bring back all the things that made it special to me
back in the day. The book has a specific
look to it, and will feature many of the main characters from the series. We went out of our way to use the 'Kung Fu
Slow Motion', the sound effects, and all the oddities of that era so the comic
book would feel like the original TV series."
Kuhoric comments on the art chores, "When I saw the
first turnarounds from artist Juanan Ramierez, I was amazed. His images evoked everything special I had
always seen in the show, and he brought a fresh more modern look to the pages
overall. Dynamite would take it a step
further by getting Alex Ross to paint the main covers for the new series. As a lifetime comic book fan, it is a true
honor to have the industry's most prolific painter contribute his incredible
work on one of my stories. Everything
about this new series is going to be done with the care of lifetime fans behind
it."
Award-winning painter and industry icon Alex Ross not
only provides the covers for Season 6, he also made the novel suggestion to
develop a long-lost piece of SMDM action figure history into one of the
franchise's most fearsome villains.
"The Maskatron toy was my favorite toy growing up," says Ross.
"I played with it to death, turning
it into different characters from The Six Million Dollar Man, as well as other
comic book characters that I could turn it into. I'm thrilled to help bring it to life in a
full storyline."
"When deciding what event would be compelling to
fans of the show, it seemed that delivering the sixth season was ideal,"
says Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite. "We wanted to build on the mythos, and
to do that, we felt that there had to be new villains. In discussions, we contemplated: why not bring into the series a villain whom
fans would know from the toys, even though he wasn't in the TV series? Why not have a villain who could be The Joker
to Steve Austin's Batman, or Doctor Octopus to his Spider-Man? How to push the envelope? And I have to say, James took Alex's idea and
ran with it. New and existing fans are
going to be surprised at the time and care that went in to putting together the
series that will help celebrate Steve Austin's 40th Anniversary, and
beyond."
The Six Million Dollar Man: Season 6 will be solicited in
Diamond Comic Distributors' December 2013 Previews catalog, the premiere source
of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release
beginning in February 2014. Comic book
fans are encouraged to reserve copies of The Six Million Dollar Man with their
local comic book shop or hobby specialty store.
The Six Million Dollar Man: Season 6 will also be available for
individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology,
iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.