In 1997 Kaso comics made its debut at most New York City comic book conventions with the release of The Indestructible Man. The brainchild of inker-turned-publisher, Anthony Cacioppo, was a success and that success has lead to the release of the company's second title, The Risen and the Dead.
Both series featured color covers and black and white interiors. The books rely more on quality art and good stories, as opposed to flashy covers and colorful characters. "Kaso Comics' focus is to make great comic books without all the gimmicks that have been used in the industry in recent years," said Cacioppo. The Indestructible Man focuses on the death and rebirth of bad boy Butcher Benton as he takes to the streets to avenge his execution. The character was first made famous on the silver screen by Lon Chaney Jr. It was only natural for Kaso Comics to bring the character to print in this two-part mini-series.
"The classic monsters and creatures really got to me and lead me to find comics as a kid. It was a natural progression from the movies to monster magazines to collecting comics," said Cacioppo. Cacioppo tapped into the talents of penciller, Nirut Chamsuwan and inker, Richard Campbell to bring the story, written by David Watkins, to life. Cacioppo added his near-decade of inking experience to the mix and what came out was a film noir-ish comic book throwback to the '50s.
Upon Indestructible's success Kaso Comics moved toward an archaeological adventure type story made famous by the Indiana Jones films. The Risen and the Dead debuted in May of 1999 with issue one of the three part mini-series. A Risen and the Dead graphic novel collects the whole story, which chronicles the heroine Seraph's attempts to thwart the onslaught of the evil Molech.
"The title is a gothic story about good versus evil," said Cacioppo. "The villain, Molech gets freed from a tomb by a team of archeologists looking for artifacts. The first issue focuses on him trying to regain his power so he can take over the world. We also introduce the heroine, Seraph."
The Risen and The Dead features artwork and a script by Earl Geier. The story was created by Cacioppo and outlined by Brian Petersen.
Kaso Comics has no intention of stopping there and will tackle yet another genre. Matt Burton-Agent Zero takes the Kaso universe to the world of espionage with this James Bondesque hero. The Agent Zero book is still in the early stages of development but Cacioppo says Burton will be a secret agent brought form the '60s to the present day. It promises to be a tale of intrigue and deception.
With upcoming projects Twisted, Project Burner and Matt Burton, as well as the Action Anatomy artist sourcebook by Ken Landgraf and the new Enter the Worlds of Heroic Fantasy: Paintings by Marcus Boaz, Kaso Comics will be expanding its line. But Cacioppo has no intention of overlooking the company's original mission statement - to produce comic books that are well written and beautifully drawn.
Ask your local comic store to carry Kaso Comics but if you can't find them there you can order them direct from the source.
Kaso Comics, Inc.
P.O. Box 381
Hicksville, New York 11802-0381
Email us at KasoComics.com
"My goal is to produce comic books that are well written and beautifully drawn" Anthony Cacioppo - The mission statement of Kaso comics.
|