The relatively new imprint Mechanical Cake has made some bold moves from the moment it was announced that the production company was expanding to comics. First, its first graphic novels are being developed in collaboration with legendary director Ridley Scott. I talked with editor Dave Elliott back at WonderCon, focusing more on the first book, Modville. But we knew Hyde was on the docket.
Making a splash for San Diego Comic-Con, Mechanical Cake CEO Jesse Negron has announced that he won’t just be working with Scott to create the world of Hyde. They’ve brought on Johnny Depp, building the IP around/with the controversial actor. To be honest, it’s a logical choice as his public persona definitely covers both Jekyll and Hyde.
It’s also the second time Depp has been associated with a classic monster, as he had been slated to play the Invisible Man in Universal Studios’ Dark Universe. That film was never made. This one has a better shot.
With art by masters Chris Weston and Gary Erskine, this might have been in the works for a while. Mechanical Cake plans for the first chapter to be available in October. But if you’re attending Hyde: When the Worlds of Graphic Novels and Movies Collide in Hall H on Thursday from 1:30 to 2:30 pm, you’ll get an ashcan issue. The Modville ashcan was incredibly high quality, delivering a better taste of the book than most ashcans do. The Hyde ashcan will also be available as a free download at Mechanical Cake. I can’t wait to see what their booth looks like.
From Mechanical Cake:
Created by Jesse Negron, HYDE picks up Mr. Hyde’s story, from the Robert Louis Stevenson novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and imagines a world where Mr. Hyde has defeated Jekyll. Now unencumbered by interruptions from his alter ego, Hyde can finally freely explore his dark tendencies with uninhibited abandon. The 2-volume graphic novel series finds Mr. Hyde in his new domain, the sewers beneath London, where he experiments on others, using the corrupting serum to create even more “Hydes.” Each volume in the series will contain two chapters with over two hundred pages. Johnny Depp will have input on all aspects of the property and create the character of Hyde.
“To build within the world of Robert Louis Stevenson’s masterful characters and to be welcomed into the vision of Ridley Scott… and inexplicably having the opportunity to explore.” Depp ponders. “It’s surprising to me. And hopefully surprising to him. It’s insane and beautiful to receive that trust from Ridley. A master.”
When Ridley Scott, with his instinct for world building, first saw the poster mockup and the concept pitch, understood the potential of Hyde, he said: “It’s a no-brainer!”
“This is an incredible opportunity to build a studio-level project that goes directly from the creators to the audience, with no filters in between,” said HYDE creator Negron.
The series is written by Jesse Negron and Joe Matsumoto, edited by comic book veteran Dave Elliott, and drawn by legendary artists Gary Erskine and Chris Weston. Scott Free Senior VP Tom Moran, COO Infinitum Nihil Jason Forman, and Mechanical Cake CFO Tom Sanders will oversee the partnership.
“HYDE, like everything Mechanical Cake does, is a bit off the rails, in a good way. We execute at a whole other level. We cannot wait to unleash HYDE into the world at San Diego Comic-Con this year! We invite everyone to come by our booth, which takes you into the worlds of our graphic novel series, MODVILLE and HYDE,” said Negron.
