LOS ANGELES, March 9, 2018 – LINE Webtoon (http://www.webtoons.com), the popular digital comics publisher pioneering the development and distribution of comics worldwide, and Legendary Comics today launched Pacific Rim: Amara, an exclusive prequel comic to the highly anticipated blockbuster film Pacific Rim Uprising. Pacific Rim: Amara is an origin story that hurls readers straight into the action-packed dystopia, post-Kaiju Santa Monica, as they follow a courageous young girl named Amara Namani as she attempts to rebuild her life in the wake of tragedy and loss. This supercharged series was created by co-writers Cavan Scott (Doctor Who) and Zhang Ran (Ether), hailing from the United Kingdom and China respectively, and illustrated by Chinese artist BigN (Night Owl Bookstore; Special Repair of the Village).
As the Kaiju Wars rage on, Pacific Rim: Amara follows the young heroine whose life shattered when she is orphaned during a devastating monster attack. Fighting to survive as her city is destroyed, she finds shelter with a grumpy mech-inventor named Kai and his closest companion, Hannah. The trio forms an unlikely family in the aftermath of the invasion, looking out for one another and scavenging old mech parts to build their very own Jaeger, a pilotable giant robot with the power to protect Amara from the monsters that took everything from her. On a wild adventure through the destroyed landscape of Los Angeles to find the parts she needs to complete her Jaeger Scrapper, Amara becomes caught up in a dangerous and explosive mech-racing league and finds herself in a race against time to be ready for the day the monsters return. This epic prequel to the blockbuster movie Pacific Rim Uprising exclusively reveals the origins of new Pacific Rim heroes Amara and Scrapper, as well as reveals the courage that rises when the world falls.
“The process itself was a truly international collaboration,” said Cavan Scott, co-writer of the series. “Working with the production team, Zhang Ran and I brought the story together alongside BigN’s amazing art. It was a real team effort. I’m excited that Pacific Rim: Amara is being distributed by Webtoon, home of some of the most innovative serial comics of recent years. It’s the perfect fit for Amara and Pacific Rim.”
“We are excited to introduce LINE Webtoon readers all over the world to Amara’s journey in Pacific Rim: Amara,” said Junkoo Kim, Founder and Head of LINE Webtoon, “It’s a fresh new perspective on the incredible world introduced in the original Pacific Rim film and continued in the upcoming sequel.”
“This was an exciting adventure from beginning to end with a global creative team,” said Robert Napton, Editorial Director of Legendary Comics. “We are delighted with the results of producing our first comic with this international team from China and the U.K., and we have found the perfect distribution partner in Webtoon. Our story deepens the understanding and appreciation of not only the character of Amara, but also her homemade Jaeger Scrapper. It’s an origin story that adds yet another layer to Pacific Rim and dives into the world of Mech Racing. I hope fans enjoy it!”
Cavan Scott is the writer of Pacific Rim Aftermath, the official prequel comic to Pacific Rim Uprising. Away from Jaegers and Kaiju, Cavan has written for such popular franchises as Star Wars, Doctor Who, Vikings, Star Trek, Judge Dredd and more.
Born in 1981, Zhang Ran graduated from Beijing Jiaotong University in 2004 with a degree in Computer Science. After a stint in the IT industry, Mr. Zhang became a reporter and news analyst with Economic Daily and China Economic Net, during which time his news commentary won a China News Award. In 2011, Zhang quit his job and moved to southern China to become an independent writer. He began publishing science fiction in 2012, with his debut story, “Ether,” winning the Yinhe (Galaxy) Award, as well as the Gold Xingyun (Nebula) Award. His novella “Rising Wind City” won the Yinhe Award and a Silver Xingyun Award. The Windy City, a collection of his short stories, was published in December 2015.
Artist BigN specializes in science fiction and suspense comics. He prefers creating artwork by hand and telling thought-provoking and atmospheric stories. He broke on the scene two years ago and has published a several comics in Man You Magazine, including “Night Owl Bookstore,” “Special Repair of the Village,” “Invisible Stars of the City,” “Forest Deep” and “Monster,” to wide acclaim. His comic “Deep in the Forest” won the thirteenth Chinese animation Dragon Award Best comic silver medal. In addition to Pacific Rim, he is working on the graphic novel Clearsky City.
Readers can jump into Amara’s adventure in Pacific Rim: Amara on LINE Webtoon today and every Friday. To download the official LINE Webtoon app, visit the Apple App Store and Google Play.
About LINE Webtoon:
LINE Webtoon is the global leader in digital comics. LINE Webtoon is available on iOS, Android, tablets and web browsers. LINE Webtoon was launched by NAVER, Korea’s top search portal in 2004, and launched globally in 2014. To date, LINE Webtoon has over 10 million daily unique readers around the globe, and over 35 million monthly unique readers. Pioneering the distribution and consumption of digital comics worldwide, LINE Webtoon is taking the comic experience to the next level by providing readers with daily curated content and giving creators an intuitive platform designed to help them easily publish and publicize their own original comics. http://www.webtoons.com
About Legendary Comics:
Legendary Comics was born out of a passion for mythic entertainment, seeking out new talent and working with the best and the brightest in the industry to create transportive worlds, inspirational characters, and spectacular adventures that leap off the page. Founded in 2011, Legendary Comics has produced an exciting catalogue of original titles that continues to grow and evolve. From partnerships with industry legend Frank Miller to Grant Morrison’s Eisner-nominated Annihilator, Legendary Comics has a passion for innovative new stories, including Marc Guggenheim’s The Adventures of Jonas Quantum, the fantasy action series A Town Called Dragon, and Jessica Chobot and Erika Lewis’ hit webseries, Firebrand: The Initiation of Natali Pressano. In addition to original titles, Legendary Comics also expands the scope of the cinematic universes of its parent company Legendary Entertainment, by bringing big-screen adventure exploding onto the comic book page. Working with the visionary filmmakers and the aritechs of Legendary’s Monsterverse, they have delivered the level of quality and authenticity our fans demand with New York Times best-sellers such as Godzilla: Awakening and Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero, and Skull Island: The Birth of Kong, to name a few. http://www.legendary.com/comics
Media Contact:
Nikki Liberatore / Courtney Greenberg
DKC
212.685.4300
[email protected] / [email protected]
Sarah Jarvis
Legendary Entertainment
323.940.2254
[email protected]
