SCI FI Channel and Virgin Comics Team Up

The SCI FI Channel television network and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Comics announced on Saturday that they were joining forces to create original content across media. An eight-member board with representatives from different spheres of the entertainment industry, including print comics, tv, film, merchandising, digital content, and gaming, will make editorial decisions about what projects to develop. The company will aim to develop stories and characters that will translate successfully across multiple formats.

Content will be released under the banner of SCI FI/Virgin Comics. A press release from the SCI FI Channel called the partnership the beginning of a a new "Global Multimedia Enterprise."

Dave Howe, SCI FI Channel Executive Vice President and General Manager, and Sharad Devarajan, CEO and Publisher for Virgin Comics, announced the venture on Saturday at Manhattan's Jacob Javits Center as part of the New York Comic Con, a massive event which draws thousands of industry insiders and fans annually, and is one of the largest pop culture and comics events in the United States.

During his presentation, Howe stated "We're thrilled to be partnering with Virgin Comics to create exciting new titles, characters and stories that can live beyond the pages of the comic book." He added that "Virgin is the perfect brand to help us connect with the youth audience around the world."

Launched in 1992, the SCI FI Channel is a television network which produces a number of original series and events, in addition to broadcasting classic and contemporary science fiction and fantasy programming. The channel also maintains a highly trafficked web site and a print magazine. The television channel currently reaches 86 million homes in the United States.