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{{Infobox company
| name             = Liquid Comics
| logo             =
| genre            =
| foundation       = 2006 as Virgin Comics, renamed Liquid Comics in 2008
| founder          = [[Richard Branson]]<br />[[Deepak Chopra]]<br />[[Shekhar Kapur]]<br />[[Sharad Devarajan]]<br />Suresh Seetharaman<br />[[Gotham Chopra]]
| location_city    = New York, Bangalore
| location_country =
| location         =
| locations        =
| area_served      =
| key_people       = [[Sharad Devarajan]] <small>(Co-Founder & CEO)</small><br>Gotham Chopra <small>(Co-Founder)</small><br>Suresh Seetharaman <small>(Co-Founder & President)</small>
| industry         = [[Comics]]
| products         =
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| market cap       =
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| net_income       =
| assets           =
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| homepage         = {{Official website|http://www.liquidcomics.com}}
| footnotes        =
| intl             =
}}
'''Liquid Comics''' is an [[India|Indian]] [[comic book]] publishing company, founded in 2006 as '''Virgin Comics LLC''', which produces stories (many of which are [[India]]n-culture related) for an international audience. The company was founded by Sir [[Richard Branson]] and his [[Virgin Group]], author [[Deepak Chopra]], filmmaker [[Shekhar Kapur]], and entrepreneurs [[Sharad Devarajan]], Suresh Seetharaman, and [[Gotham Chopra]]. In August 2008, the company restructured and relocated from New York to Los Angeles.<ref name="VarietyShutdown">{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/virgin-comics-to-close-shop-in-n-y-1117991174/|title=Virgin Comics to close shop in N.Y. |access-date=2008-09-03 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=2008-08-26 | first1=Marc | last1=Graser | first2=Sam | last2=Thielman}}</ref><ref name="PWshutdown">{{cite web|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6590174.html |title=Virgin Comics Shut Down |access-date=2008-08-26 |work=www.publishersweekly.com |publisher=[[Publishers Weekly]] |date=2008-08-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829162307/http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6590174.html |archive-date=August 29, 2008 }}</ref> On September 24, 2008, it was announced that Virgin Comics was renamed Liquid Comics after a [[management buyout]].<ref name="Variety">[https://variety.com/2008/digital/markets-festivals/virgin-comics-now-liquid-comics-1117992793/ Variety] on the end of Virgin Comics and the start of Liquid Comics</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE48P16Y20080926 | work=Reuters | title=Liquid absorbs Virgin Comics | date=September 26, 2008}}</ref>

==Company==
===Formation===
[[Image:Virgincomicslogo.jpg|thumb|right|Virgin Comics logo]]
'''Virgin Comics LLC''' and '''Virgin Animation Private Limited''' are collaborative companies formed by [[Virgin Group]] entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, author Deepak Chopra, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and [[Gotham Entertainment Group]] (South Asia's largest comics publisher) in 2006.<ref name="newsarama.com">[http://www.newsarama.com/virgincomics/virgincomics.htm VIRGIN COMICS, VIRGIN ANIMATION Press Release]. Accessed February 6, 2008  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303190858/http://www.newsarama.com/virgincomics/virgincomics.htm |date=March 3, 2007 }}</ref> The companies spun out of the previously announced partnership between Chopra, Kapur, and Gotham Entertainment (but not Branson). ''Gotham Studios Asia'' was announced in late 2004, planning its first release in 2005, which failed to occur. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported in January 2006 that Gotham Entertainment head [[Sharad Devarajan]] and Chopra's son Gotham were the key movers, and approached Branson as a potential partner.<ref name="variety.com">[https://variety.com/2006/scene/markets-festivals/branson-taking-a-passage-to-india-1117935558/ Gardner, Chris ''Branson taking a passage to India: Virgin comics goes East'']. Accessed February 6, 2008</ref> With Branson on board, Gotham Studios Asia became ''Virgin Comics and Animation'', with Devarajan taking the role of CEO, with Gotham Chopra as chief creative officer, with Indian advertising executive Suresh Seetharaman running Virgin Animation from India.<ref name="variety.com"/> The companies are based in [[Bangalore]] with the comics arm having its headquarters in New York.<ref>[http://www.newsarama.com/virgincomics/virgincomics.htm BRANSON ENTERS COMICS WITH VIRGIN COMICS, VIRGIN ANIMATION & Press Release]. Accessed February 6, 2008  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303190858/http://www.newsarama.com/virgincomics/virgincomics.htm |date=March 3, 2007 }}</ref> [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] reported that Devarajan and Chopra planned to spend 2006 "staffing the Indian operation with approximately 150 people, most of them artists".<ref name="variety.com"/>

Devarajan, who continues to operate Gotham Entertainment as a separate entity, stated the aim of the Virgin imprint was to "create content that not only reaches a global audience but also helps start a creative renaissance in India."<ref name="variety.com" />

Focusing on Asia "as an area to inspire and create content and drive revenue... to reach a global audience." the two arms allow for properties to be translated into "full media properties across a wide line of products and media outlets".<ref>[http://www.newsarama.com/virgincomics/virgincomics.htm Matt Brady ''BRANSON ENTERS COMICS WITH VIRGIN COMICS, VIRGIN ANIMATION'']. Accessed February 6, 2008  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303190858/http://www.newsarama.com/virgincomics/virgincomics.htm |date=March 3, 2007 }}</ref>

Adrian Sington, Executive Chairman of [[Virgin Books]] noted that "the market for comics and graphic novels worldwide is exploding... [partly due to] the emergence of comics out of Asia."<ref>[http://www.newsarama.com/virgincomics/virgincomics.htm VIRGIN COMICS, VIRGIN ANIMATION] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060111162748/http://www.newsarama.com/virgincomics/virgincomics.htm |date=2006-01-11 }} (press release), [[Newsarama]]. Accessed February 6, 2008</ref> Sharad Devarajan referred to the Japanese forms of [[Anime]] and [[Manga]], stressing their impact on world media, and outlining Virgin Comics' "mission... to spark a creative renaissance in India, reinventing Indian character entertainment and permeating this new style and vision throughout the globe... launching a new wave of characters that simultaneously appeal to audiences from Boston to Beijing to Bangalore."<ref name="newsarama.com"/>

===Restructuring===
On August 26, 2008, it was reported that Virgin Comics had shut down its New York office.<ref name="VarietyShutdown"/><ref name="PWshutdown"/> A statement released by CEO Sharad Devarajan confirmed closure of the New York office, but indicated that the company would be restructuring and relocating to Los Angeles.<ref name="VarietyShutdown"/><ref name="PWshutdown"/> Devarajan said that further information would be released later.<ref name="PWshutdown"/> Gotham Entertainment will be unaffected by this change.<ref name="VarietyShutdown"/><ref name="PWshutdown"/> According to sources, Virgin will continue to own the rights for the properties which it published.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080826-VirginCLoses.html |title=Virgin Comics Shuts Down New York Office |access-date=2008-08-26 |work=Newsarama |date=2008-08-26 }}</ref>

===Liquid Comics===
On September 24, 2008, it was announced that Virgin Comics changed its name to Liquid Comics.<ref name="Variety"/> The company entered into an agreement with FremantleMedia Enterprises to create television shows. The first two shows in development under the partnership are First Family and Ani-Max.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/2009/scene/markets-festivals/fremantle-dives-in-with-liquid-comics-1118006360/ | work=Variety | title=Fremantle dives in with Liquid Comics | first=Michael | last=Fleming | date=July 22, 2009}}</ref>

Gotham Chopra was working with [[Michael Jackson]] on a graphic novel called ''[[Fated (comics)|Fated]]'' which was announced for a June 2010 release through [[Villard (imprint)|Villard]]<ref>[http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6702008.html Frankfurt Book Fair: At A Slightly Smaller Fair, Michael Jackson Project Draws Lots of Chatter], ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'', October 14, 2009</ref> and is copyrighted to Liquid Comics.<ref>[http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?hd=1,5&SC=Author&SA=Jackson%2C%20Michael%20Joseph&PID=zbk7iIIotE5o17oX-iUXQfEwD2Wxc&HIST=0&SEQ=20100120202733&SID=2 Fated (treatment)], Library of Congress Copyright Office</ref>

===Graphic India=== 
On February 20, 2013, Liquid Comics began to refocus on [[Sharad Devarajan|Devarajan's company Graphic India]], a digital comics and animation startup.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/liquidcomics/|title=Facebook Post|website=www.facebook.com|accessdate=3 February 2024}} {{better source|date=February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://council.rollingstone.com/profile/Sharad-Devarajan-Founder-Liquid-Comics-Graphic-India/42cb4854-fb97-4eda-899d-edacb36dde9d | title=Sharad Devarajan &#124; Founder - Liquid Comics / Graphic India }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Jon |date=2017-12-01 |title=Graphic India raises $5M to build a Marvel-like digital comic brand for India |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/30/graphic-india-raises-5m/ |access-date=2023-07-07 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Comic lines==
Virgin Comics' initial lines were their flagship Shakti line, the Maverick (later Voices) line and the Director's Cut imprint.  Although the first title, scheduled to debut mid-2006, was meant to be the first "Director's Cut" title, by [[John Woo]], it in fact was the second "Director's Cut" comic, and Virgin's fifth overall when it debuted in October.

===Shakti===
The Shakti line ("Shakti" means "power" in [[Sanskrit]]) feature Indian mythology, art, history, classical stories, and other related themes, often with a modern twist. Its debut titles - two of the first three to see print from Virgin Comics - were ''[[Devi (comics)|Devi]]'' and ''[[The Sadhu]]''.<ref name="Bring On the Virgins">[http://www.comicworldnews.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?column=headlines&page=1189 ''Bring On the Virgins''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814100539/http://www.comicworldnews.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?column=headlines&page=1189 |date=2007-08-14 }}. Accessed February 6, 2008</ref> ''Devi'' was written by [[Siddharth Kotain]], and featured "a modern take on a very ancient myth", in which title character Devi becomes a "warrior of the light" after the pantheon of gods rebirth her in response to "the rapid decay of the city of Sitapur" caused by "fearsome renegade god Bala."<ref name="Bring On the Virgins"/>

''The Sadhu'', written by [[Gotham Chopra]] himself, is a story of revenge, from an individual who "was once a ''Sadhu'' – what, in the East, they call mystics."<ref name="Bring On the Virgins"/>

====Shakti titles====
{{Main|List of Virgin Comics publications#Shakti}}

===Director's Cut===
The Director's Cut line is designed to showcase the work of film directors, and effectively give them an unlimited budget to create works that might be more difficult to realise on screen. It sees directors such as [[Shekhar Kapur]], [[Guy Ritchie]] and [[John Woo]] creating comics, and is rumoured to include the legendary [[Terry Gilliam]] at some point in the future.<ref name="ReferenceA">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2575 Johnston, Rich ''Lying in the Gutters'' Vol 2.68] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224213753/http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2575 |date=2007-12-24 }}. Accessed February 6, 2008</ref> Gilliam's reputed interest (and that of the other directors) is said to be in part due to the comics' ability to "provoke new Hollywood interest in old ideas and, if nothing else, give the audience a glimpse of what [was] intended" in a potential film version.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> ''[[Guy Ritchie's Gamekeeper]]'' was optioned by [[Warner Brothers Studios]] to be made into a motion picture.<ref>{{cite magaz<!---->ine article |title=Guy Ritchie to direct ''Gamekeeper'' |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/guy-ritchie-to-direct-gamekeeper-2-1117969172 |date=25 July 2007 |last=Graser |first=Marc |access-date=15 October 2023 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Elsevier]]}}</ref>


Virgin Comics' initial comments stated that the aim was "to launch comic titles in collaboration with iconic film-makers",  with "Woo’s Seven Brothers [originally listed as] the debut comic of the Director’s Cut line".<ref name="comicbookresources.com">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=7815 Weiland, Jonah, ''JOHN WOO AND GARTH ENNIS CREATE NEW PROPERTY FOR VIRGIN COMICS'' July 13, 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716064550/http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=7815 |date=July 16, 2006 }}. Accessed February 6, 2008</ref>
In fact, the first "Director's Cut" comic, and Virgin Comics' second overall was ''[[Snake Woman (comics)|Snake Woman]]'', from [[Shekhar Kapur]] and artist [[Zeb Wells]]. It revolves around 25-year-old Jessica Peterson, a Los Angeles-based woman with the tagline: "STUDENT…WAITRESS…MASS-MURDERER."<ref name="Bring On the Virgins"/>

Virgin's highest-profile comic in the west, and the one announced before any other, became the company's fifth release in October, 2006. John Woo's ''[[Seven Brothers (comic book)|Seven Brothers]]'' was a Chinese folklore idea was expanded by ''[[Preacher (comics)|Preacher]]'', ''[[Hitman (DC Comics)|Hitman]]'' and ''[[Punisher (comics)|Punisher]]'' author [[Garth Ennis]] into "a modern, global story," in a manner that is "clearly a brother to the film medium," said Woo.<ref name="comicbookresources.com"/> [[John Woo]] described his experience "working in comics [as] quite comfortable", since "it's like the ultimate storyboard".<ref name="comicbookresources.com"/> Ennis described the manner in which he became involved as remarkably straightforward. Indeed, in his own words: "All they had to say was ‘John Woo’ and I was sold instantly."<ref name="comicbookresources.com"/> The covers were by [[Yoshitaka Amano]], with [[Greg Horn]] producing a variant for #1.

====Director's Cut titles====
{{Main|List of Virgin Comics publications#Director's Cut}}

===Voices===
The Voices line (formerly known as the ''Maverick'' line) is intended to feature new talent, as well as presenting comics by actors and musicians. The line's first release was in December, 2006, and written by [[Eurythmics]] frontman [[Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)|Dave Stewart]]. ''Dave Stewart's Walk In #1'' was loosely based on "Stewart’s real-life experiences as a young man doing stage shows as "Memory Man" and – during this time of his life – suffering from odd moments of memory loss himself".<ref>[http://www.brokenfrontier.com/reviews/details.php?id=1165 Review of ''Dave Stewart's Walk In #1'' at Broken Frontier]. Accessed February 6, 2008  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108224939/http://www.brokenfrontier.com/reviews/details.php?id=1165 |date=January 8, 2009 }}</ref> It was scripted and expanded by [[Jeff Parker (comics)|Jeff Parker]], author of the acclaimed comic ''[[Interman]]''.

====Voices titles====
{{Main|List of Virgin Comics publications#Virgin Voices}}

===Other===
Virgin comics produced a [[Dan Dare]] mini-series, written by [[Garth Ennis]].

Additionally, "the company will tap into innovative creators in comics, film and entertainment from around the world."<ref name="newsarama.com"/> Virgin Comics animators have worked on graphic novels, and the venture is linked to Virgin Animation.  One such graphic novel is the upcoming children's environmental book ''[[The Econauts]]''.

At the [[New York Comic Con|NYCC]] it was revealed [[Grant Morrison]] would working with Virgin Comics to produce "webisodes" (short animated stories) based on the [[Mahābhārata]], he said it wouldn't be a direct translation but "Like the Beatles took Indian music and tried to make psychedelic sounds…I'm trying to convert Indian storytelling to a western style for people raised on movies, comics, and video games."<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16079 NYCC: Virgin Comics Announces Grant Morrison Webisodes], [[Comic Book Resources]], April 18, 2008</ref> It was also announced that [[Stan Lee]] will create a new superhero team to appear in a new Virgin title, the details of which were being kept secret for the moment.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-virgin19apr19,1,7072456.story Stan Lee to oversee Virgin Comics' superheroes], ''[[LA Times]]'', April 19, 2008</ref>

Virgin also started Coalition Comix on [[MySpace]], where users could suggest ideas for a comic which would then get made. The first one was ''[[Queen's Rook]]'', written by [[Mike Carey (British writer)|Mike Carey]].<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16337 Mike Carey talks Virgin & MySpace's Coalition Comix], [[Comic Book Resources]], May 8, 2008</ref>

====Novel art====
*[[Kama Sutra]]
*[[Deepak Chopra's Buddha|The Life of Buddha]]

==Comics creators==
Virgin Comics' creators include:
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[Jenna Jameson]]
*[[John Woo]]
*[[Nicolas Cage]]
*[[Garth Ennis]]
*[[Alex Ross]]
*[[Guy Ritchie]]
*[[Shekhar Kapur]]
*[[Deepak Chopra]]
*[[Gotham Chopra]]
*[[Samit Basu]]
*[[Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)|Dave Stewart]]
*[[Andy Diggle]]
*[[Mike Carey (British writer)|Mike Carey]]
*[[Saurav Mohapatra]]
*[[Shamik Dasgupta]]
*[[Terry Gilliam]]
*[[Edward Burns]]
*[[Duran Duran]]
*[[Bart Sears]]
*[[Ron Marz]]
*[[Grant Morrison]]
{{div col end}}

==Television==
Virgin Comics will be co-producing a number of TV series with the [[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|Sci-Fi Channel]] and the first will be ''The Stranded'', written by [[Mike Carey (British writer)|Mike Carey]].<ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=132255 The Virgin Days Of Mike Carey - Talking ''The Stranded'' And ''Voodoo Child''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011013851/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=132255 |date=2007-10-11 }}, [[Newsarama]], October 9, 2007</ref>

==See also==
*[[Gotham Entertainment Group]]
*[[Indian comics]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.liquidcomics.com}}
{{Virgin Group}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Liquid Comics| ]]
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 2006]]
[[Category:Comic book publishing companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies formed by management buyout]]