The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

I’ve posted on here a number of times about enjoying the mixed-media graphic novel The Many Worlds of Jonas Moore, an online comic which uses the multimedia abilities of the web to incorporate archive footage, live action, music and photography along with comics panels as it depicts Jonas Moore (Bond actor Colin Salmon and his svelte voice), a sentient programme in a vast online gaming system which keeps the populace of a world where the British Empire never fell quite and subdued, plugged into endless virtual worlds. I liked the ‘home-made’ approach Howard Webster was taking which had echoes of the old punk-era ethos of ‘do it yourself’, much of it being put together on a laptop in a coffee shop, I liked the way instead of simply putting traditional comics frames on a screen it decided to exploit the different media available online and I loved the fact that the site invited readers to interact with it, to download clips and art, remix them and create their own story segments or even music videos.

As well as being an interesting approach I thought it was also a canny move by someone pretty media savvy, generating a lot of interest and subsequent hits on the site as it developed. Now it looks like it has paid off with MGM taking note and stepping in to option Jonas Moore with an eye to developing it as a full TV series. The studio is now looking to develop the concept with other programme makers in the UK and US, believing that the story would be an “exciting one for worldwide audiences.” I know, I know, optioned is a long way from an actual commissioned full series, but given the high profile and popularity of both science fiction and comics-based works right now I’d imagine this is the sort of property MGM would want to try and move on fairly quickly and, given how digital technology has made realistic effects more affordable it needn’t be a budget-buster to make (especially given how much Howard and co have managed on a beg, borrow or steal approach already). Early days so far, so no word on dates, script writers or cast, but I would imagine they’d want to secure Colin for the lead role in the TV version too, surely? Anyway, big congratulations to all at Factory Publishing; more as we hear it.