External links
- The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask! at Dark Horse Comics
- The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask! at GraphicAudio
| The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask! | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Limited series |
| Publication date | October 2019 – January 2020 |
| No. of issues | 4 |
| Main character(s) |
|
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Christopher Cantwell [1] |
| Artist(s) | Patric Reynolds [2] [3] |
| Letterer(s) | Nate Piekos [4] |
| Colorist(s) | Lee Loughridge |
| Editor(s) | Daniel Chabon |
The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask! is an American dark comedy-horror supervillain comic book limited series written by Christopher Cantwell, [5] drawn by Patric Reynolds, and published by Dark Horse Comics from 2019 to 2020 as a revival of the semi-anthological self-titled comic book series and franchise. The series chronicles the events following the mask being once again unearthed after twenty years by politician Abner Mead, who aims to use it and the "Big Head" reputation to run a campaign to become President of the United States, opposed by a now-Mayor Kathy and retired Detective Kellaway.
The series received a positive critical reception. [6] [7] An audio play adaptation of the series by GraphicAudio would release in 2021, [8] [9] starring the voices of Eric Messner and Keith Richards as Big Head. [10]
Twenty years ago, a mask of unknown origin and limitless power was buried in the concrete of an apartment building's basement floor by Mitch Kellaway, Edge City and the world at large having all but forgotten the mysterious green-faced killer known as "Big Head". [11] Only after struggling politician Abner Mead acquires the mask in 2019, [12] and uses its power to gain favour of the general populace and run for office as President of the United States, going up against now-Mayor Kathy Matthews (previously known simply as "Kathy") on her own campaign, as well as a returning Kellaway. [13]
In July 2019, Dark Horse Comics announced a new The Mask limited series to be in development from writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Patric Reynolds, entitled The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask! and following a new wearer of the mask as he runs for president as Big Head. [14]
Cantwell said that the "truest thing for me is that the protagonists are Kathy and Kellaway, as they've always been. Of course, now they're decades older. So, they're at once new characters to jump into, but have their shared history as well", [15] with Cantwell himself as having "channeled a lot of anger and frustration into this book. Everything seems so absurd and abusive and invasive now, even the things that say they're trying to help you, or make your life better. It's not true—they're stealing your data, destroying your privacy, and dividing all of us into these tribal factions. Add into that global stress on resources and climate change, and you get quite a melting pot of chaos. The media traffics in hyperbole, but there is also an awful lot of hard evidence pointing to humanity being on the very brink of catastrophe. This story is set on that cliff's edge. Maybe it's even set after the fall, during the terminal velocity descent." [12]
The series was published by Dark Horse Comics across four issues from October 16, 2019, to January 22, 2020, and collected as an omnibus edition on June 10, 2020.
On September 11, 2021, Graphic Audio and Dark Horse Comics announced an audio play adaptation of I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask! to have been developed for release in two days, [8] without the involvement of Christopher Cantwell, [9] and starring the voices of Eric Messner and Keith Richards as Big Head.
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