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User:The Ghost of Art Toys Past/777: The Wrath

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777: The Wrath
Publication information
PublisherAvatar Press
ScheduleMonthly
FormatLimited series
GenreAction, erotic horror, suspense, urban fantasy
Publication dateApril – June 1998
No. of issues3
Creative team
Created by
Written byDavid Quinn
Penciller(s)Tim Vigil
Inker(s)Johnny B.
Letterer(s)Larry Rix
Colorist(s)Barry Gregory (covers only)
Editor(s)Mark Seifert

777: The Wrath is a three-issue, black-and-white American comic book mini-series by writer David Quinn and artist Tim Vigil. It was published monthly by Avatar Press, with the first issue cover dated April 1998 but released in March.

Though never explicitly stated, 777: The Wrath is set in a shared universe with Quinn and Vigil's Faust series, as the two crossover in the subsequent mini-series Faust/777: The Wrath (a.k.a. Darkness in Collision).

Background and creation

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777: The Wrath was formally announced in a press release on July 28, 1997 and, at the time, was expected to be available for order in September of that year.[1] Avatar Press supported 777: The Wrath with distributor catalog advertising, in-house ads, targeted promotional mailings, and coverage on its web site.[2]

777: The Wrath marked the third time that writer David Quinn and artist Tim Vigil collaborated.[a] Previously, they had collaborated used a full-dialog script method but for 777: The Wrath they used Marvel method style, which Vigil found to be "not as precise and exciting".[4]

Instead of self-publishing the mini-series through their own Rebel Studios, Quinn and Vigil decided to have the issues released by the then-nascent Avatar Press, who were trying to become "the home for adult comics that didn’t insult your intelligence".[5] Needing content that established this direction, Avatar Press' editor-in-chief and founder, William A. Christensen, personally invited Quinn and Vigil to be published by him.[5] The creative duo accepted in order to "play" with color printed interiors and a monthly publication schedule, though another "focus was to experiment with simpler story-telling styles".[5] Their deal with Avatar Press granted limited publishing rights to the company, but the duo maintained overall ownership of the material.[6] Initially, Christensen disallowed genital nudity within 777: The Wrath, but this limitation was lifted prior to the first issue's publication.[7]

Christensen believed, based on their previous efforts, that Quinn and Vigil had "already influenced and set the standard for many of the current generation of creators and publishers, including myself, and 777: The Wrath is certain to raise that standard to new heights."[8]

Vigil mailed xerox copies of his pencilled pages to the inker, Johnny B., who inked the work on vellum.[9]

According to the publisher, 777: The Wrath is an "unapologetically dark" and "brutally violent" examination of "one of pop culture's most enduring totems: no justice, no peace."[10]

Publication history

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According to Avatar Press, 777: The Wrath #1 was released in March 1998.[11]

The first issue was released with nine variant covers, including three foil stamped limited editions and one leatherbound version.[12] The second issue was released with two variant covers and the third issue had three variants, including one foil stamped limited edition.[12]

The mini-series was "Suggested for mature readers" due to its depictions of graphic violence, substance abuse, and sexual situations.[13]

In January 1998, Avatar Press solicited a pre-order for a full-color, brass enamel pin featuring Tim Vigil's 777: The Wrath cover artwork.[14]

Plot summary

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Reception and legacy

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Avatar Press consider issuing 777: The Wrath #1 as one of the "pivotal moments" in their company's history, as it was their most successful release to date and "solidified" their position as an outlet of creator-owned projects.[11]

Joe McCulloch of the Comic Books are Burning in Hell podcast describes the premise of 777: The Wrath as the "teaming [of] an amoral, decidedly unromantic hitman with a dirty lil' angel for despairing revenge", which he believes is Quinn and Vigil's "pisstake on The Crow".[15]

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Though at least one source lists 777: The Wrath as Quinn and Vigil's second collaboration, it does so by strictly acknowledging the creative team's then-still-in-progress Faust: Love of the Damned series and omitting their less-popular Omega (a.k.a. Omen) mini-series from c. 1987-1989.[3]

Citations

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  1. ^ Seifert (1997)
  2. ^ Seifert (1997)
  3. ^ For an example of the erroneous "second collaboration" claim, see Avatar Press (2003). For recognition of the creative team's Omega collaboration, see Christensen (2000, p. 93). For the poor reception of Omega and the original printing's release year, see Finley (2021). For the Omega reprinting's release year, see Grand Comics Database: Omega (n.d.). For the release year of Omen, see Grand Comics Database: Omen (n.d.).
  4. ^ Vigil (2000, p. 3)
  5. ^ a b c Quinn (1999)
  6. ^ Vigil (2019, at 57:42)
  7. ^ Vigil (2019, at 1:37:08)
  8. ^ Seifert (1997)
  9. ^ Vigil (2019, at 1:42:12)
  10. ^ Seifert (1997)
  11. ^ a b Avatar Press (2003)
  12. ^ a b Christensen (2000, p. 91)
  13. ^ Seifert (1997)
  14. ^ Seifert (1998)
  15. ^ McCulloch (2013)

Sources

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  • Christensen, William A., ed. (May 2000). "Quinn/Vigil Collaborations Checklist". Faust Hornbook. Vol. 1. Though the author is unspecified, "special thanks" are given to Glen Hammonds. Urbana, IL: Avatar Press. pp. 91–93.
  • McCulloch, Joe (February 3, 2013). "A Celebratory Conclusion: Tim Vigil and Faust". Transcription notes for the Comic Books are Burning in Hell podcast episode featuring McCulloch, Matt Seneca, Tucker Stone, and Chris Mautner. Factual Opinion. Archived from the original on February 6, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  • Seifert, Mark (November 20, 1998). "[untitled]". Avatar E-Zine (Mailing list). Urbana, IL: Avatar Press. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  • Vigil, Tim (May 2000). Christensen, William A. (ed.). "Interview: Tim Vigil". Faust Hornbook (Interview). Vol. 1. Though the interviewer is unspecified, "special thanks" are given by the editor to Jason Foster, M. Terry Jackson, Ian Jane, Klippoth, Jeff Stewart, Bryan Thompson, and the rest of the David Quinn Forum for their assistance. Urbana, IL: Avatar Press. pp. 3–4.
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