Steven Bates of Bookery Fantasy in Fairborn, Ohio saw our article on Devil's Due leaving Image (see 'Devil's Due Leaving Image') and offers his congratulations:

Hats (or would it be 'helmets'?) off to Josh Blaylock and the Devil's Due folks for making the jump to independence.  I've been a 'Josh Blaylock fan' and supporter since the Penguin Brothers days (when will we see those guys again?), and couldn't be happier that he's made such a success of himself.  Note the way I said that.

He's made such a success of himself.

Though Devil's Due is a studio with lots of contributors, all valuable team players working towards a common goal, DDP is what it is because of Josh.  People might think his road to fame and fortune was an easy one, but Josh has paid more than his fair share of dues (hence the company name).  Licensing GI Joe was a HUGE risk--the whole 'Back to the '80's' thing was in its infancy, and no one knew what the market was going to be for a comic book based on a 'dead' toy line.  Josh gambled, and won.  But his decision to produce GI Joe was based on vision, ambition, and love of the medium, not corporate greed.  It's a true entrepreneurial success story, reminiscent of Todd McFarlane's Spawn and Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings.

Congratulations, Josh.  Looks like 2004 will be the year the comic book industry gives the devil its due.

The opinions expressed in this Talk Back article are solely those of the writer, and do not reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.