Influenced by 1970's film and literature, this biker-themed action thriller comic book is generating tremendous heat with feature film companies and gaming developers. The Hardballers follows the adventures of four vengeance-seeking, leather-clad women, thundering across the southern United States on a hurricane of chrome and steel.
Can you hear it? A rumble in the distance, growing louder, charging to an ever-deafening roar? That thunder you hear is the bellowing of motorcycle engines brought vividly to life in the pages of The Hardballers (
www.thehardballers.com) comic book debuting in Strutter Magazine (
www.struttermagazine.com) this summer.
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same. As trends go, the cultural influences of the 1970?s are again upon us. In varied segments of the marketplace, we are seeing changes in music, fashion, automobiles and politics. A dominant 1970?s influence is slowing working its way into our lives. The Hardballers was developed in response to this wave.
The comic follows the adventures of four women who thunder across the southern United States on a hurricane of chrome and steel. No one is innocent in this modern day, gritty tale of violence and desperation. Rising from the ashes of the bombed out Hardballer Motorcycle Clubhouse, a woman dons the patch of her fallen lover and joined by comrades and armed with pump shotguns, pistols and machine guns, sets out on a rampage of vengeance in this ultra-violent action thriller.
The team of Craig Knight (Razor, Strutter, Forge Magazines) and David Lawrence (Ex-Mutants, Hero Alliance) writing; Eduardo Pansica (Xena, Lost in Space, The Munsters, Dynamic Forces) doing pencils; Éber Ferreira (Dread & Alive, Street Magik, N4, KISS) inking and Giovanna Guimarães (Radiation Rats Mutant Monsters, N4) coloring, have been signed to The Hardballers premiere issue.
"We have had a few franchise pitches in the last few weeks because really, there are currently NO 'biker-themed' films or games on the market that can deliver the kind of action and custom 'lifestyle' features as The Hardballers can in the gaming world. After riding with The Hardballers in the pages of the comic book, a live-action feature film only makes sense and why stop living in that world? Turn on your game console and join the world of The Hardballers in a video game or perhaps on the PC as a Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG), in which hundreds, if not thousands, of players can interact in their own online gaming universe," explains Craig Knight, publisher and writer. "We're obviously not the only comic book company translating our product to films, but we are doing our best to create a raw, realistic, honest and thrilling ride through motorcycle culture as none have really done before. We are striving to ensure that any adaptation is as authentic as possible.?
As advance copies of the comic book and its pinups have been in serious demand throughout the indie film world and with gaming developers, Hollywood too has raised its ears....
Can you hear it? I know I can.
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