SyFy Series Co-Creator Craig Engler and Fred Van Lente
to Pen Canonical New Prequel Miniseries in 2017
July 18, 2016, Mt. Laurel, NJ: As the world gears up for Season Three of the fan-favorite SyFy series Z Nation, Dynamite Entertainment proudly announces an all-new canonical comic series, entitled Z Nation: Black Summer, co-written by series co-creator Craig Engler and Fred Van Lente (The Mocking Dead, Big Trouble in Little China)! Set one year prior to the events depicted in the television series, the Black Summer storyline will reveal previously untold tales from the post-apocalyptic wasteland, events that shaped the characters that fans know and love.
Z Nation: Black Summer is set in Year Two of the Zpocalypse, when a drought sweeps across the U.S. just as the last of the canned food runs out. The few survivors that remain become increasingly desperate, turning against one another in a brutal struggle for a potential new food source that could spell the difference between life and death.
“It’s a fast-paced adventure that features Z Nation’s signature mixture of horror, humor, and heart, and will be a great entry point for new readers while delighting existing fans of the show,” says Z Nation co-creator, Craig Engler.
“Z Nation is my kind of zombie story — full of equal parts gore and fun, with lots of great characters, too. I am thrilled to be exploring the mythology of some of the fan-favorite heroes on the show and capturing the early days of the Z-pocalypse. And to do it with my friend and co-creator Craig Engler is an extra special treat,” says co-writer Fred Van Lente.
“SyFy’s Z Nation series has had fans in the Dynamite office since the very first episode, back in 2014. It has a great premise that distinguishes itself from most zombie shows and movies. We are all really excited about this book and how it expands on the world of the series, showing us things that have only been hinted at before,” says Dynamite CEO and Publisher, Nick Barrucci. “When we had the opportunity to work on a canon comic series with show co-creator Craig Engler, as well as with Fred Van Lente, we jumped at the chance.”
Z Nation debuted on SyFy on September 12, 2014. Two seasons (encompassing 28 episodes) have aired, with the series renewed for a third season. Produced by The Asylum, the film company behind the horror films Sharknado and Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, Z Nation is a horror/comedy/drama that follows a group of ordinary citizens on a cross-country trek, as they escort the world’s only known survivor of a zombie bite. Z Nation stars Kellita Smith (The First Family), Tom Everett Scott (An American Werewolf in Paris), Harold Perrineau (Oz), DJ Qualls (The New Guy), Michael Welch (NCIS: New Orleans), Keith Allan (Social Nightmare), Anastasia Baranova (The Sublime and Beautiful), Russell Hodgkinson (Big Fish), Pisay Pao (The Whole Truth), and Emilio Rivera (Sons of Anarchy).
Dynamite Entertainment’s Z Nation comic book series will launch in early 2017. Fans and retailers are encouraged to follow Dynamite Entertainment’s social media channels for the latest updates regarding creative personnel, release dates, and other details.
