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From new comic book series to a trading card game and more, it’s been exciting to see all of the announcements coming out of Tiny Onion since James Tynion IV launched it last year, and it seems like he’s just getting started. This week, it was announced that Tiny Onion is kicking off a new animation slate with an adaptation of Tynion and Michael Dialynas’ excellent BOOM! comic book series The Woods!
From the Press Release: Led by CEO James Tynion IV, Tiny Onion is kicking off the production house’s robust adult animation slate with an adaptation of Tynion’s The Woods, based on the award-winning comic book series published by BOOM! Studios. The acclaimed sci-fi horror comics were co-created by Tynion and artist Michael Dialynas (Wynd, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). To launch the animation slate, Tiny Onion is bringing aboard esteemed industry professional Casey Gonzalez as Director of Multimedia to oversee development for the company’s animated projects.
GLAAD Media Award-winning comic book series The Woods tells the story of an ordinary high school in suburban Milwaukee, WI, which is suddenly transported into the midst of an alien forest in an uncharted corner of the universe. With no sign of why they were taken there, or what threats lurk in the dark woods surrounding their school, the story follows a group of students determined to figure out how to survive, and more importantly, how to get home. Tiny Onion has optioned the property from BOOM! Studios. The animated series will see Tynion and Dialynas executive producing for Tiny Onion. Stephen Christy and Mette Norkjaer will executive produce the series for BOOM! Studios.
“The Woods was the horror story that launched my career in creator owned comics,” said Tynion. “I think you can see the blueprints in it for almost every story I’ve written since. I still feel like it may be my best idea, the world and characters Michael and I created still live so clearly in my mind. I can’t wait to bring them to life for a new audience. I’ve spent the last ten years dreaming of being in a place where I could bring it to life in Animation, and I’m thrilled that Tiny Onion has opened the door to that.”
“The Woods was my first collaboration with James that threw me into creating long-form creator-owned comics,” said Dialynas. “The experience and friendships made along the way creating this series will always be a huge part of me; the love I have for the story, characters, and a certain purple space-monkey has stuck with me ever since. So being able to visit the creepy woods again in a whole new format is a journey that I can’t wait to see our misfit cast be a part of!”
“Publishing the first issue of The Woods in 2014 kicked off an exciting and fruitful creative adventure with the brilliant team of James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas,” said Stephen Christy, President of Development at BOOM! Studios. “We are thrilled to have this amazing book be the centerpiece of Tiny Onion’s new animation slate, and can’t wait for a whole new audience to discover the world that James and Michael created.”
The Woods will be Gonzalez’s first project as Director of Multimedia at Tiny Onion since joining the team in December. Previous to Tiny Onion, she spent a decade working alongside animation industry legend Fred Seibert (Adventure Time, Bee and Puppycat) as his VP of Development at FredFilms, where she developed original cartoons, including the viral short The Summoning, which is being adapted into a three book series for Oni Press.
Gonzalez began her career in publishing, editing bestselling graphic novels for First Second and helping launch the acclaimed Science Comics series while shepherding New York Times bestselling titles such as Eisner Award winner Battling Boy, Hugo Award nominated book The Divine, and Green Book Award winner Coral Reefs. She later transitioned into the role of Head Writer and Producer at Frederator, where she launched the popular anime vertical Get in the Robot, and subsequently at Crunchyroll, the world’s largest anime streaming service. At Tiny Onion, Gonzalez looks forward to uniting her love of comics with her experience shaping top tier shows.
“I am honored to be joining the talented team at Tiny Onion. I feel right at home in this group of creative folks who are passionate about original stories,” said Gonzalez. “Anyone who has worked in comics can tell you about the huge amount of effort that goes into producing a single page. Tiny Onion brings that spirit of hard work and close collaboration to everything that they do. The result is an undeniably human touch: stories that you can’t put down, art that grabs your attention, events that resonate, and fans who feel deeply connected to it all. Led by the wonderful James Tynion IV, Tiny Onion has built an absolute treasure trove of original stories. I can’t wait to bring these bold, thrilling, boundary-pushing stories to life in animation.”
“Next to comics, there is no medium I have more love for than animation. From the launch of Tiny Onion, we’ve talked about having aggressive plans in this space. What has been announced with the Something is Killing the Children animated series in development with Blumhouse is only the beginning. As we make more steps into the greater world of multimedia, I’m excited to expand the Tiny Onion team, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Casey joining us to spearhead our moves in this lane. I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store for you together.”
The Woods is a part of an expanding adult animation slate that also includes an animated adaptation of Tynion’s Image Comics horror sci-fi series W0RLDTR33 in development at Netflix. Co-created by Fernando Blanco (Detective Comics) and colored by multi Eisner Award-winning colorist Jordie Bellaire (Exquisite Corpses), W0RLDTR33 tells the story of a dark evil within the internet that may destroy humanity. Tynion and Blanco will serve as Executive Producers on the series with Ashley Cardiff (Fear The Walking Dead) set as Showrunner and Executive Producer. Sean Buckelew of Green Street Pictures (Common Side Effects, Scavenger’s Reign) will also serve as Executive Producer and the team has just brought on Guillaume Dousse of Æsten studio (Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, Flee) to lead visual development and art direction for the series.
Additionally, Tiny Onion is developing an adult animated comedy series The Tipsy Dragon with production company Irony Point. The series is being developed by Daniel Powell (Ugly Americans). RJ Fried, Mike Leech, and Zach Smilovitz (Our Cartoon President) are attached to write and help produce. An original concept from Tynion, The Tipsy Dragon is set in a tavern in a world where the age of heroes and legends is long past—and its barkeep and patrons couldn’t care less about their supposed role in an ancient battle between good and evil just outside their doorstep.
Tynion and BOOM! Studios are also teaming up with iconic horror production company Blumhouse (Black Phone, Five Nights at Freddy’s) for an adult animated television series and a live-action feature film based on Tynion and Werther Dell’Edera’s record breaking, award-winning, and global best-selling series Something is Killing the Children. Set in a world where children can see monsters, but adults cannot, Something is Killing the Children tells the story of Erica Slaughter, a monster hunter from a mysterious organization more concerned with keeping the secret of monsters from the world than saving their victims. The animated series will be adapted and executive produced by Tynion, with Dell’Edera serving as Co-Executive Producer and visual development consultant. Stephen Christy will executive produce the series for BOOM! Studios, with Mette Norkjaer and Adam Yoelin serving as Co-Executive Producer.
Tiny Onion is backed by a seed investment from Lyrical Media, the Los Angeles and New York-based company that develops, produces, and finances unique stories across multi-media formats, including film, television, video games, and graphic novels. It was recently announced that Lyrical Media has launched Lyrical Animation to tap into global demand for adult animation, with an emphasis on animated features. Lyrical Animation is headed by seasoned Animation industry veterans Jacob Robinson, Daniel Dominguez, and Brad Graeber, and has many projects in development including an adaptation of the video game Death Stranding. Tiny Onion will be working closely with Lyrical Animation on its animation slate.
Tynion is represented by Jason Richman, David Park, and Charles Ferraro at United Talent Agency, Zac Frognowski and Jared Ceizler at Brillstein Entertainment partners, and Caitlin DiMotta at Troygould.
