Devil’s Due Publishing has decided to distribute Hack/Slash issues #16 and #17 directly to comic stores after Diamond Comic Distributors decided (on the advice of attorneys) not to distribute the comics because of a cease and desist letter from a company known as Re-Animator LLC, which claims rights to the Re-Animator logo that appears in the current Hack/Slash story arc, “Cassie and Vlad Meet the Re-Animator.”  According to DDP Re-Animator LLC is associated with Dynamite Entertainment, which publishes a Re-Animator comic book.

Devil’s Due has licensed the rights to Re-Animator from Brian Yuzna, the producer and owner of the Re-Animator film franchise for over twenty years, who remains very pleased with the handling of the Re-Animator elements in the Hack/Slash comic book series.  Josh Blaylock, President of DDP, made the decision to distribute the books independently in order to support Tim Seeley and the other creators working on DDP’s Hack/Slash comic.  Blaylock commented: “I've reviewed the facts, spoken to copyright, corporate and entertainment attorneys, and resolved that this, in my own personal opinion, is a ridiculous bully tactic that only hurts Tim [Seeley] and all of the creators who work so hard to make Hack/Slash the great book that it is.”

Diamond Comic Distributors will begin distributing Hack/Slash once again with issue #18, which marks the beginning of a new storyline.  Retailers interested in obtaining Hack/Slash #16 and #17 (and reorders on #15) should contact Devil’s Due directly via the company’s Website.   

This dispute comes near the end of what has been a very good year for the Hack/Slash comic book series, which was recently nominated for a Scream Award (see “Dark Knight Leads in Scream Nominations”).  In April screenwriter Justin Marks (Street Fighter, Super Max, Voltron) began work on a movie adaptation of the comic that will be directed by Todd Lincoln and produced by Rogue Pictures (see “Justin Marks to Script Hack/Slash”).