ShiftyLook shows up Namco's IPs via webcomics

[monkeydsuper]

This is kinda interesting. ShiftyLook, a new division of Namco Bandai, is going through the company's older/forgotten intellectual properties to re-introduce them via free webcomics.
www.destructoid.com/namco-looks-to-revitalize-dormant-ips-using-webcomics-222262.phtml
ShiftyLook will be updating its webcomic offerings twice a month on their official site.
shiftylook.com/
They currently got Sky Kid, Xevious and now Bravoman.

I doubt this experiment of Namco will lead to bigger things but we shall see.
Since Shiftylook is digging through Namco's forgotten IPs I would like it if they picked up Burning Force, the Baraduke (Alien Sector) games or the Valkyrie games.

EDIT:The full Shiftylook website has arrived and it got a new comic as well, Alien Confidential: Black & White.
The other upcoming comic after this will be a Rocket Fox comic.

I guess this means that not all future Namco IP comics will be based on just old games because as far as I know Alien Confidential and Rocket Fox are new games coming to smartphones and tablets.

EDIT again:
www.siliconera.com/2012/04/07/namcos-samurai-ghost-rises-from-the-dead-as-a-webcomic/
The next webcomic will be based on Kagekiyo, the main character of The Genji and the Heike Clans.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Genji_and_the_Heike_Clans
Of course most people outside of Japan only remember this guy from his playable appearance in the JP only Namco X Capcom.

Anyway, Shiftylook will bring back this guy but under the name Scar. The webcomic will drop the demons and have instead time-travel and samurai cyborgs, meh.

[monkeydsuper]

Next up will be Wonder Momo and Rolling Thunder.
www.siliconera.com/2012/04/14/wonder-momo-and-rolling-thunder-kicking-it-on-the-internet-as-webcomics/
Like with Kagekiyo, most people outside of Japan will probably only remember Wonder Momo from her playable appearance in Namco X Capcom.

[Koopaul]

Sorry to say I wasn't much of a Namco nerd. Don't really know any of these IPs. But its awfully nice that they are doing this. It would be great if other companies tried something like this.

[The Qu]

Looks like the Penny Arcade boys are doing a DigDug series. I haven't followed the ShiftyLook stuff because I don't really have the nostalgic connection to Namco stuff. But with the PA crew in on it? Yeah, I'm in.

[monkeydsuper]

shiftylook.com/comics/wondermomo/
The first two pages of Shiftylook's Wonder Momo comic are already out online this week. Never cared for WM myself but Omar Dogan is the artist for this one and I'm a fan of his artstyle so I guess I keep an eye out.

These are news from last month but here is Shiftylook explaining the origins of WM and a look at a cool WM retro poster. Also the press release.
shiftylook.com/news/c2e2-a-look-at-wonder-momo-battle-idol/
shiftylook.com/news/wonder-momo-retro-poster/
www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=38268

[Leon]

Another comic has started, this time about Valkyrie.

shiftylook.com/comics/valkyrie/

[monkeydsuper]

YES! The Valkyrie series was one of Namco's IPs that I wanted them to pick up! So glad it finaly happened.

[monkeydsuper]

Next comic will be about Klonoa! Announced during this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Klonoa: Dream Traveller of Noctis Sol will launch in August and is being penned by Jim Zub while the art is being handled by Hitoshi Ariga, who made Mega Man Megamix / Gigamix as well as the manga adaptation of The Big O.
images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120716083222/klonoa/images/f/f9/KlonoaWebcomic0-noscale.jpg

[8bitretroshit]

There's also going to be a comic based on Golly Ghost. You know! That one arcade game? No?

[monkeydsuper]

Changed the thread's name.

The Klonoa webcomic will debut September 26th.

And the next new webcomic (which will make its debut on September 17th) on ShiftyLook will be Katamari! Alex Culang and Raynato Castro will be working on this one.

[Nester the Lark]

They've started a Galaga comic! That's galactic dancin'!

[Nester the Lark]

I haven't been following this, but am I the last one to know that ShiftyLook has made actual animated series for Bravoman and Mappy?!

[8bitretroshit]

Well, no. That would be me, but I haven't been keeping up with their comics lately either.

That Bravoman cartoon has some pretty awesome animation going on! The other cartoon is... odd? I'm guessing some of the later police cases involve other Namco IPs

[Nester the Lark]

Bravoman does have really good animation (and voice work), but I kinda like Mappy, too. Yeah, it's kinda silly, but there's something charming about it. Maybe just because it's Mappy.

I'm not much into web comics, but I should go back and check some of these out more in-depth. ShiftyLook's YouTube channel also has a lot of video interviews with the artists, and a fairly lengthy interview with Rob Paulsen that's pretty cool.

[Nester the Lark]

Sadly, it looks like ShiftyLook is being discontinued. According to the latest newsletter, the site will no longer be updated and the forums will be shut down after March 20. The site will go offline on September 30.

The current Wonder Momo anime will continue, and the game (developed by WayForward) is still scheduled for release. At least four of the comics are being compiled into books to be published by Udon.

I'm disappointed to see this come to an end. I didn't really read the comics, but I really liked the animation.