In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Liithos, a newly-formed AAA gaming and entertainment studio led by PlayStation veterans Michael Mumbauer (The Last of Us) and John Garvin (Days Gone), have partnered with mega-influencer Michael Le to create an innovative narrative series on TikTok based on upcoming video game Ashfall.
Starring Le along with TikTok influencer Slider Jesus, the epic adventure will introduce the world to the game, the first transmedia IP announced by the Liithos team earlier this year that will launch as a comic book series in March with an AAA video game currently in development.
"Today’s superstars are elevated by millions of real fans and followers on TikTok where we find our new heroes and villains," Mumbauer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Liithos, says. "We are looking to collaborate, integrate, and elevate multimedia experiences with these superstars like Michael Le for the next generation."
"The Liithos TikTok Creators series is the first of many experiences Liithos is looking to launch to create easily traversable pathways between medias and the evolving web space."
Starting January 29, the five-episode digital series can be viewed on Le's TikTok account and, in a throwback to the appointment viewing of the Sunday comics of old, will feature a new episode every Sunday. Liithos will also celebrate each episode by releasing a unique free digital collectable that will be available only through CoinZoom.
Each of those has been illustrated by Marvel and DC legends such as animation and film artist Coran Stone (Young Justice), Fico Ossio (Spider-Man), John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men), Dave Wilkins (Star Wars: Darth Vader), Karl Kerschl (Adventures of Superman), and Tom Raney (Ultimate X-Men). Fans who collect all five digital collectables can return to collect a bonus sixth mystery digital collectable available only to those who have participated in the entire event.
Additionally, those will give fans access to a sneak preview of the upcoming Ashfall comic series. Garvin conceived and wrote the story which features artwork from Marvel and DC Comics artist Paul Pelletier (Aquaman), Brett Booth (Gunslinger), and Tony Harris (Starman).
The comic book series introduces fans, for the first time, to the Ashfall Universe. That takes place in the climate-change-ravaged Pacific Northwest where Seattle has been submerged beneath the ocean for hundreds of years. The Trace - deadly pockets of dark energy - has brought mutation, ruin, and chaos wherever they appeared.
With civilization devolved into factions and enclaves and humanity fighting over resources and differing ideologies, Ash Naranjo, born without arms, is taken by the Order of Life Science, who give him TechGyn prosthetic arms and other nano implants – changing him forever. Now one of the Order’s Ghosts, Ash fights for the United Enclaves, vowing to destroy the oppressive Freelanders who have taken his family and destroyed his homeland.
You can check out a sampling of Ashfall artwork below. For more details, be sure to head over to Liithos' website.