USA Today Eyes Dark Horse's Terminator: 1984, Interviews Zack Whedon

In 2010, the term “High Definition” took on dynamic new dimensions when Dark Horse Comics, Toshiba and USA Today launched a joint venture that promised to expose the comic book and graphic novel medium to the mainstream in exciting new ways, beginning with previews of Janet & Alex Evanovich's Troublemaker and Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden's Baltimore: The Plague Ships!

Now, in the article "For Whedon and Terminator, the future is in 1984," USA Today reveals the inner workings of its latest entry in the bestselling Terminator series, based on the film franchise launched by James Cameron in 1984 and reinvigorated in 2009 in director McG's Terminator Salvation. Writer John Geddes's article also includes an interview with writer Zack Whedon, the master mechanic behind the current saga.

"I'm a huge fan of the original movies," Whedon told USA Today. "It was important for me to honor those films without doing a blatant re-telling of those stories. I wanted these series to be able to stand on their own, while adding something new and valuable to that original premise."

In the 40-page, full-color Terminator: 1984 #1 (JUL100027D, $3.50), Whedon & Andy MacDonald (Terminator: 2029) begin the next chapter of Kyle Reese's journey toward destiny in their gripping reimagining of James Cameron's classic. After the shocking events he witnessed in humanity's future, Kyle has made the history-changing jump from the year 2029 to a world previously beyond his imagining – 1984 Los Angeles. The sci-fi action continues in Terminator: 1984 #2 (AUG100055D, $3.50; FOC 10/07/10) and #3 (SEP100102D, $3.50).

Dubbed DH:HD (Dark Horse: High-Def), Dark Horse & Toshiba’s bold initiative will consist of editorial features, preview comics, and original comics that will run through the end of the year in USA Today. This program will be featured both in the print and online versions of the news publication.

"As an entertainment company, Dark Horse prides itself on pushing the boundaries with groundbreaking creators and content,” said Mike Richardson, president and publisher of Dark Horse Comics. “We're excited to continue this tradition by showcasing some of our most exciting stories in this all-new program with these great partners."

"As a leader in home entertainment built on Toshiba’s rich 130-year history of groundbreaking technologies, we are proud to associate our products, including our new LED HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players, with the compelling and legendary Dark Horse brand,” said Maria Repole, vice president of communications for Toshiba. “This truly exciting campaign will help Toshiba build a connection with a passionate group of consumers eager to experience fresh content in innovative ways."

"USA Today is excited to be partnering with Toshiba and Dark Horse on this innovative program. It’s a terrific example of how USA Today can take exclusive content and turn it into a compelling cross-platform reader experience,” said Susan Lavington, senior vice president of marketing for USA Today."

Click here to see the full USA Today article.