R.I.P. PKD Media.

8/1/2007 - 10/29/2012

R.I.P.

Before becoming a part of Action Lab Entertainment, I started self publishing my creator-owned content under my own personal banner/label, PKD Media in 2007. My love of the comic book medium and wanting to collaborate with others sparked the initiative to create these crazy comics after going to a few comic book conventions that year.

It was there that I learned about comic book creation, production, printing and promotion from the ground up, and with the assistance from a bunch of great colleagues and friends, titles such as Mercury & The Murd, Agents of C.O.L.T., PKD Media Presents, Wasted Wonderland, and a few other projects were brought to the public. With some of these projects I ended up working with people that later formed Action Lab (Dave Dwonch, Chad Cicconi, Shawn Gabborin, etc). Small world, y'all. 

In 2009 I decided to learn/try other forms of media by starting a podcast called "The PKD Black Box." Originally, the purpose of the podcast was to focus on comic books that were going to come out under the PKD Media banner, but I figured pretty quick that I (and future listeners) would be bored with that type of show. Instead it became a pop-culture, art, comics, movies, music and everything under the sun podcast. It's my release therapy. And with my fellow podcast cohorts Donny Salvo, Jon Carroll and all of our special guests, its pure fun.

However, since joining Action Lab in October of 2010 the only consistent thing that's come out from PKD Media is "The PKD Black Box" podcast. 

The website ceased updating in December 2010 and was finally shut down two months ago. 

The last book that was released under the PKD Media banner was the Volume II "Mercury & The Murd" TPB in April 2011 thanks to Mike Imboden (Mercury & The Murd is now in the hands of creator Mike Imboden and his imprint Artery Comics). 

And in all honesty, PKD Media doesn't represent what I want to do with comic books and other forms of media nowadays. With anything I do in life, it's never just about me, and I felt that was what PKD Media was doing and I didn't like that at all.

It's a team effort in everything I am a part of, no matter the form of entertainment. 

I need something that represents that and others. PKD Media doesn't do that.

Yes, Action Lab is a part of what I do, but that's a piece in the great and amazing cog that is creation.

So as of today, PKD Media is no more. It's been a good run, but it's time to move on from it.

Now, for those that listen to "The PKD Black Box" podcast, it's not going away anytime soon. The show (along with Tales from the Attic and Carroll Chronicles) will continue to air with new material on HHWLOD.com and iTunes. I'll remove the "PKD" from the podcast title eventually. The Facebook page will remain for now, but it will be changed sometime in the future as well.

And it doesn't mean that it's the end of some of the first creator-owned comics that I worked on before moving over to Action Lab. I'll get back to them when the time is right. It'll happen.

But as far as PKD Media goes, it's time to close the doors. It was a good run. Thank you to those who contributed, assisted, supported and enjoyed what was created.

-Shawn