The following is an interview with Mike Dolce regarding the recent partnership between Dren Productions, Starlight Runner Entertainment, and Fabien Nicieza (Batman, Deadpool) to launch imprint Dren Prestige. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Dolce about the genesis behind the partnership, what defines a “Dren” title and what the imprint has planned for the future, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Dren Productions recently announced its partnership with transmedia company Starlight Runner Entertainment and acclaimed writer Fabien Nicieza to launch the imprint, Dren Prestige. What can you share with us about the genesis behind this partnership, and how would you define a Dren Prestige title?
Mike Dolce: I’ve actually known the Starlight Runner guys (Jeff Gomez, Mark Pensavalle, and Chrysoula Artemis) for a while and have been involved with them on an assortment of projects over the years. So, it was really gratifying to finally get to work on a comic book project together. Jeff brought it to my attention at New York Comic Con, introduced Dren to their partners on Deep Down, Dana Kuznetzkoff, and Kay Rothman, and it went from there.
As for DREN Prestige, we define it very simply as the mainstream heart of Dren Productions — a line dedicated to high-quality storytelling from established and emerging comic book talent.
This is where readers will find Dren’s most ambitious worlds — crafted by names they recognize like Fabian and (cover artist) Tim Seeley, and voices they’ll soon remember!
BD: The first title to be published via Dren Prestige will be Deep Down. Why do you feel that this story was the best fit for the imprint, and what can you tell us about the story’s premise?
MD: Deep Down has all the ingredients to what we’re hoping to do with DREN Prestige: high-concept, high-profile creators, and high-intense artwork and storytelling. We want DREN Prestige to not only be a launching point for cutting-edge NEW Concepts, but a place industry veterans can call a new home to their creator owned comic book stories.
For NYPD cop Verge Guerrero, joining Transit Special Operations – a team of has-beens, neurodivergents, and tunnel rats patrolling the New York City subway system – was a demotion. But when an autistic girl goes missing, she and her team descend into the shadows and uncover a mystery far more dangerous than they imagined, a festering wound now rising to the surface. They are called the Deep Down and someone wants them gone.
BD: What can you tell us about the creative team who will be bringing this story and its characters to life on the page?
MD: Everyone brought something to the table here. From the top, Jeff, Mark, Dana, and Kay brought in a very unique concept featuring a world of neurodivergents that we feel isn’t well represented in the mainstream.
Then, Fabian and Steele Filipek took on the task of shaping all these amazing ideas and concepts into an action-packed, intense thriller of a comic book.
Finally, Felipe Ruiz and Chrysoula Artemis brought everyone’s contributions to life with their intricate art work and coloring.
BD: When can readers anticipate the release of the first issue, and how many issues do you have planned for the series’ first story arc?
MD: Currently, we have a campaign running on Kickstarter for the SDCC Exclusive Preview Edition. It contains the first 10 pages of the book in black and white, character profiles, and a deeper dive into the world of the story and features a Deadpool #1 homage cover along with a regular edition cover by Ruiz. The first full issue will reach Kickstarter first starting in the Fall. It’s a three-issue series to start and then we’ll go from there.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – from Dren Productions that you would like to highlight for our readers?
MD: Ones and Zeroes #1 was recently funded via Kickstarter and will be available to the public this fall. Selfishly, this one is written by me with art by newcomer Giulio Centrella and is an anti-AI Tech Thriller that predicts a haunting future for our digital age. What if A.I. wasn’t created by humans, but crash landed here in Roswell in 1947.
And then, some of our long-standing hit series are making their way into book stores worldwide in the Fall including Dungeons and Dimwits, The Poe Murders and Descendant. We recently signed a massive distribution deal with Lakeside Books and are excited to see our material hit the mainstream.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for readers to learn more about Dren Prestige, Dren Productions, and Deep Down?
MD: You can visit our website (drenrpoductions.com) but the best way to stay connected is via our Substacks:
https://drenproductions.substack.com
https://sirestudios.substack.com
You can also follow us on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/drenproductions
https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/mdolce
