Comic strip ‘Groo the Wanderer’ by Sergio Aragones Eyes for Animation – The Hollywood Reporter

Groo the wanderer, legendary Spanish cartoonist Sergio Aragonés’s long-standing comic book is on its way to animation.

Entrepreneur Josh Jones, who has venture capital, cryptocurrency, and airline companies in his portfolio, has acquired the animated film and television rights to Groo, with the goal of producing the first-ever animated adaptation of the character via his film company, Did I Err Productions. .

Jones and his partner Did I Err, Scott Nocas, will serve as executive producers on possible projects with Aragonés and Groo writer Mark Evanier.

Did I Err will seek out creative talents who understand Aragonés’ unique vision and characters. Projects are packaged for streaming services and global distribution, with Did I Err able to co-finance as needed.

Groo, now in its 40th year of publication, is the oldest independent, creator-owned comic book property, even surpassing most of the companies that published it. Aragonés was already an established designer who was one of the main pranksters of Crazy magazine, where he had started working after arriving from Mexico in 1962, when he had the concept and researched its creation in the late 1970s. With writer Evanier, former assistant to Jack Kirby who was then working in the Saturday morning animation, he launched the book through independent publisher Pacific Comics in 1982 only after he was able to strike a deal allowing him to retain the rights.

Since then, the title has grown from Marvel’s Epic line to Image Comics to Dark Horse, which has been its home since 1998. And while it doesn’t have the broad appeal and notoriety of the superhero set , the character has dedicated fans, including filmmakers Rian Johnson and Joe and Anthony Russo.

Groo follows the humorous exploits of a barbarian who is a powerful swordsman but also a walking disaster. He wanders through ancient land with his loyal sidekick, a dog named Rufferto. “He’s an idiot who spoils everything”, says Aragonés THR. “It sinks ships, it destroys buildings.

Hollywood sometimes flirted with the character, but Aragonés says that most of the time interested parties weren’t willing to back that interest with money. This is not the case with Jones.

“I loved Groo the Wanderer since I was eight years old, and having the honor of bringing the character to life on screen is, quite literally, a lifelong dream come true, ”Jones said in a statement. “The style of Sergio, the characters, the universe and especially the humor have always seduced me. I just want to help bring what I have loved for so long to the next generation!

And it’s that potential reach that tickles Aragonés’ enthusiasm with the accord. “Unfortunately, comics have a limited audience,” he says. “Even a coupon with classic heroes only sells for a hundred thousand. Imagine a million people knowing your character! That would be a dream.