Comic-Con's pending subscription VOD service -- to be launched in partnership with Lionsgate -- took advantage of the Comic-Con International convention in San Diego to announce the first original series slated for the service.
The unscripted series will follow aspiring "Geek Couture" fashion designers as they prepare designs for the "Her Universe Fashion Show" at the 2016 Comic-Con. Fittingly, the series was announced from this year's Her Fashion runway (watch a catwalk video here on YouTube's GeekPow channel).
Her Universe is a clothing company founded by actress Ashley Eckstein (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) to create licensed apparel and accessories designed specifically for "fangirls."
"Five years ago, when we launched Her Universe, fangirls were an afterthought and 'Geek Fashion' was nothing more than a men's boxy t-shirt," Eckstein said. "[W]e set out to build an empowering community and merchandise line for fangirls to step into the spotlight and feel celebrated and stylish!"
The series -- as yet untitled -- "captures the incredible diversity of our fan culture," David Glanzer, Comic-Con's director of marketing, said. "[It] will immerse viewers in the preparations, excitement and suspense leading into next year's geek fashion competition."
Eckstein and actresses Ashley Tisdale (Clipped, Young and Hungry) and Jennifer Tisdale (Inner Circle) will executive produce the series, which will be produced by Her Universe, Blondie Girl Productions and Lionsgate.
The producers' previous roles in movie franchises that hit Comic-Con's sweet spot is expected to generate enthusiasm for the series, noted Seth Laderman, executive VP/GM of the new channel.
"The Comic-Con SVOD service is about creating and delivering content specifically for and about this amazing and passionate fan base," Laderman said. "We believe that they will deliver a program that speaks directly to our core fans."
Comic-Con said it would announce additional content for the SVOD service "soon." In addition to original original content, the service will also carry films and television series from Lionsgate and other studios aligned to Comic-Con fans' diverse interests, as well as archived footage from Comic-Con International's 45-year history.
In April the partners said the service would launch later this year, but this week said it would launch "early next year."
