Hyde Street steals another soul this week as artist Francis Portela joins the Ghost Machine crew as an exclusive creator. He will be a regular contributor to the Image Comics hit horror title alongside co-creators Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, colorist Brad Anderson, and letterer Rob Leigh.
Portela debuted on Hyde Street with issue #5 but this month’s Hyde Street #9 marks the artist’s first issue as an exclusive member of the Ghost Machine team’s horror universe, where residents are forced to collect 10,000 souls to gain their freedom.
The new issue features a variant cover by Portela showcasing the street’s resident psycho surgeon, Dr. Ego! Doctor Victor Frankenstein has nothing on Hyde Street’s own Doctor Eugene Ego—a disgraced plastic surgeon whose malpractice scars more than flesh… it cuts into the soul.
Portela broke into the comics industry in 2001 with Star Wars Tales #8 (Dark Horse), followed by assignments on various G.I. JOE titles (Devil’s Due, Image Comics). The longtime comic veteran’s credits include Batman: Gotham Knights, The Resistance, Legion of Super-Heroes, and Green Lantern for DC Comics, as well as Araña, Captain Universe, X-23, Black Panther, and Supervillain Team-Up for Marvel Comics, and credits at Valiant (Faith, Ninjak, Generation Zero).
“Francis Portela has honed his craft so masterfully, he only adds the absolutely necessary line work for his surgical style of storytelling. If Alex Toth were alive today, he would be a fan,” said Brian Cunningham, Editor-in-Chief at Ghost Machine. “Not only are Francis’ choices dynamic and dramatic, but the real magic lies in his expressive characters. The subtle gestures and faces reveal so much about the characters he draws. It might seem odd to pair up the open line work of Francis with the super-rendered art of Ivan Reis and Danny Miki, but they’re all such consummate storytellers that it fits the series really well. We’re really blessed to have all these amazing artists under the Ghost Machine banner.”
Portela added: “It’s a dream come true! I’m on a great series with one of the best writers, one of the best colorists of the field, and one of the best letterers too. What more can I say? I’m enjoying every line of Geoff’s scripts, not only for the story, but the way he writes: always an image of what he wants comes quickly to my mind. And also, I’m loving these dark stories [in Hyde Street], full of twists too—and Pranky! I love Pranky! It’s impossible not to love that little bastard!”
Hyde Street #9 is available now at local comic shops:
- Cover A by Ivan Reis & Danny Miki – Lunar Code 0625IM333
- Cover B by Francis Portela & Brad Anderson – Lunar Code 0625IM334
- Cover C by Sean Von Gorman – Lunar Code 0625IM335
- Cover D 1:20 copy incentive by Brad Anderson & Rob Leigh – Lunar Code 0625IM336
Hyde Street #10 will be available at local comic shops on Wednesday, November 26:
- Cover A by Ivan Reis & Danny Miki – Lunar Code 0725IM360
- Cover B by Francis Portela & Brad Anderson – Lunar Code 0725IM361
- Cover C by Lee Coshe – Lunar Code 0725IM362
- Cover D 1:20 copy incentive by Brad Anderson & Rob Leigh – Lunar Code 0725IM363
All Ghost Machine titles, including Geiger, Hyde Street, Redcoat, Rook: Exodus, The Rocketfellers, Hornsby & Halo, and more, are also available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
Ghost Machine’s groundbreaking creator collective was launched at New York Comic Con in October 2023 and features a global best-of-class lineup of artists and writers whose award-winning and iconic works include a who’s who of comic book legends such as Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Aquaman, Stargirl, JSA, The Flash, The Ultimates, Black Lightning, Green Arrow, and countless more: Brad Anderson, Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Rob Leigh, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Brad Meltzer, Ivan Reis, Peter Snejbjerg, Peter J. Tomasi, and Maytal Zchut. In an industry first, all of Ghost Machine’s founding creators jointly own and run the company, sharing in all of Ghost Machine’s publishing, media, merchandising and licensing. Each creator is exclusive to the company for their comic book work after completing projects already committed to. Ghost Machine recently boosted its already unrivaled creator roster with artists Leila Leiz and Francis Portela as well as renowned inkers Andrew Currie and Danny Miki who all joined on an exclusive basis.