George R.R. Martin’s ‘Skin Trade’ in the Works at Cinemax

Mike the Pike Productions makes great with its Option to GRRM’s werewolf thriller

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Hollywood Reporter announced today:

HBO sibling Cinemax is getting into business with Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin.

The premium cable network has ordered a script of Martin’s werewolf noir novel The Skin Trade, the author announced[2] Saturday.

Published in the 1980s, The Skin Trade was originally written for Night Vision 5, the fifth volume in the annual horror anthology published by Dark Harvest. Hailed as one of the best pieces of werewolf fiction, it went on to win the World Fantasy Award.

The rights were optioned by Mike the Pike Productions’ Mark B. Newbauer, who will executive produce the Cinemax version.

Here’s the official logline from Cinemax: “A collections agent who happens to be a werewolf and his friend, a private investigator, discover a dark secret behind a series of grisly murders in their decaying industrial city.”

To hear Martin tell it, the author “always thought there was a TV series” in the property — which has been republished over the years including as a comic book series and graphic novel.

Kalinda Vazquez (Prison Break, Once Upon a Time) will pen the script for Cinemax after Martin, Cinemax and his agents met with about a dozen writers.

According to Cinemax, Vazquez also will exec produce alongside Martin, Vince Gerardis, Paul Sansone, Rich Angell, Newbauer and Lizandro Cruz.

“Kalinda’s take on the story and the characters blew me away,” Martin wrote, explaining that his commitment to the next Game of Thrones book prevented him from taking on Skin Trade himself.

The Cinemax Skin Trade deal is a long time coming. Martin noted that it was Skin Trade he originally was trying to sell in 1991 when ABC picked up his ill-fated Doorways to pilot. “So we’re a few decades late,” Martin joked.

Martin and HBO are coming off an historic Emmy win for Game of Thrones. Skin Trade extends Martin’s deal with HBO/Cinemax after the best-selling author inked an overall deal[3] with the premium cabler.

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SHAREHOLDER UPDATE

Mike The Pike Productions, Inc. Announces Shareholder Update on Form 211

 

Fort Wayne, Indiana- August 7, 2015- Mike the Pike Productions, Inc. announces today that BMA Securities has withdrawn its Form 211 application with FINRA that was filed on behalf of the Company in efforts to reestablish a quotation for OTC: MIKP.

“This has been an arduous process to say the least,” states CEO Mark B. Newbauer. It was devastating to see BMA withdraw their application after stating only a day prior that we were in the ‘home stretch’ and that they believed only one more set of questions had to be answered.”

“Unfortunately, for whatever reason they chose to withdraw. I will not speculate as to why as were were not given any specific reasons other than they felt this simply may be an exercise in futility given FINRA’s correspondence. It felt as if every time we took a step forward, we were pushed two steps back.”

“One of the primary detriments to the Company as a whole was that FINRA explained to the issuer on a phone call with counsel and BMA Securities, that if a Form 10 was filed by the Company and deemed effective by the SEC, our application would be approved the next day. This statement was verified and the examiner expressed again, that an effective S-1 or Form 10 with the SEC would satisfy our application.”

“On that statement, we were compelled to spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours, on a full audit and Form 10 including any necessary components to fulfill the objective of becoming a fully reported company.”

“After several months and monies that I personally provided to do my part in protecting us shareholders and taking the company fully reporting, we succeeded an effective Form 10 on December 29, 2014. In March 2015, the SEC sent a letter stating their review of our filings are complete. Despite the fact that we completed the task recommended by FINRA to effect an approval of our Form 211, they did not follow through on their word to approve and proceeded to ask questions which were previously asked and after a letter (excerpt below) was sent to FINRA by Issuer counsel, FINRA maintained that it was to only deal with the Market Maker (BMA) and subsequently, BMA withdrew their application.”

Here is an excerpt of the letter sent to FINRA by BMA so that our shareholder base may have a high-level understanding of the proceedings since the initial application was filed:

History ofFINRA’s past Comment Letters

 

On February 23, 2012, the Issuer filed its Form 211 with FINRA.

On December 7, 2012, FINRA sent its comment letter to BMA Securities (“BMA“) the

Issuer’s sponsoring broker-dealer.

On April 2, 2013, BMA responded to FINRA ‘s comment letter. Attached to its response

BMA included a letter from the Issuer answering certain of FINRA‘ s comments. This response

also included all of the Issuer’s press releases in question together with opinions from the

Issuer’s Counsel.

On May 30, 2013, FINRA responded to the BMA April 2, 2013 letter with additional

comments including a comment indicating that an independent source, other than current legal

counsel for the Issuer will be required for verification purposes.

On November 5, 2013 BMA responded to FINRA’s May 30,2013 letter. Although there

is no requirement in Rule 15c2–11 cited by FINRA that BMA must utilize an independent

professional, an independent outside attorney was retained to review all press releases in

question and to substantiate each claim, including claims made in the Issuer‘s January 21, 2010

press release. The review and opinions of The William Eilers Law Group P.A., the independent

professional, was included in BMA’s November 5, 2013 response letter.

On January 9, 2014 a telephone conference was held between Mario C. Martins, Jr.,

Compliance Examiner, representing FINRA and Mark Newbauer, President of the Issuer, Mike

Law, representing BMA and William R. Eilers, Esq., an outside independent attorney retained by

the Issuer. This telephone conference was recorded by both FINRA and the Issuer.

After lengthy discussions, Mr. Martins stated that if the Issuer filed a Form 10 with the SEC, and “if the SEC declares you (the Issuer) effective, I will clear you the next day.” Mr. Martins went on to say that “the SEC supersedes us (FINRA)” and therefore if the SEC does its review and

approves the Issuer’s Form 10 registration statement they (FINRA) would not question what the

SEC did.

Based on the representations of FINRA in that January 9, 2014 conference call set forth

above, the Issuer prepared and, on October 27, 2014, the Issuer filed its Form 10-12G

registration statement (“Form 10“) with the SEC and in accordance with Section 12(g)(l) of the

Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the Issuer‘s Form 10 became effective sixty days after

filing with the SEC, on December 26, 2014. As a result, the Issuer became a fully reporting

company with the SEC. On March 18, 2015, the SEC declared that it had no further comments

on the Issuer‘s Form 10.

On March 5, 2015, BMA re-filed a Form 211 for the Issuer‘s securities, wherein it was

disclosed that the Issuer had filed a Form 10 and that it was now a reporting company with the

SEC.

Despite Mr. Martins’ assurances to the contrary, on March 19, 2015 FINRA responded to

the Form 211 filing with yet another comment letter consisting of many of the same questions

previously asked in its prior comment letters, including another request to have all the Issuer’s

press releases since January 1, 2010 sent to it again.

On April 22, 2015, BMA responded to FINRA‘s March 19, 2015 comment letter. In

spite of representations by Mr. Martins that upon approval by the SEC of the Issuers Form 10,

the Form 211 would be approved, nevertheless BMA and the Issuer answered every question in

the FINRA letter. BMA even included a “Flash Drive” that contained, among other documents,

every press release since January 1, 2010, the opinion of independent counsel verifying certain

claims in said press releases and business plans and other documents relating to projections

appearing in the Issuer‘s January 21 , 2010 press release.

On May 11, 2015, FINRA responded to BMA’s April 22, 2015 letter with two additional

comments as follows:

1. Did BMA have in its possession the Issuer‘s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April

16, 2015 for the period ending December 31 , 2014, and

2. Did BMA have in its possession the Issuer’s Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on May

11 , 2015 for the period ending December 31 , 2014?

Believing that these were the final two comments from FINRA, on May 12, 2015, BMA

responded in writing to FINRA’s two questions in the affirmative.

 

Despite all of the information and responses provided to FINRA over the past 3 1/2 years,

on June 23, 2015 FINRA sent yet another comment letter requesting the same information that it

requested in its December 7, 2012 letter, its May 30, 2013 letter and its March 19, 2015 letter.

Response to FINRA Comments of June 23, 2015

1&2 We refer you to our responses which were contained in your letters to FINRA

dated April2, 2013, November 5, 2013 and April22, 2015.

3. We refer you to the “Flash Drive” included with our November 5, 2013 response

letter to FINRA.

4. 4. After our telephone conversations with you, we know that you have in your

possession the Issuer’s Fonn 10-Q and Form 10-Q/A for the period ended March 31 ,

2015 and filed with the SEC on May 27 and 29, 2015, respectively.

After you respond to the FINRA June 23, 2015 letter we believe that both BMA and the

Issuer will have provided FINRA with all of the information, verifications, and representations

required by Rule 15c2-11 in addition to filing a Form 10 with the SEC as requested by FINRA.

CONTINUED: Press Releases and Forward-Looking Statements:

Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“PSLRA“) was the adoption

of a safe harbor from liability for forward-looking statements containing projections, forecasts or

other predictive statements, such as earnings projections, asset appraisals, new product

developments, statements as to management reasoning or beliefs and future economic

performance. The safe harbor itself consists of two prongs. The first prong precludes liability

for an oral or written forward-looking statement if the statement is accompanied by meaningful

cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ

materially from those in the statement. Alternatively, the second prong precludes liability where

the accuser fails to establish that the statement was made with the actual knowledge that the

statement was false and misleading.

The Issuer has sought to invoke the protections of the PSLRA safe harbor by including in

all its press releases a “safe harbor statement” that includes a disclaimer specifically identifying

“forward-looking” information, and the risks and assumptions attendant to those statements.

Furthermore, in Harris v. Ivax Corporation, 182 F. 3d 799 (II th Cir. 1999), the court

concluded that “meaningful cautionary language under the safe harbor need not contain an

explicit disclosure of the risk factor that ultimately contradicts a forward-looking statement.” In

support of its conclusion, the court observed that the safe harbor requires the risk disclosure to

mention only “important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in

the forward-looking statement.” The court also pointed to the legislative history accompanying

the PSLRA which stated that “[t]ailure to include the particular factor that ultimately causes the

forward-looking statement not to come true will not mean that the statement is not protected by

the safe harbor.” Accordingly, the court held that when an investor has been warned of risks

similar to those actually realized, he is on adequate notice of the precariousness of the

investment.

Conclusion

1. We believe that the Issuer and BMA have answered all ofFINRA’s questions honestly

and carefully and that FINRA has been provided with all documents requested.

2. Because of Mr. Martins’ representations relating to the Issuer’s Form 211 being

approved upon effectiveness of the Issuer’s Form 10, the Issuer has incurred great

expense and time in preparing and filing its Form 10 with the SEC only to have FINRA

fail to honor its commitment and continue asking the same questions which have been

previously answered by the Issuer and BMA.

3. The projections in the Issuer’s January 21 , 2010 press release that FINRA is

concerned about are covered by the safe harbor forward-looking statement rules and

regulations.

4. The January 21 , 2010 press release occurred over 5 years. The Issuer is in a different

business now and has now filed far more relevant and current investor information as a

fully SEC reporting company.

5. After a one-time 10-day SEC suspension, the SEC reviewed the Issuer’s Form 10 and

approved it. In the words of Mr. Martins ” … the SEC supersedes us” yet FINRA is now

apparently refusing to defer to the SEC in this regard. Furthermore, after a suspension,

pursuant to Notice to Members 90-40-Question # 16, Rule 15c2-ll allows a broker/dealer

to rely on new information or assurances from prior sources of information, however,

caution is required. In exceptional cases, where the source is unable to provide

reasonable assurances about the reliability of the information, consultation with an

independent accountant or attorney may be warranted. We submit first, this is not an

“exceptional situation”, and second, the source was available and many documents and

background information was provided to you and third, even though an independent

person may be warranted (not required) the Issuer did retain outside counsel to provide

the necessary assurances to the broker/dealer and FINRA.

In view of the above, we respectively request that the Form 211 regarding the common stock of

Mike the Pike Productions, Inc. be approved by FINRA.

 

END OF EXCERPT

“Shortly after this letter was issued, I was informed by BMA that FINRA stated they would not correspond with the Issuer or Issuer’s counsel regarding BMA’s application. BMA representative also informed me that he felt if we simply answered the new questions, we would have our application approved.

We were encouraged by this; however, after a phone call with FINRA that I did not partake in, BMA informed me that they were withdrawing the application. When I inquired why the sudden change of heart, they simply said they feel it may be an exercise in futility.”

“All in all, as a fellow shareholder, I have done everything personally available to me to ensure we achieved quotation and a fully reporting status. Though we accomplished the feat of uplisting, our resources are exhausted at this time. The Company does not have the resources to continue filing with the SEC if quotation will not be granted by FINRA, and I can no longer afford to personally fund what, inevitably does indeed look like an exercise in futility.”

“If money were not an issue in terms of filing with the SEC (thousands per Quarter), I would cooperate in answering Form 211 questions for the rest of my life, if only to prove we will DO EVERYTHING in our power to be vindicated in this matter; however, sadly, money makes the world go round in this realm, and I feel we have been trapped in a vicious circle, with no end in sight. I am tired of playing a rigged game with hope in my heart and its because of this that we will be filing a Form 15 with the SEC allowing us the affordability of a non-reporting Issuer, whereafter we intend to supply reports and updates to our shareholder base via website, press release and Facebook.”

“I have called other Market Makers and they agree that, for a number of reasons unrelated to Mike the Pike Productions, FINRA will never approve a form 211 application on our behalf, regardless of our efforts otherwise. I also must state as many have carelessly propogated otherwise—The company’s 10-day suspension 2012 was a self-terminating, non-remedial action by the SEC due to concerns about touting of the stock and a press release from January 2010 in which we issued projections that, due to circumstances that were beyond our control, we were unable to bring to fruition. The Company was NOT suspended for any kind of fraud or violation of regulations or otherwise and our Company has since been vindicated with an effective Form 10 accompanied by a letter from the SEC stating there are no further comments on our file.”

“That said, we will continue to operate as a non-reporting OTC Company and will follow with project updates and objectives, as one of my primary goals is to seek measures which will allow our existing shareholder base to monetize their investments when and if desired. As well, we have a brand we have worked hard to grow and preserve and it is priority for me to see that the Mike the Pike name stays alive and well, in any incarnation.”

More updates to come from the Company via Press Release and Facebook.

Form 10 / audit for MIKP

We have much to share in the coming weeks regarding George R.R. Martin’s The Skin Trade, a newly negotiated acquisition and development on a new media channel.

That said, we have a number of shareholder requests for a timeline on completion of audit and submission of Form 10 which is a major priority for all of us with a stake in Mike The Pike.  To that, I have reached out to our auditor and CFO and requested a detailed punch list of exactly what we have left to do to finalize financial statements based on the audit, after which point, the attorney will complete a final review toward submission of the Form 10.

Here is the response I received from our auditor today.  These are best-guess dates, and we can only best-guess 100% completion until its done.  I realize I’ve made several attempts at locking down a hard final date for this to be done & done, however at this point, I think guesstimates have worn out their welcome— so the best I can do is offer a punch list to demonstrate progress in finalizing these steps toward becoming a fully reporting company.  It’s been a long road for certain, and one I’ve never been down before, but this is the road we must take to continue on our journey. Thanks again for your patience and understanding.

So without further ado– here are the remaining steps we have to take:

1. Prepare financial statements, Balance Sheet, Statement of operations, Statement of Changes for Stockholders’ Equity, and Statement of Cash Flows for 2012 and 2013 including the notes
2. Update the MDA
3. Complete the bookkeeping for first quarter March 31, 2014.
4. Prepare the financial statements for March 31, 2014.
5. Prepare adjusting journal entries for March 31, 2014, including interest accruals, salary, reclassify for any expenses not considered company expense.
6. Read and make comments on the financials, including completing the disclosure checklists and other closing workpapers that are required under a PCAOB audit.
7. Update workpapers for the review of the March 31, 2014 presentation.
8. Prepare review workpapers.
9. Inquire into the changes in the amounts based on 2013 amounts.
10. Compare information obtained to the financial statements and make comments.
11. During this process prepare additional journal entries, if necessary.
12. Respond to my questions and comments.  Update the notes and financial statements, including supporting MDA
13. Internal review by Charles Klein.
14. Send the financial statement for a required PCAOB review done by our Quality reviewer.  The review normally takes about four hours.
15. Send Jim the comments prepared by our Quality reviewer.
16. You need to be filed by August 14, 2014, to avoid additional updates, but once this is completed you should immediately get the second quarter ready for filing.

from the auditor: “Today, I have to update several Companies for their filing next Friday.

Normally, completed 10K’s are given to us at the beginning of an audit, allowing us to review the financial statements and notes during the audit.  The attorney has his updates completed by the time of the audit.  He may read the financial statements, but normally does not comment unless something is different in the 10K.  We are also reading for inconsistencies.

We normally have less than five journal entries during the review of the 10K or 10Q.  We have over sixty journal entries for 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Based on all these steps, we are probably looking at Monday orTuesday.  If I can get the reports by tomorrow, I will be able to get the additional workpapers completed over the weekend.”

——-end of quote—–
So there you have it— all the juicy details– For future updates, please check Facebook as I remain optimistic that we’ll be submitting our Form 10 much sooner than later.

—- Thanks again— Mark B. Newbauer, CEO, Mike The Pike Productions

 

ServeNation stays….more to come!

 

Note to shareholders– We’ve received a number of phone calls and emails recently in regards to our ownership of ServeNation, Inc. Please note that ServeNation is owned 100% by Mike The Pike Productions, Inc. and there are no plans to change that in the near or distant future. Soon I will be updating shareholders as to what I feel will be exciting news for all, in which we can monetize ServeNation via various outlets toward multiple streams of revenue. As previously mentioned, we have secured a reputable IP attorney to file applicable Trademark registration applications and a non-provisional patent application on the IP, which will be disclosed, with pride, once the patent application is filed.

Keep on swimming! We’re almost through our audit toward a Form 10 registration with the SEC. At that point, we will be a fully reporting company with audited financials with full disclosure on material events via appropriate channels. Until then- thank you for keeping the faith, to those that have. I have a good feeling this is going to be a great year- for all of us!

Shareholder Update

Just a quick note to shareholders– This is to confirm that the Company is unequivocally moving forward on filing a Form 10 registration.  Current initiatives include 2 years of audited financials and information for the form itself.  Upon effective date (60 days from filing), we will have registered MIKP shares triggering our reporting obligations under the Exchange Act.

As stated by our FINRA examiner to outside counsel on a phone call in January, the Form 211 will be approved once filed.  Though it was not clarified as to whether this could take place at filing per se, or once the filing is effective, my educated guess is the latter; however I’m thrilled to have a light at the end of the tunnel and our sponsoring Market Maker, BMA agrees this is good news.  Once completed, we will be a fully reporting company, most likely on the OTCQB tier.

As well, we have exciting news regarding ServeNation, as we have recently engaged a local attorney to file for a patent on our charitable giving platform, which we are confident can lead to potential licensing deal(s) even prior to a hard card launch.  ServeNation execs, myself included, work diligently with a goal to launch the hard card during the 2014-2015 school year.

Last but certainly not least, we have made an offer on a series of books we believe to have major potential in regards to adaptation to a multi-platform series.  We are currently on standby in response to our offer.

MIKP shareholder update

Happy New Year to Shareholders!  This is a brief update to let you know where the company stands in FINRA’s review of BMA Securities’ Form 211 on our behalf, and also some notes on projects and plans for 2014.  I am pleased to state that we are bringing on a new CFO to ensure our financials are filed in a timely manner.  Please welcome Jim DiPrima to the family.  He has over 40 years of experience in accounting for both private and public companies and this week begins our work to ensure financials are up to date and per a discussion with FINRA last week, we are in discussions toward filing a Form 10 for Mike The Pike Productions to become fully reporting.

Though this is something I can only say is at discussions currently, we have already identified an auditor and attorney for the work necessary for the filing.  FINRA made it clear that there was extensive review necessary on each and every press release and there was no estimated date of review finalization but that a Form 10 or S-1 would very likely expedite the review process.  BMA and the attorney working with BMA agree and that it would be done  alongside a Form 211 filing to effect MIKP as a QB.   Once this is completed, if all goes according to expectation, we will then file a name change request to effect the company as a Media Holdings company under which Mike The Pike Productions, Saint James Films, ServeNation, etc. will serve as subsidiaries.   If and when the Form 10 is submitted, Mike The Pike Productions will  announce this formally via press release.

George R.R. Martin’s The Skin Trade is still under exclusive option by Mike The Pike Productions and includes film, television, merchandising and video games.  As well, we are working with financiers to exercise the option this year, buying the rights in perpetuity and throughout the universe as allowed in our Agreement with the author. From there we will work strategically to package the project for various outlets.  If you’d like to check out the book it’s available in many of George’s compilations as well as its own newly released hard copy or on Audible.com for those that don’t like to read.   And of course, the Graphic Novel was recently released as well– I’ve got all copies and it’s a great adaptation!

White Space is still in post-production– yes it’s true!  And I commend FilmworksFX for the hard work they are putting in to finish in a cost efficient manner, all the while maximizing overall production value.  I noticed on their new demo reel there are some nice shots from White Space so, though we will not yet share the trailer publicly, you can probably pick out a few nice shots from the reel.

Spokefish– we finished our first book, R.E.M. this year and thanks to a very successful Kickstarter campaign, we raised the money necessary to bring the book to print, and it is now available on Amazon and iTunes!   If you do in fact have a copy or order one– Please leave reviews –positive reviews can be very successful in boosting the profile and performance of a book.  In the meantime we are finishing up novel #2, Bulderlyns, for which I am very excited because it deals with mythological creatures and themes of loyalty, family, good and evil, and the threat of burning Chicago to the ground.  That last point I’m not so fond of, but I’m guessing our hero may just save the windy city from such an undeserving demise.

Saint James Films has some revenues trickling in and we look to ramp up the model this year with higher quality, micro budget films and discussions with our distributor there, TomCat Films, for additional ways we can synergize toward building shareholder value for MIKP.

ServeNation, our prepaid reloadable debit card/fundraising tool program has been through a lot, but we have identified a program manager with which to partner that has direct alliance with an issuing bank, FIS Global (processing) and Mastercard (network) for our program.  We are currently looking to raise $50,000 through private monies to pay for the software implementation so that we can launch for the 2014-2015 school year with our model starting out grass roots locally and regionally in Fort Wayne/Indianapolis, and expanding from there with independent contractors in different areas working to grow the customer base.

That’s it for now- but I thank those that have been supportive, understanding and encouraging and especially for those that have introduced us to resources we can use to take the company to the next level.  I am very much looking forward to this and all it may have in store for us.  I also look to share news soon about a series of books we are going out with an offer on next week.  As well, Ryan Colucci and I are working on a haunted house script for a film we look to shoot this year.  The story is based on a concept by Colucci that really resonated with me because it takes a familiar genre into less familiar territory for an all out chilling premise with some great opportunities for high production value and fun effects, both practical and CG.

Have a great week!

Mark B. Newbauer

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GEORGE R.R. MARTIN’S “THE SKIN TRADE”

As submitted by @werewolfnews  

As the San Diego Comic Con dust finally settles, there’s been some chatter about The Skin Trade, the 1988 werewolf novella by hat & beardsman (and bestselling Game of Thrones author) George R.R. Martin. Here’s what you need to know about the activity surrounding the award-winning werewolf story.

First, the official synopsis:

When a string of grotesque killings begins to strike her small city, private detective Randi Wade becomes suspicious. A serial killer is taking the skin of its victims and the grisly murders remind her all too much of her own father’s death almost twenty years ago. As the police hit a dead end, Randi goes on a search for answers of her own… But when a close friend suddenly becomes a target, he is forced to reveal a startling secret about himself and Randi is quickly pulled into a dark underworld where monsters exist and prey on the living.

The story was originally published in Night Visions 5, a 1988 horror anthology that featured stories by Martin, Stephen King and Dan Simmons. The same anthology has also been published under the titles Dark Visions, Dark Love and The Skin Trade. The story won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella in 1989, and has generally been hailed as the American Werewolf In London of short fiction. To the best of my knowledge,the only way you can read The Skin Trade today is to buy one of these anthologies from a used book seller(unless you’re fluent in French) Correction! Pennington Beast points out that The Skin Trade is included in Werewolves and Shape Shifters: Encounters with the Beasts Within, which is currently available for purchase on Amazon. But don’t despair! Don’t freak out. As mentioned by Martin himself, Avatar Press has just published the first issue of the official Skin Trade comic.  The story was adapted (to Martin’s great satisfaction, apparently) by Daniel Abraham and illustrated with gritty, gruesome aplomb by Mike Wolfer (hold the puns, please). There are a variety of covers, including a Limited SDCC version, a gory version and a wrap-around version. This issue is in stores now, and the second issue comes out next month. It’s not clear how many more issues will follow after that, but I’m hoping for a total of six at the least.

This first issue was good but exposition-heavy, and it didn’t blow the lid off the werewolf “mystery” – but give it time, baby bird, give it time. This is a horror novella they’re adapting, not a children’s fairy tale, and if you’re at all familiar with Martin’s writing, you know that a slow burn always pays off.

If you like comics but prefer your adaptations to take the form of light, sound and moving images, I have more good news for you: a film version is in the works. The movie rights to The Skin Trade are resting with Mike The Pike Productions, who have the screen adaptation tagged as “in development”. Details on just what that means are scarce – the latest news I can find is from this 2011 post on Shock Till You Drop – but there are recent signs of life: the film’s web site got a recent facelift, and during last week’s Skin Trade SDCC panel (see Collider’s great recap) Martin briefly discussed his ideal casting for the “asthmatic, hypochondriac and not very formidable werewolf” character, saying that Paul Giamatti, William H. Macy or Steve Buscemi would all be great choices. You can follow the film’s development progress onFacebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

And that’s the extent of my knowledge regarding The Skin Trade, in any format. I have a copy of Night Visions 5 coming to me in the mail, thanks to a packrat friend, and I’m looking forward to reading what all the fuss is about. If you’ve read the story, tell me and your fellow Werewolf News readers what you thought of it in the comments!

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE AT: http://werewolf-news.com/2013/07/what-you-need-to-know-about-george-r-r-martins-the-skin-trade/

 

The end is nigh…

At least I hope that’s the case for MIKP’s grey sheet status.  If so, then we’re well on our way to a new beginning!  Either way, I’m pleased to announce that BMA Securities has responded to the remaining items requested by FINRA per the Form 15c211 they filed on our behalf.   My hopes are that FINRA responds in a timely manner, as historically, they seem to have answered within about 20 days;  If that’s the case, we may very well be actively trading with a market maker by end of next month.  I can’t promise or proclaim anything just yet, but both BMA and the attorney have confidence that this is the final submission and that the verdict will be approval of the Form 211.

From there, I’ll be working with a CPA and/or attorney to ensure filings are uploaded to OTCIQ to get us back to Current Information (Pink Current) status on OTC Markets.   I’m also looking to rename the company to reflect a media holdings company, placing Mike The Pike Productions and Saint James Films underneath it as separate subsidiaries.  I’ve always wanted to better separate these brands, along with other incoming assets or brands.

As well, if another scenario goes our way, we’ll have made some significant headway with both White Space and George R.R. Martin’s The Skin Trade along with new projects we’ll announce for 2014.  White Space is ever-nearing completion and we have confirmed interest from sales agents vying to represent/sell the picture; possibly even put up monies to expedite the finishing process.  As for George R.R. Martin’s The Skin Trade, I am working with investors that are looking to partner with us by putting up monies necessary to buy out the option, giving us further negotiating leverage when it comes to financing the film, and we currently have stated intent from third parties to provide financing for the picture.  So far, they are 1 for 1 as, without question, they provided the monies for us to secure the option for another year, in exchange for the opportunity to raise funding for the picture.   We’ll see what comes of that, but regardless, by the beginning of 2014, I’ll be working to attach talent and director to the picture so that we can be rolling with production next year.

Werewolf sighted in Los Angeles

Okay, scratch that- it was actually a guy that hasn’t shaved since 2012…just another of the sundry of sights this week in Los Angeles.  But I am here on werewolf-related business. Investors flew me in yesterday to discuss the funding for a feature film version of George R.R. Martin’s The Skin Trade, the award winning-novella I scripted an adaptation for earlier this year.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Ita Nagy, of Cohen/Gardner, in person this morning to get to know each other and discuss some projects.  Cohen/Gardner is repping us on Skin Trade and also helping with an offer we hope to make on another exciting property, which I hope to have news on in the near future.

As shareholders know, we’ve had quite a journey with GRRM’s The Skin Trade, with a much appreciated boost from record-breaking fan demand for ‘Game of Thrones’ and the recently published ‘The Skin Trade’ graphic novel by Avatar Press which GRRM spoke of at this year’s Comic Con.

I’m thrilled with the progress the last few months that has led to our meeting tonight.  I am also trying to match schedules with our form 211 sponsoring market maker, BMA Securities so I can meet them tomorrow and check on progress with our submission which I hope will go out this week as the aim was to have it submitted by end of last week.  I’m told by the MM they are working diligently to complete their answers on the form for delivery to FINRA this week. I’ll remain optimistic as I’m grateful for all they have done for the company thus far.  Thanks for following and I hope to be updating again soon!

R.E.M. -THE LAST 48

Unlike solving crimes, the LAST 48 hours may be the most crucial in any kickstarter campaign.  And our campaign is no exception.  We can still use your help and hope that you’ll lucid dream your way over to Kickstarter and get your copy of R.E.M. today!

For those of you that have already taken advantage of the rewards in our campaign- congratulations and thank you!

It’s amazing to think that since my last post we’ve nearly doubled our support in dollars- getting ever closer to the $20,000 we need to cover total book costs!

I’m thrilled to have this book mark Mike The Pike’s entry into the world of graphic novels.  Moreso, I’m thrilled for the team behind R.E.M.

There is nothing quite as gratifying as a creative success (except maybe a creative success with potential for financial success) and with R.E.M., Ryan Colucci and Zsombor Huska have achieved both.

And we couldn’t have done it without you- for this we will be ever grateful.  It’s truly amazing what the Kickstarter community can achieve.  If you aren’t an active part of this, check it out– its quickly become a platform for reciprocal giving as our own campaign has inspired me to take a look at other campaigns and help them out with my own support.

Either way– whether you’re an active member of kickstarter, a shareholder of Mike The Pike Productions or just a big fan of one-of-a-kind graphic novels– this is your chance to reap some truly striking rewards for your support!   #kickstarter #REM #mikethepike #graphicnovels