SDCC PANEL UNVEILS STAR-STUDDED “TRUE NOIR,” A RIVETING NEW AUDIO DRAMA

San Diego, CA—July 26, 2024—On Thursday July 25, at the SDCC panel, producers and special guests introduced “TRUE NOIR: The Assassination of Anton Cermak,” a new audio drama series from co-creators Robert Meyer Burnett, Max Allan Collins, and Mike Bawden. This project is the first in a series of adaptations of Max Allan Collins’ Nathan Heller novels. The inaugural season, based on the award-winning novel “True Detective,” explores the end of Prohibition, Al Capone, the Great Depression, and the assassination of Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. It is being produced by Imagination Connoisseurs Unlimited, LLC (ICU) with Burnett and Bawden at the helm.

Launching a relatively unconventional first production, ICU has partnered with Mystery Writers of America “grand master” Max Allan Collins (ROAD TO PERDITION) to produce a fully immersive, serialized audio drama based on his best-selling novel True Detective. The novel is the first of nineteen detective/crime novels featuring Collins’s “detective to the stars” Nathan Heller and is set in 1932 Chicago.

TRUE NOIR: The Assassination of Anton Cermak is a ten-episode, fully-imersive audio drama produced in surround sound with an original soundtrack and voice acting contributions of an all-star cast of over 25 known tv and film actors.

Highlights from the panel included:

Introduction to TRUE NOIR: Co-creator Robert Meyer Burnett provided background on the series, explaining how Nathan Heller, a fictional Chicago detective, becomes entangled in real historical events.
Star-Studded Cast: Panelists included:
- Kris Carr
- Anthony LaPaglia
- Don McManus
- Bill Smitrovich
- Louis Lombardi, and
- Co-Producer Mike Bawden
Creative Community Reception: The project has garnered significant interest for its high-quality writing, immersive cinematic approach, and the opportunity for actors to engage in full scenes together.
Crowdfunding Success: In just one week, our crowdfunding campaign has already achieved over 40% of its goal, demonstrating strong fan support. Backers can become “insiders” and even participate in key scenes. They can go to www.truenoir.co to find out more.
Future Projects: The interest in TRUE NOIR is driving attention to ICU’s unique approach to building IP franchises. We plan to announce more projects soon.
Immersive Audio Experience: Producers will aim to revitalize the audio drama format with cinematic production values. If crowdfunding goals are met, producers will produce this season in Dolby Atmos, along with 2-channel stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes.

Production is ongoing, and all ten episodes of the drama are set to release at the end of September. Future official announcements and further updates will appear on our social media channels.

ABOUT ICU: ICU is poised to revolutionize genre entertainment by putting fans and creators at the forefront. For more information and to support the project, visit ICU’s Kickstarter page and follow their journey as they bring fresh, engaging stories to life.

For more information, please visit Imagination Connoisseurs Unlimited, LLC. (www.icu.co) On social media please follow us at: