Pocket God Leaps From iPhone Into Comic Books

Back on January 9, 2009 the dynamic duo of Dave Castelnuovo and Allan Dye, joined super powers to create the Pocket God app. It's a perfectly warped, episodic microgame that allows iPhone users to lord over a gang of energetic pygmy islanders.

Only 391 days later, Pocket God has managed to rake in over 2.1 million in sales for the Bolt Creative team, selling for $.99 since the day the app was launched. The success of Pocket God is a unique combination of endearing characters, amazing art work and an incredibly fanatical community of followers who help keep the legend alive by pummeling pygmies for sport. But that was so last year.

Computer programmer Dave Castelnuovo and Allan Dye, who serves as the game's illustrator/animator are about to take a fantastical leap forward by rocketing their Pocket God brainchild into the lucrative world of comic books.

"We just signed a deal to do a Pocket God comic book and graphic novel with Ape Entertainment," Castelnuovo said. "We'll launch a printed version that will go into comic book stores, but it will be distributed online first."

Ape Entertainment will create a series of four comic books that will ultimately be merged together to make a Pocket God graphic novel. Castelnuovo told the iPhone Savior that a new artist interpretation will be developed for the comic series, which marks the first time that Allan Dye will not be doing the illustrations himself.

"The art looks amazing," Castelnuovo said. "We're still figuring out what the story will be."

Although it's been sometime now since Pocket God sat perched at the number one spot in the App Store, it has recently risen again, capturing the number three position in the Top Charts after the release of their recent episode "Great Job Ice Hole!" It just may reach number one again for a second time.

On Christmas day, Pocket God saw sales of 57 thousand units. But it's the popularity of the game's "skin packs" that have brought in a combined $180 thousand in additional revenue of late. The skin packs are sold inside the app for $.99 each, allowing users to customize T-Rex, add a Halloween theme or even a holiday theme to the islands.

The most recent runaway success has come in the form of "The Dance Pack" that includes music for eight new pygmy dances. Songs include Beyonce's "Single Ladies", Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" and the viral American Idol song "Pants On The Ground". The Dance Pack is overtaking sales of all other popular skin packs after being out for only one week.

It's becoming obvious that the two-man Bolt Creative team have secured their own unstoppable stake in the iPhone gold rush. Along with a tap that sits above ground, able to be opened at will. So of course I asked Dave if he plans to prepare Pocket God for an epic second life on the iPad.

"If we had extra development resources it would be a no brainer," Castelnuovo said. "We wouldn't want to sacrifice what we have going with the iPhone for iPad. On our own we can't afford the resources to do an iPad specific Pocket God app. It's not a question of if, it's become a question of when."

For now Dave and Allan are content with steering their Pocket God franchise into uncharted territory by introducing comic geeks to their minions of hyper pygmy people. They have no plans of letting their commitment to iPhone and iPod touch fanatics fade off into the million dollar sunset. At least, not yet.

"When we first started out we were getting some pretty negative press. And it sucked," Castelnuovo said. "Logically it has to slow down at some time. We never expected it to last this long."

[Direct App Store link]