Bungie Co-Founder Jason Jones and Author Margaret Stohl Launch Transmedia Studio Stone Kite

Stone Kite, a new world-building studio founded by entertainment industry veterans, officially launched today.

The Los Angeles-based company, co-founded by author Margaret Stohl and Bungie co-founder Jason Jones, brings together creators from film, television, comics and literature to develop original universes across multiple forms of media.

Stone Kite was founded around a simple principle: audiences no longer experience stories through a single dominant medium, and the creative process must reflect this reality.

“I’ve spent my career creating books, games, comics, films and TV shows, and I’ve seen how often the medium that tells the first story ends up defining everything that comes after,” Margaret Stohl, CEO and co-founder of Stone Kite, said in a statement. “Stone Kite aims to break down these old media silos. Instead of starting with a single medium and scaling outward, we’re bringing together the world’s best creators from different disciplines from day one to shape the world together.”

Stohl added: “We’re changing the conversation. We never say this is how it’s traditionally done. We build communities and we listen to them. This is how we create worlds that people can explore for decades, in any way they want.”

The first Stone Kite universe is One Zero One

Stone Kite’s first universe, One Zero One, was born from an original manuscript by Jason Jones, creator of the Halo and Destiny franchises and co-founder of Bungie.

It starts today with One zero one n°1, the first installment of a four-part limited comic series, featuring never-before-seen excerpts from Jason’s manuscript. New issues will be published free online through early 2027, with prose, audio and screen projects further expanding the world of One Zero One throughout the year. The first image of the series created by Stone Kite here looks like a video game: robots armed with weapons. But I understand that this is a comic book image and that while the game is certainly part of the list of possible transmedia, the first effort is on the comic strip. This strategy is similar to that of Dan Houser, the former leader of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, who focuses on creating comic books and could go bigger with an intellectual property if it becomes truly popular and there is justification for investing in the game.

“I’ve spent my whole life making games, but I’ve always wanted to write,” Jones said in a statement. “I used to bike ten miles along Lake Michigan to the used bookstores on the north side of Chicago, and bike home with a backpack full of science fiction books. Margie was the first person to believe I could write my own book, the first person to read it, and the only person I trusted to help me turn it into epic entertainment that leaves the world a better place.”

Set in a near future that gets closer every day, One Zero One tells the story of a coming global conflict between humanity and a rebel army of AI-driven robotic soldiers.

Contributors to One Zero One The universe includes Oscar-nominated screenwriter Eric Heisserer (Arrival, Birdhouse, Shadow and bones); Christina Strain, comic book author and screenwriter (Shadow and Bone, The Magicians); Kris Anka, character and concept designer (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, X-Men); and critically acclaimed artists including Dan Panosian (Batman), Ramón Pérez (Hawk Eye), Alitha Martinez (Wonder Woman), Raúl Allén (Dune: the graphic novel), and Hyeonjin Kim (Power Rangers).

One Zero One will be available in digital and print formats, with print editions featuring a robust coverage program. The first issue features covers from critically acclaimed and award-winning designers, including Björn Barends (Ghost Rider, Hulk), Paolo Rivera (Spider-Man, X-Men), Toula Lotay (Spider-Man, X-Men), and Peach Momoko (Black Widow, Captain Marvel). Future cover artists include Adi Granov (Iron Man), InHyuk Lee (The Ultimates), Esad Ribić (X-Men, Thor), and many more.

One Zero One #1 is available for digital reading at ozo.stonekite.com and for print pre-order at store.stonekite.com. The first issue also includes a fourth variant cover of Peach Momoko which will be a retailer exclusive and launching soon.

The team behind Stone Kite

The team behind Stone Kite has helped create and shape some of the most successful franchises in entertainment, generating billions of dollars in revenue and growing global audiences across publishing, film, gaming, television and comic books.

Founding members of Stone Kite include Margaret Stohl, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling novelist, Marvel Comics writer and video game industry veteran; Jason Jones, creator of the Halo and Destiny franchises and co-founder of Bungie; Stephen Wacker, current editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and former senior vice president of media at Stone Kite; Lewis Peterson, former CEO of 7 Studios and Activision Blizzard executive; Matt Johnson, film and television screenwriter and producer (Truth be told, Into the Blue, Afterburn); and Jeanine Schaefer, whose career spans Marvel Comics and DC Comics.

Jones’ franchises have generated an estimated $15 billion in value and reached more than 250 million gamers, viewers and readers worldwide.

More than 200 creators from film, television, comics and literature have now contributed to Stone Kite’s next round of projects, including Jay Roach, director and producer (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents, Trumbo); Christian Ward, comic book writer and artist; Kyle Lambert, illustrator and artist (Stranger Things); Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author; and Akela Cooper, screenwriter (M3GAN, smart).

Stone Kite is a world building studio based in Los Angeles. One of the founding members of Stone Kite was Stephen Wacker, but he had to leave to become the new editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics.