Occult Crimes Taskforce
Encyclopedia
O.C.T.: Occult Crimes Taskforce is an American four-issue comic book
mini-series
about the eponym
ous team of fiction
al police officer
s. It was created by actress Rosario Dawson
, writer David Atchison and illustrator Tony Shasteen. Dawson also lends her likeness to main character Sophia Ortiz.
by 12 Gauge Comics. O.C.T.: Occult Crimes Taskforce #1 debuted July 2006
after a move to 12 Gauge Comics and Image Comics
.
investigators who patrol a district of New York primarily populated by practitioners of magic. The "Otherground", as the denizens refer to it, is the epicenter of an extant that connects the Earth with another dimension.
The primary mission of the OCT’s is to serve and protect the Manhattan populace from magical contaminations, Rogue Ceteri (creatures from the dimension beyond) and Tainted, practitioners who exploit magic for personal gain at expense of the citizenry. Contrary to general assumption, the OCT is not a large, sweeping conspiracy. It is a small, elite task force of officers dealing with a problem only they can. The entire operation is no larger than 250 full time officers, investigators and auxiliary personnel.
The OCT precinct is located near the epicenter of the Extant in an area of Manhattan informed Tainted and Ceteri refer to as the “Otherground.” Due to the Otherground’s proximity to the Extant's epicenter, it is a hotbed of magical activity and a haven for Ceteri and Tainted alike. Like Shangri La, Avalon
and the Garden of Eden
, only Tainted individuals and Ceteri can actually see the Otherground and spells of concealment to prevent the average person from viewing it.
purchased the Isle of Manhattan
in 1626 from Wappinger
Indian Tribe for 60 Dutch Guilders or $24. What the historians don’t know is why the tribe sold the island for such a low price. The Wappingers had been plagued by demons, ravaged by werewolves and haunted by spirit
s. Their shamans cast a spell blocking passage from the Alternate Universe, but knew the spell was a temporary solution at best. When Minuit made his offer the Wappingers saw it as an opportunity to avenge themselves for the injustices they suffered at the hands of the early settlers.
Things remained peaceful on Manhattan
for nearly two centuries, but eventually the Wappinger’s barrier dissolved and conflict arose. Those closest to the extant epicenter suffered the worst casualties. Those living farther out saw their lives minimally effected. The OCT was created shortly after the barrier breach as a means of minimizing MERlin contamination and protecting citizens. With the barrier broken and magical energies once again flowing from the extant, the area around the epicenter began to attract magical beings from across the planet.
:
in September 2006
. The film is slated for release in 2010
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
about the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous team of fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s. It was created by actress Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
, writer David Atchison and illustrator Tony Shasteen. Dawson also lends her likeness to main character Sophia Ortiz.
Publication history
The series debuted in O.C.T.: Occult Crimes Taskforce Heroes Con Preview #1, published in June 20062006 in comics
-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
by 12 Gauge Comics. O.C.T.: Occult Crimes Taskforce #1 debuted July 2006
2006 in comics
-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
after a move to 12 Gauge Comics and Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
.
Background
The Occult Crimes Taskforce is a fictitious group of New York PoliceNew York Police
New York Police may refer to:*New York City Police Department *New York State Police *Port Authority Police Department...
investigators who patrol a district of New York primarily populated by practitioners of magic. The "Otherground", as the denizens refer to it, is the epicenter of an extant that connects the Earth with another dimension.
Overview
There is an old and forgotten resolution in recesses of the City of New York Annotated Code of Ordinances mandating the creation of a taskforce in the Manhattan Police Department specifically designed to deal with crimes of occult origin.The primary mission of the OCT’s is to serve and protect the Manhattan populace from magical contaminations, Rogue Ceteri (creatures from the dimension beyond) and Tainted, practitioners who exploit magic for personal gain at expense of the citizenry. Contrary to general assumption, the OCT is not a large, sweeping conspiracy. It is a small, elite task force of officers dealing with a problem only they can. The entire operation is no larger than 250 full time officers, investigators and auxiliary personnel.
The OCT precinct is located near the epicenter of the Extant in an area of Manhattan informed Tainted and Ceteri refer to as the “Otherground.” Due to the Otherground’s proximity to the Extant's epicenter, it is a hotbed of magical activity and a haven for Ceteri and Tainted alike. Like Shangri La, Avalon
Avalon
Avalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 pseudohistorical account Historia Regum Britanniae as the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged and later where Arthur was...
and the Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
, only Tainted individuals and Ceteri can actually see the Otherground and spells of concealment to prevent the average person from viewing it.
1600s
In Occult Crimes Taskforce (OCT) Continuity historians claim Peter MinuitPeter Minuit
Peter Minuit, Pieter Minuit, Pierre Minuit or Peter Minnewit was a Walloon from Wesel, in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, then part of the Duchy of Cleves. He was the Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633, and he founded the Swedish colony of...
purchased the Isle of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in 1626 from Wappinger
Wappinger
The Wappinger were an American tribe native to eastern New York. The term "Wappinger" may also refer to:* Wappinger, New York, the Town of Wappinger named for the tribe...
Indian Tribe for 60 Dutch Guilders or $24. What the historians don’t know is why the tribe sold the island for such a low price. The Wappingers had been plagued by demons, ravaged by werewolves and haunted by spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
s. Their shamans cast a spell blocking passage from the Alternate Universe, but knew the spell was a temporary solution at best. When Minuit made his offer the Wappingers saw it as an opportunity to avenge themselves for the injustices they suffered at the hands of the early settlers.
Things remained peaceful on Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
for nearly two centuries, but eventually the Wappinger’s barrier dissolved and conflict arose. Those closest to the extant epicenter suffered the worst casualties. Those living farther out saw their lives minimally effected. The OCT was created shortly after the barrier breach as a means of minimizing MERlin contamination and protecting citizens. With the barrier broken and magical energies once again flowing from the extant, the area around the epicenter began to attract magical beings from across the planet.
1800s
Formed in the 19th century, the Occult Crimes Taskforce is a covert police unit composed of the Manhattan Investigators and “Ceteri”, supernatural beings from the dimension beyond, who have pledged their existence to the protection of mankind. Together, man and monster have secretly defended Manhattan for over 200 years.Collected editions
The series has been collected in trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Occult Crimes Taskforce (152 pages, Image Comics, June 2007, ISBN 1582406758)
Films
The Occult Crimes Taskforce film rights were acquired by Dimension FilmsDimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre films...
in September 2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
. The film is slated for release in 2010
2010 in film
The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and...
.
Reviews
- Review of OCT #1, another and issue #2, Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...