Jonny Harvey is producing, directing, and writing his first feature documentary, GHOST EMPIRE.
Grandson of the Co-Owner of the Harvey Comics Empire, Jonny's documentary debut will shed light on the inner workings and untold story of Harvey Comics. A Tulane educated journalist, Jonny has gathered a proven team of filmmakers from all over the country to transform the words from his pages to become a feature-length documentary.
Jonny graduated with a business degree in marketing, where he specialized in digital storytelling. For Tulane’s student newspaper The Hullabaloo, he pioneered a digital transition as Digital Director, where he set precedent by moving the publication to a digital-first content model. In his extensive coverage as a New Orleans sports journalist, Jonny received a Pacemaker award for his digital coverage of Tulane Athletics for The Hullabaloo and extensively covered the New Orleans Pelicans for the Louisiana newspaper The Advocate and the Vox affiliate SB Nation.
Patrick Meaney is a director/producer best known for his films exploring the world of comic books, including Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods, Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously, The Image Revolution and Chris Claremont’s X-Men. In addition his documentary work, he wrote/directed the horror film House of Demons, and wrote the comic book Last Born for Black Mask Studios.
“I’m thrilled to explore a new piece of comic book with history with Jonny and the team. The story of Harvey Comics is a uniquely American story, of immigrants building a business and chasing the American dream, and also touches on so many fascinating aspects of comic book history. Even if you’ve never heard of Harvey, you’ll realize what an impact they made, and that the story behind the scenes is just as wild as what was on the page."
Mike Hogan of Tall Order Productions is Producing GHOST EMPIRE. With extensive experience in corporate, commercial, and unscripted content, Mike last worked as an Associate Producer at Guy's Grocery Games.
Mike studied film at Loyola University New Orleans, where he was editor in chief of two publications, one of which he created to foster a film centered outlet for student writers and filmmakers.
After graduating, he worked in film and television production in New Orleans, where he produces and co-hosts the podcast "Nola FilmCast."
After interviewing Jonny Harvey and learning about the Harvey Comics story on the podcast, Mike realized he wanted to see the story told so badly that he had to help produce it.
Mike moved to Los Angeles to work on Guy's Grocery Games and unscripted documentary, corporate, commercial, and music video content.
His favorite Harvey character is Casper the Friendly Ghost because Casper is the one ghost that doesn't scare him.
Eddie Salerno Jr is the cinematographer for GHOST EMPIRE. He joins the team with over a decade of docu-advertising, live event, and narrative Feature film experience as a Director of Photography. Eddie earned his MFA from the American Film Institute and has received several festival accolades for his work. his do-it-all mindset, attention to detail, and vast film experience made him the perfect candidate to bring Director Jonny Harvey's vision to life.
Eddie has admired comic book artwork and animation his entire life and could speak for hours on the industry's cultural relevance and influence in both film and pop culture. After a phone call with Jonny and Mike, their passion to tell such an important and engaging story immediately sparked his interest and compelled him to shoot the film.