REICHEN LEHMKUHL AND BLUEWATER DEVELOP "THE WASPS" FOR COMICS SERIES AND FEATURE FILM

At the height of World War II, a select group of women blazed the trail as Air Force aviators. These women, known as WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) are the subject of a new action-adventure-fantasy comic series developed by Bluewater Productions and television personality, author and former Air Force captain Reichen Lehmkuhl.

"The Wasps," is inspired by the exploits of Lehmkuhl's real-life grandmother and WASP pilot , Betty Turner Stagg, is a time travel story that follows the adventures of a modern day Air Force pilot trapped in 1942. Along with fighting Nazis, and racing against time to find a mysterious artifact, the hero gets the opportunity to fly and fight alongside his grandmother, a decorated female pilot.

"What attracted me to this story is the dynamic between grandson and grandmother," said Bluewater president Darren G. Davis, "He knows who she is, but can't tell her. There's that thin line between completing the mission and changing history. But most important, it's a love letter to family pride and the bonds of friendship that forge between people in times of danger and adversity."

The comic series, which is also being developed as a feature film, is scheduled to hit the stands 2010. “When I 1st read the comic book script for this, I fell in love with it”. Said Lisa K. Brause, from Golden House Entertainment who is developing this property as a film with Lehmkuhl attached. "Reichen is such an amazing talent, while the story is full of action adventure with a heart. These make the perfect combination to bring to a film." Brause is in development with other comic book properties such as Mike S. Miller's "Deal With the Devil," Frank Cho's "Liberty Meadows" & Bluewater's "Legend of Isis."

Lehmkuhl, best known for his winning stint on CBS' The Amazing Race as well as being a gay advocate said “I never thought I would have the opportunity to help write, design, and publish a comic book series!” said Reichen Lehmkuhl. “When Darren approached us about the project, I knew making my story into a comic book would not only help to make an important point in another effective way and would be a great deal of work, but that this project was going to be fun. I’ve learned so much about this side of the publishing industry and have a new-found respect for those who make it happen.”

Prior to Reichen’s professional acting and entertainment debut, he was playing the role of his life while in the Air Force. Not wanting to face a court martial for being gay, Reichen had to live in two different worlds. These issues will be brought up in the comics series.

The book, co-written by Lehmkuhl, Davis and Adam Gragg is being penciled by Jacob Bear.



About Bluewater Productions

Bluewater Productions Inc. is one of the top independent production studios of comic books, young adult books and graphic novels. Its extensive catalog of titles includes the bestsellers “10th Muse” and “The Legend of Isis.” Bluewater publishes comic books with legendary filmmaker Ray Harryhausen and soon will launch a series in partnership with sci-fi icon William Shatner.

Bluewater aims to unite cutting-edge art and engaging stories produced by its stable of the publishing industry’s top artists and writers.

Following its commitment to green publishing, Bluewater comic books are printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper. FSC certification guarantees that the paper used in Bluewater books contains fiber from well-managed and responsibility harvested forests that meet strict environmental and socioeconomic standards.

For more information, visit www.bluewaterprod.com.

About Reichen Lehmkuhl:

Since winning the Amazing Race, Reichen has caught the eye of several casting directors and has appeared on Frasier, The Drew Carey Show, Days of Our Lives, and The Young & The Restless. He has also performed in three movies including “Ethan Greene”, “Partners”, and “The Scorned”, as well as having appeared on his own television show, “The Reichen Show” on the Q Television Network. He is one of the stars of the E! television production “Kill Reality”, and is now on the series “Dante’s Cove” (as Trevor) on the Here! Television Network. He has hosted many other shows on a variety of subjects and on a variety of major and cable networks. "Here’s What We’ll Say”, detailing the hardships of living a lie, hiding his being gay, and what needed to be done to make it through the U.S. Air Force Academy. The book was quickly picked up by Carroll and Graf and has been on shelves world-wide since Fall of 2006.

About WASP:
In the early 1940s, the US Airforce faced a dilemma. Thousands of new airplanes were coming off assembly lines and needed to be delivered to military bases nationwide, yet most of America's pilots were overseas fighting the war. To deal with the backlog, the government launched an experimental program to train women pilots to fly military aircraft. The Women Airforce Service Pilots, also known as WASP, were pioneering organizations of civilian female pilots employed to fly military aircraft under the direction of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. The female pilots would eventually number in the thousands, each freeing up a male pilot for combat service and duties. Because of the pioneering and the expertise they demonstrated in successfully flying every type of military aircraft, from the fastest fighters to the heaviest bombers, the WASP blazed a trail for women of future generations to follow. The WASP had proven conclusively that female pilots, when given the same training as male pilots, were just as capable as men.