Given that creator Pendleton Ward is a huge comics reader and sometime cartoonist and that half the staff consists of folks you would normally see at Stumptown, AND that the cartoon itself is heavily influenced by generations of alt.comix (Ward says Trondheim’s Dungeon comics are a huge influence) ….it’s a surprise that up until now there hasn’t been an ADVENTURE TIME comic book based on the hugely popular Cartoon Network show.

But now BOOM! is remedying that with a new ongoing monthly series written by Ryan North (DINOSAUR COMICS) with art by Shelli Paroline (ICE AGE: ICED IN and MUPPET SNOW WHITE.) It’s part of BOOM!’s KaBOOM! kid line.

Also of note: the book is coming out from BOOM! rather than DC, which, like the Cartoon Network, is owned by Warner Bros.

“It’s quite exciting to bring this series to comics. My wife and I are huge fans and sing Marceline’s ‘Daddy, why’d you eat my fries?’ song around the house all the time,” BOOM! Studios Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ross Richie said. “Pendleton Ward has created a brilliantly original voice in this show and it’s a true ‘All Ages’ property that appeals both to kids and also has a substantial amount of adult fans. Watch for the waving snail!”

“It was like a bomb dropped in the office when we announced Adventure Time,” says BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon.  “Everyone at BOOM! was just as excited as any fan. Adventure Time is such a classic story at its heart- a boy and his dog on different adventures – but the genius of the show allows us to take a simple concept and get really creative with the presentation. Everyone we’ve worked with is a huge fan of the show and creator Pen Ward has been instrumental in bringing this comic book to life. ”

The ADVENTURE TIME comic series will follow Finn the Human, Jake the Dog, Princess Bubblegum and the other inhabitants of the Land of Ooo as they explore many varied adventures. Since its debut on Cartoon Network, Adventure Time has become a runaway hit, with explosive growth in ratings, huge critical and fan acclaim, a major presence at fan conventions and more, it’s clear fandom is obsessed and 2012 is the Year of Adventure Time! Don’t miss out on this new phenomenon—this first issue is sure to get snapped up! You can pre-order the books at your local comic shop. Don’t know where it is? Go to www.comicshoplocator.com Or you can stop by BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com)and pre-order issue #1 or a subscription today!

ADVENTURE TIME #1 is written by Ryan North with art by Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb. This title ships with three covers in a 75/25 split by Chris Houghton and Jeffrey Brown in a 1-in-10 incentive by Chris Houghton, a 1-in-20 incentive by Jeffrey Brown, and a 1-in-30 Chris Houghton Wraparound Cover. This title ships in February, featuring a price point of $3.99 with a Diamond Code of DEC110939.

Not that Avengers. The ones with John Steed and Mrs. Peel.

You know, Diana Rigg.

Now you get it, right?

The image suggests a six-issue miniseries beginning in January based on the ’60s TV show The Avengers, which featured an urbane pair of British spies. The show was a huge influence on Morrison, so it’s not hard to see why he’d want to write a miniseries based on the property.

Update: One of our correspondents explains this is a reprint of a 1990 miniseries.

To celebrate the season, Boom! Studios has launched one of its comics as a webcomic, DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS by Kurt Busiek, Daryl Gregory, Scott Godlewski, and Damian Couciero. To start off with, the webcomic is serializing the print version, but then will start running new material.

As the PR notes, this is the first DM book from a major publishers to start in print and migrate to the web.

Happy Halloween from Kurt Busiek, Daryl Gregory, Scott Godlewski, and Damian Couciero — who have a trick for the bags of comic book fans worldwide with the launch of the DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS webcomic! Launching right now with 11 pages ready to be read, www.draculacomic.com will update daily with new content, serializing the critically-acclaimed print issues while introducing new digital-exclusive story pages and creator commentary. It’s another ground-breaking industry first for BOOM! Studios as DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS migrates from print to digital!

Fright fest DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS showcases the talent of Eisner and Harvey Award-winning creator Kurt Busiek (ASTRO CITY), World Fantasy and Locus Award Finalist writer Daryl Gregory (PLANET OF THE APES), artist Scott Godlewski (CODEBREAKERS), and Harvey nominated artist Damian Couceiro (RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES).

Serializing the print comic first, the DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS webcomic will soon showcase new, original digital pages not seen in print and host commentary from the series contributors that gives fans an inside look on how the comics are created.

The site updates everyday, including weekends.

A digital innovator, BOOM! Studios’ DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS will be the first Direct Market comic book series that launches in print and then migrates to the web. Continuing to lead the market, BOOM! Studios was the first company to release day-and-date digital download content in 2007 and was one of the first comic book publishers to have their own downloadable app.

DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS tells how a powerful, predatory corporation acquires a valuable asset – Dracula! They think they own him, but no one can own the Son of the Dragon. There’s a monster in their midst that puts Hannibal Lecter to shame – and he plans to gain his freedom in blood. It’s bloodsuckers vs. bloodsucker, as Busiek, Gregory, Godlewski, and Couceiro bring an incredibly modern spin to the Dracula mythos.

Don’t miss this Halloween’s hottest free webcomic at www.draculacomic.com! Starting October 24th and updating each day!

BOOM! editor Ian Brill, who spearheaded much of that line’s Disney relaunch, including writing titles like DARKWING DUCK, is leaving the editor’s chair to concentrate on writing, as he reveals in his new Tumblr blog:

It’s a big scary leap. The comic industry is going through an upheaval. No one knows what this business is going to look like in a few years other than “very different.” The world economy is more fragile and hostile to risk than perhaps it has been at any other point in my life. I’m well aware of all these factors. But I also know that for the priorities and values I have within me, this is the right decision. I’ve been writing scripts for BOOM!’s line of Disney books (Darkwing Duck, Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers) for a year and a half now. A year before that I wrote stories for BOOM!’s horror anthology Zombie Tales (those stories are getting reprinted soon in the second Zombie Tales Omnibus). The work has been well received. I am incredibly grateful to the readers who have chosen to spend their time and money with my creativity, especially when there is so much content out there. But even beyond that, there is deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment I get from telling comic book stories. I love it and I know that’s the direction my life must take. If it means I must make a change during a state of unease in industry so be it. This just means I have less competition for gigs. Sane, rational people who would otherwise give comics scripting the full push aren’t in the running. That’s okay, who wants to hear stories from sane, rational people anyway?

We worked with Brill back in the day when he was one of our valued PW Comics Week writers, and he’ll surely be successful in his new path.

Comics by committee!

It’s Preview Night and the ICv2 Conference at San Diego Comic-Con, and while the big announcements are still being held back for the convention proper, news has begun to come out of San Diego in a trickle that will soon become a torrent.

Archie’s popular and groundbreaking new gay character Kevin Keller is getting his own ongoing comic from Archie Comics! In an unusually complex twist, apparently he will be both popular and discriminated against.

As Heidi reported - for those of you who don’t like to scroll down – Marvel announced a new series of standalone original graphic novels called Marvel Season 1. They’ll be set in the usual Marvel universe, but earlier in the lives of the characters, so presumably before they all died and came back from the dead ten times.

DC announced its new Vertigo all-star comics anthology The Unexpected, coming out this October, with comics from Brian Wood, Jill Thompson and Dave Gibbons among others. Apparently, it’s supposed to be like Strange Adventures, only with horror and supernatural instead of science fiction.

Dark Horse had news too – they’ve announced The Strain, a 24-part comic series based on Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s sci fi vampire novel trilogy of the same title.

Bryan Lee O’Malley, indie hero creator of Scott Pilgrim, announced his new book will be called Seconds and is coming out in 2013 from Random House’s Villard imprint.

Robert Kirkman announced in USA Today that his new comic Thief of Thieves will be written using a “Writer’s Room” approach – in an experimental technique inspired by his experiences working on The Walking Dead tv series, he’ll hand off issues to different members of a six-person writing team to write. Now we know how he plans to have the time to keep a whole Image imprint going!

Boom! is bringing you a comic called Fanboys vs. Zombies from the people who brought you Ugly Betty and The Office.

Enjoy it while you have it easy today, comics publishers. Tomorrow you’re going to have to practically blow up a moon to get a decent headline through the crush of news coming out of San Diego.

Have a SDCC scoop or a comic or event that you think I should know about? Tell me at my new Twitter account geekiferouskate; I’ll be helping Heidi cover all four days of Comic-Con.

Via BOOM!’s mailing list, Chip Mosher has a pretty clear suggestion that shows just how publishers are living on a copy here and a copy there. With DC’s massive relaunch coming up a lot of retailer dollars are going to be tied up elsewhere so a book like Roger Langridge’s SNARKED needs every little boost:

As I am sure you have read, sales for comics are down this year from last. So I wanted to ask you all to do me a favor… and that is to make sure you are pre-ordering your books from your local comic shop or online retailer. If you don’t have a subscription or pull list, and you are a comics fan, please take the time to work with your local comic shop to get one. By pre-ordering your comics with your local retailer you make it easier for them to know what to order for their store and run their business better. This isn’t just true for BOOM! Studios comics and trades, but for every publisher and every store. It’s just a very helpful thing to do!

[snip] So when you go to your local comic shop today, or later in the week, make sure you have a subscription or pull list at the store. And if you are so inclined, put SNARKED #0 (Diamond Code of JUN110963) on that new list or the list you currently have. It’s only a buck, so you won’t regret it. (SNARKED #1 will be coming out this October.) Making sure you have a subscription or pull list at your local comic shop is just the right thing to do these days – whether you put SNARKED on it or not. But I am the Marketing and Sales Director here at BOOM!, so you’ll have to forgive me for trying to sell you on SNARKED! :P

We don’t need to be told twice to plug Roger Langridge so here are some pages:

.

Ah… Memorial Day approaches, and with it, summer vacation.  Day after day of nothing which must be done, but full of possibilities!  Maybe an escape to the air-conditioned refuge of your local library.  Perhaps a day spent on the porch, sipping something cold and sinful (I prefer Brown Cows, served in a large ice tea glass).  Or maybe hiding away up in a hayloft, or deep in a cool root cellar, where no one can find you.  Whatever your preference, there’s nothing like a good book to make you forget the world around you.  Below are some suggestions for your summer reading pleasures.  (And if you need a nap to avoid the afternoon heat, give your kids something to read.  It’ll keep them quiet long enough for you to recharge your batteries.)

The following is a selection of new comics titles due to be published in June 2011.   This list is not comprehensive, just what I’ve discovered browsing the Internet.  Below, you’ll find selected titles which caught my interest.  If you would like to browse forthcoming graphic novels and related books at your leisure, click here. These are not necessarily titles I will purchase, but which I will definitely look at once they arrive at my local comics shop or bookstore.

If you click that link above, you’ll see all the graphic novels at BN.com, sorted by date.

Please be advised that publication dates are not set in stone, titles may change, and covers may be altered. Also, your local comics shop might receive copies before your local neighborhood website or library.  I consider my tastes to be rather eclectic. If you feel I’ve neglected or slighted a title, publisher, or creator, please feel free to mention it in the comments below. Yes, you may promote your own work, but please include the ISBN for easy searching (and shopping!)

Disclaimer: I am employed by Barnes & Noble. This and any other posts by me at this site have no official connection to B&N.   As always, feel free to send us your PR. Even better, send us some free books!

Deadpool Team-Up
by Cullen Bunn, Tom Fowler (Illustrator), Matteo Scalera (Illustrator), Rob Williams

• $ 19.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
• Format: Hardcover, 168pp
• ISBN-13: 9780785151395
• ISBN: 0785151397

Captain America: To Serve and Protect
by Mark Waid, Ron Garney (Illustrator), Dale Eaglesham (Illustrator)

• $ 24.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
• Format: Hardcover, 192pp
• ISBN-13: 9780785150824
• ISBN: 078515082X

Deadpool Max: Nutjob
by David Lapham, Kyle Baker (Illustrator)

• $ 24.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
• Format: Hardcover, 144pp
• ISBN-13: 9780785148500
• ISBN: 0785148507

Captain America: American Nightmare
by Mark Waid, Andy Kubert (Illustrator), Patrick Zircher (Illustrator), Kurt Busiek, Roger Stern

• $ 24.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
• Format: Hardcover, 248pp
• ISBN-13: 9780785150848
• ISBN: 0785150846

Fantastic Four by Waid and Wieringo Ultimate Collection Book 1
by Mark Waid, Mike Wieringo (Illustrator), Mike Buckingham (Illustrator)

• $ 24.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
• Format: Paperback, 208pp
• ISBN-13: 9780785156550
• ISBN: 0785156550

Walt Disney Treasury: Donald Duck, Volume 1
by Don Rosa

• $ 14.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Boom! Studios
• Format: Paperback, 160pp
• ISBN-13: 9781608866564
• ISBN: 1608866564

Level Up
by Gene Luen Yang, Thien Pham

• $ 19.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: First Second
• Format: Hardcover, 160pp
• ISBN-13: 9781596437142
• ISBN: 1596437146

Anya’s Ghost
by Vera Brosgol

• $ 19.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: First Second
• Format: Hardcover, 224pp
• ISBN-13: 9781596437135
• ISBN: 1596437138

Isle of 100,000 Graves
by Fabien Vehlmann , Jason (Artist)

• $ 14.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
• Format: Paperback, 56pp
• ISBN-13: 9781606994429
• ISBN: 1606994425

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: Race to Death Valley
by Floyd Gottfredson

• $ 29.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
• Format: Hardcover, 260pp
• ISBN-13: 9781606994412
• ISBN: 1606994417

Al Capp’s Complete Shmoo, Volume 2: The Newspaper Strips
by Al Capp

• $ 49.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
• Format: Hardcover, 188pp
• ISBN-13: 9781595827203
• ISBN: 159582720X

Congress of the Animals
by Jim Woodring

• $ 19.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
• Format: Hardcover, 104pp
• ISBN-13: 9781606994375
• ISBN: 1606994379

Trouble by Mark Millar
by Mark Millar, Terry Dodson (Illustrator)

• $ 19.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Marvel Enterprises, Inc.
• Format: Hardcover, 120pp
• ISBN-13: 9780785150862
• ISBN: 0785150862

Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale
by Belle Yang

• $ 23.95
• Pub. Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
• Format: Hardcover, 256pp
• ISBN-13: 9780393068344     [Preview available]
• ISBN: 039306834X

Flight, Volume 8
Edited by Kazu Kibuishi

• $ 27.00
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Format: Paperback, 288pp
• ISBN-13: 9780345517388
• ISBN: 0345517385

Dean Motter’s Mister X: The Brides of Mister X and Other Stories
by Dean Motter, Shane Oakley (Artist), Jeffrey Morgan, Peter Milligan, D’Israeli (Artist)

• $ 49.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
• Format: Hardcover, 320pp
• ISBN-13: 9781595826459
• ISBN: 1595826459

Baltimore, Volume 1: The Plague Ships
by Mike Mignola, Ben Stenbeck (Artist), Christopher Golden, Joe Hill (Introduction) , Dave Stewart (Artist)

• $ 24.99
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
• Format: Hardcover, 136pp
• ISBN-13: 9781595826732
• ISBN: 1595826734

Joe Simon: My Life in Comics: The Illustrated Autobiography of Joe Simon
by Joe Simon

• $ 24.95
• Pub. Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Titan
• Format: Hardcover, 256pp  [Also available as an e-book]
• ISBN-13: 9781845769307
• ISBN: 1845769309

It seems that standalone apps for authors and imprints and licenses are now the way to go on digital devices. BOOM! has just announced a new Stan Lee app for iOS devices that will includes the digital version of Stan’s BOOM! books, including SOLDIER ZERO, THE TRAVELER, and STARBORN. As the PR mentions, this is part of “BOOM! Studios’ aggressive digital comics strategy to offer their entire frontlist and backlist of titles for download across multiple mobile and desktop platforms.” So there.

BOOM! Studios, one of the top publishers of graphic novels and comic books, announced today the immediate availability of the new free Stan Lee BOOM! Comics App for iOS mobile devices! The app will showcase the digital versions of legendary comics creator Stan Lee’s superhero comic series, SOLDIER ZERO, THE TRAVELER, and STARBORN. In addition, the titles can be downloaded for iOS through the BOOM! Studios Comics App.

Fans can also download these series through all major digital comics vendors, including ComiXology, Graphic.ly, iVerse, and MyDigitialComics, for desktop (Windows, MacOS) and mobile (iOS, Android) platforms. SOLDIER ZERO, THE TRAVELER, and STARBORN debuted last fall from one of the comic book industries greatest creators, Stan Lee, in association with his company, POW! Entertainment!

Today’s announcement marks a major foray into the digital comics space by Stan Lee. Lee is a National Medal of Arts Award winner and created the superhero mainstays that populate the House of Ideas, Marvel Comics, including SPIDER-MAN, IRON MAN, THE X-MEN, THE HULK, DR. STRANGE, DAREDEVIL, THE FANTASTIC FOUR, and THOR, among many others.

“What’s great about releasing this app is that it enables us to bring the joy and wonder of comics to the mobile fan and a whole new generation of readers,” said Lee. “Comics are a medium that transcends age, appealing not only to today’s young readers, but older ones as well. And by giving them an unprecedented level of access, we’re ensuring that the fantastic stories, characters, and worlds found only in comics will endure for many years to come.”

The move comes as part of BOOM! Studios’ aggressive digital comics strategy to offer their entire frontlist and backlist of titles for download across multiple mobile and desktop platforms. Last year, they announced the BOOM! Studios App as well as partnerships with comiXology, Graphic.ly, iVerse, and MyDigitalComics to offer high-resolution, easy-to-use digital versions of BOOM!’s most popular titles, including the Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated IRREDEEMABLE, DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, and DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS. The digital comics experience gives readers access to BOOM! Studios’ diverse catalog right at their fingertips. The BOOM! Studios Comics app is available for free download in the iTunes App Store.

“With the easy accessibility of digital comics, we’re excited to be able to turn everyone with a computer, iOS, or an Android device into a lifelong comics fan,” says Chip Mosher, marketing director, BOOM! Studios. “Anyone who’s ever been curious to try comics now has the power to read them instantly with just a click of a button. So what better way to experience comics for the first time than by reading all-new series from the master of the medium, Stan Lee!”

Developed by iVerse Media in association with BOOM! Studios, the all-new Stan Lee BOOM! Comics App features direct access to Lee’s Twitter feed and keeps readers up-to-date on all the latest digital releases from him and BOOM! Studios. Both the Stan Lee BOOM! Comics App and the BOOM! Studios Comics App are available absolutely free in the iTunes App Store. Singles issues of all comics cost $1.99 with a free preview of every first issue of SOLDIER ZERO, THE TRAVELER, and STARBORN available from every vendor.

SOLDIER ZERO debuted in October 2010 written by Paul Cornell (DOCTOR WHO) and drawn by Javier Pina (MANHUNTER, SUPERMAN). Dan Abnet and Andy Lanning currently write the series with the next installment SOLDIER ZERO #8 in stores 6/15/2011.

THE TRAVELER launched in November 2010 written by Mark Waid (IRREDEEMABLE, KINGDOM COME) and drawn by Chad Hardin (SPIDER-MAN). The series is currently written by Mark Waid & Tom Peyer with The Traveler #7 hitting store shelves next Wednesday 5/25/11.

STARBORN premired in December 2010 written by Chris Roberson (SUPERMAN, iZOMBIE) and drawn by Khary Randolph (THE ADVENTURES OF SPAWN). STARBORN #7 will available in stores 6/8/11.
 

Tis the season for sampling Eisner nominees!

The Eisner Awards ballot went online last week — meaning eligible voters (comics professionals) everywhere were racing to record their picks for the best of 2010.

However, one book unintentionally was left OFF the ballot: Shannon Wheeler’s I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER, published by BOOM! Studios, was omitted in the Best Humor Publication category. The book is a collection of Wheeler’s rejected New Yorker cartoon submissions.

The ballot has now been updated, but many people have already voted — however, they can still change their votes if the Wheeler opus is the one they prefer.

In order to give the book even more of a chance, BOOM! has made the whole thing available to read online for FREE — see above. And they are also making selected physical copies available to eligible voters.

“I thought it would be funnier if I got left off the Eisner ballot, but I guess not!” said Shannon Wheeler.

“When we didn’t see Shannon’s book on the 2011 Eisner Awards ballot, we thought the joke was on us!” said BOOM! Studios Marketing Director Chip Mosher. “But now that the good folks at the Eisner Awards have fixed the glitch, we’re offering voters a chance to experience the unrelenting hilarity of I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER for free. So be sure to get your free copy and take another look at your vote for Best Humor Publication!”

The press release notes that I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER is actually sold out from BOOM! but they have nick-and-dent copies available to send out. Those eligible Eisner voters whh’d like a copy should email freefunnier@boom-studios.com with their eligibility status to have a physical copy sent out to you!

A new giftable hardcover edition of I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER will be available in the fall.

With Marvel picking up most of the licensed Disney material that BOOM! Studios had published, it’s no surprise that they’ll be publishing the much-loved Muppets comics by Roger Langridge in a 96-page collection called “MUPPETS PRESENTS: MEET THE MUPPETS” — previously collected by BOOM! in 2009. Bringing back Langridge’s great comics is a no-brainer, but there is still the question of the Langridge comics that were left in publishing limbo. On his blog, Langridge suggested that the material in question was in a contractual limbo, with Disney unable to publish it until it had been published by BOOM!

Asked whether the lost material would be showing up at Marvel, a spokesman had only a “No comment.”

Marvel and Disney Publishing will debut DISNEY•MUPPETS PRESENTS: MEET THE MUPPETS, an giant-sized comic featuring Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzy, Gonzo and the Muppet gang.  Hitting stores in July 2011, this 96 page comic features stories from acclaimed writer/artist Roger Langridge (Thor: The Mighty Avenger).  (All ages, $5.99)
 
In DISNEY•MUPPETS PRESENTS: MEET THE MUPPETS, the gang plans to revive their variety show and bring back favorite sketches like “Pigs in Space” and “Veterinarian’s Hospital.” Meanwhile, Kermit misses the swamp, and the gang tries to cheer him up. Fozzy revamps his standup act, but everything he tries gets the same boos as his original routine. Scooter attempts to figure out once and for all what species Gonzo belongs to. And a psychic tells Miss Piggy she’s going to lose something green.
 
“Together with Disney Publishing, we’re extremely excited to bring the Muppets to the comics world and continue to grow their audience” said Axel Alonso, Marvel Entertainment Editor-in-Chief. “Marvel will ensure that DISNEY•MUPPETS PRESENTS will be available at all retail segments for its cross-generational fan base. The Muppets are some of the most beloved pop culture icons ever, so we can’t wait for fans to experience these great stories from Roger Langridge”
 
 
DISNEY • MUPPETS PRESENTS: MEET THE MUPPETS
Written and Penciled by ROGER LANGRIDGE
Cover by ROGER LANGRIDGE
All Ages … Giant-Size Comic Dimensions: 8” x 10 ¾”…$5.99
ON SALE IN JULY

Lots going on, including signings by Shannon Wheeler, Chris Roberson, and more:

WonderCon Exclusives
SIGNED AND NUMBERED
THE PEANUTS HAPPINESS IS A WARM BLANKET HC
CARS: THE ADVENTURES OF TOW MATER #4 “GET-A-SKETCH” Cover
 
SCHEDULED SIGNINGS & PANELS

Friday, April 1, 2011 

All Day Signing –  28 DAYS LATER writer Michael Alan Nelson

All Day Sketching –  CARS artist Travis Hill

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Shannon Wheeler signing 

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Chris Roberson signing

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM – Indie Comics Marketing 101 Panel, Room 220

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Digital Comics Smackdown! Panel, Room 220


Saturday, April 2, 2011 

All Day Signing –  28 DAYS LATER writer Michael Alan Nelson

All Day Sketching – CARS artist Travis Hill

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Chris Roberson signing

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM – BOOM! Studios portfolio review, Room 266

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Bob Scott and Vicki Scott signing

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM – BOOM! Studios panel, Room 254/256

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM – James Silvani signing


Sunday, April 3, 2011 

All Day Signing –28 DAYS LATER writer Michael Alan Nelson

All Day Sketching – CARS artist Travis Hill

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Editing Comics the BOOM! Studios Way panel, Room 220

3:00 PM- 4:00 PM – James Silvani signing

Never afraid to try that free marketing thing, BOOM! Studios is launching their new HELLRAISER comic by making a FREE STORY available only in PDF and allowing everyone to post it. As Marketing Director Chip Mosher put it:

That’s right, to kick off the release of HELLRAISER #1 — available in comic shops across the nation today — Clive Barker and BOOM! Studios is making available for download an absolutely free, all-new, all-original “PRELUDE TO HELLRAISER #1” to whet your appetite for the insidious horrors of HELLRAISER #1. So head on over to your favorite horror or comic book news site to get the “PRELUDE TO HELLRAISER #1” and check it out. After you’re done reading, spread the word, and share the PDF by emailing, tweeting, facebooking, and torrenting as much as humanly possible. Help us evangelize the new series to all those horror fans, Hellraiser fans, and Barker fans that may not know about the comic or haven’t ever been exposed to comics.

“This is an unprecedented chance to spread the word of comic books,” said BOOM! Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ross Richie, “with one of the biggest authors and with one of his signature creations. Non-comic book fans, lapsed comic book fans, and horror aficionados who don’t go into comic book stores will all be excited and interested in this. And we are calling on the fans to get the word out to them. Send this via Facebook, Twitter, torrents, and e-mails to everyone in your life that you think would dig this, and let’s increase the overall pool of people worldwide who read comic books! I can’t think of an easier way to share this great comic. They don’t call it Portable Document File for nothing!”



HELLRAISER #1 is a 40 page giant with a back-up story by Larry Wachowski (THE MATRIX) and Marc Pacella and ships with A & B covers in a 50/50 split with art by Tim Bradstreet and Nick Percival respectively, as well as a very special 1-in-50 incentive cover drawn and signed by legendary master of horror Clive Barker himself, which goes on sale Next week — but hurry. A little birdie told us that it’s already sold out from Diamond.

We’ve made the first page readable here — to get the rest of PRELUDE TO HELLRAISER #1, download the pdf here — and share it!

Now this is kind of interesting. Avatar, publisher of some of the greatest writers in comics, like Alan Moore, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, and so on, is switching distributors from Diamond to….BOOM!?

Wait, BOOM! is a distributor? Not really, but they have their own distributor deal with Simon & Schuster for the US and HarperCollins for Canada. Avatar will be tagging along on BOOM!’s truck route for a unique partnership.

We had the chance to chat informally with several Avatar personnel about this move at C2E2 — and it’s definitely a good one for them. Moore and (to a lesser extent) Ellis are perennial bookstore bestsellers, so being able to hop on that bandwagon should definitely help their trade program. Although not noted by anyone, really, Avatar significantly slowed their trade collection release schedule over the last few months; this deal enables them to get it going again.

Also, as we’ve seen before, when a comics publisher moves to a “real” book publisher, they have a bit of a transition to make from the wild and woolly world of comics to the “we must plan everything 8 months ahead” book world. BOOM! will be able to help Avatar get over that hump. Win/win!

Avatar’s director of sales Keith Davidsen had more to say about the move here, explaining that extremely extreme material like CROSSED (which features fetus eating and other fun stuff) will probably not be showing up at Barnes & Noble.
PR below:

For comic and graphic novel publishers, there are two different markets that we sell product to. Comic shops and independent novelty stores fall under the category of the “Direct Market” (also known as the “Hobby Market”). Nationwide booksellers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Indigo fall under the category of “Book Market” (or “Mass Market”). The Book Market can also include library organizations and the massive retail store chains like Wal-Mart and Target.

Up until this announcement, Avatar Press had been represented into both the Direct Market and the Book Market by Diamond. Diamond has two distribution divisions — Diamond Comics and Diamond Books — that target those respective markets individually. Avatar Press will continue to be distributed to the Direct Market by the “Diamond Comics” division.

In fact, Avatar’s commitment to Diamond Comics is 100% exclusive for the Direct Market. Our products will still be available to order by your comic shop retailers, both individual comics and our trade paperback / hardcover collections. We’re very happy with how Diamond sells us to that market; it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The change here is only for the Book Market. Before, if Barnes & Noble wanted to purchase Avatar books, they’d have to buy from Diamond. Now, they have to buy from Simon & Schuster (in the US book market) or HarperCollins Canada (in the Canadian book market). Simon and Harper are massive organizations with far-reaching sales representation. Therefore, the new partnership with Boom has opened the doorway for making our products more accessible to the mainstream. It’s a really great move. We couldn’t ask for better business partners in the book market than Boom, Simon, and Harper — they’re solid.

As far as content goes… will we be seeing CROSSED on library shelves? Probably not. But we will see better representation of our more accessible titles, like Alan Moore’s WRITING FOR COMICS and Warren Ellis’ IGNITION CITY and FREAKANGELS, in libraries. The bookseller chains like Barnes & Noble and Borders will likely pick up a wider selection of Avatar than libraries, also. Again, perhaps not all content, but most. I hope that clears up a number of questions!

BOOM! Studios announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Avatar Press to distribute their graphic novels to the book trade.  This agreement will see BOOM! distributing Avatar in the United States via BOOM!’s existing relationship with Simon & Schuster and Canadian distribution through BOOM!’s existing relationship with HarperCollins Canada.

The new BOOM! Studios/Avatar mass market partnership sees two of the top ten Direct Market publishers teaming up for a unique relationship, extending both brands into the mass market.

“The Avatar library is an excellent compliment to the existing BOOM! list that doesn’t cannibalize our Studios and KABOOM! offerings, but rounds out what we are already doing,” said Founder and CEO of BOOM! Studios Ross Richie.  “Avatars’ CEO William Christensen is a brilliant businessman and has a proven track record of great Direct Market success.  Avatar has great growth potential in the mass market book trade, and we look forward to being an excellent partner in their continued expansion!”

”Distributing via BOOM!, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins Canada enables Avatar to bring its world-renowned, best-selling catalog of the biggest creators in the business to a wider audience,” said Avatar Press Publisher William Christensen. “Top talent like Alan Moore, Warren Ellis, and Garth Ennis continue to show sales growth and fan interest.”

Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins Canada begin distribution of Avatar Press’ eclectic line of independent graphic novels on March 21, 2011 and will also begin accepting returns as of that date. Diamond Book Distributors Inc. will continue to accept returns for all Avatar Press books up until March 20, 2011.

BOOM! Studios began distributing their original and licensed graphic novels through Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins Canada in July 2009.
Avatar Press is known for publishing such comic book luminaries as Alan Moore (NEONOMICON), Warren Ellis (FREAKANGELS, BLACK SUMMER), and Garth Ennis (CROSSED, CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD), as well as New York Times bestselling author George R.R. Martin (FEVRE DREAM) and licensed comics based on George A. Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.

Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats.  Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  For more information, please visit www.simonandschuster.com.

HarperCollins Canada publishes fiction, non-fiction, and books for children, as well as religious and reference books. HarperCollins imprints in Canada include HarperCollins, Harper Perennial, HarperTrophyCanada, Collins, and Phyllis Bruce Books. These imprints publish many of Canada’s finest writers, including Bonnie Burnard, Charlotte Gray, Lawrence Hill, Barbara Kingsolver and Kenneth Oppel as well as writers and leading authorities from Canada and around the world, such as Nick Cave, Tim Flannery, Theo Fleury, J.L. Granatstein, and General Rick Hillier. For more information, please visit http://www.harpercollins.ca.

History repeats itself as one more of Roger Langridge’s Muppets comics has been put in the vault by a business move.

Fans of his near-universally acclaimed run on BOOM!’s Muppets franchise may recall that his run on the beloved puppets began as a strip for Disney Adventures magazine, which was cancelled before the strips could run. Langridge made a few mini-comics which he furtively handed out at cons, and the legend of the strips greatness grew. Result: when BOOM! got the license, a call went out.

But now, he reports, Disney taking back its comics license from BOOM! means that several completed books are now in publishing limbo again:

To be honest, I have no idea. As far as I understand it, the unpublished work I’ve done for Boom isn’t technically Disney’s until it’s published, and obviously Boom can’t publish it without a license. So it’s in a kind of limbo right now. In the best of all possible worlds, I’d like to think that Boom and Marvel can come to some kind of arrangement whereby Marvel can eventually release the work. I’m only a cartoonist, real business stuff makes my brain hurt, so I’m not sure how that would work – I guess Disney/Marvel buys the rights from Boom or something. Or maybe they have to go out into the woods at midnight and bury Kermit in effigy with some chives in order to break the curse. Something like that. However it happens, I would very much like for it to see the light of day eventually.

While we’re guessing it wouldn’t quite be accurate that Disney doesn’t own the rights to publish Muppet comics now, they might also have to buy the rights to this story back from BOOM!, since the story was not published. Given that so far Marvel’s new Disney comics have consisted of reprinted BOOM! material, couldn’t they make just THIS ONE EXCEPTION and get the end of this story into print?

Hopefully history will repeat itself in that regard as well.

It’s the first ever Peanuts graphic novel, Charlie Brown!

Last week people were speculating over the announcement that Kaboom! — BOOM! Studios’ new all-ages comics imprint — would be publishing something Peanuts-related. Was it strips reprints? Comic book reprints? What?

The reality is that it’s an ALL NEW adaptation of a new Peanuts animated movie, Happiness Is a Warm Blanket Charlie Brown, which Warners Home Video is releasing in March.

The tie-in graphic novel adaptation is by original creator Charles M. Schulz and adapted by Craig Schulz and Stephan Pastis, with art by Bob Scott, Vicki Scott and Ron Zorman. As you can see from the attached preview, it’s drawn in the official Peanuts style.

Although the idea of anyone doing Peanuts but Sparky himself is strictly forbidden in the comics religion, if you’re going to do something new, an adaptation of a movie based on the comic strip is not completely blasphemous.

This March, join Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy and all your favorite PEANUTS characters as Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, the very first PEANUTS graphic novel ever published, is released by newly-launched all-ages imprint kaboom! Based on the work by PEANUTS creator Charles M. Schulz himself, this graphic novel is sure to delight a whole new generation of PEANUTS fans!

“We’re honored to publish such a beloved property,” BOOM! Studios Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ross Richie said. “I can think of no better way to kick-off our new all-ages imprint kaboom! than with the first PEANUTS graphic novel ever published!”

Adapted from the brand new animated special from Warner Home Video, Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown features Charlie Brown’s kite-flying woes, Linus’ insecurities, Lucy’s unrequited love for Schroeder and everyone’s favorite beagle, Snoopy, in a lively and colorful spin through Charles Schulz’s imagination. This 80 page, 7×10, hardcover graphic novel ships this March at the suggested retail price of $19.99 in conjunction with the all-new PEANUTS animated feature of the same name available on DVD from Warner Home Video March 29, 2011.

Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown is written by original creator Charles M. Schulz and adapted by Craig Schulz and Stephan Pastis, with art by Bob Scott, Vicki Scott and Ron Zorman.

“New original PEANUTS comic book content is a tradition that goes pretty far back in comic book publishing,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief, Matt Gagnon. “Dell Comics published ‘Tip Top Comics’ which featured new PEANUTS comic book content created under the guidance of Charles Schulz. ‘Tip Top’ ran from 1936 until 1961, creating well over 40 original PEANUTS stories and countless covers. It’s exciting to be a part of the return of PEANUTS to the comic book format.”

The Happiness is a Warm Blanket graphic novel and DVD dovetails into a larger campaign launched in January when PEANUTS proclaimed 2011 as “The Year of ‘Happiness Is…’”. Throughout the year, the classic PEANUTS concept, which cartoonist Charles M. Schulz coined in 1960 with “Happiness is a Warm Puppy,” will be celebrated with special-themed products, cross-branding partnerships, social media campaigns and nationwide activities.

Launched last week, kaboom! is the brand new name for BOOM! Studios’ three year old all-ages imprint previously known as BOOM Kids! This year sees kaboom! launch with the premiere of the PEANUTS graphic novel, followed closely by an all new original series by fan-favorite Roger Langridge entitled SNARKED! along with Scholastic’s WORD GIRL. Taking over the branding on BOOM!’s current publishing of classic Disney stories, the kaboom! logo will now be gracing other previous BOOM Kids! titles such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Uncle Scrooge and fan-favorite DARKWING DUCK, CHIP ‘N’ DALE RESCUE RANGERS and the recently announced DUCKTALES.