IDW has a new POPEYE book and Roger Langridge is going to write it.

So there is hope for the world after all.

Langridge is a comic auteur of the highest degree — as seen currently in SNARKED! — but also a fine writer of licensed comics, as seen in THOR: THE MIGHTY AVENGER and the Muppets comics he wrote recently. Let’s just say this is right in his wheelhouse.

The art will be by Bruce Ozella. It even has a variant cover by Jules Feiffer.

IDW Publishing today announced that comic industry star Roger Langridge will write the company’s all-new POPEYE comic series, which will debut in April 2012. Expanding their partnership with King Features to include new material, IDW’s POPEYE comics will offer all-new adventures with the famous “Sailor Man” and his friends, including Olive Oyl, Bluto, Wimpy and Swee’ Pea. Joining Langridge to bring Popeye back to comics is rising-star artist Bruce Ozella. The monthly POPEYE series will be co-edited by IDW’s co-founder and chief executive officer, Ted Adams and renowned comics expert Craig Yoe.

“I grew up reading Segar’s Popeye and we’ll be bringing his sensibility to our new series,” said Adams. “Especially now with our all-star creative team, I’m really looking forward to launching this series in April.”

Throughout his more than twenty years in the comics industry, Langridge has garnered critical and fan acclaim for his work on an impressive list of projects, including the Harvey Award-winning Muppet Show Comic Book (Boom! Studios) and Thor: The Mighty Avenger (Marvel Comics).

“Ever since I was a kid, the two cartoonists who have had the biggest influence on me have been Carl Barks and E.C. Segar, so getting a chance to write Popeye is quite a thrill,” said Langridge. “I’m especially pleased that IDW have decided to go with a Segar-flavored interpretation. As much as I like some of the later versions of the character, for me, it’s those early strips where the magic really happened. Just as well Segar drew everybody with big feet, because Bruce and I have some enormous shoes to fill!”

Created by Elzie Crisler Segar in January 1929, Popeye the Sailor Man quickly became one of the most popular and enduring comics characters of all time. In addition to headlining his own comic strip for over eighty years, Popeye has also been featured in television cartoons, video games, live action movies and countless merchandise.

POPEYE #1 debuts in April, featuring a cover from Bruce Ozella, and a rare incentive cover from Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Jules Feiffer.

You wanted 99 cent comics? You got ‘em. Digital comics, that is. In what’s a first for the Transformer series, IDW is making one of its premiere licensed comics available first as a digital-only 12-part series selling for 99¢ for an eight-page chapter. The chapters will be released every two weeks, starting today.

Just so comics shops don’t feel left out, a page (screen?) will promote the Comic Shop Locator and IDW’s sizable print Transformers library .

Written by Blizzard’s Chris Metzen and long-time Transformers savant Flint Dille, the story itself is a tie-in to the print ROBOTS IN DISGUISE and MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE Transformers series also coming out this week. Art is by Livio Ramondelli (TRANSFORMERS: CHAOS)

“IDW is very excited to launch this digital-exclusive series,” said IDW CEO and Publisher Ted Adams in a statement. “The TRANSFORMERS brand has a broad international fan-base, this series will continue to increase the comics audience.”

At the low 99¢ price point, this seems to be a bit of a loss leader for promoting IDW’s overall Transformers series. There are many, many tools and formats in the publishers’ arsenal these days.

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The show-and-tell continues!

In this post, new titles from Dark Horse, Image, and IDW!

So, here’s what caught my eye.  Please comment below, and please feel free to mention titles I may have marginalized or overlooked.  My tastes are eclectic, but there’s stuff which doesn’t interest me, or doesn’t evoke much of a response.  I respect everyone who manages to publish something, but with some 400 graphic novel titles a month, I have to be selective.

CAVEAT:  As I discovered while doing the publisher posts, that some titles have been canceled or postponed.  The titles below, the information is subject to change.  Some may already be out and on sale, some may be vaporous.  All descriptions are from the publishers.

Oh, and the advisory:  I am employed as a bookseller.  Nothing I say here or anywhere else online has any connection to my employer.  I know my employer can take umbrage at any association people may make between my private and professional activities, so I’m careful to let ninja cows be.

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One Model Nation

Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Jim Rugg

Hardcover, $24.95

9780857687265, 0857687263

Author Bio: Courtney Taylor-Taylor is the lead-singer and songwriter of the hugely popular Portland, Oregon band The Dandy Warhols. The band has released six albums to date and have had huge critical and commercial successes on both sides of the Atlantic. One Model Nation is Taylor’s first original graphic novel.

Jim Rugg is the co-writer and artist of the critically acclaimed Street Angel series. He has also contributed inks to DC/Vertigo’s American Virgin.

Summary: In 1977, four young men were the voice of their generation.

In 1978, they disappeared.

This is the epic journey of art noise band One Model Nation, the final dark days of the Baader-Meinoff Gang, and the band’s mysterious disappearance only months later.

This original graphic novel comes from the mind of Dandy Warhols frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor, with art by indie super star Jim Rugg, and features a host of bonus extras; sketches, director’s commentary, deleted scenes and more!

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain, Eric Powell

Hardcover, $19.99

978-1-61377-086-3

The classic novel by celebrated American author Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tells of a teenage misfit accompanied by an escaping slave, Jim, as the two float down the Mississippi River by raft. As their journey unfolds, Huck and Jim encounter adventure, danger, and a deftly scribed cast of characters that are by turns both menacing and hilarious. This special edition is illustrated by comics industry star Eric Powell (The Goon, Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters), and presents the material as Twain intended.
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Brooklyn Dreams

J.M. DeMatteis, Glenn Barr

Hardcover, $39.99

978-1-61377-080-1

The complete critically acclaimed saga is re-collected in hardcover for this collection of J.M. DeMatteis and Glenn Barr’s Brooklyn Dreams. Celebrated by fans and critics alike, and long out of print, don’t miss this chance to own a book that many say will change your life.
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Mark Twain’s Tales of Mystery

Mark Twain, Menton3

ISBN:    1-61377-124-X
ISBN 13:    978-1-61377-124-2
Trade Cloth, $16.99

Sherlock Holmes in America? Mark Twain a character in his own stories? Can it be true? True indeed, dear reader, as Mark Twain makes his mark on the mystery genre with this collection of short stories by the grand master himself. Including “A Double Barreled Detective Story,” “Tom Sawyer, Detective,” “A Murder, a Mystery, and a Marriage,” and “The Stolen White Elephant,” delight as Twain breaks convention and bends cherished characters to tell stories that are wholly his own. Illustrations provided by Menton3 (The Lovecraft Library, Classics Multilated, Monocyte).
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50 Girls 50 Shakedown, Volume 1

Doug Murray, Frank Cho, Axel Medellin

ISBN:    1-60706-469-3
ISBN 13:    978-1-60706-469-5
Trade Paper, $14.99

OLD SCHOOL SCI-FI EXPLORES THE WORLDS OF TOMORROW!
This complete edition of FRANK CHO (X-Men: Schism), DOUG MURRAY (The ‘Nam) & AXEL MEDELLIN’s (ELEPHANTMEN) contains all four issues of their space-faring epic featuring the galaxy-lost ESS Savannah’s search for home! If that’s not enough, it’s also packed with bonus pieces written by MURRAY further exploring the worlds of 50 GIRLS 50 and a gallery of art by both MEDELLIN and CHO!

Collects 50 GIRLS 50 #1-4
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Infestation

Erik Burnham, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Mike Raicht, Scott Tipton, David Messina, Gary Erskine, Kyle Hotz, Casey Maloney, Nick Roche, Giovanni Timpano, David Tipton, Ashley Wood

ISBN:    1-61377-106-1
ISBN 13:    978-1-61377-106-8
Trade Cloth, $34.99

IDW’s first-ever mega event is collected in this hard cover collection as something goes horribly awry in the IDW universe: a dimensions-spanning zombie outbreak of epic proportions, which threatens to tear many of IDW’s biggest realities asunder! The infestation spreads through the TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE, STAR TREK, and GHOSTBUSTERS universes. Zombie apocalypse looms and the remaining members of CVO are running out of options…

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Crawl to Me

Alan Robert

ISBN:    1-61377-118-5
ISBN 13:    978-1-61377-118-1
Trade Paper, $17.99

Wire Hangers creator/hard-rock musician, Alan Robert, is back for blood with this all-new horror tale, Crawl to Me. The story centers on Ryan, as he struggles to protect his family from what appears to be an evil entity living within their basement’s crawl space.

It is only after a series of violent events occur, that Ryan realizes he must set aside all he believes to be true in order to face his shocking and inevitable reality. This intense thriller will keep you guessing every step of the way.

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Danger Girl: The DANGER-SIZED Treasury Edition

J. Scott Campbell, Andy Hartnel, Alex Garner

Danger Girl was a smash hit when it was released in 1998 and helped solidify J. Scott Campbell as one of the premier artists working in comics-period. Now you can thrill to the exploits of Abbey Chase, Sydney Savage, Johnny Barracuda and all the rest, in this ultra-cool, super-sexy, Danger-Sized Edition of DANGER GIRL. Collecting the Danger Girl 8-page preview story that introduced Abbey Chase, the oversized first issue, and issue #2–You just can’t get more DANGER for your money!

FC Cardstock   $9.99  64 pages  9.25″ x 14.25″

[No, this is not a book, but how often do you see a treasury-sized comic book?]

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Womanthology: Heroic

Annie Nocenti, Anya Martin, Barbara Kesel, Kimberly Komatsu, Gail Simone, Trina Robbins, Samantha Newark, and many more (w) Camille d’Errico, Renae DeLiz, Ming Doyle, Colleen Doran, Fiona Staples, Stephanie Buscema, and more!

Hardcover, $50.00

ISBN: 978-1-61377-147-1

Womanthology is a large-scale anthology showcasing the works of women in comics. It is created entirely by over 140 women of all experience levels, from young girls who love to create comics all the way up to top industry professionals. All of the short stories will center around our theme for this volume; Heroic. There will also be features, such as Professional How-Tos, a Kids/Teens section showcasing their works and giving tips, as well as a section dedicated to some Iconic female comic creators of the past, such as Nell Brinkley, and much more. Profits of this book will go towards the Charities of GlobalGiving.org.
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Steve Canyon, Volume 1: 1947-1948

Milton Caniff

Hardcover, $49.99

ISBN 978-1-61377-125-9

Steve Canyon like you’ve never seen it before-reproduced directly from Milton Caniff’s personal set of syndicate proofs! For the first time: the definitive edition of the Steve Canyon newspaper strip by Milton Caniff featuring every Sunday in color and the daily strips in their original, uncropped versions.

Caniff quit Terry and the Pirates in 1946 to begin Steve Canyon and it became his biggest-selling work. Forever known as the Rembrandt of the Comic Strip, Caniff is at the absolute peak of his artistic prowess in these strips. Your passport is stamped for Adventure, Intrigue, and Danger on your expedition to exotic locales with your pilot, the one and only Steve Canyon! The Caniff women are also on display, as Steve Canyon Volume 1 features steely yet sexy  “Copper” Calhoun; the beautiful schemer, Delta; that modern-day Mata Hari, Madame Lynx; Dr. Deen Wilderness, who is as capable as she is lovely; plus Captain Shark, Convoy, and the footloose Fancy.

Edited and designed by Dean Mullaney, with historical essays by Bruce Canwell, Steve Canyon is presented in a matching hardcover set to the Library of American Comics’s Eisner Award-winning Terry and the Pirates. Everyone who enjoyed Terry won’t want to miss this sequel in which the horizons are truly unlimited!
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Popbot Big Beautiful Book

Ashley Wood

Hardcover, $95.00

[No ISBN discovered.  Click link above for IDW store.]

Originally only available from IDW during San Diego Comic-Con, we uncovered a small stash of Ashley Wood’s POPBOT BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK. This striking edition collects the long sold-out POPBOT volumes 1 to 8 in a  huge 11″ x 14″ hardcover format, showcasing over 400 pages of Ashley Wood art. Ships with a slipcase. Strictly limited to stock on hand.

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G.I. JOE: Renegades, Volume 1

Marty Isenberg

Trade Paperback  $7.99

ISBN: 978-1-60010-835-8

G.I. JOE is the world’s best and last defense against the dark forces that haunt our planet. They are highly trained, highly skilled, highly effective, and highly motivated. In short, they are the best at what they do. But for the first time ever, in order to fight evil, our heroes have to become RENEGADES! Join DUKE, SCARLETT, ROADBLOCK, TUNNEL RAT, RIPCORD, and SNAKE EYES as they lead a lone charge against COBRA, becoming fugitives of justice in the process! High-octane action, unbelievable stories, and action-packed battles set this G.I. JOE tour de force on high ground! It’s G.I. JOE like you’ve never seen it before!

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Inkshot

[see below]

ISBN:    1-61377-108-8
ISBN 13:    978-1-61377-108-2
Trade Paper, $24.99

A shot of ink, an ink gunshot, ink-made! Inkshot is a new anthology of ideas in small doses – three to five pages – small universes you can dive into and get lost in many different genres. Featuring never-before-seen stories by Danilo Beyruth [Necronaut], Jose Aguiar [Ernie Adams], Milton & Felipe Sobreiro [Cthulhu Tales], Bruno Stahl [Heavy Metal Magazine], Gabriel Goes [Samba Magazine], Pablo Mayer [The Next House], Davi Calil [MAD Magazine], Pablo Casado [Duo], Felipe Cunha [Jesus Hates Zombies], Hector Lima [The Major], and many others, Inkshot is a showcase of some of the best Brazilian comics of the new Century.

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Art of Joe Jusko

Joe Jusko

ISBN:    1-61377-096-0
ISBN 13:    978-1-61377-096-2
Trade Cloth, $49.99

For the first time ever, a volume devoted to one of the more popular fantasy/sci fi painters of the past 25 years. This book offers readers and fans a chance to witness his immense and phenomenal career from start to present, offering glimpses of previously never-before-seen material from his files and sketchbooks, his enormously popular comic work, covers and illustrations from his book publishing career, as well as beautifully reproduced images of his personal favorites and insights into his life and creative process. Brought to you by the publishing house responsible for THE ART OF BRIAN BOLLAND and THE ART OF P. CRAIG RUSSELL.
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Elephantmen: Armed Forces, Volume 0

Boo Cook, David Hine

ISBN:    1-60706-468-5
ISBN 13:    978-1-60706-468-8
Trade Cloth, $34.99

Collecting the sold out WAR TOYS trade paperback, now in full color for the first time, and the sequel, ENEMY SPECIES, this highly anticipated ELEPHANTMEN, VOL. 0 is packed with extras, including MORITAT and BOO COOK sketchbooks and unseen work by LADR?NN, MARIAN CHURCHLAND, MARLEY ZARCONE and a new prologue by AXEL MEDELLIN!

Collects ELEPHANTMEN: WAR TOYS, VOL. 1: NO SURRENDER; ELEPHANTMEN: YVETTE ONE SHOT and ELEPHANTMEN #34-35

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Firebreather Vs Dragon Prince (One-Shot)

Phil Hester, Ron Marz, Saumin Patel, Andy Kuhn

ISBN:    1-60706-332-8
ISBN 13:    978-1-60706-332-2
Trade Paper, $7.99

Something monstrous is killing visitors at an isolated mountain lake, and only the combined might of Firebreather and Dragon Prince can hope to overcome it! But when the strange being’s plans for our young heroes are revealed, can their newfound friendship withstand its deadly siren call?
Features an all-new, 40-page story, plus reprints of the classic origins of Firebreather and Dragon Prince by their original creators.

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King Aroo, Volume 2

Jack Kent

ISBN:    1-60010-782-6
ISBN 13:    978-1-60010-782-5
Trade Cloth, $39.99

The peaceable little kingdom of Myopia rocks with laughter in the second collection of Jack Kent’s King Aroo. Colorful visitors come and go while Professor Yorgle pontificates, faithful Yupyop frets, and Mr. Elephant forgets everything but his own name! Kindly King Aroo presides over all the outlandish slapstick and witty wordplay in over seven hundred daily and Sunday comic strips from 1953-1954, edited and designed by Eisner Award-winner Dean Mullaney. Bruce Canwell continues his groundbreaking biography of Jack Kent, featuring rare photos and never-before-seen artwork. This classic comic is a treat for readers of all ages.

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Officer Downe: Bigger Better Bastard Edition

Joe Casey, Chris Burnham

ISBN:    1-60706-477-4
ISBN 13:    978-1-60706-477-0
Trade Cloth, $17.99

The Badass With A Badge returns in a glorious oversized hardcover! Brought to you JOE CASEY (BUTCHER BAKER) and CHRIS BURNHAM (Batman, Inc.) – now with ADDED PAGES of over-the-top sex and violence – experience OFFICER DOWNE as it was meant to be experienced! You’ve never felt “command presence” quite like this! This is the cop that’ll keep coming back for more… even from beyond the grave! Now with all-new bonus features!

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Shaky Kane’s Monster Truck

Shaky Kane

ISBN:    1-60706-470-7
ISBN 13:    978-1-60706-470-1
Trade Paper, $14.99

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Ratfist

Doug Tennapel, Katherine Garner

ISBN:    1-60706-478-2
ISBN 13:    978-1-60706-478-7

Trade Paper, $19.99

Earthworm Jim creator DOUG TENNAPEL is publishing his Webcomic RATFIST, a vigilante-in-tights that satirizes comics, politics, philosophy, and even TENNAPEL himself! Featuring a forward written by MST3K/RiffTraxx’s MICHAEL J. NELSON, and pinups by RYAN OTTLEY, SCOTT KURTZ, CHRISTOPHER HASTINGS and ETHAN NICOLLE!

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Gaylord DuBois, Russ Manning, Jesse Marsh

ISBN:    1-59582-821-4
ISBN 13:    978-1-59582-821-7

Trade Cloth, $49.99

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Well, I should be working on the January list of new and exciting titles, but it’s still New Years Day here at Stately Beat Manor, so I’m not in the mood.  But Cow Clicker only let’s me visit once every six hours, so I must pass the time with other distractions.

Last month, Yoe Books announced the redesign of their website, updating it from what would now be considered a retro design to something sleek and sexy.

Overall, it’s a pretty good design, with a scrolling slide show just below the menu bar, then a three column design featuring the recent postings from the I.T.C.H. blog and Twitter, titles which are now available to order, and a listing of forthcoming books.  (It even has a “kid friendly” page of titles!)  Below that is the indicia and (the only criticism) the search bar.  It’s all a division of the Yoe Studio conglomerate, which does corporate design for a wide variety of clients.  Unlike other design studios, YS! does bill for butt-kissing.  (Look at the crawl beneath the corporate logos!  Between “branding” and “sculpting”.)

(Another bit of criticism… the Yoe Studio! page is a billboard.  There’s nothing beyond that screen, which is a shame, because they could feature some of their products, like the Eisner Award-winning Syroco-style sculptures comissioned by Dark Horse.)

So, just who is the mad genius behind Yoe Studios?  Well, according to the site:

Vice magazine has called Yoe the “Indiana Jones of comics historians.” Publisher Weekly says he’s the “archivist of the ridiculous and the sublime” and calls his work “brilliant.” The Onion calls him “the celebrated designer, “The Library Journal,” a comics guru. “BoingBoing hails him “a fine cartoonist and a comig book historian of the first water.” Yoe was Creative Director/Vice President/ General Manager of Jim Henson’s Muppets, and a Creative Director at Nickelodeon and Disney. Craig has won an Eisner Award and the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators.

If you have some time to kill this holiday, I recommend the Super I.T.C.H. site.  It’s a treasure trove of old comics and cartoons, some from Britain!  If you’ve gotten a gift card or some sweet filthy lucre this holiday season, buy one of his books!  They are beautifully designed, and full of amazing comics and history!

Comics+ is giving away a copy of STAR TREK #1 in their app — but only until 3 pm EST. Use code FMST01 in the app for the free book.

STAR TREK #1 features the classic characters in the alternate timeline of the reboot, overseen by Robert Orci with writer Mike Johnson and artist Stephen Molnar. Issue #1 reimagines the original pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.”

Someone has created a job! San Diego-based IDW Publishing has an opening for someone in the PR/Marketing Department. They’re looking for an experienced individual in the PR and marketing field — comics experience is a MAJOR plus.

With their strong presence in licensed comics, renewed focus on originals, amazing reprint program, and digital growth…well, this is where the action is. Think you have what it takes? Send your resume to Dirk Wood: dirk@idwpublishing.com.

Well now, comiXology took one step toward becoming the next Diamond as IDW is now powering its stores via comiXology. IDW, always considered one of the most aggressive companies in terms of digital, also announced they will be fully day and date —at full cover price.

IDW had formerly used iVerse to power their standalone stores for series like GI Joe, Transformers and Ben Templesmith, so this is quite a switch.

IDW Publishing and comiXology proudly announce the expansion of their digital partnership. Starting today, these IDW apps are now powered by comiXology: IDW Comics, Transformers Comics, Star Trek Comics, Doctor Who Comics, G.I. JOE Comics, 30 Days of Night Comics, Templesmith Comics and True Blood Comics Collection. All apps are live as of today, with new and old purchases alike syncing across the entire Comics by comiXology platform — iOS, Android, Web and Kindle Fire. In addition, all IDW digital comics are also available for online purchases and reading through the simultaneous launch of a new digital comics store at read.idwpublishing.com. IDW readers now have a true “buy once, read anywhere” experience.

“Powering IDW’s entire catalog across their bestselling apps is a privilege. The diversity of IDW’s line offers something for everyone, whether you’re a comic fan or not,” said comiXology co-founder and CEO David Steinberger. “With the recent addition of Comics by comiXology pre-loaded on the Kindle Fire to our platform, IDW now has a fully cross-platform solution that can reach new fans.”

As the first comics publisher to launch its own “in app purchase” storefronts for the Apple iPad™, iPhone® and iPod touch®, IDW has long been a leader in the digital comics space —having their own IDW branded application along with introducing several unique apps catering to fans of particular titles. The IDW Comics app offers the complete digital catalog, while IDW’s apps for special series like TRANSFORMERS Comics, G.I. JOE Comics, Star Trek Comics, True Blood Comics Collection and Doctor Who Comics and most recently 30 Days of Night Comics app offer those specific comics for those specific brands.  IDW also released the first creator-based app, Templesmith Comics, featuring the art and stories of Ben Templesmith.

In addition, IDW Publishing has committed to a full same day as print release schedule, a first for the company. All new digital comics will be offered at full cover price.

“IDW has always been dedicated to making our comics and graphic novels as accessible as possible on as many platforms as possible, and this deeper IDW-comiXology relationship continues that commitment,” said IDW CEO and Publisher Ted Adams. “We are strong believers that digital comics expand the reach of these books and consistently bring new readers into the industry.”

This past October, during the New York Comic Con, IDW Publishing and comiXology announced that IDW’s library would be coming to the Comics by comiXology platform. Today’s announcement marks a new chapter in the relationship between both companies.

The addition last month of IDW Publishing titles to the Comics by comiXology helped lift comiXology’s same-day-as-print offering over the 50% threshold, signaling a sea change in the comic book publishing landscape and making Comics by comiXology the destination for all consumers wanting to discover and read the latest and greatest comic books in digital format.

All comiXology platforms feature the company’s Guided View™ Technology, enabling the reader to transition smoothly between different comic panels, mimicking the reading experience of a traditional print comic book. Purchases of comics through the IDW apps or the Comics by comiXology app will be available to read across top platforms and devices, including Apple® iOS, Android and the Kindle Fire, or on the Web at read.idwpublishing.com or comixology.com.

IDW has announced that Greg Goldstein has been promoted to the rank of president. In a release, Goldstein is credited with helping drive much of IDW’s growth in new business channels. Publisher Ted Adams will continue to oversee overall strategy while Goldstein takes on more of the day-to-day operations of the company.

In addition, Anna Maria White, IDW’s Director of Marketing and PR, is leaving to start her own marketing company.

PR below:

IDW Publishing, an award-winning leader in graphic novel and book publishing, announced today that Chief Operating Officer Greg Goldstein has been promoted to the position of president in recognition of his successes in helping grow the company’s business and presence in the industry. IDW co-founder Ted Adams will continue to drive overall strategy in his role as chief executive officer and publisher.

“With Greg’s help, we’ve been able to expand both the front list and back list of IDW’s publishing program,” said Mr. Adams. “I am excited about what the future holds for the company with Greg as president.”

With more than 20 years experience in entertainment, sports and video game publishing, Mr. Goldstein as president will continue to help expand IDW’s business, while maintaining oversight of the company’s day-to-day operations. Mr. Goldstein joined IDW in 2008 as the company’s first COO.

“Helping bring IDW to new heights has been very rewarding, both personally and professionally, and I am honored to take on this new role,” said Mr. Goldstein. “Each year at IDW has been better than the last, and I know we will continue that trend for many years to come, through our strategic expansion into new and growing categories, while increasing our core business of print and digital comics and books.”

As a company, IDW has grown impressively in recent years, expanding both its comics and book catalogs, and continuing its leadership in the digital space. Mr. Goldstein’s increased responsibility as president is part of the company’s strategy to explore potential acquisitions for growth.

“IDW has grown during each of the twelve years we’ve been in business to become one of the most successful publishers in the industry,” added Mr. Adams. “To further our success as a company, we are exploring new markets and potential acquisitions, and Greg’s role as president will allow me more time to focus on these avenues of expansion, while we continue to elevate our publishing program.”

The 2011 Eisner Award winner for Best Archival Collection/Project – Strips, Mr. Goldstein is a veteran transmedia entertainment executive with extensive experience in the publishing, interactive, and collectible categories, and tenures at Topps, Activision and Acclaim. A lifelong comics fan, Mr. Goldstein celebrated his 40th year of collecting last month, having attended his first comic book convention as a youngster in November 1971.

Okay you can mark off one more from the list of great comic strips without a deluxe reprint series: Percy Crosby’s Skippy is getting the Library of American Comics treatment. The whimsical childhood strip was immensely popular in its day — the film version starring Jackie Coogan was nominated for four Academy Awards — but Crosby eventually ran into severe personal problems and spent the last years of his life in a mental hospital.

Despite Crosby’s sad story, the strip remains a much loved gem that influenced the great kid strips like Peanuts, Calvin & Hobbes, and Cul de Sac. Library of American Comics Series co-editor Dean Mullaney sent along a swell preview of the first volume, which is due next summer.

IDW Publishing and the Library of American Comics are proud to announce a new archival hardcover series that will reprint, for the first time, the complete legendary Skippy comic strips by Percy Crosby. THE COMPLETE SKIPPY will be co-edited by Jared Gardner and Dean Mullaney, with an ongoing biography by Gardner, and designed by Lorraine Turner. The premiere volume, containing the daily comics from 1925 through 1927, will be released in summer 2012. 

“Percy Crosby caught lightning in a bottle and learned how to draw with it,” wrote Jules Feiffer in a 1978 appreciation. Milton Caniff marveled, “Boy, there’s nothing faster than watching Skippy run the way Crosby drew him.” Debuting in 1923 in Life magazine, Skippy moved to the comics pages in 1925 and soon became a sensation, published in twenty-eight countries and fourteen languages. In 1931, Skippy became the first comic strip to see its film version win an Academy Award. Crosby continued writing and drawing the feature until 1945.

Crosby was also heralded as “the greatest apostle of motion in the field of art” by Edward Alden Jewell, art critic of The New York Times. Crosby’s artwork has hung in the Louvre in Paris, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, and the Tate Gallery in London, among other venues, but it is his work as a cartoonist, as the creator of Skippy—the philosopher man-child— for which he’s best known.

Today Skippy can be seen as the spiritual ancestor to Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes, among many other kid strips. Crosby influenced cartoonists from Charles Schulz to Walt Kelly to Garry Trudeau, and perhaps more than any other cartoonist before him, brought philosophy and politics to the American newspaper comic strip. In the end, it would be his outspoken political and philosophical beliefs that would place him increasingly outside the mainstream of 1940s American culture, ultimately leading to his exile from comics and his forced incarceration in a mental institution for the last sixteen years of his life. As a result of his tragic end, Crosby’s remarkable contributions to American culture have been largely eclipsed, until now.

The series is produced with the full cooperation of Skippy, Inc. and the Crosby estate. Joan Crosby Tibbetts, Crosby’s daughter, who has waged a 50-year campaign to keep her father’s legacy alive, said, “I’m delighted that the complete Skippy will be published at long last. For years, Skippy fans and namesakes have written me, wanting to see more of their favorite character, and now I can tell them their wishes are granted.”

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DC isn’t the only publisher betting big on the new generation of tablets — IDW has made more than 30 of their GNs available for the NOOK, including Darwyn Cooke’s Parker adaptations, and works by Joe Hill, Max Brooks, Anne Rice, and Eric Shanower. Unlike DC’s exclusive with Amazon, this doesn’t seem to have pissed off any retail partners…yet.

Continuing to lead the charge of digital comics, IDW Publishing proudly debuted a collection of graphic novels for the new Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet, the company’s fastest and lightest tablet with the best in HD entertainment. IDW’s initial NOOK entrée features over thirty complete graphic novels, including award-winning books and works by bestselling authors.

“We’re excited to partner with Barnes & Noble to bring IDW graphic novels line to NOOK,” stated Jeff Webber, IDW’s director of ePublishing. “With the NOOK Tablet, Barnes & Noble has developed a stunning display that works perfectly for viewing comics and graphic novels. Our digital graphic novels include all the special features and content found in the print versions also available through Barnes & Noble.”

IDW’s rich graphic novel catalog of top prose authors and comics creators is especially suited for eReaders. Fans of IDW writers such as Joe Hill, Anne Rice, Max Brooks, Peter S. Beagle, Steve Niles, or James Patterson can now find those graphic novels right next to their respective prose stories. Award-winning creators like Darwyn Cooke and his acclaimed adaptations of Richard Stark’s Parker books and the first installment of the BLOOM COUNTY: THE COMPLETE LIBRARY are also included in IDW’s diverse NOOK line.

IDW’s NOOK launch offers something for readers of all ages, from classics like Eric Shanower’s OZ series for younger audiences and Joe Hill’s best-selling LOCKE & KEY series for mature readers.

“Barnes & Noble is excited to offer IDW Publishing’s graphic novels on NOOK Tablet,” said Theresa Horner, vice president of Content and Digital Products for Barnes & Noble.  “With the launch of NOOK Tablet, we now offer a vast collection of full-color comics, graphic novels and kids’ comics in high resolution that makes the action virtually jump off the page.  IDW’s graphic novels are a great addition.”

NOOK devices are the perfect choice for anyone who wants access to their favorite reads anywhere they go.  NOOK Tablet is the company’s fastest and lightest tablet with the best in HD entertainment. NOOK Tablet offers access to popular movies, TV shows, music and more through the top entertainment services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora and others, plus a collection of high-quality apps, fast Web browsing and e-mail. NOOK Tablet features Barnes & Noble’s award-winning color reading experience, with access to the world’s largest digital bookstore via Wi-Fi®.

The initial lineup includes the following titles, and can be found at: http://bit.ly/idwnook
•    Bloom County: The Complete Digital Library Volume 1 1980-1981
•    Bloom County: The Complete Digital Library Volume 2 1982
•    Bloom County: The Complete Digital Library Volume 3 1983
•    Code Word: Geronimo
•    Doctor Who: Fugitive
•    Doctor Who: Tessaract
•    Doctor Who: Agent Provocateur
•    Doctor Who: The Forgotten
•    Doctor Who: Through Time and Space
•    Doctor Who: Fairy Tale
•    Dead Space
•    Dragon Age
•    G.I. JOE: Hearts & Minds
•    The Last Unicorn
•    Little Adventures in Oz Vol. 1
•    Locke & Key Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft
•    Locke & Key Vol. 2: Head Games
•    Locke & Key Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows
•    Locke & Key Vol. 4: Keys to the Kingdom
•    The Murder of King Tut
•    Mystery Society
•    Parker: The Hunter
•    Parker: The Outfit
•    The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures
•    Star Trek: Countdown
•    Star Trek: The Movie Adaptation
•    Star Trek: Nero
•    Star Trek: Spock Reflections
•    TRANSFORMERS 3: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation
•    True Blood Vol.1: All Together Now
•    Witch & Wizard: Battle for Shadowland

More Godzilla comics coming their way from IDW, via a five-ssue GODZILLA LEGENDS miniseries, which focuses on various kaiju, like Anguirus, Rodan and so on. And covers by Art Adams, because you can’t do monsters with Art Adams. (The art shown here is by Bob Eggleton, however.) The first issue is on sale today.

IDW Publishing is proud to launch the first issue in a new mini-series, GODZILLA LEGENDS. The series features five self-contained stories, each centering on one of Godzilla’s fearsome foes. Beginning with Anguirus in issue #1, each issue focuses on a Toho monster that has never been closely examined in comics—ever! Through its action-packed run, GODZILLA LEGENDS will treat readers to all-new stories of Anguirus, Rodan, Titanosaurus, Hedorah and Kumonga, each spotlighting in their own issue. This miniseries will also offer stunning interconnected covers by Arthur Adams.

In GODZILLA LEGENDS #1, drawn and co-written by Matt Frank, Anguirus, the  perpetual underdog, goes toe-to-toe with one of the most devastating monsters of all time-Destoroyah! This is a classic tale of David vs. Goliath… monster style!  Writers Jeff Prezenkowski and Matt Frank keep readers on the edge of their seats throughout the entire issue. Readers are encouraged to ask their retailers about a variant Matt Frank cover, as well as a unique hand-sketched Matt Frank cover.

The action continues with GODZILLA LEGENDS #2, coming in December. Writer Jonathan Vankin and artist Simon Gane create a sure-fire hit featuring the master of the skies—the mighty Rodan! In January, Titanosaurus headlines his very own comic, courtesy of writer Mike Raicht and artist Tony Parker for GODZILLA LEGENDS #3. February brings GODZILLA LEGENDS #4 and the first-ever fight between Hedorah and Mechagodzilla, with writer Chris Mowry and artist E.J. Su. This epic series closes in March when the government asks renowned, retired adventurer Bryson Allworth to do the impossible – climb Godzilla! Helmed by writer Bobby Curnow with artist Dean Haspiel, GODZILLA LEGENDS #5 is a fittingly thrilling end to this must-have series.

Each issue will feature covers by renowned Godzilla artists. In addition to the interconnecting, series-long covers by Adams, Bob Eggleton will create covers for issues 1, 3 and 5, with covers from Chris Scalf for issues 2 and 4.

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*BLUSH* I discovered a file I had overlooked yesterday…

Here are some more interesting titles from IDW!  Click on the titles for more information!

James Patterson’s Witch & Wizard, Volume 1: Battle for Shadowland

by Victor Santos (Artist) , James Patterson , Dara Naragh

Ghost of D’Arian Aventure

by Ashley Wood, T. P. Lousie, Chris Ryall

Archie: The Best of Samm Schwartz, Volume 1

by Samm Schwartz

Suicide Girls, Volume 1

by Cameron Stewart, Steve Niles, Missy Suicide, Brea Grant, Zane Grant

Definitive Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim, Volume 1

by Alex Raymond, Dean Mullaney

The Pound

by Karl Waller, Stephan Nilson

Done to Death

by Fiona Staples, Andrew Foley

Ashley Wood’s Art of Metal Gear Solid

by Ashley Wood

Mnemovore

by Mike Huddleston, Hans Rodionoff, Ray Fawkes

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters, Volume 1

by Phil Hester, Eric Powell, Tracy Marsh, Alex Ross

Love and Capes, Volume 3: Wake Up Where You Are

by Thom Zahler

Code Word: Geronimo

by Capt. Dale Dye, Julia Dewey Dye, Gerry Kissell, Amin Amat, John M. Del Vecchio (Afterword)

30 Days of Night

by Ben Templesmith , Steve Niles

Berkeley Breathed’s Bloom County 2012 Calendar

by Berkeley Breathed

James Patterson’s The Murder of King Tut (Graphic Novel)

by Christopher J. Mitten, James Patterson, Alexander Irvine, Ron Randall, Darwyn Cooke

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IDW publishes a wide variety of titles.  Licensed properties, archival collections of both comic books and comic strips, original works, literary adaptations, and even the occasional picture book!

This season, we see more of that, and many “wish list” items, just in time for the holidays!

What caught your eye?

Infestation

by David Messina, Dan Abnett , Andy Lanning , Mike Raicht , Scott Tipton

Those gruesome/adorable Mars Attacks! cards from the ’60s just got another resurrection: Topps and IDW will team for a comics series next year, just in time for the iconic card set’s 50th anniversary. And the door looks wide open for more branded entertainment.

A perfect distillation of the ’50s obsession with little green men mixed with EC’s gleeful gore, the cards were the work of artist Norman Saunders and inspired the 1996 Tim Burton film. PR below.

Leading into the Long Beach Comic and Horror Con, IDW Publishing and Topps today announced a long-term partnership to offer new comics based on the fan-favorite Mars Attacks. Created in 1962, Mars Attacks will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2012 with major product launches throughout the year. IDW’s new comic series, as well as high-quality reprints of existing material, will be a cornerstone of that effort.

“We are excited to be partnering with Topps on this classic brand. Mars Attacks has always been a favorite of the comics creator community, and fans can look forward to top talent bringing their visions to fruition,” said Greg Goldstein, IDW’s Chief Operating Officer. “I know we will definitely bring the comics to the next level.”

Originally developed as a series of trading cards, Mars Attacks was created by Len Brown and Woody Gelman, after Brown was inspired by the Wally Wood cover to Weird Science #16 (EC Comics). The cards went on to achieve cult status for their then-shocking imagery, fully painted by pulp legend Norm Saunders, and remains a staple of pop culture. Topps revived the franchise in the mid 1990s with a second card set, comic book series and toy line. The story was also adapted into the 1996 feature film, Mars Attacks!, directed by Tim Burton.

“When looking for a comics partner for Mars Attacks, we wanted a publisher with the right creative sensibilities and an appreciation of our brand’s fifty-year legacy,” said Ira Friedman, Topps/VP, Global Licensing. “There’s no doubt that IDW will provide a great home for us. We’re looking forward to Mars Attacks complementing their existing stable of powerhouse franchises.”

Debuting in summer 2012, IDW’s comic series will offer the first stories of an all-new Mars Attacks universe, bringing the brand’s outrageous action and dark humor to a new set of tales.

This December, MEMORIAL by Chris Roberson and Rich Ellis comes out from IDW. The six issue mini-series is the story of Em, a young woman who arrives at a hospital in Portland, Oregon, with no memory of her past. A year later, her newly-rebuilt life is thrown into turmoil after she inherits a magical shop, the kind that appears in an alley one instant and disappears the next. Em is drawn into a supernatural conflict between beings that not only represent, but are, fundamental elements of the universe itself. All of existence is at stake, so there’s only a little pressure on Em, the magical shop, and a talking cat.

An 11-page preview is going out in selected IDW comics this month, and on the IDW Comics app. Or read it above.

The series has covers by Wm. Michael Kaluta.