Hot on the heels of the announcement of Dynamite’s Manhattan take-over, the publisher just announced a partnership deal with Atari, the video game publisher that brought you classics such as Pong and E.T..  The days of 8-bit graphics and crappy LCD box TVs are long gone, but they remain indelible in the minds of many 80s kids.

Atari - Atari Console

With that era in mind, Dynamite will be republishing Atari Force, a comics series that initially ran from 1982-1986 and featured talent including Gerry Conway, the DC/Marvel luminary who was just announced to be the writer on a new Firestorm miniseries beginning in 2016.  Other creators who worked on the title include Roy Thomas, Ross Andru, Gil Kane, Dick Giordano, Mike DeCarlo, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Eduardo Barreto, and Mike Baron.

Atari - Atari Force #1

In addition to the reprint, Dynamite will publish a hardcover artbook that takes readers back to the era of classic games, featuring behind-the-scenes information on Atari’s development process and interviews with many individuals instrumental in building Atari’s reputation back at the advent of the gaming industry.

Finally, Dynamite will launch a series of new titles based off Atari properties such as Asteroids, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Missile Command, Tempest, and Yar’s Revenge.

Atari - Yars Revenge

Personally, I’m interested in how the company will handle the characterization of the historically misunderstood right paddle in Pong.

See the full press release below:

ATARI® AND DYNAMITE INK PUBLISHING DEAL
 
AGREEMENT INCLUDES RETROSPECTIVE HARDCOVER
AND COMICS/GRAPHIC NOVELS
July 6, 2015, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite is very proud to announce a collaborative publishing agreement with Atari®, one of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment. The deal includes rights for a comprehensive retrospective hardcover book, collecting game production and concept artwork, photos, behind-the-scenes info, marketing art, other details on the company and its games, and interviews with key people involved in Atari’s rich history. The deal also includes the right to create original comics and graphic novels in all sizes, as well as reprint existing comic material.”We are excited to be teaming up with Dynamite Entertainment to bring a modern twist to a classic series of comics and table top books that are rich with historic art,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari, Inc. “Atari’s roots in the comic book world and iconic art is a collector and video game enthusiast’s dream. Our partnership is a fun way to expose our brand to a new generation and resonate with our long-time fans.”

Atari was originally founded in 1972 and was a pioneer in arcade games and home video game consoles.  The company’s products, such as Pong® and the Atari 2600 helped define the electronic entertainment industry from the 1970s to the mid-1980s, and beyond.

“Atari is a touchstone for so many people,” says Dynamite Director of Business Development Rich Young. “Their games and game system exposed a lot of folks to video games for the first time…and frankly, got them hooked! I have fond memories of playing games on the 2600 with friends growing up, and am quite happy that we have a chance to work with Atari on this publishing program.”

In addition to the hardcover retrospective art book, Dynamite has plans to create new comics based on a select list of Atari properties that help reimagine games with new story and art from some of today’s best creators. The list includes Asteroids®, Centipede®, Crystal Castles®, Missile Command®, Tempest®, Yar’s Revenge®, and more.  Dynamite also plans to reprint existing comics material, such as the Atari Force comics that were originally published from 1982-1986 and featured well known and impressive talent such as Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, Ross Andru, Gil Kane, Dick Giordano, Mike DeCarlo, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Eduardo Barreto, and Mike Baron.

Dynamite Entertainment’s Atari’s art book, comic books, and graphic novels will be available to consumers through the comic book specialty market, and the graphic novel collection will be available at major bookstore chains, online booksellers, and independent bookstores courtesy of Diamond Book Distributors. Atari comics will also be available for purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital. Fans and retailers are encouraged to follow Dynamite Entertainment and Atari’s official social media channel for the latest updates regarding creative teams and release dates.

Dynamite on Facebook: http://facebook.com/dynamitecomics

For art and more information, please visit: http://dynamite.com
ATARI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/atari

 

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