This is a little premature, but we might be looking at Sesame Street comics in the not-too-distant future.  APE Entertainment, which does have some history with younger reader titles like Strawberry Shortcake has announced they’re in negotiations with the Sesame Workshop.

Least you think this is a strange notion, comics fans of *ahem* a certain age *ahem* will remind you that Marvel used to publish “Spidey Super-Stories,” featuring “easy to read” stories for much younger readers and tying in with a PBS show called “The Electric Company.”  The Electric Company was produced by the Children’s Television Workshop, which changed it’s name to the Sesame Workshop.  So there is a precedent for this.

Before the press release, here’s a link to a classic Electric Company bit: Morgan Freeman as Dracula, wearing only a sash, taking a bath in a casket and singing about it.

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APE ENTERTAINMENT HOPES TO SET UP SHOP ON SESAME STREET
Ape Entertainment and Sesame Workshop in Negotiations to Create Educational Comics for Young Readers

(SAN DIEGO, CA, October 13, 2011) – Ape Entertainment announced today that it is currently negotiating with Sesame Workshop for the right to produce a series of comic books featuring the cast of the beloved children’s show Sesame Street.  Ape Entertainment hopes to work with Sesame Workshop to create a series of comic books that will be both educational and entertaining for young readers.  Subject to successful negotiations, the comics will be produced in full color and available in printed editions as well as in digital editions that will be available through the Sesame Street store on Apple’s iTunes in 2012.

“We are incredibly excited about our current negotiations with Sesame Workshop and the possibility of being able to bring their expertise in educating and entertaining children to comics,” said Ape Entertainment COO Brent E. Erwin. He went on to say, “I love the idea of creating educational comics that will both teach and entertain children. And the possibility of getting to work with Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Grover, well…that’s just a dream come true.”

Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization with the mission of making a meaningful difference in the lives of children worldwide by addressing their critical developmental needs.  Sesame Workshop has been producing Sesame Street for over forty years.

Ape Entertainment intends to continue its mission to grow the comics industry by increasing awareness about comics among a new generation of readers.  Ape Entertainment hopes young readers and their parents will discover the exciting world of comics and start visiting a local comic book shop.

For more information, please visit www.apecomics.com or www.sesameworkshop.org.
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About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children’s television programming with the landmark Sesame Street. The Workshop produces local Sesame Street programs, seen in over 150 countries, and other acclaimed shows including The Electric Company, to help bridge the literacy gap. Beyond television, the Workshop produces content for multiple media platforms on a wide range of issues including literacy, health and military deployment. Initiatives meet specific needs to help young children and families develop critical skills, acquire healthy habits and build emotional strength to prepare them for lifelong learning. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.

About Ape Entertainment
Founded in 2003, Ape Entertainment is the brainchild of lifelong comic book devotees David Hedgecock, and Brent E. Erwin.  Ape Entertainment is the comic book home to innovative new titles as LITTLE GREEN MEN, SCOUTS, and HEROIC.  Ape is also the North American publisher for licensed properties SHREK, THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, KUNG FU PANDA, RICHIE RICH, CASPER, STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, and CUT THE ROPE. Visit Ape Entertainment online athttp://www.ApeComics.com .

1 COMMENT

  1. Why would they promote negotiations? And am I wrong in that they announced securing the license a year or two ago?

  2. A Sesame Street comic sounds like a great idea, as long as it’s accessible to children.

    (Hate to see a repeat of the Starfire, Catwoman debacle with these childhood characters).

  3. I was just talking about how someone should jump on this last month.

    My son is absolutely in love with all things Henson so this is great news. He will be especially excited if they worked in all the old obscure characters he’s become so attached to like Frazzle, Little Jerry and the Monotones and Herry Monster.

  4. Not only that, but “The Monster at the End of This Book” is one of the bestselling graphic novels of all time!

    (You may scoff. Go read it again. Notice the lettering and word balloons. Also the “meta” techniques which appeal to alternative cartoonists.)

  5. My 2 year old loves sesame street characters so this would be awesome. I also wonder why they would issue a press release about negotiations . . .

    seems odd.

  6. I developed some Go, Diego, Go! pre-school comics for Nick Jr. Magazine but we got cancelled before we could ever run them. Hopefully pre-school comics take off and someone can get the rights from Nickelodeon to print them! :)

    ALSO: I’ll totally read Sesame Street comics.

  7. My favorite book when I was 4 or 5 was “The Monster at the End of This Book”–a Golden Book starring Grover that is, in form and function, a comic! Just saying.

  8. “A Sesame Street comic sounds like a great idea, as long as it’s accessible to children.

    (Hate to see a repeat of the Starfire, Catwoman debacle with these childhood characters).”

    I really doubt you’ll see a Catwoman/Batman type scene with Elmo and Prairie Dawn. Or even a Apollo/Midnighter scenario with Bert & Ernie. If it were DC with the license then you’d be right to worry (in the opening issue by Geoff Johns Big Bird accidentally kills Oscar while moping around about Sesame Street isn’t as fun a place as it used to be…) but as Heidi mentions APE has done a good job on this sort of thing before and Sesame Workshop has a good track record too.