There was a low rumble last week when those that scurry the Intardwebz discovered someone from Archie Comics sitting on the IDW Publishing panel at the San Diego Comic-Con. The cat is now out of the bag, and those that though IDW was buying Archie just lost a bet, as IDW announces Deluxe Editions of Archie Comics.
Press release after the jump!
Press Release
IDW Publishing is proud to announce a partnership with Archie Comics to reprint some of the property’s most iconic stories in deluxe hardcover and trade paperback editions. Under the agreement, IDW will reprint sequential newspaper strips for the first time, offer multiple collections of the very best Archie comics material from the past seven decades, and add to the brand’s digital presence. The newspaper strip collections will be incorporated into the much-lauded Library of American Comics (Dick Tracy, The Complete Terry & the Pirates), helmed by Eisner award-winner Dean Mullaney.
Coming of age in post-World War II America, Archie captured the hearts of generations of children and adults. Archie and his friends remain hugely popular today, appealing to comic fans new and old with a blend of timeless stories and classic Americana style. Many popular comic book writers and artists cite Archie as their inspiration to work in the genre. Legendary comic book artist Neal Adams did his first professional work on Archie.
“We are incredibly excited to be working with Archie Comics,†said Greg Goldstein, IDW’s chief operating officer. “There are very few comics as influential in popular culture as Archie, and we are looking forward to offering original, never-before-reprinted strips and a wealth of comic book material to fans.â€
In addition to reprinting original strips by series creator John Goldwater and original artist Bob Montana, IDW will also present Best Of volumes that showcase the work of Archie artists, such as Montana, Dan DeCarlo, and Stan Goldberg. “Archie has had so many talented artists throughout its history, each with their own take on the characters,†said Goldstein. “We want to offer fans the best from each of those eras, especially since much of this material has not been in print since its original publication.â€
“We are thrilled to be partnering with IDW Publishing on these important historical works. IDW is well known for their outstanding work and we look forward to working closely with the team at IDW to create a line that all past, present and future Archie fans will enjoy,†commented co-CEO Jon Goldwater.
IDW will also publish special collections of Archie’s Madhouse and Archie as Pureheart the Powerful, a comedic super hero series that ran during the 1960’s. Award-winning creative director and editor Craig Yoe will oversee many of these special volumes.
About IDW
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. As a leader in the horror, action, and sci-fi genres, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry including: Hasbro’s The Transformers; Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; and the BBC’s Doctor Who, as well as many acclaimed creator-owned properties. IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. Since April 2008, IDW has released dozens of children’s books from its imprint, Worthwhile Books. More information about the company can be found at http://www.idwpublishing.com.
About Archie Comics
The Archie Comics line of comic books is one of the most successful and longest running lines in the history of the comic industry. Archie Comics are the favorite reading of young people and young at heart adults. They are also published in nearly a dozen different foreign languages and distributed all over the world. Archie Comics has not only spawned characters that have been successfully exploited in comics, but characters whose popularity has spilled over into other media and who have become part of popular culture. In addition to comic books, ARCHIE has found success on television, radio and in the music industry. SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH has also become a major television star with two animated series and a live action network sitcom. JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS have also enjoyed success beyond comics, with an animated series and a recording career, and a major motion picture. The characters of Archie Comics have also found success on the Internet, at www.archiecomics.com
