Press Release
Red Circle Comics, the super hero imprint of comic publisher Archie Comics, is excited to announce an innovative new direction for the digital and print release of the groundbreaking New Crusaders series. Earlier this year, New Crusaders: Rise of the Heroes marked a return to super heroes for the publishing house that helped found the medium over 70 years ago. As the first story arc draws to a close on the New Crusaders App, and following the transition to print this past September, Red Circle Comics is once again moving forward in the digital comics frontier with a bold new digital distribution strategy for 2013 and beyond. Beginning in December, fans and new readers alike will have access to classic content, new adventure, and everything in between.
The innovative flagship title for Red Circle Comics, New Crusaders, began as a digital initiative that pushed the boundaries of the digital comics experience on a weekly basis. It has since become a full-fledged monthly printed comic and graphic novel due to fan demand for a print component. Once the series launches its second arc this spring, fans can enjoy day-and-date releases of the issues either in print from their local comic shop or digitally on the Red Circle App.
“Red Circle is all about creating the ultimate comic book experience,” explains Red Circle Executive Director of Editorial Paul Kaminski. “Now that the next step for the series is on the horizon, we’ve got a unique opportunity to take what we learned, listen to the fans, and build on the app for the next series.”
The New Crusaders are a new team of super heroes that continue the legacies of characters such as The Shield and The Comet, many of which date back to the origin of super hero comics themselves. This vibrant history is also on full display in a series of new stories titled “The Lost Crusade”, found in the New Crusaders App. These stories act as a tour guide to the Red Circle universe, and fills in any gaps that lead up to the events in New Crusaders. Lost Crusade stories will increase in frequency on the New Crusaders app, releasing once a month, but will also usher in a whole new slate of top creative talent. Among the key creators attached, Sergio Cariello, Howard Mackie, Scott and David Tipton will all contribute new stories and art.
ABOUT RED CIRCLE COMICS:
Red Circle Comics is home to Archie Comics’ super hero properties, most notably The Shield, The Comet, The New Crusaders, and The Mighty Crusaders. Consisting of super heroes who emerged during the Golden Age of comics and remain relevant today, the Red Circle stable of characters have a storied history which continues to grow denser with the highly publicized New Crusaders launch.
ABOUT ARCHIE COMICS:
Archie Comics is the leading mass market comic book publisher in the world and the home to a wide array of the most popular humor, action-adventure and superhero characters in entertainment, including Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica, Reggie, Kevin Keller, Josie and the Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The New Crusaders, The Shield, Li’l Jinx and many more. Archie Comics have sold 2 billion comics worldwide and are published around the world in a number of languages. In addition to comics, Archie characters have been featured prominently in animation, television, film and music in various popular incarnations.
