CUSTOM BAR MITZVAH COMIC

The term custom comics is often used to refer to comics done for corporations, with stories meant to sell sneakers or soda or ham radios. But they can be smaller, more personal projects, like this comic where the client was a proud mother wanting something special to celebrate the rite of her boy becoming a man.

Working closely with the client, we created a unique, full-color comic book all focused on her son and his world. We found an artist who could parody the style of his favorite comics, included caricatures of his family and beloved dog; took advantage of some of the details of his ceremony; included his favorite comic shop; and created a comic that could not have been done about anyone else, all at a price that fit within the client's budget. The client was quite satisfied, and the star of the comic was surprised and delighted. Now you can download the entire comic for your own reading pleasure (3 MB PDF).

What custom comic can we create for you? Let us know at packaging@aboutcomics.com

MANY HAPPY RETURNS

The folks at the Happy Harbor Comics chain of Canadian comic book stores were so impressed with the quality of our Licensable BearTM comics that they came to us when they wanted an original comic book that they could underwrite. We brought them a batch of material that far exceeded their expectations:

• New Licensable BearTM stories, leading off with one set in one of their stores.
• A contest opportunity for their customers, with winners getting mentioned by name in the story.
• The first new story of Crossfire - one of their favorite comic book series - in over a decade, by the original creators.
• The first new Journey story in print in over 15 years, by its original creator.
• One talented Happy Harbor customer got his first work in print.

Having achieved all this, they came to us with an unusual request: could we have a specific artist they like produce a comic book adaptation of a song by humorous songster Heywood Banks? We reached out to Mr. Banks, acquired the necessary rights, and got the artist they desired to do it. Then we got the comic, Many Happy Returns, distributed to comic book shops throughout the English-speaking world. The customer was satisfied, and we are now working on another project for them.

What can we package for you? Let us know at packaging@aboutcomics.com

IMAGE COMICS, IDW COMICS, SMASHOUT COMICS, and more...

Even other comics companies rely on the services of About Comics.

• For Image Comics, we arranged the rights for an upcoming reprint of the Steve Gerber/Jack Kirby Destroyer Duck series, and provided digital materials for both that book and the DNAgents Industrial Strength Edition.
• For IDW Comics, we arranged the rights deal for them to reprint King Aroo, an acclaimed classic comic strip.
• For Smashout Comics, we arranged the rights and digital materials for a broad array of comics for them to offer via digital distribution.
• For Barbour Publishing, a major Christian specialty house, we arranged the rights and provided digital material for all of the cartoons for the calendar Charles Schulz Looks at Life.
• We've provided original stories packaged for everything from the very mainstream (such as Heroic Publishing's Liberty Stories) to the very unlikely (the Turkish arts magazine Fol.)
• Other, similar deals are in progress, on projects that are not yet ready for announcement.

What can we package for you? Let us know at packaging@aboutcomics.com

COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE

When the publishers of the popular Complete Idiot's Guide how-to series expressed an interest in a book on making graphic novels, we lined up a powerful creative team, each covering their own strengths:

• Steve Lieber, Eisner Award-winning artistic creator of the Whiteout graphic novels (the basis for the upcoming major motion picture) wrote the chapters about drawing graphic novels.
• Two-time Eisner Award nominee and About Comics publisher Nat Gertler wrote the chapters about writing and publishing graphic novels.
• Beloved colorist Tom Luth wrote the chapter on coloring.
• New York Times best-selling author Max Allan Collins, writer of The Road to Perdition graphic novel that was adapted into an Oscar-winning film, provided a foreword.

The result? The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel is now in its eighth printing, and is regularly recommended by well-established comics creators to newcomers.

What can we package for you? Let us know at packaging@aboutcomics.com