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

SMASHOUT COMICS

The folks at Smashout Comics needed existing comics material for them to make available via download. We gave them access not only to parts of the existing About Comics library, but also interesting material from other sources. We brought Smashout over 700 pages of content, including:

• Fusion - anthropomorphic science fiction comics written by award-winning SF writers Steve Barnes, Michael Reaves, and more
• Roadways - a complete high adventure fantasy in the Indiana Jones tradition, written by novelist Jeff Lang, drawn by Annie comic strip artist Ted Slampyak, with inks by Whiteout artist Steve Lieber
• Quantum Creep
• The Liberty Project - superpowered character comics written by Kurt Busiek
• The Factor
• Welcome to Heaven, Dr. Franklin

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

IMAGE COMICS

We're doing work on two Image Comics projects.

1. For one yet-to-be-announced reprint project, we're providing the rights and some of the art preparation.
2. For the DNAgents Industrial Strength Edition, we prepared internal art, creating printworthy black and white images from existing published color comics.

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