The Art of Mouse Guard from Archaia and Boom! Studios

In July, Archaia, an imprint of BOOM! Studios, will release The Art of Mouse Guard 2005-2015, a beautiful, oversized hardcover that chronicles and celebrates 10 years of David Petersen's award-winning, best-selling series.

Preview Pages in The Art of Mouse Guard 2005 - 2015

 

THE ART OF MOUSE GUARD 2005-2015

Publisher: Archaia, an imprint of BOOM! Studios

Author: David Petersen

Artists: David Petersen, Mike Mignola, Stan Sakai, Bill Willingham, Various

Cover: David Petersen

Format: 12" x 12", 368 pages, color and B&W, hardcover

On sale: July 2015

Synopsis:

What’s to Love: Since its debut in 2005, David Petersen’s Mouse Guard has been a New York Times bestseller, won Eisner and Harvey awards, and has become an influential staple of the comics industry, earning thousands of fans. In honor of the 10-year anniversary of the series’ debut issue, The Art of Mouse Guard: 2005-2015 is a celebration of the beautiful world, memorable characters, and intensive artistic process of David Petersen’s beloved series.

What It Is: Celebrate the first 10 years of a comics classic from the very first sketch. For the first time since the series debut, David Petersen’s process for creating the world of Mouse Guard and bringing it to life in stunning illustration is documented in exquisite detail. With never-before-seen sketches; 100 pages of full-color, oversized artwork; and commentary from colleagues, collaborators, and Petersen himself, readers and fans get an unprecedented look behind the pages at how their favorite characters and adventures were born.

Archaia Announces Alyssa Milano's Hacktivist Hardcover

 

Coming this July, Archaia, an award-winning imprint of publisher BOOM! Studios, is excited to announce the HACKTIVIST hardcover, a collection of the hit four-issue miniseries created by actress, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Alyssa Milano (Mistresses, Project Runway All Stars). Written by the team of Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, penciled and inked by Marcus To (New Warriors, CYBORG 009), colored by the Eisner Award-nominated Ian Herring (JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND), and lettered by fellow Eisner Award nominee Deron Bennett (JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND), HACKTIVIST asks, What if the founders of the largest social media network in the world were also hackers who used their skills and resources to help social causes around the world? Then what if the U.S. Government found out?

Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and co-creator of Twitter and founder and CEO of Square, who inspired Milano to create the story, provides a Note to Readers in the book, which also contains an interview with real-life hacker and inventor Pablos Holman and commentary and early process work from the creative team.

“HACKTIVIST is such a great concept, and we’re all thrilled that it was so well received when it came out as a miniseries,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “For those who may have missed out the first time, this hardcover edition is a beautiful collection of the entire series. And even if you’re already familiar with the story, we’ve packed in a bunch of great additions and extras. The overall presentation is gorgeous, as everybody has come to expect from Archaia.”

The world knows Ed Hiccox and Nate Graft as the young, brilliant co-founders of YourLife, a social networking company that has changed the way the world connects with each other. The world knows “.sve_Urs3lf” as the largest white-hat hacking group on the planet, exposing information and sparking revolutions across the globe. What the world doesn’t know is that this is a lie. Ed Hiccox and Nate Graft are .sve_Urs3lf. When their operation is discovered by the US Government, and their company is taken over by military contracts and the CIA, Ed and Nate must face the real world beyond the code and choose between friendship and what they believe to be right.

The HACKTIVIST hardcover collection arrives from Archaia in comic shops on July 16th and bookstores on July 22nd with a cover price of $24.99 under Diamond Order Code MAY141168 and ISBN 978-1-60886-409-6.  

Archaia Announces An Aurora Grimeon Story: Will O' The Wisp

Award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment, an imprint of BOOM! Studios, is thrilled to announce AN AURORA GRIMEON STORY: WILL O’ THE WISP, an original graphic novel debuting in January. From the creative team of writer Tom Hammock and artist Megan Hutchison (who both work as film production designers) comes an eerie mystery filled with danger, Hoodoo, and murder, and featuring a beautiful package design that includes a diary-like clasp.

“We’re very happy to debut Archaia’s 2014 line of original graphic novels with WILL O’ THE WISP,’ said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “Tom and Megan have created an engaging, supernatural tale complete with a smart protagonist, a spooky setting, and even a pet raccoon named Missy! Combined with Archaia’s high production values, we’re very proud to start the new year with such a beautiful title.”

After her parents’ accidental death by mushroom poisoning, young Aurora Grimeon is sent to live with her estranged grandfather on Ossuary Isle, a fog-covered island of graves set deep in the southern swamps. There she will meet the sinister residents who care for the tombstones and mausoleums, living out their lives by the strange rules of Hoodoo magic. When ghostly things start happening out in the swamp and island residents start disappearing, Aurora thrusts herself into the middle of the mystery, uncovering secrets that might be better left buried!

AN AURORA GRIMEON STORY: WILL O’ THE WISP arrives in comic shops on January 22nd with a cover price of $24.95 under Diamond order code SEP130877. Not sure where to find your nearest comic retailer? Use comicshoplocator.com or findacomicshop.com to find one! It’s also available for order directly from boom-studios.com.

Archaia and Alyssa Milano Announce Hacktivist at San Diego Comic Con

Award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment and actress/producer Alyssa Milano (Charmed, Mistresses) are proud to announce Hacktivist, a hardcover, original graphic novel that explores the modern world of hacking and global activism. Inspired by current events from around the world and Milano’s own philanthropic endeavors, Hacktivist is a fast-paced cyber-thriller about friendship and freedom in a time of war. The story follows Ed Hiccox and Nate Graft, the young founders of the world’s most innovative social media company who moonlight secretly as one of the most notorious black-hat hacker teams on the planet. When the U.S. government discovers their operation, they must face the real world beyond the code and choose between loyalty and what they believe to be is right.

“I’m very involved with in global activism and philanthropy. I like the idea of everyday people doing good,” explained Milano. “My inspiration for Hacktivist is actually Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter and Square. I picture him leaving the office at night and going home, where he locks himself in his room and starts hacking to change the world.

“I felt Hacktivist was a strong story that I really wanted to tell visually,” Milano expressed. “Doing a graphic novel allowed me to dream big and it gave me the freedom to create without boundaries.”

Hacktivist features the talents of screen and comic writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, artist Marcus To (Cyborg 009, Red Robin), Eisner Award-nominated colorist Ian Herring (Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, Cyborg 009), and Eisner Award-nominated letterer Deron Bennett (Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths), who bring the underground world of revolution and cyber-warfare to pulse-pounding life.

“Hacktivist is literally ripped from headlines,” said Archaia VP of Development Stephen Christy. “It’s a story focusing on the benefit and consequences of our increasingly connected world. To be able to bring Alyssa Milano into the world of comics is very exciting for all of us at Archaia, and by teaming her with Marcus To and Ian Herring fresh off of their brilliant work on Cyborg 009, we've built a comic that will hopefully connect with and inspire people all over the world.”

Hacktivist will debut digitally in Fall 2013, followed by the hardcover print release in Summer 2014. A Hacktivist Ashcan comic, limited to 500 copies and containing exclusive preview content, original concept art from Marcus To and Ian Herring, and an interview with Milano, will be distributed for free at the Archaia booth (#2229) at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Calif. (July 17-21).

SDCC: Archaia Entertainment Schedule and Appearances at San Diego Comic Con

A publisher of eclectic comics and graphic novels, Archaia (www.Archaia.com) was recently acquired by BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) and is now one of their imprints. Our unwritten policy is that we don't publish superhero titles. We are also known for publishing almost exclusively graphic novels—rarely any single issues.

Who will be appearing at the Archaia booth over the weekend?

Writers and artists of the graphic novels we publish! Some of the highlights include:

Alyssa Milano (Hacktivist) from "Charmed" and "Mistresses"

Dan Fogler (Moon Lake) from "Take Me Home Tonight" and "Fanboys"

Michael McMillian (Lucid) from "True Blood"

The WorkJuice Players (The Thrilling Adventure Hour), including Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, and Autumn Reeser

David Petersen (Mouse Guard)

Jeremy Bastian (Cursed Pirate Girl)

Royden Lepp (Rust)

Mark Long (Rubicon)

F.J. DeSanto and Marcus To (Cyborg 009)

Chris Northrop and Jeff Stokely (The Reason for Dragons)

Matz (The Killer)

Andrew E.C. Gaska (Classic Space: 1999 - To Everything That Was)

And many more!

When will they be signing?

Check the signing schedule online (http://www.archaia.com/archaia-san-diego-comic-con-2013) or at the Archaia booth. 

What exclusives will Archaia have at the show?

Here's a list, some of which are free!

-Archaia T-shirt ($25.00)

-An Aurora Grimeon Story: Will o' the Wisp Book Plate (Free during Megan Hutchison signings)

-Beautiful Scars 3D Diorama Postcard (Free during Durwin Talon and Guin Thompson signings)

-Hacktivist Ashcan (Free during Hacktivist signings)

-Moon Lake Vol. 2 Preview Issue (Free during Dan Fogler signings)

-Mouse Guard: The Weasel War print (Free during Mouse Guard panel)

-Mouse Guard Black Axe replica by Skelton Crew, Gold-Plated edition ($30.00 at the Archaia booth and David Petersen's Artist Alley table, GG-09)

-The Thrilling Adventure Hour exclusive print (Free)

-Rubicon slipcase edition ($25.00)

Any new books debuting at Comic-Con?

Yes, plenty!

Classic Space: 1999 - To Everything That Was

Cyborg 009

The Reason for Dragons

Rubicon (slipcase edition)

Siegfried Vol. 2: The Valkyrie

The Thrilling Adventure Hour

In addition, the following titles will be making their convention debut:

Gunnerkrigg Court Vol. 4

Jim Henson's The Storyteller (softcover)

The Killer Vol. 4: Unfair Competition

The Killer Omnibus Vol. 1 (softcover)

Mouse Guard Vol. 3: The Black Axe

Will Archaia be putting on any panels?

Yup! Bold names below means they'll be on the panel!

Friday, July 19, 2:00-3:00pm, Room 9
 'Cyborg 009 and the Legacy of Shotaro Ishinomori
 Did you know that in 2008, the late Shotaro Ishinomori was named by Guinness World Records as the world record-holder for the most comics published by one author? It’s true! He created 770 individual stories that were collected into 500 volumes of manga, including Kikaider, Kamen Rider, and Cyborg 009. In a celebration of his legacy, Archaia Entertainment and Ishimori Production Inc. have teamed up to produce a groundbreaking, new graphic novel that re-imagines Cyborg 009 for a new generation! Moderator Stephen Christy (Archaia’s editor-in-chief) will talk with writers F.J. DeSanto and Bradley Cramp, along with artist Marcus To (Red Robin, Adventures of Superman) about the process of bringing this new graphic novel to life while also diving into Ishinomori’s incredible legacy with manga/anime expert Deb Aoki (manga.about.com) and Masayasu Takigawa from Ishimori Production Inc. Every attendee will receive a free copy of the Cyborg 009: Chapter 000 preview issue.



Friday, July 19, 4:00-5:00pm, Room 32AB
 The Thrilling Adventure Hour World Domination Tour
 Created in 2005 by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, The Thrilling Adventure Hour (TAH) is a popular staged production in the style of old-time radio. It has since also become a much-downloaded podcast with Nerdist Industries, and—premiering here at San Diego Comic-Con—a stunning graphic novel anthology! Each show consists of a selection of genre-bending stories, advertisements from fictional sponsors, musical numbers, and more, performed by a core group of actors known as the WorkJuice Players, and featuring cameos by stars from Firefly, Doctor Who, Community, and many more! Last fall, Acker and Blacker launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a TAH graphic novel, and they set a record at the time for the fastest graphic novel campaign to reach its goal. Now, almost a year later and with award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment on board to publish the book, the graphic novel is ready to debut! Moderated by graphic novel editor Joe LeFavi, join Acker, Blacker, and panelists that include WorkJuice Players Paget Brewster, Craig Cackowski, Mark Gagliardi, Marc Evan Jackson, Hal Lublin, Autumn Reeser, Annie Savage, along with artist Joanna Estep, as they share fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about The Thrilling Adventure Hour show, podcast, and graphic novel! Whether you’re already a fan or just love great entertainment, this will certainly be one of the funniest, most lively panels you’ll attend!



Saturday, July 20, 4:30-5:30pm, Room 8
 Archaia Entertainment Presents: Announcements, Sneak Previews, and What’s Next!
Award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment (Mouse Guard, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, Return of the Dapper Men), well known for its eclectic slate of stories and beautiful-looking publications, unveils the rest of its 2013 lineup, and there’s something for everyone! For fantasy fans, hear about The Reason for Dragons from writer Chris Northrop and An Aurora Grimeon Story: Will O’ the Wisp from artist Megan Hutchison. Like noir? Writer Matz is here all the way from France to tell you about his newest volume of The Killer! Sci-fi fans will be represented with a blast from the past by writer Andrew E. C. Gaska’s new collection, Space: 1999 – The Classics Remastered. We’ve also got exclusive sneak peeks of Giannis Milonogiannis’ follow-up, Old City Blues Vol. 2, and Archaia’s first-ever 3D graphic novel, The Joyners in 3D. Actress/producer Alyssa Milano is on hand to announce her upcoming, cyber-thriller, Archaia graphic novel, and best-selling author Mark Long will tell you all about his new book, Rubicon, which was inspired by The Seven Samurai! If you like horror, actor/writer/director Dan Fogler has got another volume of his anthology graphic novel series Moon Lake up his sleeve. And finally, titles that are all-age-appropriate include new volumes of Cow Boy; Spera; and Hopeless, Maine! If you’re an Archaia fan, or just love great content, don’t miss this panel! All attendees will receive a copy of Archaia’s 2012 Free Comic Book Day hardcover book!



Sunday, July 21, 3:00-4:00pm, Room 28DE
 Archaia Entertainment Presents: The Year of Mouse Guard
After its debut, Mouse Guard has become one of the most popular, beloved, and honored stories in comics, and in 2013, creator David Petersen is not slowing down! This year will see the release of the Mouse Guard Vol. 3: The Black Axe hardcover and the debut of the four-issue Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Vol. 2 miniseries (followed by the release of a hardcover that collects them) from Archaia Entertainment. In addition, from Skelton Crew comes collectible replica Black Axes, the first in a line of Mouse Guard replica weapons! Moderated by Mel Caylo (Archaia’s marketing manager), join the Eisner Award-winning Petersen and guests, including Jeremy Bastian, Eric Canete, and more to be announced as they give you a behind-the-scenes look at the making of all this Mouse Guard goodness, preview art from upcoming releases, and answer everything you wanted to know about Mouse Guard! Every attendee will receive a Comic-Con exclusive print of an original David Petersen drawing. Plus, one lucky audience member will win a free copy of the limited Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 Black and White Edition

You can also find them all at this link: http://www.archaia.com/archaia-san-diego-comic-con-2013.

Boom! Studios Acquires Archaia Entertainment

BOOM! Studios, the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic book and graphic novel publisher and two-time winner of Diamond Comics Distributors’ prestigious “Best Publisher” Gem Award, has merged with Eisner and Harvey Award-winning Archaia Entertainment, the publisher of graphic novels including Mouse Guard, A Tale of Sand, Rust, Spera, Cowboy, and Gunnerkrigg Court. BOOM! Studios will be the surviving company and the Archaia brand shall be maintained as a distinct imprint of BOOM!. 

The addition of Archaia positions BOOM!’s catalog of intellectual property as the largest independent company-controlled comic book and graphic novel library, behind only industry titans DC Entertainment (Warner Bros.) and Marvel Entertainment (Disney). BOOM!’s comic books and graphic novels pioneer a new business model, sharing intellectual property ownership between the company and the creators who generate the content. BOOM!'s Chief Executive Officer and founder, Ross Richie, noted, "Our creator-friendly model ensures that creatives are rewarded financially as they generate the franchises of tomorrow. Archaia operates with the same philosophy and objectives, which is one of the many reasons this combination is such a great fit." 

“We are thrilled and excited to join with BOOM!,” Archaia President and Chief Operating Officer Jack Cummins, who will continue in the same role, said. “BOOM! is very committed to maintaining the brand we’ve worked so hard to build and preserving our relationship with our creators, fans, and retailers. They’re fans of Archaia first and foremost, and are avidly working behind the scenes to expand our market penetration and carry our catalog deeper into retail channels. Archaia readers can expect the same editorial approach that has garnered industry-wide awards but we will have a much stronger platform to deliver our content in all forms and channels. I am personally looking forward to bringing our team together with the fantastic team Ross has built.” 

Richie added, “Archaia has a terrific track record for creating award-winning, beautiful books with high production values. Jack Cummins, Stephen Christy, Mark Smylie, and the entire Archaia team have built an amazing publisher. With BOOM!’s resources, Archaia fans will see more of the books they love, while retailers will enjoy better business through stronger trade terms." The companies also plan to put key items from the Archaia catalog back into print. 

BOOM! Executive Chairman Scott Lenet of the venture capital firm DFJ Frontier noted, "We are excited to be investors in a profitable, growing company with a fantastic early track record of creating, curating, and marketing properties that audiences genuinely love. We have ambitious plans to continue to fund the company's expansion in comics, graphic novels, and other media." 

August 2nd sees the release of the first BOOM! Studios feature film, the Universal Pictures-distributed 2 Guns starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, based on the Steven Grant comic book published by BOOM!. The company is currently preparing its second feature film for production: Jeremiah Harm, based on the comic book by Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and John Mueller, will be directed by Timo Vuourensola of Iron Sky (jeremiahharm.com). 

Archaia has optioned Royden Lepp’s graphic novel Rust to Twentieth Century Fox. Among Archaia’s other announced deals are the development of Lucid (Warner Bros.), Bolivar (Warner Bros.), and Feeding Ground (Pressman Films). 

Recently, legendary creators including writer Paul Jenkins (Wolverine: Origin, Inhumans) and artist Brian Stelfreeze (Batman: Shadow of the Bat, Wednesday Comics) have announced to the industry that BOOM! is their new publishing home. This summer BOOM! also launched the first original comic book Clive Barker has ever created and written, Clive Barker's Next Testament. 

July sees the blockbuster release of Archaia’s Mouse Guard: The Black Axe, created by Eisner Award winner David Petersen, Cyborg 009 in partnership with acclaimed Japanese publisher Ishimori, and The Thrilling Adventure Hour based on the long-running stage play of the same name.

The World's First Truly Digital Variant Cover from Archaia Entertainment and ComiXology

Award-winning graphic novel publisher Archaia Entertainment has teamed up with Ishinomori Production Inc. and comiXology—the revolutionary digital comics platform boasting iTunes’ #3 top grossing iPad app of 2012—to deliver the first “truly digital” variant comic book cover! Created specifically for comiXology’s Guided View reading technology, the cover to Cyborg 009: Chapter 000 celebrates the 75th birthday of legendary manga creator Shotaro Ishinomori, known the world over for creating Go Rangers (the precursor to Power Rangers), Cyborg 009, Kamen Rider (a.k.a. Masked Rider),Kikaider, and Skull Man.

“We can’t think of a better way to celebrate the innovative work of manga legend Shotaro Ishinomori than debuting the groundbreaking ‘truly digital’ variant of Cyborg 009: Chapter 000 by Archaia,” said co-founder of comiXology John D. Roberts. “We knew that comiXology’s Guided View would play a big role in the evolution of comics storytelling but this ‘truly digital’ variant is an exciting leap into a whole new direction. Here’s to the first of many!”

“After changing the way people think about printed books the past few years, one of our missions at Archaia for 2013 is to change the way people think about digital storytelling,” said Archaia Editor-in-Chief Stephen Christy. “What we’ve produced with comiXology for Cyborg 009: Chapter 000 is almost a digital ‘flip book’ cover for the 21st century, with Marcus To and Ian Herring brilliantly bringing to life a fight between Cyborg 009 and an unnamed agent of series villain, The Black Ghost. I can’t wait for comics fans around the world to see what Marcus and Ian have created.”

Cyborg 009: Chapter 000 previews Archaia’s full-length hardcover graphic novel, featuring a contemporary take on Ishinomori’s classic Cyborg 009 characters. It will debut at Comic-Con International in San Diego this July. Written by F.J. DeSanto (The Spirit, Insurgent) and Bradley Cramp (Gattaca), illustrated by Marcus To (Huntress, Red Robin), and colored by Eisner Award Nominee Ian Herring (Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand),Cyborg 009: Chapter 000 is available today exclusively across comiXology’s entire digital comics platform including the iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows 8 and the Web

Cyborg 009: Chapter 000 features the first 17 pages of the forthcoming Cyborg 009 graphic novel from Archaia, as well as the first 61 pages of the original Cyborg 009 Volume 1 manga, which, along with other works by Ishinomori, are also available for purchase on comiXology.

Conceptualized and brought to life by Marcus To, Ian Herring, Eisner Award-nominated designer Jon Adams, Eisner Award-winning editor Stephen Christy, and comiXology co-founder John D. Roberts, the Cyborg 009: Chapter 000 cover is available exclusively through the comiXology digital comics platform.
The original Cyborg 009 manga has sold over 250,000,000 copies worldwide. A new animated movie adaptation produced by Production I.G was released this past October in Japan.