EISNER-WINNING CREATORS TAPPED FOR MARS ATTACKS ONGOING SERIES

John Layman, John McCrea to reimagine cult sci-fi classic in June

 IDW Publishing and Topps are pleased to announce the multiple Eisner Award-winning creative team for MARS ATTACKS, an all-new ongoing comic series based on the fan-favorite Mars Attacks franchise.

Debuting in June 2012, IDW’s comic series will offer the first stories of an all-new Mars Attacks universe, bringing the brand’s outrageous action and dark humor to a new set of tales. Writer John Layman, author and co-creator of the Eisner-winning series Chew, will pen the series, with art by John McCrea, best known for his collaborations with Garth Ennis, including Eisner-winner Hitman.

“I’m a huge fan of Mars Attacks from a long way back. I own about half the original card set from 1962 and have a pretty big collection of collectables and doodads,” Layman said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to destroy the Earth and inflict huge degrees of suffering on the rest of humanity. With this Mars Attacks series, I finally get my chance.”

Created in 1962, Mars Attacks celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012 with major product launches throughout the year. IDW’s new comic series, as well as high-quality reprints of existing material, will be a cornerstone of that effort.

Originally published by Topps as a series of trading cards, Mars Attacks was created by Len Brown and Woody Gelman, after Brown was inspired by the Wally Wood cover to Weird Science #16 (EC Comics). The cards went on to achieve cult status for their then-shocking imagery—fully painted by pulp legend Norm Saunders and based on designs by Wood and Bob Powell—and remains a staple of pop culture. Topps revived the franchise in the mid 1990s with a second card set, comic book series and toy line. The story was also adapted into the 1996 feature film Mars Attacks!, directed by Tim Burton.

“We were excited to hear of the award-winning creative team that IDW had secured,” said Ira Friedman, Topps vice president of global licensing. “John McCrea was our first choice to illustrate Mars Attacks and we were thrilled that IDW was able to bring him aboard.  His experience drawing over-the-top violence on comics like Hitman, Judge Dredd and The Boys, coupled with John Layman’s penchant for twisted, offbeat humor makes them the perfect team to relaunch Mars Attacks.”

MARS ATTACKS will include covers by McCrea and alternate covers by such comic-book luminaries as Sam Kieth, Ben Templesmith and Eric Powell. The first issue will also feature a unique approach to variant covers: It will ship with 55 different covers, each depicting one of the original trading cards from the debut set of Mars Attacks from 1962. A complete collector’s set of the 55 covers in a box that replicates the original card packaging will be offered separately as well.

MARS ATTACKS #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in June 2012.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books. For information on Topps, please visit topps.com.

Locke & Key Extravaganza at San Diego Comic Con 2011

LOCKE & KEY is taking San Diego Comic-Con by storm in July. Centered at the IDW booth #2643, the LOCKE & KEY action will be non-stop, with exclusive keys, books and temporary tattoos; plus signings with the multiple Eisner-nominated creative team of Joe Hill (Horns) and Gabriel Rodriguez. On Friday, attendees will have a chance to see the pilot everyone is talking about, as Hill and Rodriguez headline the panel and are joined by Locke & Key television writer Josh Friedman for an only at Comic-Con screening of the Locke & Key pilot. With thanks to Fox Broadcasting Corporation, details for the screening and panel are listed below.
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Throughout Comic-Con, readers will head to the IDW booth for their Locke & Key fix, headlined by an exclusive edition of the latest collected edition, LOCKE & KEY, VOL. 4: KEYS TO THE KINGDOM, and several exclusive keys, thanks to Skelton Key Studios. From Skelton Key Studios, IDW will be selling a limited number of Legacy Edition Ghost Keys, Shadow Keys, Head Keys and Hercules Keys, as well as the Comic-Con exclusive IDW Key. Locke & Key fans will also be able to pick up the latest issue of the series, too, LOCKE & KEY: CLOCKWORKS #1, which makes its debut that week. IDW will also be offering temporary tattoos of seven different LOCKE & KEY keys, including the Omega Key, the Head Key and the brand new IDW key. Attendees are encouraged to stop by the IDW booth to get tattooed throughout the convention.

“I’m glad to see LOCKE & KEY getting the recognition it deserves,” said IDW chief executive officer and co-founder, Ted Adams. “It’s especially great that Joe and Gabe’s hard work and amazing creativity is being honored by their peers with four Eisner nominations and two Harvey Award nominations this year alone.”

LOCKE & KEY, VOL. 4: KEYS TO THE KINGDOM features more keys making themselves known and the depths of the Locke’s family’s mysteries ever-expanding, while Dodge’s desperation to end his shadowy quest drives the habitants of Keyhouse ever closer to a revealing conclusion. The variant edition of the KEYS TO THE KINGDOM hardcover features a cover image by Gabriel Rodriguez with the three new keys featured in the book spot-varnished in front of the Well House.
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Adapting LOCKE & KEY, VOL. 1: WELCOME TO LOVECRAFT, the Fox Television pilot will be screened only once during Comic-Con, on Friday, July 22nd at 10.30 a.m. in room 8. In addition to the screening, IDW’s editor in chief/chief creative officer Chris Ryall will moderate a panel featuring Hill, Rodriguez, and Friedman all participating in a discussion of the show, the comic and what’s coming up in CLOCKWORKS, the second-to-last story arc in the acclaimed series. The panel will begin immediately following the screening, also in room 8.

Locke & Key Pilot Screening:
Friday, July 22nd
10.30 a.m.
Room 8

Locke & Key Panel:
Friday, July 22nd
Immediately following screening
Room 8