Worthwhile Books To Release First Title, Michael Recycle

Book launch part of first-look deal with renowned UK children's publisher Meadowside Books



(San Diego, CA, January 22, 2008)-Just in time for Earth Day on April 22, a new environmental super-hero will be hitting bookstores in March 2008. The uplifting, zany children's picture book, Michael Recycle, comes from Worthwhile Publishing, a division of IDW Publishing, an established leader in comic book and graphic novel publishing.

Michael Recycle is set in a grimy town that has been overtaken by trash-that is, until a green-caped crusader, Michael Recycle, arrives, declaring "You must stop this now! You've got to act soon. The towers of trash reach up to the moon!" Inspired by the "super-green hero," town members react by creating a "Be Greener Campaign," which includes recycling, growing their own vegetables and collecting rain for reuse. In the end, the crusader proves to the town's lazy layabouts that recycling can be quite fun. The rhyming, whimsical prose with a powerful and timely message is written by Ellie Bethel, with bold, playful illustrations by Alexandra Colombo.

Michael Recycle marks the launch of IDW Publishing's new imprint, Worthwhile Books. The release is also part of Worthwhile Books' first-look arrangement with renowned UK children's publisher Meadowside Books (meadowsidebooks.com), which is releasing the fanciful children's picture book in the UK in January 2008.

Worthwhile Books will issue approximately 10 Meadowside titles over the course of the first year including The Nicest Naughty Fairy by Nick Ward, a story about what happens when the Naughty Fairy decides its time to be nice, and William's Dinosaurs by Alan Baker, which tells the tale of a little boy who finds more than trees in the dark woods near his home.

ABOUT IDW PUBLISHING:
IDW Publishing and its parent Idea and Design Works, LLC, are divisions of IDT Internet Mobile Group. IDW Publishing is an established leader in the comic book and graphic novel marketplace, particularly in the horror, action, and sci-fi genres. IDW Publishing is the owner of Jonas Publishing and its imprint, Worthwhile Books. IDW lists some of the most successful and hottest print titles in the industry in its portfolio, including: television's #1 prime time series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Sony's Underworld; Paramount's Star Trek; Fox's 24 and Angel; and Hasbro's The Transformers. The feature film version of IDW Publishing's graphic novel, 30 Days of Night, recently topped the box office when it premiered in October. The company also works with foreign licensing agents to sell their comics around the world, with titles being published in multiple languages and crossing dozens of regions.