ARCHAIA ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE “DIGITAL FIRST” DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH COMIXOLOGY

Multiple Award-winning Graphic Novel Publisher to Debut All-New
Content via comiXology Digital Comics Platform

April 14th, 2012 - Chicago, IL/C2E2 – Eisner Award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment today announced an exclusive “digital first” and same day as print distribution agreement with comiXology — the world’s largest digital comics platform available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and the Web with over 60 million comic and graphic novel downloads to date — that will see Archaia debuting all-new and previously unreleased content on comiXology. Beginning today, in conjunction with the start of Chicago’s C2E2 ‘12 expo, Archaia will release never-before-available digital materials, with new content to be made available weekly exclusively via comiXology. Brand new and upcoming digital first and same day as print exclusive titles include RUST, a ForeWord Book of the Year finalist currently in pre-production as a feature film at Fox, Ben Caldwell’s DARE DETECTIVES!, Jeremy Bastian’s acclaimed CURSED PIRATE GIRL, and several previously unavailable titles from Archaia’s critically-lauded Jim Henson library, including THE DARK CRYSTAL, THE STORYTELLER, and this year’s multiple-Eisner-Award nominated blockbuster, TALE OF SAND.
In the coming months, Archaia will debut new titles digitally before print with such titles as Yehudi Mercado’s PANTALONES, TX, Charles Soule’s STRANGE ATTRACTORS, Saurav Mohapatra’s MUMBAI CONFIDENTIAL, and Andrew Gaska’s revisioning of the classic Sci-Fi series SPACE: 1999.
“MOUSE GUARD has always been a favorite of mine and I had personally quested to bring it to comiXology, but I’ve been blown away by the top quality and wide diversity of Archaia’s titles since we launched,” said comiXology co-founder and CEO David Steinberger. “So, comiXology offering digital firsts from Archaia excites me on a personal level.”
“We are dedicated to bringing our library of award-winning content into the digital forefront, and comiXology has proven the demand for digital content in the marketplace, providing readers with a simple and immediate means of accessing the latest graphic novel content. We’re excited to offer readers some of our hottest content weeks, and in some cases months, before it sees print.” Says PJ Bickett, CEO of Archaia.
Launching Friday, April 13th, as part of the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), fans new and old will be able to download brand new content via the Comixology storefront, accessible online and via iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and the Web.

About Archaia
Archaia is a multi-award-winning graphic novel publisher with more than 50 renowned publishing brands, including such domestic and international hits as Mouse Guard, Return of the Dapper Men, Gunnerkrigg Court, Awakening, The Killer, Tumor, Syndrome, Artesia, The Engineer, and an entire line of The Jim Henson Company graphic novels. Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds, building one of the industry’s most visually stunning and eclectic slates of graphic novels. Archaia was named Graphic Novel Publisher of the Year according to Ain’t it Cool News, Graphic Policy and Comic Related, and was honored with nine 2011 Eisner Awards nominations and two Awards for Best Graphic Album and Best Anthology. Archaia has also successfully emerged as a prolific storyteller in all facets of the entertainment industry, extending their popular brands into film, television, gaming, and branded digital media.
About comiXology
Founded in 2007 with the mission of bringing comics to people everywhere, comiXology — in just five short years — has revolutionized the comic book and graphic novel world. From creating the industry leading platform for digital comics to tools and services for brick and mortar retailers, comiXology has lead the charge in exposing new audiences to the rich history and culture of comic books. With the development of the Comics by comiXology digital comics platform — available across iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and the Web— comiXology provides the easiest way worldwide for people to enjoy comics at just the click of a button! Regularly ranking as the top grossing iPad app in the entire iTunes App Store, Comics by comiXology was recently selected as a preloaded app on Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Providing digital comics across multiple platforms, comiXology will not stop until everyone on the face of the earth has been turned into a comic book fan.