Darwyn Cooke Takes Aim At The Hunter In A New Way The First Of Donald E. Westlake’s Acclaimed Parker Novels At IDW  San Diego, CA (May 2, 2014) – It’s no secret that Darwyn Cooke has garnered wide acclaim, including multiple Eisner and Harvey awards, adapting Donald E. Westlake’s world of Parker into graphic novels. But what should catch your attention today is that the acclaimed writer/artist is providing all-new illustrations for the classic Parker novels by Richard Stark (Westlake’s pen name), presented for the first time in a deluxe format. The series will be released in chronological order, and launch with The Hunter, the inaugural Parker story. Each book will contain 10 gorgeous paintings by Cooke, and, with the design and typography overseen by the renowned artist, this series promises to be a stylish tour-de-force. Parker: The Hunter, will be available everywhere this June. But the debut of the book will come earlier as it makes a special advance unveiling on May 10th & 11th at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Cooke, a special guest of the show, will be appearing both days to the sign the book, which features a unique dust jacket and signature plate. For more information please visit the TCAF website: http://torontocomics.com. "Adapting Donald Westlake's novels into graphic novel form has been incredible, a dream come true," said Cooke, "and providing paintings that illustrate this seminal crime classic…well, it scratches a completely different kind of itch, but one just as creatively fulfilling." The Hunter debuted in 1962. Stark’s resilient creation would become one of the most influential American literary characters of the 20th century. The crime-infested world of Parker has been translated to the screen multiple times feature films like Point Blank, Payback, The Outfit and, most recently,                        One of the paintings in Parker: The Hunter Parker. Darwyn Cooke and IDW Publishing have teamed up to release four graphic novel adaptations thus far: The Hunter, The Outfit and The Score. The fourth, Slayground was released in December 2013 to high praise and critical acclaim.  “I’m always amazed by Darwyn’s versatility as an artist,” said editor Scott Dunbier, “he brings something new to everything he does. His work on the Parker graphic novels is phenomenal, and so are the paintings he has created here for the prose novels, but they are also completely different from one another—which is a big part of the fun!” Lauded as a classic of the genre, The Hunter follows Parker on a cold-blooded mission of revenge. Betrayed by those closest to him, Parker sets out for retribution in a world of corruption, violence, and retribution. Whether you’re a fan of Stark, Cooke, or both, Parker: The Hunter will be an essential addition to any library this June.                                                 Cover of the TCAF Limited dust jacket

About IDW Publishing IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE and MY LITTLE PONY; Paramount’s Star Trek; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Darwyn Cooke’s Parker Adaptations, 2000AD’s Judge Dredd; The Rocketeer; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coast’s Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons; and the Eisner-Award winning Locke & Key series, created by best-selling author Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints, Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio, and the multiple award-winning Artist's Edition imprint.  IDW’s critically- and fan-acclaimed series are continually moving into new mediums. Currently, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney are creating a feature film based on World War Robot; Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Warner Brothers are producing a film based on Ashley Wood's Lore; Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film, Kurtzman/Orci are producing a movie based on Locke & Key at Universal.