Tuesday, July 19, 2016

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON ANNOUNCEMENT:
BETTY BOOP
 IS BACK IN AN ALL-NEW COMIC BOOK SERIES
FROM DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT!

Eisner Award-Nominated Writer Roger Langridge and
Artist Gisèle Lagacé Debut New Series in October



July 18, 2016, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Just days before the doors open to the greatest spectacle in comics, Dynamite leads the charge with news to return animation's original leading lady to the limelight! For the first time in nearly 30 years, Betty Boop™ returns to the printed page!

October will see brand new adventures of Betty Boop™ (with her pals Koko the Clown and Bimbo, naturally) from award-winning writer Roger Langridge (The Muppets) and artist Gisèle Lagacé (Archie). Join Betty as she works at the Oop-A-Doop Club, dreams of hitting the big-time, looks after her old Grampy... and fights ghosts (proving that Betty was always ahead of her time)!

"I remember seeing old Max Fleischer Betty Boop™ cartoons on TV when I was a kid and being fascinated by their decidedly non-Disney viewpoint. They existed in a seedy, fallen world, full of speakeasies, ghastly monsters from nightmares, sexual tension, and lots of hot, hot jazz - heady, exotic stuff to a kid in suburban New Zealand in the 1970s," says writer Roger Langridge. "It must have left a strong impression, because it's a world I've tried to recreate in my own comics a number of times over the years, most particularly in my own creator-owned series Fred the Clown - so it's genuinely exciting to be able to go right to the source, writing the real deal. And I'm particularly pleased that we've got a woman cartoonist drawing this major female icon, in the form of the very talented Gisèle Lagacé; Betty Boop™, as was common at the time, was created as a male's fantasy idea of a woman, so I think it's important in this day and age to have a female point-of-view right at the creative coalface."

"Dynamite has assembled an incredible team to create the new Betty Boop™ series," said Frank Caruso, Vice President, Creative, for King Features. "As we are re-imagining Betty Boop™ with a whole new style-conscious generation, it's amazing to see this new creative team producing retro-infused comics with the confidence to know that there's nothing cooler than retro cartoons... especially a Max Fleischer cartoon!"

King Features is the exclusive worldwide licensing agent for Betty Boop™. The New York City-based unit of Hearst works closely with property owner Fleischer Studios to manage the brand.

"We have already been very fortunate to have such a strong partnership with King Features. To be able to tell new stories based on Max Fleischer's original cartoon superstar is another great achievement for all of us here at Dynamite," says Dynamite CEO and Publisher, Nick Barrucci. "Betty Boop™is one of the most recognizable faces in the history of animation, a timeless American cultural icon. This new series will delight comics fans young, old, and everywhere in-between!"

Betty Boop™ #1 features four traditional comic covers from an all-star cast of creative admirers, including the legendary Howard Chaykin (American Flagg!), Roger Langridge doing double-duty as an illustrator, series interior artist Gisèle Lagacé, and a special Max Fleischer character sheet. Special edition variants will include a "Coloring Book Cover" by J. Bone (Super Friends), printed on thick paper so fans of all ages can embellish her appearance; a Blank Authentix Edition that fans and comic professionals can illustrate; and a rare Howard Chaykin "Black & White" incentive edition available to qualifying retailers.

Betty Boop™ #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' August 2016 Previews catalog, the premiere source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in October. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of Betty Boop™ with their local comic book retailers. Betty Boop™ will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.



About Dynamite Entertainment:
Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The BoysThe ShadowRed SonjaWarlord of MarsBionic Man, A Game of Thrones, and more.  Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such as VampirellaPanthaEvil ErnieSmiley the Psychotic ButtonChastity, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt.  In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Kevin Smith, Alex Ross, Neil Gaiman, Andy Diggle, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Jae Lee, Marc Guggenheim, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner, Gail Simone, Steve Niles, James Robinson, and a host of up-and-coming new talent.  Dynamite is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles - including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's Project Superpowers - have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors.  In 2005, Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%) and again in 2011.  The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards.

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Dynamite Official Website: http://www.dynamite.com/
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About King Features:

King Features Syndicate is a member of Hearst Entertainment and Syndication Group, which combines Hearst Corporation's cable network partnerships, television programming activities, and newspaper syndication and merchandise licensing operations. King Features is the world's premier distributor of comics, columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games, distributing in print and online some 150 features to nearly 5,000 daily, Sunday, weekly and digital newspapers and other outlets around the globe. From its many popular comic strips and panels to columns by well-known personalities, from incisive editorial cartoons to a wide variety of puzzles and games to newspapers, King Features covers the world with informative, entertaining features for today's readers.

King Features is also one of the largest and most experienced organizations in merchandise licensing and entertainment. Among its most beloved and successful classic characters are Popeye the Sailor Man, Olive Oyl, and Betty Boop™. In recent years, the company has expanded its portfolio and now represents a varied array of pop culture and art properties.

©2016 King Features Syndicate, Inc./Fleischer Studios, Inc. TM Hearst Holdings, Inc./Fleischer Studios, Inc.

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