Monday, July 06, 2015

ATARI® AND DYNAMITE INK PUBLISHING DEAL

AGREEMENT INCLUDES RETROSPECTIVE HARDCOVER
AND COMICS/GRAPHIC NOVELS


July 6, 2015, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite is very proud to announce a collaborative publishing agreement with Atari®, one of the world's most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment. The deal includes rights for a comprehensive retrospective hardcover book, collecting game production and concept artwork, photos, behind-the-scenes info, marketing art, other details on the company and its games, and interviews with key people involved in Atari's rich history. The deal also includes the right to create original comics and graphic novels in all sizes, as well as reprint existing comic material.

"We are excited to be teaming up with Dynamite Entertainment to bring a modern twist to a classic series of comics and table top books that are rich with historic art," said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari, Inc. "Atari's roots in the comic book world and iconic art is a collector and video game enthusiast's dream. Our partnership is a fun way to expose our brand to a new generation and resonate with our long-time fans."

Atari was originally founded in 1972 and was a pioneer in arcade games and home video game consoles.  The company's products, such as Pong® and the Atari 2600 helped define the electronic entertainment industry from the 1970s to the mid-1980s, and beyond.

"Atari is a touchstone for so many people," says Dynamite Director of Business Development Rich Young. "Their games and game system exposed a lot of folks to video games for the first time…and frankly, got them hooked! I have fond memories of playing games on the 2600 with friends growing up, and am quite happy that we have a chance to work with Atari on this publishing program."

In addition to the hardcover retrospective art book, Dynamite has plans to create new comics based on a select list of Atari properties that help reimagine games with new story and art from some of today's best creators. The list includes Asteroids®, Centipede®, Crystal Castles®, Missile Command®, Tempest®, Yar's Revenge®, and more.  Dynamite also plans to reprint existing comics material, such as the Atari Force comics that were originally published from 1982-1986 and featured well known and impressive talent such as Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, Ross Andru, Gil Kane, Dick Giordano, Mike DeCarlo, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Eduardo Barreto, and Mike Baron.

Dynamite Entertainment's Atari art book, comic books, and graphic novels will be available to consumers through the comic book specialty market, and the graphic novel collection will be available at major bookstore chains, online booksellers, and independent bookstores courtesy of Diamond Book Distributors. Atari comics will also be available for purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital. Fans and retailers are encouraged to follow Dynamite Entertainment and Atari's official social media channel for the latest updates regarding creative teams and release dates.



Dynamite on Facebook: http://facebook.com/dynamitecomics
Dynamite on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
For art and more information, please visit: http://dynamite.com

ATARI on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atari
ATARI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/atari
ATARI Site: https://www.atari.com/



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.


About Atari:
Atari (www.atari.com) is an interactive entertainment production company. As an iconic brand that transcends generations and audiences, the company is globally recognized for its multi-platform, interactive entertainment and licensed products. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including world-renowned brands like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Pong®, Test Drive®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari has offices in New York and Paris.

© 2015 Atari Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. Atari word mark and logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc. 

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