ICV2 carries interesting news of a deal Dabel Brothers have struck with book publishers to cross-promote some of their new comics based on existing SF&F novels. Their first such move is aimed specifically at targetting the female readership, which makes a lot of sense – although comics have moved on a lot in recent years and now have a much larger (and more diverse) female readership (and creators) than before I think it lags behind the SF&F novels field (although ironically many outside the SF&F genre still assume wrongly it is a boy’s-only area).
The Anita Blake comics will be promoted in Berkley’s editions of Laurell K Hamilton’s novels, while Kinley McGregor’s Lords of Avalon (due this autumn) will be promoted by Avon, with Dabel Brothers in turn promoting the novels in their comics and also online with two large-readership sites often visited by fans of the books, Romantic Times and WNBC being involved.
As a comics and book person I must say I think this is a good idea; it has the potential to introduce a new group of readers to comics, where hopefully once they have dipped their toes in the waters they will realise the genre is as diverse as that of the novels. It also gives book publishers a new potential audience to reach and a new avenue for promotion, as well as the possibility of new projects for existing material and characters or, as in the case of the Terry Brooks new series we talked about recently, a chance to use existing settings and characters as the basis for new adventures in a different medium (which again I think is likely to help generate interest in the original novels as well, so a doubly good thing).
Factor in the increasing number of SF&F authors now involved in creating comics and I think we have a genuine chance to create something interesting between the genres and reach new readerships for both SF&F novels and comics as well – publishers of both, please take note. At this point there is no news of a similar cross-promotion with the publishers of these authors in other countries such as the UK, but as ever, if we hear anything it will appear here. The new Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel, Danse Macabre, is published in hardback by Orbit in July.
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May 30th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
[...] Dabel Brothers continue their run of book to comic adaptations with an announcement that Jane Lindskold’s Firekeeper Saga, a fantasy which centres around a young girl raised by intelligent wolves before ending up in a royal court, will be adapted for comics with Sean Jordan on scripting duties. This follows on from news posted here last week where Dabel Brothers not only affirmed some of their other comics adapted from fantasy novels by female authors but explained how they are marketing them in conjunction with the novel publishers and female-interest websites. [...]