Broken Frontier

The Jim Henson Company and Archaia announced today that their first Fraggle Rock comic book miniseries makes its anxiously awaited debut in comic book shops this April. Issue #1 (of 3) will be available for pre-order in the February issue of Previews, and its debut will be followed by the release of Archaia’s Free Comic Book Day flip book, featuring Fraggle Rock and Mouse Guard, available for free on May 1, 2010. The announcement is the latest in the recent resurgence of “Fraggle Rock” licensing programs across all platforms and media that has included apparel, jewelry, plush and DVDs.
 
“All of us at Archaia are so proud of how Fraggle Rock is turning out,” said Stephen Christy, Director of Development for Archaia. “We’re taking a lot of unique approaches with this series, from launching it in our popular 8” x 8” Mouse Guard format to bringing in incredibly talented indie creators such as Jeffrey Brown, creator of Incredible Change-Bots, and Jeremy Love, creator of Bayou, to share their visions of this classic Jim Henson Company creation. We’re working very hard to make sure this book is a fresh take for fans of the show and will also appeal to new audiences, and I’m excited that readers will be able to fully dive into the world of Fraggle Rock with issue #1 in April and our Free Comic Book Day special in May!”
 
“‘Fraggle Rock’ has devoted fans who have told us they want more adventures from Gobo and the gang and we know Archaia is the perfect partner to tell these new stories,” said Melissa Segal, The Jim Henson Company’s Sr. Vice President, Global Consumer Products. “With exceptional attention to detail and excellent storytelling, Archaia is especially suited to introduce Fraggles to young readers who may be meeting these characters and their fantastical world for the first time.”
 
“Fraggle Rock” began as a children’s television series launched by Jim Henson in 1983 about an imaginary, colorful and fun world comprised of creatures called Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs. The series focused on one group of Fraggles in particular: Gobo, Mokey, Red, Wembley and Boober, a very close group of friends, each member having their own unique personality. The show ran for four seasons and became an international award-winning sensation. More than 25 years later, “Fraggle Rock” fans continue to celebrate and support the brand which continues to boast a strong following around the world and successful merchandising programs, including a recent series DVD release and the new Fraggle Rock Forever line of designer apparel and jewelry.
 
The Fraggle Rock comic book series closely follows the themes and tone set forth in the original television program and will be accessible not only to fans who grew up watching the show, but to a new generation of readers as well. Each Fraggle Rock issue features one main story and two back-up tales written and drawn by some of the most imaginative creators in comics.  Issue #1 (full color, 32 pages, 8” x 8”, $3.95, Diamond Order Code FEB10 0672) contains contributions from Jeffrey Brown (Incredible Change-Bots), Katie Cook (MySpace Dark Horse Presents) and newcomers Jeff Stokely and Heather White. (There are two covers for issue #1, to be distributed in a 75/25 split. The main cover is by Jeff Stokely and Lizzy John, and the chase cover is by Jeffrey Brown.)
 
Upcoming issues will feature works by Adrianne Ambrose, Heidi Arnhold (Legends of The Dark Crystal), Ross Cambell (Wet Moon), Joanna Estep (Roadsong), Jake Forbes (Return to Labyrinth), Sam Humphries, Neil Kleid (Brownsville), Chris Lie (Return to Labyrinth), Jeremy Love (Bayou) and Grace Randolph (Muppet Peter Pan).
 
Additionally, each comic will contain fun activity pages for kids, such as games, puzzles and arts and crafts projects so that a new generation of fans can further immerse themselves into the fantastic world of “Fraggle Rock.”
 
Following the release of Fraggle Rock #1, Archaia’s Free Comic Book Day flip book, featuring all-new Fraggle Rock and Mouse Guard tales, will be distributed for FREE at comic book shops on May 1, 2010.
 
Visit http://freecomicbookday.com for more information and to find the nearest participating retailer near you.
 
Archaia and The Jim Henson Company are also partnering on Dark Crystal and Labyrinth mini-series for release later in 2010.