Broken Frontier

Once you've defeated every gory barbarian and made it with every busty super-villainess in the comic book market, where else should an award-winning comic artist go to get their kicks?

For Greg Horn (Elektra, She-Hulk) and Glenn Fabry (Preacher, Neil Gaiman's  Neverwhere), the answer was clear: kids' books. Specifically, a new series making its big debut at booth 1630 at the New York Comic Con, which runs from April 18-20, 2008 at the Jacob Javits Center.

Centering on a motley crew of sixth-graders, The Professionals introduces a new breed of tweenage heroes: Rather than superpowers or magic wands, each kid has a bona fide profession, ranging from therapist to chef to crime sketch artist. When the mysterious criminal mastermind Mr. Who begins wreaking havoc in New York City, The Professionals must band together and use their unique talents to track him down.

"After I was done reading it I was left wondering two very important things," says Joe Quesada, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. "How long before I get my hands on the sequel and just what do I do now with the hyperactive seven year old in my home who thinks she's Anna Smudge?".

Kicking off the six-part series is Anna Smudge: Professional Shrink, starring an eleven-year-old girl who has an unusual knack for listening and transforms herself into the top shrink in Manhattan. Through her zany therapy sessions, Anna unravels a complicated mystery involving a cannoli-loving hitman and a sixth-grade art teacher who has lost her mind.

Two-time Eisner award-winning interior artist, Glenn Fabry will flying in from the UK. And both Glenn and Greg Horn will be signing autographs and greeting folks at booth 1630, where attendees will have a chance to buy the book (and receive a special poster) before it even hits the stands of retail stores! Anna Smudge will be available in comic stores in June and for pre-order in Diamond Comics' Previews catalog in April during the convention.

"I've been a huge fan of both of these guys for years," says MAC, author of The Professionals. "It's a real pinch me moment when their art appears in my Inbox. Plus, they have been really helpful in dealing with this very serious epidemic called 'cooties'. Even though there is an 'icky girl' on the cover, boys will definitely dig the action and bathroom humor inside."

Cover artist Greg Horn will also be doing a special panel, "Evolution of a Cover", at the NY Comic Con on Friday evening, April 18 at 6pm in room 1E02 where he will give the audience a sneak peek at the extensive revision process of Anna Smudge's cover. He will also talk about the challenges he faced transitioning from comics to kids books.

"Greg may be known for boobs, and Glenn may be known for Irish vampires ripping people's faces off, but these guys definitely got the unique mix of action and humor that we were going for," says Brandon Carter of Toasted Coconut Media, the series' publisher. "It's obvious they both remember what it's like to be eleven."