Comics
BREAKING: Dynamite Comics To Team With ‘True Blood’ Scribe Charlaine Harris!
Well chalk this one up to the “we totally saw that coming” list of news so far in 2010. Today Dynamite Publishing announced their acquisition of the first Charlaine Harris comic book adaptation titled “GRAVE SIGHT”. What is interesting, and not something anyone saw coming, is the fact that Dynamite was the publisher to snatch up the ubber popular “TRUE BLOOD” scribe. For the full press release read on and then give us your thoughts on the move.
Official Press Release
“Acclaimed author Charlaine Harris, the writer of the Sookie Stackhouse series, is joining the Dynamite Entertainment family in 2010! We are proud to announce that the first book of her hit Harper Connelly series, Grave Sight, will be adapted by Dynamite Entertainment in 2010! Her Sookie Stackhouse novels became the basis for one of today’s most successful television shows, the hit HBO series True Blood! Dynamite is extremely proud to present Charlaine Harris’ first comic adaptation!
For the past five years, readers have been thrilled by the Harper Connelly series. Featuring Harper Connelly, a woman who has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who’s passed, and share their very last moment. The way Harper sees it, she’s providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living-but she’s used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Traveling with her step-brother Tolliver as manager and sometime-bodyguard, she’s become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it’s always urgent-even if the dead can wait forever.
“I’m thrilled to join such great writers,” says Charlaine Harris. “I’m excited about seeing a different vision of my novels, and I’ve seen enough of the Dynamite Entertainment to know this will be an interesting and entertaining process.”
“Charlaine has thrilled millions of readers with her novels, and millions more with the adaptation of her Sookie Stackhouse series as the TV Show known as True Blood. We at Dynamite are honored to be the first comics publisher to be granted the right to adapt her novels in to the first ever comics adaptation. And Charlaine’s kind words on our comics and confidence in our ability to execute will be rewarded with Dynamite’s placing the best talent available on these adaptations!” Stated Dynamite President and Publisher Nick Barrucci.”
As I said before this is an odd choice of publishers for Harris seeing as it was reported that D.C had been interested in snatching up the writer to rival Marvel’s similar vampire juggernaut Laurell K Hamilton. I guess Dynamite just wanted it more, and I’m glad because they have a lot of great work coming out of their machine over there. What say you?
ABOUT CHARLAINE HARRIS:
“CHARLAINE HARRIS, Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Charlaine Harris is best known for her paranormal mysteries — a sly, wry blend of humor, horror, that has been called “cozies with teeth.”
ABOUT DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT:
“DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT, the publishing division of DYNAMIC FORCES, INC., was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including Red Sonja, Project Superpowers, The Boys, Army of Darkness, Battlestar Galactica, The Lone Ranger, Zorro and more!
In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and best selling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Michael Turner, Jim Lee, Michael Avon Oeming, Brian Reed, Mel Rubi, Marc Guggenheim, Stephen Sadowski, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner and a host of up and coming new talent and fan favorite creators!
DYNAMITE is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their more recent launches – 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%). The company has also been nominated for several industry awards, including the prestigious Eisner Award.
Aside from their monthly periodical comic book series, DYNAMITE also produces new and classic material, including Tim Truman’s SCOUT, Carlos Trillo and Eduardo Risso’s BORDERLINE and TALES OF TERROR, Jim Starlin’s DREADSTAR, as well as well as reprint editions of classic RED SONJA material.”
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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