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Talk of the bay
Comic book hopes for new life under Disney
By SCOTT BARANCIK
Published July 25, 2005
CrossGen Entertainment of Oldsmar launched 26 comic book series during a dynamic five-year run that ended in bankruptcy court. The Walt Disney Co. snagged the rights to all 26 titles at auction last year for $1-million.
Will Disney fare better with CrossGen's intellectual property? We're about to find out.
The entertainment powerhouse recently announced plans to turn one of CrossGen's titles, Abadazad, into a series of chapter books for children ages 9 to 12. Tentatively priced at $9.99 apiece, the books - written as if they were the diary of the main character, Kate - will meld traditional comic book panels, text and other artwork.
Brenda Bowen, editor-in-chief of the Disney Book Group, says it's the ideal format for our postprint world of movies, television and the Internet. "It's a lot more complicated graphically, but it's very simple to read, and in fact makes the reading experience tremendously satisfying."
Bowen expects an initial print run of 100,000 when the first book makes its debut next spring. The original writer and artist are on board.
One of the advantages Disney enjoys over CrossGen is its deep pockets. At the Comic-Con convention in San Diego this month, Bowen's group sponsored a panel, "Abadazad Lives On," and handed out 2,500 fans featuring one of the comic's characters. Other possible promotions include issuing character trading cards, asking educators to include free Abadazad textbook covers in their back-to-school kits, and advertising in publications like Mad magazine, Disney Adventures and those published by D.C. Comics.
Bowen, whose offices are in New York, hopes to see Abadazad picked up by Disney's television, film and games divisions. "We actually had a pitch meeting (in Burbank) with our own colleagues," she says. "They are keenly interested."
Catching a bit of the fervor that the Harry Potter series has stirred among young readers would be nice, too.
"I want my own action," Bowen says. "But I'll take whatever action is out there."
[Last modified July 26, 2005, 12:13:07]
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