Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal is one of the most beloved of Jim Henson’s creations. Ever since it became a cult hit on home video, there’s been talk of a sequel – a script was even written.
Now, for the film’s 35th anniversary, BOOM! Studios’ imprint Archaia, in partnership with The Jim Henson Company, is publishing The Power of The Dark Crystal – a twelve-issue series based on the proposed sequel script by David Odell, Annette Odell, and Craig Pearce.
Adapted by Simon Spurrier (Six-Gun Gorilla) and artists Kelly and Nichole Matthews (Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy), the first issue of The Power of the Dark Crystal debuts on February 15, 2017. For details, read on.
ARCHAIA AND THE JIM HENSON COMPANY ANNOUNCE ‘THE POWER OF THE DARK CRYSTAL’ COMIC BOOK SERIES
In celebration of the 35th anniversary of ‘The Dark Crystal,’ return to the world of Thra in an official sequel to the beloved fantasy film
Los Angeles, Calif. (November 21, 2016) – Archaia, an award-winning imprint of publisher BOOM! Studios, and The Jim Henson Company, an established leader in family entertainment for over 60 years, are excited to announce The Power of the Dark Crystal, a new comic book series that serves as a sequel to the beloved 1982 film.
Based on the screenplay by David Odell, Annette Odell, and Craig Pearce that was written for a planned feature film, the 12-issue monthly limited series is adapted by Eisner Award-nominated writer Simon Spurrier (The Spire, Six-Gun Gorilla) and illustrated by rising artists Kelly and Nichole Matthews (Toil and Trouble, Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy). The first issue of The Power of the Dark Crystal debuts on February 15, 2017.
“The Power of the Dark Crystal is an all-new chapter in the world of Jim Henson’s classic film,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “We’re thrilled to bring aboard series artists Kelly and Nichole Matthews, a spectacular art team who will pay homage to Brian Froud’s incredible designs of the Skeksis, Gelflings, and a new cast of characters/creatures called the Firelings. Writer Simon Spurrier, a longtime fan of Henson—and one of our favorite writers—brings new life, color, and intrigue to this beloved world. We’re proud to announce that The Dark Crystal saga continues this February!”
Countless decades have passed since the events of the original film. Though Jen and Kira have ruled Thra from the Crystal Castle peacefully as King and Queen, bringing Gelfling back to the land, they have become distracted by power and can no longer feel or see the needs of the world and its people the way they once did. Enter Thurma, a young Fireling girl tasked with obtaining a shard of the Dark Crystal—by any means necessary—to restore power to her realm. This sets in motion an incredible adventure in which Thurma will attempt to steal a crystal shard, befriend the young Gelfling Kensho, and accidentally bring back the Skeksis and Mystics.
“Like the ending of The Dark Crystal, in which the duality of good and evil is collapsed and reconciled, the story of The Power of the Dark Crystal is that of reconciling the inner and the outer worlds—perhaps even the unconscious and the conscious. This is an amazing and original theme,” said Lisa Henson, President and CEO of The Jim Henson Company. “The creativity that went into writing and designing the feature film was such that we wanted our fans to be able to see and enjoy it now through this comic book series. We are very proud of the story that the screenwriters David Odell, Annette Odell, and Craig Pearce wrote. Our partners at Archaia and BOOM! Studios are the only people we could trust to expand and illustrate the story, and we are thrilled that it will soon see the light of day!”
The main cover to issue #1 is illustrated by Eisner Award-winning artist Jae Lee and June Chung. Variant covers are illustrated by Sana Takeda (Monstress) and David Petersen (Mouse Guard).
Print copies of The Power of the Dark Crystal #1 will be available for sale at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com or findacomicshop.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! webstore. Digital copies will be available to purchase on all major digital marketplaces including comiXology, iTunes, Google Play, and Kindle.
ABOUT THE JIM HENSON COMPANY
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for 60 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation. Best known as creators of the world-famous Muppets, Henson has received over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include the Emmy®-nominated Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train, and Pajanimals, as well as the CG-animated preschool series Doozers and the upcoming digital citizenship series for preschoolers Dot, and the Netflix series for young preschoolers Word Party. Features include Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, as well as The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and MirrorMask. Television productions include Fraggle Rock, the sci-fi cult series Farscape, Henson Alternative’s No, You Shut Up! and the TV film Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow.
With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities. The Company is home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent character- building and visual effects group with international film, television, theme park and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry’s top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state-of- the-art and vintage equipment. The Company’s Henson Alternative brand is currently touring Puppet-Up! – Uncensored, a live puppet improvisational show.
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The Power of the Dark Crystal #1 Main Cover by Jae Lee and June Chung