Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal has become an enduring classic – the film that established that Henson could do much more than just Muppets. Between an epic quest fantasy story, Brian Froud’s exquisite designs and Henson’s impressive ability to put everything together in a world that felt incredibly real, The Dark Crystal has become a genuinely loved work.
Now, Archaia is re-releasing Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: The Novelization in hardcover. Based on the original script, the novel, by A.C.H. Smith (Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: The Novelization), expands on the story and includes a cover and interior illustrations by Froud. An unexpected bonus is more than twenty pages of Henson’s detailed notes on an early draft of the film’s script. The book will be in comic shops and specialty shops on June 4th and in bookstores everywhere on June 10th. Follow the jump for the press release and ordering information.
ARCHAIA AND THE JIM HENSON COMPANY SET TO DEBUT ‘JIM HENSON’S THE DARK CRYSTAL: THE NOVELIZATION’
May 12, 2014 – Los Angeles, CA – Award-winning publisher Archaia, an imprint of BOOM! Studios, is excited to announce the June debut of JIM HENSON’S THE DARK CRYSTAL: THE NOVELIZATION, the second in a planned series of three hardcovers that reprint the prose novel adaptations of fan-favorite Henson properties. The book follows the recent April release of JIM HENSON’S LABYRINTH: THE NOVELIZATION and will be followed by the August release of JIM HENSON’S STORYTELLER: THE NOVELIZATION.
JIM HENSON’S THE DARK CRYSTAL: THE NOVELIZATION, written by author and playwright A.C.H. Smith and overseen by Jim Henson, reprints the long-out-of-print prose novel of the classic 1982 fantasy film for the first time in hardcover and features illustrations and concept designs by legendary illustrator and concept artist Brian Froud (The Goblins of Labyrinth, Faeries) that have never before been published. The book also contains an exclusive peek into Jim Henson’s creative process with a transcription of over 20 never-before-seen pages of his detailed notes on an early draft of the adaptation.
“There’s an entire generation of Jim Henson fans who never had the opportunity to enrich their enjoyment of classics like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal with the prose novel adaptations,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “We’re honored to be working with The Jim Henson Company and The Jim Henson Archives to give these reprints the Archaia treatment and present them in beautiful new editions.”
Archaia began publishing comic books and original graphic novels based on The Jim Henson Company’s most popular titles in 2010 with the FRAGGLE ROCK comic book series and has consistently published new projects since that time. Archaia’s relationship with The Jim Henson Company resulted in the Eisner Award-winning JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND, based on the lost screenplay by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl and illustrated by Ramón Pérez, along with critically acclaimed interpretations of JIM HENSON’S THE STORYTELLER, THE DARK CRYSTAL, and FRAGGLE ROCK.
JIM HENSON’S THE DARK CRYSTAL: THE NOVELIZATION goes on sale in comic shops and specialty stores on June 4th under Diamond Order Code APR140989, and wherever books are sold on June 10th (ISBN 978-1-60886-418-8). The 6” x 8”, 224-page hardcover prose novelization will retail for $19.99.
ABOUT BOOM! STUDIOS
Founded by Ross Richie in 2005, Diamond Gem Award-winning “Best Publisher” BOOM! Studios (boom-studios.com) generates a constellation of best-selling Eisner and Harvey Award-winning original and licensed comic books and graphic novels with the industry’s top talent. BOOM! Studios is the home of Mike Carey’s SUICIDE RISK, Clive Barker’s NEXT TESTAMENT and HELLRAISER, Paul Jenkins and Humberto Ramos’ FAIRY QUEST, PLANET OF THE APES, Max Bemis’ POLARITY and Mark Waid’s IRREDEEMABLE. Steven Grant’s graphic novel 2 GUNS was recently released as a feature film from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. BOOM!’s all-ages imprint KaBOOM! publishes Charles Schulz’ PEANUTS, Jim Davis’ GARFIELD, Cartoon Network’s ADVENTURE TIME and REGULAR SHOW, Mike Kunkel’s HEROBEAR AND THE KID, and Roger Langridge’s Eisner Award-winning SNARKED. In June 2013, BOOM! acquired Archaia Entertainment (archaia.com). Archaia is the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning graphic novel publisher of MOUSE GUARD, COW BOY, GUNNERKRIGG COURT, RUST, SPERA, JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND, and many other great titles. In October 2013, BOOM! Studios entered into a unique first-look relationship with 20th Century Fox, giving the studio access to its library of titles and giving the publisher access to Fox’s vast catalog of films.
About The Jim Henson Company:
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 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 new series Doozers, a CG animated preschool series. Features include the upcoming Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and MirrorMask. Television productions include Fraggle Rock, the sci-fi cult series Farscape, and the new reality competition Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge.
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 also 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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