HBO and IDW Publishing are proud to announce the launch of the first-ever comic book series based on the network’s hit show True Blood. Available today at San Diego Comic-Con and comic retailers throughout North America, this sexy, visually striking comic series will add new and unique layers of supernatural drama to the wildly original Emmy®- and Golden Globe®-winning television show. Two exclusive versions of True Blood #1 will be available at San Diego Comic-Con, each with a different cover. Fans can find a special David Messina wrap-around cover at the IDW booth #2643. Select comic retailers throughout the convention will offer a second exclusive cover, featuring a monochromatic version of Joe Corroney’s cover.
Developed with the show’s Oscar®-and Emmy®-winning creator, Alan Ball (HBO’s Six Feet Under, American Beauty), IDW’s True Blood series is the exclusive, official show comics.
“I am very excited to be introducing the True Blood comic book series,” stated Ball. “These graphic novels are a great companion to the series and we are pleased that the popularity of the show is allowing it to branch out into different mediums.”
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Beginning with issue #1, the True Blood comic series offers the same erotically-charged romance, wry humor, intriguing mystery and suspense the show has become known for. In this comic book series, Sookie and many other Bon Temps locals find themselves waiting in Merlotte’s bar for a strangely portentous raging storm to subside. Soon, they discover they’ve been trapped by an entity that feeds off of raw emotions and begins killing off the patrons one by one until his hunger is sated.
The plot was developed with Ball, along with series writers Elisabeth Finch and Kate Barnow, and co-written by David Tischman and Mariah Huehner. Beautifully illustrated by top tier artist David Messina, the series captures all the bloody details and sexy reveals of this exciting new adventure. Renowned artists J. Scott Campbell, Joe Corroney, and Andrew Currie join Messina in providing covers for the first issue.
The True Blood comics will explore the ongoing adventures of telepathic heroine Sookie Stackhouse, her vampire lover Bill Compton, best friend Tara Thornton, enigmatic and ancient vampire sheriff Eric Northman, loyal boss Sam Merlotte, brother Jason Stackhouse, perpetual-virgin vampire Jessica, and the flamboyant cook Lafayette Reynolds.
True Blood #1 (of 6, 32 pages, full color, $3.99) is now available in stores.
True Blood #1, SDCC exclusive (32 pages, full color, $5) will be available at the IDW booth #2643.
Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.
About IDW Publishing 

IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; the BBC’s Doctor Who; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studios; and is the print publisher for EA Comics and ComicMix.
IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.
About HBO Licensing & Retail
HBO Licensing & Retail awards official HBO licenses throughout the world for the development and merchandising of innovative product lines which are inspired by the television broadcaster’s award-winning programs.
