For those that read “books” (I’m unsure as to what they are, but apparently they are comics without pictures), James Patterson is someone that you likely know. For years Patterson (and his fleet of co-writers) have regaled the world of fiction with floods of books, including the Alex Cross and Women’s Murder Club series of novels. He’s a pretty big deal, with a number of his novels being turned into major motion pictures as well and the majority of them becoming national best sellers.
Now, after dipping a toe into the world of comics in years past, Patterson is going all in. See what he’s up to after the jump.
He is entering into a partnership with IDW Publishing (home of the Transformers titles and 30 Days of Night, amongst others) to create new titles, adaptations of his work, and a whole lot more. Up first is a five issue series in May based off of his young adult series Witch & Wizard. It will be titled Shadowland, and will be written by Dara Naraghi (with Patterson overseeing the project).
“Comics could reach a much larger audience than they do right now. With all of the quality work and talent that’s out there, this industry could be so much bigger.”
While some will likely hem and haw at the value of this deal, I think it’s a heck of a boon. Things like this, Stephen King’s involvement with Marvel and Vertigo, and the upcoming mega blockbuster Twilight graphic novel bring an avalanche of new readers and are great for the industry. With the age of the average comic reader increasing yearly and overall readership decreasing, anything that can bring in a new audience is a very powerful thing indeed. Let’s just hope Patterson can bring the same characteristics that make his books sell so well to the world of comics.
