IDW Publishing has announced their partnership with Cartoon Network to publish comics based on some of their beloved characters. IDW is home to properties such as Ghostbusters and G.I. Joe. You can read the full press release here.
Ben 10, Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack stand out to me. I'm no stranger to the adventures of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, so I'll be looking out for that book. The Powerpuff Girls have seen comic book action before with a 70-issue run published by DC Comics from 2000-2006. Ben 10 and Samurai have also touched comics as well, but in a much more limited fashion.
This connection not only means the return of franchises enjoyed by people of all age groups, but it will also impact the state of comics designed for kids. We're in an age when many publishers want to push gritty and mature books and it leaves younger readers behind. The industry needs to do all it can to bring in new readers, especially younger ones. While there are comics geared towards younger fans, they don't often get as much press. And sometimes they're just watered down and corny. The series announced are based on quality, enjoyable characters and stories. There's no denying those cartoons were aimed at children. Even with that said, if your story attracts viewers of varying demographics, you know you have quality storytelling. This of course works for comics as well.
Going back to demographics, we need to look at young girls. If IDW pulls it off, they can pull in plenty of new, younger readers with the Powerpuff Girls. I don't say that to mean this will act as a gateway book, but hopefully the book will stand on its own merit. Here are three young, strong female characters with distinct personalities and can kick butt with the best. Obviously they're more than that, I'm just making the point that there's plenty there for kids, especially girls to connect with.
It's too early for release dates to be announced, but I'll be covering some of the news, so stay tuned for updates. Which series are you excited about? Which series do you hope will be announced?
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