Media Release -- Popular comic book characters Betty, Veronica, Archie and Jughead will be featured in a new series of middle grade novels and humor books, Penguin Young Readers Group and Archie Comics announced today. The middle grade novels will feature all-new stories starring Betty and Veronica. The humor books will feature Archie and Jughead and will be aimed at kids aged 7-10. The series is slated to launch in early Summer 2011. The announcement was made today by Rob Valois at the New York Comic-Con during a panel discussion.
Francesco Sedita, Vice President and Publisher of Grosset & Dunlap, said "These classic Archie comics have developed a new life and relevance in the 21st century. Never did we think that Archie would get married or that a gay character would enter his world. To be a publisher of Archie is to be a publisher of smart, relevant and exciting material. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to create books that appeal to tweens and teens, as well as die-hards and collectors."
"We at Archie Comics are very excited to be expanding Archie's presence among young readers through new mediums with Grosset & Dunlap as a part of Penguin Young Readers Group," said Jon Goldwater, Co-CEO of Archie Comics.
Archie Comics sells millions of comic books and graphic novels annually, distributed worldwide. The company has recently expanded with enormous success to include their "Archie Comics App," one of the top comic reader apps available on iTunes today. In August 2010 Archie Comics also released "Life with Archie," a brand new full-sized magazine following Archie's married lives to Betty and Veronica, which has continued to receive overflowing praise and acclaim since its debut.
Grosset & Dunlap, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, focuses on original paperback series like Henry Winkler's Hank Zipzer, Nancy Krulik's Katie Kazoo, as well as licensed properties, and continues to cultivate successful in-house brands such as The Little Engine That Could, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. Grosset's many book lines include the All Aboard Reading series of leveled paperback readers, 8x8s, sticker storybooks, and quality merchandise that create a well-balanced portfolio of brands, licenses, authors, and illustrators.
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Viking, G. P. Putnam's Sons, The Penguin Press, Riverhead Books, Dutton, Penguin Books, Berkley Books, Gotham Books, Portfolio, New American Library, Plume, Tarcher, Philomel, Grosset & Dunlap, Puffin, Razorbill and Frederick Warne, among others. The Penguin Group (http://www.penguin.com) is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.
The Archie Comics line of comic books is one of the most successful, longest running brands in the history of the comic industry. Archie Comics have sold 1.5 billion comics and are published in a dozen different foreign languages and distributed all over the world. Archie Comics has spawned characters whose popularity has spilled over into other media and who have become part of popular culture. SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH and JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS are just some of the many legendary franchises that are part of the Archie Comics Library.
