New Titles

Fantagraphics announced earlier this year that it is planning to release a new Carl Barks Library starting later this year. The first book (240-page full-color hardcover) is now available for pre-order on Amazon for only $14.76. Check out this beautiful picture:

The first volume kicks of with some of Barks’ most popular stories from the period 1948 to 1950, including “Lost in the Andes”, “Race to the South” and “The Golden Christmas Tree”.

More information:

• Amazon.com
• Fantagraphics
• Facebook

Following the success of BOOM! Studios’ bestselling Darkwing Duck series, the publisher is launching a new original ongoing series based on the 1990s Disney Afternoon animated TV show Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers. The new series, which can be pre-ordered here, will debut in December and will feature all-new adventures written by Ian Brill with art by Leonel Castellani.

Here’s a preview of the first issue:

BOOM! Studios announced today that it is developing an all new original ongoing comic book series based on the Disney Afternoon animated TV show Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers. The first issue will be written by Darkwing Duck’s Ian Brill with art by Leonal Castellani. The new monthly series will debut this December.

“After the overwhelming success we’ve had bringing DARKWING DUCK back, BOOM! knew it was time to continue the excitement and imagination of the Disney Afternoon revolution in comic book form ,” said Darkwing Duck writer Ian Brill. “It’s an honor to continue the adventures of CHIP ‘N DALE RESCUE RANGERS for both the generation of fans that enjoyed the show the first time and for a whole new generation of comic book fans!”

Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers comics were previously published in the United States in 1990 and 1991 by Disney Comics Inc.. The TV show ran for 65 episodes from 1989 to 1990.

BOOM! Studios has announced today that its new Darkwing Duck comic book, which was originally planned as a four-issue miniseries, will now be offered as a new monthly ongoing series beginning this June. You can pre-order it here.

“The fan response for Darkwing Duck has been amazing!” Says Darkwing Duck writer, Ian Brill. “The fans wanted more, so we’ll give them more! Not just more issues but more adventure and more humor. After the first story, which will have big changes for Darkwing and family, we’re going to take the readers on an even crazier ride!”

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Here’s a sneak peak at some of the artwork for the new Darkwing Duck mini-series coming from BOOM! Studios this June. Click to embiggen.

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Gli Anni d’Oro di Topolino (Golden Age of Mickey Mouse) is a new series of gorgeous books that collect 45 years of work by one of the greatest cartoonists of all time, Floyd Gottfredson. Gottfredson is best known for his work on the Mickey Mouse comic strips. Starting in 1930, he created thousands of daily strips and Sunday pages with the mouse, which have been recolored for this new library.

A total of 38 books of 160 pages each will be released weekly from March through November. They sell for €9.99 (approximately US$ 13) each and are available online from this website (it looks like international orders are possible).

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Do you remember Darkwing Duck, the terror that flaps in the night? The 1990s superhero duck from Saturday mornings on ABC returns in his own comic book mini-series from Boom! Studios this June. Lanchpad McQuack, Gosalyn Mallard and the fiercest of Darkwing’s rogue gallery all join the daring duck of mystery in an all-new, completely original four-issue mini-series: Darkwing Duck: The Duck Knight Returns.

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Yesterday Boom! Studios released the first book collecting Don Rosa’s legendary epic story The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. The hardcover album ($16.49 at Amazon) was released earlier than expected, but in case you haven’t seen it yet here are some pictures of this fabulous new book.

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Boom! Studios in the United States is launching two new monthly series this month: Wizards of Mickey and Disney’s Hero Squad.

Wizards of Mickey #1, on sale January 27th, will continue the epic tale of magical adventure that was started in Mickey Mouse & Friends issues #296 – #299. The stories proved popular enough to garner its own stand alone series. Wizards of Mickey follows the adventures of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy as they compete in the Grand Wizard’s tournament, determined to win all the pieces of the Sorcerer Supreme’s crown and free Mickey’s master from the clutches of the evil Phantom Blot! You can pre-order Wizards of Mickey #1 for $2.39.

Disney’s Hero Squad, which will also go on sale on January 27th, continues the Ultraheroes stories that were started in Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #699 – #702. The series features Super Goof, Duck Avenger, Eega Beeva, The Red Bat and more coming together as Disney’s mightiest band of heroes, ready to stomp out the bad guys wherever they may lurk! Pre-order Hero Squad now for $2.39.

“The fan response to Wizards of Mickey and Disney’s Hero Squad has been completely insane,” says BOOM! Disney Editor Aaron Sparrow. “These characters have reached a whole new audience, and fans, old and new, have clamored to have these stories in their own dedicated series. Well, you demanded it and we delivered.”

So what will happen to Mickey Mouse & Friends and Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories? The first one will take a break for a while as Boom prepares the next wave of Mickey Mouse stories. This will delay the series milestone #300 issue, which would have been next. Comics & Stories #703 will see the debut of a new series by Italian artist Casty titled “Mickey Mouse and The World to Come” (I TL 2721-3P, “Topolino e il mondo che verrà”). For a preview of Casty’s work see this fan-made website about his work.

From this website you can even download a wallpaper for the story that is coming to Comics & Stories:

I picked up a copy of Disney twenty-three today at Barnes and Noble (where I was pleased to also find all of Boom’s Pixar comics). I thought that the magazine was exclusive to members of the D23 community, but apparently they also sell it to regular people. It’s a huge magazine (11 by 12 inches) with 60 beautiful glossy pages full of large photos and interesting articles about everything Disney in the style of Disney Magazine (†2005).

The cover story of the new magazine’s second issue is about Donald Duck’s 75th anniversary. There’s a 10-page article covering his origins and cartoon career. Unfortunately, there’s hardly any mention of Donald Duck in the comic books. The article basically skips all this and jumps right from the 1940s cartoons to his appearance in Fantasia 2000, the video game Kingdom Hearts and the Mickey’s PhilharMagic attraction at Walt Disney World.

Carl Barks is mentioned briefly as “the artist who helped create many of Donald’s best cartoons and went on to make the Duck an international star of the printed page with his masterful comic book stories.”

The back inside-cover of the magazine does feature three vintage newspaper comics with Donald, Mickey and Bucky Bug.

More attention to the comic books is given on the website of D23 in this article about Huey, Duey and Louie, which was apparently written by comics writer and editor David Gerstein.