BOOM! Studios and Disney Publishing Worldwide have announced today that they will bring brand new stories based on characters from Disney Pixar’s animated feature films to the comic book medium. The comics will feature characters from Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and WALL*E.

“Today, American comic books are aimed primarily at an older readership. Comics produced for an upcoming generation of readers are scarce – and BOOM! Studios aims to do something about that,” said Waid. “There will be comics for kids again!”

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Panini in the UK has added two new Disney magazines to its portfolio: one a new launch and the other an existing magazine it is taking on from BBC Magazines. Disney Presents launches with content on Enchanted to tie in with the release of the film on DVD. In addition, Panini is taking on the publishing of WITCH magazine from the BBC from May 14th.

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This Saturday, May 3rd, is Free Comic Book Day. This annual event is a great opportunity to introduce your friends and family to the world of comics as many comic book stores across North America and the world will hand out comics totally free! There will be over 40 different free comics this year, including the annual contribution by Gemstone Publishing, publisher of Disney comics in the United States. This year’s free Disney comic is all about Duckburg’s most famous inventor: Gyro Gearloose. More »

Disney Italy continues to make impressive new and original stories. Last year saw the release of Wizards of Mickey, a new world of wizards, castles and bewitched lands created by Claretta Muci and Stefano Ambrosio starring Mickey, Goofy and Donald. That 10-part series has since been reprinted across Europe. In February 2008, weekly Topolino started another multi-part series in issue 2726: Ultraheroes. More »

Egmont, one of Scandinavia’s leading media groups, has received the Disney Milestone Award at the annual Bologna Children Book’s Fair in Italy earlier this month. Tommy Melle, Vice president of Egmont Kids & Teens, received the award for 60 years of mutual beneficial cooperation with The Walt Disney Company. More »

Frank Stajano has published the first installment of his interview with Don Rosa when he visited the Disney comics artist in his Louisville home in January 2008. Rosa talks about his early years as a comic artist including his work on Captain Kentucky and the Pertwillaby Papers. You can listen to the podcast on Frank’s blog.

Carl Barks 1973 oil painting The Goose Egg Nugget recently sold for $119,500. The painting is based on Barks’ own story from 1953, Back to the Klondike, and shows a young Scrooge McDuck unvealing a large gold nugget on the bar of a saloon, with Glittering Goldie on his side. The painting was sold at Heritage‘s Vintage Comic and Comic Art Signature Auction at the end of February in Dallaes, Taxas.

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After a few delays at Gemstone Publishing, Disney comics are back on track in the United States with several new releases scheduled for this month. To be shipped in January 2008 are Disney’s Ducktales by Marv Wolfman: Scrooge’s Quest, Uncle Scrooge #371, Uncle Scrooge #372 and Walt Disney Treasures Vol. 2: Uncle Scrooge — A Little Something Special. For details on what you can find in these new issues see Scoop.

Here’s a list of online discussion groups about Disney comics. If you have one to add please leave a comment:

• The Disney Comics Forum (English)
• Kandrakar W.i.t.c.h. Forum (English)
• DDF(R) Online Debat (Danish)
• Kvaak (Finnish)
• Andeby Online (Norwegian)
• Disney Comics Fan Forum (German)
• Forums Picsouman (French)
• Il Forum del Papersera (Italian)
• Quadrinhos Disney (Brazilian)
• Disney Polska (Polish)

This month Gemstone Publishing in the United States is releasing the second issue in their Walt Disney Treasures series. Uncle Scrooge: A Little Something Special, a 160-page trade paperback, celebrating Scrooge McDuck’s 60th anniversary in style.

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