Alexander the Great and his less-than-great dog, in a scene from Good Dog, Bad Dog by Dave Shelton.

The comic will be sent by mail to subscribers on a weekly basis, with each 36-page issue printed in full color on 100% recycled paper, and without advertisements. According to Fickling, his company is "totally involved" in the comic. "It couldn’t be done without Random House," he says. "We make the editorial decisions and make sure it’s good. Random House helps with marketing, finance and spreading the word."

The first issue is scheduled to arrive in U.K. mailboxes on Friday, May 30. "Children love to get post every Friday," Fickling says, "though I can’t promise it’ll arrive Friday in the rest of the world." (Of the comic’s availability worldwide, he notes, "If you’re prepared to pay postage, it’ll be sent to you.") He does not rule out having issues available in bookstores or newsstands at some point, but subscriptions will initially be available through The DFC Web site.

The Vanities, a collage-filled, 62-page picture book with three gatefolds, introduces a Cinderella-like young woman who possesses an unparalleled flair for hairstyling, yet uses brains rather than beauty to win a contest to become ruler of her kingdom. Lawlor explains that the book grew out of his advertising work, which often entail tight deadlines that require him to create his collages relatively quickly. "I thought a book would give me the chance to do a series of illustrations that all worked together, in a time frame that allowed me to do my best work," he says. "I had expected this book would take me two years to write and illustrate, but it actually took me close to six years to complete."   

JacketFlap was founded in March 2006 by Tracy Grand, a Los Angeles resident with a self-described "passion for children's publishing," who in 1994 founded Word of Net, a developer of Internet marketing research and measurement tools. Grand initially conceived of JacketFlap as a site for aspiring writers and illustrators searching for information about publishers and how to contact them. "I soon realized that there was a real need for online networking in the children's and YA book community and for a central information resource," Grand says. JacketFlap quickly became a social networking site, she adds, giving writers and illustrators "the opportunity to promote their work and publishers a chance to promote their authors' books."   

Declare Yourself will collect original essays and personal pieces about the importance of civic action. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Declare Yourself's ongoing voter registration outreach initiatives. Susan Katz, president and publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books, said of HC's partnership with Declare Yourself, "We are united in our goal, which is saying to young people: get informed, get connected, declare yourselves. Become lifelong voters."

Greenwillow will publish the $11.99 paperback on May 20. —Lynn Andriani