Abrams to Republish Comics Adaptation of M
by Calvin Reid
Jon J. Muth's out-of-print adaptation of M, Fritz Lang's classic TK film, has been acquired by Charles Kochman, senior editor at Harry N.Abrams, which will publish the book in hardcover, packaged with a DVD of the movie in spring 2008. The adaptation was originally published in 1990 as a serial by Eclipse Comics and has never before been collected into a single volume.
Kochman bought world rights to the adaptation in a deal brokered by agent Allen Spiegel. The acquisition adds to a growing body of graphic novels that Kochman, formerly an editor at DC Comics, has been building at Abrams. Among those novels is the highly praised and TK Quill Award nominated book Mom's Cancer.
Muth, an acclaimed comics artist and children’s book illustrator, is the author of the bestselling children’s picture books Zen Shorts and Three Questions (2005, 2002 both from Scholastic) and also illustrated Carolyn Kennedy’s national bestseller A Family of Poems (Hyperion) in 2005.
Lang’s M is the story a serial killer and child molestor brought to justice by the police and the Berlin underworld. Kochman said the graphic novel is aimed at adults will not be marketed to children. The film is in the public domain but Kochman said the copy that will be packaged with the graphic novel was licensed from Sinister Cinema, which has a master copy of the film and offers a high quality edition.
"It’s one of my favorite films," Kochman said, "Sinister has a great print and we think we’ll be able to introduce the film and Muth’s graphic novel to a whole new generation of fans."
