If you’re a fan of Pendleton Ward’s wildly popular animated cartoon phenomenon Adventure Time, then rejoice. In November Boom! Studios is releasing Adventure Time Volume 1 written by Ryan North with art by Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb, and Mike Holmes. It’s the first book collection of periodical comics based on the Cartoon Network animated show. And there’s more of Pendleton Ward’s irresistible humor coming in October when Boom! Studios launches a new comic book series based on Bravest Warriors, a new cartoon series created by Ward for Cartoon Hangover.
Adventure Time has been a huge hit for the Cartoon Network and an equally big comics hit for Boom, with periodical issues selling out multiple printings in the comics shop market. In a recent article, PW took a look behind the scenes of the animated series and found that one big part of its success is the number of indie comics artists Ward has hired to work on the series.
Filip Sablik, Boom! Studios v-p of publishing and marketing, said, “Adventure Time has been a real monster hit for us, we're currently on our third printing of the first issue, and Scholastic [Book Fairs] just bought in on this first collection in the high five figures. I think this is going to do incredibly well in the book market as well.” Sablik called the book, “our biggest trade book collection for the year.”
He was also quick to point out Pendleton Ward’s newest animated show on the Cartoon Network, Bravest Warriors. “We are launching a new comic series in October based on Bravest Warriors and we believe it will be a big all-ages hit along the lines of Adventure Time.” Boom’s Bravest Warriors comic book series will begin in October, Sablik said, and it will be collected into a book edition and released in 2013.
Sablik said that Adventure Time, is “really great for kids and a hands-down bestseller for us,” and said he expects much the same for Bravest Warriors. “Pendleton Ward’s fans are rabid for his voice, not just for Adventure Time.”
