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Signs Distribution Agreement with Renowned UK Children’s
Publishing Firm; Pacts With Top Hollywood Screenwriters To Create
Children’s Books
In a precedent-setting move, IDW Publishing, a division of IDT Internet
Mobile Group and an established leader in the comic book and graphic
novel arena, is launching a children‘s
division called Jonas Publishing and a new imprint, Worthwhile Books.
The move will allow IDW Publishing to expand its library of successful
print titles, which to date has been particularly focused in the horror,
action, and sci-fi genres, such as 30 Days of Night and The
Transformers. To launch the imprint, IDW Publishing has inked a
significant agreement with a renowned UK children‘s
publisher and is striking deals with top Hollywood writers to create
children‘s books.
Worthwhile Books has finalized a first-look arrangement with UK children‘s
publisher Meadowside Books (www.meadowsidebooks.com),
known for its unique character-driven picture books for young readers.
Worthwhile will be the exclusive U.S. publisher of selected Meadowside
titles and will retain domestic film and television rights on those
properties. The first Meadowside Books title in the deal, Michael
Recycle, by Ellie Bethel, follows the escapades of a “green-caped“
environmental hero and will be released in March by Worthwhile Books.
Worthwhile expects to issue approximately 10 Meadowside titles over the
course of the first year, including William‘s
Dinosaurs, by Alan Baker, which tells the tale of a little boy
who finds more than trees in the dark woods near his home.
Worthwhile‘s Hollywood outreach is tapping
into the top ranks of movie and television writing talent to bring
original literary stories to the young reading audience. The collective
credits of the entertainment writers include some of the industry‘s
most successful television series and movies. These writers include:
-
David N. Weiss, whose writing credits include Shrek 2, Jimmy
Neutron: Boy Genius and both Rugrats movies
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David Sacks, a writer/producer on The Simpsons, producer on Malcolm
in the Middle, and writer on 3rd
Rock from the Sun
-
Dava Savel, an Emmy Award- winning comedy writer with credits on shows
such as Grace Under Fire and Will & Grace, in
addition to being an executive producer on the children‘s
program That‘s So Raven
-
David Steinberg, whose producing credits include Meet the Robinsons,
Home on the Range and Cats Don‘t
Dance
-
Robert Kurtz, who wrote for the movie Everyone‘s
Hero and has written for such shows as Boy Meets World and Grace
Under Fire
“Our growth strategy calls for continued
expansion into other areas of the entertainment sector,“
said Ted Adams, IDW co-founder and president. “Creating
and controlling successful children‘s
properties helps us in those endeavors. Meadowside‘s
books are playful, empowering, smart and exciting and the artwork is
simply breathtaking. These are children‘s
picture stories in the classic tradition with a central character that
is relatable to today‘s kids.“
In speaking of the outreach to Hollywood writers, Robert Kurtz,
vice-president and creative director at Worthwhile Books, said “Every
writer I know who works in television or movies has a children‘s
story inside him or her that they‘ve wanted
to tell for years but for a variety of reasons never were able to get
out into the marketplace. We want writers to think of Worthwhile Books
as the one-stop destination for that kind of project. It is designed to
be a writer-driven company and we think that will be very attractive to
these talented artists.“
ABOUT IDW PUBLISHING:
Idea and Design Works, LLC, (DBA IDW Publishing) is a division of IDT
Internet Mobile Group (IIMG). An established leader in the comic book
and graphic novel marketplace, particularly in the horror, action, and
sci-fi genres, IDW Publishing also owns Jonas Publishing and its children‘s
imprint, Worthwhile Books. IDW lists some of the most successful and
hottest print titles in the industry in its portfolio, including:
television‘s #1 prime time series CSI:
Crime Scene Investigation; Sony’s Underworld; Paramount’s Star
Trek; Fox’s 24 and Angel, and Hasbro’s The
Transformers. The feature film version of IDW Publishing‘s
graphic novel, 30 Days of Night, recently topped the box office
when it premiered in October. The company also works with foreign
licensing agents to sell their comics around the world, with titles
being published in multiple languages and crossing dozens of regions.
ABOUT IDT INTERNET MOBILE GROUP:
IDT Internet Mobile Group (IIMG), a division of the Fortune 1000
telecommunications firm IDT
Corporation (NYSE: IDT, IDT.C), is a leader in the development,
management and growth of cross-platform consumer entertainment,
distribution and financial services. From providing mobile content to
consumers in over 200 countries through the mobile content portal Zedge (www.zedge.net)
to the creation, development and distribution of top graphic novels
through IDW Publishing, and providing cash remittance services via
mobile phones to millions of people living abroad, IIMG is dedicated to
turning innovative ideas and companies into products and services that
span various industries.
In this press release, all statements that are not purely about
historical facts, including, but not limited to, those with the words “believe,““anticipate,““expect,““plan,““intend,““estimate,““target“
and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.All
forward-looking statements and risk factors included in this document
are made as of the date hereof, based on information available to IDT as
of the date thereof, and IDT assumes no obligation to update any
forward-looking statements or risk factors.
