Cartoonists Jimmy Gownley, James Sturm, Keny Widjaja, and Mike Maihack have inked new book deals with the Graphix, Scholastic’s graphic novel imprint. All deals were negotiated and finalized by Judy Hansen of the Hansen Literary Agency.
David Saylor, Scholastic v-p and creative director, and Scholastic editor Adam Rau have acquired Jimmy Gownley’s new middle-grade graphic novel memoir, The Dumbest Idea Ever!, a humorous true story of how a teenage Jimmy Gownley, the creator of the popular Amelia Rules” series, became a self-published comic book artist at age 15. The book is scheduled for release in 2014.
Saylor and Adam Rau have also acquired the first two books in critically-acclaimed comics creator James Sturm and Keny Widjaja’s middle-grade graphic novel series, Weer On Earth. The story follows the adventures of Elza Weer, a 13-year-old girl forced to use her newfound telekinetic powers in a battle to free humanity from evil alien overlords. The book is slated to be ready by 2015.
In a two book deal with Scholastic/Graphix, Saylor and editor Cassandra Pelham bought the first two books in Mike Maihack’s new middle-grade graphic novel series, Cleopatra in Space, starring a cheeky teenage Cleopatra—yes, the teenaged Egyptian Queen—who is transported into the future and enrolled in an academy to train her to save the galaxy from an evil threat. Publication for Book #1, Target Practice, is scheduled for 2014.
