In what may be a first at a major trade book publisher, Del Rey Books is releasing its first serialized periodical comic, an adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub's The Talisman. The series will be released under a new imprint called Del Rey Comics.
The Talisman will be serialized in 24 periodical issues and then will be released in a hardcover collection next summer. The novel will be adapted in the first 18 issues, and in the final 6 issues there will be a new story set in the world of The Talisman. The first issue of the new periodical series will be released on November 18th.
“We had seen Stephen King work well with Marvel, and it did well in the comic book market where there is a demand for the material in this format,” said Del Rey editor Dallas Middaugh of their decision to serialize The Talisman and release it via the direct market. The direct market, also called the comics shop market, comprises approximately 3,000 stores across the country that specialize in selling comics—both traditional periodical comic books and, increasingly, book format comics as well. The direct market is also generally a nonreturnable wholesale market serviced almost exclusively by Diamond Comics Distribution, the dominant distributor in the comics shop market. In other words, unlike traditional bookstores, which can return unsold titles to the publisher, comics shops cannot. And while traditional book publishers like Del Rey now eagerly publish a wide variety of graphic novels of all kinds and distribute these book format comics through the direct market, it is highly unusual for a traditional book publisher such as Del Rey to initiate a periodical comic book series in the direct market.
Del Rey was approached by the book’s agent, Ralph Vicinanza, who was “interested in developing it into comic format,” according to Middaugh. While Del Rey is probably best known for the extensive list of licensed Japanese manga it publishes, the house also has previous experience working with prose writers on graphic novels including a comics adaptation of Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein; Koontz’s original graphic novel In Odd We Trust, and an original manga-style graphic novel by bestselling fantasy novelist Terry Brooks, Dark Wraith of Shannara.
Nevertheless, The Talisman marks Del Rey’s first foray into serialized monthly publishing. “The biggest challenge was production; we don’t do monthly publishing,” Middaugh acknowledged. He said that the house already had experience with the sales and distribution methods in the comics shop market since “Diamond is the primary distribution outlet for the direct market,” and Del Rey publishes “a very healthy list of manga releases through the direct market.” But Middaugh said the house had to “really reinvent our system for monthly comics.” Middaugh explained that a Random House production editor “who loves comics was basically willing to step in and guide the process.”
Although some people expressed concerns about serializing, Middaugh said “when we had the proposal in place, a qualified artist, a letter, a great writer, a fantastic colorist, once we made the decision, everyone was very excited.” To pair an artist with the project, Middaugh explained they formed a “wish list of people we’d like to work with and whittled it down to who was available and had an interest in the project.” They sent the list to King and Straub, who ultimately decided on Tony Shasteen. In addition, Del Rey plans on using well-known names in monthly comics to produce the cover art for the series, including the cover artist of Vertigo’s Y the Last Man, Massimo Carnevale, and for the first issue of Talisman, Mike Krahulick of Penny Arrcade made a rare variant cover.
While releasing a periodical comic gives a publisher the opportunity to amortize some of the costs of the series, Middaugh also emphasized that “the monthly comic is a way to market the ultimate hardcover next summer, especially if it becomes a book people are looking forward to.” In addition, Del Rey also released a $1 preview issue in October, in another promotional effort to launch and preview the new series.
Although Middaugh declined to provide more information about the future of Del Rey Comics and periodical comics publishing at the house, he did say they plan to wait and see how The Talisman does after the collection comes out. “This is an experiment for us,” Middaugh explained, “we’ll see how it works first, and if it works well, we’ll do more.”