Posted in: Comics | Tagged: ComicMix, dr seuss

ComicMix To Publish Lost Dr Seuss Stories, Out Of Copyright

Once upon a time, ComicMix published a parody of Dr Seuss' Oh The Places You'll Go mashed up with Star Trek as The Places You'll Boldly Go, were sued by Seuss' estate and ended up losing the case. I am not a lawyer and I do not play one on the internet but it still strikes me as a bitter injustice, beyond any of the current Wagatha Christie courtroom drama. The two settled with ComicMix agreeing that Boldly infringed copyright and Seuss' estate dropping claims for damages and legal fees. ComicMix had to eat the cost of printing the book however, and their own legal fees over many years.

Which makes the new announcement all the more interesting, that ComicMix is to publish Dr Seuss stories that they claim have fallen into public domain, so the Seuss estate can't object. The Zaks And Other Lost Stories by Dr Seuss will be published in July by ComicMix, via a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter that launches today.

During the legal case, ComicMix's lawyers discovered some of the Seuss stories were in the public domain and have now become available to be reprinted, stories that they say  "otherwise might have been lost to the ages". And that "after an extensive retouching and restoration process, Seuss's original text and illustrations will be published simultaneously in paperback and a collectable paper-over-board edition". However they do want to reiterate that the book is not associated with, nor approved by, Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P.

The Zaks And Other Lost Stories will include an afterword detailing how the book came to be as well an early version of  The Sneetches. The remaining four stories will be revealed during the course of the crowdfunding campaign as funding levels are reached, until the campaign ends on the 31st of May. ComicMix's Glenn Hauman, issues the following announcement;

"We found Dr. Seuss stories, once thought to be lost,
that we're bringing to you at a reasonable cost.
Some tales are familiar, though not quite this way,
but all fine examples of Seuss's wordplay!
We spruced them all up, and now are good times
to rediscover his artwork and rhymes.
We filled up a book to put on your shelf
So that you can at last read them for yourself!"

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