Johnnie Christmas is the co-creator and artist of the comic book series Sheltered and Pisces, and co-creator and writer of Tarturus, all from Image Comics. He is also the creator if the Firebug comic book that runs in Island Magazine. He also adapted the William Gibson screenplay for Alien 3 as a comic book for Dark Horse, and drew the Angel Catbird series of graphic novels, written by Margaret Atwood. A graduate of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, now living in Vancouver, British Columbia, this busy guy is about to be even busier.
Johnnie Christmas has just auctioned off the world rights to three unpublished middle-grade graphic novels, with the successful bid coming from Andrew Arnold at Harper Alley.
Publisher's Weekly reports that these three standalone contemporary middle-grade graphic novels will begin publication in the summer of 2022, with subsequent graphic novels coming out in 2023 and 2024. Christmas' agent Judy Hansen at Hansen Literary brokered the deal.
HarperAlley is a graphic novel imprint launched from HarperCollins Children's Books under the direction of former art director and acquiring editor at First Second, Andrew Arnold last year, described as a "collaborative, creator-focused publisher" that will specialize in graphic novels for "readers of all ages." The new line is "looking to publish books that readers of all ages can enjoy, from the youngest readers to teens and adults. We believe that a good story is a story that any reader can relate to. That's what we mean when we say "readers of all ages." HarperAlley is looking to publish about ten books a season, or about thirty books a year and is one of a number of mainstream book publishers that has been rapidly increasing the number of graphic novels for younger readers. And Johnnie Christmas has given them another three.
Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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