Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: Chase Speedington, franco

Mike Hartigan & Franco Sell Rights To Chase Speedington

Franco is currently working on writing a new middle-grade graphic novel Chase Speedington, drawn by Mike Hartigan.

Published Sat, 05 Oct 2024 14:27:08 -0500

Last updated Sat, 05 Oct 2024 15:08:36 -0500

Article Summary

Franco Aureliani & Mike Hartigan team up for Chase Speedington, a thrilling middle-grade graphic novel.
Pitched as Agent 007 meets Spy Kids, the story follows a boy's quest to find his missing parents.
Papercutz to publish Chase Speedington in November 2025, acquired by Chris Fernandez.
Chase Speedington offers action, adventure, and a captivating world crafted by Franco and Hartigan.

Franco Aureliani – also known as just Franco – is best known for working with Art Baltazar on Tiny Titans, Aw Yeah Comics, the Aw Yeah Comics store chain and as an art teacher at Carmel High School in Carmel, New York. But the Eisner Award-winning author-illustrator is currently working on writing a new middle-grade graphic novel Chase Speedington, this time drawn by Mike Hartigan. Pitched as Agent 007 meets Spy Kids, it's about a resourceful boy on a worldwide quest to find his missing parents, all while battling his arch-nemeses and fighting against an ancient curse that brings rampaging dragons to life.

Chris Fernandez at Papercutz has acquired Franco Aureliani's Chase Speedington for publication in November 2025, Franco's agent Marie Lamba at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency sold world rights.

: Mike Hartigan & Franco Sell Rights To Chase Speedington

: Mike Hartigan & Franco Sell Rights To Chase Speedington

Mike Hartigan says "12 years ago I created a cool little adventurer named Chase Speedington. He's evolved a lot over the years as you can see, and co-creator @awyeahfranco has really built a great cast and world around him. Now we get to share it with you. November 2025 from @papercutzgn !"

Mike Hartington is the co-creator and artist of the comic series Squish And Squash with writer Niall O'Rourke, an all-ages sci-fi/rescue/adventure series from Keenspot, and drew Deadman Tells The Spooky Tales written by Franco, and recently worked on Monster Fun Magazine for Rebellion.

Terry Nantier, founder of NBM Publishing, established Papercutz in 2005, along with former Marvel editor and writer Jim Salicrup, as editor-in-chief. Publishing family-friendly comic books and graphic novels, mostly based on licensed properties such as Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Lego Ninjago, Papercutz has also published new volumes of the Golden Age-era comics series Classics Illustrated and Tales from the Crypt, Disney titles such as Turning Red, Inside Out, Encanto, Phineas and Ferb, Disney Fairies, Frozen, and 101 Dalmatian Street, and American English translations of European comics, including The Smurfs and Asterix. Mad Cave Studios acquired Papercutz in 2022.