Graphitti Designs is planning a six-book movie publishing program for 2006, centered around two features by directors with large cult audiences in the 18-34 demographic.
Three Southland Tales graphic novels, planned for late May, June, and July, form the three-chapter prequel to Richard (Donnie Darko) Kelly's movie of the same name, due out for release this fall. Kelly wrote the graphic novels, which are being drawn by Brett Weldele. Kelly has already written all three scripts, and Graphitti President Bob Chapman told us that Weldele is almost done with the art for two complete books.
Chapman said Kelly's story was strong. 'There's some very meaty stuff in there,' he said. 'I didn't expect the level of content he's given us for these books. Although they're all free-[standing, they're going to make one hell of a story. I'm very happy with what we've done here.'
Chapman said he expects more promotion of the graphic novels on the movie Website, which already sets up the books as prequels to the film, and that it's highly likely that the film's credits will also include reference to the graphic novels.
The books are 96 color pages each, in a 6' x 9' format (between manga and comic size), at $12.95. A conscious decision was made to make the package different from most other books out there, according to Chapman, who also noted that the cover design and interior art were different from most graphic novel releases.
The movie, which stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (playing a porn star), The Rock, and Seann William Scott, is set in Los Angeles on July 4, 2008, when the country is on the brink of a social, economic, and environmental disaster, approaching the two-year anniversary of twin nuclear attacks in Texas. The movie's story will be told in three chapters, which occur after the three chapters in the graphic novels. It is expected to premiere at
A collected version of the graphic novels, containing all three chapters, will be released before the movie comes out.
Graphitti recently signed a deal with Diamond Book Distribution (see 'Graphitti Signs with DBD'), which will help get the book broad exposure, according to Chapman.
Graphitti is also planning two books tied to Kevin Smith's Clerks 2, which is set for release on August 18th. Tales from the Clerks will be a 336-page $29.95 book collecting all of the stories from Clerks, Chasing Dogma, and Bluntman and Chronic, and the never-reprinted 'Walt Flanagan's Dog,' with art by Matt Wagner, from Oni Double Feature #1. It will also include a new 15-page color story by Kevin Smith and Jim Mafood called 'Where's the Beef,' which concerns the move of Randal and Dante from the convenience store in Clerks to the fast food restaurant in Clerks 2. Tales from the Clerks is planned for July release.
In August, Graphitti will release a Clerks 2 scriptbook, in b/w, at around a $12.95 MSRP.
