Henson Manga Titles

[Muppetfreak]

The Jim Henson Company and TOKYOPOP Inc., have inked an exclusive manga publishing deal that will see three of Henson's fantasy stories adapted for manga. With a feature film version of MirrorMask headed to theatres September 30, 2005, featuring a story and teleplay by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean TOKYOPOP will offer a prequel manga for the movie. Gaiman will work with the publisher on the MirrorMask manga prequel. The two other Henson properties included under the publishing deal are The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Picking up where the 1986 Labyrinth (TriStar) movie, directed by Jim Henson, left off the manga series will be written by Jake Forbes. Henson also created the story for the property. The final manga title will be a prequel to the 1982 Henson movie The Dark Crystal (Universal), which was directed to by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, based on a Henson story concept. Henson also recently announced that it is in pre-production on a sequel feature film of Dark Crystal.

From Cynopsis Kids on 7/18/05

[MWoO]

That's interesting, but isn't manga in japanese? Will these be in english or what?

[Xela]

It will probably be in English.

I'm going to have to get to the store! When does it come out? Or is it out already?

[Muppetfreak]

I just report the news as I see it so I have no idea when. I was hoping posting this would cause Phil to jump all over it like butter on a hot potato. ;-)

I know they did this recently with My Little Pony (my other true love) and released an english graphic novel.

Could be very very cool. If anyone else has info, please share.

[Drtooth]

Personally, I follow more Shonen Jump Titles (well, One Piece, Dragonball, Kinnikuman, and Dr. Slump), but I wonder what they'll do with Mirror Mask.

Will it be a Japanese style Manga, like they did with Monsters INC? Or will it be one of their "Cine-manga" with just screen shots and dialogue bubbles, like they do with Spongebob or Family guy?

[EleganceLiberty]

My guess is that it'll be like 'Princess Ai', another Tokyopop series.

Meaning: Written primarily in English, but maybe some Japanese artist (or some Westerner skilled at the style, like the 'Rising Stars of Manga' contest they hold every year) will draw it.

[beaker]

Don't forget Dark Crystal: the anime series!

Remember back in May when The Jim Henson Company announced that they will be producing a sequel to The Dark Crystal? (click here to refresh your memory). Well, at their 50th anniversary panel at Comic-Con, the Company announced that a prequel is in the works as well! The Jim Henson Company announced that they are planning a 2-D anime-style series that will be a prequel to "The Dark Crystal". The series will show life before the crystal cracked, what happened when it did crak, how the Gelfling race was eliminated, and a lot more of the Dark Crystal. The show will premiere on Cartoon Network's "Toonami" programming block, although a date hasn't been specified yet. I will keep you posted as more information surfaced about the animated show (and the upcoming film too).

As for the manga, I am more an anime guy than black and white manga, but as an overall comic fan these sound intriguing. I remember the Marvel Dark Crystal graphic novel(Im not old, I swear!) Sounds cool to me! Id like to see a Muppet manga some day as well. The Muppets done in Japanese style sounds intriguing.

[MrsPepper]

Yes, Drtooth, you're a jump fan? I <3 Naruto and One Piece, myself.

I think it's going to be japanese style comic, since someone asked. If it's those cine-manga things with screenshots, it wouldn't be worth the money and effort.

I'm actually looking forwared to this, it sounds really cool!

[Drtooth]

Originally Posted by MrsPepper

I think it's going to be japanese style comic, since someone asked. If it's those cine-manga things with screenshots, it wouldn't be worth the money and effort.

Yeah, I was deeply dissappointed by the Finding Nemo being a cinemanga, as they did such a great job with the Monsters Inc one. I am intregued to by the Family Guy cinemanga, but other than that, fo'get it.

A Henson Anime project? hmmm.... wasn't there to be an anime style show based on Far Scape that never took off?

[MrsPepper]

**Knocks on wood** Let's not jinx it... I want to see this come into play.

Haha, I wonder of they're make Jareth look like David Bowie?

[Muppetfreak]

did anyone see the new graphic novel Nancy Drews? I only skimmed them. Interesting....

[Ernie101]

i'm not too much for anime. I haven't been able to find many good ones, maybe I am looking in all the wrong places.

[Infinity Sirius]

The comics are supposed to continue the stories, so I doubt they will be like the cine-manga.

Manga in Japan is used to reference US or Japan comics. It just has been applied to imports from Japan to distinguish them. They are probably also using the manga title to get the anime/manga fans into the project, because there is a bit more fantasy manga than there are in Amercian comics so there's already a potential market other than Muppet fans.

[Infinity Sirius]

Also forget to add that there were Muppet comics once upon a time and are collected into a few books I think.

Another thing, if you search ebay for Muppet Doujinshi, you'll probably come up with something.

Doujinshi are fanmade comics from Japan.

[Ernie101]

Oh, their actually were Muppet comics? or are? Where did you find them?