Vault has unveiled Kid Maroon, the new neo-noir comic series based on the storied 1940’s comic strip created by the legendary cartoonist, Pep Shepard. The new Kid Maroon series will be written by Christopher Cantwell, drawn by Victor Santos, colored by Mattia Iacono, lettered by Andworld Design, and designed by Adam Cahoon. 

Originally created by Shepard in 1944, the daily Kid Maroon comic strip focused on a hard-boiled boy detective who investigates horrendous crimes in his hometown of “Crimeville”. The series quickly attracted significant controversy, as the stories drew on Shepard’s nihilistic outlook, penchant for violence, and obsession with bathtub laudanum. The backlash against the series, coupled with the rising tides of the Comics Code, led to the strip’s cancellation after just 216 episodes. This caused Shepard to become completely disaffected with the comic book medium, and he would go on to bury all his original art in what is believed to be a field in South Dakota, location unknown. Despite all of this, Kid Maroon became a tremendous cult hit that has inspired underground and independent comics ever since. 

Vault’s Kid Maroon series will mark the first time in 75 years that comics only hard-boiled boy-detective will see print. 

Kid Maroon will debut with a stunning double-length first issue that will hit store shelves in November 2024.

Back in print for the first time in over 75 years in a stunning double-length issue #1… the world’s only hard-boiled boy detective – KID MAROON. From Christopher Cantwell (Iron Man, Doctor Doom, The Blue Flame, Halt and Catch Fire) and Victor Santos (Polar, Violent Love)!

Two years ago, Walden Maroon outgrew his small town, his loving parents, and the low stakes mysteries involving missing butterflies and stolen cookies. Since then, he’s dwelled within the cesspit of Crimeville, where murders, vice, and corruption are the city’s bread and butter. But at 12 years old, Kid is weary. When a string of horrific killings and arsons spring up in the streets, can he crack the case with his quick wits and slingshot? Or does Kid Maroon secretly yearn for what he’s never gotten to be… a kid?