Official Press Release

Hardcover series of Secret Agent Corrigan starts in July
from IDW’s Library of American Comics

San Diego, CA (May 5, 2010) – IDW Publishing announced today a new hardcover series from its Library of American Comics imprint — X-9: Secret Agent Corrigan. Drawn by Al Williamson and written by Archie Goodwin from 1967 through 1980, Secret Agent Corrigan is one of the classics of modern adventure newspaper comics.The multi-book series is the first-ever comprehensive collection of the strip and will be printed from Al Williamson’s personal proofs in an oversized format that matches IDW’s exquisite Rip Kirby series by Alex Raymond. The first volume features an introduction by Mark Schultz, and an essay on X-9‘s long history by Bruce Canwell.

“Al Williamson’s delicate line-work, coupled with a style that’s both realistic and atmospheric, enhances the no-nonsense story of the sophisticated action hero Phil Corrigan,” said series editor Scott Dunbier. Dean Mullaney, series designer and the Library of American Comics Creative Director, added, “Archie Goodwin’s unerring sense of pacing, which he developed in comic books, is even more noticeable in the daily strip format.”

Secret Agent Corrigan updates the character created in 1934 by Dashiell Hammett (The Maltese Falcon) and Alex Raymond (Rip Kirby). X-9 was originally an agent known only by his code name, who worked for an unknown government agency. Over the years, the series benefited from the individual styles of many writers and artists—including Leslie Charteris (author of The Saint novels), Charles Flanders, Mel Graff, Bob Lubbers, and George Evans — but it is the Goodwin/Williamson tenure that is most fondly remembered by today’s comics fans. It was during their run that X-9 received the name of Phil Corrigan.

X-9: Secret Agent Corrigan, Volume One ($49.99, 296 pages) debuts in July 2010. Diamond order code MAY10 0403. ISBN 978-1-60010-677-2.

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About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; the BBC’s Doctor Who; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studios; and is the print publisher for EA Comics and ComicMix.

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

About The Library of American Comics
The Library of American Comics, an imprint of IDW Publishing, was established in 2007 to preserve the long and jubilantly creative history of the American newspaper comic strip in archival, hardcover editions. To date, every LoAC release has been nominated for an Eisner or Harvey Award and the imprint’s inaugural series, Terry and the Pirates, won the Eisner in 2008. Creative and Editorial Director Dean Mullaney has been an influential force in the comics field since 1978, when he published the first graphic novel for the comics specialty market (Sabre by Don McGregor and Paul Gulacy). His pioneering efforts, as founder and publisher of Eclipse Comics, brought about many milestones to the field, including creator copyright ownership, the first line of Japanese manga in English translation in 1988, and the first digitally-colored comic book. More information about The Library of American Comics can be found on IDW’s website— www.idwpublishing.com—and that of the imprint itself—www.libraryofamericancomics.com.