Official Press Release

First comic series for baddest good guy ever starts in July

San Diego, CA (April 26, 2011) – IDW Publishing and Gearbox have joined forces to bring “The King” to comics for the very first time, in DUKE NUKEM: GLORIOUS BASTARD. An integral part of the massive Duke Nukem relaunch happening in June with the long-awaited release of the Duke Nukem Forever video game, this four-issue series will kick off in July and bring all the awesome battles and babes (and beers!) that Duke fans have wanted for more than a decade. Rising comics and video game writer Tom Waltz (Silent Hill: Past Life, Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime) pens DUKE NUKEM: GLORIOUS BASTARD, while artist Xermanico fills every panel with non-stop fun and action. Waltz and Xermanico are also the brains and brawn behind the special Duke Nukem Forever one-shot pack-in comic, which is featured in the Duke Nukem Forever: Balls of Steel special edition game boxset.

“I know plenty of fans have been asking for it and we’re excited to finally bring it to ‘em,” said David Eddings, Vice President of Business Development at Gearbox Software.  “Duke will be in some of the most insane action-packed stories that will show fans a whole new side of the one and only King. That’s the marketing-speak for saying it’s gonna f&#king rock!”

Debuting in July with issue #1, DUKE NUKEM: GLORIOUS BASTARD combines time-traveling Nazi UFOs, space pigs, and a hot French Resistance babe code-named the “French Tickler,” as they all run head-on into Duke Nukem. It’s an action-packed and mayhem-filled collision course in the making, and for some of them (the ones that don’t look good in bikinis, that is), it’s gonna end painfully.

“Duke Nukem is the kind of character that comic books were made for,” said Waltz. “He’s over-the-top, bombastic, rude, crude, and doesn’t have a politically correct bone in his muscle-bound body—I love him! Xermanico and I had an absolute (and literal) blast writing and drawing the pack-in comic for the video game, and it’s been no different with this new mini-series. Get ready for fun because, when it comes to The King, the only rule is that there are NO rules!”

In addition to an inspirational movie poster-like regular cover, DUKE fans can ask their local comic store about a variant Duke Nukem Forever concept-art team cover and the awesomely over-the-top foil-stamped, glow-in-the-dark, embossed cover by John K. Snyder III.

DUKE NUKEM: GLORIOUS BASTARD #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in July. Diamond order code MAY11 0328.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

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; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Toho’s Godzilla; 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.

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 Gearbox
Gearbox Software is respected industry wide for the award winning, best-selling original and licensed video games they have developed for major video game platforms.  Founded in 1999 and located near Dallas, TX, Gearbox Software is well known for the creation and development of their original blockbuster franchise, Borderlands, and has developed numerous top selling add-on packs for Borderlands.  Additionally Gearbox now has ownership of the Duke Nukem franchise, created and developed the Brothers in Arms series and developed games and added value to many of the industry’s top franchises including Halo, Half-Life, Tony Hawk, James Bond and others.  Gearbox Software’s success has been enabled and supported through several key mutually beneficial business relationships with strong publishing partners including Activision, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft Entertainment, Microsoft Games Studios, Sega of America and Take-Two/2K Games.

Currently Gearbox Software is in development with Duke Nukem Forever published by 2K Games, Aliens: Colonial Marines, published by Sega, and other unannounced AAA games for multiple platforms including the Microsoft Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Windows PC, Mac, Nintendo DS, PSP and more.