Tag Archives: jim henson company

BOOM! Studios Announces the Jim Henson’s Labyrinth 2017 Special

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BOOM! Studios, in partnership with The Jim Henson Company, has announced the Jim Henson’s Labyrinth 2017 Special, on sale in November. Featuring a diverse assembly of acclaimed creators, including Jeff Stokely, Roger Langridge, Delilah S. Dawson, Adam Smith, Katie Cook, Ryan Sook, Derek Kirk Kim, and more, this second annual special is an all-new collection of short stories that celebrates the various characters and creatures from the world of Labyrinth (1986). This includes the never-before-told story of how Sir Didymus met his trusted steed Ambrosius, and the story of a goblin running late to the famous “Dance Magic Dance” sequence from the iconic film.

The Jim Henson Company Renews Licensing Agreements with BOOM! Studios

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The Jim Henson Company has signed a new five-year agreement with graphic novel and comic book publisher BOOM! Studios to develop and publish at least seventeen new titles for its beloved classic brands, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock and The Storyteller.

An earlier agreement between The Jim Henson Company and BOOM! Studios resulted in the publication of twenty new titles under its Archaia imprint for the four brands, including The New York Times Best Seller and YALSA-nominated Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths; and two Harvey Award-nominees, Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock Classics Volume 2, for Best Domestic Reprint, and The Storyteller: Witches #4, for Best Single Issue or Story.  Additionally, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth Tales won The Diamond Comic Distributors Gem Award for Trade Book of the Year.

McFarlane Toys to Produce Figures from Classic Films Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal

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The Jim Henson Company has partnered with McFarlane Toys, which will harken back to its roots of “Movie Maniacs” to create figures of classic characters from two of Henson’s most well-known features Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal.

Directed by visionary Jim Henson and executive produced by George Lucas, Labyrinth is a fanboy favorite and wonder of puppetry. Stuck babysitting her brother, teenager Sarah, resentfully wishes The Goblin King (memorably portrayed by David Bowie) can take him away. When her wish comes true, Sarah must head into the Labyrinth herself to save him. Since its 1986 release the film has garnered a cult popularity and is still reveled in today’s era as a timeless classic.

The Dark Crystal, directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, brilliantly weaves a timeless myth of good and evil. In another time, The Dark Crystal, a source of balance and truth in the universe, was broken, dividing the world into two factions; the wicked Skeksis and the peaceful Mystics. Now, as the convergence of the three suns approaches, the crystal must be healed, or darkness will reign forever. The Dark Crystal’s fanbase has only risen since the film’s debut and has also developed a cult following of fans across the world.

McFarlane Toys has produced highly detailed figures and construction sets for various entertainment properties and this collaboration with The Jim Henson Company will give fans of these iconic films new and unique action figures that are “true to life” replicas of their on-screen personas.

The upcoming toys will include a 7-inch figure of Labyrinth’s Jareth The Goblin King, and for The Dark Crystal, fans can look forward to figures of Jen and Kira. Each figure will be highly detailed and come fully articulated to recreate infamous movie scenes. These figures will also debut in new window box collector packaging and will come with Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal branded detailed bases.

McFarlane Toys’ Labyrinth Jareth The Goblin King figure will be available at major retailers this November carrying an MSRP: $19.99. The Dark Crystal Jen and Kira figures are slated to release Spring 2018.

The Dark Crystal Gets a Comic Book Sequel

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Archaia and The Jim Henson Company have announced The Power of the Dark Crystal, a new comic book series that serves as a sequel to the beloved 1982 film, The Dark Crystal.

Based on the screenplay by David Odell, Annette Odell, and Craig Pearce that was written for a planned feature film, the 12-issue monthly limited series is adapted by Eisner Award-nominated writer Simon Spurrier and illustrated by rising artists Kelly and Nichole Matthews. The first issue of The Power of the Dark Crystal debuts on February 15, 2017.

Countless decades have passed since the events of the original film. Though Jen and Kira have ruled Thra from the Crystal Castle peacefully as King and Queen, bringing Gelfling back to the land, they have become distracted by power and can no longer feel or see the needs of the world and its people the way they once did. Enter Thurma, a young Fireling girl tasked with obtaining a shard of the Dark Crystal—by any means necessary—to restore power to her realm. This sets in motion an incredible adventure in which Thurma will attempt to steal a crystal shard, befriend the young Gelfling Kensho, and accidentally bring back the Skeksis and Mystics.

The story of The Power of the Dark Crystal is that of reconciling the inner and the outer worlds—perhaps even the unconscious and the conscious.

The main cover to issue #1 is illustrated by Eisner Award-winning artist Jae Lee and June Chung. Variant covers are illustrated by Sana Takeda and David Petersen.

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Archaia Presents Final Installment of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths

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Archaia, an imprint of BOOM! Studios, and The Jim Henson Company, an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years, are pleased to announce the third and final installment in the exciting prequel to The Dark Crystal film, Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 3, from writer Matthew Dow Smith and returning artist Alex Sheikman.

This beautiful hardcover also features behind-the-scenes photos and concept sketches from The Jim Henson Company Archives documenting how the puppet design of one creature that never made it into the film was adapted and brought to life on the comic page.

Following the events of the Great Conjunction, the once-powerful Urskeks have been split into two separate beings: the Skeksis and the Mystics. As the aftermath of the Great Conjunction wreaks havoc upon the Gelfling tribes, the Gelfling may have no choice but to rely upon the one race offering aid: the Skeksis.

Archaia’s Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 3 hardcover arrives in comic shops on September 2nd and in bookstores September 8th with a cover price of $24.99 under Diamond code JUL151086. The cover is illustrated by legendary conceptual artist Brian Froud.

The Final Order Cutoff deadline for retailers is August 10th.

Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Creation Myths Vol. 3 Cover by Brian Froud

Archaia Announces New Fraggle Rock Limited Series

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Archaia and The Jim Henson Company invite you to “dance your cares away” with the all-new, comic book limited series Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring. Ever since publishing two Fraggle Rock anthology collections of short stories with The Jim Henson Company several years ago, the publisher has been eager to tell one big, epic, Fraggle-tastic tale. New York Times bestselling author Kate Leth teams up with Fraggle Rock veteran artist Jake Myler for a fun story that new and longtime fans alike can enjoy.

The Fraggles will adventure to places they’ve never been before, places where Gobo, Red, Mokey, Wembley, and Boober will meet brand-new friends, sing brand-new songs, and dance their cares away! No one mastered the all-ages art form quite like Jim Henson, and the characters of Fraggle Rock remain some of his most beloved creations. Leth and Myler have spun a hilarious, super fun story for both longtime fans and comic readers of all ages who’ve yet to meet this lovable gang of Fraggles.

When the water supply of Fraggle Rock mysteriously runs dry, the Fraggles have to journey deep into the caves of Fraggle Rock to find the fabled Everspring where adventure awaits and no Fraggle has gone before!

Archaia’s Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring #1 (of 4) arrives in comic shops on October 8th with a cover price of $3.99. The main cover will be illustrated by series artist Jake Myler, with a retailer incentive cover by Jake Myler and The Jim Henson Company Archives.

FRAGGLE ROCK JOURNEY TO THE EVERSPRING #1 Incentive Cover by FRAGGLE ROCK JOURNEY TO THE EVERSPRING #1 Main Cover by

Archaia and The Jim Henson Company Announce ‘A Tale of Sand’

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Official Press Release

ARCHAIA AND THE JIM HENSON COMPANY ANNOUNCE NEW, ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL WRITTEN BY JIM HENSON AND JERRY JUHL

NEVER-PRODUCED, FEATURE-LENGTH SCRIPT FROM THE JIM HENSON COMPANY ARCHIVES TO BE ADAPTED INTO A HARDCOVER

Los Angeles, CA (August 4, 2010) – Seeking to ignite imaginations and spark curiosity, The Jim Henson Company and Archaia announced they will publish an original graphic novel hardcover based on A TALE OF SAND, a never-before-seen screenplay written by Jim Henson and his friend and longtime collaborator Jerry Juhl that the two had worked on for many years in the 1960s. The project will be undertaken under the approval and supervision of The Jim Henson Company’s CEO Lisa Henson, and will be guided through the production process by Archaia Editor-in Chief Stephen Christy.

“Finding something like this in the archives of The Henson Company was like finding the creative equivalent of a Rosetta Stone,” said Christy. “This script is a peek into the early creative mind of Jim Henson, and is a unique vision that is so different from his work with The Muppets, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, or any of his other later works. Archaia is proud, honored and extremely excited to team with The Jim Henson Company to present this work by Jim Henson as a fitting tribute to his legacy and as a fantastic treat for his fans all over the world.”

A Tale of Sand, a dark, existential feature-length screenplay that built off of ideas Jim Henson had been developing around the time he produced his Academy Award-nominated short film “Timepiece,” tells the story of a young man who hears, “Run, boy… run!” as he is kicked out of a dusty town in the middle of the desert. There’s nothing but sand in every direction, but run he does, with only a rucksack of odds-and-ends to his name, as he embarks on an oddball journey.

“A Tale of Sand was a very personal project for my father,” said Lisa Henson. “This hasn’t been seen by anyone outside of this company, and I feel very lucky that we can present his vision for this story in graphic novel format with Archaia, giving fans a glimpse at a piece of his creative legacy, and I hope they enjoy this look into his early creative process.”

Archaia and The Jim Henson Company entered into a multi-year publishing partnership in 2009 for Archaia to publish comics and graphic novels based on classic franchises like “Fraggle Rock,” “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth,” as well as new, co-branded original properties.

A Tale of Sand is tentatively scheduled to debut in late summer 2011.

About The Jim Henson Company

The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets, Henson has received over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include the Emmy®-nominated “Sid the Science Kid,” “Dinosaur Train,” “Wilson & Ditch: Digging America” and “Pajanimals.” Features include “The Dark Crystal,” “Labyrinth,” “MirrorMask,” and “Unstable Fables” and television productions include “Fraggle Rock” and the sci-fi cult series “Farscape.”

With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities. Independently owned and operated by the five adult children of founder Jim Henson, the Company is also home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group with international film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry’s top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state-of-the-art and vintage equipment.

The Company’s Henson Alternative brand recently launched the New York run of “Stuffed and Unstrung,” a live puppet improvisational show at the Union Square Theatre. www.henson.com


About Archaia

Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds. Archaia is: An Elegy for Amelia Johnson, Artesia, Awakening, Beautiful Scars, Berona’s War, The Black Knight, Critical Millennium, Cyclops, The Dark Crystal, Dark Fall, Days Missing, The Devil’s Handshake, The Engineer, Everlast, Feeding Ground, Fraggle Rock, God Machine, The Grave Doug Freshley, Gunnerkrigg Court, Hybrid Bastards!, Inanna’s Tears, The Killer, Killing Pickman, Labyrinth, The Lone and Level Sands, Lucid, Miranda Mercury, Moon Lake, Mouse Guard, Mr. Murder Is Dead, Okko, One in a Million, Primordia, Return of the Dapper Men, Robotika, Saga, The Secret History, Some New Kind of Slaughter, Starkweather: Immortal, Syndrome, Titanium Rain, Trial By Fire, Tumor and 10 more new titles in 2010.

Jerry Juhl and Jim Henson