‘Amerlia Rules’ at Simon & Schuster
Jimmy Gownley’s delightful Amelia Rules! has been picked up by a division of Simon & Schuster for repackaging for the bookstore market. Gownley began sel-fpublishing the comic in 2001 thoruhg his Renaissance Press imprint and features the advenuteres of Amelia Louise McBride and her fourth grade buddies. Since its inception, the series has tackled real world issues through the prism of youth and has received priase.
The series has been nominated for three Eisner Awards, two Harvey Awards, and a short list finalist for the Howard E. Day Prize. in 2002. In 2007 Amelia Rules Volume 3: Superheroes won the Cybil Award for Best graphic novel for readers twelve and under.
Ginee Seo Books, an imprint of Atheneum/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, will reprint the first four Amelia Rules! trade collections beginning with Amelia Rules!: The Whole World’s Crazy to be published in Spring 2009 and the last reprint Amelia Rules!: When the Past is a Present scheduled for release in Spring 2010. The fifth volume, Amelia Rules!: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular will be the first original publication with the hardcover and paperback scheduled to come out simultaneously in Fall 2010.
“Jimmy is a true creative genius, and Amelia Rules! has that rare combination of mass appeal and literary substance that every publisher dreams about. We are thrilled for Jimmy to be joining the S&S list, as we work to expand our list with some of the top comic and graphic novel talent publishing today, and we look forward to making his name and his characters known to even wider audience beyond his already substantial following,” said Ginee Seo, VP, Editorial Director of Ginee Seo Books.
Jimmy Gownley added in a release, “It was important for me to find the perfect home for Amelia Rules! and I strongly believe Simon & Schuster and Ginee Seo books are a great match. I am more excited than ever about Amelia and kids graphic novels in general”
Glad to see that the comic will be in the mass market. Although I haven't read many issues, I still remember the Iraq war one and was very impressed with it.