Del Rey Announces Secret Saturdays GNs

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Press Release

Del Rey Manga, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, in collaboration with Cartoon Network Enterprises, today announced two brand new graphic novels based on the hit Cartoon Network action-adventure series, The Secret Saturdays. This deal follows on the heels of the successful debut of the Ben 10 Alien Force and Bakugan Battle Brawlers film-comics in Fall 2008.

Christina Miller, vice president, Cartoon Network Enterprises says, ”The Secret Saturdays features great animation and action, two qualities that lend themselves to a rich publishing program. As a key part of the brand’s consumer products launch this fall, we look forward to building on the success we have had to date with Del Rey Manga to create a strong The Secret Saturdays publishing program.”

The first Secret Saturdays film-comics will release in September 2009 with a second volume to follow. In the same format as both the Ben 10 Alien Force and Bakugan Battle Brawlers film-comics, the book will feature detailed, full-color stills straight from the animated series and will be rated for all ages.

The Secret Saturdays series, which debuted in October 2008, found its home on Cartoon Network’s “Action Fridays” animation block, and its combination of family life, fantastical creatures and action-packed adventures appealed to a large audience. The Saturdays, a family of cryptozoologists, dedicate themselves to protecting secret artifacts and mysterious, hidden monsters, cryptids, across the world. Their adventures—which take them from ancient ruins to bottomless caves—have lead to encounters with some of the weirdest and wildest creatures on the planet.

“With its rich characters and intriguing stories, The Secret Saturdays is the latest Cartoon Network series to achieve widespread international popularity,” says Mutsumi Miyazaki, director of licensing and acquisitions for Del Rey Manga. “We believe that this new film-comic will bring new fans to The Secret Saturdays, and we look forward to building further success for the franchise while expanding our strong partnership with Cartoon Network.”