Devil's Due Secures Rights For D&D Comics
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The world of Dungeons and Dragons will be returning to comic book life as Devil's Due unleashes a whole new group of comic series based on Forgotten Realms®, Dragonlance®, Ravenloft™, Eberron™ and Spell Jammers™, properties in the Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons® library. Their first offering this June will be based on the work of R.A. Salvatore, specifically his Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy which includes the three volumes: Homeland, Exile and Sojourn. The story will be adapted in three 48 page issues by writer Andrew Dabb and artist Tim Seeley. Editor Mark Powers told THE PULSE how the deal came about, what to expect from the works, and some other details about why the upcoming D&D works shouldn't be missed.
Editor Mark Powers told THE PULSE that Hasbro came to Devil's Due with the idea of the publisher creating works based on the Dungeons and Dragons properties. He said Devil's Due was always aware that D&D was an "option in the Hasbro library" but that it "took a while, in all honesty, to understand the huge following behind the property." Powers elaborated, "There were a lot of fans in the office, but that doesn't always equate to the sales you need. After researching, though, we're confident in the potential success of these books."
"No other adaptations come into play in our titles," clarified Powers. "We are starting our D & D run with adaptations of two of the most popular D & D sagas: Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy and Dragonlance: Chronicles."
Powers viewed it as a "good thing" to have Hasbro come to Devil's Due with the idea of producing new works. "Fortunately, we're past the stage where we need to prove ourselves, and licensors can rely on our track record," Powers explained. "Then it's just a matter of throwing numbers back and forth until both parties say 'agreed.' We DID submit art, though, to show them what we were thinking of doing, and how we would handle the property."
The editor explained they showed their art to Wizards of the Coast to illustrate how the group would approach the property. "Just some different examples of how we'd like to approach the art stylistically," Powers revealed. "Their response was very positive. Clearly, they're looking for a licensee that can expand their fan base while remaining faithful to the source material, and so far it seems we've got their confidence."
Devil's Due believes that the fantasy and other elements that attract comic readers are readily available in any one of the D&D properties. "These worlds are populated with memorable, compelling characters - that's really what it comes down to, and that's why these properties have endured," Powers enthused. "I think that there's awareness of the name and general concept of 'Dungeons & Dragons.' It's been so popular for so long, even if you've never seen, played, or read the novels or games, you've probably heard of it. And you probably know it's a fantasy setting. So I do think there is a bit of crossover, though we feel potentially the largest group of readers we can reach are those who frequent the bookstore market more so than tried and true comic book readers."
"Our thinking is, the bookstore market - the folks who comprise that market already know the property exists," continued Powers. "The various Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, and other D & D novels and products already enjoy a huge presence and following in bookstores. Any novel R.A. Salvatore releases immediately becomes a NY Times bestseller. What we're looking to do is give those readers a different way to experience the Dark Elf story, and eventually - if all goes well - produce all original material. We'll be doing that sooner in the case of Eberron. From a marketing stand point however, we are working with Wizards of the Coast and have a few special tricks up our sleeves."
