July 20, Mt. Laurel, NJ: The King is back! Dynamite is partnering with DeVito ArtWorks to produce an exciting new line of comics and board games based on King Kong of Skull Island, the most comprehensive King Kong Universe ever created. More than just the first giant monster to thrill audiences, Kong became a cultural icon to viewers around the world and this new line of merchandise will thrill and energize Kong fans of all ages.
"There is perhaps no more famous giant monster in all of fiction than Kong," said Nick Barrucci, Dynamite CEO and Publisher. "Kong was the first classic giant monster who influenced generations of storytellers in all forms of entertainment. These kinds of figures are such an integral part of comics history, going back to the anthology tales Stan Lee was telling with Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others before the Fantastic Four brought superheroes back to the forefront. But no comics fan can say no to a humongous, fearsome ape - sometimes with a heart of gold. And adding Joe DeVito to the equation, an artist who I've worked with for nearly 30 years, who is so talented, it's an incredibly rewarding experience. We're excited to also be bringing games to the table, as Skull Island is such a fascinating setting that will translate perfectly!"
After sailing to remote parts of a still unknown and mysterious world, filmmaker and adventurer Merian C. Cooper conceived something so fantastic that it would forever imprint the planet’s collective imagination: King Kong, an immortal Beauty and the Beast tale. A king and a god in his world, Kong, a colossal, terrifying anthropoid, is brought low by his unrequited love for a tiny blond woman, Ann Darrow. This leads to his being captured and brought to New York City in chains, where he escapes to make a spectacular last stand atop the Empire State Building. Protective of Ann to the very end, Kong is finally overcome by a hoard of machine gun firing aeroplanes. Bullet ridden but unbowed, Kong finally plummets to his death a thousand feet below. “The aviators didn’t get him...It was Beauty killed the Beast,” laments Kong’s captor, Carl Denham, in one of the most famous lines in history.
“King Kong has been a passion of mine since I first saw the 1933 classic back in 1960.” DeVito relates, “DeVito ArtWorks has worked exclusively in concert with the Merian C. Cooper Estate in creating “King Kong of Skull Island” to delve into all things King Kong and Skull Island. Now is a perfect time to partner again with Nick and expand still further on another fabulous Kong adventure in comic books and gaming–exciting times ahead!”
Founded in 2002, DeVito ArtWorks, LLC is an artist-driven transmedia studio dedicated to the creation and development of multi-faceted properties including King Kong of Skull Island, War Eagles, and the Primordials. DeVito ArtWorks is founded and led by renowned artist, illustrator and author, Joe DeVito. DeVito ArtWorks is represented by World Builder Entertainment.
Look to Diamond Comic Distributors’ Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, for our exciting line of King Kong of Skull Island comics and board games that will be debuting soon.
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About Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, The Shadow, Red Sonja, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, A Game of Thrones, and more. Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such as Vampirella, Pantha, Evil Ernie, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Chastity, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high-profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Gail Simone, Christopher Priest, Leah Moore, Kevin Smith, David Walker, Vita Ayala, Danny Lore, Neil Gaiman, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Mark Russell, Brandon Thomas, Amy Chu, Reginald Hudlin, Nancy Collins, David Walker, Steve Orlando, Greg Pak, Jenny Frison, Matt Wagner, and a host of up-and-coming new talent. Dynamite is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles - including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's Project Superpowers - have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005, Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%) and again in 2011. The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards.
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