Dynamite Entertainment, following the wave of excitement generated from the May announcement of their upcoming Grumpy Cat comic book series, is pleased to announce the complete creative team for the upcoming first issue, scheduled for release in October. The series writers include Ben Fisher (Smuggling Spirits), Ben McCool (Captain America and the Korvac Saga), Royal McGraw (Detective Comics), and Elliott R. Serrano (Army of Darkness). The interior artists will be Ken Haeser (The Living Corpse) and Steve Uy (Avengers: The Initiative), who also contribute cover artwork alongside Rebekie Bennington (Doodle Jump), Agnes Garbowska (My Little Pony), and Tavis Maiden (The Konamis). Dynamite will also offer two special cover variants: a Blank Authentix edition, perfect for fans with artistic talent to personalize; and the first-ever "Create-Your-Own-Meme" edition that provide Grumpy Cat lovers an outlet for their own curmudgeonly witticisms.
Each of the contributing writers and artists has chimed in with their enthusiasm for the project:
Rebekie Bennington, artist: "When I first got the message about doing some art for Grumpy Cat, I didn't know if I could handle the pressure of being judged by the grumpiest cat on the internet... but then I realized that my own general grumpiness made me a perfect fit!"
Rebekie Bennington, artist: "When I first got the message about doing some art for Grumpy Cat, I didn't know if I could handle the pressure of being judged by the grumpiest cat on the internet... but then I realized that my own general grumpiness made me a perfect fit!"
Ben Fisher, writer: "Grumpy Cat has managed to transcend from meme to globally recognized personality with astonishing speed. Nearly anyone with Internet access knows that face, across all ages and nationalities. It's a huge honor to be given the opportunity to participate in her entrance into a new medium. Comic books are a natural fit for Grumpy Cat, along with her supporting cast of friends and family. I'm having a blast writing these great characters and developing their world. Also, Dynamite promised that if the books do well, they'll let me pitch the Chocolate Rain graphic novel."
Agnes Garbowska, artist: "I'm working on Grumpy Cat! I am so honoured that I can take part in capturing Grumpy Cat herself in comic book form. Currently, I am working on the covers for the comics. I wrapped up a cover for issue #1 and am working on a cover for the next issue. I am super excited to be a part of the Grumpy Cat team!"
Ken Haeser, artist: "I jumped at the chance to work on Grumpy Cat when Dynamite told me they were putting out a comic. How often do you get to work on something that is so universally known? Everyone knows Grumpy Cat! And hopefully it'll bring in a lot of non-comic readers to check it out. All I know is that it is going to be a lot of fun!"
Tavis Maiden, artist: "This is literally the first thing I've worked on that my kids think is cool. When I was tasked with capturing Grumpy Cat's likeness and personality for the covers, I was met with grueling deadlines, harsh criticism, and sweeping revisions... er, I mean, praise be to our Fluffy Overlord, may we never be good enough for her."
Ben McCool, writer: "Like millions worldwide, I've had countless chuckles over the past few years thanks to Grumpy Cat. I was lucky enough to attend the miserable moggy's official birthday party last year, and didn't think I could possibly trump it in terms of cat-related coolness. Little did I know I'd find myself in a position to write stories about Grumpy (along with Pokey, her eternally optimistic, happy-go-lucky brother -- shenanigans aplenty are an absolute guarantee)! I'm delighted to be part of such an exciting, fun-filled project, and can't wait for you all to read the madcap misadventures of Grumpy Cat."
Royal McGraw, writer: "Life isn't always roses. Sometimes it's the stuff you use to fertilize roses. Grumpy Cat has become an internet sensation because she's not afraid to voice the grumpy truth... and look adorable doing it. Personally, I'm thrilled to help Dynamite Entertainment bring Grumpy Cat to a brand new medium!"
Elliott R. Serrano, writer: "I'm really excited to be a member of Team Grumpy Cat! Ever since she gained fame on the 'internetz', Grumpy Cat was destined to join the pantheon of animal personalities that have captured our imagination. Grumpy Cat gets to say the things that we all think, yet are too polite to say. When writing Grumpy Cat, I had to get in touch with that part of myself that's not afraid to point out that while the cloud may have a silver lining, it's still raining. Let's face it, the reason we all love Grumpy Cat is because we each have a little Grumpy Cat inside of us."
Steve Uy, artist: "Cat memes have become a part of American culture, and there doesn't seem to be anything stopping it. One day, when it overcomes hot dogs and baseball, I'll be able to tell my grandchildren that I was a part of the very first cat meme book with Grumpy Cat, and they will look upon me with awe and respect, and shower me with more love than I need. That is why I'm a part of this book."
Grumpy Cat #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' August Previews catalog, the premiere source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, corresponding to items shipping in October 2015. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of Grumpy Cat with their local comic book retailers. Grumpy Cat will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.
