Dynamite Entertainment and The Topps Company have announced a new partnership to develop comic books and graphic novels for the cult classic Mars Attacks franchise. The irreverent spoof of 1950s B-movie sci-fi films will join Dynamite’s stable of licensed science fiction and horror properties including Battlestar Galactica, Army of Darkness, Flash Gordon, and Barbarella. The series is scheduled to launch Fall 2018. 

“We’ve been conquered! The Little Green Men of Mars Attacks have invaded the Dynamite offices... and we couldn’t be more thrilled. To work with the team at Topps, the premier name in trading card entertainment, is a dream come true. We have so many wild plans in the works. Keep watching the skies, folks – the Dynamite Mars Attacks comics will be rocketing to your town sooner than you know!” said Nick Barrucci, CEO and publisher of Dynamite.

“Dynamite has the deep appreciation of Mars Attacks that we look for in a partner. Their passion, imagination, and twisted sense of humor are sure to translate into heart-pounding stories with riveting artwork. Comics and Mars Attacks fans are in for a thrilling joy ride,” added Ira Friedman, Topps Vice President/Global Licensing.

While Mars Attacks originated as a trading card phenomenon during the 1960s Space Age, its inspiration actually stemmed from the horror and science fiction comic books of that time. The Wally Wood cover to Weird Science #16, published by EC Comics, famously piqued the imagination of product designer Len Brown, who – with Woody Gelman – developed the property for Topps. 

Released first as Attack from Space, the trading card line was quickly rebranded as Mars Attacks, and its shocking imagery (illustrated by pulp legend Norm Saunders) at once scandalized adults and drove juveniles wild. Since its 1962 debut, Mars Attacks has invaded store shelves and movie theaters with reissued cards, comic books, and – of course – the 1996 Warner Bros. film, directed by Tim Burton and starring Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Michael J. Fox, and Natalie Portman.

Mars Attacks will be solicited in an upcoming issue of Diamond’s PREVIEWS catalog and will also be available for purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, Madefire, and Dark Horse Digital.