IDW Publishing has announced the inclusion of Sunday Press Books to their publishing group. Sunday Press Books is a specialty publishing house known for restoring classic American comic strips and reprinting them as hardcover editions in the original size and colors. Conceived by Peter Maresca, Sunday Press has reintroduced titles like Little Nemo in Slumberland, Krazy Kat, Thimble Theatre, and others.
Through the partnership, Maresca will retain independence as he curates famous and forgotten comic strips, as well as working on marketing the books for sale. Out of print collections will get new printings and IDW will launch a digital publishing program that brings the classics to a new generation.
“Since I accidentally became a publisher in 2005, my goal has been to do what no one was willing to do at the time: accurately recreate the experience of reading newspaper comics that were destined to disappear,” Maresca said. “But the business end has been daunting. Partnering with IDW allows me to take advantage of their experience and infrastructure to reach a broader audience while concentrating on the production of new editions.”
“The amazing restoration work and resultant books that Pete Maresca produces through Sunday Press is very much in sync with our own efforts to produce archival quality reprints of the comics and newspaper strips that built the foundation of our entire industry,” Chris Ryall, IDW’s President & Publisher/Chief Creative Officer, said. “We’re all ecstatic to be able to provide the support and publishing acumen to help his gorgeous books reach an even wider audience.”
“As someone who has been known to do big, unwieldy books from time to time, I can say without reservation that I am a long-time fan of what Pete Maresca does at Sunday Press Books. Having him team with IDW is a comic strip collector’s dream come true, and I can’t wait to see what’s next,” Scott Dunbier, IDW’s Director of Special Projects said.
IDW’s first Sunday Press publication will be Little Joe, the uncredited work from Little Orphan Annie creator Harold Gray. It will debut in late 2019.
