Archaia Entertainment Launching Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes

BOOM! Studios isn't the only one on the Planet of the Apes train. Archaia Entertainment has just announced a brand new title in the mythos in Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes, an illustrated novel.

Written by Andrew E.C. Gaska, the work is adapted from a story by Gaska, Rich Handley, Christian Berntsen and Erik Matthews. It looks at what happened to astronaut John Landon, Dr. Milo and Dr. Galen and Chief Marcus between the scenes of the original film. The book contains 30 full-color paints and another 19 black and white illustrations, as well as a cover by artist Jim Steranko. The interiors reflect the talent of some of the best in the industry today, including Ken Kelly, Joe Jusko, Sanjulian, Mark Texeira, Leo Leibelman, Matt Busch, Brian Rood, Tom Scioli, David Hueso, Dan dussault and Dirk Shearer.

“It means a lot to have this project be set for release and we cannot think of a better partner to have than Archaia with their outstanding production value,” said Gaska. “It’s been a great working partnership with 20th Century Fox and an honor to contribute to this legendary franchise.”

Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes also marks Archaia’s first venture into prose books.

“We’re very excited about our first foray into prose fiction publishing, particularly being able to work with a brilliant creative talent in Drew Gaska and a storied franchise like Planet of the Apes. I’m a huge fan of the original film and Conspiracy is a great example of an author playing successfully in an established narrative canon. We are very excited to introduce this extraordinary science fiction release across the book trade and genre markets and look forward to Conspiracy emerging as one of the year’s most talked-about titles,” said Mark Smylie, CCO of Archaia.

Full press release after the jump.

Archaia Entertainment Targets a July Launch for Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes
Features 30 Full-Color Illustrations From The Industry’s Most Acclaimed Artists

CHICAGO (May 23, 2011) – Archaia Entertainment has set July 25th for the release of Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes, its first illustrated novel, through its new book trade distributor Publishers Group West (PGW).

Written by celebrated author, artist, and digital producer Andrew E.C. Gaska, and adapted from a story by Gaska, Rich Handley, Christian Berntsen and Erik Matthews, Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes recounts what happened between the scenes of the classic 1968 Twentieth Century Fox film, centering on the astronaut John Landon, Chimpanzee scientists Dr. Milo and Dr. Galen, and Gorilla Security Chief Marcus. The book contains 30 full-color paintings and another 19 black-and-white illustrations, including a cover by legendary artist Jim Steranko (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and interior art from some of the top talent in the industry, including renowned book cover painter Ken Kelly (Conan, KISS), Joe Jusko (Savage Sword of Conan, Tarzan), Sanjulian (Eerie, Vampirella), Mark Texeira (Ghost Rider, Wolverine), Leo Leibelman (Heavy Metal), Matt Busch (Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica), Brian Rood (Indiana Jones, Star Wars), Tom Scioli (Godland), David Hueso (G.I. Joe: Storm Shadow) and newcomers Dan Dussault (Critical Millennium) and Dirk Shearer (Mice Templar).

Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes marks an expansion of Archaia’s successful collaboration with Gaska, following up on his science fiction comic epic, Critical Millennium: The Dark Frontier, which has received early critical acclaim.

“It means a lot to have this project be set for release and we cannot think of a better partner to have than Archaia with their outstanding production value,” said Gaska. “It’s been a great working partnership with 20th Century Fox and an honor to contribute to this legendary franchise.”

Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes also marks Archaia’s first venture into prose books.

“We’re very excited about our first foray into prose fiction publishing, particularly being able to work with a brilliant creative talent in Drew Gaska and a storied franchise like Planet of the Apes. I’m a huge fan of the original film and Conspiracy is a great example of an author playing successfully in an established narrative canon. We are very excited to introduce this extraordinary science fiction release across the book trade and genre markets and look forward to Conspiracy emerging as one of the year’s most talked-about titles,” said Mark Smylie, CCO of Archaia.

The original Planet of the Apes was an immediate pop-culture phenomenon, spanning decades with several film and television sequels, including the 2001 remake starring Mark Wahlberg and the latest, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, starring 127 Hours star James Franco, Harry Potter’s Tom Felton and Immortals’ Freida Pinto.

About Archaia Entertainment
Archaia is a multi-award-winning graphic novel publisher with more than 50 renowned publishing brands, including such domestic and international hits as Mouse Guard, Return of the Dapper Men, Gunnerkrigg Court, Awakening, The Killer, Days Missing, Tumor, Syndrome, Artesia, Engineer, and an entire line of The Jim Henson Company graphic novels. Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds, building one of the industry’s most visually stunning and eclectic slates of graphic novels. Archaia was named Graphic Novel Publisher of the Year according to Ain’t it Cool News, Graphic Policy, and Comic Related, and was honored with nine 2011 Eisner Awards nominations. Archaia has also successfully emerged as a prolific storyteller in all facets of the entertainment industry, extending their popular brands into film, television, gaming, and branded digital media.

About Drew Gaska
For the past decade, Gaska has served as a freelance consultant for Rockstar Games on such hit titles as Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, the Midnight Club series, and all other major releases. He is the founder and creative director of BLAM! Ventures, a guerrilla design studio that produces print and digital media for the comic book and science fiction industry. Gaska is currently writing and directing a Space: 1999 revival graphic novel and digital media series - continuing the legacy the show started thirty five years ago - as well as working on various new graphic novel projects.

About Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising
A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.