Disney Forms Kingdom Comics

BURBANK, May 29: The Walt
Disney Studios has signed a multi-year deal with Ahmet Zappa, Harris Katleman
and Christian Beranek to oversee Kingdom Comics, a newly launched venture
dedicated to developing graphic novels to create new film projects, as well as
re-imagining motion pictures from the Disney live-action vault.

Kingdom Comics will soon
announce some of the leading graphic novelists and artists in the genre who will
collaborate on upcoming projects. Disney Publishing Worldwide, the largest
distributor of comic books in the world, will have the first opportunity to
distribute publications created by Kingdom Comics.

Zappa started out as an
actor on such shows as Roseanne
and Growing Pains. In 2006, he
sold the rights to his first novel, The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty
McFearless, to Disney and Jerry
Bruckheimer Films. He is currently writing the second installment in that
series and is executive producing Fraggle Rock with The Jim Henson Company.

Katleman served as
president and CEO of Twentieth Television from 1980 to 1992, during which time
the studio developed programs such as L.A. Law, The Simpsons, Anything But Love, In
Living Color, Doogie Howser,
M.D. (in association with Steven
Bochco Productions), Civil Wars
and NYPD Blue. He also oversaw
production on the final four years of M*A*S*H and Trapper John, and guided the development of The Tracey
Ullman Show and Picket Fences, among others. Following his tenure at Twentieth
Television, he joined Mark Goodson Productions as COO from 1993-95, followed by
a stint as COO and partner in Jonathan Goodson Productions. Katleman continues
to be in partnership with Jonathan Goodson Productions. His recent credits
include executive producing the syndicated shows Forgive or Forget, House Calls and Dirty Rotten Cheater.

Beranek formed his own
publishing company, Silent Devil, in 1996, which produced titles like Dracula
vs. King Arthur and Super Frat. He also consults for companies such as Universal
Music Publishing, Harley Davidson, AOL and Mazda on graphic novels and their
value as both intellectual properties and marketing devices. As a writer, he
penned the origin of John Doe for the New Line/Zenescope series Se7en and scripted the creator-owned franchise Willow
Creek. He recently finished the
latest draft of the Dracula vs. King Arthur screenplay.

Oren Aviv, the president
of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production, said: "We're very
excited to be working with Harris, Ahmet and Christian in developing this new
business devoted to creating stories and properties for the graphic-novel
audience, as well as for moviegoers. They are three of the top talents in their
respective fields and together they have the knowledge, expertise and instincts
to create great publications and film properties. Some of these exciting
publications will be inspired by films and characters in the vast and storied
Disney library, while other original graphic novels are sure to spark great ideas
for future Disney classics. Our vision for Kingdom Comics is to bring a fresh,
contemporary approach to Disney properties that already have a strong
connection with moviegoers and readers all over the world, and to add to that
storytelling legacy."

—By Irene Lew