Hey kids, lots of updates and additions have been made to the store and images sections of the Web site. The “Fused” TPB, “Freaks of the Heartland” #4, “Return To Barrow” #5, “Last Train To Deadsville” #3 and “The Nail” #2 are all up in both sections and you can buy signed copies from the store today.

Also, check out the images from Steve’s recent appearance at Comic-Con International in San Diego right here

In case you didn’t notice, there was LOTS of Steve news that came out of Comic-Con International in San Diego last weekend. You’ve already seen the interview with Steve about “Batman: Gotham County Line,” so here are some links to other stories:

CCI IDW Panel - Some good Steve bits were revealed during the panel.
IDW sets release date for “Hyde”. - It’s coming this year and with a new artist.
“Lurkers” preview art - Take a look at never before seen artwork from the forthcoming series.
“30 Days of Night” ongoing - Steve and Matt Fraction talk about the upcoming series.

Comic Book Resources has an interview with Steve about his upcoming series at DC Comics with Scott Hampton, “Batman: Gotham County Line.” You can read the full interview right here.

Official Press Release

San Diego, CA (July 19, 2004) IDW Publishing announces that they have signed a deal with Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, to do three prose novels in mass-market paperback format based in the nightmarish world of 30 Days Of Night.

The first book, Rumors of the Undead, will be published in August 2005, with the second and third novels publishing in the first half of 2006.

30 Days of Night became a phenomenon in the world of comics immediately after the first issue, of a 3-issue mini-series, was released in 2002. The title was named by Wizard magazine as “the #1 Breakout Story of 2002″ and that first issue is now worth hundreds of dollars. Spider-Man director Sam Raimi is attached to produce a Sony Pictures feature film based on the property. The trade paperback of the original 30 Days of Night mini-series was the #4 best-selling graphic novel of 2003 and there have been two successful sequels based in the world: Dark Days and 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow.

“Steve and I were talking about doing original prose novels based in the world of 30 Days of Night even before we published the first issue of the comic. I’m thrilled that Pocket Books will be publishing the books. They are an absolute powerhouse in the bookstore market and I know they’re going to do a terrific job with these books. I can’t wait to read them,” said Ted Adams, Publisher at IDW Publishing.

Steve Niles was just named by Fangoria magazine as one of their “13 rising talents who promise to keep us terrified for the next 25 years”. He is the creator of many successful comic titles, including 30 Days of Night, Wake the Dead, Aleister Arcane, Hyde, Remains, and Secret Skull. He is also the author of a series of novels based on his character Cal McDonald and has had almost all of his properties optioned for feature film development.

“I could write 30 Days of Night stories for an eternity,” Niles says, “It’s like Stella, Eben, and Norris exist and I just put down their stories.”

“Steve Niles and his wicked ways of telling a story have been irresistible to fans everywhere…me included,” says Ed Schlesinger, editor at Pocket Books. “The 30 Days of Night mythos is one of the most innovative and intoxicating sagas to explode out of the comics realm in quite some time, and expanding this world through prose fiction is going to be one hell of a ride. I’m really excited to be working with Steve and IDW Publishing and their boundless creative energy.”

IDW PUBLISHING is a division of Idea + Design Works, LLC, a revolutionary creative service company with a wide range of clients including The Upper Deck Company, Electronic Arts, Ultima Online, WizKids, Cartoon Network, Sony Online Entertainment, Nickelodeon, and many more. IDW Publishing focuses on a small number of high-quality titles. Among them are CBS’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith’s 30 Days of Night and its sequels, Dark Days and Return to Barrow; Ashley Wood’s Lore; CVO: Covert Vampiric Operations; Beau Smith’s Wynonna Earp; and Steve Niles’ Secret Skull. Sony Pictures has optioned the movie rights to 30 Days of Night, with Sam Raimi attached to produce. Konami is producing a video game based on CVO: Covert Vampiric Operations. Dimension Films has optioned the movie rights to Wake The Dead and Hyde. Paramount Pictures has optioned the movie rights to Aleister Arcane.

Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster, part of the entertainment operation of Viacom Inc., is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and multimedia formats. Its divisions include the Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Online, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonsays.com

Friday it was announced in Variety that Paramount Pictures has picked up Steve’s “Aleister Arcane” for the big screen treatment. The writing team of Dan Milano and Matthew Huffman have been pegged to adapt the tale of local TV horror host Aleister Arcane.

With Variety being subscription only, linking to them directly doesn’t make much sense, but CBR has a short write-up on the news.

Copies of the series may be picked up in the Steve Niles Store.