Marvel Comics to Publish Superhero Novels

Posted on June 11, 2004

Marvel Comics, a comic book publisher and a division of Marvel Enterprises, Inc., has announced plans to offer books in addition to its front list of graphic novels. Marvel Comics has created Marvel Press, its first prose imprint. Marvel has hired seven-year veteran of children�s and young adult publishing, Ruwan Jayatilleke, formerly of Scholastic, to head Marvel Press and oversee its launch list. Marvel Press has three prose novels scheduled for 2004 and a minimum of 12 for 2005. The novels will use characters from the Marvel Universe.

"The primary purpose of Marvel Publishing is to create great fiction. Marvel Press is an exciting new way for us to do this, and we are enormously happy to have Ruwan on board to lead the way," said Dan Buckley, Publisher.

While prose novels are not new to Marvel Publishing (in 2003, Marvel produced Mary Jane, a young adult novel focusing on Mary Jane Watson, the long time love interest of Spider-Man�s Peter Parker), the creation of Marvel Press takes this initiative to the next level. Marvel Press will focus on three regular lines of prose aimed at grade school readers, young adults, and adult fans.

Gui Karyo, Marvel�s President of Publishing said, "Marvel Press is an important milestone for our publishing division, as it is a new tool for expanding the world of our characters and stories, while also bringing them to new audiences."

Mary Jane II will arrive in bookstores in June, followed by a fantasy Wolverine title for adults in October, and then a middle grade Spider-Man title in November.