And last but not least . . .

Rounding out our Fall '10 offerings, here's your report on the newest licensed books and graphic novels from Stone Arch Books!


Last season, we introduced our partnership with Sports Illustrated Kids and launched our first graphic novels under the SI Kids brand. This season, we take it a step further and add full-color chapter books to the mix. The kids at Victory School all have extraordinary athletic ability, but they face ordinary struggles, learning that teamwork and fair play are just as important to them as they are to normal kids. Check out the awesome Victory School Superstars trailer, too:







We've also got six brand-new graphic novels from Sports Illustrated Kids. These books have been getting some great reviews. School Library Journal said they were "sure to fly off shelves." Nice!




Did you know that some of our ever-popular Graphic Revolve retellings of classic tales are also available in Spanish! Es verdad! English-language learners, bilingual kids, and Spanish-language learners will all appreciate these editions of some of our coolest graphic novels.




And we're granting wishes to librarians and kids everywhere by adding classic Arabian Nights tales (with absolutely breathtaking illustrations) to the Graphic Revolve set.




Ever wonder what certain monsters were like as kids? Find out in our brand-new Mighty Mighty Monsters series, set in Transylmania. Horror fans and kids who just love graphic novels will love this new series by Sean O'Reilly.






And speaking of awesome kids, we've added a new graphic novel in the Monster and Me series and the Princess Candy series, and two new graphic novels in the Incredible Rockhead series. (This time, Rockhead battles Scissorlegz and Papercutz.)





And for the new readers who love graphic novels, My First Graphic Novel is back with four new books, all set at school.






Finally, we have four new Batman books, four new Wonder Woman books, and four new Superman books in our DC Super Heroes set.




And that's our list!

If you missed my rundown of our newest books from Picture Window Books and our new novels from Stone Arch, check out those posts.

Here's my question for you, readers: What are we missing? As readers, authors, illustrators, librarians, teachers, parents—what would you like to see on this list? What do you want more of? Please let me know in the comments!

Introducing DC Super-Pets!

It’s a bird . . . it’s a dog . . . it’s a . . . monkey? Yep — it’s DC Super-Pets!

Almost everyone who’s read a magazine, watched television, or stepped outside the front door knows the name Superman. Or Batman. Or even Wonder Woman, for that matter. They’re three of the most recognized super heroes (and pop icons) of all time. But did you know that the Man of Steel has an entire collection of pets, including a dog, a cat, a monkey, and even a horse, all complete with the same powers as Superman? How about Wonder Woman’s Amazonian pet kangaroo? Or Aquaman’s pet seahorse with telepathic powers?

Though these heroic critters have been making cameos in the pages of DC comic books for more than 50 years, they’ve never been given the star treatment that many feel they deserve. Well, take heart, animal lovers: you’ll soon be introduced to the crazy and exciting world of DC Super-Pets! This new series, coming in January 2011, follows the adventures of super-hero counterparts Krypto the Super-Dog, Ace the Bat-Hound, Streaky the Super-Cat, and a cast of dozens more as they battle villainous pets and humans alike (and maybe some aliens, too!). Similar to our DC Super Heroes line, but written, illustrated, and designed for a younger audience, these full-color chapter books continue the proud partnership between DC Comics and Capstone Fiction, and will be printed under our younger Picture Window Books banner.

Even more exciting is that Eisner Award-winning artist (and comic book fan-favorite) Art Baltazar is our illustrator on this series. Mr. Baltazar is the creator/writer/artist of the hilarious comic-book series Tiny Titans, and now he’s bringing his considerable talents to the chapter book format and introducing a new world of readers to the wild side of the DC Universe. With a cute, humorous, and whimsical style, Art’s work on this series is sure to be a hit with emerging readers hungry for high-flying adventure from the far reaches of the cosmos to the depths of the sea.

Here at the Capstone Fiction offices, we couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to bring DC Super-Pets! to the masses. From the stories, to the logo, to even some of the characters, we’re working closely with our friends at DC Comics to create a totally original series. As we begin to dive into the interior design of these books, we’ll look to add even more value and original material – stuff you won’t find anywhere else in an early chapter book.

Until then, “take a gander” (as my main contact at DC likes to say) at the final covers for the inaugural season of DC Super-Pets! below...

Bob Lentz
Art Director
Capstone Fiction


TM & © DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Superman, meet the kid who saved you.

What better way to cap off a whirlwind of press and excitement than by meeting Superman himself? Our own Joan Berge and Michael Dahl are in New York today, and they're touring the DC Comics offices with our contest winner Hakeem Bennett and his hero, Mr. Brown.

Hakeem and his hero, Matthew Brown. If you look closely, you can see seeing-eye-dog extraordinaire Stanley next to Mr. Brown!

And Stone Arch Books' editorial director and author Michael Dahl couldn't resist getting in on the fun, too! (Those of us who work closely with Michael would expect nothing less.)

San Diego Comic Con 2009

Just last month, the rest of the world watched as 150,000 people descended upon the sunny harbor city of San Diego for one purpose: to feast their eyes on everything that the comic book, publishing, film, television, and video game worlds have to offer. Yes, I’m talking about Comic Con International, the largest comic book convention and pop culture phenomenon in the world. Over the past five summers, I’ve had the pleasure of attending this event, and I’ve seen a lot of great product and met a lot of great people. This year was no different, as Stone Arch Books sent me to San Diego in hopes of signing a few more great illustrators to add to our already amazing talent pool. Over two days, I reviewed over 100 portfolios and collected lots and lots of free posters, catalogs, and whatever else I could get my hands on, also known as SWAG (“Stuff We All Get”). Not only that, Comic Con is a great way to get our name out to those who may not yet know us. It’s no coincidence that we now have a working relationship with DC Comics – they found us at Comic Con!

Below are a few snapshots I took while traversing the vast landscape of booths and exhibits (not to mention negotiating the massive throng of people). Until next year...

Bob Lentz
Art Director
Stone Arch BooksThe San Diego Convention Center, home of Comic Con International for 4 1/2 days each July. It’s interesting to note that a vast majority of this convention center was added to house the ever-expanding Comic Con, which in the last 10 years has grown exponentially thanks to big budget superhero films and hyper-realistic video games.


DC Comics consistently has one of the best (and largest) booths at Comic Con, and they offer many great freebies and promotional items. I waited in line for one half hour just to get some posters and buttons. Well worth it.


A quick shot of the “Big Three” banner at the DC booth: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Did we mention that we offer beautiful chapter books featuring the crown jewels of DC Comics and the superhero world?? Pretty awesome to walk into the DC booth knowing that you get to make books with their characters in them.


Just a small sampling of the many costumed Con-goers who masquerade through the halls of the San Diego Convention Center each year. Seen here are a few alien creatures from the “Star Wars” films.


Captain Jack Sparrow from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series. Is it really Johnny Depp, or a wax figure? You decide. (Actually, it’s another costumed attendee who just happened to look strikingly like the real Mr. Depp...!)


Myself (right) and C.S. Jennings (left), the soon-to-be legendary illustrator on our “Incredible Rockhead” series from Graphic Sparks. C.S. had a booth this year in the small press area, where many freelance illustrators and self-employed comic book artists go to peddle their wares and drum up business. It’s worth mentioning that that is exactly how we came to work with C.S. in the first place – finding him at Comic Con several years ago!

A Childhood Dream Come True

In 1978, Warner Brothers released a theatrical one-sheet (or, a movie poster) bearing a familiar S-shield and the tagline, “You’ll believe a man can fly.” That same year, the studio premiered Superman: The Movie, a film that would help change the landscape of science fiction film and pave the way for today’s surge of comic-book and graphic novel-inspired blockbusters. This film is important because it was my first exposure to the world of comic book fiction, and ultimately opened my eyes to a much larger realm of modern-day mythology. The power, the heroism, the majesty – Superman embodied every idea and fantasy that my budding creative mind could conjure. Fast forward ten years: in late 1988, a young, offbeat director embarked on a new quest to bring the Dark Knight to the silver screen. A far cry from the campy, “Technicolor” Batman portrayed by Adam West in the 1960s, director Tim Burton’s “Batman” was dark and gritty, existing in an alternate Gotham City that hearkened back to the days of Art Deco and film noir. To a young sixth-grader like myself, it was a shock as much as it was a breath of fresh air. Batman was real now; he was human. An intelligent, industrious, and determined hero who received his “powers” through hard work and sheer will.

Flashing forward to the present day, I’d have to say that working in collaboration with DC Comics on the first set of our DC Super Hero titles was an absolute joy. Their attention to the little details, I’m convinced, is why Superman and Batman are by far two of the most recognizable properties in the world. Not only has DC left an imprint on pop culture, but they’ve also managed to maintain the image of two super heroes that made their first appearances during World War II. Just look at how little Superman has changed stylistically in the last 70 years! From pencil sketches to final color, the editors at DC worked with us to ensure that Superman and Batman (along with their respective supporting casts) were given the same treatment in our books. Going with the “animated” designs of each character, we geared these titles toward a young audience that has grown to know “Supes” and “Bats” (as they are sometimes dubbed in the industry) from their appearances in animated cartoon series on television and in film. The design of the books followed that same animated feel, and soon we had rich, entertaining novels brimming with full-color artwork and action-packed sound effects.

For those of you who enjoy seeing the process behind the creation of a book, here is the progression of the Stolen Super Powers cover, from rough pencils to final cover design:

Rough cover pencil:

Rough cover pencil (with revised hero poses):

Final cover inks:

Final cover color:

Final cover design (with title and branding):

Art credits: Sketches, pencils, and inks by Rick Burchett. Colorist: Lee Loughridge.

As we move ahead in our adventure with DC, I look forward to the opportunity of working with them even more closely (possibly even illustrating a title myself . . . ?) to ensure that we produce books that together hold up the integrity of DC Comics and Stone Arch Books. In Season 2 of DC Super Heroes, we’ll see more action and adventure, including the origin of Batman, as well as the introduction of several more super villains. Season 3 will welcome everyone’s favorite Amazon, Wonder Woman, to the fold. After that, could we see some team-ups with some of the DC Universe’s other great heroes?

The future is bright for Stone Arch, for DC, for comics . . . for fiction!

Bob Lentz
Art Director
Stone Arch Books

Is Superman Dead?

When I was 8 years old, I purchased a 12-cent (!) DC comic with the book-length story “The Last Days of Superman.” This was not the amazing graphic-novel blockbuster of 1992, but the earlier Superman, issue 156, October 1962. I must have read that story about 35 times, weeping during the first 20. Of course, Superman didn’t die. How could he? Superman is invincible (except for kryptonite, but that’s not the point).

I thought of that story when I read a recent article in the December issue of School Library Journal. It was titled “Wanted: Male Models” and lamented the lack of male reading models for young children, especially for boys. We definitely need more men to read to their children, to spend more time curled up with a book rather than with a warm TV set or computer monitor. I agree with the writer —we need more male mentors. But I have seen them, and it’s usually at a comic book shop or in the graphic novel section at the local big-chain bookstore.

Wednesday is “new comic book” day across the country. Several of us from the Stone Arch office often visit one of our favorite comic book stores in the middle of the week, either to browse or to get that special issue we’ve been itching for. (For me, it was the new Metal Men by DC artist Duncan Rouleau.) Often, we see other guys there with their kids, all gazing at shiny new covers or vintage editions wrapped in protective plastic.

I frequent another comic shop in downtown Minneapolis, usually on the weekends. I always see dads, and often moms, accompanied by their bright-eyed kids, all of them excited and talking about some new manga adventure or superhero tale. The male models are out there. They are reading, although they may not be in the library. Yet.

Which, I guess, answers the question I posed at the beginning of this posting. Superman isn’t dead. He has a growing horde of new fans. And that makes me hopeful—about reading in general, and in particular, about the imaginations of the young. It also thrills me to partner with DC Comics in our new Super Hero line of original stories about Batman and Superman. This could pull back into the library some of those kids who were looking for their favorite reading material elsewhere. And for me to help create books with the same people who gripped me with their caped crusaders when I was 8 years old . . . wow!

Pastimes and hobbies and ways of spending time will change over the years, but we’ll always need stories. Kids are still reading about superheroes. Maybe they’re hidden in the back corner of a comic book store, or behind a spinner rack blooming with manga, but they are there, and they’re very much alive.


Michael Dahl
Editorial Director, Stone Arch Books