Andrews McMeel Publishing Launches New Graphic Novel Partnership with Tapas Media
Kansas City, MO – Andrews McMeel Publishing (AMP) has partnered with Tapas Media, a pioneer mobile storytelling platform with more than 10 million registered users, in a multi-book deal to present a line of smart, entertaining graphic novels featuring strong female and underrepresented characters. The first in the inclusive series will be released in the fall of 2022.
“We could not be more pleased to announce our association with Tapas,” said AMP president and publisher Kirsty Melville. “Tapas is unequivocally the leading digital publisher of webcomics and webnovels, and AMP, with our deep history working with the most talented creators in comics, is uniquely suited to be its book publishing partner.”
“To partner with Andrews McMeel Publishing is to align the next generation of Tapas creators with a catalog of household names and Hall of Fame talent,” said Alex R. Carr, Sr. Director, Publisher Development. “Tapas Media welcomes this opportunity for our storytellers to take the next leap in their careers and for their visions to engage new readers. It’s a natural evolution for the resonant comics on our platform.”
The graphic novels adapt popular webcomic properties produced by Studio Tapas and will appeal to longtime fans as well as new readers with full-color paperback and e-book editions. The series will debut with the following titles:
Unfamiliar by Haley Newsome (LavenderTowne) features young witch Planchette, who discovers her house is haunted. With the help of new friends, including a shy siren who hates attention, a cursed girl ashamed of her looks, and a magically-challenged witch from a powerful coven, Planchette works to assist the ghosts in finding fulfillment. The hit webcomic has attracted 30 million views.
DPS Only! by Xiao Tong Kong (Velinxi) delivers an empowering story set in the world of e-sports, as a young woman overcomes self-doubt, societal expectations, and an overprotective big brother to find her voice and pursue her dream of becoming a competitive gamer. DPS Only! was a 2021 Eisner Award nominee.
The Witch’s Throne by Cedric Caballes (WhataHero) offers an entertaining take on an epic fantasy coming-of-age story, combining elements of action-adventure manga and RPGs. An optimistic young alchemist sets off on a quest to become one of the four sacred heroes destined to save the world, making new friends (and bitter enemies) along the way.
Additional titles are planned for future releases in 2023.
About AMP
Andrews McMeel Publishing is a leader in humor-driven book, calendar, and greeting card publishing for children and adults of more than 50 years. It is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, a Kansas City-based global media company that partners with a world-class roster of creative and diverse talent. Through publishing, syndication, entertainment, and interactive experiences, AMU connects audiences to universal messages of truth, humor, and hope that have the power to connect people and change lives.
About Tapas Media
Established in 2012, headquartered in Los Angeles with key global operations in Seoul, South Korea, and Beijing, China, Tapas Media is one of the fastest-growing digital publishing platforms of webcomics and novels in North America. Tapas has created a community of more than 10M registered users with stories from 69,000 creators and published over 100,000 stories to date. It was the 2020 Ringo Award winner for Favorite Publisher and received its first Eisner nominations in 2021. In 2021, Tapas Media joined forces with Kakao Entertainment to expand their global storytelling footprint. For more information, please visit Tapas.