Comics
[Comic-Con ’13] Sam Kieth’s ‘The Maxx’ Gets Reprinted!
I know our guy Jorge Solis will be beaming at this news. IDW Publishing announced at SDCC that Sam Kieth’s “The Maxx” is returning with fully re-mastered and re-colored printings of the original series, a hardcover collection, and Artist’s Editions. If you’ve never read the original series, this is a great opportunity to experience the madness that is “The Maxx”.
Official Press Release:
San Diego, CA (July 1, 2013) – Sam Kieth’s The Maxx was a runaway sensation when initially published. Kieth’s exquisite artistry and quirky stories resonated with readers who had never seen anything quite like it before. Exploring the strange relationship between two realities, The Maxx follows the dual identities of a man caught between the real world and a heroic fantasy realm called The Outback. The Maxx ran for more than 30 issues and inspired a popular animated show on MTV.
Now, 20 years later, the striking series is returning to comic shops with fully re-mastered and re-colored printings of the classic stories, and all supervised by Kieth to ensure the highest possible quality. The Maxx: Maxximized will also feature brand-new painted covers by Kieth Additionally, IDW will—for the first time ever—release a series of hardcover Maxx collections. And if that wasn’t enough, there will also be Artist’s Editions enabling readers to finally see Sam’s beautiful and delicate line work as they never have before.
“I want to thank my pal Ted Adams,” said Sam Kieth, “for giving me and some of my books a home at IDW… I hope he doesn’t lose his shirt!”
“Sam, as usual, is self deprecating to a fault,” said editor Scott Dunbier, “he’s an amazing artist and a good friend, and I could not be happier to have him at IDW.”
Kieth will also create a set of three comprehensive new art books called The Worlds of Sam Kieth that will showcase his incredible powers as an artist, but also tell the story of who he is and how he came to be the artist he is. The first volume is debuting at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International.
The original artist on Sandman, which he co-created with Neil Gaiman, Kieth’s enchanted style quickly grabbed the attention of readers, and his success allowed him to explore his own creations with The Maxx and Ojo. While his career in comics has found him working on some of the most iconic characters, he is arguably best known for creating The Maxx, and IDW is looking forward to being intimately involved in the next chapter of this classic character’s legacy.
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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