The creative team behind the digital comic Pocket God, based on the bestselling game by Bolt Creative, is leaving the pygmies on the island for a while and shifting to a new series of comics about life on the street…Sesame Street, that is. Ape Entertainment has entered into a licensing agreement with Sesame Workshop to develop and publish a series of print and digital comics based on the beloved children’s characters from the multi-award winning television series.
“We are excited about our new relationship with Sesame Workshop to bring the Sesame Street characters to comics, which is a dream come true for all of us here at Ape,” said Ape Entertainment COO Brent E. Erwin in the press release. “Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, and the whole Sesame Street gang have always been a part of our lives, now we feel like a part of their family, and that’s a great feeling.”
So what would prompt the developers of content that so far has involved story lines similar to appeasing the volcano gods to tackle a project that comes with the responsibility of nearly fifty years of educational excellence and a multi-generational fan base? Ultimately, Ape Entertainment is on a mission to increase the awareness and reach of the comic book industry as a whole; while acknowledging that part of that potential audience is looking for titles like their previous work on Pocket God, there is still a growing segment who will actively seek out the dynamic possibilities of comics that can teach through these widely recognized playful monsters.
For its part, it is highly commendable that the leadership at Sesame Workshop has chosen for this venture a company who knows how to produce quality entertaining content for its fans. In order to disseminate digital material that encourages a love of digital reading while still maintaining the integrity and reputation of the Sesame Street brand, finding the right partner was crucial.
“We look forward to collaborating with Ape Entertainment to create a series of Sesame Street comic books, for all ages” said Jennifer A. Perry, Vice President, Worldwide Publishing, Sesame Workshop. “The Sesame Street Muppets and comic books go together like Cookie Monster and snickerdoodles, so we can’t wait for Sesame Street fans to have the chance to learn and laugh in the unique way comics draw readers in and keep them turning the page.”
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.