Philip Pullman is to contribute to a new children’s comic beginning in May. From publisher David Fickling and backed by Random House, The DFC will feature brand new content from top contributors and will be available to order online from http://www.thedfc.co.uk. Pullman’s strip is reported to tell the tale of a mysterious boy sailing in the Pacific. He reports:
“I’ve always loved comics, and when I first heard about the DFC, I leapt at the chance of being involved. The chance to work in this wonderfully fluid and exciting form was too good to miss. I’ve had a lot of fun with the story of John Blake, and I hope readers will enjoy it as well as all the other great things in the DFC.”
Further information on the story is a closely guarded secret and will only be revealed to subscribers when the comic arrives at their doors on May 30th. Details on the comic can be found at thebookseller.com and in this PR Newswire press release.
The Centre for Early Modern studies at the University of Oxford is hosting an exhibit on John Milton celebrating the Quatercentenary of his birth, curated by Sharon Achinstein. Citizen Milton will show at the Bodleian Library until April. “The title of [Pullman’s] series [is] taken from Milton’s Paradise Lost, where ‘His dark materials’ of Chaos are there ‘to create more Worlds.'” Click here for more information on the exhibit. Thank you to Kinders for the tip.
Digital Spy reports that Dakota Blue Richards is unsure of the fate of sequels’ production. ‘The 13-year-old, who played the lead role of Lyra Belacqua, told Teletext: “I think they are going to see how it does when it opens in Japan.”‘ While The Golden Compass did not perform well in the North American box office, it was a hit in European theatres and other overseas markets such as South Korea. Read more.
According to the Oxford Mail, Philip Pullman is to appear at the Oxford Literary Festival, to discuss amongst other things his new book Once Upon A Time In The North which is due for release on April 4th. “Mr Pullman’s appearance at Oxford Town Hall on March 31 will ensure a memorable launch for both his book and the festival.” Hosted by Christ Church, the festival will see many speakers and authors-in-residence – including a strong representation of local writers – including playwright Tom Stoppard (originally hired to draft The Golden Compass’ screenplay), geneticist Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion), PD James (The Children of Men), fiction critic Peter Kemp, and many more. Read more.
According to the Associated Press the estate of writer J.R.R. Tolkien have filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against New Line Cinema, claiming that they have as yet received no money from the movie adaptation of Lord of the Rings. They are seeking $150 million in compensation and the right to cancel New Line’s right to produce any further Tolkien works in movie form. If they were to win their case this would clearly leave an already struggling company on the brink of ruin. This litigation can only throw more doubt on the possibility that there will be sequels to The Golden Compass movie produced. Read the full story here.
