Jim Smith, co-creator of REN AND STIMPY, THE RIPPING FRIENDS and many other Spumco cartoons has inked a deal with Asylum Press to publish a series of sketchbooks. The first DEADLY ARE THE NAKED ships July 2005.

Charles River Media announces new book, STORY TELLING THROUGH ANIMATION. This book provides an in-depth guide to the process of conceiving, planning and producing an animated or live-action media production. It covers specific information for many forms of visuals, including traditional cel, stop motion, Flash or CG with a focus on the most critical aspect of any production — the story.

Ballistic Publishing has begun shipping the first book in its CG Challenge series, MACHINEFLESH, featuring artwork and techniques of digital artists working in both 3D and 2D.

Ninety-six pages are packed with surreal and opulent computer imagery. In addition, MACHINEFLESH delves in-depth into eight of the winning entries from the CG Challenge contest.

Detailed intros are written by the following award-winning CG Challenge artists as:

* Krishnamurti M. Costa
* Daryl Mandryk
* Greg Petchkovsky
* Jeff Rey

In April, University Press of Mississippi has published two new books on animation — CHUCK JONES: CONVERSATIONS, edited by Maureen Furniss, and LIVING LIFE INSIDE THE LINES: TALES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF ANIMATION by Martha Sigall. The books will sell for $50 in cloth bound and $20 in paperback.

In a new Simon & Schuster book titled DISNEY WAR, Pulitzer-Prize winning author and journalist James B. Stewart provides an explosive and vividly detailed account of turmoil within the Walt Disney Co. and of the controversial two-decade tenure of ceo Michael Eisner ($29.95).

Focus Press has released the new book, ANIMATION WRITING AND DEVELOPMENT: FROM SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT TO PITCH, written by former Hanna-Barbera animator Jean Ann Wright.

The book takes students and animation professionals alike through the process of creating original characters, developing a television series, feature, or multimedia project, and writing professional premises, outlines and scripts. It covers the process of developing presentation bibles and pitching original projects as well as ideas for episodes of shows already on the air.

Archie Comics Ent. Llc. has assigned Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children the master publishing rights to the company’s Betty & Veronica franchise. Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children will publish a wide range of Betty & Veronica-themed lifestyle books aimed at the ‘tween and teen markets, with titles focusing on fashion, fitness, beauty, music and boys.

On Jan. 24, 2005, Xlibris released WALT'S PEOPLE – TALKING DISNEY WITH THE ARTISTS WHO KNEW HIM – VOLUME 1, the first volume of a series of books that collects the best interviews ever conducted with Disney artists.

Contributors to the series, edited by Didier Ghez, include noted Disney historians Robin Allan, Paul F. Anderson, Michael Barrier, J.B. Kaufman, Jim Korkis, Mike Lyons, John Province, Thorkil Rasmussen, Arn Saba and Klaus Strzyz.

Marvel Enterprises Inc. has entered into major licensing agreements with four of the world's leading publishing houses: DK Publishing, Harper Collins, Meredith Books and Simon & Schuster's Pocket Books as part of a strategy to increase the presence of its leading character franchises in various mass market book publishing formats.

Slave Labor Graphics has announced that INVADER ZIM creator Jhonen Vasquez will make his return to comics with FILLERBUNNY IN MY WORST BOOK YET!, due out in March. Fillerbunny, originally created as a one-page filler character, will continue his long-suffering existence in this 24-page black & white comic, with two pages in color, for $2.95.