Simon & Schuster's Children's Publishing has signed a multi-book agreement with D.J. MacHale, screenwriter and author of the PENDRAGON series.

The deal builds on the amazing success of the PENDRAGON series (more than 3 million copies in print) and encompasses two trilogies, a four book series and two picture books to be published over an eight-year span under the Aladdin imprint.

These books will be the first major hardcover acquisition for Aladdin under the new S&S Children's Publishing restructure.

Director Jonathan Mostow has taken American politics into his own hands with Wednesday's release of THE MEGAS, an action-packed science fiction comic book series from Virgin Comics.

"I have always admired the medium of comic books and graphic novels, so I am incredibly excited to have my own new entry in the field. From concept to story to visual design, my experience on THE MEGAS has been as creatively rewarding as working on a movie." Mostow said.

Award-winning 3D animator TJ Galda announces the publication of ADVANCED CHARACTER RIGGING, the first of a new series of books on the subject. The initial book explains how to create muscles and tendons using computer graphics software such as Autodesk's Maya, and is designed to make the techniques as accessible as possible, so that even beginners can create and animate lifelike muscles for their animated characters. ADVANCED CHARACTER RIGGING is available through digital publishing site Lulu.com and major outlets such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Teshkeel Media Group, KSC and Cartoon Network have partnered to publish Arabic and English versions of CARTOON NETWORK MAGAZINE in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Under the terms of the agreement, Teshkeel will publish nine issues of the magazine a year, bringing popular characters such as FOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS, DEXTER'S LABORATORY, and CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR to newsstands in the MENA region. Each 32-page issue will include comics, puzzles, games, and give-aways targeted at boys and girls ages 6-12.

Bluewater Prods. has expanded the RAY HARRYHAUSEN PRESENTS comic line with nine new titles for 2008.

In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of some of the Harryhausen classic films, Sony DVD is releasing IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA and EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS. Bluewater will release comics inspired by these classics as well. The Sony DVDs will include previews of the comics as part of the special features.

A new coffee-table book chronicling the animated hstory of Nickolodeon's Nicktoons will hit the shelves of major retailers this month. NOT JUST CARTOONS: NICKTOONS (Melcher Media, $40.00), edited by Jerry Beck, is the first book to cover the entire Nicktoons story that began on Sunday, Aug. 11, 1991, when Nickelodeon first unleashed REN & STIMPY, DOUG and RUGRATS on an unsuspecting nation.

Titan Books has acquired worldwide rights to a deluxe making-of book for the Lionsgate and Odd Lot Ent. production of Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT. Featuring interviews with the cast and crew, color photos, storyboards and production art, plus the full screenplay, the book is slated for publication Dec. 2008, ahead of the movie's release on Jan 16, 2009.

IDW Publishing is set to re-release the definitive visual adaptation of Richard Matheson's classic vampire novel I AM LEGEND. When IDW Publishing first released its graphic adaptation of I AM LEGEND, the trade paperback became an immediate best-seller and quickly sold out. Now IDW will resurrect the out-of-print book with a new deluxe edition that showcases the original novel's vision in advance of the December film adaptation, starring Will Smith, from Warner Bros. Pictures.

This coming Wednesday, October 10, the first issue of DC Comics' three-issue mini-series, CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARK, co-created by Scott Shaw! and Roy Thomas, hits stands. CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARK has been written by Bill Morrison, drawn by Scott Shaw!, inked by Al Gordon, colored by Tom Luth, lettered by Ken Lopez and edited by Joey Cavalieri.

TOKYOPOP and The Jim Henson Co. have announced LEGENDS OF THE DARK CRYSTAL: THE GARTHIM WARS, the all-new manga prequel to THE DARK CRYSTAL. The graphic novel was written by Barbara Randall Kesel, with illustrations by Heidi Arnhold & Max Kim and a special cover painted by Jae-Hwan Kim (WARCRAFT, WAR ANGELS, KING OF HELL).