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.

The first four volumes of Dark Horse's new SIN CITY trade paperback editions are set to arrive in stores February 16, 2005. The volumes include A DAME TO KILL FOR, THE HARD GOODBYE, THE BIG FAT KILL and THAT YELLOW BASTARD. The three later titles make up the plot of SIN CITY feature, which hits theaters April 1. The new 6" x 9" Chip Kidd-designed editions were originally scheduled to ship in January.

TOKYOPOP, in conjunction with Disney Publishing Worldwide and Pixar Animation Studios, will be releasing a Cine-Manga book based on THE INCREDIBLES in March 2005. Delivered in TOKYOPOP's Cine-Manga format, the book version will present the film’s plotline with vivid screen captures and manga-style word balloons.

Dark Horse has announced its comic and graphic novel releases for March, leading into the release of the STAR WARS: EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH on May 19, 2005. The trade paperback adaptation ($12.95) of EPISODE III will hit stores April 2, with art by Doug Wheatley.

Daws Butler was greater than your average voice actor, tiny like Elroy Jetson and loeable as Huckleberry Hound, stars he created the voice for and hundreds more before he passed away in 1988. On Nov. 16, 2004, to celebrate what would have been Butler’s 89th birthday, Bear Manor Media releases his authorized biography DAWS BUTLER: CHARACTERS ACTOR, which takes a revealing look at the surprising and charmed life of the man who many consider to be the greatest voice magician of the 20th Century.