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.

eigoMANGA is sending care packages containing anime and manga gifts for U.S. Army troops stationed at Colorado Springs, Colorado, expected to be departing to soon to Iraq. The media and publishing company is answering the call of the Army troops that formed an anime club on the base called, “A.N.I.M.E. Club.”

Beginning this November, Dark Horse will publish STAR WARS: OBSESSION, a five-issue limited series comic, which recounts Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi 's brush with the dark side as he embarks on a mission fraught with peril.

Stone Bridge Press has published the first book-length collection by one of the most respected writers on anime and manga – Fred Patten. WATCHING ANIME, READING MANGA gathers a quarter century of Patten’s writings on the business of anime, fandom, artists, Japanese society and the most influential titles. Providing the forward is Carl Macek, the producer responsible for bringing some of the most important anime titles to the U.S.

The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) launches EDUTOPIA, a new magazine for a new world of learning. Serving as a catalyst for change in education, the publication's editorial will showcase the best and most innovative thinking in education, profile the sharpest minds, reveal ways around roadblocks and question the status quo. EDUTOPIA is the first magazine launch for Lucas and for the foundation, which was founded in 1991 to chronicle innovative practices in education.

HarperDesign Int’l is set to release a comprehensive world history of animation titled, ANIMATION ART. The 382-page book will hit shelves on Oct. 26, 2004 and sell for $45. Originally commissioned by Flame Tree Publishing in the U.K., the book was edited by animation historian Jerry Beck, serving as the general editor with animation veteran Will Ryan serving as consulting editor.

ADV Manga has announced its Aug.24, 2004 street dates, with four new titles including 50 RULES FOR TEENAGERS, ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT GIRL NUKU NUKU, NAJICA BLITZ TACTICS and QUANTUM MISTAKE. Continuing editions are being announced for DESERT CORAL, VOLUME 2 OF 3; PRÉTEAR, VOLUME 2 OF 4; STEEL ANGEL KURUMI, VOLUME 7 OF 9; THE BOSS, VOLUME 2 OF 30; and THOSE WHO HUNT ELVES, VOLUME 6 OF 21.

Chronicle Books will produce three products based on THE INCREDIBLES, which will hit theaters Nov. 5, 2004. THE ART OF THE INCREDIBLES by Mark Cotta Vaz will be a 160-page, 11x9" hardcover with an 8-page gatefold and color illustrations throughout. It will feature concept and character sketches, storyboards and lighting studies, as well as interviews with the key personnel at Pixar, including director Brad Bird and John Lasseter. It will sell for $40.

TOKYOPOP Inc. and Blizzard Ent. will develop a three-book manga series titled WARCRAFT: THE SUNWELL TRILOGY. The manga will be penned by NEW YORK TIMES best-selling fantasy author Richard Knaak -- who is also writing a trilogy of WARCRAFT novels -- and illustrated by Jae Hwan Kim, artist of TOKYOPOP's KING OF HELL series. WARCRAFT: THE SUNWELL TRILOGY VOLUME 1: DRAGON HUNT debuts in early spring 2005.

Penguin Group USA has signed a three-year deal to publish manga with Digital Manga Inc. in a deal brokered by Eloise Flood, publisher of Razorbill, the newly launched teen imprint from Penguin Young Readers Group and Hikaru Sasahara, ceo of Digital Manga Inc.

At Comic-Con, Dark Horse Comics announced that it will publish a four-issue comic book adaptation of the Pixar film THE INCREDIBLES. Dark Horse's adaptation will feature art by Ricardo Curtis, one of the storyboard artists on the film.

In addition, Dark Horse announced a new manga series, Katsuya Terada's THE MONKEY KING, a manga adaptation of the popular Chinese legend. It will feature the toughest monkey in the East, who is on a mission to retrieve the legendary scrolls of Buddha. The first volume will hit stores in March 2005.