Hi Everyone!

Editorial Assistant Mike Petranek here to discuss Nancy Drew and the Dana Girls! For those of you who don’t know, The Dana Girls are a detective duo created by Carloyn Keene, the same person who created Nancy Drew! The funny thing is, these characters had never appeared together… until now! See the cover from NANCY DREW #20 “High School Musical Mystery Part I:

Nancy and pals George and Bess wind up in the town of Penfield, where they visit the Starhurst School for Girls. Once students hear that Nancy, the famed Girl Detective has arrived, they insist she meet Penfield’s own teen sleuths, Louise and Jean Dana, the Dana Girls! Soon, a good-natured yet highly involved contest is put together to see who the best mystery-solver is, and it’s in the form of a musical complete with clues planted throughout the school. There’s only one complication, the “phony” crime concocted for the Mystery Musical turns out to be real!

To read more about this graphic novel, check out this great review here. Visit the Papercutz website for more information about this graphic novel and Nancy Drew #21 “High School Musical Mystery Part II.” Until next time, thanks for stopping by!

-Michael

HI EVERYONE!

It sure has been a long time since I’ve written, but I will try to make it up to you with a lot of links to some neat stuff going on in the world of Papercutz. 2010 is the 80th anniversary of NANCY DREW and we plan on celebrating in style! If you are a NANCY DREW fan and you have a facebook account, make it official! Go to this page, log in, and join! I’ll be posting previews and other cool stuff there.

If you haven’t yet noticed, TALES FROM THE CRYPT #8 “Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid” was a smash hit for Papercutz. We couldn’t be happier! On that note, if you are still not sure about this book and want more info you can ask Publisher’s Weekly what they thought, or perhaps Booklist. It seems like Glugg (the stinky dead kid) can be found here, there and everywhere! The same can be said for our good friend Geronimo Stilton. He’s popping up everywhere! Have fun surfing the web!

Speaking of young troublemakers like Glugg, if you haven’t checked out CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #5 “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” read this review:

“Tom Sawyer, that original American bad boy, returns in graphic-novel format. The manga-influenced, full-color illustrations bring a new level of dynamism to a text that is already quite dramatic, what with its murder, buried treasure, youthful romance, and presumed deaths. (Tom himself is thought dead twice.) This version doesn’t shy away from the culture of the time; Injun Joe is still Injun Joe and Tom’s bare backside still has many run-ins with Aunt Polly’s slipper. In regard to the latter, there is brief, occasional nudity as a result of the skinny-dipping and spankings, but nothing gratuitous. While the overall work is of a generally high quality, it is not perfect. Visually, it is often difficult to distinguish among the supporting characters. In addition, the speech balloons are occasionally confusing, leaving readers unsure of who is speaking. Despite those minor flaws, this volume serves as a fine introduction to the story, the author, and his time and place.”

–Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Wow! Thanks Mr. Davey! That’s all I have time for today but make sure you watch out for Papercutz! There should be a new blog contributor here soon that I think will surprise you!

-Michael

It’s family week on the 4:30 movie – an interview with myself and co-writer/significant other Sarah Kinney is now up at the blog of the talented and delightful Cynthia Leitich Smith, in which we discuss all things Nancy Drew.

If that’s not enough, yesterday my agent, Joe Veltre, finalized an agreement with a major publisher for a new YA book to be written by yours truly.  I am completely jazzed about this project, though I’ve been instructed not to discuss the details just yet.  The powers that be want to spring the full news when it will have maximum impact.  But, leave it to say, I can’t wait to get started on this one.

Hope everyone has a good three day weekend!

One cool thing about writing mysteries is that sometimes they’re real! In ND 17, Nancy solves a few mysteries that co-writer Stefan Petrucha and I made up. But the biggest puzzle in the plot, the one that Nancy almost pays the ultimate price to solve has to do with an ancient technological wonder, called the Antikythera device. It’s pretty easy to get caught up in the speculation about what kind of brilliant mind could create what was touted “the first computer ” 2000 years ago. Nancy and I were hooked.

Figuring out exactly how to end this story was kind of the opposite of a deus ex machina in which a convenient device arrives at the end to explain all kinds of loose plot ends. Instead, time consuming research and even math (!) was needed to come up with a plot that brought Nancy to a very specific ending. It was sometimes necessary to do a little writing backwards (which I don’t recommend!!). For those of you who aren’t caught up on your reading and haven’t gotten to Nancy Drew, issue 17, I won’t give away the ending. But the denouement, thanks to the art of Sho Murase, was spectacular. Thanks, Sho!

Newsflash! We just got news that the Antikythera device is even older than we thought.

Here’s the link so you can stay up-to-date on the discovery.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2009/jul/29/archaeology-astronomy

Judge Sotomayor’s affinity for NANCY DREW generates considerable buzz about PAPERCUTZ’ graphic novel series

Hello everyone!

Editorial assistant Mike Petranek here, excited about the amount of buzz that Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s love of Nancy Drew has garnered for our graphic novels. Ever since May, Nancy Drew has been mentioned quite often as an influence of Jude Sotomayor, even prompting other politicians such as Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) to mention their affinity for the character. We’ve seen so many mentions of our favorite Girl Detective over the past month and a half, it seemed natural that we needed to share some of them with her fans! But first, some background on Judge Sotomayor and Nancy Drew, and how the Girl Detective has influenced many of us.

You may have heard how President Barack Obama mentioned while introducing his Supreme Court nominee that Judge Sotomayor was influenced by the Girl Detective. President Obama said “It’s my understanding that Judge Sotomayor’s interest in the law was sparked as a young girl by reading the Nancy Drew series. And that when she was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 8, she was informed that people with diabetes can’t grow up to be police officers or private investigators like Nancy Drew. In essence she was told she’d have to scale back her dreams.” Today, we know that scaling back on her dreams was something Judge Sotomayor never had in mind.

Nancy Drew will soon be celebrating her 80th anniversary, with over 200 titles in print from Grosset & Dunlap, Simon & Schuster, and graphic novel publisher Papercutz. “As someone who is part Puerto Rican, who spent my early years, like Judge Sonia Sotomayor, growing up in a housing project in the Bronx, it was quite thrilling to hear that she was the President’s nominee for the Supreme Court and how inspirational Nancy Drew was to her” said Jim Salicrup, our beloved Editor-In-Chief at Papercutz.

I too was very excited to hear about President Obama’s nomination, as I began reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys at age 8 and well, I still do! I also remember Judge Sotomayor bringing back baseball in 1995 when I was a young kid in Texas, ending the 1994 Major League Baseball Strike.

As promised, let me share some of the news items involving Papercutz that Judge Sotomayor’s nomination has lead to. Ever since Judge Sotomayor’s nomination in May a lot of people have been talking about Nancy Drew, and her influence on young people. On the Netscape Books and Writers Community, many writers and librarians are talking about Nancy Drew and the Papercutz graphic novel series, and we think that’s great. The Papercutz series has also been mentioned on MediaBistro, which leads to an enjoyable  essay by theater columnist Misha Berson of The Seattle Times. These are all worth checking out, and we’re seeing the Papercutz name popping up more than ever as people are talking about the Girl Detective, her influence, and her longevity.

It really is remarkable how relevant Nancy Drew is today. We at Papercutz love hearing fans talk about America’s greatest Girl Detective. I know that she has been an influence on my life from the day I first picked up “The Secret of the Old Clock.” My mom read Nancy Drew, my sister read Nancy Drew, and now I help to tell her stories. I just finished up some work on NANCY DREW #18 “City Under the Basement“, and I think that not only is Nancy Drew as relevant as she has ever been, but that the talents of Stefan Petrucha, Sarah Kinney and Sho Murase show no signs whatsoever of slowing down any time soon.

Thanks for stopping by our blog, and keep your eyes peeled… At the end of the week I’ll have some exciting news about a NEW Papercutz graphic novel series that will debut at this year’s Comic Con in San Diego. Until then, take care, and watch out for Papercutz!

-Mike

IT’S FREE COMICS WEEKEND!

And You can get your hands on some free
HARDY BOYS and NANCY DREW Comics!

Hi there everyone!

The weekend of May 2nd is Free Comics Weekend across the US, and UCLICK, distibutor of NANCY DREW and HARDY BOYS comicbooks for iPhones and iPod touch, is offering free Papercutz comics! This afternoon, Friday May 1st, until tomorrow night at midnight, you can download the first part of NANCY DREW #1 “The Demon of River Heights” and the first part of THE HARDY BOYS #1 “The Ocean of Osyria” for your iPhone or iPod touch absolutely free!

If you haven’t checked out the HARDY BOYS or NANCY DREW comics for your iPhone or iPod touch, it’s a great time to do so. Each issue of a HARDY BOY or NANCY DREW comic is regularly $.99 cents and features the touch-and-swipe technology that allows you to scroll from panel to panel with ease. If you are a commuter or carpooler on your way to school, a great way to kill some time is with a HARDY BOYS or NANCY DREW comic. Just be sure not to read while you’re driving! Click here to be taken directly to the iTunes app store and pick up your free comic (you must have iTunes already installed on your computer). You can also search “Uclick” on the App Store on the iPhone or on iTunes to find these comics. Enjoy Free Comics Weekend!

-Mike the Editorial Assistant

Hi Everyone!

This is editorial assistant Mike Petranek here to tell you about a new two-part story in NANCY DREW entitled “The Secret Within.” The first part is in NANCY DREW #17 “Night of the Living Chatchke,” in stores this week! Here’s the colorful cover by Sho Murase:

Hey, did you go anywhere exciting for spring break this year? Perhaps you may be thinking about a trip this summer? Well, in this story, Nancy travels to Turkey with her father, attorney Carson Drew, who has been hired to negotiate the sale of a client’s ancestral estate.  Not only that, but Nancy is without her best friends George and Bess for this adventure. But as everyone knows, wherever Nancy goes, she’s sure to stumble upon a mystery. Her father Carson has taken quite a liking to his client, the beautiful Ms. Alda Oktar. When the three are browsing at a large Turkish bazaar, Alda takes a liking to an old statue that Nancy finds less than attractive, to say the least. Carson buys the statue and arranges to have it sent to Alda’s home. Once Nancy and Carson settle into their rooms at the estate, along with the funky looking statue, weird things start to happen… Which makes us wonder:

Once things start going “bump” and, oddly enough, “pop!” in the night, it’s up to the Girl Detective to investigate. And that leads her to an amazing discovery! What is it that Nancy finds? The answer’s in NANCY DREW Graphic Novel #17 - available at booksellers everywhere. If you want you can even order directly from Papercutz.

Haunted Statues and Nancy Drew! Part one of “The Secret Within” is a fun way to kick off the start of May.  So check it out, post your comments here, and watch out for Papercutz!

-Mike

Sarah Kinney, girl graphic novel writer here! I spend a LOT of time on the computer writing the Nancy Drew Graphic Novels. Since I’m not a total criminal mastermind, myself, I also have to Google a lot of stuff that bad guys (and gals) probably already know about how to commit certain crimes. I also cruise the net for pictures to help artist, Sho Murase draw what I’m talking about and work her ND magic.

Number 18: The City Under the Basement, got me Googling like crazy. I wanted the underground city’s mystery to be something pretty spectacular, so I went a little overboard investigating ancient scientific innovations. Writing Nancy Drew gets me investigating myself, and learning about all kinds of things. Some of these facts and figures never make it into the stories because they just don’t fit or in the case of City, they’re astronomical equations that make my head spin! Like some other investigators, I guess I can get a little obsessed.

Something I don’t spend a lot of time doing, though, is blogging. This is a very cool, new experience. Can’t wait to hear from ND readers! Stefan Petrucha and I are excited about the chance to respond to comments, questions and general Nancy Drew-ism. So, write soon!