Viz Announces Two New ‘Hello Kitty’ Comic Projects

Hello Kitty, the pervasive merchandising phenomenon created by Yuko Shimizu in 1974, is easily one of the most recognized characters on the planet. For whatever reason, however, HK hasn't ever starred in a proper American comic book series. That all changes this year as VIZ Media partners with HK owners Sanrio for two new comic projects.The stand-alone graphic novel, Hello Kitty: Fashion Music Wonderland, is scheduled to debut at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con with a variant cover by Chabot, whose previous work on The Mighty Skullboy Army was nominated for an Eisner in 2008 for Best Book for Teens. The artist will also be illustrating interior stories along with Ian McGinty, who is contributing work to the VIZ published Uglydolls comic set for July, 2013, and Victoria Maderna, the artist for VIZ's 2012 Little Miss Sunshine in: Here Comes the Sun. The stand-alone graphic novel will be entirely wordless, akin to G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #21, Andy Runton's Top Shelf series Owly, and Marvel's "Nuff Said" month back in 2001.

Viz has yet to announce the creative team behind this fall's, Hello Kitty: Here We Go!, but according to solicitation info the story will follow HK as she, "explores an underground realm, chases an unsavory cake thief around the world, climbs the Himalayas, travels back in time, and discovers that sometimes, the best place to get away from it all is between the pages of a good book."