Th3rd World Studios Dives Into Adventure With Thanatos Diver

Under the sea is both vast and scary. There's so much of it that's yet to be discovered, largely due to our incapability as humans to figure out scientifically how to get down there without imploding. It's a safe bet that when we do get down there we'll find lots and lots of treasure, which is something Th3rd World Studios wants to learn more about. To that end, they're pleased to announce the November release of Thanatos Diver #1 from Nick Tapalansky and Alex Eckman-Lawn. And it's chock full of JRPG throwback goodness.

"It isn't much of a surprise that Nick and I share a lot of the same nerdy passions, or that we're still twelve at heart, so you can see loves of that era in the DNA of this book. It's like The Legend of Zelda and Bone got together and Studio Ghibli came to film the show, you know?", said Eckman-Lawn.

The series, which is set to be released this November, is currently in Diamond Previews (SEP141627 - Previews page 382). Variant covers will be available as well, featuring a wide range of artists from Jeremy Bastian, David Petersen, Carey Pietsch and Anissa Espinosa. A pre-order site is set up with additional details of the series as well as a full color and black and white pre-order form for download. Additionally, up-to-date testimonials on the series, an early preview, and a countdown ticker to remind fans how much time they have left to order are all in place.

"As a new father," says Taplansky. "It's so important to me that my daughter have a strong leading lady to look up to for a long time to come; someone she might see some of herself in, or her family, or her friends. Plus the book is steeped in so much of the stuff that influenced us, it's guaranteed that she'll be firing up the Super Nintendo with me for some Secret of Mana or Chrono Trigger action sooner rather than later. How's that for early childhood education?"

Final orders are due to retailers on September 18th. Full press release below.

DIVE INTO UNDERSEA ADVENTURE WITH TH3RD WORLD STUDIOS' FIRST ONGOING, ALL-AGES SERIES, THANATOS DIVER

September 10th, 2014 – Gaithersburg, Maryland — Th3rd World Studios is following our hit, NY Times Bestselling series THE STUFF OF LEGEND and critically acclaimed fantasy graphic novel FINDING GOSSAMYR with a new all-ages JRPG inspired title called,THANATOS DIVER. The series, which will hit comic shop stands across the globe this November, follows a young girl named Samantha on an underwater treasure hunting adventure that leads her to a strange and exciting uncharted world, is already drawing high praise from retailers and comic professionals alike.

"As big fans of Th3rd World's THE STUFF OF LEGEND, we're always excited for new projects from them. Their new series, THANATOS DIVER, captures the whimsy and wonder of THE LEGEND OF ZELDA and STUDIO GHIBLI films in a way that no other American comic has."
-- Steve Anderson, Third Eye Comics

The series is created by Archaia alumni Nick Tapalansky and Alex Eckman-Lawn, fresh off their recent contribution to David Petersen's MOUSEGUARD: LEGENDS OF THE GUARD VOLUME 2 and AWAKENING. The two's mutual love of old-school video games and a healthy dose of classic anime was a huge inspiration for the series.

"It isn't much of a surprise that Nick and I share a lot of the same nerdy passions, or that we're still twelve at heart, so you can see loves of that era in the DNA of this book. It's like The Legend of Zelda and Bone got together and Studio Ghibli came to film the show, you know?", said artist Alex Eckman-Lawn.

That inspiration is easily apparent in the dreamy landscapes and whimsical characters that inhabit the world of THANATOS DIVER.

"Samantha is bored out of her skull. She lives on an island, her entire world is covered in ocean, and she's explored pretty much every crusty corner of the sunken city that surrounds her home. She's just about accepted a tedious, excitement-free life when a contest with a rival diver sends her deep into the sunken city's forbidden zone where she discovers a pathway to a world more exciting and dangerous than anything she's ever imagined--a world full of uncharted lands, mysterious creatures, and the mythical Thanatos Diver who, depending on the teller, is rumored to either save both worlds or destroy them..."

"As a new father," says series writer Nick Taplansky. "It's so important to me that my daughter have a strong leading lady to look up to for a long time to come; someone she might see some of herself in, or her family, or her friends. Plus the book is steeped in so much of the stuff that influenced us, it's guaranteed that she'll be firing up the Super Nintendo with me for some Secret of Mana or Chrono Trigger action sooner rather than later. How's that for early childhood education?"

The series, which is set to be released this November, is currently in Diamond Previews (SEP141627 - Previews page 382). Variant covers will be available for the series, featuring a wide range of artists from Jeremy Bastian (Cursed Pirate Girl) to David Petersen (MouseGuard) to CareyPietsch (Adventure Time) and Anissa Espinosa (Bravest Warrior).

A pre-order site is set up with additional details of the series as well as a full color and black and white pre-order form for download. Additionally, up-to-date testimonials on the series, an early preview, and a countdown ticker to remind fans how much time they have left to order are all in place.http://thanatosdiver.th3rdworld.com

Th3rd World Studios co-publisher Jon Conkling: "When we received the pitch for Thanatos Diver we were pretty blown away by the world that Nick and Alex had pitched to us. I know that it sounds like a broken record, but I couldn't help but remember the feeling I had when I first started playing Wind Waker. Pre-Order this book. I promise you will NOT regret it."

Final orders are due to retailers on September 18th.

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About Th3rd World Studios
Th3rd World Studios (www.th3rdworld.com) is a print and digital publishing house specializing in the development of high-quality original properties such as The Intrepid Escapegoat, SuperFogeys, Legend of Bill, Holiday Wars, the upcoming series Past the Last Mountain, the breakout, all-ages fantasy series Finding Gossamyr, and the acclaimed, original, New York Times Bestselling series, The Stuff of Legend--which is currently in development as a feature film from Mandeville Films and Walt Disney Studios.

For additional information on the series, to schedule interviews or to request a review PDF, please contact Michael DeVito at th3rdworld@gmail.com