San Diego, CA (July 28, 2010) – At the Archaia panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Calif., imaginations ignited and curiosity was sparked when Archaia announced they will publish an original graphic novel hardcover based on A TALE OF SAND, a never-before-seen screenplay written by Jim Henson and his friend and longtime collaborator Jerry Juhl that the two had worked on for many years in the 1960s. The project will be undertaken under the approval and supervision of The Jim Henson Company’s CEO Lisa Henson, and will be guided through the production process by Archaia Editor-in Chief Stephen Christy.

“Finding something like this in the archives of The Henson Company was like finding the creative equivalent of a Rosetta Stone,” said Christy. “This script is a peek into the early creative mind of Jim Henson, and is a unique vision that is so different from his work with The Muppets, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, or any of his other later works. Archaia is proud, honored and extremely excited to team with The Jim Henson Company to present this last work by Jim Henson as a fitting tribute to his legacy and as a fantastic treat for his fans all over the world.”

A Tale of Sand, a dark, existential feature-length screenplay that built off of ideas Jim Henson had been developing since he produced his Academy Award-nominated short film “Timepiece,” tells the story of a young man who hears, “Run, boy… run!” as he is kicked out of a dusty town in the middle of the desert. There’s nothing but sand in every direction, but run he does, with only a rucksack of odds-and-ends to hisname, as he embarks on an oddball journey.

Archaia and The Jim Henson Company entered into a multi-year publishing partnership in 2009 for Archaia to publish comics and graphic novels based on classic franchises like “Fraggle Rock,” “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth,” as well as new, co-branded original properties.

A Tale of Sand is tentatively scheduled to debut in late 2011.

About Archaia
Archaia Entertainment, LLC is a multi-award-winning graphic novel publisher with more than 50 renowned publishing brands, including such domestic and international hits as Mouse Guard, Return of the Dapper Men, Gunnerkrigg Court, Awakening, The Killer, Days Missing, Tumor, Syndrome, Artesia, Engineer, and an entire line of The Jim Henson Company graphic novels. Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds, building one of the industry’s most visually stunning and eclectic slates of graphic novels. Archaia was named Graphic Novel Publisher of the Year according to Ain’t it Cool News, Graphic Policy and Comic Related, and was honored with nine 2011 Eisner Awards nominations. Archaia has also successfully emerged as a prolific storyteller in all facets of the entertainment industry, extending their popular brands into film, television, gaming, and branded digital media.

Media contacts:
Mel Caylo
Archaia Entertainment
323.391.1282
m.caylo@archaia.com

Nicole Goldman
The Jim Henson Company
323.802-1608
ngoldman@henson.com