Villard/Random House to Publish Goats Books

There's a lot I want to say about this, but I'm going to leave that for a separate post. The basics: I've signed a three-book publishing deal with Villard, an imprint of Random House. The first book comes out in Summer 2009, with the following books released in six-month intervals.

Weird, huh? I am still in shock about it and I have had months to get used to the idea. I suspect it will have implications and consequences for Goats and possibly other webcomics as well, but that's speculative. Let's stick to the facts for now.

The facts are that this would not have happened if not for the hard work and awe-inspiring skill of my agent, Judy Hansen, and the good taste and vision of Tricia Narwani, my editor at Villard. Thank you both for helping to make an internet boy's dreams come true.

You can read more about this here:

• Fleen: Goats Books Mark II: Electric Goataloo
• ComicMix: Interview: Jon Rosenberg on the 'Goats' Book Deal
• Publisher's Weekly: Villard to publish GOATS
• Newsarama: Villard Picks Up Goats
• The Comics Reporter Says A Few Words
• A Tiny Link In Journalista, Way Down In Digital Comics Ghetto

I'll add more links as I come across them. Here's the text of the press release:

VILLARD TO PUBLISH POPULAR WEBCOMIC GOATS

NEW YORK, NY -- July 11, 2008 -- Villard Books, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, announced today that Villard will publish three graphic novels collecting the long-running and wildly popular webcomic Goats.

Villard Books will publish the recently completed Goats story arc, The Infinite Pendergast Cycle, as a trilogy --in the style of the great sci-fi sagas Goats so affectionately parodies. Each trade paperback volume will be full color and published at six-month intervals. The first volume, Goats: Infinite Typewriters, set for July 2009, will include newly revised and created material intended to introduce new readers to the colossal and complex Goats universe--and set up the audience for the rest of the epic. Book 1 will cover material published on the Goats website from December 2003 to January 2006. The second book, Goats: The Corndog Imperative, scheduled for a November 2009 release, covers January 06 to March 2007. And the third book, Goats: Showcase Showdown, due out in April 2010, covers March 07 to April 08.

Goats (www.goats.com) was introduced online on April 1, 1997, making it one of the web's longest-running webcomics. Today Goats receives an average of 1.5 million hits a month and offers a wide range of Goats-themed merchandise.

Goats is a sci-fi parody epic, a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or Futurama for the Internet age. This is humor imagined on an epic scale--more than a simple gag-a-day strip, Goats' on-going story comprised of several distinct story arcs. The anarchic and hyper-inventive Goats has a sprawling storyline concerning two ordinary techies who are tasked with saving the universe from utter destruction--and the demonic chickens, cyborg goldfish, omnisexual aliens, disgruntled hackers, Mayan death gods, and random celebrities they encounter along the way.

"Like Penny Arcade and The Perry Bible Fellowship, Goats has won a devoted web following with its totally original voice and delightfully demented humor," said Tricia Narwani, acquiring editor at Villard. "We're excited to bring Goats to an even wider audience." Goats was acquired in a deal with Judith Hansen of the Hansen Literary Agency.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jonathan Rosenberg is the webcomic artist responsible for Goats and megaGAMERZ 3133T. Rosenberg has been producing webcomics since 1997, making him one of the original webcomic artists. Rosenberg graduated from Cornell University in 1995 with a major in biology. Before working full-time as a webcomic artist, he also worked as a website design consultant. Jonathan is now a full-time cartoonist.

ABOUT VILLARD BOOKS:

Villard Books, named after the Stanford White brownstone mansion on Madison Avenue that was the home of Random House for twenty years, was founded in 1983. It publishes a general nonfiction and fiction list that has positioned itself on the leading edge of popular culture. Villard is the home for several highly regarded graphic novels, including American Splendor by Harvey Pekar; Flight, edited by Kazu Kibuishi; Elk's Run by Fialkov and Tuazon; and Postcards, edited by Jason Rodriguez. Among the bestselling authors it has published are Jon Krakauer, Eve Ensler, Governor Jesse Ventura and Peter Greenberg, the "Travel Detective." Visit the Villard website at www.villard.com.

Indie Comics Pete does not approve.

I do though. Congrats, Jon!

H-o-t - Hot.

Super awesome. I'm especially interested in the time ripple, wherein the six-month intervals last four months (July to November) and five months (November to April).

I thought I would be able to buy the old ones again, and was kinda disappointed I couldn't. Then I was excited about the new stuff being available in book form. Then I was disappointed about waiting for another year to get it. Then I realized that I should be back from my year in London by then and won't have to pay international shipping.

I'm still upset at myself I didn't buy the one hardback I don't have while it was available.

I guess this post was, on the whole, a downer with bits of awesome. But that's just me.

Congratulations Jon! I can't wait.

Many congratulations! Now the little one can say that daddy has a real job! (j/k)

It's good to see your talent being recognized. Now it's time to start hawking books!

there was a recently completed story arc? is that when (apparently) everyone got exploded except Jon and Fish?

holy shmo! you interwubs comics people are pushing the envelope day by day. one day, that envelope will fall right off the desk and then where will we be? probably in some kind of webcomic video game.

ROCK IT JON! kol hakavod and yesher koach - you deserve it!

Jon, that is great! Always enjoy watching you excel where I've failed. :)

Keep up the excellent work, and I look forward to more Goats books.
- Aric

Hopefully there will be numbered versions for us freaks to match our previous numbered books?