Saved By The Bell and Punky Brewster Comics Launch Lion Forge's New All-Ages Imprint

Lion Forge Comics has released new digital comics based on the 80s and 90s television shows Saved by the Bell and Punky Brewster. The comics' debut launches Lion Forge's new all-ages digital comics imprint, ROAR Comics. The comics are currently available through ComicsPlus and the Amazon Kindle Bookstore and will be made more widely available in the coming weeks. Saved by the Bell is celebrating its 25th anniversary, having aired on NBC from 1989-1993. The comic will feature the original cast of characters – Zack Morris, A.C. Slater, Kelly Kapowski, Jessie Spano, Lisa Turtle, Samuel "Screech" Powers and Principal Belding. The comic starts on the group's very first day as freshmen at Bayside High. The series features artwork by Chynna Clugston Flores (Blue Monday). Punky Brewster is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its original run on NBC from 1984-86. The series goes back to Punky's days on the streets of Chicago and her very first meeting with photographer Henry Warnimont. Lesley Vamos will provide art and colors for the series. Both series will be written by Joelle Sellner, who has written for Teen Titans, Ben 10 and Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, as well as the original comic series Wonderous: The Adventures of Claire Sinclair for Lion Forge.

Lion Forge acquired the rights to create comics based on Saved by the Bell and Punky Brewster from NBCUniversal in 2010. "We're so pleased that Lion Forge Comics is recreating these beloved series for modern day fans," said Chris Lucero, director of Global Consumer Products Licensing, NBCUniversal Television. "Both these classic shows have been favorites to a lot of people for so many years. We hope longtime fans and new readers alike will really enjoy and relate to the new situations in which these iconic characters find themselves." ROAR Comics will be managed by Senior Editor Adam Staffaroni, a comics and graphic novels expert with an M.F.A. from the Center for Cartoon Studies. Staffaroni has worked previously for DC Comics and BOOM! Studios, where he helped launch the popular Adventure Time! line of comics. He also recently co-wrote a digital comic featuring the musical group Pistol Annies – along with their frontwoman, Miranda Lambert – to coincide with the release of their new album, Annie Up! Staffaroni will oversee both Saved by the Bell and Punky Brewster, as well the upcoming Denver, the Last Dinosaur series and other, yet-to-be-announced original titles. "Lion Forge has made remarkable inroads in the comics space in such a short amount of time," said Staffaroni. "The way people consume entertainment is changing every day, and I'm thrilled to join a company that's dedicated to making comics for all the different types of readers – male and female, young and old – that can be reached through tablets and smart phones."