Oni and Smith Collect Clerks

Oni Press and Kevin Smith have announced a trade paperback collection of Clerks: The Comic Books, which will be available this February. Featuring a cover by Chris Bailey, art director for the upcoming Clerks: The Animated Series, the collection will gather together the 3 previously released Clerks specials – The Comic Book, Holiday Special, and December’s The Lost Scene – with art by Jim Mahfood, Phil Hester, and Ande Parks.

“Like the paperback edition of Jay & Silent Bob, which was rush released shortly after the last issue of the series to coincide with the premiere of Dogma, this collection is also being timed to tie in with a Kevin Smith media event,” commented Oni Press publisher Joe Nozemack. “March will see the debut of Clerks: The Animated Series on ABC, exposing the franchise to a whole new audience. Though the oft-delayed Lost Scene one-shot will have only come out a couple of months before, we feel it is important for the retailers to have this single, solid product to sell to new customers who may come in looking for more Clerks entertainment.”

“Personally, I’m excited to see the Clerks canon opening up,” said Oni editor in chief Jamie S. Rich. “The comics have proven that the success and quality of the film wasn’t just a one-time fluke, but rather a great vehicle for Kevin’s talent. With the cartoon in full swing, more people will realize this, and the comics will be another place for them to get a fix. Those who have seen the cover Chris Bailey has done for the trade paperback will know how good the animated series is going to look, and that connection between the two entities will make our book even more recognizable to the public at large.”