Hamish Steele's DeadEndia returns to print (with an all-new third volume, as well!)
The comic behind Netflix's Dead End: Paranormal Park is returning to print with an all-new final volume on its way courtesy of Union Square Books
One of the hottest new shows for kids on Netflix this year has been Dead End: Paranormal Park, a fantasy horror comedy series set in a theme park where nothing is as it seems — especially when it comes to the demonic forces lurking around every corner.
What fans of the show might not realize is that it started life as a series of graphic novels under the title DeadEndia by creator and animator Hamish Steele, but all that is about to change with the news that Union Square Kids (a division of Union Square & Co.) has acquired the rights to bring the books back into print… and release the never-before-seen final volume in the series, to boot.
“The DeadEndia series features demons, angels, ghosts and even time travel - but truly it has always been about people,” Steele — who also acts as showrunner on the Dead End: Paranormal Park animated series — tells Popverse. “The supernatural is used as a vehicle to tell human stories about identity, mental health and found family that all young adult readers should relate to. Much of the series draws on my own experiences of being a lonely queer, autistic teen who found refuge in friendship against a world that doesn’t feel built for you in mind.”
The first two books in the series had previously been published by Flying Eye Books, the childrens imprint of British publisher Nobrow. The new deal with Union Square will see both of those titles — DeadEndia: The Watcher’s Test and DeadEndia: The Broken Halo — return to print in new editions, with the third and final book in the series to follow.
“It means the world to get to finish the DeadEndia trilogy as I had always planned,” Steele says. “This series changed my life and these new, complete editions will be the definitive way to read it. It has been a joy to work with Union Square and my excellent new editor Ardi Alspach in revisiting Barney, Norma, Pugsley and Courtney’s story so far as well as forging ahead to all new adventures. Union Square have been the ideal partners in this next chapter in the DeadEndia series. Their enthusiastic understanding of the project was illustrated the moment they sent their pre-emptive offer to my manager Steven Salpeter, who I can’t thank enough for making this dream come true."
The deal was masterminded by Steele’s manager Steven Salpeter of Assemble Media, along with Union Square editor Ardi Alspach who adds, “When I first received DeadEndia in my inbox, I was instantly drawn in to this colorful and deeply imaginative world that Hamish has created and knew right away that it’s a truly special series… I found myself deeply moved by the stories of Barney, Norma, and Courtney. These are the stories that need to be told, and I’m incredibly honored and proud to be working with Hamish as he realizes his vision for the trilogy.”
More information about the reissues will be released in the coming months.
Another comic creator working on a Netflix adaptation, Stan Sakai, earlier talked to Popverse about his experience.
