"We are very excited to be associated with Chris in putting these books together," Dark Horse vice president of publishing David Scroggy stated after a recent meeting with Carter, "and are confident that he will help us make this new type of illustrated book format the best it can be."
A graphic story album is a prose novella illustrated with full-page graphics. The writer and illustrator work together so that the illustrations contribute significantly to advancing the storyline independently of the text. Dark Horse's first effort in this area was Aliens:Tribes by Steve Bissette and Dave Dorman. A series of Star Wars graphic story albums is also in the planning stages, with the first expected to ship later this year.
"The visual format we are discussing offers all sorts of creative possibilities that cannot be found elsewhere," Carter remarked, "and I am really looking forward to being a part of this project. We brought something fresh and new to television with The X-Files, and are eager to bring that innovation to other media. Dark Horse has been a leader in the comics field in both quality and creativity, so I expect this to be a good fit."
Dark Horse's plans call for an early 1997 publication date for the first X-Files graphic story album. "We are eager to bring these books to market," Scroggy concluded, "but we are not going to cut any corners. Our commitment to Chris' creative vision and the expectations of the fans will preclude a rushed job."