Essays

Los Angeles, CA—April 1, 2008—Worldwide bestselling author Dean Koontz and Broadthink, a boutique branding and new business development company, announced a range of branding and licensing initiatives inspired by several different characters and properties made famous by Dean Koontz’s New York Times bestselling novels. Together, Koontz and Broadthink have created a new website and on-line retail store that offers a range of special signed editions of selected books and merchandise offerings for fans. Also in development and production are videogames, manga graphic novels, comic books and a line of pet products, all inspired by characters created by Koontz and developed by Broadthink.

Koontz says, “When my golden retriever, Trixie, began ‘writing’ books and donating her royalties to Canine Companions for Independence, the wonderful organization that raises and trains assistance dogs for people with disabilities, I realized that numerous unexplored business opportunities existed that might over time help significantly fund the foundation that my wife, Gerda, and I had formed to be the ultimate recipient of our estate. With Broadthink, I have found the partners with the vision and the expertise to help me realize this goal.”

Koontz’s website, www.deankoontz.com, features flash animation; avatars of Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas and Trixie, his book-writing golden retriever; an online retail store; podcasts; newsletters that contain special offers to his readers; sneak previews of upcoming books; and much more.

ODD THOMAS: On May 20th, Bantam Books published the fourth novel (Odd Hours) in an on-going best selling series about the character and world of Odd Thomas. In July 2008 Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine, will be publishing a graphic novel written by Queenie Chan and Dean Koontz, based on an original Odd Thomas story by Dean Koontz, and illustrated by Queenie Chan. Foundation 9 Entertainment has been granted the right to develop in collaboration with Mr. Koontz an Odd Thomas videogame for eventual worldwide distribution by a third-party publisher that’s yet to be selected. Various lines of Odd Thomas merchandise are currently available for purchase in the Dean Koontz online retail store residing at www.deankoontz.com.

Dean Koontz’s first Manga publication—IN ODD WE TRUST. NOW in stores.

FRANKENSTEIN: Dabel Brothers Publishing will be publishing the comic book adaptation of Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein: Prodigal Son beginning in May 2008. The graphic novel editions of these comics will be distributed by Del Rey in the summer and fall of 2008. Frankenstein merchandise is currently available for purchase in the Dean Koontz online retail store.

The first of six comic books from Dean Koontz’s FRANKENSTEIN: THE PRODIGAL SON

NEVERMORE: Dean Koontz and Foundation 9 Entertainment are in the early concept stages of developing an action videogame based on Nevermore TM & ©, an original story by Dean Koontz that has not yet been published in novel form. The game will eventually receive worldwide distribution by a third-party publisher that’s yet to be selected.

TRIXIE: Hyperion Books will be publishing in September 2008 the third in a series of adult gift books by Dean Koontz’s beloved dog, Trixie Koontz. The first two books by Trixie (Christmas Is Good!, Life Is Good!) were originally published by Yorkville Press, and will be re-published by Hyperion Books. Trixie will also be the author of a series of children’s picture books, the first of which will be published by the Penguin Young Readers Group in Fall 2009. A variety of Trixie-branded products for pets and their owners are currently in various stages of development, including a videogame for children.

FEAR NOTHING and SEIZE THE NIGHT (Christopher Snow novels): Dabel Brothers Publishing will be publishing the comic book adaptations of both of these novels beginning in Fall 2008.

DEAN KOONTZ has had 48 novels on the New York Times bestseller lists, many in the number one position, and has been published in 36 languages. Worldwide sales of his books exceed 350 million copies. The New York Times has called his writing “psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying,” and the London Times has called him a “literary juggler.” For more information about Dean Koontz, please visit www.deankoontz.com.

BROADTHINK, LLC, is a boutique branding and new business development company founded in 2002 by its three partners, Cynthia Cleveland, Nancy Cushing-Jones and Barbara Weller. Since its inception Broadthink has worked with a variety of clients from Fortune 500 companies to individual owners of unique intellectual property rights. For more information, visit www.broad-think.com.

PUBLISHING PARTNERS:

DABEL BROTHERS PUBLISHING, LLC, is a comic book studio dedicated to bringing many of the best and most successful novels in the world of fantasy to the comic book medium. Since its inception in 2001, they have produced adaptions of novels by best selling authors including George R.R. Martin, Orson Scott Card, Tad Williams, Richard A Knaak, Robert Silverberg and Laurel K. Hamilton. For more information on Dabel Brothers Publishing go to www.dabelbrothers.com.

DEL REY BOOKS was founded in 1977 as an imprint of Ballantine Books, a division of the Random House Publishing Group under the guidance of the renowned July-Lynn del Rey and her husband, Lester del Rey. Del Rey publishes modern fantasy, science fiction, and alternate history. In 2004 it expanded by launching Del Rey Mangas, which has grown to be a major force in the U.S. graphic-novel field. For more information on Del Rey Books go to www.delreybooks.com .

FOUNDATION 9 ENTERTAINMENT is the largest independent games developer in North America and Europe. The company has 10 studios across the United States, Canada, the UK and India, making it a development powerhouse, uniquely positioned to deliver quality games on all gaming platforms for all age groups. The company’s studios are masters in working with licensed properties and have collectively developed more than 500 titles since 1992, including more than 60 in 2007 alone. For more information, visit www.f9e.com.

HYPERION BOOKS, which was founded in 1991, publishes general-interest fiction and non-fiction hardcover, trade, and mass-market paperback books for adults and includes the VOICE, Miramax, ESPN Books, ABC Daytime Press, Hyperion East, and Hyperion AudioBooks imprints. Hyperion is the adult trade book publishing unit of ABC, Inc.

PENGUIN YOUNG READERS GROUP is a global leader in children’s publishing. Its imprints are home to Ludwig Bemelmans, Judy Blume, Jan Brett, Eric Carle, Roald Dahl, Tomie dePaola, Don Freeman, Eric Hill, Brian Jacques, Robert McCloskey, A. A. Milne, Richard Peck, Patricia Polacco, and dozens of other popular authors. Penguin Young Readers Group is also proud of its favorite characters such as The Little Engine That Could and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, and modern classic novels like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Westing Game, and The Outsiders. Please visit www.penguin.com/youngreaders