Victory For ZIM: ‘Invader ZIM’ Returns In Comic Form

The cult classic cartoon series Invader ZIM has been overdue for a revival for the almost 10 years since its cancellation if you ask fans of the series. The critically-acclaimed Invader ZIM by Jhonen Vasquez ran for two seasons and a Christmas special, many of which produced but not shown by Nickelodeon until years later. While critics loved ZIM, the show performed poorly with Nickelodeon’s target demographic and was rapidly cancelled.

Now, as IGN reports, Invader ZIM fans can rejoice thanks to Oni Press. The small independent comic publisher — best known for publishing Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim graphic novels — contacted Vasquez and expressed an interest in publishing an Invader ZIM comic. Vasquez was skeptical at first; he wasn’t even sure if Nickelodeon, who still owned the rights to ZIM, would even give the go-ahead. After all, at one point there had been talks of bringing the show back, although it was ultimately decided against due to high production costs.

Nickelodeon gave the thumbs-up though, and Oni is now all set to release Invader ZIM the comic, with the first issue (written by Vasquez himself) due out July 8.

Comic books are big business these days, as the Inquisitr reports, with both major comic studios — Marvel and DC — scheduling comic book movies through 2020. This may be the first time that the comic book fervor has worked the other way, however, bringing a dead series from the screen back in the form of a comic. With any luck, it’s a trend that will catch on beyond Invader ZIM.

The Invader ZIM comic book series will introduce some new characters, as Nerd Reactor reports. Vasquez expressed his desire for the Invader ZIM comic to be more than “fanfic of (his) own creation,” that “art evolves” and he doesn’t want the new ZIM series to be a rehash of the old — in typical tongue-in-cheek fashion.

“I’m not really interested in the comic just being a ‘Hey, remember this guy or that guy’ thing, ya know? I don’t want any of us to be writing fanfic of our own creation where we pull out all the familiar stuff and wink at an audience that only wants to see only what they already know. […] Sure, there’ll be plenty of people angry at us for making Dib a flying lizard that can transform into a fixie bike only when he’s frightened, but art evolves, people.”

Invader ZIM will be available from Oni Press on July 8 for $3.99 USD, hopefully in a comic book store near you, and is available for pre-order with Diamond Code MAY151468.

[Image courtesy Oni Press]