Superhero parody character Lethargic Lad gets its own book this summer with the planned release of the Lethargic Lad Jumbo-Sized Annual #1 in June. The book will reprint material from Lethargiclad.com and also contain new material. It will be published under the Dork Storm Special imprint, a new brand of John Kovalic's Dork Storm Press.
Creator Greg Hyland's Lethargic Lad character has been around since 1991 in mini-series, ongoing series, and a sold-out trade paperback collection, The Big Book of Lethargic Lad. More recently it has become a permanent back-up feature in John Kovalic's Dork Tower, which is one of the most popular small press comics out there with both comic fans and gamers. To inaugurate the permanent backup feature statues, Dork Tower #16 sports a Lethargic Lad cover that parodies the Superman vs. Mohammed Ali cover. In a switch of that relationship, the Annual will contain a Dork Tower backup feature by Kovalic. The Annual will also contain rules for incorporating Lethargic Lad and the Lathargiverse into Wingnut Games superhero RPG StuperPowers.
Dork Tower has become an increasingly important title in recent years. Although the Diamond orders are modest (see 'Top 300 Comics -- February'), sales through other distributors and the exposure the strip gained by appearing in the 600,000 circulation title Interactive Week last year (see 'Dork Tower in Interactive Week') make this title one that's appropriate for almost any store carrying comics or games. The exposure Lethargic Lad has received in Dork Tower, as well as its long history on its own, should give the Annual a ready audience.
