The Jim Henson Company and Archaia have entered into a partnership to publish comic books and graphic novels based on popular Henson titles as well as new co-branded original properties.  The multi-year deal will involve such Henson properties as Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Mirrormask, Labyrinth and The Storyteller.  Boom! Studios currently publishes a comic book series based on Henson’s The Muppets (a property that apparently is not part of the Archaia/Henson agreement), and Tokyopop has released several popular volumes of a black-and-white OEL manga series by Jake Forbes based on Labyrinth.

Representatives of Archaia and the Henson Company will announce creative teams and a release schedule for the initial slate of comics at the San Diego Comic-Con.  The Archaia/Henson comic title should ship to retailers late this year.