Media Release -- Starburns Industries, the company that brought you Rick and Morty, Harmonquest, and the Oscar-nominated Anomalisa media properties, has named Diamond Comic Distributors as the exclusive worldwide distributor in the comic book specialty market, book market, and hobby games market for its new publishing division, SBI Press.

"We are thrilled to be expanding the reach of Starburns Industries into the publishing world and know we can put our best foot forward through Diamond," said Starburns Industries Press VP of Acquisitions Trevor Richardson, "Diamond has been nothing but supportive since all this began and has been essential in helping us plan the rollout of our first wave of books. We look forward to what doors can be opened by having an animation studio, podcast network, publishing arm, and the support of the world's leading distributor of comics and graphic novels."

"I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the folks behind Starburns Industries and all of the hilarious content they've been involved with," said Executive Vice President of Diamond Book Distributors, Josh Hayes, who will oversee SBI Press' efforts to expand into the book market. "Getting a chance to work directly with them on this new imprint is very exciting, and we're looking forward to this exciting new chapter!"

Starburns Industries is an innovative and imaginative creator driven full-service production company founded by Dan Harmon, Dino Stamatopoulos, Joe Russo II, James Fino and Duke Jonhson in order to create a workspace that gives the support and freedom to original and creative people to make content that is funny, strange, sad and beautiful. With their publishing initiative, all titles will be influenced by the signature brand Starburns Industries has cultivated.

Trent: A Light Tragedy with Music

Trent is a light tragedy with music about the dangers of Hope and the delusions of Love. When Bob and Doris lose their baby boy, Trent, to a foolish mistake, they fall back on the old optimism of the classic musical. Singing their pain away and defying their doubts, their love of Trent teaches them that just because someone is gone it doesn't mean you stop loving them.

Written by Dino Stamatopoulos, the writer and actor who immortalized Starburns on Community, and illustrated by Leah Tiscione, Trent comes with a complete, free, downloadable soundtrack featuring the voices of Scott Adsit, Britta Phillips and Jay Johnston.

Gregory Graves Volume 1: Interview with a Supervillain

The world sighs in relief that insane scientist, Gregory Graves, is behind bars, awaiting execution. Granting a final interview, Graves tells his side of the story in a world where so-called "heroes" with the power to snuff out the sun ask us to trust their pinky-promise that they won't. But when the secret of Earth's mightiest hero comes out, Graves might not look so crazy anymore. Written by Rick and Morty and Community creator, Dan Harmon, along with DC comics writer, Eric Esquivel, Gregory Graves Volume 1 will be available July 2018.

Current retailers interested in ordering Starburns Industries Press titles are encouraged to contact their Diamond Account Representative, while new retailers interested in purchasing Starburns Industries Press titles should contact Diamond's New Accounts Department at newaccounts@diamondcomics.com or via phone at 443-318-8001.

ABOUT STARBURNS INDUSTRIES PRESS — Starburns Industries is an innovative and imaginative full-service production company, specializing in stop-motion, traditional 2D, and CG animation as well as live-action production. Starburns is a creator-driven studio, whose founders are responsible for the creation of Adult Swim series like Morel Orel, Mary Shelley's Frankenhole and Rick and Morty; as well as the Academy Award nominated animated film Anomalisa and the upcoming Netflix animated feature film Bubbles.

Launched in the summer of 2010 to produce the Emmy Award©–winning Community holiday special, Starburns was founded by Dan Harmon, Dino Stamatopoulos, Joe Russo II, James Fino, and Duke Johnson to create a workspace that gives support and freedom to original and creative people to make content that is funny, strange, sad, and beautiful.

ABOUT DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIBUTORS — Diamond Book Distributors (DBD) is a division of Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., and is dedicated to making a wide selection of its graphic novels and other pop-culture merchandise available to bookstores, libraries, schools, mass merchants and more worldwide. Our team of professionals is committed to helping DBD's client publishers tell their stories, grow their businesses and reach new customers. We work to provide insight at every stage of the publishing process—from initial concept, to marketing, sales and distribution.

DBD is the home to several world class publishers, including Image Comics, publisher of The Walking Dead, Saga, Monstress, and Spawn; Dynamite Entertainment, publisher of James Bond, Red Sonja, and Vampirella; Valiant Entertainment, publisher of Bloodshot, Ninjak, and X-O Manowar; as well as publishers Gemstone Publishing, Lion Forge Entertainment, Paizo Publishing, Udon Entertainment and others.