CREATURE COPS: SPECIAL VARMINT UNIT #1Media Release -- In January 2015, a ragtag group of Animal Control Officers will be facing off against freakish, gene-spliced beasts in CREATURE COPS: SPECIAL VARMINT UNIT, a new creator-owned miniseries from IDW Publishing in alliance with Comics Experience Publishing.

"In this world, gene-spliced animals are commonplace, so instead of dealing with pit bulls or the occasional alligator, they're facing Horned Mastiffs and gigantic gator-snakes," said writer Rob Anderson. "Then, the officers discover a nest of what looks like mythological griffins and things really start to get out of control."

CREATURE COPS: SPECIAL VARMINT UNIT tells the story of burned-out animal cop Al Kaminski, as he investigates a death cult with ties to a case from his past. But, in the style of a police ensemble drama, it also follows all the officers of the precinct, in cases ranging from fighting rings to hoarding.

The miniseries is the premiere title in a line of creator-owned comics from new talent published by IDW in alliance with Comics Experience, the online educational company. According to Comics Experience President Andy Schmidt, "With this alliance, we're offering up-and-coming creators a chance to reach a broader audience, and we're excited to be launching with the drama, madness, and humor of CREATURE COPS."

CREATURE COPS: SPECIAL VARMINT UNIT is written by Rob Anderson (REX, ZOMBIE KILLER; MY LITTLE PONY) with interior art by Fernando Melek (CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE), inks by Novo Malgapo, interior colors by Juan Romera, cover colors by Kevin Volo, letters and design by E.T. Dollman, and edits by Paul Allor (TMNT, GI JOE), Andy Schmidt (Comics Experience), and Bobby Curnow (IDW).

Issue #1 of the monthly, three-issue miniseries ships in late January 2015 and is available for pre-order in the November Diamond PREVIEWS catalog. (Order Code: NOV140526) Each issue will be a full-color, standard trim comic book, priced at $3.99, and may be pre-ordered at your local comic shop. It is rated TEEN+ for mature themes, language, and violence.

Comics Experience is an educational company dedicated to teaching the craft of comics creation in all disciplines, and helps develop new talent through its online community - the Creators Workshop. For more information on Comics Experience and the new publishing alliance with IDW, visit www.ComicsExperience.com

IDW Publishing is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. IDW Publishing titles are available from Diamond Comic Distributors and Diamond Book Distributors.

For more information on CREATURE COPS, visit: http://www.CreatureCops.com