Piccadilly Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, is delighted to announce the acquisition of Agent 9, a hilarious and action-packed graphic novel series by talented movie and television show animator and author James Burks. The series will be published in a full-colour format and is perfect for readers of Bunny vs Monkey and The Bad Guys!.
Ruth Bennett, editorial director at Piccadilly Press, acquired UK & Commonwealth English language rights to two books from Kim Ryan, rights director at Penguin Young Readers. Burks is represented by Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
The fast-paced stories follow Agent 9, a feline secret agent who is one of the best operatives at the Super-Secret Spy Service, an agency who save the world from maniacal villains. The first book Agent 9: Flood-a-geddon! sees Agent 9 stand up to bumbling supervillain King Crab and his diabolical plans to melt the polar ice caps and build a massive water park.
James Burks said: “Nine and I couldn’t be more excited for the UK release of Agent 9. It’s mission time!”
Ruth Bennett, editorial director at Piccadilly Press, said: “James is a master of the art of graphic novels and this action-packed series, featuring feline secret agent, Nine, is a fantastic example of the power of visual storytelling. Get ready for a wild ride! Graphic novels are perfect for making reading fun and Agent 9’s secret-agent antics are guaranteed to entertain!”
James Burks has spent over twenty years working undercover in the animation industry on hit movies and television shows, including Bravest Warriors, Space Jam, Treasure Planet, The Emperor’s New Groove, The Powerpuff Girls, and The Iron Giant. He is also the mastermind behind the popular Bird and Squirrel graphic novel series. He lives with his family in Southern California. He can be found on social at @jamesburksart and www.jamesburks.com
Agent 9: Flood-a-geddon! will be publishing in paperback in July 2023, followed by the second instalment Agent 9: Mind Control! in October 2023.
