Twenty years after their comic book debut and over a decade after their collected works went out of print, the Freelance Police are back on the comic beat. Sam & Max creator Steve Purcell and Telltale, developer and publisher of episodic games based on the franchise, announced today that the anniversary edition of Surfin' the Highway is now available for purchase. This newly updated version of the complete Sam & Max comic collection can be preordered from www.telltalegames.com in two formats: a trade paperback, and a signed and numbered, limited edition hardcover.
The original Surfin' the Highway was released in 1995 and went out of print in 1997, relegating its purchase to exorbitant eBay auctions and the occasional discovery in a dusty corner of a neighborhood comic store. The anniversary edition includes all the content from the original plus 26 new pages, bringing the page count to 197. Of these, 45 pages are in full color, including the previously black-and-white "Fair Wind to Java," which has been updated using Purcell's original painted color guides. The new pages include the original advertisements for the first Freelance Police comic book (circa 1987), stories featured in the LucasArts Adventurer and Fox Kids magazines in the late 1990s, and recent paintings promoting Telltale's episodic games and Shout Factory's upcoming release of the Freelance Police animated series on DVD. The Surfin' the Highway anniversary edition also features a redesigned cover and author's note by Purcell.
"Thank Telltale for poking and prodding me to finally re-release Surfin' the Highway," says Sam & Max creator Steve Purcell. "Since the mid-90's edition has become scarce, I wanted to revisit the design of the book and have fun with the idea of it being some rare ancient volume. It's great that new fans can now find the book and folks who don't want their rare vintage edition mangled can stock up and start indoctrinating their friends. Flipping through the bound pages, I couldn't help but blurt out, 'This makes me want to draw comics again!' Fortunately, no one was close enough to hear."
The trade paperback retails for $19.99 and can be preordered now from Telltale's website (http://www.telltalegames.com/store/samandmax-highway), with an expected ship date of February 25. The paperback will also be carried in comic stores across North America. The limited edition hardcover, which sells for $49.99 only from Telltale's website, will be individually signed and numbered by Steve Purcell. The hardcover can also be preordered, and is scheduled to ship in Spring 2008.
In celebration of the release, Telltale is offering Surfin' the Highway customers a special gift. All Surfin' the Highway orders placed at www.telltalegames.com through February 29, 2008 will include a free downloadable copy of Ice Station Santa, the premiere episode of Sam & Max Season Two, Telltale's ongoing game series. Also through February 29, the full Season Two game collection is discounted to $26-a 25% savings over the regular price-when purchased in conjunction with the book. Additional Sam & Max merchandise, including t-shirts, hats, and a brand new "highway surfing" poster print, is also available.