Although it’s been more than 50 years since it debuted, Hanna-Barbera’s Jonny Quest cartoon still holds a place in the hearts of many fans, thanks to a generous syndication schedule, a 1980s reboot and a popular comic series from Comico. That comic series in particular was a gem, as it featured the work of Doug Wildey, William Messner-Loebs, Wendy Pini, Joe Staton, Steve Rude, Mark Hempel, Dave Stevens, Ernie Colon, Adam Kubert, Ken Steacy and many more.
And now Jonny Quest and the gang return to comics. Dynamite released a taste of what to expect from their new series on Free Comic Book Day, and now they’ve revealed more details on the series itself. It’s written by Joe Casey, writer of Automatic Kafka, Uncanny X-Men, Gødland and so much more, and drawn by Sebastián Piriz, who previously worked on We Ride Titans and Deadweights.
“The hope is that we’re maintaining the bouncy spirit of the original TV show,” Casey said. “From one episode to the next, Jonny Quest always had a particular dramatic rhythm that was completely unique. We want our book to have that same kind of vibe. Plus, the fact that Benton and Jonny are father and son automatically makes this a generational story. We’re taking that angle and really running with it, taking that specific generational aspect to the extreme in ways that, we think, deepen the characters and give them the proper amount of gravitas that we demand from our beloved genre fiction.”
Dynamite shared a few more details on the title, which picks up where the original animated series left off in the 1960s:
Climb aboard the Sea Quest and get ready to embark on a journey like no other. Legendary boy explorer Jonny Quest is back in action, and joined by the whole beloved cast originally created for the Hanna-Barbera animation line by comic book legend Doug Wildey.
Jonny’s father, Dr. Benton Quest, is a genius scientist often leading the way. “Race” Bannon is a special agent tasked with protecting Jonny and teaching him a range of skills. Hadji is the orphaned adopted son of Dr. Quest, and Jonny’s brother. Last, but certainly not least, Jonny’s dog Bandit is always along for the ride.
Here’s a look at some of Piriz’s interior artwork:
And here’s a look at the first issue’s variant covers by Jae Lee, Tom Raney, Bob Layton and Richard Pace:
The first issue of Jonny Quest will arrive in August.