''Fables'' is an

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...

created and written by

Bill Willingham William Willingham (born 1956) is an American writer and artist of comics, known for his work on the series '' Elementals'' and ''Fables''. Career William Willingham was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. During his father's military career the fam ...

, published by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

imprint. Willingham served as sole writer for its entirety, with Mark Buckingham penciling more than 110 issues. The series featured various other

penciller A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations. In the American comic book industry, the penciller is the first step ...

s over the years, most notably Lan Medina and Steve Leialoha. ''Fables'' was launched in July 2002 and concluded in July 2015. It was revived in 2022 with a 12-issue continuation to the main series, as well as a 6-issue spin-off miniseries '' Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham'', both published under

DC Black Label DC Black Label (also referred to simply as Black Label) is an imprint of American comic book publisher DC Comics consisting of original miniseries and reprints of books previously published under other imprints. The imprint intends to present t ...

. The series features various characters from

fairy tales A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the Folklore, folklore genre. Such stories typically feature Magic (supernatural), magic, Incantation, e ...

and

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

– referring to themselves as "Fables" – who formed a clandestine community centuries ago within

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

known as Fabletown, after their Homelands were conquered by a mysterious and deadly enemy known as "The Adversary". It is set in the modern day and follows several of Fabletown's legal representatives, such as sheriff Bigby Wolf, deputy mayor

Snow White "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...

, her sister Rose Red,

Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character archetype who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales ...

, and Boy Blue, as they deal with troublesome Fables and try to solve conflicts in both Fabletown and "the Farm", a hidden town in

upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...

for Fables unable to blend in with human society. The series also deals with such other matters as the main characters' personal lives, their attempts to hide the Fables' true nature from regular humans (or "Mundies"), and, later, the return of the Adversary. ''Fables'' was a critical and commercial success, winning many

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...

s and receiving several

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...

nominations for Best Graphic Story. Its success led to several spin-offs and a 2013

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...

video game titled ''

The Wolf Among Us ''The Wolf Among Us'' is an episodic adventure game developed and published by Telltale Games. It is based on Bill Willingham's ''Fables'' comic book series, to which it serves as a prequel. The game consists of five episodes that were re ...

''.

Publication history

Various artists worked on the title. The covers until issue #81 were done by James Jean, after which João Ruas took over as cover artist. The majority of the interior pencil work was done by Mark Buckingham (who reportedly would have been given the writing reins if Willingham became unable to continue it). Other artists include

Bryan Talbot Bryan Talbot (born 24 February 1952) is a British comics artist and writer, best known as the creator of '' The Adventures of Luther Arkwright'' and its sequels '' Heart of Empire'' and '' The Legend of Luther Arkwright'', as well as the ''Gra ...

, Lan Medina, P. Craig Russell,

Mike Allred Michael Dalton "Mike" Allred (born 1962) is an American Comics artist, comic book artist and writer. He is most well known for his Alternative comics, independent comics creation Madman (Mike Allred character), Madman and for co-creating and dra ...

, Craig Hamilton, and

Linda Medley Linda Medley (born May 17, 1964 in Stockton, California) is an American comic book author and illustrator, known for her '' Castle Waiting'' series of comic books and graphic novels. Biography and early career Born in Stockton, California, Medle ...

. The series ended with issue #150. The final issue of ''Fables'' was a larger than normal issue comprising most of the twenty-second ''Fables'' trade paperback. It was released in July 2015. It resumed publication with issue #151 for a 12-issue arc in May 2022. Until 2023, Willingham was the sole owner of the IP rights to ''Fables''. In September, Willingham announced that he had allowed the ''Fables'' IP to enter the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

after growing disenchanted with

. Willingham cited his frustration with DC, stating that for years the company fought him on royalties, media rights, and various other issues. In his announcement, Willingham wrote: "If I understand the law correctly...you have the rights to make your ''Fables'' movies, and cartoons, and publish your ''Fables'' books, and manufacture your ''Fables'' toys, and do anything you want with your property, because it's your property". The decision does not affect any ''Fables'' works already in print, which Willingham will continue to collect royalties on. DC denied Willingham's assertion that the franchise is public domain, stating that they continue to own the rights to the storylines, characters, and elements in the comics.

Characters

The main characters of ''Fables'' are

figures from folklore, mythology, and literature.

said the only considerations in deciding what characters and fables to use were "is the character or story free for use?" and "do I want to use it?" A principal character is the

Big Bad Wolf The Big Bad Wolf is a fictional wolf appearing in several cautionary tales, including some of ''Grimms' Fairy Tales''. Versions of this character have appeared in numerous works, and it has become a generic archetype of a menacing predatory ant ...

(who calls himself "Bigby"), who has not only reformed but gained the ability to take on a more human appearance. At the series' beginning he serves as Fabletown's sheriff. Most of the characters who appear in ''Fables'' are from European stories, the major exceptions being Arabian fables and American fables (from the fable world of "Americana", appearing in '' Jack of Fables'', such as

Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His tall tales revolve around his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox, his pet and working animal. The character originate ...

, Black Sambo ow known as Samand the

Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

). Most of these characters appear primarily in the ''Jack of Fables'' spin-off.

Story arcs

Earlier story arcs each take on the form of a different genre: the first is a murder mystery; the next, a conspiracy thriller; and then, a

caper story The caper story is a subgenre of crime fiction. The typical caper story involves one or more crimes (especially thefts, swindles, or occasionally kidnappings) perpetrated by the main characters in full view of the reader. The actions of police or ...

. While the descriptions are only general, there are spoilers. * Legends in Exile ''(issues #1 to 5)'' :The introduction to Fabletown. Sheriff Bigby Wolf investigates the apparent murder of Rose Red. * Animal Farm ''(issues #6 to 10)'' :A revolt occurs on the Farm, a place for non-human Fables. * Bag 'O Bones ''(issue #11)'' :A tale set during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

in which

Jack Horner Jack Horner may refer to: *"Little Jack Horner", a nursery rhyme People * Jack Horner (activist) (born 1922), Australian author and activist in the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship * Jack Horner (baseball) (1863–1910), American professional ba ...

finds a way to cheat Death. * A Two-Part Caper ''(issues #12 and 13)'' :A mundane journalist finds out about the Fables and they have to decide how to react. * Storybook Love ''(issues #14 to 17)'' :

Bluebeard "Bluebeard" ( ) is a French Folklore, folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by Barbin in Paris in 1697 in . The tale is about a wealthy man in the habit of murdering his wives an ...

hatches a plot to rid himself of Bigby and Snow by enchanting them, and the homicidal

Goldilocks "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an impudent old woman who enters the forest home of three anthropomorphic bachelor bears while th ...

attempts to kill the pair.

decides to run for Fabletown Mayor. * Barleycorn Brides ''(issue #18)'' :Bigby tells Flycatcher the story of a Smalltown tradition. * March of the Wooden Soldiers ''(issues #19 to 21 and #23 to 27)'' :Prince Charming runs for Mayor of Fabletown while the community deals with the apparent escape from the Homelands of

Red Riding Hood "Little Red Riding Hood" () is a fairy tale by Charles Perrault about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th-century European folk tales. It was later retold in the 19th-century by the Brothers Gr ...

. The Adversary sends his first troops into Fabletown to begin an assault. * Cinderella Libertine ''(issue #22)'' :

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

's apparently frivolous lifestyle is revealed to be a front. * War Stories ''(issues #28 and 29)'' :Bigby's adventures during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. * The Long Year ''(issues #30 to 33)'' :Snow gives birth and realizes she must relocate to the Farm. Bigby isn't allowed there and instead exiles himself. Snow encounters Bigby's estranged father, the

North Wind A north wind originates in the north and blows in a southward direction. The wind has had historical and literary significance, since it often signals cold weather and seasonal change in the Northern hemisphere. Mythology *In Greek mythology, ...

. One of her children is revealed to be quite different than the others, so she sends him to find his father. This story arc is retitled "The Mean Seasons" in the trade paperback of the same name. * Jack Be Nimble ''(issues #34 and 35)'' :Jack goes to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

and sets up a film studio. Spins off into '' Jack of Fables''. * Homelands ''(issues #36 to 38 and #40 and 41)'' :Boy Blue goes on a mission to the Homelands with the aim of assassinating the Adversary and learns the Adversary's identity. * Meanwhile ''(issue #39)'' :What has been going on in Fabletown during Blue's adventures. * Arabian Nights (and Days) ''(issues #42 to 45)'' :A delegation of Arabian Fables led by Sinbad visits Fabletown to discuss an alliance against the Adversary. * The Ballad of Rodney and June ''(issues #46 and 47)'' :A side story of the seemingly ill-fated love of Rodney and June, two members of the Adversary's forces. * Wolves ''(issues #48 and 49)'' :

Mowgli Mowgli () is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Mowgli stories featured among Rudyard Kipling's ''The Jungle Book'' stories. He is a feral boy from the Pench area in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, India, who originally appeared in Kiplin ...

searches for the missing Bigby and brings him a message from Fabletown. * Happily Ever After ''(issue #50)'' :Bigby returns, delivers a warning to the Adversary and marries Snow. * Big and Small ''(issue #51)'' :Cinderella continues her mission in the Cloud Kingdom, but must be turned into a mouse and enlist the aid of Smalltown's resident medic in order to treat a sick giant king. * Sons of Empire ''(issues #52 to 55)'' :The Adversary calls a conference of the Imperial elite to decide what to do about Fabletown.

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

has to face up to his divided loyalties. * Jiminy Christmas ''(issue #56)'' :

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

' existence as a Fable is addressed. * Father and Son ''(issues #57 and 58)'' :Bigby decides that the time has come to square things with his father, the North Wind. On a hunt, his children encounter Bigby's siblings, who have become more beasts than men. * Burning Questions ''(issue #59)'' :Readers were invited to participate in a contest by asking Willingham questions of unresolved events in the series. Here, they are answered in a series of one to four page short stories. * The Good Prince ''(issues #60 to 63 and #65 to 69)'' :Flycatcher, who has never fully accepted the death of his wife, must face up to his past. * The Birthday Secret ''(issue #64)'' :Preparation for war begins at the Farm and the birthday of Bigby's children. * Kingdom Come ''(issue #70)'' :Boy Blue and Rose Red discuss their relationship. Flycatcher's offer is brought to the Farm. Plans are made to begin the war. * Skullduggery ''(issues #71 and 72)'' :Cinderella repays her debt to Frau Totenkinder by going on a mission down South. * War and Pieces ''(issues #73 to 75)'' :Fabletown and the Empire go to war. * Around the Town ''(issue #76)'' :Fabletown's newest member is given a tour, much to the displeasure of some of the other residents. * The Dark Ages ''(issues #77 to 81)'' :A new era begins as the residents of Fabletown face the aftermath of the war. New challenges arise at home and in a distant land a dark power is awakened. * Waiting for the Blues ''(issue #82)'' :An epilogue to "The Dark Ages". * The Great Fables Crossover ''(issues #83 to 85)'' :Bigby and Beast get into a violent fight that demonstrates the influence of the dark powers present. Rose Red sinks deeper and deeper into depression. Stinky starts a religion foretelling Boy Blue's heroic return, which a returning Jack Horner takes advantage of before encountering his son, the new Jack Frost. In an interesting twist, the issues are more focused on Jack than on the other Fables (note: includes ''Jack of Fables'' issues #33 to 35 and ''The Literals'' issues #1 to 3). * Boxing Days ''(issue #86)'' : Mister Dark relates how he came to be trapped in a magical box by a group of imperial warlocks, and the rise of their leader Dunster Happ. * Witches ''(issues #87 to 91)'' :The leaders and witches of Fabletown discuss how to defeat Mister Dark. Meanwhile, Bufkin finds himself trapped in the lost business office with

Baba Yaga Baba Yaga is a female character (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) from Slavic folklore who has two contrasting roles. In some narratives, she is described as a repulsive or ferocious-looking old woman who fries and eats children, ...

and many other monsters. * Out to the Ball Game ''(issues #92 and 93)'' :A story set in Haven, where the local baseball game leads to a murder. * Rose Red ''(issues #94 to 98)'' :The Farm is in chaos, as various factions vie for control. To restore order, Rose Red must face her greatest foe – herself. * Dark City ''(issue #99)'' :Mr. Dark uses his power to construct a new citadel in

. * Single Combat ''(issue #100)'' :The final confrontation between Frau Totenkinder and Mister Dark. * The Ascent ''(issue #101)'' :Bufkin climbs the Business Office's tree and finds himself in Ev (a neighbor to the

Land of Oz The Land of Oz is a fantasy world introduced in the 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by William Wallace Denslow, W. W. Denslow. Oz consists of four vast quadrants, the Gillikin Countr ...

). * Super Team ''(issues #102 to 106)'' : Ozma puts together a team of Fables to mimic the superheroics of comic books. * Waking Beauty ''(issue #107)'' :The fate of the defeated Empire's thorn-covered capital. * Inherit the Wind ''(issues #108 to 111)'' :The North Wind's successor is chosen among Snow and Bigby's Cubs. In Ev, Bufkin forms a resistance movement in order to overthrow the evil

Nome King The Nome King is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum, introduced in the 1907 book ''Ozma of Oz''. The Nome King recurs in many of the ''Oz'' novels, being the most frequent antagonist in Baum's book series. Precursor ...

. * "All in a Single Night" ''(issue #112)'' :A Fables take on ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'', focusing on Rose Red. * In Those Days ''(issue #113)'' :A collection of short, short Fables stories. * Cubs in Toyland ''(issues #114 to 121)'' :Snow and Bigby's cub Therese is taken to a bleak, mysterious land inhabited by discarded toys, inciting a series of soul-crushing events. This storyline has a backup feature that follows Bufkin's (mis)adventures in Oz. * The Destiny Game ''(issues #122 and 123)'' :A look at how fate works in the Fable universe. Bufkin and Lily's adventures continue in the story's backup feature. * After ''(issue #124)'' :Bufkin and Lily's heroic adventures comes to its grand finale. * Snow White ''(issues #125 to 129)'' :A man from Snow White's past claims her as his legal wife. * June Bug ''(issue #130)'' :The daughter of Rodney and June, the Adversary wooden soldiers that became human, explores Castle Black. * Camelot ''(issues #131 to 133 and #135 to 137)'' :A new dark age calls for a new Round Table, with modern knights willing to take on a sacred quest to reassemble the shattered pieces of Fabletown. * Deeper into the Woods ''(issue #134)'' :Bigby Wolf wanders into a heaven resembling the woods he used to hunt in, where he meets a long-lost friend. * Root and Branch ''(issue #138)'' :Geppetto is up to his naughty tricks in a stand-alone story that fills in the gaps of an event that happened in Fabletown long ago. * The Boys in the Band ''(issues #139 and 140)'' :Peter Piper, Joe Shepherd, Puss in Boots and Briar Rose – the members of Boy Blue's band – set out on a quest to free one tiny Fable Homeland. * Happily Ever After ''(issues #141 to 149)'' :Good knight vs. bad knight. King Arthur vs. Morgan le Fay. Rose Red vs. Snow White. The two sisters are caught up in the roles Camelot has set for them, and now they're ready for battle. * Farewell ''(issue #150)'' :Once Upon a Time... for the very last time. * The Black Forest ''(issues #151 to 162)''

Collected editions

The series proper is principally being collected in trade paperbacks.

Deluxe edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition or expanded edition are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as b ...

hardcovers are also being produced. The spin-off

graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...

'' 1001 Nights of Snowfall'' and other works are available in both hardcover and softcover format.

Trade paperbacks

Deluxe Editions

Compendium editions

Spin-offs

''1001 Nights of Snowfall''

'' 1001 Nights of Snowfall'' is a prequel to ''Fables'' written by Willingham, and was initially released in hardcover on October 18, 2006. Based on the ''

One Thousand and One Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' (, ), is a collection of Middle Eastern folktales compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights'', from the first English-language edition ( ...

'', it tells a story from a time early in Fabletown's history when

was sent as an emissary to the Arabian Fables. The Sultan's Vizier secretly presents Snow to Sultan as his next wife in order to delay his daughter

Scheherazade Scheherazade () is a major character and the storyteller in the frame story, frame narrative of the Middle Eastern collection of tales known as the ''One Thousand and One Nights''. Name According to modern scholarship, the name ''Scheherazade ...

from suffering the same fate. Snow must amuse the Sultan with a new story every night to prevent him from executing her at dawn, as he has done with all his former wives.

Cinderella

* '' Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love'' A spin-off mini-series, written by novelist and publisher Chris Roberson (another of Willingham and Sturges's fellow ''Clockwork Storybook'' alumni) with painted cover art by Chrissie Zullo, the miniseries was drawn by

Shawn McManus Shawn McManus (born June 30, 1958) is an Americans, American artist who has worked extensively over three decades for DC Comics and other companies, notably for DC's Vertigo (DC Comics), Vertigo imprint including the ''Fables (comics), Fables'' ...

, and (according to ''

Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...

'' Timothy Callahan) "answers the question of what happened to

's fairy godmother". Writer Roberson says: "It's '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' meets ''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO, based on Sex and the City (newspaper column), the newspaper column and 1996 book by Candace Bushnell. It premiered in th ...

''". The concluding issue was released in April 2010. * ''Cinderella: Fables Are Forever'' A six-issue sequel to Chris Roberson and Shawn McManus's earlier ''Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love'' series, was released in mid-2011.

''Fables: The Last Castle''

A prestige format one-shot in which Boy Blue retells to Snow White the tale of the last stand against the Adversary's forces in the Homelands.

''Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland''

''Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland'' is an original graphic novel written by Willingham with art by Craig Hamilton, and Jim Fern. It was released in hardcover in November 2012. In the story, Bigby Wolf embarks on a quest through the American Heartland to find a new location for Fabletown.

''Fairest''

'' Fairest'' follows the lives of some female Fables, including Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Cinderella. It debuted on March 7, 2012, with the first arc written by Willingham and art by

Phil Jimenez Phil Jimenez (born July 12, 1970) is an American comics artist and writer known for his work as writer/artist on ''Wonder Woman (comic book), Wonder Woman'' from 2000 to 2003, as one of the five pencilers of the 2005–2006 miniseries ''Infinite C ...

. Subsequent arcs were handed off to writers of Willingham's choosing.

''Jack of Fables''

'' Jack of Fables'' focuses on

. It debuted in July 2006 and follows ''Fables'' #35 ("Jack Be Nimble" part 2). It is co-written by Willingham and former '' Clockwork Storybook'' author Lilah Sturges. The series ended with its fiftieth issue in March 2011.

''The Literals''

Three issue miniseries comprising one third of ''The Great Fables Crossover''. It is co-written by Willingham and Sturges, and was published April through June 2009. All issues are included in ''Fables: The Great Fables Crossover'', in ''Deluxe Edition: Volume 10,'' and in ''Fables: Compendium Three''.

''Peter & Max: A Fables Novel''

'' Peter & Max: A Fables Novel'' is an illustrated novel centering on

Peter Piper "Peter Piper" is an English-language nursery rhyme and well-known alliteration tongue-twister. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19745. Lyrics The traditional version, as published in John Harris' ''Peter Piper's Practical Principles of ...

, his wife Bo Peep and his brother Max, who will later grow up to be the

Pied Piper The Pied Piper of Hamelin (, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back to the Middle Ages. The earliest refere ...

. Written by Willingham and illustrated by Steve Leialoha, it is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook editions. It includes a brief comic book story that deals with Pete and Bo Peep's adventures after the events in the novel.

''The Unwritten Fables''

Issues #50–54 of '' The Unwritten'', a comic series created by Mike Carey and Peter Gross, were a crossover with ''Fables'', with writing co-credited to Willingham. The crossover arc was compiled into the ninth volume of the ''Unwritten'' trade paperback series.

''Fables: The Wolf Among Us''

The '' Fables: The Wolf Among Us'' video game was adapted into comic form by

Vertigo Comics DC Vertigo, also known as Vertigo Comics or simply Vertigo, is an Imprint (trade name), imprint of the American comic book publisher DC Comics. Vertigo publishes comics with adult comics, adult content, such as nudity, drug use, profanity, and ...

, released digitally first in December 2014 and later as print comic. The story was adapted for the comic by Lilah Sturges, who has previously written for the ''Fables'' series, and Dave Justus, staying otherwise true to the game's story but exploring some characters and back story in more depth. The comic is canon to the ''Fables'' universe.

Prose stories

"''A Wolf in the Fold''", featured in "Legends in Exile" trade paperback and in the "Deluxe Edition: Volume 2", tells the history of Bigby Wolf and Snow White and how they came to the mundane world. "''Pinocchio's Army''", featured in "Fables: Rose Red", focuses on

and Geppeto during the events of the "Rose Red" story arc.

''Everafter: From the Pages of Fables''

The series follows the events of ''Fables'' #150. Debuting in 2016, the series was cancelled after 12 issues.

''Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham''

A six-issue team-up starring

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

and Bigby was released in September 2021.

Collected editions

Awards and praise

''Fables'' won fourteen

Eisner Awards The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...

: * Best New Series in 2003 * Best Serialized Story in 2003, 2005 and 2006 ("Legends In Exile", "March of the Wooden Soldiers" and "Homelands") * Best Anthology in 2007 (''Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall'') * Best Short Story in 2007 ("A Frog's Eye View", by

and James Jean, in ''Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall'') * Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team in 2007 ( Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha) * Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (Interior) in 2007 (

Jill Thompson Jill Thompson (born November 20, 1966) is an American comics artist, illustrator and writer who has worked for stage, film, and television. Well known for her work on Neil Gaiman's ''The Sandman (Vertigo), The Sandman'' characters and her own ''Sc ...

) * Best Cover Artist in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 (James Jean) While ''Fables'' only advertises winning fourteen Eisner Awards on their covers, the following Eisner awards have also been won by members of their staff for their work on ''Fables'': * Best Writer in 2009 (Bill Willingham) * Best Lettering in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011 (

Todd Klein Todd Klein (born January 28, 1951) is an American comic book letterer, logo designer, and occasional writer, primarily for DC Comics. Biography Early career Todd Klein broke into comics in the summer of 1977, hired by DC Comics as a staff prod ...

) ''Fables: War and Pieces'' was nominated for the first Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story. ''Fables: The Dark Ages'', ''Fables: Witches'' and ''Fables: Rose Red'' were also nominated. Prominent review site ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'' has called it "the best comic book currently being produced" in 2006.

Adaptations

Convention

Fabletown and Beyond was a comic convention created and hosted by Willingham to showcase and appreciate comic books that fall under the genre of mythic fiction. Willingham announced this new project during his panel at the 2012 San Diego Comic Convention. ''Fables'' artist Mark Buckingham was the guest of honor for the first FablesCon, held on March 22–24, 2013, at the Mayo Civic Center in

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. It is located along rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a popul ...

. Other guests included

Gene Ha Gene Ha is an Americans, American comics artist and writer best known for his work on books such as ''Top 10 (comics), Top 10'' and ''Top 10: The Forty-Niners'', with Alan Moore and Zander Cannon, for America's Best Comics, the Batman graphic nove ...

, Mike Carey, Matt Sturges, Peter Gross,

Kurt Busiek Kurt Busiek ( ; born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the '' Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled '' Astro City'', a four-year run on '' The Avengers, Thunderbolts,'' and ''Superman.'' Early lif ...

, Anthony Del Col, Shelly Bond,

Adam Hughes Adam Hughes (born May 5, 1967) is an American comics artist and illustrator best known to American comic book readers for his renderings of pinup-style female characters, and his cover work on titles such as ''Wonder Woman'' and ''Catwoman''. ...

, Chrissie Zullo, and

Lauren Beukes Lauren Beukes (born 5 June 1976) is a South African novelist, short story writer, journalist and Screenwriter, television scriptwriter. Early life Lauren Beukes was born 5 June 1976. She grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. She attended Roede ...

.Hennon, Blake
and Beyond: Bill Willingham launches mythic convention"
Hero Complex, ''Los Angeles Times'' (March 20, 2013).

Television series

A television series based on ''Fables'' was put into development by

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

in 2005 for the 2006–07 television season. The show received a script order and was developed by Craig Silverstein and

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios, operating under the name Warner Bros. Television (abbreviated as WBTV; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division), is an American television production and distribution studio and the flagship studio o ...

but was not developed any further than the scripting stage. NBC later produced ''

Grimm Grimm may refer to: People * Grimm (surname) * Brothers Grimm, German linguists ** Jacob Grimm (1785–1863), German philologist, jurist and mythologist ** Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), German author, the younger of the Brothers Grimm * Christia ...

'', a

police procedural The police procedural, police show, or police crime drama is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasises the investigative procedure of police officers, police detectives, or law enforcement agency, law enforcement agencies ...

set in a world where fairytales are real. In December 2008, ABC picked up the rights to develop a pilot of ''Fables'' for the 2009–10 television season. '' Six Degrees'' creators and executive producers Stu Zicherman and Raven Metzner were writing the script for the hourlong drama, again set up at Warner Bros. Television, while

David Semel David Semel is an American film and television director and producer. Semel joined the Directors Guild of America in 1989. His television directing credits include ''Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip'', ''Person of Interest'', ''Ally McBeal'', ''Bo ...

had come on board to direct. There has been no news since concerning a series based directly on Willingham's series and, in late 2010, he said " e TV show that was prematurely announced is probably dead". Instead, ABC developed a new series called ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...

'', which features fairy tale characters such as Snow White and Prince Charming who have been cursed to live in the real world by the Evil Queen without the memories of their former lives. The show's creators,

Edward Kitsis Edward Lawrence Kitsis (born February 4, 1971) is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his work with his writing partner Adam Horowitz on the popular ABC drama series '' Lost'' and ''Once Upon a Time''. Early life a ...

and Adam Horowitz, stated that they "read a couple issues" of ''Fables'' but believe that while the two concepts are "in the same playground", they are "telling a different story".

Film

In 2015,

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

was developing a live-action ''Fables'' film with David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford producing, Jeremy Slater and

Jane Goldman Jane Loretta Anne Goldman''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 11 June 1970) is a British screenwriter and producer. She is mostly known for collaborating with director Matthew Vaughn on ...

writing and

Nikolaj Arcel Nikolaj Arcel (born 25 August 1972) is a Danish filmmaker and screenwriter. He is best known for his 2012 film ''A Royal Affair'', which won two prizes at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival and which ...

directing, but these plans were quietly cancelled.

Video game

Telltale Games Telltale Incorporated (trade name: Telltale Games) was an American video game developer based in San Rafael, California. The company was founded in July 2004 by former LucasArts developers Kevin Bruner, Dan Connors and Troy Molander, following ...

developed ''

'', an episodic

graphic adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based ...

based upon ''Fables''. With the first of its five episodes released on October 11, 2013 (and the final episode released on July 8, 2014), the game is canon with the comic book universe and is set as a prequel to the comic book. '' The Wolf Among Us 2'' was set for release in 2024, the final release being currently unknown. It is a sequel to the 2013 game ''The Wolf Among Us'', with the title taking place six months following the events of the previous title. The popular Blue Tea Games series '' Dark Parables'' was inspired by ''Fables''.

Notes

References

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fables (Comics) Fantasy comics Horror comics 2002 comics debuts 2015 comics endings Comics based on fairy tales Comics set in New York City Eisner Award winners for Best New Series Eisner Award winners Collections of fairy tales Jinn in popular culture Vertigo Comics titles Comics adapted into video games Werewolf comics Speculative crime and thriller fiction Public domain comics