''Fables'' is an American comic book

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 in ...

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 f ...

, published by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

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, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...

s over the years, most notably

Lan Medina Rolando Medina, commonly known as Lan Medina (born December 22, 1961), is a Filipino comic book artist best known for his work on '' Fables, Aria, District X'', and '' The Punisher: MAX'' imprint. Awards In the 2007 Glyph Comics Awards, the Fan ...

and

Steve Leialoha Steve Leialoha (born January 27, 1952) is an American comics artist whose work first came to prominence in the 1970s. He has worked primarily as an inker, though occasionally as a penciller, for several publishers, including Marvel Comics and late ...

. ''Fables'' was launched in July 2002 and concluded in July 2015. In June 2021, it was announced that ''Fables'' would be getting revived in 2022 with a 12-issue continuation to the main series, as well as a 6-issue spinoff miniseries

Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham ''Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham'' is a six-issue comic book miniseries that was published by DC Comics from September 2021 to February 2022. Synopsis Batman meets Bigby Wolf. Prints Issues Collected editions Reception Hannah R ...

, both published under DC Black Label. The series features various characters from fairy tales and

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

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

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

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 Bigby Wolf is a fictional character in the American comic book series ''Fables (comics), Fables'' published by DC Comics and its alternative imprint Vertigo (DC Comics), Vertigo. The character first appears in ''Fables'' #1 (July 2002) and was cr ...

, deputy mayor

Snow White "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...

, her sister Rose Red,

Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character 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, includi ...

, 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 consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...

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 Awards and receiving several Hugo Award nominations for Best Graphic Story. Its success led to several spin-offs and a 2013 prequel video game titled ''

The Wolf Among Us ''The Wolf Among Us'' is an episodic graphic mystery-drama adventure game developed by Telltale Games, 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 James Jean is a Taiwanese-American visual artist working primarily in painting and drawing. He lives and works in Los Angeles, where he moved from New York in 2003. Early life Jean was born in Taiwan and raised in New Jersey. During his early ed ...

, 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 sequel '' Heart of Empire'', as well as the ''Grandville'' series of books. He collaborated ...

P. Craig Russell Philip Craig Russell (born October 30, 1951) is an American comics artist, writer, and illustrator. His work has won multiple Harvey and Eisner Awards. Russell was the first mainstream comic book creator to come out as openly gay. Biography ...

Mike Allred Michael Dalton Allred is an American comic book artist and writer most famous for his independent comics creations, ''Madman'' and ''iZombie''. His style is often compared to pop art, as well as commercial and comic art of the 1950s and 1960s ...

, 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, Medley ...

. 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. ''Fables'' was restarted with issue #151 for a 12-issue arc in May 2022.

Characters

The main characters of ''Fables'' are

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

figures from folklore, mythology, and literature. Bill Willingham 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 that include 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 ...

(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 ''Jack of Fables'' is a spin-off comic book series of ''Fables'' written by Bill Willingham and Lilah Sturges and published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The story focuses on the adventures of Jack Horner, a supporting character in the main ...

'', such as

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

, 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 ...

). Most of these characters appear primarily in the ''

'' 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 The conspiracy thriller (or paranoid thriller) is a subgenre of thriller fiction. The protagonists of conspiracy thrillers are often journalists or amateur investigators who find themselves (often inadvertently) pulling on a small thread which unr ...

, 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, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

in which Jack Horner 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" (french: Barbe bleue, ) is a French folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by Barbin in Paris in 1697 in '' Histoires ou contes du temps passé''. The tale tells the s ...

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

Goldilocks "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (originally titled "The Story of the Three Bears") is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an obscene old woman who enters the forest hom ...

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 European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brothe ...

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

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

'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, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. * 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. 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 and sets up a film studio. Spins off into ''

''. * 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 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 woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...

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

'' 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 In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga, also spelled Baba Jaga (from Polish), is a supernatural being (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) who appears as a deformed and/or ferocious-looking woman. In fairy tales Baba Yaga flies around in a ...

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, magical country 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, th ...

). * 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. He is introduced in Baum's third Oz book ''Ozma of Oz'' (1907). He also appears in many of the continuing sequel '' Oz'' novels also written by Baum. Although the c ...

. * "All in a Single Night" ''(issue 112)'' :A Fables take on '' A Christmas Carol'', 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 A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) book ...

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

hardcovers are also being produced. The spin-off

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

''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 ''Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall'' is a graphic novel prequel to the comic book series '' Fables'' written by series creator Bill Willingham with a variety of artists. It was released on October 18, 2006 by Vertigo. In the story Snow White has b ...
''

A prequel to ''Fables'' written by Willingham, it was initially released in hardcover on October 18, 2006. Based on the '' One Thousand and One Nights'', 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 female character and the storyteller in the 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'' de ...

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 American artist who has worked extensively over three decades for DC Comics and other companies, notably for DC's Vertigo imprint including the ''Fables'' series. Comics Born in Brookline, Massachuset ...

, and (according to ''

Comic Book Resources ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...

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

fairy godmother In fairy tales, a fairy godmother () is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies. In Perrault's ''Cinderella'', he concludes the tale wit ...

"."CCI: Vertigo Voices "Fables" Panel"
by Timothy Callahan,

, July 28, 2008. Accessed June 11, 2020 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-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...

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

''
Jack of Fables ''Jack of Fables'' is a spin-off comic book series of ''Fables'' written by Bill Willingham and Lilah Sturges and published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The story focuses on the adventures of Jack Horner, a supporting character in the main ...
''

''Jack of Fables'' focuses on Jack Horner. It debuted in July 2006 and follows ''Fables'' #35 ("Jack Be Nimble" part 2). It is co-written by Willingham and former ''

Clockwork Storybook Clockwork Storybook (CWSB) was a writer's collective and independent book publisher based in Austin, Texas. It specialized in the fantasy, horror and adventure genres. History Clockwork Storybook was formed in the late 1990s by fellow Austin-b ...

'' author

Lilah Sturges Lilah Sturges (; born Matthew Sturges, October 1970) is an American writer of comics and fantasy novels. She is best known for co-writing with Bill Willingham the Eisner-award-nominated ''Jack of Fables'', and other comics published by Vertigo Com ...

. 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 the ''Fables: The Great Fables Crossover'' and in the ''Deluxe Edition: Volume 10''.

'' Peter and Max: A Fables Novel''

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 (german: der Rattenfänger von Hameln, 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 ...

. Written by Willingham and illustrated by

, 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 comics 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''

'' videogame was adapted into comic form by Vertigo Comics, released digitally first in December 2014 and later as print comic. The story's been 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

and Snow White and how they came to the mundane world. "''Pinocchio's Army''", featured in "Fables: Rose Red", focuses on Pinocchio and Geppetto 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 appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

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 prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

: * 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 Bill Willingham 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) * 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) ''Fables: War and Pieces'' was nominated for the first

Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story The Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story is given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories told in graphic form and published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. It has been awarded annually since 2009. The Hugo ...

. ''Fables: The Dark Ages'', ''Fables: Witches'' and ''Fables: Rose Red'' were also nominated. Prominent review site

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game 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 distri ...

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 Mythic fiction is literature that is rooted in, inspired by, or that in some way draws from the tropes, themes, and symbolism of myth, legend, folklore, and fairy tales. The term is widely credited to Charles de Lint and Terri Windling. Mythic ...

. Willingham announced this new project during his panel at the 2012

San Diego Comic Convention San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...

: "We're going to have a nearly-all ''Fables'' dedicated con called 'Fabletown and Beyond' – it's ''Fables'' and books like ''Fables''". ''Fables'' artist Mark Buckingham was the guest of honor for the first FablesCon, held on March 22–24, 2013, at the

Mayo Civic Center The Mayo Civic Center is a multi-purpose convention center and event facility in Rochester, Minnesota. The original building was built in 1938, as a gift to the city by Charles Horace Mayo, Dr. Charles H. Mayo and Mayo Properties Association (now ...

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic. Acco ...

. Other guests included

Gene Ha In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian inheritance#History, Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanin ...

, 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 (comic book), The Avengers, Thunderbolts (comics ...

Anthony Del Col Anthony Del Col is a Canadian-born, Pulitzer Prize-winning creator, writer and entrepreneur. Del Col is the writer of the Insider comic ''I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp'', the co-creator and co-writer of the Joe Shuster Award-nominated comic ...

Shelly Bond Shelly Bond ( born Roeberg) is an American comic book editor, known for her two decades at DC Comics' Vertigo (DC Comics) imprint, for which she was executive editor from 2013 to 2016. Career Bond began working in the comics industry as an edito ...

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''. H ...

, Chrissie Zullo, and

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

.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 English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

in 2005 for the 2006–2007 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; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...

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 show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eith ...

set in a world where fairytales are real. In December 2008,

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

picked up the rights to develop a pilot of ''Fables'' for the 2009–2010 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. His television directing credits include ''Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip'', '' Person of Interest'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''Boston Public'', '' 7th Heaven'', '' No Ordinary Fami ...

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 announced 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 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in t ...

'', 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 television writer and 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 and e ...

and

Adam Horowitz Adam Horowitz (born December 4, 1971) is an American screenwriter and producer. He is known for co-creating the ABC fairy tale drama series '' Once Upon a Time'' with his writing partner Edward Kitsis. Days after the show ended its seven-year ...

, 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. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

was developing a live action ''Fables'' film with

David Heyman David Jonathan Heyman (born 26 July 1961) is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. Heyman secured the rights to the ''Harry Potter'' film series in 1999 and went on to produce all eight installments of the franchise. He also ...

and Jeffrey Clifford producing,

Jeremy Slater Jeremy Slater is an American writer and producer of film and television, known for his work on films such as ''Fantastic Four'' and ''Death Note'', and on television series such as ''The Umbrella Academy'' and ''The Exorcist'', which Slater crea ...

and

Jane Goldman Jane Loretta Anne Goldman''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 11 June 1970) is an English screenwriter, author and producer. With Matthew Vaughn, she co-wrote the screenplays of '' Kings ...

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 Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film a ...

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 m ...

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 ''The Wolf Among Us 2'' is an upcoming episodic graphic adventure game being developed and published by Telltale Games with the assistance of AdHoc Studio, a studio that consists of former Telltale staff. It is a sequel to the 2013 game '' The ...

'' was revealed February 2022, and is set to release 2023. 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 Blue Tea Games is a casual computer games development studio, founded on January 24, 2003 by Steven Zhao. Blue Tea Games Blue Tea Games's works are usually released through digital and online casual game distributor Big Fish Games where the compan ...

series ''

Dark Parables Blue Tea Games is a casual computer games development studio, founded on January 24, 2003 by Steven Zhao. Blue Tea Games Blue Tea Games's works are usually released through digital and online casual game distributor Big Fish Games where the compan ...

'' 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

Publication history

Characters

Story arcs

Collected editions

Trade paperbacks

Deluxe Editions

Compendium editions

Spin-offs

''1001 Nights of Snowfall ''Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall'' is a graphic novel prequel to the comic book series '' Fables'' written by series creator Bill Willingham with a variety of artists. It was released on October 18, 2006 by Vertigo. In the story Snow White has b ...''

Cinderella

''Fables: The Last Castle''

''Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland''

'' Fairest''

''Jack of Fables ''Jack of Fables'' is a spin-off comic book series of ''Fables'' written by Bill Willingham and Lilah Sturges and published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The story focuses on the adventures of Jack Horner, a supporting character in the main ...''

''The Literals''

'' Peter and Max: A Fables Novel''

''The Unwritten Fables''

'' Fables: The Wolf Among Us''

Prose stories

''Everafter: From the Pages of Fables''

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

Collected editions

Awards and praise

Adaptations

Convention

Television series

Film

Video game

Notes

References

External links

''
1001 Nights of Snowfall ''Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall'' is a graphic novel prequel to the comic book series '' Fables'' written by series creator Bill Willingham with a variety of artists. It was released on October 18, 2006 by Vertigo. In the story Snow White has b ...
''

''
Jack of Fables ''Jack of Fables'' is a spin-off comic book series of ''Fables'' written by Bill Willingham and Lilah Sturges and published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The story focuses on the adventures of Jack Horner, a supporting character in the main ...
''