Feature Roy Race returns
Rebellion has undertaken “extensive” market research with its core audience of nine- to 12-year-olds, and will continue to connect with readers as the books are released. Power said finding the right look for the reboot had been “a long process”, but the publisher has setled on an aesthetic “that services the heritage of Roy of the Rovers while giving the character and club a thoroughly modern feel”. Rebellion will publish three hardback Roy of the Rovers graphic novels per football season, launching in September 2018 alongside the first of the middle- grade illustrated fiction titles. Power said the decision to publish the comic in a graphic novel format was led by “the longer and more involved stories we wanted to tell”, as well as a desire to create “special and collect- ible” products.
The middle-grade fiction titles will expand the Rovers universe, telling a broader range of stories. “We can focus on different games and competitions, highlight different characters—including international players and the Melchester Rovers women’s team—all under the Roy of the Rovers banner.” Each story will work as a standalone title, which Rebellion hopes will make the series easily accessible. Accessibilit is a key concern for the publisher, with Power saying improving literacy among the audience is “a big part” of the project. He added: “We want to give reluctant readers—kids obsessed by football who maybe
aren’t reading as much as they should—a reason to pick up the graphic novels and books, and read. There isn’t a lot out there that does this for football obsessed kids, and we want to correct that.”
Roy is going to have to deal with the realities of
football in the lower leagues, the perils of fame and the attention of agents and clubs
determined
to exploit his talent and turn him into the next megastar
Picking the team Though the reboot is still in the planning stages, Rebel- lion says it has signed up a “first-class creative team”, including “the leading name in children’s sports fiction”, and promises “technical sportswear, apparel and innovative cross-media partnerships”. It is also planning a “comprehensive digital offering” which will include a comic reader for fans to access the graphic novels and additional content via smartphones and tablets, “lots of engaging video content”, and projects that will give fans “new ways to interact with the charac- ter”. Rebellion also intends to work with major UK foot- ball organisations and respected brands, clubs, charities and schools to launch the rebrand.
Powers is confident that the new Roy of the Rovers will hit the back of the net with its core demographic. He said: “We have a very distinct USP: we’re a football brand that crosses club and country boundaries, and has something for all those kids who don’t see the sorts of stories that appeal to them. Football is the world game, and we believe that fans across the globe will welcome Roy of the Rovers back into the footballing communit with open arms.”
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