LA-based Kartoon Studios (formerly Genius Brands International) has partnered with online bookstore Legible to develop and distribute digital and print comics based on Stan Lee’s unexplored ideas.

Vancouver-based Legible will launch 12 original digital and print comic book series next year under the new Stan Lee Comics banner, featuring never-before-seen stories and characters aimed at tween and older audiences. Legible will also add audio, video and animation into the digital versions. This deal expands Legible’s existing catalogue of Stan Lee content, which includes a biography of the legendary creator it published last year to coincide with what would have been Lee’s 100th birthday.  

Legible, which currently offers more than two million e-book titles on its online bookstore platform, also secured rights to some Kartoon Studios properties in March. Under this new partnership, the publisher will create e-books based on the Rainbow Rangers preschool series and Kartoon Channel!’s tween game show, KC! Pop Quiz. 

Kartoon Studios owns the rights to Lee’s likeness, along with more than 100 of the IPs he created (excluding Marvel) under its Stan Lee Universe brand. The company has been busy monetizing these rights, launching a consumer products range last December and licensing Lee’s likeness to Marvel Studios for a documentary about him (pictured).