Treehouse Animation To Release First Graphic Novel

September 29, 2005 - New York, NY - TREEHOUSE ANIMATION, the computer animation studio responsible for the popular CARTOON NETWORK animated short, LEGO Star Wars: Revenge Of The Brick is taking a step in another direction of entertainment, comic books, with their first release titled, The Trap-Door Maker: A Prequel To The Phantom Of The Opera written & illustrated by Pete Bregman. The Trap-Door Maker will be distributed by Diamond Comic Distributors and will hit stores in December. It will be offered in Diamond's October Previews catalog.

Published under the Treehouse Animation Comics label, The Trap-Door Maker tells the story of the disfigured genius named Erik (a.k.a. the Phantom), and his experiences in Persia prior to his infamous life in Paris years later. The 1911 novel, The Phantom Of The Opera, by Gaston Leroux briefly mentions how Erik traveled the globe as a magician and sideshow horror. His unique skills and inventions eventually earned him a job as the palace architect and political assassin for the Shah of Persia. The Trap-Door Maker fills in the gaps of this interesting-yet-unknown back story, telling the tale of Erik's origins, actions, and eventual betrayal.

"There's always been a natural overlap between the animation and comic book fan base, so hopefully fans will enjoy The Trap-Door Maker as much as they enjoyed Revenge Of The Brick and Clone Trooper Orchestra," says Bregman, who worked as a Sequence Director & concept artist on Revenge Of The Brick.

Fans can find The Trap-Door Maker and other great products at their local comics shop, or by contacting the Comic Shop Locator Service toll free at 1-888-COMICBOOK (1-888-266-4226) or online at http://csls.diamondcomics.com.

About Treehouse Animation:
Treehouse Animation is a full service studio offering creative development, design, animation, visual effects, and editorial services for commercial, alternative content, and entertainment projects. To learn more about Treehouse, please visit http://www.treehouseanimation.com.

Since Treehouse Animation's debut on Cartoon Network in May, Revenge Of The Brick and its accompanying animated short, Clone Trooper Orchestra have circumvented the globe via the internet, garnering the attention of over 10 million viewers.