Fables (comics)

Fables is an American comic book series created and written by Bill Willingham, published by DC Comics' Vertigo. Willingham served as sole writer for its entirety, with Mark Buckingham penciling more than 110 issues. The series featured various other pencillers over the years, most notably Lan Medina and Steve Leialoha. Fables was launched in July 2002 and concluded in July 2015.

Fables
Cover page of Legends in Exile
Publication information
PublisherVertigo
ScheduleMonthly
FormatOngoing Series
GenreContemporary fantasy, dark fantasy, urban fantasy
Publication dateJuly 2002 – July 2015
No. of issues150
Main character(s)Bigby Wolf, Snow White, Boy Blue, Rose Red
Creative team
Created byBill Willingham
Written byBill Willingham
Penciller(s)Mark Buckingham, Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha, Craig Hamilton
Inker(s)Andrew Pepoy, Steve Leialoha, Mark Buckingham, P. Craig Russell
Letterer(s)Todd Klein
Editor(s)Shelly Bond

The series features various characters from fairy tales and folklore – referring to themselves as "Fables" – who formed a clandestine community centuries ago within New York City known as Fabletown, after their Homelands have been 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, her sister Rose Red, Prince Charming, 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 for Fables unable to blend in with human society.[1] 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.

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).[2] Other artists include Bryan Talbot, Lan Medina, P. Craig Russell, Mike Allred, Craig Hamilton, and Linda Medley.

It was announced in November 2013 that the series would end with issue #150 in early 2015.[3] The final issue of Fables was a larger than normal issue comprising most of the twenty-second Fables trade paperback.[4] It was released in July 2015.

Characters
Main article: List of Fables characters

The main characters of Fables are public domain 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?"[5] A principal character is the Big Bad Wolf ("Big Bad Wolf," calling 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, Black Sambo [now known as Sam] and the Lone Ranger. 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,[6] the next a conspiracy thriller,[7] and then a caper story.[8] 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 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 hatches a plot to rid himself of Bigby and Snow by enchanting them, and the homicidal Goldilocks attempts to kill the pair. Prince Charming 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. The Adversary sends his first troops into Fabletown to begin an assault.
  • Cinderella Libertine (issue 22)
Cinderella's apparently frivolous lifestyle is revealed to be a front.
  • War Stories (issues 28 and 29)
Bigby's adventures during World War II.
  • 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 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 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 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 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 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 New York City.
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • "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.

Collected editions

The series proper is principally being collected in trade paperbacks. Deluxe edition hardcovers are also being produced. The spin-off graphic novel 1001 Nights of Snowfall and other works are available in both hardcover and softcover format.

Trade paperbacks
# Title ISBN Release date Collected material
1 Fables: Legends in Exile ISBN 1-56389-942-6 April 25, 2003 Fables #1–5 and the new prose story "A Wolf in the Fold"
2 Fables: Animal Farm ISBN 1-4012-0077-X August 1, 2003 Fables #6–10
3 Fables: Storybook Love ISBN 1-4012-0256-X May 1, 2004 Fables #11–18
4 Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers ISBN 1-4012-0222-5 November 30, 2004 The Last Castle one-shot and Fables #19–21, 23–27
5 Fables: The Mean Seasons ISBN 1-4012-0486-4 April 30, 2005 Fables #22, 28–33
6 Fables: Homelands ISBN 1-4012-0500-3 January 27, 2006 Fables #34–41
7 Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days) ISBN 1-4012-1000-7 July 5, 2006 Fables #42–47
8 Fables: Wolves ISBN 1-4012-1001-5 December 20, 2006 Fables #48–51, maps of Fabletown and the Farm, script for #50
9 Fables: Sons of Empire ISBN 1-4012-1316-2 June 13, 2007 Fables #52–59
10 Fables: The Good Prince ISBN 1-4012-1686-2 June 4, 2008 Fables #60–69
11 Fables: War and Pieces ISBN 1-4012-1913-6 November 19, 2008 Fables #70–75, sketches by Mark Buckingham
12 Fables: The Dark Ages ISBN 1-4012-2316-8 August 11, 2009 Fables #76–82
13 Fables: The Great Fables Crossover ISBN 1-4012-2572-1 February 9, 2010 Fables #83–85, Jack of Fables #33–35 and The Literals #1–3
14 Fables: Witches ISBN 1-4012-2880-1 December 7, 2010 Fables #86–93
15 Fables: Rose Red ISBN 1-4012-3000-8 April 11, 2011 Fables #94–100 and the new prose story "Pinocchio's Army"
16 Fables: Super Team ISBN 1-4012-3306-6 December 14, 2011 Fables #101–107
17 Fables: Inherit the Wind ISBN 1-4012-3516-6 July 10, 2012 Fables #108–113
18 Fables: Cubs in Toyland ISBN 1-4012-3769-X January 22, 2013 Fables #114–123
19 Fables: Snow White ISBN 1-4012-4248-0 December 24, 2013 Fables #124–129 and the Oz backup stories from #114–123
20 Fables: Camelot ISBN 1-4012-4516-1 September 2, 2014 Fables #130–140
21 Fables: Happily Ever After ISBN 1-4012-5132-3 May 5, 2015 Fables #141–149
22 Fables: Farewell[9] ISBN 1-4012-5233-8 July 28, 2015 [10] Fables #150, plus several extras: "Lucky 13: A Fables Afterword in Three Parts", "Bill's Comic Writing School Lesson 67.3: The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome", "A Fables Gallery", and "Creator Biographies".

Deluxe Editions
# Title ISBN Release date Collected material
1 Volume 1[11] ISBN 1-4012-2427-X September 30, 2009 Fables #1–10
2 Volume 2[12] ISBN 1-4012-2879-8 November 17, 2010 Fables #11–18, The Last Castle and A Wolf in the Fold[13][14]
3 Volume 3[15] ISBN 1-4012-3097-0 August 17, 2011 Fables #19–27
4 Volume 4[16] ISBN 1-4012-3390-2 December 14, 2011 Fables #28–33, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
5 Volume 5[17] ISBN 1-4012-3496-8 May 30, 2012 Fables #34–45
6 Volume 6[18] ISBN 1-4012-3724-X February 20, 2013 Fables #46–51 with maps of Fabletown and the Farm, script for #50
7 Volume 7 ISBN 1-4012-4040-2 September 10, 2013 Fables #52–59 and 64
8 Volume 8 ISBN 1-4012-4279-0 February 5, 2014 Fables #60–63, 65–69
9 Volume 9 ISBN 1-4012-5004-1 October 14, 2014 Fables #70–82
10 Volume 10 ISBN 1-4012-5521-3 May 19, 2015 Fables #83–85, The Literals #1–3, Jack of Fables #33–35 and Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland
11 Volume 11 ISBN 1-4012-5826-3 November 3, 2015 Fables #86–100 and the new prose story "Pinocchio's Army".
12 Volume 12 ISBN 1-4012-6138-8 May 24, 2016 Fables #101–113
13 Volume 13[19] ISBN 1-4012-6449-2 September 21, 2016 Fables #114–129
14 Volume 14 ISBN 1-4012-6856-0 April 18, 2017 Fables #130–140
15 Volume 15[20] ISBN 1-4012-7464-1 November 22, 2017 Fables #141–150

Compendium editions
# Title ISBN Release date Collected material
1 Fables: Compendium One[21] ISBN 978-1779504548 October 20, 2020 Fables #1-41, Fables: The Last Castle, A Wolf in the Fold, Fables: 1,001 Nights of Snowfall
2 Fables: Compendium Two[22] ISBN 978-1779509444 May 11, 2021 Fables #42-81, Peter & Max: A Fables Novel
3 Fables: Compendium Three[23] ISBN 978-1779510358 August 24, 2021 Fables #83-113; Jack of Fables #33-35, The Literals #1-3, Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland #1

Spin-offs

1001 Nights of Snowfall

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 Snow White 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 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

A spin-off mini-series announced at the Fables Panel at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con. 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,[24] and (according to Comic Book Resources ' Timothy Callahan) "answers the question of what happened to Cinderella's fairy godmother."[25] Writer Roberson says, "It's On Her Majesty's Secret Service meets Sex and the City." The concluding issue was released in April 2010.[26]

  • 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.[27]

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

Announced at the Fables Panel at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland is an original graphic novel written by Willingham with art by Craig Hamilton, and Jim Fern.[28] 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

At the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International, Willingham announced his plan to start a series following 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.[29] Subsequent arcs will be handed off to writers of Willingham's choosing.[30]

Jack of Fables

Series focusing 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 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 2009 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, his wife Bo Peep and his brother Max, who will later grow up to be the Pied Piper. 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.[31]

Fables: The Wolf Among Us

At the 2014 New York Comic Con, Vertigo Comics announced that they would be adapting The Wolf Among Us into comic form, to be 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.[32]

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 Pinocchio and Geppetto during the events of the "Rose Red" story arc.

Everafter: From the Pages of Fables

Series, following the events of Fables #150, debuted in 2016. The series was cancelled after 12 issues.

Collected editions
See also: The collected editions of the spinoff series "Jack of Fables" and The collected editions of the spinoff series "Fairest"
Title Format ISBN Release date Collected material
1001 Nights of Snowfall Hardcover ISBN 1-4012-0367-1 October 18, 2006 Original Graphic Novel
Softcover ISBN 1-4012-0369-8 March 5, 2008
Fables: Covers by James Jean Hardcover ISBN 1-4012-1576-9 November 18, 2008 Covers from issues 1 to 75, and TP vol. 1 to 11
Peter & Max: A Fables Novel Hardcover ISBN 1-4012-1573-4 October 7, 2009 An original prose novel set in the Fables universe
Softcover ISBN 1-4012-2537-3 December 28, 2010
Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love Softcover ISBN 1-4012-2750-3 August 10, 2010 Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love issues 1–6
Cinderella: Fables Are Forever Softcover ISBN 1-4012-3385-6 April 18, 2012 Cinderella: Fables Are Forever issues 1–6; Fables #51
Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland Hardcover ISBN 1-4012-2479-2 November 20, 2012 Original Graphic Novel
Everafter: From the Pages of Fables vol. 1 The Pandora Protocol Softcover ISBN 1-401-26836-6 May 9, 2017 Everafter: From the Pages of Fables issues 1–6
Everafter: From the Pages of Fables vol. 2 The Unsentimental Education Softcover ISBN 1-401-27502-8 December 26, 2017 Everafter: From the Pages of Fables issues 7–12

Awards and praise

Fables won fourteen Eisner Awards.

  • 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.[33] Fables: The Dark Ages, Fables: Witches and Fables: Rose Red were also nominated.

Prominent review site IGN has called it "the best comic book currently being produced" in 2006.[34]

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, stating "We're going to have a nearly-all Fables dedicated con called 'Fabletown and Beyond' – it's Fables and books like Fables."[35]

Fables artist Mark Buckingham was the guest of honor for the first FablesCon, held on March 22–24, 2013, at the Mayo Civic Center[36] in Rochester, Minnesota. Other guests included Gene Ha, Mike Carey, Matt Sturges, Peter Gross, Kurt Busiek, Anthony Del Col, Shelly Bond,[37] Adam Hughes, Chrissie Zullo, and Lauren Beukes.[36]

Television series

A television series based on Fables was put into development by NBC in 2005 for the 2006–2007 Television Season. The show received a script order and was developed by Craig Silverstein and Warner Bros. Television[38] but was not developed any further than the scripting stage. NBC later produced Grimm, a police procedural set in a world where fairytales are real.[39][40]

On December 8, 2008, it was announced that ABC had 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 had come on board to direct.[41][42] There has been no news since concerning a series based directly on Willingham's series and, in late 2010, he said "[t]he TV show that was prematurely announced is probably dead."[43] Instead, ABC announced a new series called Once Upon a Time, 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.[39][40] The show's creators, Edward Kitsis 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."[44]

Film

In 2015, it was announced that Warner Bros. was developing a live action Fables film with David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford producing, Jeremy Slater and Jane Goldman writing and Nikolaj Arcel directing. These plans were quietly cancelled.[45][46][47]

Video game

On February 17, 2011, Telltale Games announced The Wolf Among Us,[48] an episodic graphic adventure game 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.[49] In July 2017 Telltale Games announced that a second season of The Wolf Among Us was in production, and was planned to be released sometime in 2018.[50] However, it was announced in May 2018 that the game was delayed and was rescheduled for release in 2019[51] before being cancelled in September 2018 due to the studio's closure.[52] Following LCG Entertainment's acquisition of the Telltalle name and much of its IP, season 2 was announced to be back in production as of December 2019.[53]

The popular Blue Tea Games series Dark Parables was inspired by Fables.[54]

Notes
  1. Irvine, Alex (2008). "Fables". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.). The Vertigo Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. pp. 72–81. ISBN 0-7566-4122-5. OCLC 213309015.
  2. "Clockwork Storybook Forums: Authors". 2006. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
  3. "Bill Willingham Explains Why FABLES is Ending with #150". Newsarama.com. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  4. "Fables Deluxe Edition Vol 22". Vertigo. DC Comics. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  5. O'Shea, Tom (2003). ""This is a Wonderful Job": An Orca Q&A with Fables' Bill Willingham". Archived from the original on 2005-04-29. Retrieved 2007-07-31. Interview with Bill Willingham
  6. "Legends in Exile," Fables #1–5.
  7. "Animal Farm," Fables #6–10.
  8. "A Two-Part Caper," Fables #12–13.
  9. Telltale. "Account". telltale.com. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  10. Link: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/1401252338
  11. "Fables Deluxe Edition Vol 1". Vertigo. DC Comics. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  12. "Fables Deluxe Edition Vol 2". Vertigo. DC Comics. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  13. "DCcomics.com". Vertigo.blog.dccomics.com. 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  14. "Review – Fables Deluxe Edition vol. 2". Ramiscomics.blogspot.com. 2010-12-12. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  15. "Fables Deluxe Edition Vol 3". Vertigo. DC Comics. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  16. "Fables Deluxe Vol 4". Vertigo. DC Comics. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  17. "Fables Deluxe Edition Vol 5". Vertigo. DC Comics. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  18. "Fables Deluxe Edition Vol 6". Vertigo. DC Comics. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  19. "Fables Deluxe Edition Vol 13". Vertigo. DC Comics. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  20. "Fables Deluxe Edition Vol 15". Vertigo. DC Comics. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  21. "Fables Compendium One". DC Black Label. DC Comics. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  22. "Fables Compendium Two". DC Black Label. DC Comics. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  23. "Fables Compendium Three". DC Black Label. DC Comics. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  24. Cinderella, Super-Spy: Roberson on the Fables Spin-Off, Newsarama, December 3, 2008
  25. "CCI: Vertigo Voices "Fables" Panel", by Timothy Callahan, Comic Book Resources, July 28, 2008. Accessed June 11, 2020
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References
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