Aspen Comics has announced a deal to acquire the exclusive publishing rights for Big Dog Ink's library of properties, which includes The Legend of Oz: The Wicked West, Shahrazad and Penny For Your Soul.

Under the terms of the agreement, the five-year-old Big Dog Ink will become an imprint of Aspen, with owners Tom and Kim Hutchison at the helm. The plan calls for a reprint release of BDI's catalog, beginning in the spring with the re-release of Shahrazad, the fantasy adventure starring the legendary Persian queen and storyteller from One Thousand and One Nights.

"We are thrilled to be able to team up with Tom, Kim and Big Dog Ink to introduce their original and exciting titles to our fans, and welcome their own fans to our house as well," Aspen Vice President/Editor-in-Chief Vince Hernandez said in a statement. "They have really built something special at BDI, and their passion for creating exceptional new titles is something we knew would make for a perfect fit here at Aspen Comics. Their creative vision will continue forward, and based off the early plans we have in place, I am certain BDI fans can expect more of the same high quality storytelling in addition to some exciting new ideas coming your way."

Read the full press release below:

Aspen Comics To Publish Big Dog Ink Properties Exclusively As Original Imprint Line

Aspen Comics has reached an agreement with fellow Independent comic book publisher Big Dog Ink to acquire exclusive publishing rights for BDI's entire library of comic book properties, in addition to their past catalogue of titles. The deal will see BDI launch forward as a distinct imprint of Aspen Comics' books and products, with owner/publishers Tom and Kim Hutchison continuing to be the creative force behind BDI's unique set of original titles at Aspen. Tom Hutchison discusses:

"At Big Dog Ink we've always been devoted to creating high quality, unique comics for our readers. When it came time in the growth of our company to find partners that share our love of the comic genre and passion for storytelling, Aspen seemed like the obvious choice. From the beginning, everyone at Aspen has been supportive of our crazy adventure and we're looking forward to being part of a truly top notch crew of creators and longstanding industry professionals. Fans can look forward to all of the great content they've come to expect from BDI, but bigger and better with Aspen in our corner."

Founded in 2009, BDI has seen a substantial growth within the independent comic book market in collaboration with a wide variety of up-and-coming artistic talent on a multitude of original properties such as Legend of Oz: The Wicked West, Shahrazad, Penny For Your Soul, Ursa Minor, Critter, Knightingail and more.

Under the terms of this new agreement between the two publishers, Aspen and BDI will be widening the access to BDI's diverse lineup of original properties through several of Aspen's existing channels, including at the retail and digital levels, in addition to Aspen's online webstore outlet, www.AspenStore.com. Aspen's VP/Editor-in-Chief Vince Hernandez discusses:

"We are thrilled to be able to team up with Tom, Kim and Big Dog Ink to introduce their original and exciting titles to our fans, and welcome their own fans to our house as well. They have really built something special at BDI, and their passion for creating exceptional new titles is something we knew would make for a perfect fit here at Aspen Comics. Their creative vision will continue forward, and based off the early plans we have in place, I am certain BDI fans can expect more of the same high quality storytelling in addition to some exciting new ideas coming your way."

Aspen and BDI have set a planned reprint release schedule for their existing library of books to feature new and re-mastered content, beginning with the re-release of Shahrazad in early Spring with more release dates to follow.

The publishers will also be utilizing their combined regional presence and bases of operation to build a broader convention appearance slate across more potential cities and avenues of promotion in 2015 and beyond.