Over time a number of publishing companies have ventured into the world of graphic novels. This time around, though, a comics publishing company is venturing into the world of prose.

Dark Horse Comics announced Tuesday the formation of two new publishing imprints. Two separate imprints, M Press and DH Press, were announced, each servicing a different sector of the market. The official unveiling will be at next week's BookExpo America held in Chicago, IL.

Of M Press, Dark Horse said:

The art of storytelling has served as the cornerstone of Dark Horse Comics for over 18 years. Possessing a keen sense of what makes a story compelling, Dark Horse has become a respected industry leader by stretching the boundaries of what defines a graphic novel. While many perceive them strictly as a genre, Dark Horse has instead pursued graphic novels as a format, opening the possibilities of stories and themes to be explored.

Several of these pursuits have become milestones of graphic fiction. Writer/artist Paul Chadwick's Concrete reflects his concerns regarding modern society, from the politics of exclusion to the deteriorating state of our environment. Joe Kubert's masterful Fax From Sarajevo tells the story of family trapped in war-torn country whose only way of reaching the outside world was through a fax machine. Bryan Talbot's The Tale of One Bad Rat follows Helen Potter, a young girl on the run from a sexually abusive father.

While Dark Horse has set new standards of publishing within the graphic novel format, its latest venture-M Press-explores the medium of prose as a method of storytelling. Ursula Bacon's Shanghai Diary, a remarkable story of survival, will be M Press' first non-fiction release this September and is also in development as a feature film penned by Frida screenwriter Clancy Sigal. Shanghai Diary tells the harrowing true story of Bacon's escape with her family from Nazi Germany to Shanghai China at age 11.

Check mpressbooks.com for updates and information on future M Press releases.

And regarding DH Press, Dark Horse said:

Similar to M Press, DH Press will also feature prose titles but from a different angle. DH Press will focus on fiction and pop culture based materials. Among the initial releases from the DH Press imprint is Don Bluth's The Art of Storyboard (Oct.). The Art of Storyboard is a one-of-a-kind textbook by animation legend Don Bluth describing in detail the technical and artistic process involved in crafting storyboards for animated films. Next up is Kong: King of Skull Mountain (Nov.), a fully authorized, lavishly illustrated all new novel that acts as both sequel and prequel to the all-time classic film. Acclaimed fantasy artist Joe De Vito and top fantasy and science fiction writer Brad Strickland join forces to create an interactive visual-narrative storytelling experience. The third in the initial releases is PinUp: The Illegitimate Art (Nov.) by classic pinup artist Jim Silke. PinUp is both a luscious gallery of amazing pinup art as well as an entertaining and informative biography on Silke and history of the art form.

Check dhpressbooks.com for updates and information on future DH Press releases