• Praise for The Wizard’s Tale • “I’m an evil wizard. I do rotten things to innocent people. Like my father before

me and his before him. And so on and so forth, down through the years. That’s

what I do. That’s who I am.”

“But if you don’t like it…”

Bu

sie

k • W

enz

el

kurt busiek is a New York Times

bestselling writer of graphic novels, whose work has

won over two dozen comics industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and

Eisner Awards for Best Writer, Best Series and more. He has written a multitude of

superheroes, from Superman and the Justice League to

Iron Man, Wolverine and the Avengers, along with more personal work including the

internationally-acclaimed Astro City, the fantasy

series Arrowsmith and the science fiction adventure

Shockrockets.

He and his family make their home somewhere in the vast

Pacific Northwest.

david t. wenzel is best known for illustrating

the worldwide bestselling graphic novel adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

He has brought to life characters and subjects

ranging from pirates, patriots and explorers to the fairy

tales of the Brothers Grimm, and from Rudolf the Red-

Nosed Reindeer and Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear to Johnny

Appleseed and Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane,

as well as his own Kingdom of the Dwarves.

He lives in central Connecticut, with his wife, Janice, and a host

of troublesome wrecklings.

“Charming, magical, and great for all ages.”

School library Journal

“A light, warm, and unique tale about a kindly old man trying to live up

to the evil expected of him.

If you’re susceptible to heartwarming stories set

in bright, fairytale worlds, this is for you.”

Scott navi, new wave comic reviewS

“David Wenzel’s art is so perfectly matched to

the story and its subjects, that it helps take an

excellent story about three levels higher.”

aaron thorne, midweStern wanderer

“A sweet tale, beautifully illustrated,

and definitely worth checking

out.”locuS

magazine

Welcome to the Land of Ever-Night.

bAFFLEROG RUMPLEWHISKER is an evil wizard, from a long line of evil

wizards. It’s his job to maintain the darkness

spells that keep his corner of Ever-Night as dark and gloomy as the rest of it, and to find the long-lost BOOK OF WORSE, which holds magical spells that can crush the forces of

goodness and light forever.

There’s only one problem. His heart’s just not in it.

so what’s a kindhearted evil wizard to do, when he has to go on a quest

to end all hope and light and freedom, for everyone in

the world?

Master storytellers Kurt Busiek and David T. Wenzel invite you to join Bafflerog

and his companions — GUMPWORT, an enchanted

toad who was once a wizard himself, and MUDDLE, the

third son of a woodcutter who’s convinced he’ll one

day be king — as they make a journey that may mean the

end of everything.

Or maybe, just maybe…it could mean something else.

idw Pu b l i S h i n g a d i v i S i o n o f id e a & de S i g n wo r k S

5080 Sa n t a fe

Sa n d i e g o , ca 92109vi S i t u S o n l i n e a t

w w w . i d w P u b l i S h i n g .c o m Ku rt B u s i e k • d av i d t . w e nze l

Th

e iza

rd

’s T

ale

1

written by

Kurt Busiek•

i llustrated by

David t. Wenzel

4

IDW PublishingOperations: Ted Adams, Chief Executive Officer

Greg Goldstein, Chief Operating Officer Matthew Ruzicka, CPA, Chief Financial Officer

Alan Payne, VP of SalesLorelei Bunjes, Dir. of Digital Services

AnnaMaria White, Marketing & PR ManagerMarci Hubbard, Executive Assistant

Alonzo Simon, Shipping ManagerAngela Loggins, Staff Accountant

• editorial •Chris Ryall, Publisher /Editor-in-Chief Scott Dunbier, Editor, Special Projects

Andy Schmidt, Senior EditorBob Schreck, Senior Editor

Justin Eisinger, EditorKris Oprisko, Editor/Foreign Lic.

Denton J. Tipton, EditorTom Waltz, Editor

Mariah Huehner, Associate EditorCarlos Guzman, Editorial Assistant

• Design •Robbie Robbins, EVP/Sr . Graphic Artist

Neil Uyetake, Art DirectorChris Mowry, Graphic Artist

Amauri Osorio, Graphic ArtistGilberto Lazcano, Production Assistant

Shawn Lee, Production Assistant

Edited by Scott Dunbier

Unique Design & Fine Lettering by J.G. Roshell of Comicraft

THE WIZARD’S TALE. FIRST PRINTING. January 2010. Copyright

© 2010 Kurt Busiek & David Wenzel. All rights reserved. Idea and

Design Works, LLC. The IDW logo is registered in the U.S. Patent and

Trademark Office. All Rights Reserved. IDW Publishing, a division

of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Editorial offices: 5080 Santa Fe

St., San Diego, CA 92109. Any similarities to persons living or dead

are purely coincidental. With the exception of artwork used for

review purposes, none of the contents of this publication may be

reprinted without the permission of Idea and Design Works, LLC.

ISBN 978-160010-595-1 • Printed in Korea.

5

To James Thurber,

Edward Eager,

Jane Langton,

Lloyd Alexander,

Joan Aiken and all the

others who made my

childhood full

of magic.

— K.D.B.

To the child in all

of us — especially

Brendan and

Christopher, my buds.

— D.T.W.

wbOOKOrse

the

of

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