# Emily the Strange

Emily the Strange is an illustrated fictional character featured in several comic books, graphic novels and in various merchandise and clothing lines. She was created by Rob Reger for his company Cosmic Debris Etc. Inc. located in San Francisco, California.

## History

Rob Reger received permission to use the character design from Nathan Carrico, who first designed Emily in 1991 for Santa Cruz Skateboards. She first appeared on Santa Cruz Skateboards professional skater Ross Goodman's skateboard graphics.

## Publications

Emily the Strange is published in several formats by publishers including Chronicle Books, Dark Horse Comics, and later HarperCollins.
The Chronicle Books hardback graphic novellas include:
* Emily the Strange (2001)
* Emily's Secret Book of Strange (2003)
* Emily's Good Nightmares (2005)
* Emily's Seeing Is Deceiving (2006)
In 2005, the first two issues of the comic book series were released by Dark Horse Comics—"The Boring Issue" (#1) and "The Lost Issue" (#2). "The Dark Issue" (#3) was published in 2006. The collected edition of the first three comic books (Emily the Strange: Lost, Dark, and Bored) was published in November 2006. The fourth offering, "The Rock Issue" (#4), was published in 2007. An ongoing, monthly, standard-length series has been published since March 2008.
Dark Horse Comics announced the publication of The Art of Emily Volume One, the first collection of images showing the wide and inspired range of artistic styles and mediums that have been used to create the world of Emily the Strange: silk-screened vinyl skateboard stickers to custom rock-and-roll album art, large-scale psychedelic paintings, and intricate Mongolian paper cutting, the fantastic and artful imaginings of Rob Reger, Buzz Parker, and a large number of collaborators.
Since 2008 Emily the Strange has been published in France by Soleil Productions.
On January 30, 2013, Dark Horse Comics and Rob Reger brought Emily and The Strangers #1. And then in March came Emily and The Strangers #2. In July came Emily and The Strangers #3.

### Comic Book series

Emily the Strange :
| Issue/Title | Date | Writer | Art | Cover | Other |
| #1 Boring | August 2005 | Rob Reger, Brian Brooks, Jessica Gruner | Buzz Parker | Buzz Parker | 48 pages Comic interview: The Damned Guest Artist: Brian Brooks 2 pages of stickers |
| #2 Lost | December 2005 | Rob Reger, Brian Brooks, Jessica Gruner, Buffy Visick | Buzz Parker | Rob Reger | 48 pages Guest Artist: Rob Reger Fold out poster |
| #3 Dark | September 2006 | Rob Reger, Brian Brooks, Jessica Gruner, Kitty Remmington | Buzz Parker | Buzz Parker | 48 pages Comic interview: Marilyn Manson Guest Artist: Mike Moon 2 pages of stickers |
| #4 Rock | April 2007 | Rob Reger, Brian Brooks, Jessica Gruner | Buzz Parker, Ryan Hill | Buzz Parker | 48 pages Comic interview with Karen O Guest Artist: Winston Smith 2 pages of stickers |
| #1† Death | August 2007 | Rob Reger, Jessica Gruner, Kitty Remington, Buzz Parker | Buzz Parker, Ryan Hill | Buzz Parker | 32 pages Guest Artist: Tim Biskup Fan art (Strange Exchange) |
| #2† Fake | October 2007 | Rob Reger, Jessica Gruner, Kitty Remington | Buzz Parker, Ryan Hill, Nix Turner | Buzz Parker | 32 pages Guest Artist: Jason Mecier Fan art (Strange Exchange) |
| #3† Revenge | May 2008 | Rob Reger, Jessica Gruner, Kitty Remington | Buzz Parker, Ryan Hill, Nix Turner | Buzz Parker | 32 pages Guest Artist: Turo "Scissorhands" Fan art (Strange Exchange) |
| #4† Alone | August 2008 | Rob Reger, Jessica Gruner, Kitty Remington, Buzz Parker, Nix Turner, Matthew Weiss | Buzz Parker, Ryan Hill, Nix Turner | Buzz Parker | 32 pages Guest Artist: Fawn Gehweiler Fan art (Strange Exchange) |
| The 13th Hour #1 | July 2009 | Rob Reger | Buzz Parker | Buzz Parker | 32 pages |
| The 13th Hour #2 | November 2009 | Rob Reger | Buzz Parker | Buzz Parker | 32 pages |
| The 13th Hour #3 | May 2010 | Rob Reger, Jessica Gruner | Buzz Parker | Buzz Parker | 32 pages |
| The 13th Hour #4 | October 2010 | Rob Reger | Buzz Parker | Buzz Parker | 32 pages |
Emily and the Strangers :
| Issue/Title | Date | Writer | Art | Cover | Other |
| Emily and the Strangers #1 | January 2013 | Mariah Huehner, Rob Reger | Emily Ivie | Emily Ivie, Buzz Parker | 32 pages Variant Cover: Rich Black |
| Emily and the Strangers #2 | March 2013 | Mariah Huehner, Rob Reger | Emily Ivie | Emily Ivie, Buzz Parker | 32 pages Variant Cover: Winston Smith |
| Emily and the Strangers #3 | July 2013 | Mariah Huehner, Rob Reger | Emily Ivie | Emily Ivie, Buzz Parker | 32 pages Variant Cover: Cynthia Von Buhler Centerfold poster |
| Emily and the Strangers: Breaking the Record #1 | June 2014 | Mariah Huehner, Rob Reger | Cat Farris | Cat Farris, Buzz Parker | 32 pages |
| Emily and the Strangers: Breaking the Record #2 | July 2014 | Mariah Huehner, Rob Reger | Cat Farris | Cat Farris, Buzz Parker | 32 pages |
| Emily and the Strangers: Breaking the Record #3 | August 2014 | Mariah Huehner, Rob Reger | Cat Farris | Cat Farris, Buzz Parker | 32 pages |
| Emily and the Strangers: Road to Nowhere Tour | March 2017 | Mariah Huehner, Rob Reger | Cat Farris | Cat Farris, Buzz Parker | 88 pages (HB) |
Free Comic Book Day :
| Issue/Title | Date | Writer | Art | Cover | Other |
| Free Comic Book Day 2009 | May 2009 | Rob Reger, Buzz Parker | Buzz Parker | Buzz Parker & others | 4-page Emily the Strange short story "Family Tree" included |

### Collected Comic Book editions

Emily the Strange is collected in trade paperbacks and limited-edition hardcovers, each including extra material from the original publications.
Emily the Strange - Collected Comic Book Editions :
| Title | Release Date | Material collected | Extras | ISBN |
| Emily the Strange ― Volume 1: Lost, Dark, and Bored | November 22, 2006(TPB) | #1 Boring #2 Lost #3 Dark | Comic interview: Elvira Mistress of the Dark Sketchbook | 9781593075736 (TPB) |
| Emily the Strange ― Volume 2: Rock, Death, Fake, Revenge, and Alone | September 9, 2009 (TPB) | #1 Rock #2 Alone #3 Revenge #4 Fake #5 Death | Sketchbook | 9781595822215 (TPB) |
| Emily the Strange ― Volume 3: The 13th Hour | May 18, 2011 (TPB) | The 13th Hour issues #1-4 | Sketchbook | 9781595827005 (TPB) |
| The Complete Emily the Strange: All Things Strange | June 29, 2016 (HB) - February 10, 2021 (TPB) | Volume 1: Lost, Dark, and Bored Volume 2: Rock, Death, Fake, Revenge, and Alone Volume 3: The 13th Hour issues #1-4 | 23-page sketchbook Free Comic Book Day 2009 short story "Family Tree" | 9781506700618 (HB) & 9781506722016 (TPB) |
Emily and the Strangers :
| Title | Release Date | Material collected | Extras | ISBN |
| Emily and the Strangers: Battle of the Bands | May 7, 2014 | Emily and the Strangers #1-3 | Sketchbook | 9781616553234 (HB) |
| Emily and the Strangers Volume 2: Breaking the Record | March 4, 2015 | Emily and the Strangers: Breaking the Record #1-3 | Sketchbook | 9781616555986 (HB) |
| Emily and the Strangers Volume 3: Road to Nowhere Tour | March 29, 2017 | This series was not published in single edition comics | Sketchbook | 9781506700588 (HB) |

### HarperCollins young adult novel series

In October 2007, Publishers Weekly announced that HarperCollins signed four young adult novels based on Emily the Strange.
Four young adult novels were published between 2009 and 2013 through HarperCollins' children imprint branch. All were written by Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner and illustrated by Rob Reger and Buzz Parker.
The first novel, Emily the Strange: The Lost Days was written in a diary format. Rob Reger, co-author and creator of the character, said the book mapped new territory inside the mind of his popular character. "In the past, it’s been us describing her," he says. "This is the first time anybody gets to hear how she talks to herself and her cats."
Young Adult Novel Series :
| Title | Release Date | Pages | ISBN |
| Emily the Strange: The Lost Days | June 2009 | 264 | 9780061912382 |
| Emily the Strange: Stranger and Stranger | November 2010 | 272 | 9780061452345 |
| Emily the Strange: Dark Times | December 2011 | 248 | 9780061452376 |
| Emily the Strange: Piece of Mind | March 2013 | 288 | 9780061452406 |

## Brand expansion

The Emily the Strange franchise has a considerable merchandising catalog, including clothing, stationery, stickers and fashion accessories. All of the products feature Emily's distinctive appearance and frequently feature one of her cynical sayings such as "Get Lost," "Be All You Can't Be," or "Wish You Weren't Here".
As of 2008, Cosmic Debris had opened at least four Emily the Strange flagship stores, with locations in Athens, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan.
In 2005, the company partnered with British punk rock band The Damned, in the release and artwork for their single Little Miss Disaster. Other co-branding alliances and partnerships have included Jones Soda, Gibson Guitars, Zippo, and Manic Panic (hair coloring, nail polishes and colorful extensions).

## Clothing

In July/August 2003 V magazine ran a double page spread of clothing inspired by the character, created by Chanel, Gautier, Helmut Lang, Marc Jacobs, and others. Emily has been shown in Vanilla Sky and on MADtv. Celebrities including Julia Roberts, Britney Spears, and Björk have all worn the brand. Epiphone has created an Emily the Strange-themed SG guitar, based on an Epiphone G-310, with a bolt-on neck, customized Emily the Strange graphics, and a special strap.
Since 2010 Emily the Strange apparel is manufactured and distributed by Italian company Pier Spa.

## In other media

Rob Reger designed and included the Emily the Strange cartoon in a 12-page foldout booklet for the album BatBox by Miss Kittin in 2008.
Since 2000, Rob Reger has been trying to make a feature film adaptation of Emily. In 2005, Fox Animation went to make a live action/animated feature film, with Chris Meledandri and John Cohen producing it. Mike Richardson, of Dark Horse Entertainment, came on board as a producer in 2008. The same year it was unofficially reported that the film moved to Universal Studios' owned Illumination Entertainment, along with the studio's founders, Meledandri and Cohen. In September 2010, Universal Studios acquired the rights to the comic, and the actress Chloë Grace Moretz was cast in the role of Emily. Melisa Wallack, who wrote the script for Mirror Mirror, was hired to write the adaptation in the following year in August. Two months later it was confirmed that the film was indeed in the works at Illumination Entertainment. Kealan O'Rourke was brought to rewrite the film's script. By December 2016, Universal abandoned the project, and Dark Horse Entertainment and Amazon Studios were in negotiations to make an animated film. In October 2024, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Bad Robot announced their collaboration on a full-length animated feature based on Emily the Strange. The film's screenplay is being developed by Pamela Ribon, as Bad Robot will produce the film, with Reger serving as executive producer alongside Trevor Duke-Moretz.

## Cats

Emily is usually shown accompanied by four black cats. Sabbath, the newest cat to join the Strange family, is usually identified by a tear on one of his ears and one bent whisker. Miles, the most artistic cat of the group and also the fastest, is identified by his pointy ears, X-mark over his right eye and two pointy whiskers. Nee Chee, the thinker of the group (also known as the schemer), is identified by the black and white stripes on his tail caused by a chemical spill, as well as three whiskers. Mystery, the leader of the group and the only female of the four cats, seems to be the closest to Emily, and therefore thought to be the cat that has been with Emily the longest. Mystery is identified by the star on her collar, one curly whisker and occasionally a star on her left eye.

## Character origin controversy

The very first Emily the Strange illustration dates from 1991, but the 1978 children's book Nate the Great Goes Undercover features a very similar illustration of a young girl named Rosamond. She also has long black hair and is frequently accompanied by her black cats. When Rosamond is introduced she wears a short dress and white Mary Jane shoes, similar to Emily, and in a similar pose.
This illustration is accompanied by the text, "Rosamond did not look hungry or sleepy. She looked like she always looks. Strange." The first Emily the Strange design by Cosmic Debris says: "Emily did not look tired or happy. She looked like she always looks. Strange."
When Rosamond's creators, Marjorie Sharmat and Marc Simont, allegedly began contacting companies who had contracts related to Emily the Strange and urged them to drop their relationships with Cosmic Debris, Cosmic Debris sued Sharmat and Simont. Sharmat and Simont counter-sued. "Emily the Strange, like Rosamond, is a young girl in a short dress, black tights, and Mary Jane shoes. Emily, like Rosamond, has long dark hair with square-cut bangs. Emily, like Rosamond, is typically attended by four black cats. Emily, like Rosamond, is described as being strange and has a fascination with dark themes," alleged the complaint.
Cosmic Debris contended that Emily and Rosamond both drew from a tradition of similar characters including Vampira and Wednesday Addams, and argued that while the text of the initial Emily illustration was nearly identical with Sharmat's text, that illustration had been withdrawn in 1998 and the statute of limitations had therefore run out.
On August 12, 2009, the creator of Emily the Strange and the creators of Nate the Great jointly announced an agreement resolving all disputes between them. Each side agreed to give up all claims against the other as part of their settlement. "We recognize that Emily and Rosamond are both unique and original characters, and we are pleased that we were able to resolve this dispute," said Marjorie Sharmat and Marc Simont. "We wish Rob, Cosmic Debris, Emily and her fans all the very best."