Rigid Inflatable Boat builder OLYMPIC RIBS is partnering with CONG. SA, which manages the Corto Maltese property, for “bespoke customization of luxury RIBs,” the companies announced. The deal brings together the luxury boat builder and the Corto Maltese property, based on a series of 12 graphic novels by the legendary Hugo Pratt, originally published from 1981 to 1989, and subsequent volumes by other creators.
Corto Maltese is a great fit for a nautical association: the title character is a sea captain in stories set in the early 20th century. But this is still a highly unusual licensing deal, tying together a comic property and a high-end product made in limited quantities (OLYMPIC RIBS has made roughly 4,000 RIBs in its 35+ years in business).
The property appears to be on the move. Frank Miller has been signed to create, write, and executive produce a Corto Maltese limited TV series for Studio Canal (see “Miller to Adapt ‘Corto Maltese’“).
IDW Publishing released a number of English editions of the graphic novels in the 2010s through its association with Dean Mullaney’s EuroComics imprint.
Source: ICV2
