IDW And And Sanrio Announce ‘Hello Kitty And Friends: Hello World! Supercute Mystery Box’
by Olly MacNamee
IDW Publishing and Sanrio have announced the release of Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! trade paperback, collecting issues #1–4 of the IDW series from writer Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer, Zatanna: Bring Down the House) and animated artist Cody Lemieux (Despite, Despite, Despite; Gnome Granny). But this won’t be the usual trade paperback release when it comes out next year. As well as the paperback release, there will be an IDW webstore hardcover and a blind box version with a mystery collectable figure, exclusive stickers and more surprises for fans to collect. You can get one of three characters: Hello Kitty, Kuromi, or Cinnamoroll.
Tara McCrillis, President of Operations/Associate Publisher IDW Publishing, said of this new publishing initiative:
“In the comics world, blind bags turned collecting into an event, with fans tearing them open together and sharing every surprise. Now we’re bringing that energy to the book market. Our goal is simple: make the love of reading feel as exciting as the hunt for a rare variant.”
Furthermore, this special edition is a one-time print run with no reprints planned, making the initial order the only opportunity for retailers to get in on the fun. So, when they’re gone, they’re gone for good.
Here’s what you’ll actually get in each Mystery Box:
Three different collectible boxes featuring: Hello Kitty, Kuromi, or Cinnamoroll-
Each box will contain
One trade collection
Four character-centric trading cards
One keychain figurine
One sticker sheet
Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! ($9.99), Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! Supercute Mystery Box ($29.99), and the hardcover DTC version available exclusively on the IDW Publishing website ($24.99) are all out on 16th June, 2027.