After 40 Years, ‘Groo The Wanderer’ Is Headed To Animation. More Uniquely, Creator Sergio Aragonés Still Owns The Character

Four decades after first appearing in print, Groo is on his way to the screen. Entrepreneur Josh Jones has acquired the animation film and tv rights to the cult comics property from its creator, Spanish/Mexican cartoonist Sergio Aragonés.

Groo the Wanderer is a rarity: a well-known, long-running comic-book series that has remained in its creator’s ownership. Having long been reluctant to license it, Aragonés, 84, has now struck a deal with Jones, who will seek to produce an animated adaptation through his banner Did I Err Productions.

The comics follow the adventures of the eponymous hero, a bulky buffoon living in a pseudo-medieval society who’s an ace sword fighter but good at little else. Aragonés, a former Mad contributor, draws them and collaborates with Mark Evanier on the writing. In 2011, IGN ranked Groo as the 100th-greatest comic book hero, calling him “the comedy fan’s answer to Conan.”

The series has survived the demise of several of its publishers. It debuted in 1982 at short-lived indie Pacific Comics, and has since been published by Eclipse Comics, Marvel’s Epic Comics imprint, Image Comics, and Dark Horse Comics, where it currently resides.

Aragonés and Evanier will executive-produce any animated adaptations alongside Jones and Did I Err partner Scott Nocas. Jones, who has businesses in fields including venture capitalism, cryptocurrency, and airlines, is a longtime fan of Groo. He describes the opportunity to adapt the comics as “quite literally, a lifelong dream come true.”

“Sadly, comic books have a limited audience,” Aragonés adds. “Even a good one with the classic heroes sells only a hundred thousand. Imagine one million people knowing your character! That would be a dream.”

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.