Well, that’s some egg on my face. I really didn’t think Marvel was being this obvious with that “KING” graphic over the summer, but it turns out that I was wrong - it’s not Howard Stern that’s joining F.O.O.M., it is, indeed, Stephen King.

In a move that can only continue to elevate the literary and commercial cachet of the graphic novel format, sources say that bestselling novelist Stephen King has agreed to write a new installment of his Dark Tower series as a graphic novel to be published in 2006.

A spokesperson for Marvel Comics, which will announce the deal on Friday, confirmed that they will publish a King work, although they didn’t disclose details. Marvel was dropping hints about a possible King book at this year’s Comic-con in July. Sources say that the new Dark Tower installment will be published first as a comic book periodical beginning in April and later released as a Marvel hardcover in the fall of 2006. The artist on the book will be veteran comics illustrator Jae Lee and the colorist is Richard Isanove, who won a recent Quill Award for his work on Marvel’s 1602.

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