GraphicAudio

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GraphicAudio
Parent companyRBMedia
FoundedOctober 2004
FounderJames and Mary Cutting
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationRockville, Maryland
Publication typesAudiobooks
Official websitewww.GraphicAudio.net

GraphicAudio is an audiobook publishing imprint of RBMedia. The GraphicAudio format includes a full cast of actors, narration, sound effects and cinematic music.

History

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GraphicAudio began in October 2004 as an independent company by Mary and Jamie Cutting who had previously founded the Cutting Corporation which produced dramatised audio tapes of classic literature. Originally called Cutting Audio, its name was changed to GraphicAudio later on. GraphicAudio is located in Rockville, Maryland, having originally been based in Bethesda, and produces everything in its own production studios, duplication and distribution facility. Having originally started with four voice actors, over the course of its history the company's rostre of voice actors gradually expanded to over two-hundred worldwide. The company quickly gained a following, particularly among truck drivers. The company's offices were moved to Rockville in 2016, and the company notably struggled to adapt to the changing times, including the obsolescence of CDs and the closure of theatres during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

In September 2019, it was announced that the company had launched into a deal with comic book company Vault Comics to adapt some of their material, beginning with Wasted Space.[2]

In March 2020, RBMedia acquired GraphicAudio.[3] This deal was instrumental in that it allowed GraphicAudio to acquire distribution rights to sell their products on platforms like Audible, Apple Books, Google and others.[4]

In April 2021, it was announced that the company had entered into a deal with Dark Horse Comics to adapt some of their titles.[5]

In November 2021, it was announced that the company would adapt the Vampire Hunter D novels.[6]

Facilities

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The audio production facility has been around since 1971. In addition to producing audiobooks, GraphicAudio has an onsite manufacturing facility and a sound preservation laboratory.[7]

Notable voice actors

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The most notable voice actors of the company include Duane Beeman, Richard Rohan, Nanette Savard and Terence Aselford, who worked at the company from its earliest days.[8] Voice actress Khaya Fraites joined the company after trying and failing to break into theatre and film due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and wrote an article about her experiences working for the company.[9] Other voice actors noted to have worked at the company include Gabriel Michael [10], Anthony Palmini[11], Karenna Foley[12], Alex Hill-Knight[13], Marissa Clay[14], Carolyn Kashner[15], Melody Muze[16], Nora Achrati (who has also done some directing work for the company)[17], Kay Eluvian[18], Holly Adams[19], Dani Stoller[20], Julie Ann-Elliott[21], Torian Brackett[22], Katie Boothe[23], Henry W. Kramer[24], Jon Vertullo[25], Jenna Sharpe[26], Debi Tinsley[27], Stephanie Nemeth-Parker[28], Scott McCormick[29], Andy Clemence[30] and Ryan Haugen.[31] Notable guest voice actors have included Lorraine Cink.[32]

Audiobooks and series

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GraphicAudio has produced Elizabeth Moon's Vatta's War and The Serrano Legacy series and Elmer Kelton's Texas Ranger Series.

In 2007, DC Comics and GraphicAudio released the audio book versions of Infinite Crisis and 52.[33] In 2008 and 2009, GraphicAudio released a series of Justice League of America audiobooks, followed in May 2009 by an audiobook version of Crisis on Infinite Earths, and that summer by Batman: Dead White and Batman: Inferno. GraphicAudio has since released Countdown, Final Crisis, Batman: No Man's Land, and other titles. The most recent DC release was Its Superman! in March 2014.

In 2012, GraphicAudio confirmed they would also be releasing audiobook versions of Marvel Comics Prose Novels from March 2013 onward. These were Civil War and a Marvel Pocket Spider-Man focused novel entitled Drowned In Thunder. Over 2014, the Marvel Pocket novels The Ultimates: Tomorrow Men and The Ultimates: Against All Enemies were released, followed by Iron Man: Extremis, Astonishing X-Men: Gifted, New Avengers: Breakout, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Rocket Raccoon and Groot Steal The Galaxy! In 2015, The Death of Captain America, Secret Wars, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Avengers: Everyone Wants to Rule the World, and Ant Man: Natural Enemy were released.

GraphicAudio produces USA Today bestselling author William W. Johnstone's Western and Action Adventure series such as Eagles, Blood Bond, The First Mountain Man, The Last Gunfighter, The Mountain Man (Smoke Jensen) and Sidewinders.[34]

Some of the series and titles published are A Town Called Fury, Blood Bond, Blood Valley, Border Empire Trilogy, Dante Valentine, DC Comics, Deathlands, Deathstalker, The Demon Wars Saga, The Destroyer (novel series), Dragon King Trilogy, Doomsday Warrior, Eagles, Earth Blood, Elantris, Executioner, The First Mountain Man, The Forrest Kingdom Saga, The Gospel of Mark, Jackknife, The Last Gunfighter, The Loner, Mack Bolan, Mark Dalton (series), Mistborn, The Mountain Man, The Night Angel Trilogy, North America's Forgotten Past, Outlanders, The Riyria Revelations, Rogue Angel, The Serrano Legacy, Sidewinders, Sons of Texas, Stony Man, The Survivalist, Texas Rangers, Vampire Earth, Vatta's War, Wayne of Gotham and Warbreaker.[35]

Authors published by GraphicAudio

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Reception

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The company's products have received largely positive reception, maintaining a cult following, especially within the United States, and they are considered by BookRiot to be "one of the best ones out there for finding audiobooks with sound effects".[36] For their work on Vagrant Queen, they won the AudioFile magazine's Earphones Award for Exceptional Audio Performance.[37] Their adaptations of Innkeeper Chronicles and Red Rising have been nominated for the Audie Awards.[38][39] Their adaptation of Blue Moon Rising by Simon R. Green was positively reviewed by the magazine, complimenting their "well-rounded cast" and "engaging narration".[40] The company's adaptations of DC and Marvel were given positive reviews, with Geek Girl Authority, ScreenRant and IGN praising their audio adaptations' fidelity to the original source material.[41][42][43] The company's adaptation of A Court of Thorns and Roses gained a following among cosplayers,[44] and NPR 's Robin Whitten noted that she was impressed by their adaptation of Marvel's Civil War.[45] The company's adaptation of Crisis on Infinite Earths was included on the ninth spot on CBR's list of 10 Must-Listen Audio Adaptations of Comics.[46]

However, their adaptation of DC's Countdown received negative reviews, calling the voice acting "hit-or-miss", the dialogue "stereotypical" and the sound effects "[sounding] like afterthoughts".[47] Their adaptation of The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett was also criticised for having sound effects which were "excessively loud".[48] Their adaptation of Corum by Michael Moorcock was also criticised on account of the fact that the voice actor portraying Corum himself possessed an "inconsistent accent".[49]

References

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  1. ^ ""History of company" at GraphicAudio website".
  2. ^ ""Wasted Space Audio Adaptation Brings Indie Comic Hit To Your Ears", The Hollywood Reporter, September 3 2019".
  3. ^ "RBmedia Acquires Leading Producer of Dramatized Audiobooks". rbmediaglobal.com. March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  4. ^ ""History of company" at GraphicAudio website".
  5. ^ ""Dark Horse teams with Graphic Audio", ComicsBeat". 28 April 2021.
  6. ^ ""Vampire Hunter D to Receive Bloody Audiobooks", ComicBook.com".
  7. ^ ""History of company", GraphicAudio website".
  8. ^ ""History of company", graphicaudiointernational.com".
  9. ^ ""I'm a voice actor who works on audiobook adaptations of books like 'Fourth Wing'. My days are flexible, but the job can be exhausting", Business Insider".
  10. ^ ""Headshot/Resume", gabrielmichael.com".
  11. ^ ""Audiobook", antpalmini.com".
  12. ^ ""Voice Acting", karennafoley.com".
  13. ^ ""Alex Hill-Knight", presenterly.com".
  14. ^ "marissaclay.com".
  15. ^ "carolynkashnernarrates.com".
  16. ^ ""Audiobooks", voicesofmelody.com".
  17. ^ ""Voice Actor, Nora Achrati (Nora Sofyan)", norafachrati.com".
  18. ^ ""Filmography & Testimonials", kayeluvian.com".
  19. ^ ""Voice actor" shearwaterproductions.com".
  20. ^ ""Resume", danistoller.com".
  21. ^ ""msac.org/directory/artists/julie-ann-elliott", msac.org".
  22. ^ ""Clients", teebeevo.com".
  23. ^ ""Voiceover", katieboothe.com".
  24. ^ "henrywkramer.com".
  25. ^ "jonvertullo.com".
  26. ^ ""Audio Drama", www.jennasharpe.com".
  27. ^ "debitinsley.com".
  28. ^ "stephanienemethparker.com".
  29. ^ ""Narrator Interview: Scott McCormick" ournerdiestthing.com".
  30. ^ ""Resume" abclemence.wixsite.com".
  31. ^ ""Credits" ryanhaugen.carrd.co".
  32. ^ ""Now That's Graphic Audio - The Watcher 2015", youtube.com".
  33. ^ Lance Eaton (November 6, 2007). "AudioBooks: The New Sound of Comics". PW Comics Week. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007 – via Publishers Weekly.
  34. ^ ""William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone", GraphicAudio website".
  35. ^ GraphicAudio Productions Archived 2013-11-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 2015.
  36. ^ ""Where To Find Audio Dramas and Audiobooks with Sound Effects", BookRiot".
  37. ^ ""Vagrant Queen" on GraphicAudio website".
  38. ^ ""2023 Audie Awards", audiopub.org".
  39. ^ ""2024 Audie Awards", audiopub.org".
  40. ^ ""Blue Moon Rising by Simon R. Green, read by Terence Aselford and a full cast", AudioFile magazine".
  41. ^ ""A Movie in Your Mind" Geek Girl Authority". 9 October 2015.
  42. ^ ""X Men Days of Future Past Is Even Cooler as an Audiobook", ScreenRant". Screen Rant. 14 September 2020.
  43. ^ ""We Listened to a Marvel Comic Book on Tape and It was Weird Yet Fun", IGN". 23 September 2015.
  44. ^ ""A Court of Thorns and Roses Graphic Audio", ScreenRant". Screen Rant. April 2025.
  45. ^ ""Hear here: four audiobooks with a brand new sound", NPR".
  46. ^ ""Top 10 Must-Listen Audio Adaptations of Comics", CBR".
  47. ^ ""Countdown" on AudioFile magazine".
  48. ^ ""The Warded Man" at AudioFile magazine".
  49. ^ ""Corum" at AudioFile magazine".
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