FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KEENSPOT CELEBRATES THE FIRST CENTURY OF A LITERARY ICON WITH POOH BEAR ADVENTURES #1
Each Copy Comes Polybagged With One Of Four Exclusive Trading Cards
LOS ANGELES, CA – December 30, 2025 – POOH BEAR ADVENTURES #1 arrives in comic shops on February 18, 2026, an all-new comic book celebrating the 100th anniversary of one of the most beloved characters in children’s literature. The new all-ages adventure from Keenspot is written by Ringo Award–nominated writer Matt Cole and illustrated by artist and educator Tessa Rose, and each copy is polybagged with one of four exclusive POOH BEAR ADVENTURES trading cards illustrated by Rose, adding a collectible bonus to the milestone release.
The debut issue features the story “The Great Woozle Chase,” in which Pooh and Piglet discover mysterious tracks in the snow and set off on a delightfully silly journey through the Hundred Acre Wood, convinced they may be following the elusive “Woozles”… maybe. With playful pacing and expressive visuals, the comic honors the spirit of A. A. Milne’s original stories while embracing the strengths of the comics medium.
“I wanted to preserve the heart, tone, and charm of A. A. Milne’s original stories while adapting them in a way that felt natural for comics,” said writer Matt Cole. “The goal was to honor the source, not overwrite it. I trusted that the warmth and sincerity of these stories still speaks to readers today, including a new generation.”
Artist Tessa Rose brings the world of Pooh to life in full color, leaning into texture and warmth to enhance the visual storytelling. “It was fun to see these characters come to life in full color,” said Rose. “I really enjoyed creating the implied textures of Pooh’s fur and the trees. Those small details help make the world feel soft, inviting, and alive.”
Rose illustrates the main cover, with variant covers by Tone Rodriguez, Jason Turner, and Jose Chirinos.
“POOH BEAR ADVENTURES represents everything we love about storytelling,” said Chris Crosby, CEO of Keenspot. “It’s warm, sincere, beautifully illustrated, and rooted in a legacy that has meant so much to readers for a century. Pairing that celebration with something fun and collectible felt like the perfect way to honor this anniversary.”
As part of Keenspot’s February 2026 publishing slate, POOH BEAR ADVENTURES #1 is an all-ages release designed to be accessible for young readers while remaining enjoyable for longtime fans. The included trading cards complement the story and artwork, offering readers an extra piece of the Hundred Acre Wood to collect.
POOH BEAR ADVENTURES #1 has a Final Order Cutoff (FOC) of January 5, 2026 through Lunar Distribution, Universal Distribution, and Diamond UK. Other Keenspot titles sharing the same FOC include TIM SEELEY’S SUPER THICK LUCKY’S TALES #1 and WITCHTOBER #1.
ABOUT KEENSPOT ENTERTAINMENT
Founded in 2000, Keenspot quickly became the top publisher of webcomics, generating billions of pageviews on keenspot.com. The company later branched out to print comic books, publishing diverse titles such as the romantic comedy MARRY ME (adapted into the hit romcom starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson that was the third-most viewed movie during its debut week on Netflix in August), fantasy epics like TWOKINDS and THE HUNTERS OF SALAMANSTRA, and all ages humor comics like GRUBBS (now an animated special starring Wil Wheaton and Jerry O’Connell with 4.2 million views on YouTube).
FULL INTERVIEWS
Writer MATT COLE on POOH BEAR ADVENTURES
Q: What guided your decisions about what to preserve and what to reinterpret for a comic-book format?
A: I’ve been a fan of Pooh Bear ever since I was a kid, and my aunt Debi really got me into Pooh Bear. That personal connection guided everything. I wanted to preserve the heart, tone, and charm of A. A. Milne’s original story while adapting it in a way that felt natural for comics. The goal was to honor the source, not overwrite it.
Q: What were the biggest storytelling challenges in translating Milne’s text and pacing into sequential art?
A: Milne’s writing relies heavily on narration and subtle humor, which doesn’t always translate directly to panels and speech bubbles. The challenge was finding ways to let the visuals carry moments that were originally told through text, while keeping the pacing gentle and true to the original rhythm.
Q: How did you approach maintaining the spirit and tone of Milne’s original work for a modern audience?
A: Respect was the key word for me. I didn’t want to modernize Pooh just for the sake of it or change things that didn’t need changing. Instead, I focused on presenting the story clearly and faithfully, trusting that the warmth and sincerity of Milne’s work still speaks to readers today, including a new generation.
Q: Were there moments where the comic format allowed you to enhance elements from the original text?
A: Absolutely. Comics allow you to show emotions, reactions, and small character moments visually in ways that can sometimes be even more immediate than text. There were scenes where the art could quietly reinforce the humor or tenderness without adding extra dialogue.
Q: Why do you think A. A. Milne’s stories continue to resonate, and what does this adaptation bring to that legacy?
A: Milne’s stories endure because they’re honest, kind, and timeless. They speak to childhood in a way that doesn’t talk down to the reader. With this adaptation, my hope was simply not to mess that up. I wanted to honor the original creators and introduce the story in a format that might reach readers who discover Pooh through comics first.
Artist TESSA ROSE on POOH BEAR ADVENTURES
Q: Pooh Bear Adventures #1 is based on a story originally written by A. A. Milne. What guided your decisions about what to preserve and what to reinterpret for a comic-book format?
A: Well, Matt did a fantastic job transcribing and translating the original story into a comic book script. He provided me with basic character designs as well. I feel like he provided me with great resources to bring this story to life for a new audience.
Q: What were the biggest storytelling challenges in translating Milne’s prose and pacing into sequential art?
A: Matt's script was well-paced so I didn't have too many challenges. The hardest part for me was editing out all of the pencil lines as the work is traditionally painted and illustrated.
Q: How did you approach maintaining the spirit and tone of Milne’s original work while adapting it for a modern comics audience?
A: I wanted the characters to have the "cute" charm that they originally had. I felt like I had the opportunity to let their personalities really "shine" through the panels. It was fun illustrating their facial expressions and subtle, sometimes exaggerated, movements.
Q: Were there moments where the visual nature of comics allowed you to expand or enhance elements that were more subtle in the original text?
A: Of course many of the drawings from the original printings were in black and white so it was fun to see these characters come to life in full color. I really enjoyed creating the implied textures of the Pooh's fur and the trees.
Q: Why do you think A. A. Milne’s stories continue to resonate, and what does the comic medium uniquely bring to that legacy?
A: I think A. A. Milne’s stories continue to resonate because of the simplicities of the stories as well as the animal characters. Pooh and Piglet are really akin to imaginary best friends. I think their contrasting but silly personalities make them relatable to kids. "Are you a Pooh or a Piglet?" feels like a personality test, haha. The comic medium, in my opinion, is a great medium that keeps readers engaged. Especially juvenile readers, they can follow along with the panels. It’s like a "movie in your mind" kind of thing. I believe it is a natural step to take and a positive one for Pooh's legacy. I think what we are doing together is great and I hope the readers enjoy the product we worked so hard on!
