Ian Fleming Publications has unveiled plans to spin off their successful Young Bond concept into a series of graphic novels based on the character. The illustrated adventures of Young Bond are reportedly due out at the end of 2006.

This is the first announcement of an expansion of the Young Bond franchise beyond the five planned novels by author Charlie Higson. Whether the new graphic novels will be adaptations of the Higson novels or original adventures is not yet known.

In conjunction with this announcement, IFP has revealed the first official image of James Bond at age 13.

The image, crafted by illustrator Kev Walker (best known for his work on the Judge Dread comics), keeps in-style with other illustrations featured on the official Young Bond website. Walker's image shows Bond as a lanky youth with shaggy hair, loose trousers and a rather daggy-looking jacket, a far cry from the tuxedo-clad spy we're all familiar with.

"The hardest thing when writing SilverFin was picturing the young Bond in my mind," says author Charlie Higson. "We have so many different images of Bond as man, what would he have looked like as a boy? I was really pleased that we managed to get an artist as good as Kev Walker to imagine him for me. Now I know what he looks like. Kev's also done a fantastic job of making the thirties look cool and exciting for a modern audience. Young Bond and his world have really come alive."

Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications, says: "This visualisation of Young Bond is an exciting stage in the development of the series. We want to take our readers beyond the books, and we think young boys will identify with the dynamic graphic novel style."