NYCC ‘26: Kuromi gets her own HELLO KITTY AND FRIENDS one-shot

Kuromi is stepping out of My Melody's shadow and into her very own book. IDW Publishing announced Hello Kitty and Friends: Kuromi at New York Comic Con, a one-shot from Sanrio, landing January 27, 2027.

The special follows the same multi-story format as IDW's previously announced Cinnamoroll one-shot. Tony Fleecs, Tini Howard, and Kay Davault each write an original Kuromi adventure, all playing up her signature mix of mischief and hidden sweetness.

Here's what's in store:

• Story one: Kuromi goes camping — and the great outdoors is not ready.

• Story two: Kuromi teams with My Melody to plan a music festival, setting their opposite personalities on a collision course.

• Story three: Kuromi hunts for the perfect picnic spot, a mission that gets way more complicated the moment she's involved.

Min Ho Kim and Mart Lett provide the covers. Check them out below:

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Kuromi has been one of Sanrio's biggest modern draws since her punk-leaning debut as My Melody's self-proclaimed rival, first appearing in the 2005 anime Onegai My Melody. The one-shot is pitched as a straightforward character showcase for longtime fans and newcomers alike, not a continuity event.

It also lands ahead of IDW's still-under-wraps Hello Kitty horror project, part of the publisher's IDW Goes Dark banner. For now, the two are separate conversations — though given Kuromi's whole deal, the crossover pitch writes itself.

Source: Instagram