A Staffordshire management consultant-turned-screenwriter has secured a major international distribution deal for his new comic book series.

Adam Hamdy, aged 33, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, will see his comic The Hunter launched in the UK, US and Australia next month by Diamond Comics which also distribute the Superman, Batman and Spiderman comics.

Hunter, which is illustrated by Leeds-based artist David Golding, tells the story of an undercover CIA agent with secret powers.

Mr Hamdy, who has been a scriptwriter for just three-and-a-half years, originally wrote The Hunter as a film script. But, when he offered it to a Los Angeles film company, he was told it also had potential as a comic series.

The first run of Hunter, which is due to hit the shelves on December 12, will be in the thousands. But Mr Hamdy hopes the number of copies will increase as its popularity grows.

He said: "I was nervous about the launch, but the comic got a great review from one of the leading entertainment websites in the industry.

"I'm hoping it will start to build a fanbase."

The writer is now in negotiation with a number of Hollywood producers about launching a film on the back of the comic.

Despite early ambitions to enter scriptwriting, Mr Hamdy studied law at university and, after a number of low-level jobs in the media industry, became a management consultant for a London insurance agency.

From there he moved to a niche consulting firm and raised £7.5 million in venture capital money to start his own company providing financial software for banks.

He sold the business in 2001 and, at the age of 27, moved to Staffordshire to pursue his writing career.

Mr Hamdy said: "The whole thing has been done on a wing and a prayer. When my wife and I moved out of London, I had no contacts in the film industry.

"I had written a 'mockumentory' about the actor Judge Reinhold and sent it to his agent. After three months, they got back to me to say they were interested in making the film."

The experience gave Mr Hamdy the confidence to start pursuing his career further afield and, in 2004, he travelled to Los Angeles to build up contacts in the Hollywood film industry.

He said: "I wanted to learn from those who had an aggressive and large scale commercial attitude to films. It requires the ability to pick up the phone and talk to people cold. It also need to find the right people to speak and to get your script read.

"There is also an element of being at right place at right time, but that's not to say it's all luck."

Mr Hamdy used his past earnings to help fund him while he established his career, but is now generating an income from his scriptwriting.

He said: "This last four years has all been done on wing and prayer. I have had a couple of projects optioned, sold some material and written video game. I have now built up an income as a writer - it has been an adventure and it continues to be so."

Mr Hamdy is also written a script which has been picked up by producer Alan Greenspan - who has worked on films such as Donnie Brasco, High Fidelity and Fever Pitch. The film, called Prize Fighter, is a medium-budget production which is due to be shot in London next year.

Mr Hamdy has also been signed by US talent agency 3 Arts Entertainment, which also represents actors such as Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.

Mr Hamdy said: "It is a very exciting move for me. It always helps to have someone with a name and a reputation behind you and my manager, Tom Lassally, has a fantastic record in the industry and it is very fantastic to be working with him."

Mr Hamdy also praised the region for the help and support he had received, whilst trying to establish his career.