The TellTale bunch are hard at work once again, storming their brains out for a new incarnation of the hysteric Sam & Max adventuring duo, who cracked our bellies open with maniac laughter more than ten years ago. Based on Steve Purcell's comics, the new game is being created with an episodic structure in mind (much like TellTale's Bone series), and the first part - Sam & Max: Season 1 (working title) - is already planned for an Autumn 2006 release.

After many bumps in the road and a couple of cancellations on the way, the long delayed Sam & Max sequel is finally going to see the light of day, thanks to a collaboration between TellTale and GameTap - the same guys that will bring us Uru Live, from the series' traditional developer Cyan Worlds. To celebrate their agreement, they're showing off a first trailer at E3, which is also available for streaming on the official Sam & Max website. We'll have to wait a few days for the actual download, but this Flashy teaser will give you a pretty good feel for the crazyness ahead, with three higher-res stills also available in our local gallery.

To learn more about the new Sam & Max series and about TellTale's episodic plans, be sure to read the FAQ from the game's website.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)