FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11th, Bristol UK – With now only four weeks to go until the UK’s biggest comics convention at the British Empire & Commonwealth Exhibition Hall on 10th and 11th May 2008, it’s time to reveal some of the new books, offers and EXpo EXclusives on show.
The Bristol International Comic Expo website www.comicexpo.net will be updated shortly with these details and more on the panel rundown for the weekend. In addition, the Virtual Bristol Anthology returns this year – http://virtualbristol.monkeyswithmachineguns.com - a chance for readers to preview some of the new books available at Bristol, and reserve a copy in advance or order a copy if you sadly can’t make it this time.
Part One of the list is this week, Part Two out next Friday:-
AAM Markosia (www.markosia.com) celebrate moving into their fourth year of publishing with EXpo Exclusive editions of the Eagle Award-nominated Starship Troopers: Bad Blood #8 and the critically acclaimed The Boy Who Made Silence #3. Specials this year include trade paperbacks offered at £4 each, or three for a tenner – with £10 of back issues given away for free with every £10 spent. Various AAM/Markosia creators will be around all weekend for signing and sketching, with editors running portfolio reviews for artists and pitch sessions for writers throughout the day on Sunday.
Ardden Comics are bringing the brand new Flash Gordon #0 and some posters for Shock Squad Seven. Both artists, Neil Edwards (SSS) and Paul Green (FG) will be attending the show and doing signings. Flash Gordon #0 has an exclusive 12 page story by Brendan and Paul, and won't be printed again for the direct market.
Studio Blink Twice, otherwise known as The Etherington Brothers, are the creative team responsible for the award-winning title Malcolm Magic. Their current series, Monkey Nuts, has recently enjoyed a two month run in the Guardian newspaper, and will soon become a regular weekly feature in the children's comic, The DFC. They’ll be launching of their new book, 'Malcolm Magic - the Big Kahuna Collection'. Gathering together all twelve issues, the Tusk special, a complete cover gallery and a stunning wealth of bonus material, this perfect bound 304 page trade paperback is truly the one to rule them all! This limited edition gem will be available on May 10th where you’ll be able to get your copies signed by the creators. Additional exclusives to be revealed at the weekend so hurry over and meet the team!
Graham Pearce brings both issues ten and eleven of SGT MIKE BATTLE: THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO – issue ten wraps up the epic adventure LAST ADMIN HERO, with eleven a great jumping-on point for new readers: at only £1.50 for 40 B&W pages with a fantastic colour cover, it’s hard to beat, as these reviewers attest:
“if you're not reading Sgt. Mike Battle, you're letting the terrorists win!” - SBC
“Sgt. Mike Battle… definitely one of the most fun titles on the small press market at the moment!” -Grant Springford- Creator of PEST CONTROL.
"much better than it should have been" - COMICS INTERNATIONAL
“On The Banks of The River Croal” by Rob Jackson had Tom Spurgeon (http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/cr_review_on_the_banks_of_the_mighty_croal/)
gushing: "I wish every cartoonist would do something local like this. There's something powerful about comics that use the depiction of something right there in front of the artist as the visual component for a work, something arresting just for itself." As well as this book, Rob is bringing his brand new comic ‘Bog Wizards’ a fantasy story which comes with the extra tiny comic ‘How to Read Bog Wizards’, and his entire back catalogue.
TOKYOPOP UK will be bringing its wall of manga, 10 metres of the latest and greatest titles. Special offers as always throughout the weekend. Rising Stars of Manga artwork from the 2nd years competition will be on display, and TOKYOPOP writers and creators will be there all weekend, including Hans Steinbach (A Midnight Opera, Poison Candy), Anike Hage (Gothic Sports) and a number of RSOM UK winners. Also: portfolio reviews, and try your hand at playing on their Nintendo Wii and DSs.
Fanfare (www.fanfareuk.co.uk) and Spain’s Ponent Mon bring the first public UK viewing of the long awaited "Disappearance Diary" by Hideo Azuma. They’ll also be bringing a wide selection of Marvel and anime T-shirts like you’ve never seen, including the new “Punisher shot on your chest” shirt.
Diamond UK will be exhibiting in the hall for the first time, and will be giving away copies of Previews and other catalogues along with showcasing new samples of products due throughout the year (hopefully some of the items will be seen for the first time over here in the UK). They’ll be talking to Indy / Self press publishers to explain how they can look into getting their comics into Previews and will be chatting to consumers and retailers about Diamond throughout the weekend. Diamond UK are also hosting a Retailer Open Day on Friday 9th May 2008 at the Ramada Plaza and all Diamond account holders are welcome - they just need to register with hmike prior to the event. Each retailer that attends will receive exclusive items only available to order and collect at the Expo (these are shared exclusives with the New York comic convention and each have very limited availability). The following items will be available to buy: Marvel: Iron Man Legacy of Doom # 1 Sketch Variant; Iron Man Mark 1 Battle Damaged Armour Wobbler; Metal Gear Solid: Raiden Stealth Camo Action Figure.
Clown Press (www.clownpress.com) will exclusively release their new book, “The Prison and other tales” at the Bristol Expo. This is a collection of observational stories based on creator Adam Grose’s perspective of the 21st Century and the current events happening around us, political observations, some prose and poetry and some short stories based on the concept of love. In all there are 14 stories ranging from one page to six pages and there will be a sketchbook section with 7 illustrations, preview images for an upcoming graphic novel and some paintings/examples of my art. It will be perfect bound, 52 page graphic novel comic book and available for £4.95. Also the recently released collected TPB of 'Cosmogenesis' will be available, a 550 page graphic novel collecting all the books.
Newcomers to the self-publishing arena C2D4 (www.c2d4.com) will be making their Bristol debut at this year's Expo. Comprised of Tony Wicks, artist writer, and Martin Buxton, writer, they are planning to bring their twisted take on all things to comics with the launch of three titles:
Last of the Chickenheads - In a genetically modified future, a pandemic leaves the fittest of the fit
to fight for the abandoned technology. Lions, hyenas, chickens, cockroaches...Oh my!!
Jack in the Box - Men are products of their environment. This theory will be put to the test by otherworldy beings living beneath our feet. But is their cruel experiment about to be inadvertently ruined by a young girl?
Crowman - Welcome to the town of Havenville. A town long in the grip of corruption and fear. Not a nice place to live, an even worse place to die. But that's all about to change.
Liz & Terry Martin from Urban Jester will be bringing issues 1, 2, 3, and hopefully issue 4 of Murky Depths, their ‘Quarterly anthology of speculative fiction’. They recently set up a publishing arm called ‘The House of Murky Depths’ and are publishing a Richard Calder comic entitled Death and The Maiden. All titles will be available at reduced prices for the Expo, and there will be a special rate for new subscribers. They will also be looking at portfolios and pitches from potential contributors to their anthology.
Dare Comics’ (www.darecomics.com) David Golding and Adam Handy will be signing copies of issue #1 and #2 of The Hunter, and will bring the full portfolio of original artwork for both issues of The Hunter. David will be around both days to draw original commissions.
Image Comics’ book, Studio Space, receives its worldwide launch at the Expo – not released around the world until 29th May, exclusive copies of Studio Space in paperback will be available to buy from the TRIPWIRE table at the show. A Studio Space panel will also be taking place on Saturday afternoon at the show and both writers of the book, Joel Meadows and Gary Marshall, will be appearing at Bristol. A 320 page oversized paperback and limited hardcover, this unique project looks at the work of 20 of the world’s finest comicbook artists and illustrators, examines their start and gets into their working patterns and practices. With an introduction by Guillermo (Pan’s Labyrinth) Del Toro and a foreword by fantasy grand master Elric creator Michael Moorcock and a list of artists that reads like a who’s who of the comic industry, Studio Space will be an indispensable addition to the library of any aficionado of popular art. The full list of artists featured: Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Tim Bradstreet, Howard Chaykin, Sean Phillips, Duncan Fegredo, Joe Kubert, Mike Mignola, Tim Sale, George Pratt, Tommy Lee Edwards, Adam Hughes, Sergio Toppi, Walter Simonson, Jim Lee, Frank Miller, Bryan Talbot, Alex Ross, Steve Dillon, and Dave Taylor.
Finally for this week, Tim Perkins and Wizards Keep are packing their stand with events and launches:
Exclusive Expo Launches for:
- Worlds End Ashcan – These come with a money off voucher that will enable the purchaser to redeem it against the cost of the graphic novel upon its release in 2009
- Worlds End Signed and numbered limited edition Figurines
- Worlds End Figurines – Unpainted Kits
- The last copies of Dark Crusade issue #1 found in the archives of Pultiam Press – Both Writer and Artist are available to sign the remaining copies over the weekend – When these are gone there are no more – A Blast from the Past!
- A very limited supply of Black & White Giclees from a selection of pages from Dark Crusade issue #1 and the unpublished #2 Signed by both the Writer. Paul Roberts and Artist, Tim Perkins
Exclusive Expo Competition:
- Make a purchase – Draw your version of one of the main heroes from Worlds End, Ralf (There are pictures of him in the Ashcan, the Sketch Book, the Poster and on the Wizards Keep Expo Stand). Then enter your picture before 12:00pm on the Sunday, and later on Sunday afternoon a grand winner will be announced. If the winner is still at the convention the winner will receive a one-off Giclee Print of the Black and White Ashcan Cover drawn by Tim and Inked by the legendary Joe Rubinstein. If not the Giclee will be sent out via special delivery that week to the winner’s address.
- The Winning sketch will also appear on the Graphic Novel and on the Wizards Keep Website on a Winners Page in a new section being created for the competition.
As well as the usual Wizards Keep products:
- Signed and numbered limited edition Sketch Books – Each book has a unique one of a kind blue-line original sketch in the back inside cover – No two are ever going to be the same
- Signed and numbered limited edition Giclee Prints
- Large Format Worlds End Posters
- Original Comic Book Artwork from throughout Tim’s comics career – Marvel, 2000AD, Tekno, Defiant, Toontastic, etc.
- Opportunity to have Tim draw an original sketch
There are also some freebies which will be given out over the weekend, drop by the stand over the weekend to stand a chance of receiving something FREE!
The Bristol International Comic Expo 2008 will be held over the weekend of 10th and 11th May 2008 at the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum and the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Bristol, England, with an early bird film night on Friday 9th May. Full details are available on the official website, www.comicexpo.net – including ticket ordering details, just £6 for adults for each day, accompanied children free, ages 12-16 just one pound.
Next time – Time Bomb Comics – Planet Ruskin - Manga Shakespeare – Astrofunk – Underfire Comics – Banal Pig Funnies – Geek Syndicate – Fried Brain Productions – Simia Comics – Black Bat Comics – Urban Rivals – Captain Bristol – Classical Comics - Insomnia Publications – NCsoft Europe – And More – Including – Just What Is This Treasure Hunt Thing For The Kids All About Anyway?
Friday, April 11, 2008
PRESS RELEASE - WIZARD #200 UNLEASHES MILLAR AND HARRIS' WAR HEROES!
First full-color look at Millar and Harris' WAR HEROES comes in WIZARD #200 PLATINUM!
10 April 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - This past month CIVIL WARS' Mark Millar and EX MACHINA's Tony Harris announced their newest superhero collaboration, WAR HEROES, and at long last WIZARD #200 PLATINUM will give readers their first full look at the upcoming mini-series.
"Thus far we've been pretty coy with the art by only showing my pencils," Harris said. "But WIZARD #200 PLATINUM will be the first place to see the art fully fleshed out, including Cliff Rathburn's inks and colorist JD Mettler's gorgeous palette. I think the final results will surprise a lot of people. It's truly a huge leap from my previous superhero work, in the best of ways."
WIZARD #200 PLATINUM will be the first glimpse at the completed art and contains unseen material giving the first mention of one of the series' stars. In addition, an interview with both Millar and Harris gives as of yet unknown details of their upcoming superhero smash up.
Millar added, "WAR HEROES is an awfully big deal for us as it really extends a lot of the themes and ideas Tony and I first started in CIVIL WAR, ULTIMATES, FANTASTIC FOUR, EX MACHINA and KICK-ASS so we really wanted to put a extra large spotlight on the book. Considering Wizard's been such a massive supporter of both of us, it was the logical choice for the preview. I think it'll really show fans just how big the scope of WAR HEROES is, especially since it's what I would have liked ULTIMATES 3 to be."
WIZARD #200 PLATINUM (MAR083349E & MAR083350E), a full color magazine for $5.99, will be in comics stores April 30th and on newsstands May 13th.
First full-color look at Millar and Harris' WAR HEROES comes in WIZARD #200 PLATINUM!
10 April 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - This past month CIVIL WARS' Mark Millar and EX MACHINA's Tony Harris announced their newest superhero collaboration, WAR HEROES, and at long last WIZARD #200 PLATINUM will give readers their first full look at the upcoming mini-series.
"Thus far we've been pretty coy with the art by only showing my pencils," Harris said. "But WIZARD #200 PLATINUM will be the first place to see the art fully fleshed out, including Cliff Rathburn's inks and colorist JD Mettler's gorgeous palette. I think the final results will surprise a lot of people. It's truly a huge leap from my previous superhero work, in the best of ways."
WIZARD #200 PLATINUM will be the first glimpse at the completed art and contains unseen material giving the first mention of one of the series' stars. In addition, an interview with both Millar and Harris gives as of yet unknown details of their upcoming superhero smash up.
Millar added, "WAR HEROES is an awfully big deal for us as it really extends a lot of the themes and ideas Tony and I first started in CIVIL WAR, ULTIMATES, FANTASTIC FOUR, EX MACHINA and KICK-ASS so we really wanted to put a extra large spotlight on the book. Considering Wizard's been such a massive supporter of both of us, it was the logical choice for the preview. I think it'll really show fans just how big the scope of WAR HEROES is, especially since it's what I would have liked ULTIMATES 3 to be."
WIZARD #200 PLATINUM (MAR083349E & MAR083350E), a full color magazine for $5.99, will be in comics stores April 30th and on newsstands May 13th.
Limited to 212 copies, a special edition of A Dummy's Guide to Danger: Lost at Sea is available through Double Midnight Comics and Collectibles. http://www.dmcomics.com/site2/index.html
Grab an issue from them directly, or come see me at the NY Comic Con, where I'll be signing copies of the book at their booth... 2702... on Friday April 18th from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
And if you don't believe how good it is, take their word for it:
A Dummy's Guide to Danger: Lost at Sea
"Returning to perhaps my favorite of his works, Burns puts his characters into a classic type of mystery, a "locked room" in the form of the cruise ship, and that's a smart move." Comics Waiting Room
"This offbeat adventure comes with many recommendations – and you can add mine to the list." Independent Propaganda
"I strongly encourage anyone who likes a little action/mystery/comedy in their comics to check the series out. You won't be disappointed." Amish Otaku
"A Dummy's Guide to Danger is one of the most twisted comic books you will ever read. Jason Burns has created the kind of psychotropic thriller that would have made Hitchcock proud." Broken Frontier
"Aside from the rather sharp dialogue, Burns' Dummy's Guide stories really only feature one joke, told over and over again. The thing is, it's a good joke, and the fact that Burns keeps finding new ways to tell the joke give the entire endeavor a sort of suspense, as one waits in vain for it to start falling flat. It hasn't yet." Newsarama
"A good start to a new adventure with the most unlikely detective duo this side of Columbo and his talking Darth Vader action figure. Fun stuff for those seeking the unusual." Comixtreme.com
"Tired of the status quo? Viper has the answer to your mainstream woes. Dark and hilarious, Dummy is the kind of book that makes odd seem normal." Broken Frontier
"Good story. Good art. Good book. Go buy it." Project Fanboy
--
Jason M. Burns
Assistant Publisher
Viper Comics
www.vipercomics.com
www.jasonmburns.com
Grab an issue from them directly, or come see me at the NY Comic Con, where I'll be signing copies of the book at their booth... 2702... on Friday April 18th from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
And if you don't believe how good it is, take their word for it:
A Dummy's Guide to Danger: Lost at Sea
"Returning to perhaps my favorite of his works, Burns puts his characters into a classic type of mystery, a "locked room" in the form of the cruise ship, and that's a smart move." Comics Waiting Room
"This offbeat adventure comes with many recommendations – and you can add mine to the list." Independent Propaganda
"I strongly encourage anyone who likes a little action/mystery/comedy in their comics to check the series out. You won't be disappointed." Amish Otaku
"A Dummy's Guide to Danger is one of the most twisted comic books you will ever read. Jason Burns has created the kind of psychotropic thriller that would have made Hitchcock proud." Broken Frontier
"Aside from the rather sharp dialogue, Burns' Dummy's Guide stories really only feature one joke, told over and over again. The thing is, it's a good joke, and the fact that Burns keeps finding new ways to tell the joke give the entire endeavor a sort of suspense, as one waits in vain for it to start falling flat. It hasn't yet." Newsarama
"A good start to a new adventure with the most unlikely detective duo this side of Columbo and his talking Darth Vader action figure. Fun stuff for those seeking the unusual." Comixtreme.com
"Tired of the status quo? Viper has the answer to your mainstream woes. Dark and hilarious, Dummy is the kind of book that makes odd seem normal." Broken Frontier
"Good story. Good art. Good book. Go buy it." Project Fanboy
--
Jason M. Burns
Assistant Publisher
Viper Comics
www.vipercomics.com
www.jasonmburns.com
THE PREEMINENT PUBLISHER OF ILLUSTRATED BOOKS
AT NEW YORK CITY ’S MOST POPULAR ANNUAL COMICS CONVENTION
HARRY N. ABRAMS, INC.
AT NEW YORK COMIC CON 2008
| COMICS | MANGA | GRAPHIC NOVELS |
| MONOGRAPHS | COLLECTIONS | ANTHOLOGIES |
“Harry N. Abrams is likely to have the hot book of the convention. There has been quite a buzz around Kirby: King of Comics . . .”
—Publishers Weekly on New York Comic Con 2008
Harry N. Abrams, Inc., is excited to announce their participation in New York Comic Con 2008. This year marks Abrams’ third year holding court at New York Comic Con, having hosted a booth each year since the New York Con launched in 2006. In addition to hosting their own booth (#1825) devoted to the HNA imprints Abrams, Abrams Image, and Amulet Books, a number of the publisher’s authors will be participating in panels and signings. Wimpy Kid (#1 New York Times children’s bestseller) author Jeff Kinney, revered comic artist Kyle Baker (Nat Turner), and Mark Evanier (author of the landmark biography Kirby: King of Comics) and comics legend Joe Simon are among the authors scheduled. (See schedule of events below).
Harry N. Abrams publishes innovative works in the areas of comics, graffiti, fantasy and science fiction, and film. Their Spring 2008 list includes the immensely successful Kirby: King of Comics; the stunning graphic novel M by Jon J Muth; Kyle Baker’s highly anticipated graphic novel Nat Turner (in both paperback and hardcover); Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels by David A. Beronä; Erotic Comics by Tim Pilcher; Graffiti Paris by Fabienne Grevy; The Animation Bible by Maureen Furniss; Child’s Play: The Berenstain Baby Boom by Mike Berenstain; and Wacky Packages by the Topps Company (which includes an introduction by Art Spiegelman). Says Senior Editor Charles Kochman, “There really is something for everyone on this list—books for all ages and for all tastes—each title unique and crafted in the classic Abrams tradition that readers have come to expect from us.”
Since the company’s inception in 1949, Harry N. Abrams has identified and celebrated contemporary and groundbreaking art, championing burgeoning creative forms and presenting them to the public in high quality, beautifully produced, and authoritatively written illustrated books.
In 1973, Harry N. Abrams published The Art of Walt Disney, clearly defining animation as fine art and presenting it to the public and media in that light. The book was a success, with 50,000 copies printed in its first year of publication. Since then Abrams and its imprints have been responsible for many books on comics art, championing the genre in the world of fine art with titles such as Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herriman by Patrick McDonnell, and Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades by Les Daniels.
Harry N. Abrams New York Comic Con 2008 Events Schedule
Friday, April 18
1:00―3:00 PM: Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules signing at Books of Wonder, 18 West 18th St., New York, NY. 212-989-3270
1:00–2:00 PM: Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics, signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
2:30–3:30 PM: Kyle Baker, author of Nat Turner, signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
5:00–6:00 PM: Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics, moderates panel “The State of Animation” in room 1E16
7:00―9:00 PM: Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics, signing at Jim Hanley’s Universe, 4 West 33rd St ., New York, NY. 212-268-7088
Saturday, April 19
11:00 AM–12:00 PM: Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics, moderates panel “Steve Gerber Memorial” in room 1E16
12:00 noon–12:30 PM: David Beronä, author of Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels, signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
1:00–2:00 PM: Joe Simon joins Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics, for a special signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
2:30–3:15 PM: Mike Berenstain, author of Child’s Play, signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
3:15–4:00 PM: Mark Chiarello (artist) & Jack Morelli (author)... Heroes of the Negro Leagues, signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
Sunday, April 20
10:00 AM–11:00 AM: Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
11:30–12:00 PM: Jeff Kinney participating in Comic Con Workshop as part of Kids Day, at Kids Stage on the main floor of NYCC
12:00 noon–1:00 PM: Author Mark Evanier hosts panel on Kirby: King of Comics in room 1E10-1E11
1:00–2:00 PM: Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
# # #
About Harry N. Abrams, Inc.: Founded by Harry N. Abrams in 1949, HNA Inc. was the first company in the United States to specialize in the creation and distribution of art and illustrated books. Now a subsidiary of La Martinière Groupe, the company publishes visually stunning illustrated books on the subjects of art, photography, cooking, interior and garden design, architecture, entertainment, fashion, sports, and general interest. HNA also distributes books for The Vendome Press, Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate, Royal Academy of Arts, Booth-Clibborn Editions, and others.
AT NEW YORK CITY ’S MOST POPULAR ANNUAL COMICS CONVENTION
HARRY N. ABRAMS, INC.
AT NEW YORK COMIC CON 2008
| COMICS | MANGA | GRAPHIC NOVELS |
| MONOGRAPHS | COLLECTIONS | ANTHOLOGIES |
“Harry N. Abrams is likely to have the hot book of the convention. There has been quite a buzz around Kirby: King of Comics . . .”
—Publishers Weekly on New York Comic Con 2008
Harry N. Abrams, Inc., is excited to announce their participation in New York Comic Con 2008. This year marks Abrams’ third year holding court at New York Comic Con, having hosted a booth each year since the New York Con launched in 2006. In addition to hosting their own booth (#1825) devoted to the HNA imprints Abrams, Abrams Image, and Amulet Books, a number of the publisher’s authors will be participating in panels and signings. Wimpy Kid (#1 New York Times children’s bestseller) author Jeff Kinney, revered comic artist Kyle Baker (Nat Turner), and Mark Evanier (author of the landmark biography Kirby: King of Comics) and comics legend Joe Simon are among the authors scheduled. (See schedule of events below).
Harry N. Abrams publishes innovative works in the areas of comics, graffiti, fantasy and science fiction, and film. Their Spring 2008 list includes the immensely successful Kirby: King of Comics; the stunning graphic novel M by Jon J Muth; Kyle Baker’s highly anticipated graphic novel Nat Turner (in both paperback and hardcover); Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels by David A. Beronä; Erotic Comics by Tim Pilcher; Graffiti Paris by Fabienne Grevy; The Animation Bible by Maureen Furniss; Child’s Play: The Berenstain Baby Boom by Mike Berenstain; and Wacky Packages by the Topps Company (which includes an introduction by Art Spiegelman). Says Senior Editor Charles Kochman, “There really is something for everyone on this list—books for all ages and for all tastes—each title unique and crafted in the classic Abrams tradition that readers have come to expect from us.”
Since the company’s inception in 1949, Harry N. Abrams has identified and celebrated contemporary and groundbreaking art, championing burgeoning creative forms and presenting them to the public in high quality, beautifully produced, and authoritatively written illustrated books.
In 1973, Harry N. Abrams published The Art of Walt Disney, clearly defining animation as fine art and presenting it to the public and media in that light. The book was a success, with 50,000 copies printed in its first year of publication. Since then Abrams and its imprints have been responsible for many books on comics art, championing the genre in the world of fine art with titles such as Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herriman by Patrick McDonnell, and Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades by Les Daniels.
Harry N. Abrams New York Comic Con 2008 Events Schedule
Friday, April 18
1:00―3:00 PM: Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules signing at Books of Wonder, 18 West 18th St., New York, NY. 212-989-3270
1:00–2:00 PM: Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics, signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
2:30–3:30 PM: Kyle Baker, author of Nat Turner, signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
5:00–6:00 PM: Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics, moderates panel “The State of Animation” in room 1E16
7:00―9:00 PM: Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics, signing at Jim Hanley’s Universe, 4 West 33rd St ., New York, NY. 212-268-7088
Saturday, April 19
11:00 AM–12:00 PM: Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics, moderates panel “Steve Gerber Memorial” in room 1E16
12:00 noon–12:30 PM: David Beronä, author of Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels, signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
1:00–2:00 PM: Joe Simon joins Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics, for a special signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
2:30–3:15 PM: Mike Berenstain, author of Child’s Play, signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
3:15–4:00 PM: Mark Chiarello (artist) & Jack Morelli (author)... Heroes of the Negro Leagues, signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
Sunday, April 20
10:00 AM–11:00 AM: Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
11:30–12:00 PM: Jeff Kinney participating in Comic Con Workshop as part of Kids Day, at Kids Stage on the main floor of NYCC
12:00 noon–1:00 PM: Author Mark Evanier hosts panel on Kirby: King of Comics in room 1E10-1E11
1:00–2:00 PM: Mark Evanier, author of Kirby: King of Comics signing at Abrams booth (#1825)
# # #
About Harry N. Abrams, Inc.: Founded by Harry N. Abrams in 1949, HNA Inc. was the first company in the United States to specialize in the creation and distribution of art and illustrated books. Now a subsidiary of La Martinière Groupe, the company publishes visually stunning illustrated books on the subjects of art, photography, cooking, interior and garden design, architecture, entertainment, fashion, sports, and general interest. HNA also distributes books for The Vendome Press, Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate, Royal Academy of Arts, Booth-Clibborn Editions, and others.
Neil Kleid's comic in HEEB Magazine: 'How I Learned to Succeed in Hollywood'
Thanks to fellow member of the Tribe and ACT-I-VATE's public relations
man, Jeff Newelt, I was asked to do a one page comic strip for the
latest issue of HEEB Magazine - the Hollywood Issue, featuring cover
boy Jason Segel of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER fame.
I thought you might like to check out the comic, entitled "How I
Learned to Succeed in Hollywood", available online at:
http://www.heebmagazine.com/files/uploaded_photos/full_comic_900.jpg
It's a fun little tongue-in-cheek in-joke of a comic and hopefully, a
fun little way to start your day.
Please to enjoy!
--
-------------------------------------
Neil Kleid
RANT COMICS!
www.rantcomics.com
www.myspace.com/rantcomics
Thanks to fellow member of the Tribe and ACT-I-VATE's public relations
man, Jeff Newelt, I was asked to do a one page comic strip for the
latest issue of HEEB Magazine - the Hollywood Issue, featuring cover
boy Jason Segel of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER fame.
I thought you might like to check out the comic, entitled "How I
Learned to Succeed in Hollywood", available online at:
http://www.heebmagazine.com/files/uploaded_photos/full_comic_900.jpg
It's a fun little tongue-in-cheek in-joke of a comic and hopefully, a
fun little way to start your day.
Please to enjoy!
--
-------------------------------------
Neil Kleid
RANT COMICS!
www.rantcomics.com
www.myspace.com/rantcomics
PRESS RELEASE - TORI AMOS INKS THE COMIC BOOK TATTOO!
9 April, 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - This July the ever-growing relationship between comics and music reaches new heights as Tori Amos and Image Comics
release COMIC BOOK TATTOO, a 480-page, full color anthology adapting the themes and ideas behind her songs into a lush volume of sequential art.
“I have been surprised, excited and pleasantly shocked by these comics that are extensions of the songs that I have loved and therefore welcome these amazing
stories of pictures and words because they are uncompromisingly inspiring,” says Amos. “It shows you thought is a powerful formidable essence and can have a
breathtaking domino effect.
To assemble COMIC BOOK TATTOO's diverse roster of talent, Amos worked alongside editor Rantz Hoseley, co-creator behind the upcoming DISPLACED
PERSONS and VIX. Together they formed a line up featuring Y: THE LAST MAN's Pia Guerra, Leah Moore, John Reppion David Mack, Hope Larson, Ryan Kelly,
Jonathan Hickman, Colleen Doran, Eric Canete, Ted McKeever, Jock, Anthony Johnston, Dame Darcy, Carla Speed McNeil, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Mark Buckingham,
Ivan Brandon, C. B. Cebulski and many more, including an introduction by SANDMAN creator Neil Gaiman.
Editor Hoseley added, "While the connections between comics and music have been long established by generations of creators, Comic Book Tattoo is the pure
distillation of how these two art forms inspire and feed off of each other across all the classifications, genres and styles of comic storytelling. Like Tori’s music, these
stories run the gamut of human experience, emotion and imagination brought to life by some of the most compelling and innovative creators in the field of comics."
COMIC BOOK TATTOO, a 12” x 12” 480-page anthology, will be in stores July 23rd.
Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit www.imagecomics.com.
9 April, 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - This July the ever-growing relationship between comics and music reaches new heights as Tori Amos and Image Comics
release COMIC BOOK TATTOO, a 480-page, full color anthology adapting the themes and ideas behind her songs into a lush volume of sequential art.
“I have been surprised, excited and pleasantly shocked by these comics that are extensions of the songs that I have loved and therefore welcome these amazing
stories of pictures and words because they are uncompromisingly inspiring,” says Amos. “It shows you thought is a powerful formidable essence and can have a
breathtaking domino effect.
To assemble COMIC BOOK TATTOO's diverse roster of talent, Amos worked alongside editor Rantz Hoseley, co-creator behind the upcoming DISPLACED
PERSONS and VIX. Together they formed a line up featuring Y: THE LAST MAN's Pia Guerra, Leah Moore, John Reppion David Mack, Hope Larson, Ryan Kelly,
Jonathan Hickman, Colleen Doran, Eric Canete, Ted McKeever, Jock, Anthony Johnston, Dame Darcy, Carla Speed McNeil, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Mark Buckingham,
Ivan Brandon, C. B. Cebulski and many more, including an introduction by SANDMAN creator Neil Gaiman.
Editor Hoseley added, "While the connections between comics and music have been long established by generations of creators, Comic Book Tattoo is the pure
distillation of how these two art forms inspire and feed off of each other across all the classifications, genres and styles of comic storytelling. Like Tori’s music, these
stories run the gamut of human experience, emotion and imagination brought to life by some of the most compelling and innovative creators in the field of comics."
COMIC BOOK TATTOO, a 12” x 12” 480-page anthology, will be in stores July 23rd.
Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit www.imagecomics.com.
ASP’S AWAKENING NOMINATED FOR 4 EAGLE AWARDS
Including Favourite New Comic Book
Kearny, NJ -- Apr 14, 2008 -- ASP is thrilled to announce that its series of existential horror written by Nick Tapalansky and illustrated by Alex Eckman-Lawn has been nominated for four Eagle Awards, the comics industry's longest established awards.
Here is the rundown of AWAKENING’s nominations:
**Favourite Newcomer Writer: Nick Tapalansky
**Favourite Letterer: Thomas Mauer
**Favourite Colour Comicbook - American: AWAKENING
**Favourite New Comicbook: AWAKENING
Voting is open now and closes soon, so go and vote!
http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/vote.asp
“It’s been a dream come true for Alex, Thomas, and I to work on AWAKENING over the last year,” said writer and nominee Nick Tapalansky. “Now to be nominated for the Eagle Awards…what can you say? The dream continues. Thanks to everyone who has supported the book and thanks to those new readers willing to give it a try.”
To check out previews of AWAKENING, just visit the ASP site:
http://www.aspcomics.com/awakening.php
Introduced in 1976, the Eagles are acknowledged as the pre-eminent international prizes and have been featured on the covers of leading US and UK titles across the last 30 years. Results will be announced at the Bristol International Comic Expo in England (May 9-11, 2008).
AWAKENING tells the story of Derrick Peters, a former member of the Park Falls Police Department, who receives a visit from Cynthia Ford one January afternoon. Cynthia, well known as the town crazy, seems to have finally lost her mind. She claims to have information about a series of gruesome murders…but does she hold the key to unlocking the mystery or has she truly gone insane? To Derrick’s disbelief she utters one word: Zombies.
Ordering Info
A 10-issue bi-monthly series, each 24-page issue of AWAKENING retails for $3.50. A 144-page hardcover collection (Diamond Code: APR08 3552, $19.95) is set for release in June collecting issues 1–5 plus additional material never before published.
Issues currently available or soon to be released include:
AWAKENING #1: JUN07 3242
AWAKENING #2: AUG07 3376
AWAKENING #3: OCT07 3258
AWAKENING #4: DEC07 3387
AWAKENING #5: FEB08 3470
Praise for AWAKENING
“Eye-catching artwork… Tapalansky and Eckman-Lawn have awakened within the realm of the zombie world a new direction to take what could have easily been another retread of tired material.” —The Geeks of Doom
"The coolest and most original zombie piece since The Walking Dead got under way." —Lee, Broken Frontier
"If it needs to be classified somewhere it would still be zombie book, but like 28 Days Later, which wasn't technically a zombie movie, it blazes its own path." —Justin, Wednesday is My Sabbath
“For anyone who sincerely wants to find the next horror concept comic that should be mirrored by writers and artists everywhere for years after its done, aping such an original thing until it's no longer anything of the sort, then AWAKENING will prove a unique experience, and an immensely satisfying one at that." —Dave, Broken Frontier
"AWAKENING is the type of storytelling achievement you often find yourself reading in trade format a year after-the-fact, wondering why the hell you didn't hear more about it at the time of its publishing. The type of book that goes on to achieve eventual cult status and terrible film adaptations that wholly miss the point. Tapalansky and Eckman-Lawn increasingly prove themselves with each successive release. These men deserve a future in this industry, though perhaps it can be said even more-so that the industry deserves a future with them." —Tom, Newseed Comics
All ASP titles are available worldwide at finer comic book shops, bookstores, amazon.com, Indie Press Revolution (www.indiepressrevolution.com) and electronically at DriveThruComics.com.
ABOUT ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS
Mark Smylie founded Archaia Studios Press (ASP) in 2002 as a new home for his epic fantasy comic book, Artesia (first published by Sirius Entertainment). Artesia, winner of ForeWord Magazine’s Best Graphic Novel of 2003, and its sequels -- Artesia Afield and Artesia Afire -- gave ASP its foundation. Artesia: Adventures in The Known World, a roleplaying game written by Mark, expanded ASP into the world of gaming; the game won the Origins Award for Role-Playing Game of 2005. Now Mark and publishing partner Aki Liao have expanded ASP to include a line of idiosyncratic and creator-driven comic books and graphic novels in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres, as well as translations of several of Europe’s best titles. More information can be found at www.aspcomics.com.
Including Favourite New Comic Book
Kearny, NJ -- Apr 14, 2008 -- ASP is thrilled to announce that its series of existential horror written by Nick Tapalansky and illustrated by Alex Eckman-Lawn has been nominated for four Eagle Awards, the comics industry's longest established awards.
Here is the rundown of AWAKENING’s nominations:
**Favourite Newcomer Writer: Nick Tapalansky
**Favourite Letterer: Thomas Mauer
**Favourite Colour Comicbook - American: AWAKENING
**Favourite New Comicbook: AWAKENING
Voting is open now and closes soon, so go and vote!
http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/vote.asp
“It’s been a dream come true for Alex, Thomas, and I to work on AWAKENING over the last year,” said writer and nominee Nick Tapalansky. “Now to be nominated for the Eagle Awards…what can you say? The dream continues. Thanks to everyone who has supported the book and thanks to those new readers willing to give it a try.”
To check out previews of AWAKENING, just visit the ASP site:
http://www.aspcomics.com/awakening.php
Introduced in 1976, the Eagles are acknowledged as the pre-eminent international prizes and have been featured on the covers of leading US and UK titles across the last 30 years. Results will be announced at the Bristol International Comic Expo in England (May 9-11, 2008).
AWAKENING tells the story of Derrick Peters, a former member of the Park Falls Police Department, who receives a visit from Cynthia Ford one January afternoon. Cynthia, well known as the town crazy, seems to have finally lost her mind. She claims to have information about a series of gruesome murders…but does she hold the key to unlocking the mystery or has she truly gone insane? To Derrick’s disbelief she utters one word: Zombies.
Ordering Info
A 10-issue bi-monthly series, each 24-page issue of AWAKENING retails for $3.50. A 144-page hardcover collection (Diamond Code: APR08 3552, $19.95) is set for release in June collecting issues 1–5 plus additional material never before published.
Issues currently available or soon to be released include:
AWAKENING #1: JUN07 3242
AWAKENING #2: AUG07 3376
AWAKENING #3: OCT07 3258
AWAKENING #4: DEC07 3387
AWAKENING #5: FEB08 3470
Praise for AWAKENING
“Eye-catching artwork… Tapalansky and Eckman-Lawn have awakened within the realm of the zombie world a new direction to take what could have easily been another retread of tired material.” —The Geeks of Doom
"The coolest and most original zombie piece since The Walking Dead got under way." —Lee, Broken Frontier
"If it needs to be classified somewhere it would still be zombie book, but like 28 Days Later, which wasn't technically a zombie movie, it blazes its own path." —Justin, Wednesday is My Sabbath
“For anyone who sincerely wants to find the next horror concept comic that should be mirrored by writers and artists everywhere for years after its done, aping such an original thing until it's no longer anything of the sort, then AWAKENING will prove a unique experience, and an immensely satisfying one at that." —Dave, Broken Frontier
"AWAKENING is the type of storytelling achievement you often find yourself reading in trade format a year after-the-fact, wondering why the hell you didn't hear more about it at the time of its publishing. The type of book that goes on to achieve eventual cult status and terrible film adaptations that wholly miss the point. Tapalansky and Eckman-Lawn increasingly prove themselves with each successive release. These men deserve a future in this industry, though perhaps it can be said even more-so that the industry deserves a future with them." —Tom, Newseed Comics
All ASP titles are available worldwide at finer comic book shops, bookstores, amazon.com, Indie Press Revolution (www.indiepressrevolution.com) and electronically at DriveThruComics.com.
ABOUT ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS
Mark Smylie founded Archaia Studios Press (ASP) in 2002 as a new home for his epic fantasy comic book, Artesia (first published by Sirius Entertainment). Artesia, winner of ForeWord Magazine’s Best Graphic Novel of 2003, and its sequels -- Artesia Afield and Artesia Afire -- gave ASP its foundation. Artesia: Adventures in The Known World, a roleplaying game written by Mark, expanded ASP into the world of gaming; the game won the Origins Award for Role-Playing Game of 2005. Now Mark and publishing partner Aki Liao have expanded ASP to include a line of idiosyncratic and creator-driven comic books and graphic novels in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres, as well as translations of several of Europe’s best titles. More information can be found at www.aspcomics.com.
Dragonfire Laser Craft announces naming competition for launch of ship.
( Ft. Wayne, IN – April 10, 2008) Dragonfire Laser Craft announced today a competition to name their summer release, a double layer frigate. This release will be the first under $100 product where customers can take their ship battles below deck literally due to the addition of a deck below the main one. Made out of sturdy birch plywood, reaching almost two feet long, and retailing for around sixty dollars the double frigate is a product release many have been craving and now fans get to help christen the boat!
From April 20th (the beginning of the GAMA trade show) through June 29th ( the end of the Origins Game Faire) fans can submit their choice of a name for this release.
All submissions will become the property of Dragonfire Laser Craft Inc. unless otherwise trademarked. All entries should be emailed to shipname@dragonfirelaser.com. Entries should include name, email address to be contacted at in case you win, and suggestion for the name. The Double Frigate winning entry will be announced July 4th,2008. Winners will receive a free double frigate. Second and third winners will receive single layer frigates.
This is not the first multi-layer ship for Dragonfire Laser. The following products also enjoy an extra bottom deck: Titania’s Fury, Deluxe Galleon, and the Pirate Sloop. To see more boats in the Dragonfire Laser armada visit. http://www.dragonfiresigns.com/store.php?crn=205. To check out Bloody Pirates the gaming release playable with all ships from Dragonfire Laser check out http://www.dragonfiresigns.com/store.php?crn=218&rn=493&action=show_detail.
To sign up for all news and release information from Dragonfire Laser Craft email lucas@dragonfirelaser.com
About Dragonfire Laser Crafts: Started in 2006, Dragonfire Laser Crafts had one goal, to give the customer exactly what they desire. Since their inception, they have stuck to that goal and by listening to their customers have created many different products in a staggeringnumber of industries. Their vision and skill have helped them conquer multiple industries including: Ornaments, Awards, Ancestry,Gaming, Glassware and many more!
Dragonfire Laser Crafts- Forging your visions with fire!
( Ft. Wayne, IN – April 10, 2008) Dragonfire Laser Craft announced today a competition to name their summer release, a double layer frigate. This release will be the first under $100 product where customers can take their ship battles below deck literally due to the addition of a deck below the main one. Made out of sturdy birch plywood, reaching almost two feet long, and retailing for around sixty dollars the double frigate is a product release many have been craving and now fans get to help christen the boat!
From April 20th (the beginning of the GAMA trade show) through June 29th ( the end of the Origins Game Faire) fans can submit their choice of a name for this release.
All submissions will become the property of Dragonfire Laser Craft Inc. unless otherwise trademarked. All entries should be emailed to shipname@dragonfirelaser.com. Entries should include name, email address to be contacted at in case you win, and suggestion for the name. The Double Frigate winning entry will be announced July 4th,2008. Winners will receive a free double frigate. Second and third winners will receive single layer frigates.
This is not the first multi-layer ship for Dragonfire Laser. The following products also enjoy an extra bottom deck: Titania’s Fury, Deluxe Galleon, and the Pirate Sloop. To see more boats in the Dragonfire Laser armada visit. http://www.dragonfiresigns.com/store.php?crn=205. To check out Bloody Pirates the gaming release playable with all ships from Dragonfire Laser check out http://www.dragonfiresigns.com/store.php?crn=218&rn=493&action=show_detail.
To sign up for all news and release information from Dragonfire Laser Craft email lucas@dragonfirelaser.com
About Dragonfire Laser Crafts: Started in 2006, Dragonfire Laser Crafts had one goal, to give the customer exactly what they desire. Since their inception, they have stuck to that goal and by listening to their customers have created many different products in a staggeringnumber of industries. Their vision and skill have helped them conquer multiple industries including: Ornaments, Awards, Ancestry,Gaming, Glassware and many more!
Dragonfire Laser Crafts- Forging your visions with fire!
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY LOVES STEVE NILES' 'GIANT MONSTER'
Magazine says "It'll Consume You!"
Complete Graphic Novel Available to Read at ComicBookResources.com
April 10th, 2008 (Los Angeles, CA) -- Entertainment Weekly, the nation's leading entertainment magazine, hailed BOOM! Studios GIANT MONSTER graphic novel as having "...enough sly humor to elevate the result above the level of mere destructo-porn."
EW went on to compare GIANT MONSTER to "Cloverfield, Godzilla, King Kong - anything, really, where there's a strong possibility of people ending up as human bubblegum on the sole of a monster's foot."
Written by Steve (30 DAYS OF NIGHT) Niles and Nat (FRANK FRAZETTA'S DEATH DEALER) Jones, GIANT MONSTER follows space-shuttle pilot Don Maggert. As EW so succinctly put it, as he is "...overtaken by an alien parasite just before re-entering Earth's atmosphere, he transforms into an extremely hungry and extremely big beastie. Mankind's only hope is a similarly outsized 'Super Attack Bot' designed by Nazi scientist Dr. Fenstermach."
As part of the promotion for the release, GIANT MONSTER is currently available to read for free at ComicBookResources.com until May 9th. The link is: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12358
Soon after its release, GIANT MONSTER was serialized daily on ComicBookResources.com, following up on BOOM! Studios' success with the online serialization of NORTH WIND at MySpace Comic Books.
GIANT MONSTER can be purchased at your local comic book store or directly from BOOM! Studios here: http://www.boom-studios.com/node/1347
About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (http://www.boom-studios.com) is a unique new publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry's biggest talents. In its inaugural year, Wizard Magazine named BOOM! "Best New Publisher." Founded by the creator of the TV show EUREKA, Andrew Cosby, and his partner Ross Richie, BOOM! Studios continues to be on the leading edge of comic and graphic novel publishing.
Magazine says "It'll Consume You!"
Complete Graphic Novel Available to Read at ComicBookResources.com
April 10th, 2008 (Los Angeles, CA) -- Entertainment Weekly, the nation's leading entertainment magazine, hailed BOOM! Studios GIANT MONSTER graphic novel as having "...enough sly humor to elevate the result above the level of mere destructo-porn."
EW went on to compare GIANT MONSTER to "Cloverfield, Godzilla, King Kong - anything, really, where there's a strong possibility of people ending up as human bubblegum on the sole of a monster's foot."
Written by Steve (30 DAYS OF NIGHT) Niles and Nat (FRANK FRAZETTA'S DEATH DEALER) Jones, GIANT MONSTER follows space-shuttle pilot Don Maggert. As EW so succinctly put it, as he is "...overtaken by an alien parasite just before re-entering Earth's atmosphere, he transforms into an extremely hungry and extremely big beastie. Mankind's only hope is a similarly outsized 'Super Attack Bot' designed by Nazi scientist Dr. Fenstermach."
As part of the promotion for the release, GIANT MONSTER is currently available to read for free at ComicBookResources.com until May 9th. The link is: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12358
Soon after its release, GIANT MONSTER was serialized daily on ComicBookResources.com, following up on BOOM! Studios' success with the online serialization of NORTH WIND at MySpace Comic Books.
GIANT MONSTER can be purchased at your local comic book store or directly from BOOM! Studios here: http://www.boom-studios.com/node/1347
About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (http://www.boom-studios.com) is a unique new publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry's biggest talents. In its inaugural year, Wizard Magazine named BOOM! "Best New Publisher." Founded by the creator of the TV show EUREKA, Andrew Cosby, and his partner Ross Richie, BOOM! Studios continues to be on the leading edge of comic and graphic novel publishing.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS & A. DAVID LEWIS PRESS RELEASE
WRITER A. DAVID LEWIS EXPLORES RELIGION IN COMICS
Graven Images, a three-day conference at Boston University
Kearny, NJ -- Apr 9, 2008 -- Writer A. David Lewis, ASP, and ASP publisher Mark Smylie are excited to announce co-organizer Lewis’s Boston University conference “Graven Images: Religion in Comic Books & Graphic Novels” held Apr 11–13.
Panel discussions include Missionizing with Comics, Judaism and Identity, Comics and Pedagogy, and Scripture and Theology. A complete schedule of events and speakers is at the “Graven Images” site:
http://www.bu.edu/luce/calendar/religionincomics.html
“It’s been sensational to develop this conference,” said Lewis, PhD candidate in Religion and Literature, Boston University, and writer of acclaimed ASP titles SOME NEW KIND OF SLAUGHTER and THE LONE AND LEVEL SANDS. “Obviously, the use of religion in comics is one of the concepts I’ve explored over the years and the relationship between comics and religion is dynamic and evolving. ‘Graven Images’ will provide conference-goers an opportunity for discussion of cutting-edge artistic and social issues by exploring the roles of religion in comic books and graphic novels.”
Mark Smylie, ASP publisher and ARTESIA creator, an epic fantasy that is no stranger to religious concepts, will join Lewis, Saurav Mohapatra (India Authentic, The Sadhu: The Silent Ones, Devi Vol 2), Steve Ross (Marked!), and G. Willow Wilson (Cairo) in a Creator Q&A on Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
Additionally, the creators’ panel will be followed by a “Graphically Religious” presentation and signing at Boston U’s Kenmore Square Barnes & Noble.
All conference events will be held in room 201 on the second floor of the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies, located at 147 Bay State Road.
Free and open to the public, “Graven Images” is co-organized by Christine Hoff Kraemer (PhD, Boston University, 2007). It is co-sponsored by The New England-Maritimes American Academy of Religion, The Boston University Graduate Student Organization, The Boston University Department of Religion, and Caption Box.
ABOUT ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS
Mark Smylie founded Archaia Studios Press (ASP) in 2002 as a new home for his epic fantasy comic book, Artesia (first published by Sirius Entertainment). Artesia, winner of ForeWord Magazine’s Best Graphic Novel of 2003, and its sequels -- Artesia Afield and Artesia Afire -- gave ASP its foundation. Artesia: Adventures in The Known World, a roleplaying game written by Mark, expanded ASP into the world of gaming; the game won the Origins Award for Role-Playing Game of 2005. Now Mark and publishing partner Aki Liao have expanded ASP to include a line of idiosyncratic and creator-driven comic books and graphic novels in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres, as well as translations of several of Europe’s best titles. More information can be found at www.aspcomics.com.
WRITER A. DAVID LEWIS EXPLORES RELIGION IN COMICS
Graven Images, a three-day conference at Boston University
Kearny, NJ -- Apr 9, 2008 -- Writer A. David Lewis, ASP, and ASP publisher Mark Smylie are excited to announce co-organizer Lewis’s Boston University conference “Graven Images: Religion in Comic Books & Graphic Novels” held Apr 11–13.
Panel discussions include Missionizing with Comics, Judaism and Identity, Comics and Pedagogy, and Scripture and Theology. A complete schedule of events and speakers is at the “Graven Images” site:
http://www.bu.edu/luce/calendar/religionincomics.html
“It’s been sensational to develop this conference,” said Lewis, PhD candidate in Religion and Literature, Boston University, and writer of acclaimed ASP titles SOME NEW KIND OF SLAUGHTER and THE LONE AND LEVEL SANDS. “Obviously, the use of religion in comics is one of the concepts I’ve explored over the years and the relationship between comics and religion is dynamic and evolving. ‘Graven Images’ will provide conference-goers an opportunity for discussion of cutting-edge artistic and social issues by exploring the roles of religion in comic books and graphic novels.”
Mark Smylie, ASP publisher and ARTESIA creator, an epic fantasy that is no stranger to religious concepts, will join Lewis, Saurav Mohapatra (India Authentic, The Sadhu: The Silent Ones, Devi Vol 2), Steve Ross (Marked!), and G. Willow Wilson (Cairo) in a Creator Q&A on Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
Additionally, the creators’ panel will be followed by a “Graphically Religious” presentation and signing at Boston U’s Kenmore Square Barnes & Noble.
All conference events will be held in room 201 on the second floor of the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies, located at 147 Bay State Road.
Free and open to the public, “Graven Images” is co-organized by Christine Hoff Kraemer (PhD, Boston University, 2007). It is co-sponsored by The New England-Maritimes American Academy of Religion, The Boston University Graduate Student Organization, The Boston University Department of Religion, and Caption Box.
ABOUT ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS
Mark Smylie founded Archaia Studios Press (ASP) in 2002 as a new home for his epic fantasy comic book, Artesia (first published by Sirius Entertainment). Artesia, winner of ForeWord Magazine’s Best Graphic Novel of 2003, and its sequels -- Artesia Afield and Artesia Afire -- gave ASP its foundation. Artesia: Adventures in The Known World, a roleplaying game written by Mark, expanded ASP into the world of gaming; the game won the Origins Award for Role-Playing Game of 2005. Now Mark and publishing partner Aki Liao have expanded ASP to include a line of idiosyncratic and creator-driven comic books and graphic novels in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres, as well as translations of several of Europe’s best titles. More information can be found at www.aspcomics.com.
VIRGIN COMICS BRINGS DIRECTOR’S CUT COMICS TO LIFE WITH ANIMATED TRAILERS
MySpaceTV to Showcase Guy Ritchie’s Gamekeeper Trailer
New York, April 9, 2008 – The animated trailer for GUY RITCHIE’S GAMEKEEPER, the acclaimed comic book from Virgin Comics’ Director’s Cut imprint, has been selected as featured content on MySpaceTV, the viral video community of MySpace (http://www.myspacetv.com). Concurrently, the trailer is also the Featured Video of the social networking site's comic book community, MySpace Comic Books (www.myspace.com/comicbooks).
The trailer is part of a new wave of highly cinematic trailers from Virgin Comics. “Since these stories originated from the minds of filmmakers, they intrinsically have a filmic quality to them,” says Neil Marks, Marketing Director at Virgin Comics. “So it was a natural process to create trailers for these properties that played like actual film trailers.”
Animated trailers for other Director’s Cut titles, such as ED BURNS’ DOCK WALLOPER and JONATHAN MOSTOW’S THE MEGAS, can be viewed at www.myspacetv.com or www.virgincomics.com.
GUY RITCHIE’S GAMEKEEPER is the first Director’s Cut property to be optioned by a major studio. It is currently in development at Warner Brothers, with Guy Ritchie attached to direct and Joel Silver (The Matrix Trilogy, Speed Racer) producing.
Virgin Comics and MySpace have worked together numerous times in the past, most recently on COALITION COMIX, an interactive comic book where fans collaborate on the development of a new digital comic. Helmed by Mike Carey (The Stranded, X-Men, Weston & Nicolas Cage’s Voodoo Child), readers are given the opportunity to interact with Carey and vote on every element of this comic, including genre, script elements, artwork and even the font of speech and caption bubbles. The first fully colored chapter of this groundbreaking comic, titled QUEEN’S ROOK, can be read at www.myspace.com/coalitioncomix.
QUEEN’S ROOK tells the story of Peter Ruthven, an operative with the British Foreign Office who is a trained spy and killer who was born with the ability to accelerate his own metabolism into a hyper-fast state, which no other human being can match. Unfortunately, this acceleration consumes vast amounts of energy, and it can only be fuelled and sustained by human hemoglobin: Ruthven has to drink blood, vampire-like, every time he wants to use his power.
“This has been a truly unique experience,” says Mike Carey. “The story and development process is constantly evolving. The flow of feedback and creative ideas is constant, opinions are diverse, and most importantly, participants are adventurous and willing to develop the most intriguing storylines. All this provides me with the best ingredients to play with.”
Additional chapters of QUEEN’S ROOK will be posted in the coming weeks.
MySpace Comic Books (www.myspace.com/comicbooks) is a community dedicated to the best in comics, manga, and graphic novels. Launched in March 2007, MySpace Comic Books provides the online community with the latest comic book news and interviews and spotlights the most exciting projects, creators and events in the industry. With more than 200,000 friends, and growing, MySpace continues to see significant interest from its members in the comic book arena.
About Virgin Comics
Virgin Comics is a character entertainment company creating original stories and epic myths for worldwide audiences. The company was founded in November 2005 by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Enterprises Ltd., alongside author Deepak Chopra, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and entrepreneurs Sharad Devarajan, Gotham Chopra and Suresh Seetharaman. Virgin develops new stories with acclaimed filmmakers, actors and musicians including John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Terry Gilliam, Ed Burns, Nicolas Cage, Sachin Tendulkar and others. Feature films based on Virgin Comics’ characters are also in the works, including an animated feature The Secrets of the Seven Sounds, Guy Ritchie's Gamekeeper (with Warner Bros and producer Joel Silver) and Virulents with FOX, directed by John Moore (The Omen, Max Payne). Virgin Comics also formed a joint venture with NBC-Universal to create new science fiction properties for graphic novels and television with the SCI FI Channel. The first title in this series, The Stranded, premiered in January 2008. www.virgincomics.com
About MySpace.com
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. By integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums, MySpace has created a connected community. As the first
ranked web domain in terms of page views(c), MySpace is the most widely-used and highly regarded site of its kind and is committed to providing the highest quality member experience. MySpace will continue to innovate with new features that allow its members to express their creativity and share their lives, both online and off. MySpace's international network includes localized community sites in the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Austria, Latin America and the United Kingdom. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS, NWS.A; ASX:NWS, NWSLV).
*Among the top 2000 domains comScore Media Metrix, June 2007. For more information on comScore Networks, please go to http://www.comscore.com
MySpaceTV to Showcase Guy Ritchie’s Gamekeeper Trailer
New York, April 9, 2008 – The animated trailer for GUY RITCHIE’S GAMEKEEPER, the acclaimed comic book from Virgin Comics’ Director’s Cut imprint, has been selected as featured content on MySpaceTV, the viral video community of MySpace (http://www.myspacetv.com). Concurrently, the trailer is also the Featured Video of the social networking site's comic book community, MySpace Comic Books (www.myspace.com/comicbooks).
The trailer is part of a new wave of highly cinematic trailers from Virgin Comics. “Since these stories originated from the minds of filmmakers, they intrinsically have a filmic quality to them,” says Neil Marks, Marketing Director at Virgin Comics. “So it was a natural process to create trailers for these properties that played like actual film trailers.”
Animated trailers for other Director’s Cut titles, such as ED BURNS’ DOCK WALLOPER and JONATHAN MOSTOW’S THE MEGAS, can be viewed at www.myspacetv.com or www.virgincomics.com.
GUY RITCHIE’S GAMEKEEPER is the first Director’s Cut property to be optioned by a major studio. It is currently in development at Warner Brothers, with Guy Ritchie attached to direct and Joel Silver (The Matrix Trilogy, Speed Racer) producing.
Virgin Comics and MySpace have worked together numerous times in the past, most recently on COALITION COMIX, an interactive comic book where fans collaborate on the development of a new digital comic. Helmed by Mike Carey (The Stranded, X-Men, Weston & Nicolas Cage’s Voodoo Child), readers are given the opportunity to interact with Carey and vote on every element of this comic, including genre, script elements, artwork and even the font of speech and caption bubbles. The first fully colored chapter of this groundbreaking comic, titled QUEEN’S ROOK, can be read at www.myspace.com/coalitioncomix.
QUEEN’S ROOK tells the story of Peter Ruthven, an operative with the British Foreign Office who is a trained spy and killer who was born with the ability to accelerate his own metabolism into a hyper-fast state, which no other human being can match. Unfortunately, this acceleration consumes vast amounts of energy, and it can only be fuelled and sustained by human hemoglobin: Ruthven has to drink blood, vampire-like, every time he wants to use his power.
“This has been a truly unique experience,” says Mike Carey. “The story and development process is constantly evolving. The flow of feedback and creative ideas is constant, opinions are diverse, and most importantly, participants are adventurous and willing to develop the most intriguing storylines. All this provides me with the best ingredients to play with.”
Additional chapters of QUEEN’S ROOK will be posted in the coming weeks.
MySpace Comic Books (www.myspace.com/comicbooks) is a community dedicated to the best in comics, manga, and graphic novels. Launched in March 2007, MySpace Comic Books provides the online community with the latest comic book news and interviews and spotlights the most exciting projects, creators and events in the industry. With more than 200,000 friends, and growing, MySpace continues to see significant interest from its members in the comic book arena.
About Virgin Comics
Virgin Comics is a character entertainment company creating original stories and epic myths for worldwide audiences. The company was founded in November 2005 by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Enterprises Ltd., alongside author Deepak Chopra, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and entrepreneurs Sharad Devarajan, Gotham Chopra and Suresh Seetharaman. Virgin develops new stories with acclaimed filmmakers, actors and musicians including John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Terry Gilliam, Ed Burns, Nicolas Cage, Sachin Tendulkar and others. Feature films based on Virgin Comics’ characters are also in the works, including an animated feature The Secrets of the Seven Sounds, Guy Ritchie's Gamekeeper (with Warner Bros and producer Joel Silver) and Virulents with FOX, directed by John Moore (The Omen, Max Payne). Virgin Comics also formed a joint venture with NBC-Universal to create new science fiction properties for graphic novels and television with the SCI FI Channel. The first title in this series, The Stranded, premiered in January 2008. www.virgincomics.com
About MySpace.com
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. By integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums, MySpace has created a connected community. As the first
ranked web domain in terms of page views(c), MySpace is the most widely-used and highly regarded site of its kind and is committed to providing the highest quality member experience. MySpace will continue to innovate with new features that allow its members to express their creativity and share their lives, both online and off. MySpace's international network includes localized community sites in the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Austria, Latin America and the United Kingdom. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS, NWS.A; ASX:NWS, NWSLV).
*Among the top 2000 domains comScore Media Metrix, June 2007. For more information on comScore Networks, please go to http://www.comscore.com
Hi everybody, this is Mark Andrew Smith and today is the release of my new graphic novel AQUA LEUNG. AQUA LEUNG is an ambitious project from that I'm very proud of on all levels. It's a 208 page full color original graphic novel, from Image Comics, by Mark Smith & Paul Maybury, that you can read in one sitting with a story from beginning to end.
Paul Maybury is on art, Russ Lowery does the colors, and Steven Finch (Fonographics) is on letters.
As most of you know we've been working on this book for a very long time and now it's out and into the world for us to share with you and for everyone to read. You can probably remember me showing you art from it a few years ago. We've worked very hard on this book and it's something that I'm extremely proud of on all levels.
AQUA LEUNG is a moody and epic underwater story about a boy with a very big destiny and huge shoes to fill -- TO BECOME THE TRUE RULER OF THE 7 SEAS!!!
Aqua is a real real tough cookie who's got to do battle with some real monstrous villains! This kid has tremendous responsibility put on him as he sets out to fulfill his avenging task. He starts off unsure of himself but has to learn the ropes quickly or else it's curtains for him!
Each Sea Kingdom in Aqua's world is ruled by a different over sized despot who betrayed Aqua Leung's father, and when Aqua conquers a Sea Kingdom, he doesn't just conquer it -- HE DESTROYS IT! With each boss Aqua defeats, Aqua gets a magic scepter that makes him grow even more powerful and closer to his true form.
AQUA LEUNG has got it all. It's a complete thrill ride all the way -- full of adventure! Intrigue! Betrayal! Epic battles! Lobster Fighters! A vicious Crab King and Giant Eels! It's everything you've always wanted from a comic book and more!
Paul Maybury calls AQUA LEUNG "A Wolf in Indy Clothing," and I'd say that's damn accurate! AQUA LEUNG is a furious example of comics in their purist from -- yet also like you've never seen before!
The BEST way to pick it up where you're guaranteed to be able to get it is on Amazon and they're GUARANTEED to have it. I'd like to see it as #1 on the list of Image Comics books in rankings for Amazon this week:
http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Leung-Mark-Andrew-Smith/dp/1582408637/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207749419&sr=8-1
There's also a release Party for Aqua Leung in New York on the 15th that I won't be able to make because I live in South Korea. But Paul Maybury will be there on hand to kiss babies and sign autographs. Here's the flyer and the information for the party:
http://www.hero-camp.com/users/greg/Aqua_Leung.jpg
Then here's a whole lot of press about Aqua Leung:
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg106/paulsome/csnread.jpg
http://www.pulpsecret.com/the-stack/episode/STK_20080314
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg106/paulsome/aquawizyim.jpg
http://comics.ign.com/articles/864/864936p1.html?RSSwhen2008-04-07_123100&RSSid=864936
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/040808imagespotlight.html
http://:www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/cr_sunday_interview_paul_maybury_mark_andrew_smith/+aqua+leung+comics+reporter&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
http://johnnybacardi.blogspot.com/2008/04/confessions-of-spinner-rack-junkie.html
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12748
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/040808imagespotlight.html
http://www.comicbookresources.com:8080/?page=user_review&id=60
http://comicpants.com/2008/04/07/aqua-leung-vol-1-tpb/
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/04/02/aqua-leung-graphic-novel-review/
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=142808
http://dickhatesyourblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/interview-mark-andrew-smith-and-paul.html
http://io9.com/377123/atlantis-lost-son-saves-this-weeks-comics
http://thedailycrosshatch.com/2008/04/02/aqua-leung-by-mark-andrew-smith-and-paul-maybury/#more-1064
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/040208indiebuzz.html
Paul Maybury is on art, Russ Lowery does the colors, and Steven Finch (Fonographics) is on letters.
As most of you know we've been working on this book for a very long time and now it's out and into the world for us to share with you and for everyone to read. You can probably remember me showing you art from it a few years ago. We've worked very hard on this book and it's something that I'm extremely proud of on all levels.
AQUA LEUNG is a moody and epic underwater story about a boy with a very big destiny and huge shoes to fill -- TO BECOME THE TRUE RULER OF THE 7 SEAS!!!
Aqua is a real real tough cookie who's got to do battle with some real monstrous villains! This kid has tremendous responsibility put on him as he sets out to fulfill his avenging task. He starts off unsure of himself but has to learn the ropes quickly or else it's curtains for him!
Each Sea Kingdom in Aqua's world is ruled by a different over sized despot who betrayed Aqua Leung's father, and when Aqua conquers a Sea Kingdom, he doesn't just conquer it -- HE DESTROYS IT! With each boss Aqua defeats, Aqua gets a magic scepter that makes him grow even more powerful and closer to his true form.
AQUA LEUNG has got it all. It's a complete thrill ride all the way -- full of adventure! Intrigue! Betrayal! Epic battles! Lobster Fighters! A vicious Crab King and Giant Eels! It's everything you've always wanted from a comic book and more!
Paul Maybury calls AQUA LEUNG "A Wolf in Indy Clothing," and I'd say that's damn accurate! AQUA LEUNG is a furious example of comics in their purist from -- yet also like you've never seen before!
The BEST way to pick it up where you're guaranteed to be able to get it is on Amazon and they're GUARANTEED to have it. I'd like to see it as #1 on the list of Image Comics books in rankings for Amazon this week:
http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Leung-Mark-Andrew-Smith/dp/1582408637/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207749419&sr=8-1
There's also a release Party for Aqua Leung in New York on the 15th that I won't be able to make because I live in South Korea. But Paul Maybury will be there on hand to kiss babies and sign autographs. Here's the flyer and the information for the party:
http://www.hero-camp.com/users/greg/Aqua_Leung.jpg
Then here's a whole lot of press about Aqua Leung:
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg106/paulsome/csnread.jpg
http://www.pulpsecret.com/the-stack/episode/STK_20080314
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg106/paulsome/aquawizyim.jpg
http://comics.ign.com/articles/864/864936p1.html?RSSwhen2008-04-07_123100&RSSid=864936
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/040808imagespotlight.html
http://:www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/cr_sunday_interview_paul_maybury_mark_andrew_smith/+aqua+leung+comics+reporter&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
http://johnnybacardi.blogspot.com/2008/04/confessions-of-spinner-rack-junkie.html
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12748
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/040808imagespotlight.html
http://www.comicbookresources.com:8080/?page=user_review&id=60
http://comicpants.com/2008/04/07/aqua-leung-vol-1-tpb/
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/04/02/aqua-leung-graphic-novel-review/
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=142808
http://dickhatesyourblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/interview-mark-andrew-smith-and-paul.html
http://io9.com/377123/atlantis-lost-son-saves-this-weeks-comics
http://thedailycrosshatch.com/2008/04/02/aqua-leung-by-mark-andrew-smith-and-paul-maybury/#more-1064
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/040208indiebuzz.html
KISS's Gene Simmons Whips Up the Heat with Sexy Comic, Dominatrix
No-holds-barred first arc of sultry superhero to be released as trade paperback in April
San Diego, CA (April 9, 2008) - Rock legend Gene Simmons' Dominatrix, his leather-clad heroine with an attitude, promises not only compelling action but also to raise thermometers a degree or two when she hits store shelves this April as a trade paperback from IDW Publishing (www.idwpublishing.com) and Simmons Comics Group (www.Simmons-Comics.com). This is definitely not your father's comic book. The ground-breaking first arc tells the story of a professional dominatrix, Dominique Stern, who becomes ensnared in a world of government cover-ups and international conspiracies. Simmons describes the story as "T&A meets CIA."
The TPB, which includes six stories that were originally run as individual comics issues, is written by Sean Taylor, who also authored Fishnet Angel, and is illustrated by artists Flavio Hoffe and Esteve Polls (who also illustrated a tale in the debut Simmons Comics Group release, Gene Simmons House of Horrors). Adding to the package is a new introduction from Gene Simmons; a photo collage from a Dominatrix party featuring Gene and some real-life dominatrices; an art gallery with all of the original cover art; and an outro and new Dominatrix prose story by Taylor.
Dominatrix is the story of Dominique Stern. After a client loses his composure during an intense session and blurts out top-secret information, Dominique finds herself a reluctant superhero who must save herself, her friends, the jerk who got her into the mess, and quite possibly her country.
"'Dominatrix' came to me in a flash," says Simmons. "Comic books and pop culture in general have always toyed around with the leather/rubber-bound heroine. It's sexy and kick-ass. [But] they always skirted the sexuality issue. I decided to meet it head-on, so to speak."
Simmons based the character on a semi-real dominatrix he knows socially. "After talking with her about the lifestyle," he says, "[I] combined it with clandestine Manchurian Candidate and Nick Fury's Hydra stuff [a super-spy from Marvel Comics], oh, yes, and pills. Special pills."
To complete the spicy story and package, the comic TPB is graced with a sexy, painted cover by CVO creator Alex Garner.
The Gene Simmons Dominatrix TPB will be in stores April 9, 2008; call 1-888-comic-book (1-888-266-4226) to find a store near you.
ABOUT IDW PUBLISHING
IDW PUBLISHING is a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC, a revolutionary creative service company with a wide range of clients. Among its best-selling titles are Hasbro's THE TRANSFORMERS; Paramount/CBS's STAR TREK; and Fox's ANGEL. IDW's 30 DAYS OF NIGHT film from Sony Pictures was released in October 2007 and was the #1 movie in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at www.idwpublishing.com.
About Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is the co-founder of KISS, a band that has broken box office records set by the Beatles and Elvis and which, after 34 years, continues to be the juggernaut of licensing and merchandising, with almost 3,000 licensed products: everything from KISS Kondoms to KISS Kaskets.
Simmons can also be seen on TV every week (alongside his family) on Gene Simmons Family Jewels, currently airing on A&E. He also starred in Gene Simmons Rock School (shown on VH-1 in the U.S., as well as in 22 other countries). His cartoon show is My Dad the Rock Star (which has shown on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons for four years), and he created Mr. Romance for the Oxygen Network.
He is partnered in the Simmons Abramson Marketing venture, which does worldwide branding/marketing for the legendary Indy Racing League, as well as the iconic Indy 500-seen in 200 countries around the world and on ABC/ESPN in the U.S.
He owns Simmons Records, Simmons Books, and Simmons Audio Visual. He has authored two New York Times/LA Times books: KISS and Makeup from Crown Books and Sex Money KISS from Simmons Books-Phoenix Books. He even has his own U.S. postage stamp. For more information on Simmons, go to www.GeneSimmons.com.
No-holds-barred first arc of sultry superhero to be released as trade paperback in April
San Diego, CA (April 9, 2008) - Rock legend Gene Simmons' Dominatrix, his leather-clad heroine with an attitude, promises not only compelling action but also to raise thermometers a degree or two when she hits store shelves this April as a trade paperback from IDW Publishing (www.idwpublishing.com) and Simmons Comics Group (www.Simmons-Comics.com). This is definitely not your father's comic book. The ground-breaking first arc tells the story of a professional dominatrix, Dominique Stern, who becomes ensnared in a world of government cover-ups and international conspiracies. Simmons describes the story as "T&A meets CIA."
The TPB, which includes six stories that were originally run as individual comics issues, is written by Sean Taylor, who also authored Fishnet Angel, and is illustrated by artists Flavio Hoffe and Esteve Polls (who also illustrated a tale in the debut Simmons Comics Group release, Gene Simmons House of Horrors). Adding to the package is a new introduction from Gene Simmons; a photo collage from a Dominatrix party featuring Gene and some real-life dominatrices; an art gallery with all of the original cover art; and an outro and new Dominatrix prose story by Taylor.
Dominatrix is the story of Dominique Stern. After a client loses his composure during an intense session and blurts out top-secret information, Dominique finds herself a reluctant superhero who must save herself, her friends, the jerk who got her into the mess, and quite possibly her country.
"'Dominatrix' came to me in a flash," says Simmons. "Comic books and pop culture in general have always toyed around with the leather/rubber-bound heroine. It's sexy and kick-ass. [But] they always skirted the sexuality issue. I decided to meet it head-on, so to speak."
Simmons based the character on a semi-real dominatrix he knows socially. "After talking with her about the lifestyle," he says, "[I] combined it with clandestine Manchurian Candidate and Nick Fury's Hydra stuff [a super-spy from Marvel Comics], oh, yes, and pills. Special pills."
To complete the spicy story and package, the comic TPB is graced with a sexy, painted cover by CVO creator Alex Garner.
The Gene Simmons Dominatrix TPB will be in stores April 9, 2008; call 1-888-comic-book (1-888-266-4226) to find a store near you.
ABOUT IDW PUBLISHING
IDW PUBLISHING is a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC, a revolutionary creative service company with a wide range of clients. Among its best-selling titles are Hasbro's THE TRANSFORMERS; Paramount/CBS's STAR TREK; and Fox's ANGEL. IDW's 30 DAYS OF NIGHT film from Sony Pictures was released in October 2007 and was the #1 movie in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at www.idwpublishing.com.
About Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is the co-founder of KISS, a band that has broken box office records set by the Beatles and Elvis and which, after 34 years, continues to be the juggernaut of licensing and merchandising, with almost 3,000 licensed products: everything from KISS Kondoms to KISS Kaskets.
Simmons can also be seen on TV every week (alongside his family) on Gene Simmons Family Jewels, currently airing on A&E. He also starred in Gene Simmons Rock School (shown on VH-1 in the U.S., as well as in 22 other countries). His cartoon show is My Dad the Rock Star (which has shown on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons for four years), and he created Mr. Romance for the Oxygen Network.
He is partnered in the Simmons Abramson Marketing venture, which does worldwide branding/marketing for the legendary Indy Racing League, as well as the iconic Indy 500-seen in 200 countries around the world and on ABC/ESPN in the U.S.
He owns Simmons Records, Simmons Books, and Simmons Audio Visual. He has authored two New York Times/LA Times books: KISS and Makeup from Crown Books and Sex Money KISS from Simmons Books-Phoenix Books. He even has his own U.S. postage stamp. For more information on Simmons, go to www.GeneSimmons.com.
DAVIS ENTERTAINMENT HAS ACQUIRED THE RIGHTS TO BOOM! STUDIOS' COMIC BOOK SERIES 'NORTH WIND'
April 8th, 2008 (Los Angeles, CA) -- Davis Entertainment has acquired the rights to BOOM! Studios' comic book series NORTH WIND, it was announced today by John Davis and BOOM! Studios' co-founders, Andrew Cosby and Ross Richie. Davis, along with Cosby and Richie via the Boom Entertainment banner, will produce the feature.
The NORTH WIND comic book series is a post-Apocalyptic action story in the vein of Mad Max. Series creator David DiGilio (EIGHT BELOW and the ABC series TRAVELER) will adapt his own comic book into screenplay form and also serve as executive producer. The storyline is set in the future, where global warming creates a new ice age. The last remnants of society live ruled by a despot in downtown Los Angeles under the ice, while a scattered few survivors are exiled to the inhospitable surface. One of these survivors rises up to lead a revolt to overthrow their oppressor.
BOOM! Studios co-founders Cosby and Richie have been experiencing a "boom" in Hollywood lately. The pair is producing adaptations of their TAG and TALENT comics at Universal with Marc Platt, while THE FOUNDATION was snapped up by Paramount Pictures in a pre-emptive bid. Ice Cube's CubeVision is adapting the BOOM! Studios graphic novel "10" for Dimension Films.
The film will be one of many sci-fi spectacles for Davis Entertainment, which helped bring I, ROBOT, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR and ERAGON to the screen.
DiGilio is repped by UTA and manager Stephen Crawford. Cosby and Richie are repped by Paradigm and managers Peter Adam Golden and Farley Ziegler of Golden Entertainment West.
The NORTH WIND comic series has been launched as part of a historic simultaneous release this year arriving in stores and available as free digital downloads at MySpace Comic Books.
NORTH WIND creator David DiGilio talked earlier this week with Matthew McLean of Comicsbulletin.com about NORTH WIND, the comic and the impending movie:
Matthew McLean: NORTH WIND, which has been doing well in sales, seems to have caught the attention of Hollywood as well as regular comic book readers. How'd that happen? Are you excited, worried, or both?
David DiGilio: I'm definitely excited to see NORTH WIND catch the interest of comic book fans and Hollywood. We're in the middle of a renaissance for comic book adaptations in the movie business. Hollywood has been choosing to produce these movies in the most grounded, complex, and visually stunning way possible. Most of my favorite studio films of the past few years have come out of that process: Spider-Man 2, X-Men 2, before that, Men in Black, just to name a few. Hopefully, NORTH WIND will be another "high-class" comic book adaptation.
MM: You live in LA, worked in television and movies - so why did you take NORTH WIND to comic books? Why BOOM! ?
DD: I've been living in LA for about nine years, and I always knew that I wanted to generate stories for the big and small screens. But long before then, I was a glasses-wearing kid in Alexandria, Virginia who made weekly treks to the comic book store. When I realized that NORTH WIND was too big a story concept to convey without some type of visual aid, I got the idea to make it a comic. I had met Ross and Andy about another potential writing assignment, and I'd been really impressed with their books Tag and Talent. So we met for lunch and started talking about doing something, and NORTH WIND was picked before they'd brought out dessert.
MM: While NORTH WIND is a post-Apocalyptic tale, it's also a generational one. What do you think really separates it from other superficially similar stories?
DD: Whenever you take on a post-Apocalyptic story, everyone immediately compares you to the Mad Max trilogy and then throws you under the bus for trying to equal a classic. The genre is littered with movies about men turning on each other in the middle of desolate, desert landscapes. But we're not trying to re-create Road Warrior. We're telling a fantastical adventure about man's survival when the planet turns against us, not when we turn against each other. In NORTH WIND, Mother Nature dominates men's fears and philosophies. And the frozen landscape is really it's own character. This is a post-apocalyptic story where the biggest antagonist in the story is the world that waits when you step outside your front door. That's what makes NORTH WIND unique, and so timely."
MM: How do you think posting the issues of NORTH WIND on MySpace for free has affected the exposure and/or sales of the book? Do you think it affected the movie deal at all?
DD: I've been asked a few times about the MySpace/NORTH WIND simultaneous launch. I know it upset some retailers and traditional comic book fans. But we live in a world of massively increased competition. It's hard for independent labels to get the word out about their books. And I think the MySpace launch did an amazing job of increasing awareness about NORTH WIND. That was certainly reflected in the books' sales. I'm not sure if the MySpace launch affected our movie deal, but I do know that anytime people hear that a potential film project has 200,000 friends that know about it (the rough number of friends on MySpace Comic Books), that can only help.
MM: You're listed as being the executive producer for the upcoming film. What does that mean? What role will you play in the movie's development?
DD: I have long been hoping to segue into the role of writer/producer in Hollywood. When you work in TV, you wear both hats, writing the script and overseeing how it's translated to the screen. But in film, a screenwriter is usually confined to writing duties alone. What does the executive producer credit mean on NORTH WIND? It means that I'm taking a baby step in the direction of my goal, and that I will get to learn the producing craft by watching one of Hollywood's biggest producers, John Davis, do his job. I'm very excited for that opportunity.
The acquisition of the NORTH WIND joins a long list successes that the three-year old BOOM! Studios has continued to have this past year. BOOM! Studios recently tripled in size, most notably with the addition of fan-favorite comics veteran Mark Waid appointed to the role of Editor-in-Chief.
Through BOOM!'s mass-market book distribution deal via Perseus, one of the market leaders in book retailing, BOOM!'s line of over twenty trade paperback graphic-novel collections--including TALENT, HERO SQUARED, TAG, DEATH VALLEY, X ISLE, ZOMBIE TALES and many, many others--has hit store shelves to wide acclaim.
Early last year saw the launch of BOOM!'s successful series of Games Workshop licensed series of WARHAMMER 40,000, WARHAMMER Fantasy, and BLOOD BOWL comic books and trade paperback graphic novels, including the successful WARHAMMER 40,000: DAMNATION CRUSADE, WARHAMMER: FORGE OF WAR, WARHAMMER 40,000: BLOOD AND THUNDER and the forthcoming WARHAMMER: CONDEMNED BY FIRE, WARHAMMER 40,000: EXTERMINATUS and BLOOD BOWL:KILLER CONTRACT.
About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (http://www.boom-studios.com) is a unique new publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry's biggest talents. In its inaugural year, Wizard Magazine named BOOM! "Best New Publisher." Founded by the creator of the TV show EUREKA, Andrew Cosby, and his partner Ross Richie, BOOM! Studios continues to be on the leading edge of comic and graphic novel publishing.
April 8th, 2008 (Los Angeles, CA) -- Davis Entertainment has acquired the rights to BOOM! Studios' comic book series NORTH WIND, it was announced today by John Davis and BOOM! Studios' co-founders, Andrew Cosby and Ross Richie. Davis, along with Cosby and Richie via the Boom Entertainment banner, will produce the feature.
The NORTH WIND comic book series is a post-Apocalyptic action story in the vein of Mad Max. Series creator David DiGilio (EIGHT BELOW and the ABC series TRAVELER) will adapt his own comic book into screenplay form and also serve as executive producer. The storyline is set in the future, where global warming creates a new ice age. The last remnants of society live ruled by a despot in downtown Los Angeles under the ice, while a scattered few survivors are exiled to the inhospitable surface. One of these survivors rises up to lead a revolt to overthrow their oppressor.
BOOM! Studios co-founders Cosby and Richie have been experiencing a "boom" in Hollywood lately. The pair is producing adaptations of their TAG and TALENT comics at Universal with Marc Platt, while THE FOUNDATION was snapped up by Paramount Pictures in a pre-emptive bid. Ice Cube's CubeVision is adapting the BOOM! Studios graphic novel "10" for Dimension Films.
The film will be one of many sci-fi spectacles for Davis Entertainment, which helped bring I, ROBOT, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR and ERAGON to the screen.
DiGilio is repped by UTA and manager Stephen Crawford. Cosby and Richie are repped by Paradigm and managers Peter Adam Golden and Farley Ziegler of Golden Entertainment West.
The NORTH WIND comic series has been launched as part of a historic simultaneous release this year arriving in stores and available as free digital downloads at MySpace Comic Books.
NORTH WIND creator David DiGilio talked earlier this week with Matthew McLean of Comicsbulletin.com about NORTH WIND, the comic and the impending movie:
Matthew McLean: NORTH WIND, which has been doing well in sales, seems to have caught the attention of Hollywood as well as regular comic book readers. How'd that happen? Are you excited, worried, or both?
David DiGilio: I'm definitely excited to see NORTH WIND catch the interest of comic book fans and Hollywood. We're in the middle of a renaissance for comic book adaptations in the movie business. Hollywood has been choosing to produce these movies in the most grounded, complex, and visually stunning way possible. Most of my favorite studio films of the past few years have come out of that process: Spider-Man 2, X-Men 2, before that, Men in Black, just to name a few. Hopefully, NORTH WIND will be another "high-class" comic book adaptation.
MM: You live in LA, worked in television and movies - so why did you take NORTH WIND to comic books? Why BOOM! ?
DD: I've been living in LA for about nine years, and I always knew that I wanted to generate stories for the big and small screens. But long before then, I was a glasses-wearing kid in Alexandria, Virginia who made weekly treks to the comic book store. When I realized that NORTH WIND was too big a story concept to convey without some type of visual aid, I got the idea to make it a comic. I had met Ross and Andy about another potential writing assignment, and I'd been really impressed with their books Tag and Talent. So we met for lunch and started talking about doing something, and NORTH WIND was picked before they'd brought out dessert.
MM: While NORTH WIND is a post-Apocalyptic tale, it's also a generational one. What do you think really separates it from other superficially similar stories?
DD: Whenever you take on a post-Apocalyptic story, everyone immediately compares you to the Mad Max trilogy and then throws you under the bus for trying to equal a classic. The genre is littered with movies about men turning on each other in the middle of desolate, desert landscapes. But we're not trying to re-create Road Warrior. We're telling a fantastical adventure about man's survival when the planet turns against us, not when we turn against each other. In NORTH WIND, Mother Nature dominates men's fears and philosophies. And the frozen landscape is really it's own character. This is a post-apocalyptic story where the biggest antagonist in the story is the world that waits when you step outside your front door. That's what makes NORTH WIND unique, and so timely."
MM: How do you think posting the issues of NORTH WIND on MySpace for free has affected the exposure and/or sales of the book? Do you think it affected the movie deal at all?
DD: I've been asked a few times about the MySpace/NORTH WIND simultaneous launch. I know it upset some retailers and traditional comic book fans. But we live in a world of massively increased competition. It's hard for independent labels to get the word out about their books. And I think the MySpace launch did an amazing job of increasing awareness about NORTH WIND. That was certainly reflected in the books' sales. I'm not sure if the MySpace launch affected our movie deal, but I do know that anytime people hear that a potential film project has 200,000 friends that know about it (the rough number of friends on MySpace Comic Books), that can only help.
MM: You're listed as being the executive producer for the upcoming film. What does that mean? What role will you play in the movie's development?
DD: I have long been hoping to segue into the role of writer/producer in Hollywood. When you work in TV, you wear both hats, writing the script and overseeing how it's translated to the screen. But in film, a screenwriter is usually confined to writing duties alone. What does the executive producer credit mean on NORTH WIND? It means that I'm taking a baby step in the direction of my goal, and that I will get to learn the producing craft by watching one of Hollywood's biggest producers, John Davis, do his job. I'm very excited for that opportunity.
The acquisition of the NORTH WIND joins a long list successes that the three-year old BOOM! Studios has continued to have this past year. BOOM! Studios recently tripled in size, most notably with the addition of fan-favorite comics veteran Mark Waid appointed to the role of Editor-in-Chief.
Through BOOM!'s mass-market book distribution deal via Perseus, one of the market leaders in book retailing, BOOM!'s line of over twenty trade paperback graphic-novel collections--including TALENT, HERO SQUARED, TAG, DEATH VALLEY, X ISLE, ZOMBIE TALES and many, many others--has hit store shelves to wide acclaim.
Early last year saw the launch of BOOM!'s successful series of Games Workshop licensed series of WARHAMMER 40,000, WARHAMMER Fantasy, and BLOOD BOWL comic books and trade paperback graphic novels, including the successful WARHAMMER 40,000: DAMNATION CRUSADE, WARHAMMER: FORGE OF WAR, WARHAMMER 40,000: BLOOD AND THUNDER and the forthcoming WARHAMMER: CONDEMNED BY FIRE, WARHAMMER 40,000: EXTERMINATUS and BLOOD BOWL:KILLER CONTRACT.
About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (http://www.boom-studios.com) is a unique new publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry's biggest talents. In its inaugural year, Wizard Magazine named BOOM! "Best New Publisher." Founded by the creator of the TV show EUREKA, Andrew Cosby, and his partner Ross Richie, BOOM! Studios continues to be on the leading edge of comic and graphic novel publishing.
AAM/Markosia announces New York Comic Con Plans
Multiple Eagle Award nominee AAM/Markosia will be at booth 1756 for New York Comic Con April 18 - 20. The publisher of acclaimed titles such as Starship Troopers, Kong: King of Skull Island and The Boy Who Made Silence will be featuring many top notch creator signings and a $5 sale on selected trade paperbacks. In addition, every trade paperback purchase at the table will entitle the buyer to three free comics!
Publisher Harry Markos says "We're delighted to be back in New York again for our third year, and very excited with what we have going on this time around. We've been here so many times now it's become our second home! We have some great offers this year, with anyone purchasing a trade paperbacks also receiving three free comics from our back catalog. To sum it up, you can buy up to $28 worth of books for just $5! We are also offering a 20% discount on some of our newer trades and comics, so there's plenty of quality bargains to be had for everyone. We're looking forward to catching up with creators and friends alike, so pop by and say hello!"
Featured creators include Eagle Award nominees Tony Lee and Thomas Mauer, Joshua Hagler and Scott Larson, who will all be signing at booth 1756 throughout the weekend.
Founded in 2005, AAM/Markosia is one of the leading independent publishers in the market today. 2008 promises to be a banner year, as AAM/Markosia plans to launch several new series, such as Lazarus: Immortal Coils, Eleventh Hour and N-Guard.
Please visit www.markosia.com for more details.
Multiple Eagle Award nominee AAM/Markosia will be at booth 1756 for New York Comic Con April 18 - 20. The publisher of acclaimed titles such as Starship Troopers, Kong: King of Skull Island and The Boy Who Made Silence will be featuring many top notch creator signings and a $5 sale on selected trade paperbacks. In addition, every trade paperback purchase at the table will entitle the buyer to three free comics!
Publisher Harry Markos says "We're delighted to be back in New York again for our third year, and very excited with what we have going on this time around. We've been here so many times now it's become our second home! We have some great offers this year, with anyone purchasing a trade paperbacks also receiving three free comics from our back catalog. To sum it up, you can buy up to $28 worth of books for just $5! We are also offering a 20% discount on some of our newer trades and comics, so there's plenty of quality bargains to be had for everyone. We're looking forward to catching up with creators and friends alike, so pop by and say hello!"
Featured creators include Eagle Award nominees Tony Lee and Thomas Mauer, Joshua Hagler and Scott Larson, who will all be signing at booth 1756 throughout the weekend.
Founded in 2005, AAM/Markosia is one of the leading independent publishers in the market today. 2008 promises to be a banner year, as AAM/Markosia plans to launch several new series, such as Lazarus: Immortal Coils, Eleventh Hour and N-Guard.
Please visit www.markosia.com for more details.
[PRESS] DEVIL'S DUE RELEASES CORRECTED 'HALLOWEEN' PAGE
New version will appear in 'Halloween: Nightdance' #4 and collected trade and is available online
Chicago, IL. (April 8, 2008) – Devil's Due has made available the corrected version of page 8 from Halloween: Nightdance #3. Due to an unfortunate mix-up at the printer, page 8 was printed without lettering. The corrected page has been released and will remain available on DevilsDue.net. The page will also be printed in Halloween: Nightdance #4 and appear corrected in the collected Halloween: Nightdance trade paperback, coming to stores in July.
The corrected version of page 8 may be accessed using the following URL:
http://devilsdue.net/promotionimages/Halloween_3p8.jpg
For more information, please visit www.devilsdue.net.
# # #
About Devil's Due Publishing:
After exploding on the comic book scene by igniting the "80s retro
revival" in the industry, Devil's Due quickly became one of the largest
and most popular comic book publishers in the United States. Today DDP's
lineup is a diverse mix of original properties and licensed books
including Drafted, Lost Squad, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, G.I. Joe,
Storm Shadow, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, DemonWars, Voltron, The Nye
Incidents, and the cult-favorite Hack/Slash, which is currently in
pre-production as a feature film for Rogue Pictures.
Devil's Due: reminding everyone that "Pop culture IS our culture". For
more information on Devil's Due Publishing, please
visit http://devilsdue.net.
New version will appear in 'Halloween: Nightdance' #4 and collected trade and is available online
Chicago, IL. (April 8, 2008) – Devil's Due has made available the corrected version of page 8 from Halloween: Nightdance #3. Due to an unfortunate mix-up at the printer, page 8 was printed without lettering. The corrected page has been released and will remain available on DevilsDue.net. The page will also be printed in Halloween: Nightdance #4 and appear corrected in the collected Halloween: Nightdance trade paperback, coming to stores in July.
The corrected version of page 8 may be accessed using the following URL:
http://devilsdue.net/promotionimages/Halloween_3p8.jpg
For more information, please visit www.devilsdue.net.
# # #
About Devil's Due Publishing:
After exploding on the comic book scene by igniting the "80s retro
revival" in the industry, Devil's Due quickly became one of the largest
and most popular comic book publishers in the United States. Today DDP's
lineup is a diverse mix of original properties and licensed books
including Drafted, Lost Squad, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, G.I. Joe,
Storm Shadow, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, DemonWars, Voltron, The Nye
Incidents, and the cult-favorite Hack/Slash, which is currently in
pre-production as a feature film for Rogue Pictures.
Devil's Due: reminding everyone that "Pop culture IS our culture". For
more information on Devil's Due Publishing, please
visit http://devilsdue.net.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
PRESS] KUNOICHI SEARCHING FOR TALENT AT NYCC
Leading developer of intellectual property, creative and interactive services announces talent search at New York Comic Con
Chicago, IL. (April 8, 2008) – Kunoichi, Inc., a leading provider of full intellectual property services proudly announces its 2008 Artdrop New York Comic Con Talent Search. Kunoichi, who has provided comics illustration, concept design, and packaging design for companies including Hasbro, Cartoon Network, and Rockstar Games, will be reviewing artwork samples at Booth #1551 during New York Comic Con April 18-20.
Art samples submitted can include comics pages, or character designs. Kunoichi is seeking talented artists in all styles, beyond comic books and into other entertainment mediums. All materials submitted should be labeled with your contact information.
To find out more about Kunoichi, please visit www.kunoichi.com.
# # #
About Kunoichi:
Kunoichi is a creative services industry leader providing full intellectual property development, concept design, packaging illustration and design, interactive development, comic book creation and more for such well known clients as Hasbro, Cartoon Network, Rockstar Games, Tenacious Games, Upper Deck, Hot Topic, and Wizards of the Coast.
Leading developer of intellectual property, creative and interactive services announces talent search at New York Comic Con
Chicago, IL. (April 8, 2008) – Kunoichi, Inc., a leading provider of full intellectual property services proudly announces its 2008 Artdrop New York Comic Con Talent Search. Kunoichi, who has provided comics illustration, concept design, and packaging design for companies including Hasbro, Cartoon Network, and Rockstar Games, will be reviewing artwork samples at Booth #1551 during New York Comic Con April 18-20.
Art samples submitted can include comics pages, or character designs. Kunoichi is seeking talented artists in all styles, beyond comic books and into other entertainment mediums. All materials submitted should be labeled with your contact information.
To find out more about Kunoichi, please visit www.kunoichi.com.
# # #
About Kunoichi:
Kunoichi is a creative services industry leader providing full intellectual property development, concept design, packaging illustration and design, interactive development, comic book creation and more for such well known clients as Hasbro, Cartoon Network, Rockstar Games, Tenacious Games, Upper Deck, Hot Topic, and Wizards of the Coast.
Angry Drunk Graphics at New York Comicon
We will be at booth 2735 of the New York Comicon, April 18-20 at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC We will have all new books along with some older, previously out of print ones. Stop by our booth, meet our artists, get free stuff from Dread Central and buy some of our Comicon exclusives.
Exclusives include
Escape from New Jersey -tube edition (only 100 tubed games)
Ryan Jones' Wretched preview ashcan
All five Odd Tales book set by Steven Vincent (only 100 sets)
Meet
Mike Diana
Mike Diana, famous for his "Boiled Angel" series of comics, was arrested in 1993 and charged with publishing, distributing, and advertising lewd and obscene material after a Florida prosecutor was given his comics "Boiled Angel #7 and #ATE". He was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to jail time, fines, and mandated not to draw anything that could be deemed obscene, even in the privacy of his own home. His home was subject to random, warrant less searches to ensure he was not drawing.
Mike will be at our booth all weekend and will be signing his infamous comics (including his newest book Skummy Comics) Saturday from 1-4pm.
Steve Vincent
Steve is the co-founder of Angry Drunk Graphics. He has been writing, drawing and publishing underground comics for ten years now. His first book "Devilboy in the Land of Love" a book of silly, macabre poems and artwork collected from his first three Odd Tales books, was one of the top ten independent best sellers of 2001. He is also the creator of the Spaztic Colon comic series and Fun Ways to Kill Your Children.
Steve will be at our booth Saturday and Sunday signing and selling his comics. His newest Odd Tales book "The Stopping of Harold" and his newest comic FTB #1 will also be available.
Sergio Zuniga
Sergio Zuniga is fairly new to the comic books scene. His artwork and story telling skills are better than most comic book veterans. His first three books of random drawings called Office Boredom Art have gotten great reviews.
Sergio will be at our booth all weekend and will be signing his newest comic collection "Sensor Trip" and other books Saturday between 1-4pm.
Chris Sorrentino
Chris is a cartoonist and one of the founding member of A Dan Amongst Dans.
A Dan Amongst Dans is a comedy troupe based in Staten Island, NY. With backgrounds in film and video production, the group combines sketch comedy videos with live performances. One of their short videos from the "Robot Nightmares" series was featured on the CW Network's "Online Nation." They have been featured at venues throughout New York and New Jersey, including the College of Staten Island, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Anthology Film Archives, The Stone Pony, and the People's Improv Theater. They are the producers and hosts of "The Petting Zoo," a comedy/variety show at The Cup, 388 Van Duzer Street, Staten Island, NY. In 2005 the group released their first dvd, featuring over an hour of original sketch comedy. A new dvd is currently in production.
Chris will be selling his newest comic "Mutant Lobster boy" a funny well drawn all ages comic.
He will be signing his comic and DVD's on Saturday from 1-4.
Ryan (HumanBurger) Jones
Coming from Vancouver Ryan is one of the best artists out there. It is incredibly hard to describe how awesome his work is,so stop by our booth and see for yourself.
Ryan will be at our booth all weekend giving away sample copies of his newest comic
We will be at booth 2735 of the New York Comicon, April 18-20 at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC We will have all new books along with some older, previously out of print ones. Stop by our booth, meet our artists, get free stuff from Dread Central and buy some of our Comicon exclusives.
Exclusives include
Escape from New Jersey -tube edition (only 100 tubed games)
Ryan Jones' Wretched preview ashcan
All five Odd Tales book set by Steven Vincent (only 100 sets)
Meet
Mike Diana
Mike Diana, famous for his "Boiled Angel" series of comics, was arrested in 1993 and charged with publishing, distributing, and advertising lewd and obscene material after a Florida prosecutor was given his comics "Boiled Angel #7 and #ATE". He was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to jail time, fines, and mandated not to draw anything that could be deemed obscene, even in the privacy of his own home. His home was subject to random, warrant less searches to ensure he was not drawing.
Mike will be at our booth all weekend and will be signing his infamous comics (including his newest book Skummy Comics) Saturday from 1-4pm.
Steve Vincent
Steve is the co-founder of Angry Drunk Graphics. He has been writing, drawing and publishing underground comics for ten years now. His first book "Devilboy in the Land of Love" a book of silly, macabre poems and artwork collected from his first three Odd Tales books, was one of the top ten independent best sellers of 2001. He is also the creator of the Spaztic Colon comic series and Fun Ways to Kill Your Children.
Steve will be at our booth Saturday and Sunday signing and selling his comics. His newest Odd Tales book "The Stopping of Harold" and his newest comic FTB #1 will also be available.
Sergio Zuniga
Sergio Zuniga is fairly new to the comic books scene. His artwork and story telling skills are better than most comic book veterans. His first three books of random drawings called Office Boredom Art have gotten great reviews.
Sergio will be at our booth all weekend and will be signing his newest comic collection "Sensor Trip" and other books Saturday between 1-4pm.
Chris Sorrentino
Chris is a cartoonist and one of the founding member of A Dan Amongst Dans.
A Dan Amongst Dans is a comedy troupe based in Staten Island, NY. With backgrounds in film and video production, the group combines sketch comedy videos with live performances. One of their short videos from the "Robot Nightmares" series was featured on the CW Network's "Online Nation." They have been featured at venues throughout New York and New Jersey, including the College of Staten Island, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Anthology Film Archives, The Stone Pony, and the People's Improv Theater. They are the producers and hosts of "The Petting Zoo," a comedy/variety show at The Cup, 388 Van Duzer Street, Staten Island, NY. In 2005 the group released their first dvd, featuring over an hour of original sketch comedy. A new dvd is currently in production.
Chris will be selling his newest comic "Mutant Lobster boy" a funny well drawn all ages comic.
He will be signing his comic and DVD's on Saturday from 1-4.
Ryan (HumanBurger) Jones
Coming from Vancouver Ryan is one of the best artists out there. It is incredibly hard to describe how awesome his work is,so stop by our booth and see for yourself.
Ryan will be at our booth all weekend giving away sample copies of his newest comic
PRESS RELEASE - DIG FREE YOUR CEMETERY BLUES!
The sold out first issue from Image Comics' Shadowline now available online!
8 April 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - After two sold out issues, Image Comics' Shadowline is now offering CEMETERY BLUES #1 online at no charge.
"The reception to CEMETERY BLUES has been really stunning," said series illustrator and co-creator Thomas Boatwright. "After going through all of our options, including a much demanded second printing, we opted to put the issue online to reach the most amount of people possible."
CEMETERY BLUES follows Ridley and Falstaff, two bumbling monster hunters who battle evil forces, drink a few pints and destroy untold amounts of private property in the process! Fans who enjoy the first issue can be on the look out this July as the entire mini-series will be collected in THE UNEARTHED CEMETERY BLUES VOL. 1, which includes 81 pages of rarely and never before seen material, including the scarce self-published stories.
Image Comics Shadowline President Jim Valentino said, "CEMETERY BLUES is unique in its ability to combine hilarious gags with truly horrifying moments. This aspect is why its a perfect fit into the Shadowline lineup."
CEMETERY BLUES #1 can be read for free at http://www.imagecomics.com/onlinecomics.php. THE UNEARTHED CEMETERY BLUES VOL. 1 TP, a 184-page black and white tradepaperback for $16.99, will be available July 9th.
Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit www.imagecomics.com.
The sold out first issue from Image Comics' Shadowline now available online!
8 April 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - After two sold out issues, Image Comics' Shadowline is now offering CEMETERY BLUES #1 online at no charge.
"The reception to CEMETERY BLUES has been really stunning," said series illustrator and co-creator Thomas Boatwright. "After going through all of our options, including a much demanded second printing, we opted to put the issue online to reach the most amount of people possible."
CEMETERY BLUES follows Ridley and Falstaff, two bumbling monster hunters who battle evil forces, drink a few pints and destroy untold amounts of private property in the process! Fans who enjoy the first issue can be on the look out this July as the entire mini-series will be collected in THE UNEARTHED CEMETERY BLUES VOL. 1, which includes 81 pages of rarely and never before seen material, including the scarce self-published stories.
Image Comics Shadowline President Jim Valentino said, "CEMETERY BLUES is unique in its ability to combine hilarious gags with truly horrifying moments. This aspect is why its a perfect fit into the Shadowline lineup."
CEMETERY BLUES #1 can be read for free at http://www.imagecomics.com/onlinecomics.php. THE UNEARTHED CEMETERY BLUES VOL. 1 TP, a 184-page black and white tradepaperback for $16.99, will be available July 9th.
Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit www.imagecomics.com.
Friends-
Issue seven of CWR has arrived, and as usual, we have some really cool stuff for you to read!
A nifty cover designed by Elliott Serrano:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com
Tom Peyer interviewed! The writer of FLASH, TEK JANSEN, and HOURMAN (among others) sits down with Brandon Jerwa and talks superheroes, good pizza, living in the Pacific Northwest, and why the Yankees always break his heart! http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/jerwa6.html
Also: join our Google Group (http://groups.google.com/group/comicswaitingroom?hl=en) and you might win one of 5 DVD sets of NEXUS THE ANIMATED SERIES, some autographed comics, or a sketch from Art Baltazar!
Plus: some great columns!
Matt Maxwell wonders if AVENGERS ANNUAL #10 is the best Marvel comic ever made:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/fullbleed19.html
Avril Brown talks about what makes for a good comics shop:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/avril7.html
Marc Mason sits down with Matt Maxwell and talks about his life in comics and the genesis of STRANGEWAYS:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/mason7.html
Elliott Serrano discusses viral marketing, the Marvel B0y controversy, and whether or not televised science fiction is dead:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/ccw10.html
Jessica Blackshear offers up some advice on what to do with your SPAWN collection and whether or not to let your teen drive:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/jess7.html
PLEASE: If you read something at CWR that you like, pass it on to friends and blogs- we're making this e-zine for the love of it. We hope you share it with us! Enjoy the reading!
Marc Mason
Editor-in-Chief
Comics Waiting Room
Issue seven of CWR has arrived, and as usual, we have some really cool stuff for you to read!
A nifty cover designed by Elliott Serrano:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com
Tom Peyer interviewed! The writer of FLASH, TEK JANSEN, and HOURMAN (among others) sits down with Brandon Jerwa and talks superheroes, good pizza, living in the Pacific Northwest, and why the Yankees always break his heart! http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/jerwa6.html
Also: join our Google Group (http://groups.google.com/group/comicswaitingroom?hl=en) and you might win one of 5 DVD sets of NEXUS THE ANIMATED SERIES, some autographed comics, or a sketch from Art Baltazar!
Plus: some great columns!
Matt Maxwell wonders if AVENGERS ANNUAL #10 is the best Marvel comic ever made:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/fullbleed19.html
Avril Brown talks about what makes for a good comics shop:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/avril7.html
Marc Mason sits down with Matt Maxwell and talks about his life in comics and the genesis of STRANGEWAYS:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/mason7.html
Elliott Serrano discusses viral marketing, the Marvel B0y controversy, and whether or not televised science fiction is dead:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/ccw10.html
Jessica Blackshear offers up some advice on what to do with your SPAWN collection and whether or not to let your teen drive:
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/jess7.html
PLEASE: If you read something at CWR that you like, pass it on to friends and blogs- we're making this e-zine for the love of it. We hope you share it with us! Enjoy the reading!
Marc Mason
Editor-in-Chief
Comics Waiting Room
Original Pages From Silent Devil's Division 18 Can Be Yours at NYCC!
Silent Devil, Inc., and the creators of Division 18: The Union of Novelty Costumed Performers are doing some spring cleaning at the New York Comic Con. Each day of the show, Jeremy Donelson will raffle off one original inked page from either Division 18 #1: Five Hunnies or the soon-to-be-released follow-up, Division 18 #2: White Collar Crooks.
Entering is easy — every issue of Division 18: The Union of Novelty Costumed Performers #1 purchased at the Silent Devil/Little Foot booth #2353 will come with a raffle ticket. One winner will be announced on Saturday, April 19th, and another on Sunday, April 20th.
Visit the Silent Devil/Little Foot booth at any time during the New York Comic Con to learn more about Division 18, to enter the contest, or to get your comics signed by Matt Bergin and Jeremy Donelson. And remember to ask your local comic retailers to order up plenty of Division 18: The Union of Novelty Costumed Performers!
Please visit www.silentdevil.com and www.division18.com for more details!
Silent Devil, Inc., and the creators of Division 18: The Union of Novelty Costumed Performers are doing some spring cleaning at the New York Comic Con. Each day of the show, Jeremy Donelson will raffle off one original inked page from either Division 18 #1: Five Hunnies or the soon-to-be-released follow-up, Division 18 #2: White Collar Crooks.
Entering is easy — every issue of Division 18: The Union of Novelty Costumed Performers #1 purchased at the Silent Devil/Little Foot booth #2353 will come with a raffle ticket. One winner will be announced on Saturday, April 19th, and another on Sunday, April 20th.
Visit the Silent Devil/Little Foot booth at any time during the New York Comic Con to learn more about Division 18, to enter the contest, or to get your comics signed by Matt Bergin and Jeremy Donelson. And remember to ask your local comic retailers to order up plenty of Division 18: The Union of Novelty Costumed Performers!
Please visit www.silentdevil.com and www.division18.com for more details!
April 07, 2008 - Seattle, WA -- Rising star and current Thor artist Marko Djurdjevic has created a painted variant cover for the upcoming Uncanny X-Men #497. This amazing cover will be available to fans as an exclusive variant at the Emerald City ComiCon, the premier comic book and pop culture convention in the Pacific Northwest.
"Marko created a very classic-looking cover for the show and I couldn't be happier with it," said Organizer Jim Demonakos. "As an added bonus, fans picking the book up will be able to have their copies signed by the creative team of Ed Brubaker and Mike Choi since both are guests this year."
Here's how Marvel describes the issue: As Cyclops and Emma Frost try to save Angel -- and the entire city of San Francisco -- from something unexplainable, Wolverine, Colossus and Nightcrawler must face Russia's deadly Red Room! From Eisner-winning scribe Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Daredevil, Criminal) and artist Michael Choi, this X-Men: Divided We Stand tie-in continues the acclaimed story of a world without X-Men, with the former superheroes attempting to move on after the events of Messiah CompleX.
The limited edition Marko Djurdjevic Uncanny X-Men #497 variant cover will be available to fans at the Sixth Annual Emerald City ComiCon, taking place at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in beautiful downtown Seattle, Washington on May 10th & 11th, 2008. Visit http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com for complete details.
"Marko created a very classic-looking cover for the show and I couldn't be happier with it," said Organizer Jim Demonakos. "As an added bonus, fans picking the book up will be able to have their copies signed by the creative team of Ed Brubaker and Mike Choi since both are guests this year."
Here's how Marvel describes the issue: As Cyclops and Emma Frost try to save Angel -- and the entire city of San Francisco -- from something unexplainable, Wolverine, Colossus and Nightcrawler must face Russia's deadly Red Room! From Eisner-winning scribe Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Daredevil, Criminal) and artist Michael Choi, this X-Men: Divided We Stand tie-in continues the acclaimed story of a world without X-Men, with the former superheroes attempting to move on after the events of Messiah CompleX.
The limited edition Marko Djurdjevic Uncanny X-Men #497 variant cover will be available to fans at the Sixth Annual Emerald City ComiCon, taking place at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in beautiful downtown Seattle, Washington on May 10th & 11th, 2008. Visit http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com for complete details.
BOOM! STUDIOS ANNOUNCES
WENDY WALLACE AS NEW GENERAL MANAGER
Entertainment Industry Veteran Brings Vast Experience to BOOM!
April 7, 2008 - Los Angeles, CA - BOOM! Studios announced today the appointment of Wendy Wallace to the role of General Manager. Bringing an unprecedented level of entertainment industry experience, Ms. Wallace will oversee the day-to-day operations of the studio, providing steady leadership to the expanding BOOM! team as the company continues its explosive growth.
"Wendy is perfect to keep BOOM! running like clockwork. I'm truly excited to have her aboard in such a critical capacity as our GM. When it comes to organization and efficiency, Wendy doesn't mess around. What's more, she brings out a professionalism in those around her while still inspiring a highly creative atmosphere," said Mark Waid, BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief. "Also, she has a mean left hook."
"Wendy brings a high level of energy and experience to BOOM!" says Ross Richie, the company's co-founder and CEO. "She's an industry vet with a decade of experience doing everything from development to production to publishing. All of this makes her a perfect fit for our company."
The announcement of Ms. Wallace as General Manager follows last year's appointment of Mark Waid as Editor-in-Chief and Chip Mosher as Marketing and Sales Director. Ms. Wallace completes an executive team put in place to strengthen the company through its next phase of growth.
Ms. Wallace started out at Universal Studios in the cable television department, ultimately becoming involved with the development, production, and distribution of many television series, movies-of-the-week, miniseries, and DVD releases. Some of her efforts include USA Network's MONK and PRANCER RETURNS, as well as The Sci-Fi Channel's INVISIBLE MAN series and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA mini-series.
Since leaving NBC/Universal, Ms. Wallace has worked on such diverse projects as UPN's AMISH IN THE CITY, USA Network's DC SNIPER: 23 DAYS OF FEAR and the cable comedy hit, PSYCH. Most recently, she served as Co-Producer on The Sci-Fi Channel's number one series to date, EUREKA. She has also functioned as a producer and consultant for feature films, music videos and various Internet-exclusive and print projects.
Ms. Wallace currently serves as a Vice President of the Producers Guild of America, is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and is an Executive Member of Women in Film.
About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (http://www.boom-studios.com) is a unique new publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry's biggest talents. In its inaugural year, Wizard Magazine named BOOM! "Best New Publisher." Founded by the creator of the TV show EUREKA, Andrew Cosby, and his partner Ross Richie, BOOM! Studios continues to be on the leading edge of comic and graphic novel publishing.
WENDY WALLACE AS NEW GENERAL MANAGER
Entertainment Industry Veteran Brings Vast Experience to BOOM!
April 7, 2008 - Los Angeles, CA - BOOM! Studios announced today the appointment of Wendy Wallace to the role of General Manager. Bringing an unprecedented level of entertainment industry experience, Ms. Wallace will oversee the day-to-day operations of the studio, providing steady leadership to the expanding BOOM! team as the company continues its explosive growth.
"Wendy is perfect to keep BOOM! running like clockwork. I'm truly excited to have her aboard in such a critical capacity as our GM. When it comes to organization and efficiency, Wendy doesn't mess around. What's more, she brings out a professionalism in those around her while still inspiring a highly creative atmosphere," said Mark Waid, BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief. "Also, she has a mean left hook."
"Wendy brings a high level of energy and experience to BOOM!" says Ross Richie, the company's co-founder and CEO. "She's an industry vet with a decade of experience doing everything from development to production to publishing. All of this makes her a perfect fit for our company."
The announcement of Ms. Wallace as General Manager follows last year's appointment of Mark Waid as Editor-in-Chief and Chip Mosher as Marketing and Sales Director. Ms. Wallace completes an executive team put in place to strengthen the company through its next phase of growth.
Ms. Wallace started out at Universal Studios in the cable television department, ultimately becoming involved with the development, production, and distribution of many television series, movies-of-the-week, miniseries, and DVD releases. Some of her efforts include USA Network's MONK and PRANCER RETURNS, as well as The Sci-Fi Channel's INVISIBLE MAN series and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA mini-series.
Since leaving NBC/Universal, Ms. Wallace has worked on such diverse projects as UPN's AMISH IN THE CITY, USA Network's DC SNIPER: 23 DAYS OF FEAR and the cable comedy hit, PSYCH. Most recently, she served as Co-Producer on The Sci-Fi Channel's number one series to date, EUREKA. She has also functioned as a producer and consultant for feature films, music videos and various Internet-exclusive and print projects.
Ms. Wallace currently serves as a Vice President of the Producers Guild of America, is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and is an Executive Member of Women in Film.
About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (http://www.boom-studios.com) is a unique new publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry's biggest talents. In its inaugural year, Wizard Magazine named BOOM! "Best New Publisher." Founded by the creator of the TV show EUREKA, Andrew Cosby, and his partner Ross Richie, BOOM! Studios continues to be on the leading edge of comic and graphic novel publishing.
VIZ PICTURES ANNOUNCES DVD RELEASE OF LIVE-ACTION FILM NANA
Manga-Inspired Film Offers Realistic Portrayal Of Two Modern Women
Searching For Love, Careers and A Sense of Purpose
San Francisco, CA, April 7, 2008 – VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ
Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has
announced the release of the manga-inspired live-action film NANA on DVD
set for tomorrow, April 8. The film, which features English subtitles,
will have an estimated retail price of $24.98. The release follows a
special week-run theatrical screening that began on Friday, April 4 in
New York’s IMAGINASIAN THEATRE.
NANA follows the adventures of two girls both named Nana. While they
share the same name, they couldn't be more different. Nana "Hachi"
Komatsu (played by Miyazaki Aoi) follows her boyfriend to Tokyo and
hopes to make a new start, while Nana Osaki (played by Nakashima Mika),
who arrives in the city at the same time, is a punk rock beauty who has
the ambition to make it big in the world of rock and roll. Although
these two young women come from vastly different backgrounds, they
quickly become best friends. What sets them apart, however, is the stark
difference between their lives. One Nana comes from a small town,
following her friends and boyfriend but ultimately looking for her own
goal to obtain, while the other Nana has a single-minded aim to make her
dream and band, the Black Stones, among the best in Japan.
NANA performed well at the Japanese box office upon its release in 2006,
grossing more than 4 billion yen and remaining in the Top 10 for several
weeks. The main theme song from the film, “Glamorous Sky,” took the
number 1 spot on Japan’s Oricon charts in its first two weeks of sales
and quickly sold over 450,000 copies. Another song from the film,
“Endless Story,” took the number 2 spot on the same chart in its first
week of release and sold over 300,000 copies.
NANA was inspired by a wildly successful shojo manga (graphic novel)
series of the same name by Ai Yazawa, which has sold over 22 million
copies in Japan. The English version of the manga, rated 'M' (for
mature) is published domestically by VIZ Media
“NANA is a stylish film with a rollicking soundtrack that depicts the
romantic and personal dramas of two women coming of age in Tokyo,” says
Manami Iiboshi, Director, Marketing, VIZ Pictures. “While it remains
true to the original story presented in Ai Yazawa’s manga series, the
film presents a fresh and edgy interpretation with strong on-screen
synergy between the two main actors. Music fans will especially delight
in seeing J-Pop star Nakashima Mika’s performance as the punk rock Nana
Osaki and witnessing the intense performances her band, the Black
Stones. We invite fans of all stripes to check out this newest film from
VIZ Pictures!”
About VIZ Pictures, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Pictures, Inc. distributes Japanese
live-action films and DVDs, with particular focus on Japanese "kawaii
(cute) and cool" pop culture. VIZ Pictures approaches each release from
a J-pop fan's point of view to serve manga and anime generation in North
America. VIZ Pictures titles include TRAIN MAN: DENSHA OTOKO, LINDA
LINDA LINDA, THE TASTE OF TEA, and PING PONG. The company will continue
to offer the hottest visual entertainment straight from the "Kingdom of
Pop" for audiences of all ages in North America. VIZ Pictures, Inc. is
an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC, the San Francisco-based leading U.S.
publisher of Japanese manga (comics) and merchandise licensor of
Japanese animation such as the popular "NARUTO" animated TV series. For
more information please visit www.vizpictures.com. © 2006 VIZ Pictures, Inc
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one
of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga
publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content.
Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and
animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production
Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and
distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North
America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The
company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as
SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio
soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial
production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise
licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages.
Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone
(415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and web site at www.VIZ.com.
Manga-Inspired Film Offers Realistic Portrayal Of Two Modern Women
Searching For Love, Careers and A Sense of Purpose
San Francisco, CA, April 7, 2008 – VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ
Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has
announced the release of the manga-inspired live-action film NANA on DVD
set for tomorrow, April 8. The film, which features English subtitles,
will have an estimated retail price of $24.98. The release follows a
special week-run theatrical screening that began on Friday, April 4 in
New York’s IMAGINASIAN THEATRE.
NANA follows the adventures of two girls both named Nana. While they
share the same name, they couldn't be more different. Nana "Hachi"
Komatsu (played by Miyazaki Aoi) follows her boyfriend to Tokyo and
hopes to make a new start, while Nana Osaki (played by Nakashima Mika),
who arrives in the city at the same time, is a punk rock beauty who has
the ambition to make it big in the world of rock and roll. Although
these two young women come from vastly different backgrounds, they
quickly become best friends. What sets them apart, however, is the stark
difference between their lives. One Nana comes from a small town,
following her friends and boyfriend but ultimately looking for her own
goal to obtain, while the other Nana has a single-minded aim to make her
dream and band, the Black Stones, among the best in Japan.
NANA performed well at the Japanese box office upon its release in 2006,
grossing more than 4 billion yen and remaining in the Top 10 for several
weeks. The main theme song from the film, “Glamorous Sky,” took the
number 1 spot on Japan’s Oricon charts in its first two weeks of sales
and quickly sold over 450,000 copies. Another song from the film,
“Endless Story,” took the number 2 spot on the same chart in its first
week of release and sold over 300,000 copies.
NANA was inspired by a wildly successful shojo manga (graphic novel)
series of the same name by Ai Yazawa, which has sold over 22 million
copies in Japan. The English version of the manga, rated 'M' (for
mature) is published domestically by VIZ Media
“NANA is a stylish film with a rollicking soundtrack that depicts the
romantic and personal dramas of two women coming of age in Tokyo,” says
Manami Iiboshi, Director, Marketing, VIZ Pictures. “While it remains
true to the original story presented in Ai Yazawa’s manga series, the
film presents a fresh and edgy interpretation with strong on-screen
synergy between the two main actors. Music fans will especially delight
in seeing J-Pop star Nakashima Mika’s performance as the punk rock Nana
Osaki and witnessing the intense performances her band, the Black
Stones. We invite fans of all stripes to check out this newest film from
VIZ Pictures!”
About VIZ Pictures, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Pictures, Inc. distributes Japanese
live-action films and DVDs, with particular focus on Japanese "kawaii
(cute) and cool" pop culture. VIZ Pictures approaches each release from
a J-pop fan's point of view to serve manga and anime generation in North
America. VIZ Pictures titles include TRAIN MAN: DENSHA OTOKO, LINDA
LINDA LINDA, THE TASTE OF TEA, and PING PONG. The company will continue
to offer the hottest visual entertainment straight from the "Kingdom of
Pop" for audiences of all ages in North America. VIZ Pictures, Inc. is
an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC, the San Francisco-based leading U.S.
publisher of Japanese manga (comics) and merchandise licensor of
Japanese animation such as the popular "NARUTO" animated TV series. For
more information please visit www.vizpictures.com. © 2006 VIZ Pictures, Inc
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one
of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga
publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content.
Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and
animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production
Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and
distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North
America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The
company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as
SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio
soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial
production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise
licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages.
Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone
(415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and web site at www.VIZ.com.
Monday, April 07, 2008
FILMMAKINGFRENZY.COM LAUNCHES SHORT FILM CONTEST PAYING HOMAGE TO TROLL 2
Troll 2 Enthusiasts invited to create film inspired by “best worst movie”; Top 10 chosen by public, Winner receives VIP trip to Nilbog
AUSTIN, TX - (April 7, 2008) – Filmmakingfrenzy.com, a popular website for hosting filmmaking competitions, has launched a contest seeking the best Troll 2 inspired film. The competition, open to everyone, will give fans the opportunity to honor their favorite film, Troll 2, by creating a short film (up to five minutes in length). All films must be inspired by or be an homage to Troll 2.
The top 10 films will be chosen by online voting at filmmakingfrenzy.com and will be screened for audiences at the upcoming Nilbog Invasion Event, a weekend long Troll 2 festival hosted by Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse. The Nilbog Invasion event takes place June 27-29 in Morgan, Utah, the original filming location for Troll 2.
The winning film will be selected by Michael “Joshua” Stephenson, Troll 2 lead actor and director/writer of “Best Worst Movie,” the upcoming feature length Troll 2 documentary. The winner will receive an all expense paid VIP trip to attend Nilbog Invasion where they will meet with the cast and crew of Troll 2 and enjoy VIP access to screenings, panels and more. For more information on this contest visit this link: http://tinyurl.com/2foxbb (www.filmmakingfrenzy.com).
To get started filmmakers only need access to a camera and lots of creativity. To register competitors can log on now to http://www.filmmakingfrenzy.com to create an account (membership is free).
Important Dates:
Submit your video on Filmmakingfrenzy.com now until 5:00 CST May 15, 2008
Voting for 10 finalists begins: April 15, 2008
Voting ends: May 15, 2008
Winner announced: May 18, 2008
----------------------------------
About FilmmakingFrenzy.com
Filmmaking Frenzy is the premiere online source for filmmaking competitions. Founded in 2006 by the Alamo Drafthouse, Filmmaking Frenzy has hosted dozens of competitions, including recent "frenzies" for Michel Gondry's BE KIND REWIND and Garth Jenning's SON OF RAMBOW. Filmmaking Frenzy is honored to be hosting the Troll 2 Fan Film Competition. For more information visit www.filmmakingfrenzy.com.
About the Alamo Drafthouse
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was named “Best Theater in America” by Entertainment Weekly in August 2005. The theater first opened its doors in the heart of Texas in 1997. A unique combination of theater and restaurant, the Alamo shows the best first-run and independent films and offers an extensive menu of fresh, handmade dishes and a wide selection of beer and wine. The Alamo is recognized worldwide for is eclectic programming, award-winning food, and one-of-a-kind special events. For more information visit http://www.originalalamo.com/
About Nilbog Invasion
Produced by Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse, Nilbog Invasion is a weekend long event in Morgan, Utah - the original filming location of Troll 2. The event will feature a screening of Troll 2 along with other films, food, panels and fun. The Alamo Rolling Roadshow will present all screenings, a mobile movie battalion arm of Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema that has traveled the country for years providing 35mm screenings on their immense drive-in sized screen! Films will feature a cast introduction and Q&A from attending guests! For more information visit www.bestworstmovie.com/invasion
About Best Worst Movie
Best Worst Movie, a feature length documentary, takes us on an off-beat journey into what some would argue is the worst movie in cinematic history – Troll 2. When a crew of Italian filmmakers and fledging Utah actors shot this ultra-low budget horror film in Utah they had no idea that almost twenty years later they would be celebrated by fans worldwide for their ineptitude. The documentary is scheduled for release Winter 2008. For more information visit www.bestworstmovie.com.
Troll 2 Enthusiasts invited to create film inspired by “best worst movie”; Top 10 chosen by public, Winner receives VIP trip to Nilbog
AUSTIN, TX - (April 7, 2008) – Filmmakingfrenzy.com, a popular website for hosting filmmaking competitions, has launched a contest seeking the best Troll 2 inspired film. The competition, open to everyone, will give fans the opportunity to honor their favorite film, Troll 2, by creating a short film (up to five minutes in length). All films must be inspired by or be an homage to Troll 2.
The top 10 films will be chosen by online voting at filmmakingfrenzy.com and will be screened for audiences at the upcoming Nilbog Invasion Event, a weekend long Troll 2 festival hosted by Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse. The Nilbog Invasion event takes place June 27-29 in Morgan, Utah, the original filming location for Troll 2.
The winning film will be selected by Michael “Joshua” Stephenson, Troll 2 lead actor and director/writer of “Best Worst Movie,” the upcoming feature length Troll 2 documentary. The winner will receive an all expense paid VIP trip to attend Nilbog Invasion where they will meet with the cast and crew of Troll 2 and enjoy VIP access to screenings, panels and more. For more information on this contest visit this link: http://tinyurl.com/2foxbb (www.filmmakingfrenzy.com).
To get started filmmakers only need access to a camera and lots of creativity. To register competitors can log on now to http://www.filmmakingfrenzy.com to create an account (membership is free).
Important Dates:
Submit your video on Filmmakingfrenzy.com now until 5:00 CST May 15, 2008
Voting for 10 finalists begins: April 15, 2008
Voting ends: May 15, 2008
Winner announced: May 18, 2008
----------------------------------
About FilmmakingFrenzy.com
Filmmaking Frenzy is the premiere online source for filmmaking competitions. Founded in 2006 by the Alamo Drafthouse, Filmmaking Frenzy has hosted dozens of competitions, including recent "frenzies" for Michel Gondry's BE KIND REWIND and Garth Jenning's SON OF RAMBOW. Filmmaking Frenzy is honored to be hosting the Troll 2 Fan Film Competition. For more information visit www.filmmakingfrenzy.com.
About the Alamo Drafthouse
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was named “Best Theater in America” by Entertainment Weekly in August 2005. The theater first opened its doors in the heart of Texas in 1997. A unique combination of theater and restaurant, the Alamo shows the best first-run and independent films and offers an extensive menu of fresh, handmade dishes and a wide selection of beer and wine. The Alamo is recognized worldwide for is eclectic programming, award-winning food, and one-of-a-kind special events. For more information visit http://www.originalalamo.com/
About Nilbog Invasion
Produced by Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse, Nilbog Invasion is a weekend long event in Morgan, Utah - the original filming location of Troll 2. The event will feature a screening of Troll 2 along with other films, food, panels and fun. The Alamo Rolling Roadshow will present all screenings, a mobile movie battalion arm of Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema that has traveled the country for years providing 35mm screenings on their immense drive-in sized screen! Films will feature a cast introduction and Q&A from attending guests! For more information visit www.bestworstmovie.com/invasion
About Best Worst Movie
Best Worst Movie, a feature length documentary, takes us on an off-beat journey into what some would argue is the worst movie in cinematic history – Troll 2. When a crew of Italian filmmakers and fledging Utah actors shot this ultra-low budget horror film in Utah they had no idea that almost twenty years later they would be celebrated by fans worldwide for their ineptitude. The documentary is scheduled for release Winter 2008. For more information visit www.bestworstmovie.com.
PRESS] DEVIL'S DUE TO TELL THE ORIGIN OF VOLTRON
New 5-issue miniseries 'Voltron: A Legend Forged' launching in July from Devil's Due Publishing
Chicago, IL. (April 7, 2008) – The pieces of Voltron's history will finally come together this July in a brand new 5-issue miniseries from Devil's Due Publishing. Voltron: A Legend Forged will bring the Voltron Force face to face with a spectacular quest, 1200 years into the past. Everything Voltron fans know about the iconic machine will be changed forever.
DDP President Josh Blaylock will write the series, taking the legend back into a fully imagined place in time, loaded with newly designed concepts by G.I. Joe: America's Elite artist Mike Bear. Issue #1 will also feature covers by Blaylock, Tim Seeley, Jenny Frison, and E.J. Su.
"As a longtime Voltron fan, this is exactly the kind of backstory I've always wanted to read, and I think it's going to turn a lot of heads," said Devil's Due President Josh Blaylock. "It's true to the characters and the Voltron universe, and plays with the fantasy elements of this magic/sci-fi hybrid more than ever before."
Voltron: A Legend Forged will ship monthly starting in July.
For more information, please visit www.devilsdue.net.
# # #
About Devil's Due Publishing:
After exploding on the comic book scene by igniting the "80s retro
revival" in the industry, Devil's Due quickly became one of the largest
and most popular comic book publishers in the United States. Today DDP's
lineup is a diverse mix of original properties and licensed books
including Drafted, Lost Squad, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, G.I. Joe,
Storm Shadow, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, DemonWars, Voltron, The Nye
Incidents, and the cult-favorite Hack/Slash, which is currently in
pre-production as a feature film for Rogue Pictures.
Devil's Due: reminding everyone that "Pop culture IS our culture". For
more information on Devil's Due Publishing, please
visit http://devilsdue.net.
New 5-issue miniseries 'Voltron: A Legend Forged' launching in July from Devil's Due Publishing
Chicago, IL. (April 7, 2008) – The pieces of Voltron's history will finally come together this July in a brand new 5-issue miniseries from Devil's Due Publishing. Voltron: A Legend Forged will bring the Voltron Force face to face with a spectacular quest, 1200 years into the past. Everything Voltron fans know about the iconic machine will be changed forever.
DDP President Josh Blaylock will write the series, taking the legend back into a fully imagined place in time, loaded with newly designed concepts by G.I. Joe: America's Elite artist Mike Bear. Issue #1 will also feature covers by Blaylock, Tim Seeley, Jenny Frison, and E.J. Su.
"As a longtime Voltron fan, this is exactly the kind of backstory I've always wanted to read, and I think it's going to turn a lot of heads," said Devil's Due President Josh Blaylock. "It's true to the characters and the Voltron universe, and plays with the fantasy elements of this magic/sci-fi hybrid more than ever before."
Voltron: A Legend Forged will ship monthly starting in July.
For more information, please visit www.devilsdue.net.
# # #
About Devil's Due Publishing:
After exploding on the comic book scene by igniting the "80s retro
revival" in the industry, Devil's Due quickly became one of the largest
and most popular comic book publishers in the United States. Today DDP's
lineup is a diverse mix of original properties and licensed books
including Drafted, Lost Squad, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, G.I. Joe,
Storm Shadow, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, DemonWars, Voltron, The Nye
Incidents, and the cult-favorite Hack/Slash, which is currently in
pre-production as a feature film for Rogue Pictures.
Devil's Due: reminding everyone that "Pop culture IS our culture". For
more information on Devil's Due Publishing, please
visit http://devilsdue.net.
Horror Anthology to Be Released by IDW Publishing and Simmons Comics Group
New trade paperback features a variety of talent, including Gene Simmons of KISS and his son, Nick Simmons
San Diego, CA (April 7, 2008) - Rock legend Gene Simmons has taken the stage in an all-new capacity--as the mysterious master of ceremonies for his own horror anthology, Gene Simmons House Of Horrors. Released by IDW Publishing (www.idwpublishing) and Simmons Comic Group (www.Simmons-Comics.com), the anthology brings readers the best in horror, fantasy and science fiction. "The stories range from gore to psychological thrillers to everything in between," says Tom Waltz, editor at IDW Publishing.
Initially run as a three-issue quarterly, the series has been critically acclaimed by fans and reviewers alike, both for the quality of the stories and the art. The TPB includes the original intros and outros written by the book's host, Gene Simmons, as well as a new collection introduction from Simmons. In addition, Nick Simmons--Gene's son, budding co-star on Gene Simmons Family Jewels, the top-rated A&E reality show, and the creator of the upcoming Platinum Studios comic Skullduggery--has three short prose stories included in the TPB. Top that off with 15 different and terrifying stories by some of the hottest new talent in comics today with a cover by Matt Busch, and you've got all the makings of a deliciously scary treat.
"I had always loved the Twilight Zone. I never missed an episode," says Gene. "I read Amazing Stories and Analog. In short, I loved the anthology horror/sci-fi canvas and wanted to re-introduce the format into comic books. [Gene Simmons House of Horrors] is a chance to showcase the best in professional talent, and to introduce new talent, as well. Each story will be written and drawn independently, with wraparound commentaries by myself. The fact that I'm powerful and attractive will only add to the stunning effect of the stories."
Stories are written by a range of authors, including Chris Ryall (Zombies Vs. Robots); Tom Waltz (Children of the Grave); Dwight MacPherson (Dead Men Tell No Tales); Sean Taylor (Fishnet Angel); Nick Simmons; and two talented progeny, the daughter of comic writer Alan Moore's (Watchmen and V for Vendetta), Leah Moore, and her husband John Reppion (Raise the Dead). Artists include Andy Kuhn (Fire-Breather), Jeff Zornow (American Werewolf), Steph Stamb (Angel: Masks), Matt Busch (Star Wars), Esteve Polls (Dominatrix), Grant Bond (Revere), Jon Alderink (City of Fire), and others.
The Gene Simmons House Of Horrors TPB will be in stores April 9, 2008; call 1-888-comic-book (1-888-266-4226) to find a store near you.
ABOUT IDW PUBLISHING
IDW PUBLISHING is a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC, a revolutionary creative service company with a wide range of clients. Among its best-selling titles are Hasbro's THE TRANSFORMERS; CBS's STAR TREK; and Fox's ANGEL. IDW's 30 DAYS OF NIGHT film from Sony Pictures was released in October 2007 and was the #1 movie in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at www.idwpublishing.com.
ABOUT GENE SIMMONS
Gene Simmons is the co-founder of KISS, a band that has broken box office records set by the Beatles and Elvis and which, after 34 years, continues to be the juggernaut of licensing and merchandising, with almost 3,000 licensed products: everything from KISS Kondoms to KISS Kaskets.
Simmons can also be seen on TV every week (alongside his family) on Gene Simmons Family Jewels, currently airing on A&E. He also starred in Gene Simmons Rock School (shown on VH-1 in the U.S., as well as in 22 other countries). His cartoon show is My Dad the Rock Star (which has shown on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons for four years), and he created Mr. Romance for the Oxygen Network.
He is partnered in the Simmons Abramson Marketing venture, which does worldwide branding/marketing for the legendary Indy Racing League, as well as the iconic Indy 500-seen in 200 countries around the world and on ABC/ESPN in the U.S.
He owns Simmons Records, Simmons Books, and Simmons Audio Visual. He has authored two New York Times/LA Times books: KISS and Makeup from Crown Books and Sex Money KISS from Simmons Books-Phoenix Books. He even has his own U.S. postage stamp. For more information on Simmons, go to www.GeneSimmons.com.
New trade paperback features a variety of talent, including Gene Simmons of KISS and his son, Nick Simmons
San Diego, CA (April 7, 2008) - Rock legend Gene Simmons has taken the stage in an all-new capacity--as the mysterious master of ceremonies for his own horror anthology, Gene Simmons House Of Horrors. Released by IDW Publishing (www.idwpublishing) and Simmons Comic Group (www.Simmons-Comics.com), the anthology brings readers the best in horror, fantasy and science fiction. "The stories range from gore to psychological thrillers to everything in between," says Tom Waltz, editor at IDW Publishing.
Initially run as a three-issue quarterly, the series has been critically acclaimed by fans and reviewers alike, both for the quality of the stories and the art. The TPB includes the original intros and outros written by the book's host, Gene Simmons, as well as a new collection introduction from Simmons. In addition, Nick Simmons--Gene's son, budding co-star on Gene Simmons Family Jewels, the top-rated A&E reality show, and the creator of the upcoming Platinum Studios comic Skullduggery--has three short prose stories included in the TPB. Top that off with 15 different and terrifying stories by some of the hottest new talent in comics today with a cover by Matt Busch, and you've got all the makings of a deliciously scary treat.
"I had always loved the Twilight Zone. I never missed an episode," says Gene. "I read Amazing Stories and Analog. In short, I loved the anthology horror/sci-fi canvas and wanted to re-introduce the format into comic books. [Gene Simmons House of Horrors] is a chance to showcase the best in professional talent, and to introduce new talent, as well. Each story will be written and drawn independently, with wraparound commentaries by myself. The fact that I'm powerful and attractive will only add to the stunning effect of the stories."
Stories are written by a range of authors, including Chris Ryall (Zombies Vs. Robots); Tom Waltz (Children of the Grave); Dwight MacPherson (Dead Men Tell No Tales); Sean Taylor (Fishnet Angel); Nick Simmons; and two talented progeny, the daughter of comic writer Alan Moore's (Watchmen and V for Vendetta), Leah Moore, and her husband John Reppion (Raise the Dead). Artists include Andy Kuhn (Fire-Breather), Jeff Zornow (American Werewolf), Steph Stamb (Angel: Masks), Matt Busch (Star Wars), Esteve Polls (Dominatrix), Grant Bond (Revere), Jon Alderink (City of Fire), and others.
The Gene Simmons House Of Horrors TPB will be in stores April 9, 2008; call 1-888-comic-book (1-888-266-4226) to find a store near you.
ABOUT IDW PUBLISHING
IDW PUBLISHING is a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC, a revolutionary creative service company with a wide range of clients. Among its best-selling titles are Hasbro's THE TRANSFORMERS; CBS's STAR TREK; and Fox's ANGEL. IDW's 30 DAYS OF NIGHT film from Sony Pictures was released in October 2007 and was the #1 movie in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at www.idwpublishing.com.
ABOUT GENE SIMMONS
Gene Simmons is the co-founder of KISS, a band that has broken box office records set by the Beatles and Elvis and which, after 34 years, continues to be the juggernaut of licensing and merchandising, with almost 3,000 licensed products: everything from KISS Kondoms to KISS Kaskets.
Simmons can also be seen on TV every week (alongside his family) on Gene Simmons Family Jewels, currently airing on A&E. He also starred in Gene Simmons Rock School (shown on VH-1 in the U.S., as well as in 22 other countries). His cartoon show is My Dad the Rock Star (which has shown on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons for four years), and he created Mr. Romance for the Oxygen Network.
He is partnered in the Simmons Abramson Marketing venture, which does worldwide branding/marketing for the legendary Indy Racing League, as well as the iconic Indy 500-seen in 200 countries around the world and on ABC/ESPN in the U.S.
He owns Simmons Records, Simmons Books, and Simmons Audio Visual. He has authored two New York Times/LA Times books: KISS and Makeup from Crown Books and Sex Money KISS from Simmons Books-Phoenix Books. He even has his own U.S. postage stamp. For more information on Simmons, go to www.GeneSimmons.com.
"Save the World in 24 Minutes!"
A NEW SERIES
Ablaze Media is pleased to announce the launch of Peckerwood, a new series of comedy graphic novels. The first book, Peckerwood: 24 Minutes, will be available in comic shops from June 2nd 2008. It is a wickedly funny, irreverent parody of the TV show 24.
"If you've got good taste and a knowledge of pop culture, then Peckerwood: 24 Minutes will rock your world," declares artist Peter Lumby. "But if you're easily offended and you have no sense of humour, then you should buy this book anyway - and burn it. That way, you can vent your anger and we can still get paid."
Writer Rob Dunlop adds, "A cross-dressing anti-terrorist agent, a hitman with a barcode on the back of his head, and a president who's a gangster rapper teddy bear. What more does a story need?"
PECKERWOOD: 24 MINUTES SYNOPSIS
Agent Jack Ass has just 24 minutes to abduct a hitman, raid a candy factory, save a panda, fly to Europe, have his hair done and prevent World War 3. Yup, he's gonna need some help. Tozzer, Rod and Hornie are desperate for work, so when Jack offers them the acting gig of a lifetime, they jump at the chance. But all is not as it seems. The fate of the planet hangs in the balance, and the clock is ticking... Or at least it would be ticking, if it wasn't digital.
"A tour de force!"
Comics Bulletin
"The funniest 24 Minutes of my life!"
Comics Nexus
"Grossly inappropriate. You will love every panel."
Still on the Shelf
RELEASE DETAILS
Title: Peckerwood: 24 Minutes
Publisher: Ablaze Media
Writer: Rob Dunlop
Artist: Peter Lumby
Colourist: Eric Erbes
Format: 128 pages, full colour
Retail Price: £8.99 UK / $14.95 US
Recommended Age: Mature (16+)
Genre: Humour
ISBN: 978-0954300821
Diamond Code: APR08 3487
Retail Release: June 2nd 2008
See page 200 of April Previews!
Read the first 19 pages at www.peckerwood.tv
A NEW SERIES
Ablaze Media is pleased to announce the launch of Peckerwood, a new series of comedy graphic novels. The first book, Peckerwood: 24 Minutes, will be available in comic shops from June 2nd 2008. It is a wickedly funny, irreverent parody of the TV show 24.
"If you've got good taste and a knowledge of pop culture, then Peckerwood: 24 Minutes will rock your world," declares artist Peter Lumby. "But if you're easily offended and you have no sense of humour, then you should buy this book anyway - and burn it. That way, you can vent your anger and we can still get paid."
Writer Rob Dunlop adds, "A cross-dressing anti-terrorist agent, a hitman with a barcode on the back of his head, and a president who's a gangster rapper teddy bear. What more does a story need?"
PECKERWOOD: 24 MINUTES SYNOPSIS
Agent Jack Ass has just 24 minutes to abduct a hitman, raid a candy factory, save a panda, fly to Europe, have his hair done and prevent World War 3. Yup, he's gonna need some help. Tozzer, Rod and Hornie are desperate for work, so when Jack offers them the acting gig of a lifetime, they jump at the chance. But all is not as it seems. The fate of the planet hangs in the balance, and the clock is ticking... Or at least it would be ticking, if it wasn't digital.
"A tour de force!"
Comics Bulletin
"The funniest 24 Minutes of my life!"
Comics Nexus
"Grossly inappropriate. You will love every panel."
Still on the Shelf
RELEASE DETAILS
Title: Peckerwood: 24 Minutes
Publisher: Ablaze Media
Writer: Rob Dunlop
Artist: Peter Lumby
Colourist: Eric Erbes
Format: 128 pages, full colour
Retail Price: £8.99 UK / $14.95 US
Recommended Age: Mature (16+)
Genre: Humour
ISBN: 978-0954300821
Diamond Code: APR08 3487
Retail Release: June 2nd 2008
See page 200 of April Previews!
Read the first 19 pages at www.peckerwood.tv
Super Frat Launches New Site and Hits NYCC!
Super Frat, the popular weekly webcomic, has revamped its website at http://www.superfrat.com In addition, the creative team will be attending the New York Comicon on April 18 - 20.
"The new site rocks," says Super Frat creator, Tony DiGerolamo. "Eric Holden set it up and we've been developing new stuff -- we can't wait for fans to see what we have in store this year."
"Super Frat was the first out of the gate in the new wave of college comics," says Christian Beranek, AKA Brother Hollywood to the fans. "It's Animal House meets The Justice League!"
Super Frat is based on the antics of Lambda Sigma Rho fraternity at Ryesmore University in upstate New York. The weekly webstrip has attracted fans from all over the world for its irreverent humor. Features on the site include an advice column from the cactus belonging to the fraternity Vice President, a fan message board, an online flash game "Mistah Shit's Ganja Defender". In addition, three new T-shirts designs have debuted, including one sporting the long awaited "How's the Gine?" catch phrase.
"We'll be in New York for the big comicon," adds DiGerolamo. "We will, as always, be swearing in new pledges into the ranks. I estimate the current number at somewhere near 5000 since we began."
Super Frat was launched in 2004. To visit the new and improved site please visit http://www.superfrat.com
Super Frat, the popular weekly webcomic, has revamped its website at http://www.superfrat.com In addition, the creative team will be attending the New York Comicon on April 18 - 20.
"The new site rocks," says Super Frat creator, Tony DiGerolamo. "Eric Holden set it up and we've been developing new stuff -- we can't wait for fans to see what we have in store this year."
"Super Frat was the first out of the gate in the new wave of college comics," says Christian Beranek, AKA Brother Hollywood to the fans. "It's Animal House meets The Justice League!"
Super Frat is based on the antics of Lambda Sigma Rho fraternity at Ryesmore University in upstate New York. The weekly webstrip has attracted fans from all over the world for its irreverent humor. Features on the site include an advice column from the cactus belonging to the fraternity Vice President, a fan message board, an online flash game "Mistah Shit's Ganja Defender". In addition, three new T-shirts designs have debuted, including one sporting the long awaited "How's the Gine?" catch phrase.
"We'll be in New York for the big comicon," adds DiGerolamo. "We will, as always, be swearing in new pledges into the ranks. I estimate the current number at somewhere near 5000 since we began."
Super Frat was launched in 2004. To visit the new and improved site please visit http://www.superfrat.com
Friends,
After nine editions serialized worldwide, rave reviews from Entertainment Weekly, the Boston Globe, and the Guardian UK, a movie deal in the works and over 10,000 copies in print, The Bluesman Project is proud to announce that the single-volume hardcover edition is finally upon us. This June, NBM Publishing will release this definitive edition of Bluesman into the Direct Market for only $24.95. The graphic novel will begin its move into bookstore markets in August, allowing retailers and readers alike to benefit from this two-month window of Direct Market exclusivity. Bluesman is a taut period thriller that pushes the boundaries of the graphic novel while addressing core issues of race, faith, and redemption that continue to haunt public discourse to the present day.
To celebrate this achievement, we have retooled the Bluesman Project website and cordially invite you all to check it out.
We also have a new presence online at http://www.myspace.com/bluesmaproject and would love to add each of you as a friend!
Any of you able to help us spread the word about the Bluesman HC and the website relaunch via your websites, podcasts, MySpace pages, or blogs would be much appreciated.
We have a lot more surprises and promotions coming in the months ahead including a concert/signing booktour and convention appearances at MoCCA, San Diego, and others. Hope to see you all then!!
Best, Rob Vollmar
After nine editions serialized worldwide, rave reviews from Entertainment Weekly, the Boston Globe, and the Guardian UK, a movie deal in the works and over 10,000 copies in print, The Bluesman Project is proud to announce that the single-volume hardcover edition is finally upon us. This June, NBM Publishing will release this definitive edition of Bluesman into the Direct Market for only $24.95. The graphic novel will begin its move into bookstore markets in August, allowing retailers and readers alike to benefit from this two-month window of Direct Market exclusivity. Bluesman is a taut period thriller that pushes the boundaries of the graphic novel while addressing core issues of race, faith, and redemption that continue to haunt public discourse to the present day.
To celebrate this achievement, we have retooled the Bluesman Project website and cordially invite you all to check it out.
We also have a new presence online at http://www.myspace.com/bluesmaproject and would love to add each of you as a friend!
Any of you able to help us spread the word about the Bluesman HC and the website relaunch via your websites, podcasts, MySpace pages, or blogs would be much appreciated.
We have a lot more surprises and promotions coming in the months ahead including a concert/signing booktour and convention appearances at MoCCA, San Diego, and others. Hope to see you all then!!
Best, Rob Vollmar
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