Tuesday, April 28, 2009

IDW Revives Fallen Angel Series

New four-part story begins in July featuring Joss Whedon’s Illyria



San Diego, CA (April 28, 2009) – Since you can’t keep a fallen angel down for long, IDW is pleased to announce the return of its acclaimed, long-running series. Fallen Angel: Reborn continues the adventures of Liandra, the fallen angel of the title, under the guidance of co-creator/writer Peter David and artist J.K. Woodard, who shepherded the series through most of its previous 33-issue run. To help ring in the book’s return, Joss Whedon’s fan-favorite character, Illyria, leaps from the pages of Angel to guest star in this four-part tale that kicks off in July.



“Fallen Angel has been an important part of our last five years, and it’s great to revive the book as IDW starts our second decade of existence,” said IDW’s Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Chris Ryall. “Peter and J.K. really produced something special before and we’re happy to have them back for this next go-round.”



When last seen, the Fallen Angel experienced the closest she’s ever been to a happy ending. But as fans know, nothing comes easily for her, especially now that Illyria has entered the scene. The Reborn story is set during the fifth season of the “Angel” television show, shortly after the former ancient demon, Illyria, has been severely depowered by Angel and company. And that depowerment is a major plot point for this four-part series.



“When Peter and I approached Joss [Whedon] about using Illyria for this storyline, he was gracious enough to accept,” added Ryall. “This is a story Peter has wanted to tell for years, and now he’ll finally get his chance, with the fans the beneficiaries.”



In addition to interior art, Woodward will be providing covers for the series, along with variant cover artist Nick Runge. Angel: After the Fall artist Franco Urru also contributed a special cover for issue one.



“This is the first time that one of Joss’s characters has appeared outside of the ‘Whedon-verse,’ and I’m pleased that he and the folks at Mutant Enemy have trusted us to do right by her,” David said. “To that end, I’ve worked hard to make the book as accessible as possible to all readers. If this series will be your first exposure to the world of the Fallen Angel, no problem: Illyria is likewise a newcomer to Bete Noire, the Fallen Angel’s home, so you’ll be experiencing it right along with her. On the other hand, if you’re unfamiliar with Illyria, we bring you up to speed with a sort of ‘Lord of the Rings’ prologue opening, which features some of the best work that J.K. has ever done. So either way, you’re covered.”



Fallen Angel: Reborn #1 will be available in stores in July 2009. It is currently available for pre-order through Diamond (order code MAY09 0919).

Fallen Angel: Reborn #2 will be available in stores in August 2009.






About IDW
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. As a leader in the horror, action, and sci-fi genres, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry including: television's #1 prime time series CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Paramount's Star Trek; Fox's Angel; Hasbro's The Transformers, and the BBC's Doctor Who. IDW's original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. In April 2008, IDW released Michael Recycle, the first title from its new children's book imprint, Worthwhile Books. More information about the company can be found at http://www.idwpublishing.com.
Free Comic Book Day at Cards, Comics and Collectibles From the Store that Brings You the Baltimore Comic-Con... REISTERSTOWN, MD - April 28, 2009 - In honor of 2009's Free Comic Book Day promotion, Cards, Comics and Collectibles of Reisterstown, MD will be celebrating along with the rest of the nation on May 2, 2009. Come and meet artist Frank Cho (Hulk, Mighty Avengers) from 1pm-4pm, and artist Steve Conley (Star Trek) from 11am-7pm! FCBD Special -- modern back-issues are only one dollar! Oh yeah, and we're also giving away free comics while they last! Our hours for Free Comic Book Day are 11am-7pm. Come help us celebrate our 25th year!

Our address: 100 A Chartley Dr., Reisterstown, MD 21136
For more information, call Cards Comics and Collectibles: 410-526-7410
CARTOON NETWORK ENTERPRISES AND DEL REY MANGA

ANNOUNCE GRAPHIC NOVELS BASED ON

THE ANIMATED SERIES THE SECRET SATURDAYS

NEW YORK, NY – April 28, 2009 – Del Rey Manga, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, in collaboration with Cartoon Network Enterprises, today announced two brand new graphic novels based on the hit Cartoon Network action-adventure series, The Secret Saturdays. This deal follows on the heels of the successful debut of the Ben 10 Alien Force and Bakugan Battle Brawlers film-comics in Fall 2008.

Christina Miller, vice president, Cartoon Network Enterprises says, ”The Secret Saturdays features great animation and action, two qualities that lend themselves to a rich publishing program. As a key part of the brand’s consumer products launch this fall, we look forward to building on the success we have had to date with Del Rey Manga to create a strong The Secret Saturdays publishing program.”

The first Secret Saturdays film-comics will release in September 2009 with a second volume to follow. In the same format as both the Ben 10 Alien Force and Bakugan Battle Brawlers film-comics, the book will feature detailed, full-color stills straight from the animated series and will be rated for all ages.

The Secret Saturdays series, which debuted in October 2008, found its home on Cartoon Network’s “Action Fridays” animation block, and its combination of family life, fantastical creatures and action-packed adventures appealed to a large audience. The Saturdays, a family of cryptozoologists, dedicate themselves to protecting secret artifacts and mysterious, hidden monsters, cryptids, across the world. Their adventures—which take them from ancient ruins to bottomless caves—have lead to encounters with some of the weirdest and wildest creatures on the planet.

“With its rich characters and intriguing stories, The Secret Saturdays is the latest Cartoon Network series to achieve widespread international popularity,” says Mutsumi Miyazaki, director of licensing and acquisitions for Del Rey Manga. “We believe that this new film-comic will bring new fans to The Secret Saturdays, and we look forward to building further success for the franchise while expanding our strong partnership with Cartoon Network.”

ABOUT CARTOON NETWORK ENTERPRISES:

Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), the global branding and merchandising arm of Cartoon Network, is charged with building consumer product franchises for Cartoon Network, its brands and characters from the channel's growing library of award-winning original programming. CNE also works to secure and support long-term licensee partnerships across all key merchandising categories. The division currently offers consumer product programs for an array animation franchises including Ben 10, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Chowder, The Secret Saturdays, The Powerpuff Girls, [adult swim] and more, as well as serves as licensing agent for Nelvana Enterprises and Spin Master’s Bakugan brand.

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families. Overnight from 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

ABOUT DEL REY MANGA:

Del Rey Books (http://www.delreybooks.com) was founded in 1977 as an imprint of Ballantine Books, a division of the Random House Publishing Group, under the guidance of the renowned Judy-Lynn del Rey and her husband, Lester del Rey. Del Rey publishes the best of modern fantasy, science fiction, and alternate history. Ballantine Books is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, which is a publishing group of Random House, Inc, the U.S. publishing company of Random House, the trade book publishing division of Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's leading international media companies. In 2004 it expanded by launching Del Rey Manga (www.delreymanga.com), which has grown to be a major force in the U.S. graphic-novel field. Bestselling titles include Tsubasa, Negima, xxxHolic, and The Wallflower.
ZENESCOPE CONTINUES WONDERLAND TRILOGY

Zenescope Entertainment has announced plans for a third and final mini-series installment of their Wonderland series entitled ESCAPE FROM WONDERLAND. The seven issue mini-series is the final piece of the epic trilogy with issue #0 due out this July. The first two miniseries, Return To Wonderland and Beyond Wonderland were released in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

For those unfamiliar the comic, it is a supernatural horror story loosely based on the classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and is also presented as a sequel of sorts to Lewis Carroll's original. It follows a now adult Alice and her strong-willed teenage daughter, Calie, as they deal with putting a stop to an evil entity intent on crossing over from Wonderland into this world. Says Zenescope Executive VP and series co-creator Ralph Tedesco "We have such a supportive and passionate fan base who have given the series a chance and have responded extremely well to it so we're more than excited about this final installment and bringing the story full circle. But love it or hate it, one thing is true, our version of Wonderland has definitely struck a nerve these past couple of years."

Monday, April 27, 2009

Friends-

Issue 32 of Comics Waiting Room is here! Here’s what we have for you:

Avril Brown takes a look at X-Men continuity and begins to wonder if that’s an oxymoron.
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/avril30.html

Marc Mason looks at the upcoming STAR TREK film and reviews the comicbook prequel.
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/mason32.html

Matt Maxwell took some time away from comics scripting to write some prose and disccuses the experience and the differences between the two.
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/fullbleed40.html

Elliott Serrano says that, if Marvel Divas is meant for women, then he has the perfect book for men..
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/ccw27.html

Jocelyn Saddler catches up with the battle for Batman’s cowl.
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/bb9.html

Vince Moore reviews the recent RETURN OF THE SUPER PIMPS series.
http://www.comicswaitingroom.com/vince34.html

Remember: If you read something at CWR that you like, pass it on to friends and blogs. Enjoy the reading!

Marc Mason
Editor-in-Chief
Comics Waiting Room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 25, 2009: FLOATING WORLD COMICS PRESENTS: FULL OF PRYDE – A benefit for the Oregon Hemophilia Treatment Center



FLOATING WORLD COMICS PRESENTS: FULL OF PRYDE – A benefit for the Oregon Hemophilia Treatment Center

My good friend Douglas E. Sherwood (Oni Press) proposed a tribute show based around his favorite X-Men character, Kitty Pryde. His own personal experiences with having hemophilia his entire life also inspired him to make the show a fundraiser for the Hemophilia Treatment Center at OHSU. So we’ve asked dozens of comic artists, graphic designers, and illustrators to do their rendition of Kitty Pryde for this May’s First Thursday show. We’ll have original pieces and prints for sale and 100% of the proceeds go the the HTC.

LISTING INFORMATION:
WHO: Over 70 artists including: Bryan Lee O’Malley, Farel Dalrymple, Nathan Fox, Vasilis Lolos, Jeffrey Brown, Tom Neely, Brandon Graham, Corey Lewis, Zack Soto and more!
WHAT: Kitty Pryde tribute show, fundraiser for HTC
WHEN: Thursday, May 7th, 6-10pm
WHERE: Floating World Comics, 20 NW 5th Ave #101

BIO INFORMATION:
Kitty Pryde is a lot of people’s favorite X-Man. The fact that she was an adorable thirteen year-old girl when she joined the X-Men might have something to do with it. She can “phase” through objects, which means she can walk through walls or have dangerous weapons pass right through her without killing her. Only Joss Whedon can kill her, but don't bring that up with Mr. Sherwood. Here’s a 99% complete list of all the artists that have contributed their time and talent to this show:

Zachary Baldus - http://www.zacharybaldus.com
Chuck BB - http://www.chuckbb.com
Beau Berkley – n/a
Ryan Berkley – http://www.flickr.com/photos/berkleyillustration/sets/
Paul Bommer – http://www.paulbommer.com/
Trevor Brandt - n/a
Jeffrey Brown - http://www.jeffreybrowncomics.com/
Lars Brown - http://www.north-world.com/
Ross Campbell - http://www.greenoblivion.com/
Sean Christensen – http://www.seanchristensen.blogspot.com/
Stanley Chow – http://www.stanleychow.co.uk
Becky Cloonan - http://www.estrigious.com/becky/
Nikki Cook - http://www.nikkicook.com/
Joseph Cross – http://josephacross.com/home.html
Kevin Cross – http://www.kevincross.net/Welcome.html
Farel Dalrymple - http://www.popgunwar.com/
Allan Deas – www.allandeas.com/
Michael Deforge - http://www.kingtrash.com/
Hector Diaz - n/a
Nicholas Disabato - http://www.nickd.org/
Ulises Farinas – http://ulisesfarinas.com/
J Fish - http://www.studiojfish.com/
Nathan Fox - http://www.foxnathan.com
Rob G - http://www.curseofrobg.com/
Lucas Gallagher - http://www.alaskanmind.com/
Ana Galvan – http://www.anagalvan.com/
Matthew Garber - n/a
Brandon Graham - http://royalboiler.deviantart.com
Dan Hipp – http://www.mrhipp.com/
Mikael Kangas – http://www.mikaelkangas.com/
Jeffro Kilpatrick – http://phillytoon.com/
Daniel Knapp – http://www.thehipoisie.com/
Ilana Kohn – http://ilanakohn.com/
Joelle Jones - joellemjones@yahoo.com
Rick Lacy - http://ricklacy.blogspot.com/
Hope Larson - http://www.hopelarson.com/
Nichlas Leibrecht - http://lesfauves.00server.com/
Sloane Leong – http://www.war.respark.net/
Corey Lewis - http://www.reyyy.com/
Stanley Lieber – http://stanleylieber.com/
Vasilis Lolos - http://www.vasilislolos.com/
Amanda Luna - n/a
Monkmus – http://www.monkmus.com/
Tom Neely - www.iwilldestroyyou.com
Flynn Nisbit - http://snakeattack.com/
Bryan O'Malley - http://www.radiomaru.com/
Hyeondo Park – http://www.hanaroda.net/
Robin Petering - n/a
Edward Pun - www.edwardpun.com
Robbi Rodriguez - http://robbirodriguez.blogspot.com/
Steve Rolston - http://www.steverolston.com/
Matt Seely - n/a
Aleks Sennwald - http://www.senvald.com/
Douglas Sherwood – n/a
Eric Skillman – http://www.ericskillman.com/
Pete Soloway - n/a
Zack Soto - http://www.studygroup12.com
Jon Sperry - http://www.jonsperry.com
Peter Stemmler – http://www.quickhoney.com
James Stokoe - http://elspike-o.deviantart.com/
Stephen Swift - http://www.infiniteurine.com
Shoki Tanabe – n/a
Toby Tanabe - n/a
Brian Taylor – http://btillustration.com/
Pete Toms – http://www.ifeelawesome.net/
Barnaby Ward – http://somefield.com/
Jonathan Wayshak – http://www.scrapbookmanifesto.com/
Dalton Webb – http://www.mrmanifesto.com/ Steven Wilber - n/a
Adam Zeek - http://northwestofthenation.blogspot.com/
Alexis Ziritt - http://calaveracomics.com/
PRESS RELEASE - IVAN BRANDON AND NIC KLEIN'S VIKING STARTS OFF WITH A BANG!Multiple reports of in-store sell-outs confirms VIKING as the hottest Image hit of the year!

23 April 2009 (Berkeley, CA) - Early yesterday Ivan Brandon and Nic Klein's all-new, full-color ongoing crime series for the 9th century, VIKING, debuted in a big way with a distribution-level pre-release sell out weeks in advance and nation-wide reports of store sell through! "I can barely believe any of it. The response to this book has been crazier than anything I've ever worked on," Ivan Brandon said. "Nic and I are completely and totally blown away by the kind of retailer support and subsequent reader reaction we've been seeing. We were knocked out by the initial distribution-level sell out, but the reports we've received of subsequent sell-through are completely unbelievable. I'm getting notes from Los Angeles, Chicago...people are selling out all over. Nic and I are trying to keep our heads down and work to make the rest of the series even better. Thanks so much to everyone involved for their support!" VIKING has received praise not only for its thrilling storyline as well as its lush, full color artwork, but also the high-end production values and oversized Golden Age dimensions unlike any other title on the stands. Even with the prestige production values on the series, it will maintain a $2.99 price point and the level of painted, full color artwork Nic produces on a bi-monthly basis. For those missing out in the initial print run, a second printing will be made available this May with a second issue coming in June.

VIKING 2nd Ptg (FEB098570), a 24-page full color comic book for $2.99, will be in stores May 6th, 2009. VIKING #2 (APR090396), also a 24-page full color comic book for $2.99, will be in-stores June 13, 2009.

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 five partners in Image Comics (Robert Kirkman, 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.
bad Kids go to hell


Recommended by Keith Davidson in the April edition of PREVIEWS Magazine
The premise:

Five dysfunctional teenagers, each representing a different clique and not overly fond of one another, spend a Saturday detention locked in their school library by their principal.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? The premise of a classic 1985 John Hughes film, maybe?


Let's start over.

During its construction, workers found a secret chamber under the library... and died there. An army of cockroaches crawls through its walls. A few students have seen visions of the undead. Their principal left the school during a fit of violent sickness, and hasn't returned. And a sixth student they've never seen before mysteriously joins them...

Welcome to Bad Kids Go to Hell, a Featured Item from Antarctic Press - the perfect comic book story for all of us who just knew that high school was Hell!


The 3 issue series will be coming to stores June 2009.
Cursed Pirate Girl Takes Over Local Retailer

Challengers Comics hosts Cursed Pirate Girl Release Party



(Chicago IL, April 22, 2009) Challengers Comics in partnership with Olympian Publishing is having a release party for the first ever issue of their new title Cursed Pirate Girl The artist and writer Jeremy Bastian will be on hand for signings at Challenger Comics with copies of the books and while supplies last, FREE BEER. For all attendees over the age of 21, there will be a limited edition specially labeled “Monkey Fish Ale” Cursed Pirate Girl beer on hand. One beer per person and they will only be available while supplies last. The event is Friday April 24th from 7-9 pm.

Cursed Pirate Girl is an epic fairy tale of a cursed girl in search of her father. The only things she knows about her father is that she will find him on the Omerta Seas, and that he is a pirate captain. Highly detailed artwork and a childish wit have garnered high praise about this title from comic book idols including Hellboy creator, Mike Mignola. Fans can see more about the book at http://www.jeremybastian.com. Olympian Publishing previously released Cursed Pirate Girl # 0 to give fans a taste of what to expect and is still available for sale.

To see more about Challengers Comics visit www.challengerscomics.com. To be added to their mailing list for events and news visit http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1102552226223&p=oi. As always Challengers encourages frequent and lively conversation on comic as an art form and encourages everyone to stop by the store even if it’s simply to voice your opinion.



About Challengers Comics:

Challengers Comics opened their doors in April 2008 with the goal to open a store that embodied everything that W. Dal Bush and Patrick Brower had learned in their decades of experience working in comic book retail. Patrick and Dal have been life long friends and comic book fans. Challengers is a place to gather, to communicate and to enjoy to comic books as an art form.

Challengers Comics – Be Challenged! – www.challengercomics.com
PRE-RELEASE SELL OUT SENDS
THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #2
BACK TO PRESS!

SECOND PRINTING
TO BE IN STORES SOON



ISSUE #2 OF THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SERIES SELLS OUT A WEEK BEFORE ISSUE HITS STORES!

April 23rd, 2009, Los Angeles, CA- BOOM! Studios announced today that THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #2, one of the premiere titles for their new BOOM! Kids imprint, has sold out - a week before the issue hits store shelves! This follows on the heels of simultaneous pre-release sell outs for THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #1 and THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #1 and a sell out of CARS: THE ROOKIE #1.

Fans should keep in mind, while Diamond Comics Distributors is completely sold out, THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #2 first printing will be available at direct market retailers across the country next Wednesday.

Diamond Comics Distributors is making the second printing of THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #2 available for retailers to order immediately and the second print will be featured in the May 6th issue of Diamond Dateline.

THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #2 second print (MAR098081) features a brand new cover by Roger Langridge and will hit store shelves late-May.

THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #2 features an all new MUPPET SHOW story written and drawn by Roger Langridge. The first printing of issue #2 of the critically acclaimed series featured A and B covers also by Roger Langridge.

THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK has seen unanimous accolades from all quarters:

"...it's the... best... licensed Muppets comic you could ever imagine... It plays to the strengths of the creator and the creation... it's not just well-done, it's impeccably well done." - ERIC REYNOLDS, FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

"...one of the most appropriate and fitting comic adaptations ever published." - COMIC BOOK RESOURCES

"Langridge has knocked this one out of the park. Highly recommended." -GREG MCELHATTON, READ ABOUT COMICS

"VERY GOOD" - DOUGLAS WOLK, SAVAGE CRITICS

"As I read this, I smiled, even chortled a bit. I was impressed with the visuals and surprised by a slightly melancholy quality in the plot as well. I was struck by the feeling that Langridge's take on The Muppet Show was just special, capturing the kind of magic and mirth that have made these characters icons of pop culture." - DON MACPHERSON, EYE ON COMICS

BOOM! Studios announced the launch of their new imprint, "BOOM! Kids" in late March. BOOM! Kids serves as a child-appropriate home for BOOM!'s kid-friendly publishing content. The company's new imprint includes its own website, www.boom-kids.com. The premiere books for this imprint include THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #1, THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #1, both released on March 25th, and CARS: THE ROOKIE #1 released April 1st.

All BOOM! Kids' titles will be serialized as individual 24 page comic books in Direct Market comic book collector shops and newsstands, then each four issue complete story will be collected into graphic novel trade paperbacks available in the mass market via Borders, Barnes & Noble and the direct market as well.

Recently, BOOM! Studios announced a national newsstand distribution agreement with Kable Distribution Services, Inc. for the BOOM! Kids line of the monthly publication to the newsstand market.

For additional information, see www.boom-kids.com.

About BOOM! Studios:
BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) is a unique publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry's biggest talents, including Philip K. Dick's DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, The Henson Company's FARSCAPE, and the original Mark Waid series IRREDEEMABLE. BOOM! recently launched its youth imprint, BOOM! Kids, with Pixar's THE INCREDIBLES, CARS, and TOY STORY, as well as Disney's THE MUPPETS. This year, BOOM! Studios celebrates its fourth anniversary.