Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Toronto, Canada: Award-winning webcomics collective TX Comics gets a little bit sexier with two new features that will officially debut at the Toronto Comic's Art Festival (TCAF): Smooth 'N' Natural by Brian McLachlan and She's My Kind of Girl by Ramón K. Pérez.

These new series join an already star-studded line-up on TX Comics, home to such works as the Eisner Award-nominated The Abominable Charles Christopher by Karl Kerschl (artist/writer of The Flash in DC Comics' Wednesday Comics and Teen Titans Year One), Sin Titulo by Shuster Award-winner and Eisner Award-nominee Cameron Stewart (artist of Batman & Robin, Catwoman, and The Other Side), and Raising Hell by Andy Belanger (artist/writer of Bottle of Awesome and artist of Kill Shakespeare).

Smooth 'N' Natural is a retrosexual campy B-movie in comic form, influenced by blaxploitation, kung-fu, Russ Myer and more. Brian McLachlan tells the story of Luthor and Lucas Love, twin brothers from another mother – one white, one black – born at the exact same minute of the exact same day. Following in their late father's footsteps they put a foot up evil's ass and work their mojo with lovely ladies. In a parallel world where rock still rolls and funk never lost its soul, drug dealers and cult leaders better watch out. Never taking itself seriously, the strip features hardcore parkour and softcore sex that will steam up your reading glasses like a windshield at the drive-in.

Brian McLachlan is the author of graphic novel No Dead Time (Oni Press), a romantic comedy that counts Janeane Garofalo among its fans. Brian's written extensively for Vice Magazine, and profiled cult movie director Andy Sidaris for Sleazenation Magazine. His specialty is all-ages comics and art, like his TX Comics strip The Princess Planet, but is also happy to expand from respectable comics into more juvenile endeavours.

She's My Kind of Girl is a tribute to the classic pin ups of the 1940s and '50s, with a modern edge. Ramón K Pérez curates a group of fellow artists from TX Comics and their peers to contribute their visions of femininity. From fully clothed to barely covered, in a big city or on Mars, there's always a girl next door, and SMKOG is here to celebrate them.

Ramón K Pérez is a TX Comics contributor as both the writer/artist of Kukuburi and Butternut Squash (co-written by Rob Coughler), each having earned him Shuster Award nominations for Best Webcomic. His print comics work includes Star Wars, Resistance: Fall of Man, Justice Society of America, NYX and an upcoming Dazzler one-shot special. 


TX Comics is a collective of professional illustrators and cartoonists who are united by their desire to produce top-flight comics. Recognizing the potential of the internet to be a primary source of art and entertainment, and motivated by their interest in producing exciting, personal work free from commercial and editorial constraint, the artists of TX have all worked to create some of the highest-quality comics yet seen on the web.
HAVEN DISTRIBUTORS TO OFFER
BOOM! STUDIOS
NEW RELEASES & BACKLIST



RETAILERS WILL RECEIVE BEST DISCOUNT FOR NEW SHIPPING BOOKS THROUGH HAVEN DISTRIBUTORS



Skokie, IL - May 5th, 2010 - Haven Distribution is proud to announce the deepest discount option available to Direct Market retailers for BOOM! Studios and BOOM Kids! titles.

Starting with BOOM!'s July-shipping books, Direct Market retailers will be able to buy the full line of BOOM! products at 50% off cover. Retailers now have another distribution option to receive the entire line of newly-shipping BOOM! Studios and BOOM Kids! titles and receive the best discount on these books available! In addition, BOOM!'s complete backlist of single issues and trade paperbacks will also be available to order from Haven with that same deep discount.

Haven Distribution now joins Diamond Comics Distributors in offering the complete line of BOOM! products.

“I am proud to let the Direct Market know that they can order frontlist BOOM! titles at a steeper discount than our competitors and we have no 3% reorder penalty on backlist items," said Haven Distributors Director Lance Stahlberg. "Since we started carrying select BOOM! titles last October, Direct Market retailers have been begging us to expand our offering to BOOM's complete line. We are pleased to announce that now retailers will be able to get the best discount possible on newly- shipping BOOM! titles and be able to order BOOM! backlist single issues, and BOOM! trade paperbacks at a great discount also."

For July shipping BOOM! titles, Haven will be accepting orders starting May 5th. On that date, BOOM!'s full backlist of singles and trades will also be made available.

This newly-struck deal serves as an expansion of the distribution agreement BOOM! announced with Haven last October for second printings and specialty items.

Haven Distributors is just one of a growing list of distributors offering BOOM! Studios and BOOM Kids! publications. This past summer, BOOM! Studios announced mass market distribution deals with Simon & Schuster and HarperCollinsCanada, with Simon & Schuster distributing BOOM! Studios and BOOM Kids! line of graphic novels in the United States and HarperCollinsCanada distributing in Canada.

Previous to the addition of Simon & Schuster and HarperCollinsCanada, last March BOOM! announced a newsstand distribution deal for their BOOM Kids! line through Kable Distribution Services, Inc., best known amongst comic book fans for distributing Archie Comics throughout North America in the United States and Canada.

The entire BOOM! Studios and BOOM Kids! line of publications are also offered in the direct market by Diamond Comics Distributors.

Retailers needing more information on how to order from Haven Distributors can call 1-877-HAVEN-50 or sign up on their website here: http://www.havendistro.com/retailers.html

About Haven Distributors
Haven Distributors (www.havendistro.com) was launched in 2008 with the mission of enabling independent comics to succeed in an ever-changing market place. They provide a wide array of comics and related merchandise at competitive discounts with low minimum orders to direct market retailers. They strive to treat both their customers and suppliers as business partners, providing a range of order fulfillment services from wholesale distribution to web store management.


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 Eisner nominated Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, The Henson Company’s FARSCAPE, and the Eisner nominated original Mark Waid series IRREDEEMABLE. BOOM!’s children publishing imprint BOOM Kids! publishes titles such as Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES, CARS, and TOY STORY, as well as Disney’s Eisner nominated THE MUPPETS, DONALD DUCK, UNCLE SCROOGE and WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES.
HAVEN DISTRIBUTORS TO OFFER
BOOM! STUDIOS
NEW RELEASES & BACKLIST



RETAILERS WILL RECEIVE BEST DISCOUNT FOR NEW SHIPPING BOOKS THROUGH HAVEN DISTRIBUTORS



Skokie, IL - May 5th, 2010 - Haven Distribution is proud to announce the deepest discount option available to Direct Market retailers for BOOM! Studios and BOOM Kids! titles.

Starting with BOOM!'s July-shipping books, Direct Market retailers will be able to buy the full line of BOOM! products at 50% off cover. Retailers now have another distribution option to receive the entire line of newly-shipping BOOM! Studios and BOOM Kids! titles and receive the best discount on these books available! In addition, BOOM!'s complete backlist of single issues and trade paperbacks will also be available to order from Haven with that same deep discount.

Haven Distribution now joins Diamond Comics Distributors in offering the complete line of BOOM! products.

“I am proud to let the Direct Market know that they can order frontlist BOOM! titles at a steeper discount than our competitors and we have no 3% reorder penalty on backlist items," said Haven Distributors Director Lance Stahlberg. "Since we started carrying select BOOM! titles last October, Direct Market retailers have been begging us to expand our offering to BOOM's complete line. We are pleased to announce that now retailers will be able to get the best discount possible on newly- shipping BOOM! titles and be able to order BOOM! backlist single issues, and BOOM! trade paperbacks at a great discount also."

For July shipping BOOM! titles, Haven will be accepting orders starting May 5th. On that date, BOOM!'s full backlist of singles and trades will also be made available.

This newly-struck deal serves as an expansion of the distribution agreement BOOM! announced with Haven last October for second printings and specialty items.

Haven Distributors is just one of a growing list of distributors offering BOOM! Studios and BOOM Kids! publications. This past summer, BOOM! Studios announced mass market distribution deals with Simon & Schuster and HarperCollinsCanada, with Simon & Schuster distributing BOOM! Studios and BOOM Kids! line of graphic novels in the United States and HarperCollinsCanada distributing in Canada.

Previous to the addition of Simon & Schuster and HarperCollinsCanada, last March BOOM! announced a newsstand distribution deal for their BOOM Kids! line through Kable Distribution Services, Inc., best known amongst comic book fans for distributing Archie Comics throughout North America in the United States and Canada.

The entire BOOM! Studios and BOOM Kids! line of publications are also offered in the direct market by Diamond Comics Distributors.

Retailers needing more information on how to order from Haven Distributors can call 1-877-HAVEN-50 or sign up on their website here: http://www.havendistro.com/retailers.html

About Haven Distributors
Haven Distributors (www.havendistro.com) was launched in 2008 with the mission of enabling independent comics to succeed in an ever-changing market place. They provide a wide array of comics and related merchandise at competitive discounts with low minimum orders to direct market retailers. They strive to treat both their customers and suppliers as business partners, providing a range of order fulfillment services from wholesale distribution to web store management.


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 Eisner nominated Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, The Henson Company’s FARSCAPE, and the Eisner nominated original Mark Waid series IRREDEEMABLE. BOOM!’s children publishing imprint BOOM Kids! publishes titles such as Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES, CARS, and TOY STORY, as well as Disney’s Eisner nominated THE MUPPETS, DONALD DUCK, UNCLE SCROOGE and WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

BOOM! STUDIOS
@ THE TORONTO
COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL '10
TABLES# 170 & 171

BOOM! STUDIOS GUESTS INCLUDE:

Eisner Award-Nominated
THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK's Roger Langridge
THE INCREDIBLES' Marcio Takara
WALL-E's J. Torres



SCHEDULED SIGNINGS & PANELS



Saturday, May 8, 2010 – Tables # 170 & 171
10:00 – 11:00am – J. Torres Signing at BOOM! Tables
10:00am – 12:50pm – Roger Langridge signing at BOOM! Tables
1:00 – 2:00pm – Roger Langridge Spotlight Panel with Tom Spurgeon
3:00 – 4:00pm – Marcio Takara signing at BOOM! Tables
3:00 – 5:00pm – Roger Langridge signing at BOOM! Tables



Sunday, May 9, 2010 – Tables # 170 & 171
11:00am – 1:00pm – Roger Langridge signing at BOOM! Tables
1:00 – 2:00pm – J. Torres Signing at BOOM! Tables
2:00 – 5:00pm – Roger Langridge signing at BOOM! Tables

The 2010 BOOM! Studios' LIGHT THE FUSE convention tour continues at The Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2010. Here are the full tour dates:


BOOM! STUDIOS

LIGHT THE FUSE TOUR 2010

Keep an eye out for us, we might be coming to a town near you!



May 22 - Summit City Comic Con - Fort Wayne, IN
May 25-27 - Book Expo America - New York, New York
June 4-6 - HeroesCon - Charlotte, North Carolina
June 25-28 - ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition - Washington DC
July 21-25 - Comic-Con International - San Diego, California
August 27-29 - Fan Expo Canada - Toronto,Canada
August 28-29 - Baltimore Comic-Con - Baltimore, MD
October 8-10 - New York Comic Con - New York, New York
October 29-31 - Long Beach Comic Con - L.A., California



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, DONALD DUCK, UNCLE SCROOGE and WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES. This year, BOOM! Studios celebrates its fifth anniversary.
Lucasfilm Ltd. & JibJab Partner To Celebrate
The 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back

Go to JibJab.com or StarWars.com to Create Your Own Personalized
Star Wars™ Starring You® Movie!

VENICE, CA and SAN FRANCISCO, CA - May 4, 2010 - Available today for the first time ever, people everywhere can cast themselves, family and friends in the classic adventures from “a galaxy far, far away” with playful and irreverent two-minute re-tellings of the original Star Wars films by JibJab. Just visit JibJab.com or StarWars.com to feel the Force as it’s never been possible before – by becoming a part of the Star Wars Saga!

Making a personalized movie with JibJab's Starring You® technology is easy. Users just upload a photo – using a computer, Facebook or a webcam – and use JibJab's simple tools to insert it into the movies. After watching their movie, users can share the video with friends via email, Facebook and Twitter. Custom versions of the videos are available as Premium Downloads for users who want to save them forever on their computers or watch them on their iPhones.

“What better way to celebrate Empire’s 30th anniversary than to allow fans to become part of the story,” said Bill Gannon, Director of Digital Media at Lucasfilm Ltd. “JibJab’s inventive technology allows us to experience Star Wars in an all-new way. It’s really a great partnership, and we are thrilled with what they’ve done with the Saga; it’s lots of fun.”

Creating and sharing a personalized version of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back is free in commemoration of the fan-favorite installment’s 30th anniversary. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi are available exclusively to JibJab Members. JibJab is a Member-supported company that charges $12 a year for unlimited access to its 1,000+ eCards, Everyday Fun and Starring You videos and pics.

"We aim to deliver a lot more value to our Members than the buck a month it winds up costing them," said JibJab co-founder Gregg Spiridellis. "Star Wars Starring You is a perfect example of the kinds of amazing, special experiences we're working hard to bring our Members."

JibJab was founded in 1999 by brothers Evan and Gregg Spiridellis. In 2004, in a pre-YouTube world, the pair created the smash online hit "This Land" featuring a singing George Bush and John Kerry. Since then, the brothers have built JibJab into pioneering digital media company powering innovative online entertainment experiences like OfficeMax's ElfYourself campaign.

Go to JibJab.com and StarWars.com to experience the Star Wars Starring You fun for yourself – and share the laughs with your friends!

About JibJab

JibJab makes things that make people laugh. From offbeat Sendables® eCards to personalized Starring You!® videos and satirical viral videos, JibJab is on a mission to help more people share more laughs than any other company in the history of the world. With over 100 million visits to its websites in the past twelve months the company is well on its way to doing it. For more information, please visit JibJab.com/about.
Frank Frazetta's Dark KingdomIt's 1968 and the End of the World at Phoenix Comicon

Kidwell, Jones and Fotos will Relaunch '68 at the Phoenix Comicon

Phoenix, AZ April 28th 2010: The creators of Vietnam- zombie war ridden comic '68 recently announced its relaunch and will be promoting it with a limited edition print at Phoenix Comicon. '68 is published by Image Comics with Mark Kidwell ( Bump, Frazetta’s Dark Kingdom), Nat Jones (Frazetta’s Death Dealer, Rob Zombie’s The Nail) and Jay Fotos (Frazetta’s Death Dealer, Locke & Key).

"I'm so excited!" said Andrea Beasely-Brown, Horror Programming Manager for the Phoenix Comicon, "Zombies just make everything better."

The '68 miniseries picks up right where the original tale left off and broadens its scope, encompassing not only the gore-soaked horrors of the war in Vietnam, but fixing a bloodshot eye on the politically torn USA as the dead rise, heralding the apocalypse and devouring anything with a pulse.

To celebrate the continuation of '68, Kidwell, Jones and Fotos will be attending the 2010 Phoenix Comicon, May 27-30, 2010. The creators are proud to present an exclusive, limited edition print -- a gruesome, full-color 11" x 17" depiction of Napalm Charlie -- signed by Kidwell, Jones and Fotos.

“The Phoenix Comicon is hot!” said local creator Jay Fotos, “I’m so happy that Mark, Nat and I will be here to unleash the plague of the ’68 re-launch, the fans have been dying for it and so have we!”

"The zombies will be moaning for more than just brains this year," says Matt Solberg, Phoenix Comicon Convention Director, "They'll be wanting these limited edition prints!"

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com .

Phoenix Comicon is the signature pop culture event of the southwest, presenting guests and programming for hobbyists and fans by attracting the top segments of the comics, anime, sci-fi, film, TV, and gaming industries. Entering its ninth year, Phoenix Comicon is expected to draw over 10,000+ attendees to its May 27-30, 2010 convention held at the Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency located in downtown Phoenix.



For more information, please go to http://www.phoenixcomicon.com
DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES THE PROMOTION OF MICHA HERSHMAN TO VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING



MILWAUKIE, OR, MAY 3—Dark Horse Comics announced today that its senior director of marketing, Micha Hershman, has been promoted to vice president of marketing. Hershman joined the company in November 2009 from his position as category director for the pop-culture section at Borders Group, and has quickly made his mark in his short time with Dark Horse.

“We have been amazed at the tremendous growth Micha has shown here at Dark Horse and we are extremely excited by the energy and creativity he has brought to our marketing team,” said Dark Horse’s president and publisher, Mike Richardson.

“Dark Horse is a dynamic organization made up of the most inspired, creative professionals I’ve ever worked with,” said Hershman. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the team and am looking forward to doing more to showcase our content on the world’s stage.”

Current vice president of sales, marketing, and licensing Anita Nelson will take the new mantle of vice president of business affairs. She will continue to oversee the sales and licensing divisions, and will also be responsible for new business opportunities for the company. In her twelve-year tenure, she has brought to Dark Horse visionary programs with Tim Burton, Yoshitaka Amano, and, most recently, Janet Evanovich.

“We have been looking to make this move for some time,” said Nelson. “With Dark Horse’s rapidly expanding licensing and new business developments, I’m excited to see Micha taking the lead of our marketing efforts.”

Please join us in congratulating both Micha Hershman and Anita Nelson, as they move on to new challenges within the company.