Friday, May 13, 2011

OUTER SPACE PLATEAU
Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon Hits Issue 175

BERKELEY, CA -- 13 May, 2011 -- Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon is celebrating the 175th issue of his long-running Image Comics title this August... or is he? After being killed not once but three times in the past 30 issues, readers might be wondering if the green-skinned, fin-headed freak that awakes in SAVAGE DRAGON #175 to find himself rocketing through space is actually the real deal... but they'll have to read this special 48-page anniversary issue to find out for sure!

"I've really run Dragon through the ringer over the last few years," Larsen explained. "Even though he'd essentially been killed by a mind-and-body-snatching monster called Virus back in issue #147 and then again by Overlord in #150, when it came to wrapping up the 'Emperor Dragon' saga, it became pretty clear that even with all the body-switching shenanigans, things couldn't just go back to the way they were.

"I knew he had to die... but what then? After focusing on Dragon's son Malcolm for several issues, SAVAGE DRAGON #175 answers that question. Definitively, I hope!"

Written, penciled and inked by Larsen, with a Vanguard back-up story by writer Gary Carlson and artist Frank Fosco, SAVAGE DRAGON #175 promises to set the stage for the next several years' worth of Dragon tales.

The story itself focuses both on Malcolm Dragon, as he faces his greatest challenge yet in the form of the nigh-omnipotent Overlord, while someone who looks an awful lot like his dead father tries to make sense of a new life and a new reality when he finds himself aboard a spaceship headed for parts unknown.

"There are some who confuse what Erik's doing on SAVAGE DRAGON with standard rock 'em, sock 'em superhero stuff, but like Mark Millar's Kick-Ass and Robert Kirkman's INVINCIBLE, this is a series that constantly pushes the boundaries," said Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "Very few superhero comics are as uncompromising or as propelled by change as SAVAGE DRAGON, and nearly 20 years after it first began, it's still one of my favorite superhero comics ever."

SAVAGE DRAGON #175 (JUN110478), a 48-page full color comic with a cover price of $4.99, is available for order in the June issue of Previews and will be on sale August 31.

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
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.
LEGACY OF SAMURAI’S BLOOD
Take Part in a New Samurai Journey and Bring Home Original Art

BERKELEY, CA – 13 May 2011 – Revenge, redemption, honor, and love shine in SAMURAI'S BLOOD, the new six-issue miniseries from Image Comics and Benaroya Publishing. Beginning in June, writer Owen Wiseman, in collaboration with interior artists Nam Kim and Matthew Dalton, along with cover artist Jo Chen, will introduce a tale of three young samurai battling their way through the world while hiding their identities in order to find their destinies. Readers can not only learn of the legacy of SAMURAI’S BLOOD, but they can now enter for a chance to take a piece of the journey home as well!

Wiseman explained, "We wanted to give fans who jump on board early a chance to win some one-of-a-kind art. It's the fans really caring and paying attention that keeps us going, so we wanted to do something special for them."

Before the journey of SAMURAI'S BLOOD begins, readers can join the SAMURAI’S BLOOD community on Facebook and Twitter to enter into a drawing for a chance to win an original interior page of SAMURAI'S BLOOD by Kim! There is no purchase necessary to enter; all you need to do is head to the SAMURAI’S BLOOD Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/SamuraisBlood or follow @SamuraisBlood on Twitter and you are automatically entered to win. Two lucky winners (one from Facebook and one from Twitter) will be chosen at random on the day SAMURAI’S BLOOD #1 hits shelves.

In the first issue of SAMURAI'S BLOOD, the teenage samurais must flee as their village and all they've ever known burn to the ground behind them. Headed for a city they’ve only heard about in stories, the three young samurai must struggle to maintain their lives and true identities in an era when lineage defined you. Will they rise on the tides of vengeance against the evil usurper who has destroyed the rest of their clan, or will they fall on the swords of fate?

SAMURAI'S BLOOD #1 (APR110406), a 32-page full color action adventure comic book priced at only $1.00 will be available in stores on June 8th.

ABOUT OWEN WISEMAN
Owen Wiseman writes graphic novels, screenplays, and prose. Raised by hippies in the Pacific Northwest, Owen loves history, philosophy, mythology, technology, and most -ologies, really. Owen has a degree in Philosophy from Pomona College in sunny Claremont, CA, and would like to get a dog but his apartment manager is some sort of animal-hater.

ABOUT NAM KIM
Nam Kim is a Philadelphia-based artist, founder and director of Studio Imaginary Lines, an all-purpose design house which produces original content for comic books, video games and commercial advertising. Nam is a self-taught illustrator who credits artists such as Burne Hogarth, Jim Lee and Masamune Shiro for shaping his artistic style and vision.

ABOUT BENAROYA PUBLISHING
Founded in 2009 by Michael Benaroya, Benaroya Publishing is a company dedicated to the creation and cultivation of intellectual property by focusing on thrilling and compelling storytelling. Based in Los Angeles, California, Benaroya Publishing launches their debut titles this Spring under the Image Comics label. With David Elliott (FALL OUT TOY WORKS and co-founder of RADICAL PUBLISHING) at the helm as in-house Editor-in-Chief, Benaroya Publishing promises to bring fresh new ideas, and uniquely told stories to the comics literary world.

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
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.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

MORTAL KOMBAT ARCADE KOLLECTION TAKES GAMERS BACK TO THE ARCADES
Iconic Arcade Games Will be Available on PSN, XBLA, and on Windows PC







Burbank, Calif. – May 12, 2011 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announces Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection for PlayStation®Network, Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC. For the first time ever, the original Mortal Kombat arcade trilogy - Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 - have been brought together into a single collection which will be available for download in late summer 2011.


“We are very excited to finally have the first three Mortal Kombat games available in one download package for long-time and new fans to play,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “With the release of our 2011 Mortal Kombat, and its return to 2D game play, players have been asking for these classic titles and we are happy to deliver them.”



Developed by Other Ocean in conjunction with NetherRealm studios, the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection will offer fans the chance to play through the games in their original arcade state and rediscover all their favorite characters, fatalities and environments as well as relive some of the franchise’s most memorable secrets. In addition, this new collection will feature online play, leaderboards, achievements and trophies.



An arcade-perfect port, the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection brings players their favorite Mortal Kombat arcade classics for $9.99 on PlayStation Network or 800 Microsoft Points, to put it in arcade terms - 40 quarters ($10).



To help players create an arcade experience at home, GameStop will exclusively offer a limited run of the new Mortal Kombat™ Klassic Fight Sticks designed and manufactured by Performance Designed Products (“PDP”), creators of the sold-out Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition Fight Sticks, bundled with a code to download Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection. Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the Mortal Kombat™ Klassic Fight Sticks are available for pre-order now for $129.99 at www.gamestop.com.



For more information about Mortal Kombat, please visit www.themortalkombat.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mortalkombat or on Twitter @MK_Mortalkombat



# # #



About NetherRealm Studios

NetherRealm Studios, wholly owned by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a leader in the development of interactive entertainment as the creator of the billion dollar Mortal Kombat franchise. Mortal Kombat has spawned two theatrical films, multiple television series, and has sold over 28 million games to date. Located in Chicago, Illinois the award-winning NetherRealm team has been working and creating games together since 1992. Additional information about NetherRealm Studios can be found at www.netherrealm.com



About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.



About PDP

Performance Designed Products LLC, a Lynn Tilton company, is an industry leader in designing and manufacturing products for all major video game platforms including the Sony PS2, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS and Wii, and Microsoft Xbox 360, as well as a line of accessories for the Apple iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.



About Other Ocean Interactive

Founded in 2006, Other Ocean specializes in developing original and licensed IP for all platforms. It has development studios in Prince Edward Island, Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and Emeryville, California. For more information, please visit: www.otherocean.com





Mortal Kombat™ © 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by NetherRealm Studios. Microsoft, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.



image001Mortal Kombat, the dragon logo, and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

WB GAMES LOGO, WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Oni Press Expands its Digital Comics collection on comiXology With Sixth Gun and Ghost Projekt

Today Oni Press announced its schedule to release two of their high-acclaimed titles Sixth Gun and Ghost Projekt digitally on the comiXology platform.

The first of the digital releases hit the market starting yesterday and continue over the coming weeks to complete the Ghost Projekt series and a large portion of the available Sixth Gun. The remaining Sixth Gun comic will be released over the next few months shortly after they come out in print.

The first issues of both series will be free with the subsequent issues priced at $1.99. The digital release schedule will be as follows:

* May 11: Sixth Gun #1 and #2
* May 18: Ghost Projekt #1 and #2
* May 25: Sixth Gun #3 and Ghost Projekt #3
* June 1: Sixth Gun #4 and Ghost Projekt #4
* June 8: Sixth Gun #5 and Ghost Projekt #5
* June 15: Sixth Gun #6

The first free issue of Sixth Gun can be found at https://comics.comixology.com/issue/9675/The-Sixth-Gun-1

A short description about the comics can be found below:

Sixth Gun:

By Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt

During the darkest days of the Civil War, wicked cutthroats came into possession of six pistols of otherworldly power. In time, the Sixth Gun, the most dangerous of the weapons, vanished. When the gun surfaces in the hands of an innocent girl, dark forces reawaken. Vile men thought long dead set their sights on retrieving the gun and killing the girl. Only Drake Sinclair, a gunfighter with a shadowy past, stands in their way.

Ghost Projekt:

Written by Joe Harris, Art by Steve Rolston, Colors by Dean Trippe

Russia is often remembered from the shadow cast during the Cold War-era when every stranger was a spy, but now that the Cold War is long over, some things left behind from that era may not stay lost. An abandoned Soviet research facility somewhere in Siberia has been home to a strange and dangerous weapon that is now in the hands of thieves claiming it for their own. U.S. weapons inspector Will Haley has been assigned to find out what dangers the weapon poses and with the help of Russian agent Anya Romanova they will find the answers, but it will be far from easy.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

SUPER DINOSAUR, SUPER SALES
Super Dinosaur #1 Sells Out Again, Goes Back to Press for Third Printing

BERKELEY, CA -- 11 April 2011 -- Following in the footsteps of its sellout first printing, the second printing of SUPER DINOSAUR #1 has sold out at the distribution level a week in advance of its on-sale date and is heading back to press.

Written by Robert Kirkman with art by his ASTONISHING WOLF-MAN collaborator Jason Howard, SUPER DINOSAUR is an all-ages series created by the duo with their own children in mind in an effort to introduce kids everywhere to the joys of reading comic books. To drive that point home, Image released the SUPER DINOSAUR ORIGIN SPECIAL for Free Comic Book Day 2011, featuring a special story that picks up right where SUPER DINOSAUR #1 leaves off.

"We're really excited people are responding to SUPER DINOSAUR the way they are," Kirkman said. "I did a signing at Golden Apple on Free Comic Book Day, and it seemed like the book was a huge hit with readers of all ages!"

Image Publisher Eric Stephenson added, "Since coming to Image, Robert has been a powerhouse of ideas, but this is the first time he's done something with the potential for broad appeal that SUPER DINOSAUR has, and it's fantastic to see it pay off so well. It's such a fun concept and far from just being a 'kids' comic,' it's a true all-ages book in the sense it can be enjoyed by virtually anyone."

The third printing of SUPER DINOSAUR #1 (MAR118293), a 32-page color comic book priced at $2.99 is available for re-order now with an in-store date of June 15. Meanwhile, SUPER DINOSAUR ORIGIN SPECIAL (MAR110518) will be in stores May 18, followed a week later by SUPER DINOSAUR #2 (MAR110601) on May 25.

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
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 five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound 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.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

SHADOWLINE LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
ShadowlineOnline and Tales of Mr. Rhee Debut Today

BERKELEY, CA – 10 May 2011 – Shadowline, LLC, Jim Valentino’s partner studio at Image Comics, home of such hits as MORNING GLORIES, GREEN WAKE, THE INFINITE VACATION, BOMB QUEEN and many more, has announced their new website at www.ShadowlineOnline.com will go live today.

“We felt the website needed a complete overhaul,” said Shadowline President/Publisher, Jim Valentino. “We wanted a site that was easy to navigate, one where it would be easy to purchase our books, with all the latest news and other fun stuff. Our new site, designed by D.C. McQueen, has given us all that and more! We’re very excited to show it to the world!”

The launch will also debut Dirk Manning’s latest web-comic, TALES OF MR. RHEE, which will upload a new page every Tuesday and Thursday.

Valentino continued, “Dirk gave us NIGHTMARE WORLD (now collected in two print volumes with a third set for an October release) and this is his latest venture. This brand new horror series is an excellent addition to our web-comics feature on the site.”

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
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 five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound 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.
BARRY SONNENFELD TO CREATE
"DOMINION: DINOSAURS VERSUS ALIENS"
WITH LIQUID COMICS & CHEYENNE ENTERPRISES

~ Director of 'Men in Black' films announces new film and graphic novel franchise with superstar comic-book creator Grant Morrison ~


NEW YORK, NY- May 10, 2011 - Barry Sonnenfeld (Men In Black, Get Shorty, Addams Family, Addams Family Values and "Pushing Daisies," for which Sonnenfeld received an Emmy for directing), announced today a publishing and producing partnership with Liquid Comics and producer, Arnold Rifkin (Hostage, 16 Blocks, Live Free or Die Hard). Under the new partnership, Sonnenfeld will simultaneously develop a graphic novel and film property called, "Dominion: Dinosaurs Versus Aliens," with superstar comic book writer, Grant Morrison (Batman, The Invisibles, 18 Days), who will write both the graphic novel and the screenplay.

"Growing up my fascination was all things dinosaur, and as an adult, I've had some success making films about aliens, so this is a dream come true. I met Sharad several years ago when I wrote a forward for one of Liquid's graphic novels and we've been trying to do a project together ever since," commented Sonnenfeld.

The story for Dominion: Dinosaurs Versus Aliens is based on a secret world war battle that was never recorded in our history books. When an alien invasion attacks Earth in the age of the dinosaurs, our planet's only saviors are the savage prehistoric beasts which are much more intelligent than humanity has ever imagined.

Sonnenfeld, Rifkin and Liquid's CEO & Co-founder, Sharad Devarajan shall be Producers on the film, with WME packaging the project. Morrison and Liquid's Co-founder, Gotham Chopra shall also be attached as Executive Producers.

"My collaboration with such pedigreed talents as Barry, Sharad, and Grant has proven to be a wonderful creative experience, and I look forward to being a part of bringing Barry's vision to the screen," added Arnold Rifkin, President of Cheyenne Enterprises.

Liquid will launch the first graphic novel story for the franchise later this year in print and digital formats for the iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices. Artwork for the graphic novel will be done by acclaimed Liquid Comics artist, Mukesh Singh (Gamekeeper, Devi, 18 Days).

"This epic story is everyone's dream battle come to life. We are thrilled to work with Barry Sonnenfeld to bring his vision of dinosaurs versus aliens to the world and with Arnold Rifkin whose prolific experience as a producer will enable us to take this story to the screen," added Liquid's CEO, Sharad Devarajan. "Barry's creativity is also enhanced by the amazing talents of Grant Morrison who remains one of graphic fiction's modern masters."

ABOUT LIQUID COMICS:
Liquid Comics is a digital entertainment company focused on creating cinematic and mythic graphic novel stories with filmmakers, creators and storytellers. The company was founded by entrepreneurs, Gotham Chopra, Sharad Devarajan and Suresh Seetharaman and uses the medium of digital graphic novel publishing to develop properties for theatrical live-action films, animation and video games. Liquid has created original graphic novels with acclaimed filmmakers and creators including John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Shekhar Kapur, Deepak Chopra, Dave Stewart, Jonathan Mostow, Edward Burns, Nicolas Cage, John Mooreand others. The Company currently has a number of film and television projects in development including Gamekeeper with directorGuy Ritchie; Virulents with director John Moore; Voodoo Child with Nicolas Cage and Reliance; The Leaves with Summit Entertainment; and First Family in development at FremantleMedia Enterprises. www.LiquidComics.com



ABOUT CHEYENNE ENTERPRISES:
Arnold Rifkin formed Cheyenne Enterprises in January 2000 with his former client of 17 years, Bruce Willis. Cheyenne has produced such feature films as Bandits, Hart's War, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, Tears of the Sun, The Whole Ten Yards, Hostage, Sixteen Blocks, Just My Luck and Live Free or Die Hard. Rifkin recently optioned the high-profile graphic novel Jeremiah Harm from Boom! Studios and has attached Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch; Wanted) to helm the adaptation. In television, Cheyenne, A. Smith & Co. and Mighty Loud Entertainment aired their reality series Full Throttle Saloon on TruTV in 2009 and has been picked up for a third season in 2011. Before founding Cheyenne Enterprises, Rifkin was a talent agent for over 20 years. He started his career with Nicole David at their company Rifkin-David, and he was a founding partner of the hugely successful Triad Artists. In 1992, Triad Artists was acquired by the William Morris Agency, and Rifkin was named worldwide head of the WMA Motion Picture Department. In 1996, he ascended to the role of president of the agency, where he remained until September 1999. Mr. Rifkin has been a visiting professor at the UCLA producers' program for the last 15 years and has additionally guest lectured at Harvard, Columbia and Yale Universities and the Learning Annex.
Baltimore Comic-Con Brings the Classics to Charm City

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - May 10, 2011 - They say that a classic never goes out of style and that statement couldn't be truer of the creators just added to the line-up of this year's show! We are proud to announce the addition of Nick Cardy, Jose-Luis Garcia-Lopez, Kevin Nowlan, and Michael Golden to the growing guest list for the 12th annual Baltimore Comic-Con, taking place August 20-21, 2011.


EVAINK_CARDY_ARTISTWAR_CVR_fpo

Nick Cardy is best known for his work on such DC Comics books as Aquaman and Teen Titans. His artwork has been featured in nearly every comic genre, including western, jungle, crime, super-hero, romance, science fiction, humor and horror. Most recently, Cardy's work was featured in the book Nick Cardy: The Art of War, a lavish, full-color volume that highlights the sketches and illustrations he made while serving in Europe during World War II.



Next up, we've got Jose-Luis Garcia-Lopez, who, in 2009, penciled an arc of DC's Batman Confidential with Kevin Nowlan providing inks for the 3-issue story. Garcia-Lopez began working for Charlton Comics during the 1960s. After meeting editor Joe Orlando, he quickly moved over to DC where he has spent most of his long career. He also recently worked on the Metal Men strip featured in DC's Wednesday Comics.



Nowlan, who is a true master of various comic disciplines, has worked in comics as a penciler, an inker, a colorist, and a letterer. His work has graced pages featuring characters such as Superman, Doctor Strange, Moon Knight, and Man-Thing. He was featured in TwoMorrows Publishing's Modern Masters, a series which celebrates that lives and work of today's greatest artists, in 2004.



Finally, Michael Golden returns to the Baltimore Comic-Con for another year. Having worked on dozens of books in his 30+ year career, Golden is the co-creator of both Marvel Comics' Rogue and Continuity Comics' Bucky O'Hare.



"We are so excited to be adding these four creators to our guest list," said Marc Nathan, show promoter for the Baltimore Comic-Con. "Their work in the world of comics inspired an entire generation of artists. They are legends in every sense of the word and truly put the 'class' in classic."


In addition to Cardy, Garcia-Lopez, Nowlan, and Golden, confirmed guests for the show including: Jason Aaron (Scalped, PunisherMAX); Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead); Cliff Chiang (Greendale); Frank Cho (50 Girls 50, X-Men: Schism, New Ultimates); David Finch (Brightest Day, Batman: The Dark Knight); Ron Frenz (Spider-Girl); Mike Grell (Action Comics, The Pilgrim); Steve Hamaker (Bone); Jamal Igle (Supergirl, Zatanna); J.G. Jones (Doc Savage, DC Universe Legacies); Barry Kitson (Secret Invasion, Amazing Spider-Man); Laura Martin (New Avengers, Thor); Mark Morales (Fear Itself cover artist); David Petersen (Mouse Guard); Brandon Peterson (Ultimate Vision, Strange); Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo); Walter Simonson (Thor); Jeff Smith (Bone, RASL); and Nick Spencer (Morning Glories, Iron Man 2.0).



In coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found at our website, Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace pages.

This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 20-21, 2011. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 21th.



Contact Information

Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:

press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution

promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications

registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations

harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com - for communications regarding the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet

general@baltimorecomiccon.com - for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries


About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 12th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 20-21, 2011. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 6 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

Monday, May 09, 2011

SHINKU KICKS SOME SKULLS
Skullkickers #7 Soon to Preview Ron Marz & Lee Moder’s New Shinku Series

BERKELEY, CA – 9 May 2011 – The veteran team of writer Ron Marz (WITCHBLADE, ARTIFACTS) and artist Lee Moder (Wonder Woman, Legion of Super-Heroes) are reuniting with an all-new series at Image Comics. Making its debut in June, SHINKU is the creative team’s first creator-owned work for Image, and readers can get a sneak peek in the back of the equally blood-soaked pages of SKULLKICKERS #7.

"It's an amazing time for creator-owned comics and I really feel that the more diversity and excitement created by new original creations, the better the industry as a whole will be," said SKULLKICKERS creator Jim Zubkavich. "Ron and Lee are veterans with incredible track records, and I'm proud to help show SHINKU to an audience that enjoys action and entertainment."

"This is a story I've had rolling around my head, in one form or another, for a decade,” explained Marz. “So finally getting to tell it, and getting to tell it with the right creative team, is an absolute joy. When a creative team clicks, it's like a jazz combo improvising. Everybody riffs off of everybody else, and produces something greater than any of the parts. I feel like that's what we've got going on here."

In the first issue of SHINKU, readers are introduced to the sole survivor of a once-proud samurai clan: Shinku. In modern Japan, Shinku still secretly continues the charge of her ancestors, waging a solitary war against a clan of powerful vampires that have eluded detection for centuries. Marz and Moder have merged samurai and vampire lore in this epic fusion of martial arts and horror that has Comic Book Resources calling it, “a vampire tale that returns the creatures of the night to their monstrous roots.”

Marz spoke of his early inspiration for the new series: "I grew up watching Universal and Hammer horror films on Saturday afternoons, so where I come from, undead creatures who want to drink your blood are the bad guys, not tortured, sensitive souls. This story is the bastard child of those movies, plus some Akira Kurosawa samurai majesty and some John Woo action.

"I'm always talking about comics needing more genre diversification,” Marz concluded. “Hopefully SHINKU provides some of that by mixing horror, martial-arts action and samurai adventure."

SHINKU #1 (APR110409), a 32-page full color action/horror comic book priced at $2.99 will be available in stores on June 1st. A five-page preview of SHINKU #1 will be on display in the back of SKULLKICKERS #7 (MAR110598), due in stores May 25th for $2.99.

ABOUT RON MARZ
Ron Marz has been writing comics for two decades, starting his career with a lengthy run on Silver Surfer for Marvel. Since then, he has worked for virtually every major publisher and compiled a long list of credits, including stints on Green Lantern for DC, Star Wars for Dark Horse,WITCHBLADE for Top Cow, and as a staff writer for CrossGen Comics. He currently writes WITCHBLADE, MAGDALENA and ARTIFACTS for Image-based Top Cow, among other projects. His creator-owned work includes DRAGON PRINCE at Top Cow; Samurai: Heaven and Earth, and Pantheon City, at Dark Horse; and the vampire tale SHINKU at Image.

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
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 five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound 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.
IM GLOBAL AND RADICAL STUDIOS HEAD FOR

“THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME”

May 6, Los Angeles: Powerhouse film financing and sales company IM
Global and Radical Pictures, a subsidiary of fast expanding multimedia
company Radical Studios, are partnering on high-concept crime thriller
THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME, it was announced jointly today by IM
Global CEO and Founder Stuart Ford and Radical’s Barry Levine and
Jesse Berger.

The action thriller is based on the best-selling Radical graphic novel
written by Rick Remender, with a script by Karl Gadejsak, starring Sam
Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans, Terminator: Salvation),
whose Full Clip Productions label is producing alongside Automatik.
F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen, The Italian Job, The Negotiator) is
attached to direct the film with a Fall 2011 start date.

Michael Schwarz of Full Clip Productions will produce alongside
Radical’s Levine and Berger. Executive Producers will be IM Global’s
Ford, Worthington and Automatik’s Brian Kavanaugh-Jones.

THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME is a hard-boiled heist film set in the
very near future where the government plans to implement a form of
legal mind control, making it impossible for its citizens to commit
unlawful acts. Career criminal Graham Bricke (Sam Worthington) must
put together the last heist in American history – on the last night
crime is possible.

Said Ford: “This is such a powerful, iconic piece of material – we
really believe this movie can bring something fresh to the noir
universe and become an explosive action feature film. We’re delighted
to be working alongside the super talented Radical team, Gary and Sam.”
Said Levine: “THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME graphic novel is one of
the most coveted titles in the Radical catalogue and our most
successful international seller. In the development of this film, we
have always been committed to staying true to the core material
because that is what attracted Full Clip principals Michael Schwarz,
John Schwarz and Sam in the first place and is what brought us
together with IM Global. Radical is proud to be making a film that
will both appeal to a global audience, as well as fans of the graphic
novel.”

ABOUT IM GLOBAL

CEO Stuart Ford founded IM Global in 2007. The company is one of the
leading film financing, sales and distribution companies in the world,
championing a wide variety of cinema, including mainstream commercial,
art house, foreign language and genre fare. The company is now
comprised of six divisions: IM Global Opus, for mainstream, commercial
cinema; IM Global Acclaim, for critically acclaimed arthouse and
specialty cinema; IM Global Anthem, for the best of non-English
language cinema from around the world; IM Global Octane, for branded
genre fare; IM Global Apsara, a rights acquisition and distribution
vehicle that serves the rapidly evolving Asian markets across growing
theatrical, digital and VOD distribution platforms.; and AUTOMATIK,
a production and financing joint venture with Alliance Films focused
on films in the $5 million - $15 million range. Highlights of IM
Global’s current slate include the $45 million DREDD, in 3D, which IM
Global is co-financing with parent company Reliance Big Entertainment
with Lionsgate distributing in the U.S.; SAFE, starring Jason Statham,
which is financed by IM Global with Lionsgate distributing in the
U.S.; THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME, which the company is partnering
on with fast expanding multimedia and publishing company Radical
Studios; WALKING WITH DINOSAURS 3D, financed by Reliance with
Twentieth Century Fox distributing in the U.S.; $25 million 3D
wildlife feature ENCHANTED KINGDOM, financed by the company and
Reliance; and the documentary feature ONE LIFE, narrated by Daniel
Craig which will be released later this year; WELCOME TO THE PUNCH,
starring James McAvoy, which is financed by IM Global and Alliance
joint venture Automatik; W.E., directed by Madonna; shark thriller
DARK TIDE, starring Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez; Barry Levinson’s
apocalyptic thriller THE BAY; and Sundance and Berlinale official
selection, ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN. Other prominent successes
the company has enjoyed are worldwide box office smash hit PARANORMAL
ACTIVITY, Tom Ford’s critically acclaimed A SINGLE MAN, and special
effects bonanza SKYLINE. In May 2010, Reliance Entertainment, part of
Indian conglomerate Reliance ADA Group, acquired a majority
shareholding in the company.



ABOUT RADICAL STUDIOS

Radical Studios is an international multimedia entertainment company,
founded in 2007 by Barry Levine and Jesse Berger, with active
operations across seven subsidiary divisions: Pictures, Interactive,
Television, Publishing, Toys, Music and Radical Asia. Currently,
Radical Pictures is producing HERCULES at MGM; HORIZONS, with Joe
Kosinski directing and Tom Cruise attached to star; THE LAST DAYS OF
AMERICAN CRIME, starring Sam Worthington, to be directed by F. Gary
Gray, with financing through IM Global; EARP: SAINTS FOR SINNERS at
DreamWorks Studios, to be directed by Sam Raimi; FREEDOM FORMULA at
New Regency with Bryan Singer producing with an eye to direct; and
films in active pre-production with Warner Bros., Fox, and Relativity
Media. Radical Publishing currently has 30 titles in circulation in 9
countries, and a catalog containing more than 70 properties and 1000
characters. In 2008, Radical Publishing received the Gem Award for
“Best New Publisher of the Year” from Diamond Comic Distributors for
publishing quality and excellence.



ABOUT FULL CLIP PRODUCTIONS
Full Clip Production is a multimedia production company founded by Sam
Worthington, Michael Schwarz, and John Schwarz in 2010. The company
has an imprint deal with Radical Publishing to develop intellectual
property to be released by Radical. The first project under the
imprint is the six part comic book series DAMAGED, written by Eisner
Award winner David Lapham (Stray Bullets), which will release in
Summer 2011. Full Clip's slate also includes ALLAN QUATERMAIN with
DreamWorks Studios and THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME, partnered with
Radical Pictures and IM Global with Worthington attached to star and
F. Gary Gray directing. The company also has a first-look television
development pact with NBC Universal International to develop
television projects for the global marketplace.