Friday, June 17, 2011

Baltimore Comic-Con Welcomes Batman #1 Artist, Greg Capullo

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - June 10, 2011 - The Baltimore Comic-Con is happy to announce the addition of super-star artist, Greg Capullo, to the line-up of creators attending this year's show. The show, taking place on August 20-21, 2011, will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center in downtown Baltimore.



Capullo Batman CoverGreg Capullo began his mainstream comic career in the early '90s, working on the Marvel titles Quasar, X-Force, and What If? In 1993, he left Marvel for the Image Comics series' Spawn, where he took over regular art duties with issue #26.



Over the course of his career, Capullo has provided covers and interior art for such Image titles as Spawn, Angela, The Creech and Haunt. In addition, his art as graced album covers for Korn and Disturbed. In 2007, his artwork was collected in the hard cover book, The Art of Greg Capullo, published by Image Comics.



"We're thrilled to have such a talented and prolific artist join the pool of talent already attending this year's show," said Marc Nathan, show promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "Greg's previous work on Spawn and his work on Haunt were really well-received, so it's a real treat for our fans to have him on board."



Capullo was most recently announced as series artist on the DCnU Batman title which begins in September, when DC Comics will relaunch its entire line of superhero titles in the wake of their "Flashpoint" event.



"I was born to do Batman," said Capullo. "My mother has a drawing of Batman & Robin that I did when I was four years old. I'm finally fulfilling my destiny."


Confirmed guests for this year's Baltimore Comic-Con include: Guest of Honor, Stan "The Man" Lee; Jason Aaron (Scalped, PunisherMAX); Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead); Nick Cardy (Aquaman, Teen Titans); Cliff Chiang (Greendale); Frank Cho (50 Girl 50, X-Men: Schism, New Ultimates); Todd Dezago (Super Hero Squad, The Perhapanauts); David Finch (Brightest Day, Batman: The Dark Knight); Ron Frenz (Spider-Girl); Jose-Luis Garcia-Lopez (Wednesday Comics, Batman Confidential); Michael Golden (creator of Bucky O'Hare); Mike Grell (Action Comics, The Pilgrim); Brad Guigar (Evil, Inc., Courting Disaster); Steve Hamaker (Bone); Cully Hamner (Red, Red: Eyes Only); (Dean Haspiel (The Alcoholic, Act-i-Vate); 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); Kevin Nowlan (Wednesday Comics); David Petersen (Mouse Guard); Brandon Peterson (Ultimate Vision, Strange); Craig Rousseau (Marvel Her-Oes); Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo); Walter Simonson (Thor); Jeff Smith (Bone, RASL); Nick Spencer (Morning Glories, Iron Man 2.0); Brian Stelfreeze (Wednesday Comics); Karl Story (DC Universe Legacies); Tim Truman (Conan the Cimmerian); Neil Vokes (Flesh & Blood, Eagle: The Original Adventures); and Thom Zahler (Love and Capes).



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 20th.



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.
NEW ENGLAND BECOMES THE DEADLANDS
NECRA Presents David Gallaher and Steve Ellis on The Devil's Six Gun Tour

Berkeley, CA – 17 June 2011 – This June New England will become the DEADLANDS, and it’s all the fault of the New England Comic Retailer Association (NECRA)!

To celebrate the release of the first in a star-studded series of Weird Western one shots from Image Comics, Visionary Comics, Strider-Nolan Media and Pinnacle Entertainment, NECRA is bringing the creators of DEADLANDS: THE DEVIL'S SIX GUN, writer David Gallaher and artist Steve Ellis, to a limited exclusive tour on June 25th and 26th!

The tour will encompass three of the top comic shops in the New England area. The team will appear at Friendly Neighborhood Comics and Larry’s Comics on the 25th and wrap up at Jetpack Comics on the 26th. Both Weird Western maestros extraordinaire, Gallaher and Ellis, will be on hand for autographs and sketches, and each store will be stocked with the absolutely haunting exclusive NECRA tour cover by Ellis, which was printed just for the tour with a limited print run of 1,000 copies.

Gallaher was excited to do the NECRA tour: "The comic shop experience is really rather unique. I see this tour as an opportunity to really build a stronger relationship with retail stores and the customers they serve. It's a good step towards building a stronger comics community as a whole."

With media sites such as IGN hailing this as an "All-Star Western" and Newsarama promising Devil's Six Gun "will knock you for a loop," it seems the entire country is getting on board.

“We’re very excited about the NECRA tour,” chimed in C. Edward Sellner, Creative Director for Visionary and the writer and colorist for the super secret backup feature drawn by Oscar Capristo. “Visionary staff will also be doing a tour and release party for each of the four one-shots along the east coast. Stores are lining up to participate and support the books.”

Other events around the country are being planned for the summer, and the DEADLANDS crew will be invading GenCon and Baltimore Comic-Con. Each stop will feature various creators involved as well as Visionary staff. More details on all these events will be coming soon. Please check the sites of the main partners to get the latest!

Image Comics: www.imagecomics.com
Visionary Comics: www.visionarycomics.com
Strider-Nolan: www.stridernolanmedia.com
Pinnacle Entertainment: www.peginc.com

ABOUT VISIONARY COMICS STUDIO
After debuting in 2006, Visionary Comics Studio is now one of the most popular, up and coming creative production studios and digital publishers. By providing freelance talent representation, setting up projects for print publication, and through VCS’ own digital publishing line, VCS works with and provides services for just about every major comic publisher. For more information, visitwww.visionarycomics.com.

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 graphicnovels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more bythe finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
Star Trek Comics are Back

All-new ongoing series begins in September

Classic Star Trek: The Original Series episodes reimagined in the new universe




[Star Trek #1 cover A]San Diego, CA (June 17, 2011) – The Star Trek universe will never be the same following the events of the game-changing, blockbuster 2009 film. Beginning with STAR TREK #1 in September, IDW Publishing and CBS Consumer Products join forces with Star Trek writer/producer Roberto Orci to explore the vast implications of the alternate timeline created by the film in a new, monthly, ongoing comics series.

“Movies cost money. Lots and lots of money,” said Orci. “But comics give us unlimited budgets to take the crew of the Enterprise farther than they've ever been. Join us!”

The adventures of the Starship Enterprise continue with the new cast from the film as they embark on missions that re-imagine the stories from the original television series, along with new threats and characters never seen before.

Under the creative direction of Orci, fan-favorite STAR TREK writer Mike Johnson and artist Stephen Molnar bring this alternate universe to life and begin the countdown to the highly anticipated Star Trek sequel. The series kicks off with a dramatic new envisioning of The Original Series second pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.”

“Finally, new STAR TREK comics that showcase the new Enterprise crew,” said editor Scott Dunbier. “The only thing more fun than reading them is editing them!”

STAR TREK #1 will feature covers from Tim Bradstreet and David Messina, plus four rare photo covers. Readers are encouraged to talk to their local retailer about the photo covers, and the super rare STAR TREK #1 signed by Orci and Johnson. The debut issue will also feature a golden ticket promotion, with more details to come shortly from IDW.


STAR TREK #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in September 2011. Diamond order code JUN11 0308.

(c) 2011 Paramount pictures Corporation. TM & (c) 2011 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.



Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.


About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Toho’s Godzilla; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio; and is the print publisher for EA Comics.

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. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.


About CBS Consumer Products
CBS Consumer Products manages worldwide licensing and merchandising for a diverse slate of television brands and series from CBS, CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution, as well as from the company's extensive library of titles, Showtime and CBS Films. Additionally, the group oversees online sales of programming merchandise. For more information, visit www.cbsconsumerproducts.com

Thursday, June 16, 2011

SELL OUT NEW SERIES BEGINS BUILDING EMPIRE

2nd Printing Underway for New Wartime Survival Comic, Graveyard of Empires

Berkeley, CA – 16 June 2011 – The trials and dangers that occur within the borders of Afghanistan seem like a world away to most western comic readers, but the new Image Comics miniseries GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES has immediately hit home with fans and critics. In fact, this first issue by former GROUNDED co-creators, writer Mark Sable and artist Paul Azaceta, has sold out at distribution level, prompting the publisher to go back to press in order to meet the high demand.

"Doing a war book like GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES was a real passion project for Paul and I, and we appreciate Image, retailers and fans taking a chance on it," said Sable. "It's been particularly rewarding hearing from those who served that we got the military aspects of the story right. So far no word from the zombies on the accuracy of their portrayal, though."
"We put a lot of work into the book, and I'm ecstatic to hear the good news," added Azaceta. "Thanks to all, and I can't wait for everyone to see what's up next!"

GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES offers a daring story mixing very real portrayals of the horrors of war with more traditional horror elements, all rendered with the expert restraint of Azaceta's ink. This first issue is packed with story pages and Sable uses them all to let his characters inhabit their dangerous world and develop before the reader's eye. The two have set forth to illustrate just what "insurgent math" means on the front line of GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES, and so far it isn't pretty.

The second printing of GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES #1 (MAY118033), a 32-page full color horror/survival comic book that will appeal to fans of The Hurt Locker and THE WALKING DEAD, is priced at $2.99 and available for re-order now with an in-store date of July 13, coinciding with the release of GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES #2 (MAY110509).

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.
STARZ TO FEATURE ‘TORCHWOOD’ AND ‘SPARTACUS’ AT 2011 COMIC-CON ON FRIDAY, JULY 22ND



Cast of Highly Anticipated Series, ‘Torchwood: Miracle Day,’ Including Stars John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Bill Pullman, Mekhi Phifer, Alexa Havins, Lauren Ambrose and Writer Jane Espenson To Appear on Panel at 10am PT/Room 20; Special Advanced Screening of Episode 103 of Series on Thursday, July 21st at 9:30pm PT in Room 6DE



Liam McIntyre, Star of ‘Spartacus: Vengeance’ To Be Introduced to Fans at 5:45pm PT/Room 6BCF Along with Fellow Leads Dustin Clare, Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett, Katrina Law and EP Steven S. DeKnight



For Immediate Release – STARZ will bring the casts of two of its most riveting original series, “Torchwood: Miracle Day” and “Spartacus: Vengeance” to 2011 San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 22nd, it was announced today. For “Torchwood: Miracle Day,” set to debut on STARZ, Friday, July 8th at 10pm ET/PT, the panel will feature: Torchwood alum John Barrowman (Capt. Jack Harkness), Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), and new headliners Bill Pullman (Oswald Danes), Mekhi Phifer (Rex Matheson), Alexa Havins (Ester Drummand), Lauren Ambrose (Jilly Kitzinger) and writer Jane Espenson. Highlights of the “Spartacus: Vengeance” panel (slated to premiere on STARZ in 2012) will include fans’ first-ever opportunity to meet the new Spartacus, Liam McIntyre (Spartacus), along with stars Lucy Lawless (Lucretia), Dustin Clare (Gannicus), Manu Bennett (Crixus), Katrina Law (Mira) and Executive Producer and Head Writer Steven S. DeKnight.



On Thursday, July 21 at 9:30pm PT, the eve of the panels, STARZ will screen a never-before-seen “Torchwood: Miracle Day” episode entitled “Night of Dead” in room 6DE. This episode premieres on STARZ the following day, Friday, July 22 at 10pm ET/PT.



About “Torchwood: Miracle Day”: Premiering July 8 at 10pm ET/PT

Imagine a day when nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep aging. They get hurt and sick but they never die. This is the extraordinary premise of the highly-anticipated STARZ original drama series, "Torchwood: Miracle Day," produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for STARZ, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Worldwide. The new series, premiering on STARZ on July 8 at 10pm ET/PT, features Torchwood alumni John Barrowman, Eve Myles, and Kai Owen and new headliners, Mekhi Phifer, Alexa Havins and Bill Pullman. Special guest starring actors in the cult sensation include: Arlene Tur (“Crash,” Eat Pray Love) and Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under,” The Other Woman). The 10-episode, hour-long series will also feature an impressive list of guest stars: Wayne Knight (“Seinfeld,” Jurassic Park), C. Thomas Howell (“Southland,” The Outsiders), Ernie Hudson (“OZ,” Ghostbusters), Nana Visitor (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), John DeLancie (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Mare Winningham (Mildred Pierce, George Wallace) and Frances Fisher (Titanic, The Lincoln Lawyer). The show's original creator, writer/producer Russell T Davies, serves as executive producer along with BBC Worldwide Productions' SVP Julie Gardner, with Davies also serving as show-runner. "Torchwood: Miracle Day" is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for Starz, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Worldwide.



About “Spartacus: Vengeance” (Premiering 2012)

From the time “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” debuted on Starz in January 2010, it established itself as an epic production with rich storytelling and visuals unlike anything seen previously on any TV show. Also starring John Hannah as Batiatus, Lucy Lawless as Lucretia, Peter Mensah as Doctore, Manu Bennett as Crixus and Viva Bianca as Ilythia, “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” was one of the most talked-about and best-loved TV shows of 2010. Season two of the series finds Spartacus and his fellow gladiators now out of Capua and engaged in the massive slave rebellion against Roman society that has echoed through time. “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” the six-part prequel that told the story of the House of Batiatus gladiator school, and the intricate personal, sexual and political maneuverings in Capua five years before “Blood and Sand” was set, debuted in January 2011.



In season two of the popular series, Liam McIntyre takes over the role of the Thracian warrior sold into slavery in the Roman Republic city of Capua – where he rises to become the champion of the city – before leading the slave revolt that ended the first season. The part was played in the first season by acclaimed Andy Whitfield, who was forced to leave the show due to health issues. “Spartacus: Vengeance” recently began production in New Zealand.



About Starz Entertainment



Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service provider operating in the United States. The company offers 17 premium channels including the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® brands with approximately 18.8 million and 33.1 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs in total more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its pay TV channels. Starz Entertainment is recognized as a pay TV leader in providing HD, On Demand, HD On Demand and online advanced services for its STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX brands. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation and is attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group (NASDAQ: LSTZA).
Luna Lovegood Actress Endorses Campaign to Make all Harry Potter Chocolate Fair Trade

Boston, MA – As excitement surrounding the last film in the Harry Potter franchise gains momentum, so too does the Harry Potter Alliance’s (HPA) campaign to make all Harry Potter chocolate fair trade. Recently Harry Potter film star Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) joined the over 15,000 signatures by fans for Warner Bros. to ensure that Harry Potter chocolate is not made by child slaves.

“As an actor in the Harry Potter films and as a lifelong fan of the Harry Potter series, it would give me great satisfaction to know that chocolate sold in Harry’s name is consistent with the values in Harry Potter,” said Lynch. “Further, we all want Harry Potter chocolate, and chocolate in general, to have a future. If we do not act in a way that is moral toward cocoa farmers now by ensuring that chocolate is fair trade, we will all pay a price in the future.”

Warner Bros. CEO Barry Meyer responded to the HPA’s “Not In Harry’s Name” campaign in a letter to HPA Executive Director Andrew Slack. “We applaud your commitment to social responsibility and support of those in need,” Meyer said, referring to the HPA’s sending five cargo planes to Haiti and work on anti-genocide advocacy around Sudan. Meyer enclosed Time Warner’s ethical sourcing guidelines, adding, “We welcome any specific information you have that would be contrary to our ethical sourcing activities.”

Following the response, Meyer directed Slack to Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Slack is currently working with the department to address the HPA’s chief concerns, specifically the “F” grade given by the International Labor Rights Forum to the company that sells Harry Potter Chocolate. The rating is based on comprehensive human rights criteria.

Slack has presented on the “Not in Harry’s Name” campaign to former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connnor as well as distinguished leaders in academia, business, and entertainment with an encouraging response.

The campaign has not gone unnoticed. “Forging strong partnerships among governments, the private sector, and civil society will be critical to the future of the anti-trafficking movement,” said U.S. State Department Ambassador-at-Large Luis CdeBaca. “I applaud Warner Brothers for their leadership in this effort to combat forced child labor.”

“I commend Warner Bros. for listening to the concerns of the Harry Potter Alliance. Their ethical sourcing guidelines put them and their parent company Time Warner a cut above average for taking seriously the need for responsible sourcing,” says Slack. “The cocoa industry’s connection to child labor is in direct contradiction to these guidelines, to the morals and messages within Harry Potter and the Harry Potter brand. We believe that our campaign presents a win-win for everyone. The Harry Potter Alliance has brought together a rapidly growing number of people eager to buy Harry Potter chocolate should it fall under the Fair Trade label.”

“Like any well-run business, Warner Bros. should listen closely to its target audience,” said Simon Billenness, a corporate responsibility consultant and advisor to the Harry Potter Alliance. “The fans of Harry Potter have alerted Warner Bros. of the risk to the company’s reputation and business from any association with child labor in the cocoa industry. Moreover, the Harry Potter Alliance has proposed a workable solution: sourcing Fair Trade Certified chocolate.”
CLAIM YOUR TURF

Ross & Edward’s Gorgeous Oversized Hardcover Includes Lots of Extras

Berkeley, CA – 15 June 2011 – The flappers, mobsters, vampires and aliens of Jonathan Ross and Tommy Lee Edwards' comic book masterpiece will soon all be bound together in one beautiful hardcover TURF collection. Readers will get their hands on this completely out-of-this-world book next month, and the creators have thrown in plenty of extras for fans to look forward to.

Besides the entire run of the critically acclaimed and distinctive story of TURF (issues #1-5), this tome’s generous extras begin with a thoughtful introduction by writer Mark Millar (Kick-Ass), as well as concept art and behind-the-scenes process photos. Not only that, but this all-inclusive hardcover edition contains one of the most impressive displays of comics prowess today, with a gallery of pin-ups and covers by comics legends such as Jim Steranko, William Stout, Michael Kaluta, Dave Gibbons and Duncan Fegredo.

"I feel very privileged to have my work collected in such a manner,” said Edwards. “TURF is such a dense character driven story, and I'm glad that people will get the chance to digest it all in one beautifully designed volume. Plus, I selfishly enjoy seeing the art oversized like this."

Not only have some of the best artists in comics contributed their work to the series, TURF has garnered the respect and appreciation of some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed creators.

"TURF is unlike anything you've ever seen. A magnificent 5-course meal served in a single platter. Ruthless Gangsters, Leaping Vampires, Biomechanical Aliens all converge in a Turf war of Cosmic scope. It's not surprising to see a multicultural collision like this come out of Mr. Ross and Mr. Edwards' brains, what is shocking is that it works so well. Fast-paced, efficiently told and quite addictive!!" – Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth)

"Before it came out, I think most of us had TURF pegged as a novelty. After all, Jonathan Ross is famous for many things, but writing comics isn't one of them. We were wrong. It's an audacious story excellently told that makes the most of the comics medium - in this case the art of Tommy Lee Edwards, a man up to the demands of gangster-vampire-alien-what-the-hell that Ross's tale demands. Jonathan Ross is not a novelty act at all. He's here to stay." -- Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Good Omens)

In TURF, everyone is vying to stake their claim on a younger New York in the blinding glitz and grit of the 1920’s. From the newly immigrated vampiric Dragonmir family, a wise guy named Eddie Falco, a stranded space-alien known as Squeed, and a determined young reporter named Susie, TURF’s ensemble cast are unexpectedly tangled together. By way of unlikely alliances, corrupt authorities and amazing plot twists, this cast of characters careen toward an all-out battle for New York… and their lives!

TURF HC, a 192-page full-color horror/noir/sci-fi comic book for $39.99, will be available at a comic store near you on July 20, 2011. For more information, visit www.TurfComic.com.

ABOUT JONATHAN ROSS

Jonathan Ross is one of the highest profile broadcasters in the UK. He has hosted talk shows on all the major British Channels, and returns with The Jonathan Ross Show on prime time Saturday nights this fall. He has also worked in Radio and has won lots and lots of pretty awards, none of which he knows quite where to put. He received the Stan Lee Best Newcomer Award for TURF. That made him very happy. In a career that spans over twenty years Ross has often been associated with cult entertainment. His award winning series The Incredibly Strange Film Show and it’s sequel, The Son of the Incredibly Strange Film Show won a fan following that remembers them fondly to this day. He was responsible for the first western television interview with Jackie Chan, Tsui Hark and many other leading Hong Kong stars. He has authored programmes on subjects as diverse as Korean Cinema, Drive-Through Funeral parlours in Louisiana and Steve Ditko. He has a collection of comics and original comic book art so large and valuable it frightens even him.

ABOUT TOMMY LEE EDWARDS

After studying film and illustration at the Art Center College of Design, Edwards took the comics industry by storm with his illustrations on such titles as X-Men, Daredevil, Marvel 1985, Batman, and The Question. Proving to be one of the most respected and versatile artists working today, he has also designed video games like Command and Conquer, James Bond, and Prey. Edwards created the licensing style guides for films such as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Men in Black II, Superman Returns, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Batman Begins. For Lucasfilm, he’s created countless pieces for books, merchandise, magazines, and posters. Edwards perhaps feels most at home putting his imagination and storytelling flare to the test while working as a conceptual and storyboard artist for film. He's collaborated with the Hughes Brothers on their Denzel Washington epic The Book of Eli, and has also contributed to the design of upcoming live action productions of Akira and Masters of the Universe. Currently Edwards is hard at work on GOLDEN AGE, his next creator-owned comic with Jonathan Ross.

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.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

COLD WAR IS COOL IN PIGS

McCool, Cosby & Tamura Set to Activate KGB Cuban Sleeper Cell in September

Berkeley, CA – 15 June 2011 – When the second generation of a loyal KGB sleeper cell is given the signal, they must finish the mission that they have been raised their entire lives to complete: overthrow The United States of America, no matter what it takes. Writers Ben McCool (CHOKER, MEMOIR) and Nate Cosby (Jim Henson’s Storyteller) are the creative minds behind this new ongoing series from Image Comics, a character-driven modern espionage thriller entitled PIGS.

The two co-creators enlisted the stylish and gritty storytelling talents of newcomer artist Breno Tamura to deftly handle interiors and an all-star cast to create cover art. Jock (The Losers), Francesco Francavilla (Detective Comics) and Amanda Conner (THE PRO, Power Girl) have already turned out powerful images for the first three covers, and Ben Templesmith (CHOKER, FELL), Humberto Ramos (Crimson, Amazing Spiderman) and Becky Cloonan (Demo, American Virgin) have signed on to contribute cover art as well.

“PIGS is as much a study of these very unique characters as it is a fast-paced, action-packed story of espionage,” explained McCool. “Sure, the Pigs are terrorists, and their mission is set to leave a trail of devastation in their wake. But what if not every member of the group has the same agenda? Is it possible that there's a sleeper within the sleeper cell...?”

"Our goal is to make the reader uncomfortable,” added Cosby. “The ‘heroes’ in PIGS are terrorists that've been trained their entire lives to annihilate your way of life and kill you if necessary. But at the same time, these characters have souls, unique personalities, senses of humor. The book is about the practical application of terrorism, and what it takes for a person to dedicate their life to destruction.”

The five young anti-heroes in PIGS are a band of communist operatives who intend to finish what the previous generation began after the Bay of Pigs invasion. While they may find themselves on the road to successfully completing their potentially catastrophic suicide mission, for the first time in their lives they have also come face-to-face with the reality of the country that they have been trained to hate. The characters of PIGS are human weapons who must decide how or if they can pull the trigger when their moment comes at last.

PIGS #1 (JUL110432), a 32-page full blown, full color espionage comic book for $2.99, is available to order in the July edition of Diamond Previews catalog, and will be at a comic store near you on September 14, 2011.

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.
For Immediate Release

A Werewolf Story in Reverse

Torn is a disturbing action-horror story written by talented newcomer Andrew Constant, and featuring the illustration talents of Nicola Scott and Joh James.

Life is a constant struggle for the leader of the pack. A struggle that has made him strong. Strong enough to provide for his family. Strong enough to protect them. However, providing for them means he’s not always there to protect them from monsters. Monsters like man...

Torn tells of a wolf infected with the most aggressive virus the world has ever seen -humanity - and chronicles his attempts to reclaim the life he once knew and escape the cycle of tragedy.

Andrew Constant makes an impressive debut with Torn, a story that will make you believe horror comics still have teeth.

Nicola Scott is the superstar Australian artist whose work includes Wonder Woman, Secret Six and Birds of Prey for DC Comics.

Joh James’ chaotic style is bursting with energy and unspent rage, perfect for the horror genre. His work includes I.C.E. From 12GaugeComics and Daddy’s Little Girl, a short story published by Marvel.

Torn, a 120 page original graphic novel, is distributed by Diamond Comics in the USA with an RRP of $12.95.

Details at a Glance
shelfdate: 18th August 2011
retail price: $12.95
diamond order code: JUN11 1133
website: www.wolftorn.com
FRIEND SLASH LOVER’S MUSIC TO BE INCLUDED ON SOUNDTRACK SERIES FOR

GATES GRAPHIC NOVEL DUE OUT THIS SUMMER



L.A. based art rockers Friend Slash Lover will be contributing the single “Where Have I Been All My Life” off their debut EP As American As Ones and Zeros along with new material they are currently writing for inclusion in the soundtrack series to Gates; a graphic novel written and illustrated by good friend and Friend Slash Lover fan, Hal Hefner.

“Hal and I are on the same page with a lot of the issues he writes about, so including one of our songs on the Gates soundtrack was a perfect fit. Thematically it works, plus the new recordings are a lot heavier and more energetic. We're combining a live rock band feel with some pulsing synth production techniques. It has elements that might remind you of AC/DC, Silversun Pickups and a little MGMT all mixed together,” comments Friend Slash Lover songsmith and front man Josh Mintz.

Heavy Metal Presents: Gates has worked with artists to create a new soundtrack for the comic, the first from Heavy Metal in over ten years. Readers of the web comic can stream music produced specifically for the comic while on the site.

The full soundtrack will be released for sale digitally on July 19, 2011. All net proceeds from the sale of the soundtrack will be donated to the Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund.”

Gates is the first online comic franchise from adult sci-fi and fantasy magazine Heavy Metal, written and illustrated by Hal Hefner. The weekly comic deals with totalitarian governments, human-animal hybrids and other horrors of science. The epic story centers on a disillusioned young man named Gates, who breaks free from an industrial colony beneath a mountain. What he finds is a lush paradise teeming with life, engineered by organic technology and ruled by the overlord Soloman- who is determined to exterminate what remains of the human race. For more information on Gates and the Gates soundtrack series, visit www.gates.heavymetal.com .



For more information on Friend Slash Lover visit:

www.friendslashlover.com

www.myspace.com/friendslashlover

Twitter: @friendslashluvr

Facebook: Friend Slash Lover
Austin Books & Comics hosts signing event with superstar
DC Comics/GREEN LANTERN comic book artist Doug Mahnke
With partners Regal Cinemas and Time Warner Cable

Austin, TX---Wednesday, June 15, 2011– Austin Books & Comics, Central Texas’s biggest and oldest comics and pop culture retailer, is proud to announce a pair of special Green Lantern events featuring Doug Mahnke, the acclaimed artist of the Green Lantern comic book series from DC Comics, presented in conjunction with promotional partners Regal Cinemas and Time Warner Cable.

Mahnke has been illustrating the monthly adventures Green Lantern written by Geoff Johns, DC Entertainment’s chief creative officer, since the beginning of the critically acclaimed, bestselling storyline, Blackest Night in 2009. Doug is a fan-favorite artist who has worked with some of the most popular writers in the industry including Grant Morrison on FINAL CRISIS and Ed Brubaker on the bestseller Batman: The Man Who Laughs during his legendary career.

Mahnke’s got his start illustrating a moody detective one-shot entitled Homicide, written by John Arcudi. The two went on to collaborate on The Mask for Dark Horse Comics and their creator-owned series Major Bummer, for DC Comics. He then made the jump to working on DC’s iconic super heroes with titles including Superman: The Man of Steel, JLA, Batman, Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein andBlack Adam: The Dark Age.

Bob Wayne, SVP of Sales for DC Comics states, “We are very pleased to see Austin Books & Comics aggressively promoting Green Lantern comics and graphic novels. Doug Mahnke is one of the top artists in the industry and this event gives fans in the Austin area a rare chance to meet this renowned artist in person.”

Austin Books & Comics partner Regal Cinemas will present Green Lantern artist Doug Mahnke on Friday, June 24, 7:30 pm – 10:15 pm, at Regal Gateway with a special pre-and-post Green Lantern film screening Q&A. Attendees simply purchase regular show tickets for the 7:45 pm showing of Green Lantern. Regal Gateway will also host a book signing with Mahnke in their lobby both preceding and following the Green Lantern show.

Brad Bankston, proprietor of Austin Books & Comics, offers “Partnering with Regal has presented us with a unique opportunity to tie a major summer movie release with the Green Lantern comic book series starring the character that inspired the film. We are excited to present a new type of entertainment experience to our Austin customers, featuring DC Comics artist Doug Mahnke for a special film screening with Q&A.”

While at Regal Gateway, Austin Books & Comics will provide special Green Lantern door prizes, plus Green Lantern comic books and merchandise will be available. . As an added promotion during the month of June, Regal Gateway guests can register to win signed Green Lantern comics and more prizes at the Austin Books & Comics lobby display! Also during June and July, every Green Lantern ticket stub from any Regal Cinema theater in Austin gets you a free Green Lantern comic at Austin Books & Comics. RSVP online: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123250664423154.

On Saturday, June 25, 4 pm - 7 pm, Green Lantern fans will have another chance to meet DC Comics comic artist Doug Mahnke in person. Mahnke will be at Austin Books & Comics to meet Green Lantern comic series fans and sign copies of the comics and graphic novels he’s worked on. Participate in our Green Lantern costume contest and you have a chance to win a Regal Cinema family 4-pack. RSVP now:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163894277007413

From June 10 to June 25, event partner Time Warner Cable in Austin will air specially-produced TV spots on a broad cross-section of channels, promoting Mahnke’s first-ever appearance at Austin Books & Comics. OtherGreen Lanternevent partners include Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, Regal Cinemas and SCARE For a CURE. Austin Books & Comics is located at 5002 North Lamar Boulevard.

About Austin Books & Comics
www.austinbooks.com
Central Texas’s biggest and oldest comics and pop culture retailer, AustinBooks & Comics has been in business since 1977. Austin Books & Comics is a multiple Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retail finalist, and was inducted into the Austin Chronicle's 'Best Of’ Hall of Fame. Austin Chronicle has referred to Austin Books & Comics as “the Library of Alexandria of comics,”while Ain’t It Cool News says that Austin Books & Comics is the “one-stop shop for anything comic related.” Austin Books & Comics is proud to host both frequent and surprise celebrity guest signings and events. Partners include Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, Regal Cinemas and SCARE For a CURE.
An Old West where Myth, Monsters and Magic are all real.

Christian Read and Michael Maier ride off into a blood-red sunset with their new supernatural western, The Eltritch Kid:Whisky and Hate, solicited in the June edition of Diamond Comics’ Previews catalogue.

Ten Shoes Dancing is a shaman of the Lakota people. He also happens to be an Oxford scholar. There’s not much work for literature experts in the Old West, so Ten Shoes finds himself working as a hired gun, an escort for a group of pilgrims and settlers heading West.

Out there he finds a man he scarcely believed to be real, the dime novel hero, the Eldritch Kid. With an impossible reputation as a hero and champion, the Eldritch Kid was known for seeking out the dark forces that plagued those newly United States. But is the Kid all he seems? With bad times coming for the wagon train, the price Ten Shoes will pay for the Kid’s help might be too damn high.

“The book came out of my enduring interest in the history of America and specifically, that expansion after the Civil War. But really, I just wanted to tell a story about cowboys. I kept dreaming, actually, of an uncanny man, whose eyes were hidden behind smoked glass with two evil Colt Peacemakers and I knew it wasn’t a straight historical”, says writer Christian Read.

“Michael Maier’s work is so richly textured you can taste it in your mouth. An eerie colour palette and such strange personalities. He’s turned out to be the perfect partner for this project and we’re both looking forward to this morbid cowboy romance.”

The Eldritch Kid: Whisky & Hate is a 112 page Original Graphic Novel, scheduled for publication 11th August 2011.

Details at a Glance
shelfdate: 11th August 2011
retail price: $11.95
diamond order code: JUN11 1132
website: www.eldritchkid.com
NBM SOLICITS:

BUBBLES & GONDOLA
Renaud Dillies
On a background of Django Reinhardt, this jewel of poetic fantasy is a fairy tale for all ages with spot on observations about life. Charlie is a mouse who’s trying to write but has a block. Writing is a solitary endeavor. A bird named Solitude comes to visit him to keep him company. We’re never sure he actually exists but in Charlie’s mind, yet he brings him out into the world, dares him to experience the unknown, unblocking his little existence… A drama about the blank page for Charlie who so wants to make the world more beautiful with his writing, we are transported into a tender and moving tale with a twinge of lyrical melancholy yet sweet, warm and ultimately elevating.
81/2 x11, 80pp., full color hardcover, $16.99. ISBN 978-1-56163-611-2

Here’s a preview page:

more previews

Also:

THE BONEYARD SET VOLUMES 1-4
Richard Moore
All 4 first full color volumes in one specially priced banded set of this popular spoof of horror. Michael Paris has inherited a plot in the remote town of Raven Hollow. As he arrives, he gets to find out what a doozie that is. He’s basically inherited a cemetery that the villagers want razed! Why? It’s haunted with apparently frightening creatures putting a curse on the whole town! But when Paris actually gets to meet some of the denizens of his inherited headache, it turns out they ain’t all that bad (the vamp, in fact, is quite cute) and maybe the evil is not where it may seem…
6×9, 400pp., full color trade pbs., 4 volumes banded set: $49.99, ISBN 978-1-56163-619-8

NEW FROM EUROTICA:

BARBARIAN CHICKS & DEMONS, VOL.4
Hartmann
In medieval times, powerful warrior chicks get their way shamelessly with warlords to powerful demons themselves! Beautifully fully painted artwork. This volume presents 5 stories including Milady training her young nubile underlings, an anthropologist pupil relating to his master his derring-do in getting ancient scrolls which actually involved the sexual exploits of his hired female mercenary Shaya in placating the savages, an abducted Princess chained up, protesting -but loving- the raunchy treatment at the hands of her tormentor before the bungling hero Sir Corwin saves her, and more!
8 1/2 x 11, full color trade pb., $11.95; ISBN 978-1-56163-616-7

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

GRAMMY AWARD NOMINEE JON BRION TO SCORE PARANORMAN FOR LAIKA AND FOCUS FEATURES;

3D STOP-MOTION ANIMATED COMEDY THRILLER ADDS

TUCKER ALBRIZZI, ALEX BORSTEIN, JODELLE FERLAND TO CAST



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



NEW YORK and PORTLAND, OR, June 14th, 2011 – Two-time Grammy Award-nominated composer Jon Brion has signed to create the original score for LAIKA and Focus Features’ animated comedy thriller ParaNorman, currently in production at LAIKA’s Oregon studios for nationwide release by Focus on Friday, August 17th, 2012. Following LAIKA and Focus’ groundbreaking Academy Award-nominated animated feature Coraline, ParaNorman is only the second stop-motion animated feature to be made in 3D. LAIKA President and CEO Travis Knight made the announcement today.



Joining the voice cast of ParaNorman are Tucker Albrizzi (Good Luck Charlie), Alex Borstein (Family Guy), and Jodelle Ferland (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse). ParaNorman is being directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, from Mr. Butler’s original screenplay. Mr. Fell was director of The Tale of Despereaux and Flushed Away. Mr. Butler was storyboard supervisor on Coraline and storyboard artist on Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride.



Mr. Brion’s original score for Focus’ Academy Award-winning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Score Soundtrack Album, among other honors. He was previously a Grammy nominee in the same category for scoring Magnolia. A highly accomplished singer/songwriter, arranger, and conductor, Mr. Brion is renowned for his production work. He holds co-writing credits on albums by such artists as Kanye West, Beck, Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, the Eels, and Dido.



Mr. Knight said, “Jon Brion is so prodigiously gifted it’s almost unseemly. His virtuoso compositions are at once moody and imaginative, clever and subtle. Jon’s inventive, genre-defying musical storytelling will provide the perfect accompaniment to ParaNorman’s groundbreaking visuals and emotionally resonant narrative.”



Mr. Brion stated, “I’ve been waiting for the right animation project for some time now. This production and the people at LAIKA and Focus have an inspiring amount of heart. One can’t help being swept up in the passion.”



In ParaNorman, a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak

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with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all, moronic grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.



In addition to those actors previously mentioned, the voice cast includes Academy Award nominee Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show), Jeff Garlin (Toy Story 3), John Goodman (Monsters, Inc.), Bernard Hill (Titanic), Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), Leslie Mann (Rio), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (How to Train Your Dragon), and Tony and Emmy Award winner Elaine Stritch (30 Rock).



Arianne Sutner, animation producer on The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and Travis Knight are producing ParaNorman. Academy Award winner Brian Van’t Hul (King Kong, Coraline) is the movie’s visual effects supervisor; Emmy Award winner Nelson Lowry (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride) is its production designer; and Tristan Oliver (Fantastic Mr. Fox, the Academy Award-winning Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit) is the director of photography on ParaNorman.



As on Coraline, Focus holds worldwide distribution rights to ParaNorman, and Universal Pictures International will release it overseas. Coraline is Focus’ second-highest-grossing movie of all time, with over $75 million domestically. The picture earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature Film; and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI) with an AFI Award.



About LAIKA

Fueled by the vision of its owner, NIKE Co-Founder and Chairman Phil Knight and its President and CEO Travis Knight, LAIKA Inc. is an animation company specializing in feature films and commercials. LAIKA, located in Portland, Oregon, has a 30-year history of presenting the artistry of award-winning filmmakers, designers, and animators in the field of animated entertainment and commercials. LAIKA’s first feature, Coraline, was released by Focus Features in February 2009 and was the first stop-motion animated feature to be conceived and photographed in stereoscopic 3D. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Outstanding Animated Feature, and won the prestigious Cristal Award at the Annecy International Animation Festival. LAIKA/house is a world-renowned commercial animation studio acclaimed for its skill in storytelling and character performance in a variety of animation media, including 2D, CG, and stop-motion. Its work has garnered the attention of top advertising agencies and has attracted clients such as Starbucks, Apple, Coca-Cola, ESPN, M&Ms, and Planters. For more information about LAIKA, please visit www.laika.com.



About Focus Features

Focus Features and Focus Features International (www.focusfeatures.com) comprise a singular global company. This worldwide studio makes original and daring films that

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challenge the mainstream to embrace and enjoy voices and visions from around the world that deliver global commercial success. The company operates as Focus Features in North America, and as Focus Features International (FFI) in the rest of the world.



In addition to ParaNorman, current and upcoming Focus releases include Mike Mills’ comedy/drama Beginners, starring Ewan McGregor and Academy Award nominee Christopher Plummer; Lone Scherfig’s romance One Day, based on the bestselling novel, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess John Madden’s espionage thriller The Debt, starring Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, and Jessica Chastain; writer/director Dee Rees’ contemporary drama Pariah, which world-premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival; Welcome to Suck City, written and directed by Paul Weitz and starring two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro and Paul Dano; Lorene Scafaria’s pre-apocalyptic comedic romance Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley; Moonrise Kingdom, the new feature from Wes Anderson, starring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Jason Schwartzman; and Tomas Alfredson’s thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Tom Hardy.



Focus Features and Universal Pictures International are part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.
CINEDIGM TO LICENSE ITS THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM TO WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. TO MANAGE NORTH AMERICAN THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION



Cinedigm's TDS software will manage all key aspects of Domestic Movies Distribution



Hollywood, CA, (June 14, 2011) Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp (NASDAQ: CIDM) announced today that Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (“WBEI”) has entered into an agreement to license Cinedigm’s Theatrical Distribution System (“TDS”) to serve as the platform for WBEI’s application to manage key aspects of WBEI’s theatrical distribution to its domestic territories. Application functionality is expected to include release planning, booking, print management, revenue accruals, settlements, payments and reporting. Cinedigm expects that implementation will be completed by fall 2011.



Cinedigm’s TDS is a powerful accounting and release management solution designed specifically for movie distributors of all sizes. TDS streamlines the workflow associated with movie releases, integrates with all other key internal and vendor systems and manages all related transactions and business data, while providing real-time financial and management reporting.
NEAR DEATH IS FULL OF LIFE

Faerber and Guglielmini’s New Ongoing Crime Comic Debuts in September

Berkeley, CA – 14 June 2011 – Can a near death experience change a brutal killer into a better man? That's the question Jay Faerber will be answering this September with NEAR DEATH, an all-new creator-owned crime series illustrated by up-and-coming artist Simone Guglielmini.

In a departure from Faerber's work on long-running superhero titles like NOBLE CAUSES and DYNAMO 5, NEAR DEATH is a crime series fueled by regret: After getting a glimpse of his own disturbing life after death while clinically dead for two minutes, professional killer Markham vows to do whatever it takes to prevent his return to the hell he saw before he was revived. He vows to save as many lives as possible, in the hopes that he can somehow balance the scales of judgement.

“After spending most of my career working on superheroes, I'm really excited to be concentrating on my other favorite genre -- crime fiction,” Faerber explained. “NEAR DEATH features all the things I love about the genre: the grim hero with no first name and a tortured past, brutal action sequences, and characters with shifting morals and loyalties."

Gugielmini added: “I’m having a great time illustrating Jay’s story, because it’s just so engrossing. Sometimes I really get caught up in portraying the action and tension of these pages. This stuff is intense!”

Still more than two months ahead of its release date, the first issue of NEAR DEATH has already received praise from some of comics most celebrated writers:

“NEAR DEATH is a killer new crime book with a very sharp hook. Jay and Simone have pumped some much-needed new blood into the assassin genre. Get it.” – Brian K. Vaughn (Y: THE LAST MAN, Lost)

“Lean, tough and smart, NEAR DEATH grabs you from the very first scene and never lets go. As far as first issues go, this one is near perfect.” – John Layman of (CHEW)

NEAR DEATH #1 (JUL110404), a 32-page full color crime/adventure comic book for $2.99, is available to order in the July edition of Diamond Previews catalog, and will be at a comic store near you on September 21, 2011.

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.
HAUNT POSSESSES NEW CREATIVE TEAM
Joe Casey & Nathan Fox to Lead McFarlane's HAUNT in a Darker New Direction

Berkeley, CA – 14 June 2011 – A few days ago, USAToday announced that beginning with the 19th issue of HAUNT, Robert Kirkman and Greg Capullo will pass the torch to respected comics veterans Joe Casey (BUTCHER BAKER, THE RIGHTEOUS MAKER and GODLAND) and Nathan Fox (BLUE ESTATE, Florescent Black, and Pigeons From Hell). The pair, who previously collaborated on Marvel’s Dark Reign: Zodiac, are prepared to take Todd McFarlane’s HAUNT into even darker territory.

"Haunt is a great character and in the series Daniel and Kurt are really just getting started in the HAUNT legacy and folklore when Joe and I pick up in issue #19," said Fox. "Artistically, I'm beyond excited to transition from where the creative team leaves off in issue #18 and then completely push HAUNT and the series to new extremes. Joe's scripts and vision of where we're headed is pretty rad to say the least, so for me, it is going to be an inspiring and happily busy monthly pace. Stay Tuned!"

"Opportunities like this -- to take over an existing property so early in its existence -- don't come around too often, and we're going to take full advantage," explained Casey. "Todd and Robert created some great characters in the Kilgore brothers and Nathan and I are locked and loaded to put them through hell. So let the games begin...!"

Industry legend and Image Comics founder, McFarlane (SPAWN), who co-created the HAUNT series and will continue to play an editorial role, is confident that the new creative team are more than equal to the task of scaring up some fantastic new storytelling for the series.

"Filling the shoes of Robert Kirkman and Greg Capullo is a hard task, but I feel very fortunate that the new team coming on will keep the book flying high," McFarlane commented. "I see it going down the pathway of the original Spawn book. Haunt is not going away. It’s the second monthly book I’ve put out of my company in 20 years that I intend on seeing all the way through to the end."

HAUNT began with a story of two brothers, Daniel Kilgore, a priest, and Kurt Kilgore, a dangerous secret agent. When Kurt was murdered, his spirit did not leave the mortal world as it should have, but continued to hover around his brother, speaking to him... haunting him. When Daniel himself was attacked, the sudden trauma led him to discover that his recently deceased brother could join with him to become something else… HAUNT.

There are two previously collected volumes of HAUNT, with more issues available monthly. HAUNT #19 (JUL110423), a 32-page full-color horror comic book for $2.99, is available for order in the July edition of the Diamond Previews catalog, and will be in a comic store near you in September.

ABOUT JOE CASEY

Joe Casey is a founding partner of Man of Action Studios, a creative development company formed in 2000 by graphic novelists Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle. Based in Los Angeles and New York, Man Of Action Studios created the popular BEN 10 TV franchise as well as the new series Generator Rex. Currently they are supervising producers/story editors on the upcoming Ultimate Spider-Man animated series premiering in 2012 on Disney/XD. Man of Action wrote the X-Men and Superman comic book series and currently publish their original creations through Image Comics. They wrote the best-selling video games X-Men: Legends for Activision, and Darksiders: Wrath of War for THQ. For more information, visit www.manofaction.tv.
ABOUT NATHAN FOX

Nathan Fox was born in 1975 in Washington D.C.. Raised from the age of five on the suburban outskirts of Houston, an early addiction to Cartoons, Commercials and Video Games led to a lifelong exploration of Narrative Art and the over-stimulation associated with his generation. In the hopes of making such an addiction his full time job, Nathan left Texas for Missouri where he attended the Kansas City Art Institute. What followed over the next four years can only be described as an eye opening experience compared to the somewhat quiet Southern upbringing. The discovery of Anime, Yoshitoshi's Yukiyo-e Prints, Sideshows and Comics would lead him down the happily twisted path he still follows today. After graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1997, Nathan pursued Illustration from Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the next two years with little result. Frustrated with pursuing editorial illustration and working as an offset pressman, he and his wife moved to New York City in 2000 where Nathan attended The School of Visual Arts Illustration As Visual Essay Graduate Program. Those two years of graduate study would prove to be the most fruitful as Nathan has been freelancing full time as an illustrator and storyteller ever since. His work has appeared in The New York Times Newspaper and Magazine, Interview, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Wired, ESPN Magazine, Print, Entertainment Weekly, Mother Jones, Spin, Mad Magazine, MTV Store Windows and Tshirts, Burton US Open 2009, Instant Winner and REAL Skateboards, DC Comics, Vertigo, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel and many other publications and mediums. Future projects include pursuing Comics, Narrative Illustration and Gallery Work. For further information, updates and samples of Nathan's illustration work, Comics, Murals, Skate Decks and more, visit www.foxnathan.com on the World Wide Web.
ABOUT TODD MCFARLANE PRODUCTIONS

Todd McFarlane Productions is the company behind the monthly comic book Spawn. Created by Todd McFarlane, Spawn debuted in May 1992, selling 1.7 million copies, making it the bestselling independent comic book of all time. Spawn is published in nine languages and distributed in more than 32 countries. Currently, TMP releases the long-running Spawn monthly comic now in its 19th year. Other TMP titles include Haunt, Hellspawn, and Sam & Twitch. To find out more about product coming out of TMP, visit www.spawn.com.

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.
For Immediate Release

Dive into the Adventures of a Multicultural Family of Underwater Explorers!

The Deep: Here Be Dragons is a new Graphic Novel from the 2011 Aurealis-Award-winning Gestalt Publishing. The Deep tells the tales of the Nekton family - A multicultural family of daring Aquanauts who live on a submarine.

Written by award-winning writer Tom Taylor (Star Wars: Adventures, Star Wars: Invasion, The Authority, The Example) and illustrated by the incredible James Brouwer, The Deep: Here be Dragons is an original Graphic Novel in which we meet the Nekton family, a family who have been exploring the seas for generations. Here Be Dragons sees the Nekton family aboard their state-of-the-art submarine, The Arronax, following strange reports of monster sightings all the way to Greenland. What they discover in those dark depths may change their perceptions of the ocean forever…

A Diverse Family
Not every family of heroes looks like The Incredibles. With this in mind, The Nekton family members aren’t from anywhere. At no point in The Deep will the Nekton family’s ethnicities or countries of origin come up. Simply put, the sea is huge and covers the globe, and so do the Nekton family.

An All-Ages Adventure
Most graphic novels aren’t geared towards, or attractive to, young people. Similarly, some comics under the ‘all-ages’ heading aren’t for all ages. Comics written for young people often hold little appeal for older ones.

With The Deep, Tom Taylor and James Brouwer, both fathers themselves, have created a story of absolute escapism. A story full of humor, full of action and full of adventure. A story you can share with young people which will hopefully spark their love of comics. An action adventure story not bogged down by tortured pasts, shortcomings and ‘real’ life.

Film studios like Pixar have taught us that so-called kids movies can appeal to everyone - can excite and enthrall everyone - and it’s this ethos that has been brought to The Deep.

Tom Taylor is a multi-award-winning playwright, whose comedy, drama and musical works have been produced across four continents. To date his most well-known comics work has been for Star Wars: Blood Ties, The Authority, Star Wars: Invasion (which was nominated for a 2009 Diamond Gem award), and his adaptation of his play, The Example, for Gestalt Publishing. He is also qualified in Child Care and an ex-professional juggler and fire-eater.
Tom currently resides in Melbourne, Australia.

The Deep is distributed by Diamond Distribution in the USA with an RRP of $9.95

Details at a Glance
shelfdate: 4th August 2011
retail price: $9.95
diamond order code: JUN11 1131
website: www.exploringthedeep.com
DC Comicon is Sunday (Father's Day)! Cho! Hama! Dezago! Starlin! FREE!

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA - June 14, 2011 - Following up on last-year's inaugural DC Comicon at George Mason University, Brett Carreras (the promoter of the VA Comicon) and Marc Nathan (the promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con) have once again joined forces to bring the largest, most important, most FREE show to our fine nation's capital.

Located at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, the DC Comicon will be a collection of the regions FINEST comic books from the 1940's to present, along with the industry's TOP talent...all donating their time to bring the BEST comics and talent to Washington DC for FREE!

Featuring Frank Cho (Award-winning illustrator and writer of Liberty Meadows, Mighty Avengers and more!), Jim Starlin (creator of all things Thanos and Infinity), Todd Dezago (the current Casper relaunch, Tellos, Amazing Spider-Man), Larry Hama (The "Godfather" of GI Joe, and creator of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow) along with his illustrator on the current GI Joe series, SL Gallant...signing with Mr. Hama for the first time!



In an exclusive partnership, the Washington DC Comicon will deliver FREE tickets to EVERY comic retailer in VA, DC and MD on Wednesday, June 15th...and all you have to do is go into your favorite store and ASK for your free tickets!



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With door prizes courtesy of Top Cow, FREE admission, GREAT comic book selection, and less than a 100 mile commute from Richmond, DC, Philadelphia and MORE, along with access to the DC Metro public transit system, the DC Comicon is the EASIEST, and most FREE comic book event EVER on Father's Day.

Visit www.dccomicon.com for more information, including your FREE tickets, travel, parking, artists, publishers, updates and MORE! We will see you there!

Regards,

Brett Carreras (promoter of the VA Comicon www.vacomicon.com)

Marc Nathan (promoter of the Baltimore Comicon (www.baltimorecomiccon.com)

Monday, June 13, 2011

GET CAUGHT UP WITH THESE
DAMN DIRTY APES!

PLANET OF THE APES VOL. 1 TPB
ONLY $9.99
& ISSUE #5 ONLY $1
BOTH ON SALE THE SAME DAY
THIS AUGUST!

SHIPPING THE SAME MONTH AS
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES!


FANS SHOULD PRE-ORDER FROM
THEIR LOCAL COMIC SHOP TODAY!


June 13, 2011 – Los Angeles, CA – This August BOOM! Studios makes sure there's no reason not to get caught up with the sell-out smash hit PLANET OF THE APES comic series! Get your hands on the critically acclaimed first arc with PLANET OF THE APES VOL. 1 TPB for only $9.99! Then kick off the pulse-pounding new arc with PLANET OF THE APES #5 for only $1 – both titles shipping this August. $11 gets you caught up on the all new sci-fi smash hit written by award-winning novelist Daryl Gregory (DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS, and PANDEMONIUM) and drawn by the sensational Carlos Magno (TRANSFORMERS: TALES OF THE FALLEN). Both the trade paperback and the single issue will be on sale the same month as the highly anticipated RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES feature film!

Since mid-April, fans everywhere have been buzzing with the unveiling of the RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES movie trailer! The trailer's premiere unleashed a wave of Apes-mania creating an unprecedented pre-release sell out for PLANET OF THE APES #1 and sending the first issue into second print!

With demand increasing each issue, fans should pre-order both PLANET OF THE APES VOL. 1 TPB and PLANET OF THE APES #5 at their local comic book shop (http://www.comicshoplocator.com) to ensure they get their copies in a timely manner!

Taking place before the original 1968 PLANET OF THE APES movie — but true to the continuity of the first five films — BOOM! Studios' PLANET OF THE APES comic series begins in a time when Ape society reaches a new golden age. But there are ripples of dissent in both the ape and human ranks. Tensions will rise and soon all will be caught in chaos! Amidst all this uncertainty...what is the fate of The Lawgiver?



Since its debut, the PLANET OF THE APES comic series has garnered an avalanche of critical acclaim:


"This is an exciting and gripping story that grabbed me by the nape of the neck and locked me for an intensely uninterrupted read." — Comic Book Resources

“As a fan that takes PLANET OF THE APES seriously, I was pleased with the comic…the art is fitting for capturing the essence of the franchise while also taking it to a new level.” — Comic Vine

“Ape’s never looked so good…just stunning. I was really surprised of the dedication to it, and the re-building of a franchise.”
— Major Spoilers

“It’s a wonderful world, not just worthy of the PLANET OF THE APES name, but better than it.” — Robot 6

“…holds promise for a well-written battle saga.” — Newsarama

“…a compelling drama about a brewing civil war and a clash between classes.” — Eye on Comics

“...you will be very pleased with the high quality that BOOM! has put into this licensed series. They’ve handled it with a lot of respect and it doesn’t come across as cashing in on the name.”
— Player Affinity

“…a fantastic primer for what could be the next epic comic you can’t put down. It’s a good start, and there’s nowhere to go but up.” — Cool O Rama


PLANET OF THE APES VOL. 1 TPB features cover art by Karl Richardson and is written by Daryl Gregory with interior art by Carlos Magno. This title ships in August for only $9.99 and caries a Diamond Code of JUN110954 and an ISBN13 of 978-1-60886-660-1.

PLANET OF THE APES #5 ships with an A and B cover in a 50/50 split by Karl Richardson, and Carlos Magno respectively and a 1-in-10 incentive cover. This title Ships in August for only $1 and carries a Diamond Code of JUN110952.

About BOOM! Studios
Award-winning "Best Publisher" BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) generates a constellation of bestselling comic books and graphic novels with the industry’s top talent, including Mark Waid series IRREDEEMABLE, Stan Lee's SOLDIER ZERO, THE TRAVELER, and STARBORN (the first new series in print from the industry icon in 20 years), new HELLRAISER comics written by Clive Barker as well as 20th Century Fox's PLANET OF THE APES, 28 DAYS LATER, and DIE HARD, Philip K. Dick's DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, and The Henson Company's FARSCAPE. BOOM!'s recently rebranded all-ages imprint, kaboom! will see publication of PEANUTS, SPACE WARPED, Roger Langridge's SNARKED!, Scholastic's WORDGIRL and DUCK TALES, as well as continuing to publish fan-favorite Disney Afternoon series DARKWING DUCK, CHIP 'N' DALE RESCUE RANGERS along with Disney standards MICKEY MOUSE, DONALD DUCK, UNCLE SCROOGE, and WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES.
BLAZING NEW TRAILS TO THE PAST
Palmiotti and Gray Bring Their Unique Western One-Shot to Image Comics

Berkeley, CA – 10 June, 2011 – Jimmy Palmiotti (THE PRO, Painkiller Jane) and Justin Gray (Hawkman, Countdown to Final Crisis) will bring a new kind of western to comic stands next month. Known for years as one the most respected and prolific writer duos in the business, responsible for such acclaimed titles as Jonah Hex, RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE, and the recent TATTERED MAN, the two have joined forces with the art of Jim Daly to publish an all new creator-owned one shot through Image Comics: TRAILBLAZER.

"There is nothing more fun than getting to do a bit of genre mashing," explained Palmiotti. "With TRAILBLAZER, we got to mix action with sci-fi and throw a bit of western into the mix, and the results are one hell of a fun ride. We also got to work with a fantastic crew putting this project together. The covers alone by Dave Johnson and Amanda Conner are just icing on the cake."

"Image is a vital and essential part of the comics landscape providing an alternative publishing opportunity for people looking to create new and original works," added Gray. "This is exactly why Jimmy and I wanted to work with Image to release TRAILBLAZER."

Palmiotti continued: "Working with Image Comics on this book was a dream come true for all of us and we are really proud of the end result. We hope to do more in the future."

TRAILBLAZER illustrates a modern western science fiction story about a hired killer who turns in evidence against an employer for the murder of the woman who raised him. The government must then shield their star informant by enacting Operation Trailblazer, a witness protection program that uses not only location but time travel as well in order to keep their charges safe. As the assassin adjusts to his new life in the old west, he soon finds that no matter when or where he is the future is dead set in coming back to haunt him.

TRAILBLAZER (APR110414), a 48-page full color western science fiction comic book, will be on sale for $5.99 in stores July 6.

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.
'CONAN' ARTIST MIKE HAWTHORNE TALKS ABOUT 'RAISING CRAZY'

Veteran comic creator talks to In Central Pennsylvania about the webcomic

based on his five-year old son.

Cartoonist Mike Hawthorne and drawn them everything from Marvel Comics greats to the underbelly of DC, and done stories with Harvey Pekar and worked on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - but his current project has proven the biggest challenge yet. While he spends his days drawing the Dark Horse comic series Conan: Road of Kings, Hawthorne has struck out on his own with a webcomic chronicling his (mis)adventures raising his five-year-old son Michael called Raising Crazy. After debuting the one-panel gag strip back in February, the regional magazine In Central Pennslyvania picked up on his story and put it on the cover of their May/June 2011 edition on shelves now.

"Cute has become something of a dirty word in our society, usually with good reason, as it tends to refer to the saccharine or overly twee and lacking in any real bite. Not so with Raising Crazy, Mike Hawthorne's single-panel gag strip about dealing with his hyperactive young son," explained Chris Mautner, reporter for Harrisburg, Pa.'s Patriot-News newspaper and writer of the magazine article. "Comics documenting the foibles are a dime a dozen and few of them get it right. Hawthorne's is one of the ones that does, managing to provide just enough "aw shucks" moments leavened with a slyness (and weariness) that comes from observation and experience. That, combined with the fact that he's a local boy made good, made him an easy choice to feature on the cover of In Central Pennsylvania magazine."

Hawthorne has crisscrossed the comics world in the 10+ years he's been in business, from work at Marvel on The Punisher to working at DC's prestigious mature readers imprint Vertigo. Although he keeps busy in the world of comics, he recently expanded his reach into the world of film where he worked as a storyboard artist for the animated movie Hop.

"Mike Hawthorne is a singular talent and can draw literally everything," says Hop's director Chris Bailey. "From the cartoony to the real, from the scary to the thrilling, he does it all with equal aplomb. With Raising Crazy, Hawthorne proves that he can write and draw the charming as well! If Mike wasn't my friend, I would hate him for raising the bar so high."

Comics legend Jerry Ordway sees a bit of himself in Hawthorne's struggles as a parent, but enjoys the webcomic that results.

"What a great idea, and a funny one, to catalogue the moments of a spirited child, in a comic strip," Ordway exclaimed. "Having watched three children of my own grow up, and witnessing similar bizarre moments, I regret not committing them to paper, as Mike has done."

And Tony Moore, who worked with Hawthorne on Marvel's Punisher as well as the independent series Fear Agent, knows how crazy the real boy behind the comic is.

"Mike Hawthorne is one easily one of my favorite cartoonists working today," says Moore. "He's one of the only people I fear as much as I respect and love, which is good because he'll need to be damn tough to survive the beautiful madhouse of his own children."

Raising two children with his wife, Superstar comics writer Matt Fraction (Fear Itself, Invincible Iron Man) sees a lot of himself in Raising Crazy and the stress of dealing with it all.

"The other night, as my child projectile vomited twice in bed, all over his sister, and, again, a third time as I raced him to the bathroom where it went all over me and all over the floor, rather than lose my mind, taking a Silkwood shower, and/or selling the little guy on eBay, I was wholly and entirely at peace. Because I have been reading Raising Crazy. And oh my god it could be so much worse," explained Fraction. "As a daddy to a little maniac of my own, I love this strip more than words. Every father coming down the home stretch of the terrible twos needs to be reading this-- because it gets better. And it gets worse. Way, way, worse."

"By worse I mean "more covered with urine and vomit and kicking and farts." You guys got that, right?"

For more information on Mike Hawthorne and his work, visit http://mikehawthorne.blogspot.com/.