THE RETURN OF NEXUS!

COMING TO DARK HORSE PRESENTS #12!

December 22, MILWAUKIE, OR—Dark Horse Comics announces the return of Nexus in Dark Horse Presents #12.

The fan-favorite title returns with its team of creators, Mike Baron (The Badger) and Steve Rude (The Moth), in their respective positions of writer and artist! Baron and Rude created Nexus in 1981 and have been continuing their canonical tale for thirty years. The Eisner Award winners will craft a brand-new three-part story for readers eager to quench their thirst for what’s next to come in the Nexusverse. 

“The new stories crush anvils,” says Mike Baron. 

“Nexus has never been a stranger to different publishers. Last seen under the Rude Dude banner in 2009, Nexus has stayed in limbo, never quite knowing when to return, or if he ever would return. Things come together in strange ways. With the backing of Mike Richardson of Dark Horse Comics, Nexus will return to comics,” Steve Rude said. “We especially look forward to the response of Nexus’s devoted fans, and thank them for the wonderful support and encouragement they’ve given us since the book’s debut in 1981!”

Dark Horse Presents #12 is on sale May 2012. 

About Dark Horse Comics

Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists.  In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and best-selling prose author Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and the Occultist. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan the Barbarian, Mass Effect, Serenity, and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry’s leading publisher of licensed material.

TWO ALL-NEW TRANSFORMERS SERIES DEBUTING IN JANUARY

“Two Titles, One Universe”

Two Series to follow shattering TRANSFORMERS: THE DEATH OF OPTIMUS PRIME issue in December
 

San Diego, CA (December 21, 2011)— Launching in January, IDW Publishing is proud to offer TRANSFORMERS and comics fans everywhere two new ongoing TRANSFORMERS comics series-- TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE and TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE. Under license from Hasbro, the two interrelated series are a direct continuation of IDW’s CHAOS event and spring directly out of the special TRANSFORMERS: THE DEATH OF OPTIMUS PRIME issue releasing in comic stores and online on December 21st. Both series will appeal to existing TRANSFORMERS fans and new readers. Featuring two great stories under one TRANSFORMERS comic universe, each series offers never-before-seen action, new threats and new villains that both current readers and those new to the series will enjoy.

“The response to the TRANSFORMERS ongoing series has been phenomenal,” says IDW senior editor John Barber. “This relaunch is a chance to jump onboard for anybody who might have been missing out. We’ve got big stories planned, and there’s never been a better time to read TRANSFORMERS.”

Created as a stepping on point for both fans of super-heroic and science fiction comics, as well as fans of the TRANSFORMERS characters, TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE and TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE each explore the new status quo coming out of IDW’s CHAOS event including BUMBLEBEE’s new leadership position for all TRANSFORMERS. The war between AUTOBOT and DECEPTICON is over, and now the hard part begins. In the new world of CYBERTRON, there are only two choices: stay or go.

Helmed by writer James Roberts with art and covers by Nick Roche, RODIMUS calls on his fellow AUTOBOTS to leave CYBERTRON in search of the KNIGHTS OF CYBERTRON in TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE. This lost tribe of TRANSFORMERS characters is, according to legend, the guardian of the original Cybertronian culture and RODIMUS and his followers begin a quest that will stretch to the farthest reaches of the galaxy to find the KNIGHTS and restore CYBERTRON to its past glory.

TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE, written by John Barber, with art and covers by Andrew Griffith, follows BUMBLEBEE and the AUTOBOTS remaining on CYBERTRON. Without OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE finds himself in command of a world gone mad. TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DIGUISE brings readers through the struggle to rebuild CYBERTRON as the AUTOBOTS, DECEPTICONS and civilian TRANSFORMERS, who don’t distinguish between the other two groups, all vie for control.

Each series will feature four interconnecting covers for issue #1. Marcele Matere creates the Cybertronian mosaic for TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DIGUISE, with Alex Milne bringing the explorers to life for TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE.

These two new, action-packed series are the direct result of IDW’s CHAOS event, culminating in December’s TRANSFORMERS: THE DEATH OF OPTIMUS PRIME and TRANSFORMERS #31.

In addition to the print editions, IDW’S TRANSFORMERS comics are available digitally through Apple’s App Store in the free TRANSFORMERS app, which features every TRANSFORMERS comic in one place. Many TRANSFORMERS comics are available in the Sony Digital Comics store.

TRANSFORMERS #31 ($3.99, 32 pages; full color) will be available in December 2011. Diamond order code OCT11 0323.

TRANSFORMERS: THE DEATH OF OPTIMUS PRIME ($3.99, 32 pages; full color) will be available in December 2011. Diamond order code OCT11 0326.

TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE #1 ($3.99, 32 pages; full color) will be available in January 2012. Diamond order code NOV11 0260.

TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE #1 ($3.99, 32 pages; full color) will be available in January 2012. Diamond order code NOV11 0264.

TRANSFORMERS comics are available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch through the Apple App Store.



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.

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 Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Company’s world class brand portfolio. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY. The Hub, Hasbro’s multi-platform joint venture with Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) launched on October 10, 2010. The online home of The Hub is www.hubworld.com. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.  Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. © 2011 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Apple, the Apple logo, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Content purchased from the iTunes Store is for personal lawful use only. Don’t steal music.

POW! ENTERTAINMENT’S STAN LEE TO CREATE NEW SUPERHERO FOR INDIA!

~ Legendary Superhero Creator Announces New Indian Character, “Chakra - The Invincible,”

To be Launched on Liquid Comics’ New ‘Graphic India’ Platform ~

 

 

NEW YORK, NY— December 22, 2011  – Liquid Comics and POW! Entertainment announced today that legendary creator, Stan Lee, co-creator of some of the world’s leading superhero characters (Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, Hulk, Thor, etc.), will be launching an original superhero for the Indian market.

 

Lee, will develop the new superhero with a team of Indian artists working at Liquid Comics, a leading creator of Indian character franchises. It will initially launch as a series of downloadable web & mobile comics distributed throughout India on Liquid’s recently announced ‘Graphic India’ platform and www.graphicindia.comwebsite.

 

Created by Lee, “Chakra - The Invincible,” will be the first Indian superhero created by Lee in collaboration with local Indian artists and writers. Chakra tells the story of the young Indian teenager, Raju Rai, a technology genius living in Mumbai. Determined to use science to unlock the secrets of human potential, Raju develops a technically-enhanced suit that activates the mystical Chakras of the body, unleashing newfound abilities and powers.

 

“Wow!  I’m incredibly excited to be collaborating with my friends at Liquid Comics and their best-in-class team of artists as we launch a great new, thrill-a-minute superhero saga named Chakra - The Invincible,” said Stan Lee, brimming with enthusiasm as he added, "Against the spectacular backdrop of the great Indian metropolis of Mumbai, we tell the incredible saga of Chakra, our daring and dangerous teenage hero.”

 

Stan Lee is one of the most prolific storytellers in the world today, having created iconic characters that have generated billions of dollars at the box office and are known by nearly every man, woman and child on earth,” added Liquid’s Co-Founder & CEO, Sharad Devarajan. “The opportunity to bring Stan’s unparalleled experience of the superhero genre to India and enable him to collaborate with local talents to create a new Indian character is the culmination of a lifelong dream.”

 

“What better way to conceive of a new generation of Indian superheroes than in collaboration with the Godfather of the genre? Watching Stan mingle in the pantheon of great Indian Gods and Goddesses will go down as one of the most coolest times of my life,” added Liquid Co-Founder, Gotham Chopra.

 

Gill Champion, president/CEO of POW! Entertainment said “As we continue our international expansion with focus of launching new entertainment properties in India for 2012, we are thrilled to be partnering with Liquid Comics who are an unrivaled name in the field of digital entertainment and franchise partnerships. Graphic India is certainly a premier platform, and we are thrilled at the prospect of further growing our brand and business opportunities in this market.”              

 

Lee’s first digital comic book story on Chakra will be released for free in April 2012, exclusively on GraphicIndia.com.

 

An exclusive preview of concept art from the series is available online now at: www.graphicindia.com

 

 

 

 

ABOUT LIQUID COMICS & GRAPHIC INDIA:

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, Sharad Devarajan, Gotham Chopra 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 and is creating original graphic novels with acclaimed filmmakers and talents including John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Grant Morrison, Shekhar Kapur, Deepak Chopra, Dave Stewart, Marc Guggenheim, Marcus Nispel, Jonathan Mostow, Edward Burns, Nicolas Cage, John Moore, Wes Craven, Barry Sonnenfeld, Stan Lee and others. The Company currently has a number of film and television projects in development based on their properties.

 

Graphic India is India’s premiere graphic novel platform and community. Launched by Liquid Comics in 2011 the platform showcases Liquid’s large library of high quality content created by Indian creators, while also aggressively commissioning and showcasing numerous original stories by India’s greatest new visionaries. 

www.LiquidComics.com

www.GraphicIndia.com

 

ABOUT POW! ENTERTAINMENT:

POW! Entertainment, Inc., a multi-media and entertainment company, was founded by noted comic book and entertainment figure Stan Lee, together with award-winning producer Gill Champion and intellectual property specialist Arthur Lieberman. POW!’s principals have extensive backgrounds in the entertainment industry encompassing the creation, production and licensing of original intellectual properties, including some of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. POW! is capitalizing on this combined expertise to create and develop both the legacy and digital media components of the entertainment industry. This includes animation and live-action feature films, plus television, DVDs, multi-media, merchandising and related ancillary markets. POW! has established partnerships across the entertainment industry, including studios and networks, for the creation, licensing and distribution of new POW! character franchises. For further information visitwww.powentertainment.com

VIZ MEDIA WRAPS UP 2011 WITH A SECOND DIGITAL MANGA UPDATE FOR DECEMBER

Highlights Include New NARUTO and ONE PIECE Digital First Editions, Debut Of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA Pre-Order & Gift Subscriptions, And An Extended Holiday Manga Sale Offering 20% Off All Titles

VIZ Media concludes the year with a second digital update for December for manga (graphic novels) titles available on VIZManga.com and for digital download on the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad^®, iPhone^® and iPod^® touch.

Highlights for the newest update include the continuation of the SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP, with NARUTO Vol. 57 and ONE PIECE Vol. 62 (both rated ‘T’ for Teens) debuting ahead of the print editions. The DIGITAL WARP is a ‘speed-up’ of selected popular titles to bring U.S. readers up-to-date with Japanese releases, and prepare for the January 2012 launch on VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA, North America’s only near-simultaneous digital manga magazine.

Fans can now pre-order a subscription or give a gift subscription to WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA at SJ.viz.com/preorder. Subscribers to WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA will receive a full year’s subscription (48 issues), an annual collector’s yearbook, and access to exclusive content, including creator interviews and videos. The first interview featuring NARUTO creator Masashi Kishimoto debuts the day WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA launches, on January 30^th.

Finally, don’t miss VIZ Media’s special holiday digital manga promotion, which continues through January 8^th 2012 and offers up to 20% off on ALL manga titles on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App. Catch up on best-loved or band new series with more than 500 volumes now available at a holiday discount. And look for plenty of new digital manga debuts coming soon in 2012!

Additional manga volumes launching during the second-half of December include:

Available now:

ARATA: THE LEGEND Vol. 8

CROSS GAME Vol. 4

HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES Vol. 5

NARUTO Vol. 57 – debuting ahead of the print edition!

Available December 22^nd:

INUYASHA (VIZBIG) Vol. 7 – exclusive to the VIZ Manga App for iPad!

KEKKAISHI Vol. 20

MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX Vol. 8

OISHINBO Vol. 6

ONE PIECE Vol. 62 – debuting ahead of the print edition!

VIZ Media’s multiple digital manga platforms allow for universal access to read manga from an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and now, on VIZManga.com for desktop/laptop computers as well as Android-powered devices with built-in web browsers. With one account, registered users may access their purchases across even more devices than ever.

The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top app for reading manga and features a rapidly growing library of the most popular manga series in the world. Over 45 series and 500+ volumes are currently available, with new additions and free Chapter 1 previews added weekly.

For more information, please visit VIZManga.com or www.VIZ.com/apps. 

For more information on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit SJAlpha.com.

Oscilloscope pushes up Theatrical Release Date for TILDA SWINTON STARRER 'WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN'

Awards momentum and STRONG oscar qualifying run built demand for the

January 13^th and JANUARY 20^TH release

New York, NY (December 21, 2011) - New York-based distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that the company has pushed up the New York theatrical release for the Tilda Swinton starrer WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. Set to play at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and Angelika Film Center, the picture will now open in New York on Friday, January 13^th, 2012 and at the Arclight Hollywood Theater in Los Angeles on Friday, January 20^th, 2012.

A suspenseful and gripping psychological thriller, Lynne Ramsay's WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN explores the factious relationship between a mother and her son. Swinton, in a bracing, tour-de-force performance, plays the mother, Eva, as she contends for 15 years with the increasing malevolence of her first-born child, Kevin (Ezra Miller). Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, the film explores nature vs. nurture on a whole new level as Eva's own culpability is measured against Kevin's innate evilness.

"We had an amazing one-week qualifying run in December where the film's attendance exceeded even our highest expectations. The reviews were stellar and the word of mouth is only growing. It's an intense psychological thriller that audiences feel the need to talk about afterwards. By definition this is an ideal 'Word of Mouth' film," said David Fenkel, President of Oscilloscope Laboratories. "Theaters are excited to have a quality arthouse genre film to bring in younger audiences"

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN has already garnered several accolades and nominations this awards season, including numerous BEST ACTRESS recognitions for its lead star Tilda Swinton:

National Board of Review (WINNER - BEST ACTRESS)

Golden Globes (NOMINEE - BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA)

Screen Actors Guild (BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE)

European Film Awards (WINNER - BEST ACTRESS)

British Independent Film Awards (WINNER - BEST DIRECTOR)

San Francisco Film Critics (WINNER - BEST ACTRESS)

Women Film Critics Circle (WINNER - BEST FILM BY A WOMAN)

Houston Film Critics (WINNER - BEST ACTRESS)

Broadcast Film Critics Awards (NOMINEE - BEST ACTRESS)

British Independent Film Awards (NOMINEE - BEST ACTRESS)

British Independent Film Awards (NOMINEE - BEST FILM)

British Independent Film Awards (NOMINEE - BEST SCREENPLAY)

London Film Critics Circle (NOMINEE - BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR)

London Film Critics Circle (NOMINEE - ACTRESS OF THE YEAR)

London Film Critics CIRCLE (NOMINEE - DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR)

Washington DC Film Critics (NOMINEE - BEST ACTRESS)

San Diego Film Critics (NOMINEE - BEST ACTRESS)

Indiana Film Critics (NOMINEE - BEST ACTRESS)

About Oscilloscope Laboratories:

Oscilloscope Laboratories is a film production and theatrical distribution entity launched in 2008 by Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys. Yauch modeled the company after the indie record labels he grew up around, selecting and marketing films with the same artistic integrity with which they were made.  The company, which is an extension of Yauch's recording studio of the same name, has an in-house DVD distribution and production arm, and its paper packaging is reminiscent of the heyday of LP record jackets. All of the company's plastic-free DVD packaging is printed on FSC Certified 80% post-consumer waste paper and produced in a carbon-neutral hydroelectric plant.  

Other Oscilloscope theatrical releases include Yauch's GUNNIN' FOR THAT #1 SPOT, Irena Salina's FLOW, Kelly Reichardt's WENDY AND LUCY starring Michelle Williams, So Yong Kim's TREELESS MOUNTAIN, the Academy Award®-nominated THE GARDEN from Scott Hamilton Kennedy, Anders Østergaard's Academy Award®-nominated BURMA VJ, Nati Baratz's UNMISTAKEN CHILD, Oren Moverman's Academy Award®-nominated THE MESSENGER starring Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, and Samantha Morton, Henrik Ruben Genz's Danish thriller TERRIBLY HAPPY, Michel Gondry's personal family documentary THE THORN IN THE HEART, Jules Dassin's classic THE LAW, Yael Hersonski's award-winning WWII documentary A FILM UNFINISHED, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's HOWL starring James Franco as Allen Ginsberg, Jalmari Helander's Christmas fantasy RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE, Academy Award®-nominated director Dana Adam Shapiro's MONOGAMY starring Chris Messina and Rashida Jones, Kelly Reichardt's Western drama MEEK'S CUTOFF starring Michelle Williams, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Marshall Curry's IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT, and Andrea Nevins' punk rock dad doc THE OTHER F WORD. Upcoming releases include Lynne Ramsay's WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, and Ezra Miller, and Andrea Arnold's WUTHERING HEIGHTS.

HESTER BEGINS THE COUNTDOWN TO DARKNESS 100!

Top Cow's The Darkness Concludes Phil Hester's Run With Issue 100 in 2012

Berkeley, CA – 21 December 2011 – Writer Phil Hester has taken the Darkness bearer, Jackie Estacado, from the height of power and influence to the pits of despair and everywhere in between in his four year run on THE DARKNESS. This month with the release of THE DARKNESS #96, Hester begins his final arc, appropriately titled “Total Darkness,” leading up to the landmark 100th issue.

Jackie Estacado has been blessed and cursed with the ancient power of the primal force known only as the Darkness since his 21st birthday. Since then he has always tread his own path, never fully hero nor villain; choosing to live in a world of gray rather than light or dark. Now, the Darkness and its rebellious bearer are finally fully at odds and left with no other recourse, Estacado plunges himself into the Darkness’ home dimension to confront the very source of his power. Will Estacado be able to triumph over a being older than time itself in his greatest conflict? Or will the Darkness find a new, more malleable host? 

“This is the story I've been building to since I started on the book,” explained Hester. “There's a huge dissonance at the heart of Jackie Estacado's existence: How can he wield unimaginable power, yet still be a slave to its source? How can he ever know if his character is genuine, or simply the affectations of The Darkness? That conflict is resolved in my final arc when Jackie confronts The Darkness for the final time, and on its own turf.”

The “Total Darkness” story arc will run from issue #96 to the over-sized issue #100 in February. Issue #100 will also serve as Phil Hester’s final issue on the series, concluding his 36 issue epic exploration of Jackie Estacado. Joining Hester for his final arc will be artists Romano Molenaar (THE DARKNESS II: CONFESSION) and Leandro Oliviera (Superman). 

Phil Hester added, “The lords of comic book hype keep ringing that 'things will never be the same' bell, but at Top Cow real change is still possible. My last run on THE DARKNESS is proof.”

THE DARKNESS #96 (JAN120502), a 32-page full-color supernatural horror comic book for $2.99, will be on sale in stores and digital platforms on December 21 and will be available for order in the March issue of Previews. The issue will ship with two covers, one by regular cover artist Jeremy Haun (AUG110515) and one from Sheldon Mitchell (AUG110516). For more information, please visit www.topcow.com.

ABOUT TOP COW PRODUCTIONS INC. 

Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise,WITCHBLADE, was TNT’s #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008.WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow’s other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. A second game is slated for release from 2K Games in the Fall of 2011. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow’s other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games.

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.

RICHIE RICH® COMICS GO DIGITAL!

First-Ever Richie Rich® Digital Comic Series Debuts in the App Store

SAN DIEGO, CA – December 19, 2011 – Ape Entertainment and Classic Media, a global media company with a portfolio of some of the world’s leading family entertainment brands including Casper the Friendly Ghost® and Where’s Waldo?®, today announced the digital comic debut of Richie Rich®, “the poor little rich boy,” in the Apple App store. The app will feature the digitally restored and color corrected original master copies of the comic as well as new adventures under the title of Rich Rescue for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.
Developed by Ape Entertainment’s digital partner iVerse Media, the Richie Rich digital comic app is free to download and features a preview of the first issue at no additional cost. The app includes four full-color issues of the all-new Rich Rescue series for $1.99 each and the Richie Rich Classics series for $.99, each with a color cover, one 5-page story in color and the rest in classic black and white.
Ape Entertainment’s new Rich Rescue series features an updated look that emphasizes the character’s altruistic side as the world’s richest kid becomes a globe-trotting adventurer who uses his wealth to help people in need around the world. These new adventures are available digitally within the app as well as in print at local comic book shops nationwide.
“I grew up reading Richie Rich comic books and am proud that Ape Entertainment is now offering the first-ever digital version of this classic on iOS,” said Brent E. Erwin, Ape Co-Publisher. “Working with Classic Media and iVerse has been an extremely great experience and we’re looking forward to offering fans another way to enjoy Richie Rich.”
The first four new adventures include:

• Richie Rich®: Rich Rescue, Issue #1: “The Boon Under The Bay!” – Story by Bill Williams, Art by Marcelo Ferreira & Dustin Evans, Cover by Jack Lawrence – After learning of a long lost treasure buried deep beneath the waters of the pacific south coast, Richie and the gang investigate, only to learn that there are other interested parties privy to the prizes, including a mysterious enemy and his band of modern day pirates! Also included: A brand new ‘classic style’ Richie Rich story “Of Demise and Men” by his creator, Sid Jacobson with art by Ernie Colon and more Rich Rescue stories, “Welcome to Rich Rescue” and “Professor Keenbean’s Corner”
  
• Richie Rich®: Rich Rescue, Issue #2: “The Pursuit of Pesos!” – Story by Buddy Scalera, Art by Marcelo Ferreira & Dustin Evans, Cover by Jack Lawrence – While on a mission in South America, Richie and the gang stumble on a map that leads to ancient ruins and a conquistador’s mystical, long-hidden treasure! When Reggie accidentally triggers an ancient time traveling device, it launches the crew back to the time when the ruins were first built…and dinosaurs ruled the Earth! Will Richie Rich be able to figure out how to get the gang back to the present, or will they be trapped in the past…forever! Also included: “Ma Ma My iRona”, “Hello Fellow Hostages, Are You Ready to Rock?”, and another “Professor Keenbean’s Corner”
  
• Richie Rich®: Rich Rescue, Issue #3: “Just Desserts Deserts” - Story by Quinn Johnson, Art by James Silvani & Jake Myers, Cover by Jack Lawrence –While exploring Egypt, Richie and the gang find a previously undiscovered pyramid…built upside-down into the ground! Traveling into the inverted wonder is not easy, and making it even more difficult is an army of undead mummies….mummies who may never have been human to begin with! Also included: “Laughter is Not Always the Best Medicine”, “Uncommon Cents” and another “Professor Keenbean’s Corner”
  
• Richie Rich®: Rich Rescue, Issue #4: “Yen for a Yeti!” - Story by Jason M. Burns & Nate Sharir, Art by Marcelo Ferreira & Dustin Evans, Cover by Jack Lawrence –While hiking through the snowy Himalayas, Richie and the gang uncover a group of exotic animal poachers who have captured the elusive Yeti for profit. Vowing to rescue the creature and return it to the wild, the team learns the hard way that they aren’t the only ones interested in freeing the creature. They must contend, not only with the poachers, but with a mystic order of ninja monks! Also included: “Give a Dog a Bone,” another “Professor Keenbean’s Corner” and an all-new ‘classic style’ Richie Rich story by his creator, Sid Jacobson “Unhappy…uh, HAPPY Birthday!”
  

With the addition of app enhancements, included in the digital downloads of the comics to assist consumers in locating their nearest comic book retailer, Ape hopes that Richie Rich will inspire new readers to discover the exciting world of comics through their local comic book shops.
For more information, please visit http://www.ApeComics.com or www.KiZoic.com.Art available at  http://www.apeprinting.com/images/Richie_Rich_App_Icon.jpg

About Richie Rich®

A born leader with a heart of gold, Richie Rich made his comic book debut in 1953 and went on to headline his own comic book series, syndicated comic strip, and animated TV series.  With more than fifty comic titles and 2,000 issues under his name, Richie Rich is one of the most published cartoons of all time. The world’s richest kid was also the star of a live-action feature film and direct-to-video sequel from Warner Bros. Pictures in 1994.

About Ape Entertainment

Founded in 2003, Ape Entertainment is the brainchild of lifelong comic book devotees David Hedgecock, and Brent E. Erwin.  Ape Entertainment is the comic book home to innovative new titles as LITTLE GREEN MEN, SCOUTS, and HEROIC.  Ape is also the North American publisher for licensed properties SHREK, THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, KUNG FU PANDA, RICHIE RICH, CASPER, STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, and CUT THE ROPE. Visit Ape Entertainment online at http://www.ApeComics.com.
About Classic Media
Classic Media, one of the world’s largest independent entertainment companies, is a leader in reinventing the classics of yesterday and creating the entertainment classics of tomorrow. The Company owns and manages a globally-recognized portfolio of well-known family and pop-culture entertainment brands, including Casper the Friendly Ghost®, Where’s Waldo?®, Lassie®, The Lone Ranger®, and new brand Life With Boys™. Big Idea Entertainment, a member of the Classic Media family, is the leading faith-based studio and producer of children’s programming, including the best-selling animated series, VeggieTales®. Classic Media programming is distributed in more than 170 territories worldwide and showcased in multiple formats, including TV, film, home video, consumer products, publishing, digital, and music.  Visit us at www.classicmedia.tv

BARNES & NOBLE AND VIZ MEDIA

BRING THE DIGITAL MANGA EXPERIENCE TO

NOOK TABLET™ AND NOOK COLOR™

Titles From Leading Manga Publisher Debut Today Exclusively On Barnes & Noble’s 7-Inch NOOK^© Devices

Presented In The Original Japanese Right-To-Left Reading Format

New York, New York – December 20, 2011 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer of digital media and educational products, today announced that it has teamed up with VIZ Media, LLC, the largest distributor and publisher of anime and manga in North America, to bring the digital manga (graphic novel) experience to NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color customers. Debuting in the NOOK Store™ today, VIZ Media’s collection includes 18 series, featuring 107 volumes, from its popular Shojo Beat, Shonen Sunday and VIZ Signature imprints. Volumes are available for purchase and fast download in the U.S. and Canada for $4.99 - $9.99 (U.S. / CAN) each. New digital manga volumes, including previews, will be available weekly.

Viewing manga on NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color is authentic thanks to Barnes & Noble’s newly implemented technology that formats manga in its original right-to-left reading order. Read your favorite graphic novels on the award-winning NOOK 7-inch devices, which feature a full-color VividView™ touchscreen. NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color also give you access to the world’s largest digital bookstore, popular movies, TV shows, music and more through the top entertainment services, as well as a collection of high-quality apps, fast Web browsing and email.

Over its 25 year history, VIZ Media has led the transformation of manga and anime from a niche category into a mass media phenomenon, telling stories that resonate with audiences and fans all over North America. The VIZ Media library includes global hits like BLACK BIRD, BLEACH, CROSS GAME, KEKKAISHI, NARUTO and VAMPIRE KNIGHT.

“NOOK Tablet  and NOOK Color are ideal devices for our customers to enjoy manga in stunning high resolution color that virtually makes the action leap off the page,” said Theresa Horner, Vice President of Digital Content for Barnes & Noble. “We’re excited to work with VIZ Media to offer NOOK customers access to some of the most popular manga titles available in North America.”

“The Barnes & Noble team and VIZ Media have put together a fantastic manga reading experience by giving NOOK customers full control of their reading experience with the ability to pinch and zoom to dive into the tiniest details” says Alvin Lu, Senior Vice President and General Manager of VIZ Media. “Barnes & Noble has been a major partner with VIZ Media for many years in growing the North American print manga market, and we’re very excited to expand our relationship to make our vast digital library of manga titles available to NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color customers. Over 100 volumes will be available at launch and we look forward to quickly expanding these selections to more than 500 in the coming months.”

The following manga titles are available today with many more coming:

Absolute Boyfriend Vols. 1-6 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

Arata: The Legend Vols. 1-8 ·  Rated “T” for Teens

Backstage Prince Vols. 1 & 2 ·  Rated “T” for Teens

Beast Master Vols. 1-2 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

Black Bird Vols. 1-11 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

Children of the Sea Vols. 1-4 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

Cross Game Vols. 1-4 ·  Rated “T” for Teens

Dengeki Daisy Vols. 1-7 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

Fushigi Yugi: Genbu KaidEn Vols. 1-9 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

House of Five Leaves Vols. 1-5 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

Hyde & Closer Vols. 1-6 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

I'll Give It My All...Tomorrow Vols. 1-4 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

Kekkaishi Vols. 1-19 ·  Rated “T” for Teens

Maoh: Juvenile remix Vols. 1-7 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

not simple ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

Oishinbo Vols. 1-5 ·  Rated “T” for Teens

Saturn Apartments Vols. 1-4 ·  Rated “T” for Teens

Solanin ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

What A Wonderful World! Vols. 1 & 2 ·  Rated “T+” for Older Teens

For more information on VIZ Media manga titles, please visit www.VIZ.com.

For more information on NOOK, please visit www.nook.com.

To purchase VIZ Media manga titles for the NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color, please visit the NOOK Book Store at www.barnesandnoble.com/u/NOOK-Comics-Graphic-Novels-Manga/379003302/

COURTNEY CRUMRIN IN COLOR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEW SPECIAL EDITION HARDCOVER REPRINTS

Ten years ago Oni Press brought fans the magical world of Ted Naifeh's Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things. The series quickly became a favorite amongst fans, enticing new readers to comics while giving existing comic book aficionados something new and fresh to get excited about. Spending a decade amongst the goblins and ghouls is a tall order for any girl, but one that Courtney is more than equipped to handle. To celebrate her 10th anniversary, Oni Press will be reprinting Naifeh's perennial series as special edition prestige hardcovers.  And, for the first time in Courtney's history, fans will get to see their favorite spell slinger in full color! 

Courtney Crumrin, Volume 1: The Night Things, Special Edition will be on store shelves April, 2012. Volume 1 kickstarts a full reprint program with new colored special edition hardcovers of all the original Courtney Crumrin books to follow. Naifeh has returned to his beloved series to remaster the material, working closely with colorist Warren Wucinich (Rascal Raccoon's Raging Revenge, Jam!) to create a spooky palette that accentuates what everyone loved about the original black-and-white art while providing a completely different way of seeing Naifeh's fully realized world.

“Readers love Courtney Crumrin for how vividly Ted renders the magical world he has dreamed up,” said Oni Press editor Jill Beaton. “The original versions were wonderful and Ted is one of those cartoonists who really understands how to use black ink on a white page. Despite the level of detail, he avoided over-rendering his drawings, meaning that the work is still open and has room to breathe. It also means there is space for color. Warren is highlighting what is already there, filling in an extra dimension that previously was left to the reader.”

In addition to the color treatment, Oni Press' art director, Keith Wood, is pulling out all the stops to make the Courtney Crumrin, Volume 1: The Night Things, Special Edition truly special. “In talking with Ted about what we wanted to do with the hardcover,” Wood said, “he told me that it should look like a book you'd find on Uncle Aloysius' bookshelf, something Courtney might stumble on when snooping around his office. It's going to be a cool object as well as a good read.”

“I'm proud of what we've accomplished with Courtney Crumrin,” concluded Ted Naifeh. “It's been ten wonderful, creative years, and I'm happy to have done it at Oni Press. The fans have shown us tremendous support, and I hope they will enjoy the chance to relive these adventures with a brand-new hue.”

Courtney Crumrin, Volume 1: The Night Things, Special Edition features a special silver ink, embossed cover, and an old-fashioned ribbon bookmark placed in the sewn spine. The 136-page, 6” x 9”, graphic novel will retail for $19.99 and debuts April 2012.