NAMCO BANDAI GAMES AMERICA INC. ANNOUNCES DARK SOULS:

Artorias of the Abyss DLC FOR CONSOLES

New Dark Souls content coming to Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Network;

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition available on PC via Steam and Games for Windows -- LIVE

SAN JOSE, Calif. (June 1, 2012) – Leading videogame publisher, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today announced the Dark Souls®: Artorias of the Abyss downloadable content (DLC) pack for Dark Souls®, the critically acclaimed action role-playing game (RPG) developed by FromSoftware. The DLC pack will be available this winter in North America for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft through Xbox LIVE® for 1200 Microsoft Points and on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system through the PlayStation®Network for $14.99. Dark Souls®: Prepare to Die™ Edition for PC will be able for purchase in North America through Steam and Games for Windows® -- LIVE beginning August 24.

Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss for consoles and Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition for PCs will include sprawling new maps and environments, new boss characters, enemies, non-player characters (NPCs), an arsenal of new weapons and armor and additional challenging content for stalwart heroes to face as they return to the deadly world of Lordran. Players will also experience an untold chapter in Dark Souls. Darkness born in the forests of Oolacile is expanding and engulfing the kingdom and all of its people. Only the strongest players will be able to stop the spread of darkness.

Both titles will include an online match-making feature that creates one vs.one, two vs. two and four-player battle royale scenarios; allowing gamers to showcase their skills against other Dark Souls players around the world.

“Dark Souls fans are a highly determined group of gamers, they’ve earned their stripes through countless melee encounters and challenging boss battles; releasing new content with Artorias of the Abyss will extend their adventures even further,” says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “NAMCO BANDAI has also been actively listening to the PC community and we are excited bring Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition to PC gamers via Steam and Games for Widows Live.”

The tense dungeon crawler, dragon brawler, features fearsome enemy encounters in an intertwined world full of extreme battles, rewarding challenges, nuanced weaponry and magic, and the flexibility to customize each character to suit any desired play style. The innovative online component allows gamers to draw from the collective experience of the Dark Souls community as they either help or sabotage each other on the journey through the world of Lordran to save the land from darkness. With a massive, open world design, Dark Souls encourages deep exploration and an adaptable gameplay experience.
Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss will be available this winter in North America for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition will be available in North America and Europe on August 24, 2012 on PC through Steam and Games for Windows Live. For more information on both titles, please be sure to visit www.PrepareToDie.com and www.facebook.com/DarkSouls.

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES NEW SPACE BATTLE FANTASY MANGA SERIES BARRAGE IN WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA JUNE 4^TH ISSUE

New Series Kicks Off In North America Just Two Weeks After Japanese Debut

Leading manga publisher VIZ Media thrilled fans last weekend during its panel discussion at the FanimeCon 2012 anime convention with the announcement of the launch of the new manga (graphic novel) series – BARRAGE – in the company’s digital WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA magazine beginning Monday, June 4^th. New chapters of BARRAGE will debut every week.

BARRAGE is an exciting space battle fantasy series by creator Kouhei Horikoshi that just debuted in Japan in Weekly Shonen Jump on May 21^st. The series is set on a planet called Industria, which is in a state of chaos, and its fate lays in the hands of Astro, a kid from the slums!

Each new digital edition of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA treats manga fans across North America to the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series only two weeks after they debut in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine.

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA is available through an annual membership that provides 52 weeks of digital access to 48 weekly issues for just $25.99. Single issues of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA can be read for four weeks for only $0.99. Each issue may be read on VIZManga.com/sj-weekly, and also on the updated VIZ Manga App for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA members also receive an annual collector’s yearbook, 4 Yu-Gi-Oh! cards throughout the year delivered to your door, and access to exclusive content, including creator interviews and exclusive videos.

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

###

SENSEI NO BARRAGE © 2012 by Kouhei Horikoshi/SHUEISHA Inc.

A DARK CROP IN HARVEST

New miniseries from Image/Shadowline in August

Who gets to live? Who has to die? In the underworld of illegal organ harvesting depicted in the new Image Comics/Shadowline miniseries HARVEST, money answers that question — and Dr. Ben Dane is determined to change that. But as writer A.J. Lieberman and artist Colin Lorimer will show in the August 1 release of HARVEST's first of five issues, Dr. Ben's motives aren't entirely pure.

Lieberman (COWBOY NINJA VIKING, TERM LIFE) and Lorimer (Dark Horse Presents) delve into the dark trade with the story of a drug-addicted ex-surgeon with a bent take on how to right past wrongs.  Framed for murder by Jason Craven, his former boss in the harvesting trade, Dr. Ben decides to exact revenge by making house calls on his former "patients" to take back the organs — and the years of life — their money bought them. Helping Ben are Mariko, a Yakuza enforcer, and a six-year-old boy named Noah.

"I'm not really spoiling anything in saying that Noah is really the personification of Ben's subconscious," said Lieberman in a May 29 interview at Comic Book Resources. "But both characters help keep Ben alive as he stumbles around trying to do something in this world that is larger than himself, something meaningful. And trust me when I say this, most of the time Ben f―s it all up."

Lorimer provides visuals for the HARVEST with heavy black shadows, gritty environments, and plenty of dark atmosphere.

"The story always dictates the style," said Lorimer in the CBR interview. "It's quite a dark tale so I tried to keep it quite muted in tone and in places dirtied up the art to give it a little added texture."

HARVEST is a five-issue full-color miniseries, debuting on August 1. Its first issue is available for pre-order now from the June issue of Previews (JUN120439.)

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.

EXTERMINATION #1
GOES TO SECOND PRINT!

May 31st, 2012 - Los Angeles, CA - BOOM! Studios is proud to announce that EXTERMINATION #1 has gone to second print 7 days before its release on June 6th!

EXTERMINATION #1 features writer Simon Spurrier (X-CLUB, CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE, WOLVERINE: DANGEROUS GAMES) and hot newcomer Jeffrey Edwards on the art. EXTERMINATION #1 second print is now available from Diamond Comic Distributors.  This new ongoing series debuts June 6th with a full first issue for only $1!

Comic book fans should keep in mind first printings of EXTERMINATION #1 may still be found at the local comic shop nearest you. Not sure where to find your nearest comic retailer? Use www.comicshoplocator.com to find one!

WE LOST. THEY WON. In the wake of an apocalyptic alien invasion, the world’s greatest super-heroes and deadliest super villains must form an alliance despite their bitter pasts. Arch-enemies Nox, a driven hero, and Red Reaper, a ruthless villain, enter into a volatile partnership for the greater good. What happens when battle lines are redrawn and foes become unlikely allies in a desperate war for the fate of the planet --and of the human race?

EXTERMINATION #1 second print ships with a must- have all new cover drawn by Kalman Andrasofszky with colors by Nolan Woodard.

About BOOM! Studios
Founded by Ross Richie, 2009 and 2010's "Best Publisher" BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) generates a constellation of bestselling Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic books and graphic novels with the industry's top talent, including Mark Waid's IRREDEEMABLE, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s HYPERNATURALS, new HELLRAISER comics written by Clive Barker, PLANET OF THE APES, and Sam Humphreys’ HIGHER EARTH. BOOM!'s all ages imprint KaBOOM! publishes Charles Schulz' PEANUTS, Jim Davis’ GARFIELD, Cartoon Network's ADVENTURE TIME, and 20th Century Fox’ ICE AGE. BOOM!'s lit comix-focused imprint, BOOM! Town, recently won the Eisner Award for its first book, Shannon Wheeler's I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER, and just released SPACE DUCKS, the first comic book from indie musician legend Daniel Johnston.

MAY'S FIFTH WEDNESDAY PRODUCES SELL-OUTS

GRIM LEAPER #1 and AMERICA'S GOT POWERS #2 get 2nd printings

May 30 was a "Fifth Wednesday," giving comics readers an extra week in May to pick up new comics. They — and comics retailers — responded by snapping up the debut of the new Image Comics/Shadowline miniseries GRIM LEAPER by Kurtis J. Wiebe (PETER PANZERFAUST, DEBRIS) and Aluisio Santos and the highly anticipated second issue of AMERICA'S GOT POWERS by Jonathan Ross and Bryan Hitch.

Both issues have sold out, and both the second printing of GRIM LEAPER #1 (APR128252) and the second printing of AMERICA'S GOT POWERS #2 (APR128259) will be in stores on June 27, the same day as GRIM LEAPER #2 and AMERICA'S GOT POWERS #3.

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.

EVERYTHING CHANGES IN WITCHBLADE'S THIRD COMPENDIUM

Full-color, 1280-page volume collects issues #101-150

Image Comics and Top Cow Productions are proud to announce that the long-awaited WITCHBLADE COMPENDIUM VOLUME 3, which collects fifty full-color issues, will land in stores June 27th, 2012.

Definitive WITCHBLADE writer RON MARZ (ARTIFACTS, SHINKU) along with an electrifying roster of artists that include STJEPAN SEJIC (ANGELUS), ADRIAN MELO (Ms. Marvel), SAMI BASRI (Power Girl), MATTHEW DOW SMITH (Dr. Who) and more, continue Top Cow's groundbreaking Compendium format with this massive, 50-issue full-color volume collecting the most explosive tales from the Witchblade canon.

Sara Pezzini, New York Police Detective and bearer of the Witchblade, discovers she is with child, gives up the Witchblade, becomes a mother, finds herself overwhelmed by the dark side of the Witchblade, and eventually finds she must choose between the Witchblade and her career — all collected in this volume!

"As a reader, I'm an easy mark for big, fat collections. So as a writer, I'm thrilled to have the bulk of my Witchblade run collected into one big compendium,” Ron Marz said. “The 50 issues in this volume really show the character arc we put Sara Pezzini through, from becoming a mother to making an almost unthinkable decision about her career as an NYPD detective. I had some great artistic collaborators in Stjepan Sejic, Adriana Melo and Sami Basri. Their work especially deserves to be preserved in this format."

WITCHBLADE COMPENDIUM VOLUME 3 is a full color, 1,280 page that collects issues #101-#150. This collection will be offered as both a softcover edition retailing for $69.99 and a limited edition hardcover edtion retailing for $99.99. Both editions will be in stores June 27th, 2012.

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.

The long awaited fifth volume in P. Craig Russell’s adaptations of The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde is available now. Started in the early nineties, this was a pioneer in kid's comics.  Relating to the 1% vs. 99% issue, this story is VERY timely.

The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde
Vol.5: The Happy Prince
P. Craig Russell
The Happy Prince is arguably the most famous and well loved of Oscar Wilde’s nine fairy tales, rivaled only by The Selfish Giant. It is also a very timely tale at a time of controversy over the increasing chasm between rich and poor…The Happy Prince has lived a life of opulence but has died young and his soul inhabits a beautiful ruby encrusted statue covered all over in gold leaf. From his perch high above the city he is witness to all the poverty, misery, and hopelessness in which his people have been living. When a small barn swallow in flight to the warm south ahead of the approaching winter stops to rest upon the statue the Happy Prince prevails upon him to delay his travels in order to remove his gold leaf a piece at a time and shower it upon the poor citizens. Out of love for the Happy Prince the swallow does his bidding. As the days pass the Prince’s beauty is stripped away and as winter sets in the bird’s fate is sealed. In the spring the townspeople finding only a dull statue with a broken lead heart and a dead bird consign the worthless objects to the ash heap. Only an emissary of God recognizes them as the most valuable treasures of the city and brings them to the gardens of heaven.
8 ½ x 11, 32pp., full color jacket hc: $16.99, ISBN 978-1-56163-626-6
See the preview pages
And see the previous volumes, some of which are going back to press on the occasion of this release!
Craig has also been posting short thoughts and making of videos of this book on the NBM Blog.

ARVID NELSON’S REX MUNDI SLAYS DARK HORSE PRESENTS, GETS OMNIBIZED!

May 31, MILWAUKIE, OR—Arvid Nelson’s critically acclaimed Rex Mundi gets collected in two omnibus volumes and returns in the Eisner-nominated anthology Dark Horse Presents #15, with a new tale of murder, mystery, heresy, and the occult! 

Paris, 1933. Europe is still in the grip of feudalism, sorcerers stalk the streets at night, and secret societies vie for power. When a medieval scroll disappears from a Paris church, Dr. Julien Saunière begins uncovering a series of horrific ritual murders connected to the Catholic Church. His investigation turns into a one-man quest to uncover the deepest secrets of Christianity, a trail of conspiracy that extends all the way to the walls of Jerusalem during the First Crusade. Rex Mundi is the tale of a quest for the Holy Grail told as a murder mystery, set in a world where magic is real and the Catholic Church never lost its grip on power.

“I’m thrilled Dark Horse is making Rex Mundi available in an omnibus format—it’s the way it was always meant to be read! The story in Dark Horse Presents is the perfect introduction for new readers, and I think old-timers will get a kick out of it, too. We open things up with the Holy Inquisition in Paris, the day before the main story line begins,” stated Arvid Nelson.

Rex Mundi Omnibus Volume 1 (of 2) is set to collect Rex Mundi Volumes 1–3 and will feature the complete Brother Matthew short story!

Dark Horse Presents #15 is on comic stands August 22, 2012.

Rex Mundi Omnibus Volume 1 is on sale September 5, 2012.

About Dark Horse

Founded in1986 by Mike Richardson, 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 such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton’s Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

EAGLE AWARDS CONTINUE TO FLY HIGH

“People often say ‘Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet’ and this is one of those times,” announced Eagle Awards chair Cassandra Conroy.

Referring to an announcement made by MCM Expo’s Bryan Cooney at the conclusion of 2012 Eagle Awards ceremony on Friday night, she added, “To paraphrase Mark Twain:   The reports of the Eagles’ death have been greatly exaggerated.

“Neither my father (Eagle Awards founder Mike Conroy) nor I attended Friday night’s ceremony, which we were boycotting in response to actions that are now being reviewed by my lawyer. Thus we don’t know exactly what Bryan said,” she explained. “However, with Bleeding Cool posting that Friday night’s ceremony was ‘the end of the road for the Eagle Awards after 30-some years and from next May, there'd be something called The MCM Awards instead.’ and others suggesting that next year the Eagles would be transformed into entirely new awards. I feel the need to put the record straight…

“The Eagles are neither dead nor morphing into anything else. MCM Expo is in no position to announce, imply or indicate otherwise,” Conroy stated. “In fact no third party can casually discard what my father has developed over the past 36 years. The Eagles will continue to soar into 2013 and beyond. We’ll be announcing further details of our plans for next year in the near future.”

MAINSTREAM & UNDERGROUND: COMICS CULTURE AND BIG BUSINESS COLLIDE IN A FRENZIED MASH-UP THAT FORTELLS THE FUTURES OF GLOBAL EMPIRES

Comic-Con is the Galactic Center of the Entertainment Zeitgeist, from Popular Tastes to Business Dynamics

“I’ve been in comics so long I sometimes think I invented ’em! But I just read Rob Salkowitz’s terrific new book and, y’know what? Even I learned new stuff! If you’re a comic book nut like me, miss it at your own risk!”

—Stan Lee, Creator of Spiderman, The Hulk, X-Men, Iron Man, Captain America, The Avengers, and many more

This July, 150,000+ attendees are expected to flood into San Diego’s Comic-Con 2012.  Pop culture and mass culture converge here, the modern and the mythical, man and marvel.  Events on the convention floor will dominate national headlines, generating unparalleled fan buzz in the worlds of film, games, graphic novels, and celebrity. 

The story of “The Con’s” evolution from meek to monster mirrors the legendary transformations of comics’ most beloved superheroes.  In 1970, nerdy guys assembled to trade issues and meet the illustrators; over the decades Comic-Con has evolved into a lumbering beast with formidable powers, with tentacles reaching into all forms of media.

COMIC-CON AND THE BUSINESS OF POP CULTURE: What the World’s Wildest Trade Show Can Tell Us about the Future of Entertainment (McGraw-Hill Professional; HC, $27.00; June, 2012), by business writer Rob Salkowitz offers a rare glimpse inside this pop culture-lover’s convergence of geekdom and big business.  “The Con” is a swirling vortex of brands, empires, movie stars, and the undead - clever, crazily, competing for the attentions and spending power of an electrified fan base that meets at a crossroads of genres and interests.

It’s also become a window into the dramatically challenged comics empire.  While the onset of digital publishing threatens its very existence, marketers across a wide swath of industries continue to page through the comics backlist for source material.   The comics culture, grounded in nostalgia and continuity, is undergoing rapid changes driven by external forces that may render it completely unrecognizable in a short time.

COMIC-CON AND THE BUSINESS OF POP CULTURE offers a fascinating, funny, poignant, fast-clipped look at the future of entertainment – and the beloved comic book – in a swiftly innovating environment moving “faster than a speeding bullet.”

About the Author:

Rob Salkowitz is cofounder and Principal Consultant for the Seattle-based communications firm MediaPlant LLC.  He is the author of two books, Young World Rising and Generation Blend.  He teaches in the Digital Media program at The University of Washington, Seattle.  He speaks regularly on the convergence of digital media, technology, entrepreneurship, innovation, and social change.  He attended his first comic book conference in 1975, at the age of 8.

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES

 

Injustice: Gods Among Us

New Fighting Game Franchise from the Makers of Award-Winning Mortal Kombat Franchise Revealed

BURBANK, Calif. – May 31, 2012 – What if our greatest heroes became our greatest threat?  Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced Injustice: Gods Among Us, an all-new game in development by award-winning NetherRealm Studios, creators of the definitive fighting game franchise Mortal Kombat. The game is scheduled for release in 2013 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii U™ system from Nintendo.

Injustice: Gods Among Us debuts as a bold new fighting game franchise that introduces a deep, original story featuring a large cast of favorite DC Comics icons such as Batman, Harley Quinn, Solomon Grundy, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman and many others.  Set in a world where the lines between good and evil are blurred, players will experience heroes and villains engaging in epic battles on a massive scale. 

“With Injustice: Gods Among Us, we are creating an all-new franchise with incredible battles set in the DC Comics Universe,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.  “NetherRealm Studios is the extremely talented team behind the latest Mortal Kombat hit and it is developing a game unlike any other in the fighting genre.”

“We can’t wait to reveal Injustice: Gods Among Us because it will give our fans and gamers an epic experience as they battle like gods as their favorite DC Comics villains and heroes,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios.  “Our team is excited to make a fighting game that is filled with fast-paced action, incredible story-telling and iconic DC Comics characters.”

For more information, visit www.injustice.com. 

# # #

About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner.  DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.  In January 2012, DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes—a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League super heroes—to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

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

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

INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US © 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by NetherRealm Studios. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.  All rights reserved.    Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Nintendo trademarks and copyrights are properties of Nintendo.
	DC LOGO, and all characters, their distinctive likenesses, and related elements are trademarks of DC Comics © 2012. NETHERREALM STUDIOS LOGO, WB GAMES LOGO, WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s12)

CHRISTOPHER REEVE,
MARLON BRANDO COSTUMES
FROM SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE
WILL BE FEATURED
AT PROFILES IN HISTORY'S
JULY HOLLYWOOD AUCTION

THE AUCTION WILL BE THE WEEKEND OF
JULY 20 IN LOS ANGELES
 

LOS ANGELES- May 31 - Profiles in History, run by Joe Maddalena, is proud to announce that a complete Christopher Reeve Superman costume and complete Marlon Brando "Jor-El" costume from Superman: The Movie will be for sale at their July Hollywood auction. These items are a part of the fabled Dreier Collection, a collection of such breadth and immensity that it will take several years to completely auction off.

The complete Christopher Reeve Superman costume consists of a long sleeve leotard of blue and red stretch jersey, a chest emblazoned with the trademark Superman “S” and an interior Bermans & Nathans label typed “Christopher Reeves [sic] 12186 Superman”; a pair of matching blue stretch nylon tights with interior Bermans & Nathans label typed “Christopher Reeve Colour A 18629”; a yellow-painted leather belt; a long flowing cape of scarlet wool with padded shoulders and interior bias label handwritten “C. Reeve Colour B Walking,” the back having a yellow Superman “S” logo with black stitched borders; and a pair of knee-length red leather boots with zipper closures, each boot with Bermans & Nathans labels typed “Christopher Reeves [sic] 12188” and handwritten “Waterproof.”  The costume was originally acquired by a sub-contractor who worked as a set decorator and a special effects flying/rigging technician on the first two Superman films at Pinewood studios in London. Its ownership was later transferred to a make-up artist in Nashville, TN, whose letter of provenance will accompany this fantastic costume. Studio labeled throughout, this costume is without question, the finest original Christopher Reeve Superman costume Profiles in History has ever encountered. Easily one of the most recognizable costumes in Hollywood history, it is the most important complete costume from this landmark film ever brought to public auction. It is expected to fetch $60,000 – $80,000.

Marlon Brando wore this amazing, complete Jor-El costume in his memorable role as the father of Superman in Superman: The Movie. The costume consists of a tunic with the iconic “S” insignia with faux jewel detailing, sleeveless full-length robe with faux jewel detailing on the shoulders, pants and boots. The entire costume is layered with a luminous silver/gray reflective material, which appears to glow when subjected to strong light. This ingenious costume effect was first innovated in this production and used on all of the inhabitants of the planet Krypton providing a fantastic otherworldly appearance. Tunic, robe and boots have Bermans and Nathans labels typewritten “Marlon Brando Superman.” The costume comes with a Warner Bros. certificate of authenticity and is expected to fetch $60,000 – $80,000.

You can also own the screen-used Kryptonite crystal and box from Superman III. This green resin “crystal” formation of the crippling mineral Kryptonite is Superman’s only weakness. Measuring 12 in. long and 6 in. tall, this particular prop can be positively screen-matched to the scene where Christopher Reeve is shown cradling the piece in his hands, as a small imperfection on one edge is clearly visible. The box was used by Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) in disguise as an army general to deliver his synthetic Kryptonite to Superman at the Smallville town fair. Includes a dark wood box with polished brass fittings and measuring approx. 12 in. x 12 in. x 8 in. It includes a letter of authenticity and is expected to fetch $8,000 – $12,000.


ABOUT PROFILES IN HISTORY
Founded in 1985 by Joseph Maddalena, Profiles in History is the nation's leading dealer in guaranteed-authentic original historical autographs, letters, documents, vintage signed photographs and manuscripts.  Born into a family of antiques dealers in Rhode Island, Joseph "Joe" Maddalena learned early on how to turn his passion of collecting historical autographs into a career. Needing to support himself, Joe turned to his hobby of buying and selling historical documents as a potential way to earn revenue. On weekends he scoured old Hollywood bookstores for letters and rare books. Upon graduation from Pepperdine, Joe pursued his passion to become a full-time dealer of historical documents, and opened his first office in 1985. A lifetime member of the Manuscript Society, Joe is widely recognized as the nation's leading authority on entertainment memorabilia and historical documents. Profiles in History has established itself as the world’s largest auctioneer of original Hollywood memorabilia, having held some of the most prestigious and successful auctions of Hollywood memorabilia and owning virtually every Guinness Book record prices for original screen-used memorabilia. With an extensive network of dealers, collectors, and institutions, Profiles in History is proud to play an important role in the preservation of motion picture history. Prior Profiles in History Hollywood auctions highlights include the "Cowardly Lion" costume from  The Wizard of Oz ($805,000); Steve McQueen's "Michael Delaney" racing suit from Le Mans  ($960,000); a Panavision motion picture camera used by George Lucas to film Star Wars  ($624,000); a full-scale model T-800 Endoskeleton from Terminator 2: Judgment Day  ($488,750); Marilyn Monroe's platinum & diamond wedding band from her marriage to Joe DiMaggio ($504,000); Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds” dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes  ($356,500); a King Kong 1933 six-sheet movie poster ($345,000); Luke Skywalker’s light saber from Star Wars  ($240,000); Margaret Hamilton’s “Wicked Witch” hat from The Wizard Of Oz ($230,000); and The Invisible Man 1933 one-sheet movie poster ($230,000). From the history-making Debbie Reynolds Auction in June 2011, Profiles in History sold the Marilyn Monroe "Subway" Dress from The Seven Year Itch for $5.52M, the Marilyn Monroe signature red-sequined showgirl gown from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes for $1.44M and the Audrey Hepburn Ascot Dress from My Fair Lady for $4.44M. In February, 2012, Profiles in History arranged the sale of a pair of Judy Garland screen-used Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz  to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. In addition, Joe Maddalena is the star of  Hollywood Treasure, currently airing on Syfy, Tuesdays at 10pm (ET/PT). Hollywood Treasure  takes viewers into the fascinating world of showbiz and pop culture memorabilia.
 

FEMME FATALES IS BACK –
WITH AUDIO COMMENTARY AVAILABLE EVERY WEEK
ONLY ON iTUNES
“Gun Twisted” with Antonio Sabato, Jr. debuts this Friday at 11 PM
Super-Sized Season Finale Airs August 10th

LOS ANGELES, CA –  Fans of FEMME FATALES, the hit series on Cinemax ®, will get to enjoy every episode even more with the weekly FEMME FATALES PODCAST, available on iTunes.  These audio commentaries feature the show’s creative team, including Executive Producers Mark A. Altman (Necessary Roughness, Castle) and Steve Kriozere (NCIS, V.I.P.) along with the stars of each episode doing live audio commentary for every episode sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes anecdotes and insight into each and every thrilling installment.

In addition to the weekly podcast roundtables, fans can now purchase the show’s acclaimed soundtrack by composer Joe Kraemer (“The Way of the Gun”) on compact disc or as a digital download at iTunes.

FEMME FATALES, ripped from pages of the bestselling magazine, is the cult smash Entertainment Weekly calls “a badass-chick anthology series” and Geek Monthly hails as “50% Tarantino, 50% Sin City, 100% Cool.”  Each episode is about powerful, sexy and dangerous women styled in the tradition of pulp stories, film noir and graphic novels.  The half-hour program features stories inspired by such noir classic as Double Indemnity and Pulp Fiction and classic thriller TV series like The Twilight Zone. Featuring an array of sensational guest stars, classic songs, suspenseful storytelling and a stunning score each week, Femme Fatales will leave you in breathless agreement with UGO TV which raves “If you haven’t been watching Femme Fatales, you really don’t know what you’re missing.”

In each stand-alone episode, which is part of a bigger interweaving mythology, women find extraordinary ways of coping with their problems, channeling their survival instincts and bringing out their inner guile.   The series was recently honored as an Official Selection of the prestigious Sitges Film Festival in Spain, which screened seven episodes from the series critically acclaimed first season.  

FEMME FATALES is available internationally from eOne Entertainment.





 

FEMME FATALES ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK ALBUM

Now available on CD and for digital download

EXTERMINATION #1 SELLS OUT!
 

May 31st, 2012 – Los Angeles, CA –BOOM! Studios is proud to announce EXTERMINATION #1 has sold out 8 days before its release date!
Fans should keep in mind, while Diamond Comic Distributors is completely sold out, EXTERMINATION #1 may still be found at a direct market retailer near you on June 6th. Not sure where to find your nearest comic retailer? Use www.comicshoplocator.com to find one!

Extermination is an exciting new ongoing series written by Simon Spurrier (X-CLUB, FEAR ITSELF: THE HOME FRONT, WOLVERINE: DANGEROUS GAMES), with cover art and interiors drawn by rising star Jeffrey Edwards.

In the wake of an apocalyptic alien invasion, the world’s greatest super-heroes and deadliest super-villains must form an alliance despite their bitter pasts. Arch-enemies Nox, a driven hero, and Red Reaper, a ruthless villain, enter into a volatile partnership for the greater good. What happens when battle lines are redrawn and foes become unlikely allies in a desperate war for the fate of the planet -- and of the human race? Find out Starting June 6, 2012.

About BOOM! Studios
Founded by Ross Richie, 2009 and 2010's “Best Publisher” BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) generates a constellation of Eisner and Harvey Award-winning, bestselling comic books and graphic novels with the industry’s top talent, including Mark Waid’s IRREDEEMABLE, new HELLRAISER comics written by Clive Barker, PLANET OF THE APES, 28 DAYS LATER, and Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?. BOOM!’s all ages imprint KaBOOM! publishes Charles Schulz’ PEANUTS, Roger Langridge’s SNARKED, Cartoon Network's ADVENTURE TIME, and GARFIELD. BOOM!’s lit comix-focused imprint, BOOM! Town, recently won the Eisner Award for its first book, Shannon Wheeler’s I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER.

    

ALL HAIL DITKO! The Creativity of Ditko is coming for your minds this July! San Diego, CA (May 31, 2012) – Celebrated, mercurial, enigmatic, and influential are a few words that have been used to describe legendary comics creator Steve Ditko. Co-creating Spider-Man and Doctor Strange with Stan Lee are only a couple of achievements earned by Ditko in his storied career. Since his Marvel and DC days, Ditko has produced a litany of fiercely independent, wildly creative works; many of which are collected here in this large-format, oversized, full-color hardback for the first time! THE CREATIVITY OF STEVE DITKO, designed by the Eisner Award-winning Craig Yoe features essays by Paul Levitz, Mike Gold, Jack Harris, Mikal Banta, and Amber Stanton. Yoe, who credits Ditko comics as what inspired him to be in this field and is one of the few people that has been invited to the creator's studio says, “Yoe Books' very first offering was The Art of Ditko. Over two years and many books ago, it was enthusiastically received. Now I've endeavored to make this our best book yet. I am thrilled with the über-creative comics we present here and the original art, much of it unpublished. And the nearly one dozen never published photos of the elusive artist make this a Ditko fan's dream come true. This is going to be a must-have but very controversial book! Bring it on!” Hitting shelves July 25th, THE CREATIVITY OF STEVE DITKO also touts a myriad of unpublished art, sketches, and photos of the legendary creator.  For fans of Ditko, comics history, or simply art itself, this is an IDW and Yoe Books experience that is not to be passed up! Craig Yoe is available for convention appearances and interviews with the press in regards to this and his other books. Find Yoe Books' online at http://yoebooks.com and http://www.youtube.com/theyoetube. CREATIVITY OF STEVE DITKO ($39.99, 208 pages; 9.5” x 12.5”; hardcover) will be available in July. ISBN 978-1-61377-276-8. Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books. IDW can also be found at http://www.facebook.com/#!/idwpublishing and http://tumblr.idwpublishing.com/ and on Twitter at @idwpublishing.

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; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coasts Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons; and the Eisner-Award winning Locke & Key series, created by best-selling author Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints, and Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio. IDW’s critically- and fan-acclaimed series are continually moving into new mediums. Currently, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney are creating a feature film based on World War Robot, while Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film.