Friday, July 20, 2012

DARK HORSE DEBUTS DRAGON RESURRECTION AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2012!

MILWAUKIE, OR, JULY 20—At San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend, Dark Horse announced it would publish the first book in the exciting new multimedia franchise from DeZerlin Media: Dragon Resurrection!
Following the discovery of the remains of a dragon in the mountains of Tibet, adventurer Jesse Chang sends a DNA sample back to his twin brother, geneticist Jack. However, when a rogue American general learns of the discovery, he sets in motion a global pursuit to seize and control the technology for his own shocking ends. Now these twin siblings must synthesize the dragon’s DNA, creating a new generation of living, breathing dragons, in order to take on a tyrant bent on building his own personal kingdom.
A dynamic cross between Jurassic Park and Mission: Impossible, Dragon Resurrection represents the first-ever Chinese superheroes to be seen in the mainstream international markets. This dynamic new graphic novel from Dark Horse represents the first release of a franchise that will produce books, games, and other merchandise, leading up to a major motion picture.
“It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s cool—we purposely made a book that we ourselves wanted to read,” said writer/producer Mark Byers. “We’re so happy to be part of the Dark Horse team and to have them share our enthusiasm for the franchise.”

“Dragons are not just in fairy tales; they’re real, and they live among us,” says creator/producer Lin Zhang. “That’s the feeling we wanted to create, and since dragons are a part of both Eastern and Western cultures, we made an exciting action adventure that will thrill everyone.”
Click here to read an exclusive 25-page digital preview! 
Head over to MTV Geek to read an exclusive interview with writer/producer Mark Byers!
Look for Dragon Resurrection from Dark Horse in the summer of 2013!

About Creator/Producer Lin Zhang
Lin’s passion for animation began when he taught himself CG animation in middle school, and began a lifelong adventure in the world of pure imagination. He established his own animation production studio his first year in university, and subsequently worked for other companies, learning both the art and the management sides of the industry. Today, his DeZerlin Media is one of the most innovative and international concept development and animation studios in Asia.

About Writer/Producer Mark Byers
An Emmy-nominated producer, Mark has produced or directed numerous independent feature motion pictures, written 30 feature screenplays, and written and produced numerous animated movies and series. Representative credits include Deception, Criminal Act, The Treatment, Dragon Squad, and Troubleshooters.

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, Game of Thrones, 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.

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REVIVAL #1 by Seeley and Norton SELLS OUT
New horror series by gets second printing of first issue

Berkeley, CA - July 30, 2012 - The first issue of REVIVAL, the "rural noir" series by Tim Seeley (HACK/SLASH) and 2012 Eisner Award-winner Mike Norton (IT GIRL AND THE ATOMICS, Battlepug), has sold out at the distributor level after its July 11 in-store date. It will receive a second printing, which will go on sale on August 8 and is available for order now with the Diamond Comics code JUN128065.

A new take on the undead genre, REVIVAL is set in a small Wisconsin town where the dead are returning to their lives as if they'd never left. But as police officer Dana Cypress will discover, they're not who they used to be.
The second issue of REVIVAL will be in stores on August 15.

"It's the unexpected that fills Seeley and Norton's first issue of Revival and promises to keep the reader riveted for future developments. As with Image's other recent releases Saga and Fatale, this comic is an unexpected windfall that evokes an uncomfortable feeling, piques interest and taunts curiosity. It's a good read with great art and a weird, wild diversion from anything else on the stands this week."
    -Comic Book Resources

"Revival is... a devious little read, in that it deftly bounces back and forth from the frightening, to the truly disturbing, to the creepy, to the weird, to the odd, and finally settles somewhere in the land of mind-shattering terror with a cherry of familial drama to keep the whole thing grounded on top."
    -Bleeding Cool

OTHER IMAGE COMICS REPRINTS

THIEF OF THIEVES #6 by Robert Kirkman and Nick Spencer continued the trend set by the first five issues of the crime drama by selling out of its first printing. A second printing (MAY128287) is scheduled to be in stores on August 1.

SAGA #5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples also remains one of Image's strongest sellers, as its fifth issue sold out the week of its release. A second printing (JUN128079) is scheduled to go on sale on August 15.

THE WALKING DEAD #100 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard became the best-selling comic book of the 21st century as it sold out of its first printing of more than 380,000 copies. Its second printing (JUN128066), with new cover art by Adlard, will be in stores on August 15, the same day as THE WALKING DEAD #101.

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.
PROFILES IN HISTORY
SET TO AUCTION OFF
THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF
CRACKER JACK TOY PREMIUMS
EVER COLLECTED AT THEIR
JULY HOLLYWOOD AUCTION

 
LOS ANGELES- JULY 20, 2012- With a little over a week until their four day July Hollywood auction, Profiles in History, run by Joe Maddalena, is proud to announce that the largest collection of Cracker Jack toy premiums ever amassed will be up for auction. The Cracker Jack toys are a part of The Dreier Collection, which will be auctioned off on, Saturday, July 28th. Their Animation Auction will be, Sunday, July 29th, and the Treasures from the Hollywood Vaults auction has been moved to, Monday, July 30th and Tuesday, July 31st. All auctions will take place in Los Angeles.

When German immigrant Frederick “Fritz” William Rueckheim and his brother Louis concocted an early version of their popcorn, molasses and peanut confection at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, they called it simply, “Candied Popcorn and Peanuts.” But in 1896 Fritz devised a way to keep the popcorn kernels separated by adding a small quantity of oil to each spinning vat. Prior to this innovation, the product stuck together in chunks. In 1896, the first batch of “Cracker Jack” was made. An enthusiastic customer is said to have coined its household name by exclaiming, “That’s crackerjack!” Later, the song, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” gave Cracker Jack priceless publicity for free when the line, “buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack!” was first sung in 1908. In 1912 mystery novelty items or “prizes” were included in every box of Cracker Jack. Among the very first prizes were baseball cards. Over time, prizes have included everything from charms to whistles; from tin toys to temporary tattoos. The original tagline for Cracker Jack was, “Candy coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize.” The prizes attained pop-cultural fusion with the term, “came in a Cracker Jack box,” referring to an object of limited value. To this day, Cracker Jack mystery prizes are as popular as the product itself. In this special collection, you’ll find some of the earliest, rarest and most sought after examples of Cracker Jack memorabilia in existence. It spans a century and is the most extensive single private collection ever assembled for offer to the public. Profiles in History strongly encourages interested parties to come view this massive collection in person at their offices. Just some of what is included: a set of 1898 Paper Dolls, over 80+ pre-1910 Riddle Cards, 17 Victorian Women pin backs, Cracker Jack Bears postcards sets, 11 riddle books, baseball score counters, baseball spinner, water guns, various cast metal battleships, metal train cars, movie slide cards, metal baseball score counters, standing tin soldiers, spinning tops, storybooks, pot metal and celluloid lamps and trinkets, tin dollhouse serving trays, movie flip books, tin-litho horse and carriage, button mirrors, painted wooden boats, wood buildings, tin-litho parrot, and many more. It is quite possibly the last time this number and variety of Cracker Jack memorabilia will ever be sold at one time. The collection is pictured above and expected to fetch $40,000 – $60,000.


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, which just ended its second season on Syfy.  Hollywood Treasure  takes viewers into the fascinating world of showbiz and pop culture memorabilia.
NEW MORRISON & ROBERTSON SERIES WISHES YOU MANY HAPPY RETURNS
HAPPY! debuts in September from Image Comics

Happy #1 Cover by Darick Robertson
Berkeley, CA - July 20, 2012 — Nick Sax isn't what you'd call a "winner." The anti-hero of the new Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson comic mini-series HAPPY! has been fired from the police force, turned on by his own employees in his murder-for-hire business (well, what would you expect?), is constantly drunk, and is waging a hopeless battle against the agonies of eczema. Sax seems beyond redemption, but saviors often take strange forms, and, in his case, it's the form of a tiny blue, feathered pony named Happy.

Oh, did we forget to mention that? Yes, besides being heavy with violence, profanity, and sex, HAPPY! is also a tribute to the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

"HAPPY! is a story I've wanted to write since hit-man Nick Sax and his 'partner' Happy the Horse appeared fully-formed in my head two years ago," said Morrison. In an interview at Newsarama, he described the impetus of its development: "I wanted to do a classic Christmas story – like A Christmas Carol or It's A Wonderful Life – but with all the junkies, killers and pedophiles which make our modern world so colorful!"

In the same interview, artist Robertson talked a bit about the mysterious, eponymous Happy the Horse, about whom the two creators are being enticingly elusive. "Happy had a complete transformation from the initial drawing to what he became and what he became is one of the most enjoyable things I've ever designed to draw," said Robertson. "I hope readers will have as much fun with this as I've been having.

HAPPY! is Morrison and Robertson's first Image Comics series. It was announced at this year's Image Expo in February, which celebrated the independent publisher's 20th anniversary. Recently, Morrison commented on the experience of working on a creator-owned project.

"As much as I enjoy making monthly superhero books, there's something very exciting and inspiring about creating a complete, original story from whole cloth and I'm grateful to Image Comics for seeing the potential of this project and giving it a home," said Morrison. "After a banner year for creativity at the company, Darick and I hope we can round 2012 out on a high note with the most twisted Christmas crime story you'll ever read."

HAPPY! #1 will be in stores on September 26 and is available now for pre-order. The four-issue miniseries will culminate with an issue released Christmas week.

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.
VIZ MEDIA BRINGS THE ARMS AND ARMOR ACTION OF BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING TO MONTREAL FOR THE 16th ANNUAL
FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Gripping Anime Action Adventure Opens New Feature Film Trilogy Based On The Bestselling Medieval Dark Fantasy Manga Series

VIZ Media is proud to announce the Canadian premiere of the kinetic new anime action feature film, BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING, as part of the 16th annual Fantasia International Film Festival. Taking place in Montreal from July 14th to August 9th, the Fantasia International Film Festival is recognized as the largest and most influential event of its kind in North America and is a leader on the genre film scene and one of the country’s most popular film festivals.

BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING will be in competition for the Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation. It will screen at Concordia University's Hall Theatre at 11:45am on August 4th, and at 3:05pm on August 5th. More information on the Fantasia International Film Festival is available at: www.fantasiafestival.com

BERSERK: THE Golden Age Arc film trilogy was produced in Japan by the legendary Studio 4ºC, and is based on the bestselling medieval dark fantasy manga (graphic novel) series created by Kentaro Miura. VIZ Media has licensed the entire BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC anime film trilogy and plans to debut the movies on Neon Alley, an innovative new 24-hour gaming console-based anime channel, launching in the fall in the United States and Canada, and set to feature the genre’s best titles.

Combining a foreboding medieval European-inspired setting with fantasy and exquisitely detailed swordsmanship, BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING (directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka) follows lone mercenary Guts as he travels the land where a hundred-year-old war is taking place. His ferocity and ability to take down enemies attracts the attention of Griffith, leader of the mercenary group “The Band of the Hawk,” and Guts is recruited to the unit. Thanks to their continued victories on the battlefield, the bond between Guts and Griffith deepens, but despite all their success, Guts begins to question his reasons for fighting for Griffith’s dream. Unknown to Guts, this unyielding dream is about to bestow a horrible fate on them both.

The BERSERK manga series, by Kentaro Miura, debuted in Japan in 1989 and quickly drew a devoted following, going on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide. The series, still ongoing in Japan, has been published in North America and the UK, as well as in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Latin America. The BERSERK manga has also inspired a popular anime television series and has spawned a variety of related video games, collectable figures and toys, and music soundtracks, as well as the current BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy.

For more information on the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy, please visit the official Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/BerserkFilm.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

"SPAWN" DELVES INTO EVEN GREATER DEPTHS
McFarlane returns to writing, cover credits

SPAWN #220 was a banner issue for the long-running title, as it celebrated its twentieth year of publication with creator Todd McFarlane's name appearing once more in the writing and covers credits. And the series shows no signs of slowing as SPAWN #221 sold out at the distributor level the same week as it was released and the story takes a new turn and a new tone.

Jim Downing, the newest Hellspawn, has been a man without a past and with a future that is out of his control. However, as SPAWN delves deeper into his story, Jim will begin to embrace his powers, encounter old enemies, and uncover the secrets that lie at the center of the circles of Hell.

"As we head into the second half of the year, in which we will have another twelve issues completed — making that 27 consecutive issues by the same creative team — the Spawn comic is starting to hit its stride," said McFarlane. "With the continuing growth of our new main character and the shift to a darker tone, the book is now becoming the blueprint for what we hope to unveil in other entertainment arenas."

Throughout the year, McFarlane will create homage covers to some of the most iconic issues in comics history — those already revealed include SAVAGE DRAGON #1 (cover B of SPAWN #220), YOUNGBLOOD #1 (cover C of SPAWN #220), and THE WALKING DEAD #1 (SPAWN #223). The interior art is by Szymon Kudranski. SPAWN #222 is will be in stores on August 8.
Spawn #220 cover Spawn #220 Youngblood Cover Spawn #223 cover
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.


cover of Halloween Eve by Amy Reeder


THE MASKS COME OFF IN HALLOWEEN EVE
New Amy Reeder one-shot from Image Comics in October

Berkeley, CA - July 19, 2012 — Working late at the Halloween Land super-store can get pretty soul-numbing, so Eve thought she was pretty lucky to have such a great imagination. But it turns out that her imagination isn't just active — it's dangerous! In the new one-shot comic HALLOWEEN EVE by Brandon Montclare (Fear Itself: Fearsome Four) and Amy Reeder (Batwoman, Madame Xanadu), to be published in October by Image Comics, Eve gets a bump in the night that could turn her dead-end job deadly. Surrounded by masks, costumes, and novelties that her that have come to life, Eve will have to fight her way through a horde of horror or she'll never make it to Halloween!

Conceived and drawn by Reeder and written by Montclare, HALLOWEEN EVE isn't just a spooky scamper; it's also the story of Eve — an expert costumer who loves to dress up, snarky and able to mercilessly size up others, but not so great at seeing herself for who she really is. The Halloween items that come to life have one goal: to find out who Eve is beneath her masks.

"Halloween Eve will break your heart and blow you away!" said Reeder. "I am so excited to be creating my own characters and story, and I'm glad it's in the hands of what has lately felt like creator-owned central, Image Comics.”

"Working with Amy Reeder to co-create Halloween Eve was already almost too good to be true," added Montclare. "Being at Image—without a doubt the place-to-be for creator-owned comics—is unbelievable.”

After running a successful Kickstarter campaign that met its goal just six days after being launched, Reeder and Montclare announced that HALLOWEEN EVE was coming to Image Comics in a July 19th interview at Comics Alliance.

HALLOWEEN EVE is a 40-page (32 story pages plus other content) full-color comic, due out in October 2012 to celebrate Halloween. It's a stand-alone, self-contained tale of magic and adventure geared toward teen and adult audiences. It will be available for pre-order in the August issue of Previews.

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.
ICONIC COSTUMES FROM
WHITNEY HOUSTON
BRITNEY SPEARS
AND JENNIFER LOPEZ
AT PROFILES IN HISTORY'S
  JULY HOLLYWOOD AUCTION

 
 
LOS ANGELES- JULY 19, 2012- The countdown to Profiles in History's July auction begins. Run by Joe Maddalena, Profiles in History is proud to announce that costumes from Whitney Houston, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez will be in attendance. Taking place in Los Angeles, The Dreier Collection will be auctioned off on July 28th, the Animation Auction will be July 29th and the Treasures from the Hollywood Vaults auction has been moved to July 30th and July 31st.

From Whitney Houston, her screen-used “Rachel Marron” “Queen of the Night” costume from The Bodyguard, pictured left. Costume designer Susan Nininger penned the original design for this incredible “Queen of the Night” costume. Inspired by Maria, the Maschinenmensch (machine-human), in the 1927 Fritz Lang classic Metropolis, the Art Deco costume consists of a chromed thermal formed chest plate, a stylized corset with chrome and aluminum accents, a metallic gray undersuit with attached garter straps detailed with metal studs, silver lamé crepe skirt, pair of aluminum arm cuffs with chrome ball detailing, broad Egyptian-style collar festooned with chrome balls, a waist belt with attached strings of hanging chrome beads, a pair of gray over-the-knee high heel boots accented with metal diamond-shaped studs running down the sides of the legs and gray opera-length gloves with both metal and hematite beading. In the film there is a “Queen of the Night” music video playing on the back screen of the stage while Whitney is performing her number. Whitney also wore this costume when Kevin Costner’s character holds her (sans chest armor) in his arms following the stage incident—the very image used for The Bodyguard movie poster. One cannot find a better costume worn by Whitney Houston—one of the greatest musical performers of all time—at the peak of her storied career. Comes with a letter of authenticity from Chris Gillman. It is pictured above and expected to fetch $20,000 – $30,000.

Whitney Houston custom Fabrice Simon sequined gown worn at the 1988 Grammy Awards. This gorgeous sequined gown was designed by Fabrice Simon expressly for Whitney Houston to wear at the 30th Grammy Awards held on March 2, 1988. The black gown features sequined spaghetti straps with a floral motif bust line with related floral patterns throughout. At this ceremony Whitney won Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” Whitney donated this gown for an AIDS Charity in 1992 and it is accompanied by a large 8 in. x 12 in. signed color photograph of Whitney wearing the gown holding her Grammy Award. On the surrounding photographer’s mat, Whitney has inscribed in silver ink, “Peace Help fight Aids Whitney” and has drawn a happy face to the right of her signature. Accompanied by the original “Sunday By the Bay” auction catalog (held July 12, 1992) featuring the Whitney evening gown as lot “L5A” as well as the original Federal Express airbill from “Nippy, Inc.” (Houston’s production company) sending the gown and signed photo to the charity. A fantastic gown, with exceptional provenance, worn early in Houston’s career for her second Grammy win. It is expected to fetch $3,000 – $5,000. Both of these Whitney Houston costumes are a part of the Tresasures from the Hollywood Vaults.

Also from the Hollywood Vaults, Britney Spears stage-worn sequined catsuit from her “Oops!...I Did It Again” performance at the 2000 Grammy Awards. This ornate, custom-made sequined catsuit was worn by pop star Britney Spears at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000 while performing her iconic hit “Oops!...I Did It Again.” The red catsuit is literally covered with sequins and exhibits tailoredlateral “hourglass” cut-outs at the midriff to accentuate her physique. Britney wore this costume during the dress rehearsal as well as her main performance at the Grammy’s on February 23, 2000. The iconic costume was personally donated by Britney Spears for The Britney Spears Foundation and is accompanied with a signed letter of authenticity by Spears. This is an incredible stage-worn costume worn during Britney’s meteoric rise to fame. It is expected to fetch $8,000 – $12,000.

From The Dreier Collection, Britney Spears' screen-used Circus music video dance costume, pictured above. In the music video for her 6th studio album, “Circus”, pop-princess Britney Spears wears this exceptional ensemble as she dances and sings her way through the entire big-top themed performance of the title track. This sleek signature costume includes vintage, black sequined dance shorts, a Vivienne Westwood white satin corset, vintage black Berman’s studio dance tuxedo tailcoat, an additional pair of black dance shorts (not used in the production), and a vintage top hat. This costume is highly visible throughout the video and in excellent condition. It is expected to fetch $6,000 – $8,000.

Jennifer Lopez's "Dr. Catherine Dean" signature costume by Eiko Ishioka from The Cell. Jennifer Lopez plays “Catherine Dean”, an experimental psychotherapist enlisted by the FBI to track down a killer by entering his thoughts. This is a signature costume worn by Jennifer Lopez in some of the movie’s most surrealistic scenes. Designed by the late, Academy Award winner Eiko Ishioka, consisting of a long, sheer, black lace dress, accessorized with metal-flake crimson, anatomical collar with velcro closure and metal hoop in back of neck. Also included a wraparound metalized resin facemask with hooped, braided chain veil. A long black and maroon accented wig completes this stylish collection. This costume is a part of the Hollywood Vaults, is pictured below and is expected to fetch $3,000 – $5,000.



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, which just ended its second season on Syfy.  Hollywood Treasure  takes viewers into the fascinating world of showbiz and pop culture memorabilia.


Cyber Force #1 cover by Marc Silvestri


INFORMATION WANTS TO BE FREE IN CYBER FORCE
Marc Silvestri's top-selling series returns in October with five free issues

Berkeley, CA - July 18, 2012 - Image Comics and Top Cow Productions are excited to announce the highly anticipated return of CYBER FORCE, in celebration of the title's twentieth anniversary, in October 2012. Comics legend and Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri returns to the property that helped launch his company and Image Comics as co-writer, art director, and cover artist, spearheading his unique vision for the new series.

And now, CYBER FORCE is embarking on a new path, using 21st century social media to make the first five issues (to be published monthly) available for free, both digitally and in print. A Kickstarter campaign launched on July 17, taking advantage of the year-long build-up of excitement for Image and Top Cow's 20th anniversary.

Rewards for backers of the Kickstarter campaign, which has a goal of $75,000, include exclusive variant covers, a signed print, a hardcover edition of the collected first five issues, a smartphone case, original art, and one-on-one sessions with Matt Hawkins and Marc Silvestri. There are also several special rewards for comic book retailers who pledge — including exclusive signings by Marc Silvestri! The funding will not only go toward paying the art team but also toward offsetting print costs, thus ensuring the first five issues are available for free.

Excitement has been building for events marking Image and Top Cow's 20th anniversary since the beginning of the year, including Top Cow's REBIRTH initiative and exciting new projects from top tier industry talent. With an entire generation of fans who grew up on the series and new fans discovering Image and Top Cow every week, creator and Top Cow CEO Silvestri knew the time was right for CYBER FORCE to return.

"My obsession growing up was sci-fi and fantasy and the concept of Cyber Force has always been ripe for mining those genres," said Silvestri. "The best sci-fi has its soul anchored in social commentary and the human condition and then goes nuts with the concepts. Comic books are unique in that they can add to that the thrill of wish fulfillment," he added. "Mash those ideas together add a healthy dose of 21st century paranoia, and voila! You've got Cyber Force.”

Silvestri describes CYBER FORCE as an exploration of the consequences when technology — the product of humanity's own intelligence — has interfered with the order of natural development. "We're creating a world our species can't survive in," Silvestri said. "The end is coming and Mega Corporation Cyber Data Industries knows this when it happens. And now, a young girl named Velocity knows too.”

Joining Silvestri on the new series is interior artist Khoi Pham. Hot off of top-selling Marvel Comics titles including Avengers, Daredevil, The Mighty Thor, and X-Men, Pham's art will bring to life this bold new vision of CYBER FORCE.

The new series will appeal to fans of the original, as well as reach out to a wider audience by creating a cutting-edge world based on real technology. Co-writer and Top Cow President Matt Hawkins (THINK TANK, THE TEST) will utilize his background in science to lead the series in a never-before-seen direction.

While staying true to the core concept of CYBER FORCE, cybernetically-enhanced resistance fighters on the run from a monolithic international conglomerate, the visual aesthetic of the new series will be updated for a modern audience coined "bio-cybernetic steampunk”.

ABOUT CYBER FORCE
With over 100 million comics sold in 21 languages and 55 countries around the world, CYBER FORCE is Top Cow's best-selling comics property and has spawned numerous characters, single issues, and collections, along with toys, statues, posters, lithographs, trading cards, and other merchandise.

ABOUT TOP COW PRODUCTIONS
Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist and Image Comics founder Marc Silvestri. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries.Its flagship franchise, WITCHBLADE, was TNT's #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD in 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. 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.

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, July 18, 2012

NEW EPISODE OF ODDITIES: SAN FRANCISCO
PREMIERES THIS SATURDAY, JULY 21 AT 9PM ON SCIENCE

-- New episodes of the all new spin off series ODDITIES: SAN FRANCISCO
air every Saturday at 9PM ET/PT throughout the summer --


Following the success of the network’s breakout hit ODDITIES, SCIENCE takes the popular franchise out west to San Francisco for the world premiere of ODDITIES: SAN FRANCISCO. From the eclectic and eccentric to utterly bizarre, the six-part series explores the antique shop, Loved to Death, located on San Francisco’s infamous Haight Street. With unique taxidermy, wacky art pieces and Loved to Death’s colorful staff, ODDITIES: SAN FRANCISCO showcases the weird and mysterious like never experienced before.

The final episode of ODDITIES: SAN FRANCISCO airs this Saturday with a dramatic Cobra-Cadabra.”  At Loved to Death, an eccentric magician gives Korri and Audra an unforgettable assignment--find him a serpentine oddity worthy of his act.  Audra must help Korri overcome an intense fear of snakes, while the duo searches for the remains of one of the deadliest specimens known to man. Then, Wednesday makes a trade that earns her a tour of a twisted sideshow collection.  When she discovers a live electric chair, she realizes there is only one way to make sure it's the real thing. Later, an eccentric customer reveals just how many legs it takes to sell a cow.


THE WALKING DEAD #100 SELLS OUT, GETS 2nd PRINTING
Landmark issue was best-selling first printing in 15 years

The Walking Dead #100 2nd Printing CoverBerkeley, CA - July 18, 2012 — Coming off a whirlwind release day the week of Comic-Con International and supported by special events at comic book stores around the country, THE WALKING DEAD #100 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard will receive a second printing after selling out of its record-setting first printing. At 383,612 copies, the sales of THE WALKING DEAD #100 were the best initial orders for a single issue of a comic book since 1997.

A harrowing and heart-wrenching event in the lives of Rick Grimes and his band of survivors, THE WALKING DEAD #100 has been critically acclaimed for its examination of violence and mortality.

At The Comics Journal, Sean T. Collins considered the depiction of brutality: "It's hugely graphic and gory, but more importantly it's predicated on anguish and agony, on a character begging for their life and slowly losing it anyway, in view of other characters, including children, made to watch as punishment," he wrote. "A 'bad guy' is committing the violence, but its horribleness is quite of a piece with the series' presentation of human-on-human violence overall."

Augie De Blieck, Jr. at Comic Book Resources wrote, "[T]his issue delivers. It is not, however, the massive rampage of blood and guts I expected it to be. Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard deliver something much smaller, but just as effective, creepy, tense and sad."

The issue inspired Bleeding Cool's Adi Tantimedh to ponder the function of tragic fiction in society. "I wonder if the popularity of THE WALKING DEAD and the zombie apocalypse genre is a kind of atavistic ritual that the culture is partaking in to magickally ward off the worst that could happen, which is societal collapse into full horror," Tantimedh wrote. "...[T]he proxy of fiction allows the audience to mentally put themselves through the horror to find catharsis and feel more secure after the experience."

The second printing of the milestone issue will feature a new cover with art by Adlard. It is available for order now with the Diamond code JUN128066.

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.

ABOUT ROBERT KIRKMAN
Robert Kirkman's success and passionate advocacy for creator-owned comics led him to become the first person invited to become a partner at Image Comics since the company's inception twenty years ago and he formed his own imprint there, Skybound, in 2010.  Kirkman is the creator/writer of the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur, The Astounding Wolf-Man, and new title Thief of Thieves, among many others. Kirkman has earned the respect of the comic, writing and television communities and topped the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels in 2011 and in April 2012, he took the top five spots on both the hardcover and paperback lists. He's the creator/executive producer and writer of the hit television show, AMC's The Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an international success in 120 countries and 250 million households. AMC is developing Thief of Thieves as a  potential series with Kirkman serving as creator/executive producer and writer.  www.Skybound.com is your destination for all news and merchandise for Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles.