'Zombie King' Arthur Suydam's Variant Cover of Robert Kirkman's 'The Walking Dead #1' Debuts at Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con

Skybound and Wizard World's Second Limited Edition Cover in the Wizard World series Free to Full-Price Attendees

NEW YORK, March 6, 2013 – Combining the legends of Robert Kirkman and his groundbreaking, Eisner Award-winning comic book series, The Walking Dead, and Arthur Suydam's unique and prolific work in the zombie genre led to the second in a series of exclusive Wizard World variant covers of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead #1 comic, provided for free to all full-price attendees at Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con, March 22-24 at America's Center.  Wizard World and Skybound, Kirkman's imprint at Image Comics, have teamed to produce the line.

Suydam will be on hand at Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con to sign copies of the limited-edition comic,  produced in extremely limited quantities and available to fans only while supplies last.  The first cover, illustrated by superstar artist Michael Golden, was a huge hit at Wizard World Portland Comic Con last weekend.  A different superstar artist will draw the variant cover art for each of the six remaining scheduled Wizard World shows this year.  More cover artists will be announced shortly.

Independent third-party comic book grading service CGC, a leader in the industry, will accept TWD #1 variant and Signature Series submissions at its Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con exhibitor booth.

Laurie Holden, who stars as “Andrea” in the AMC series based upon The Walking Dead, will attend Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con.  Comics legend Stan Lee, Harry Potter star Tom Felton, Happy Days headline Henry Winkler, Homeland headliner Morena Baccarin and WWE® Superstar Randy Orton® are among the other top celebrity guests scheduled to appear.  They will be joined by a top-drawer collection of well-known artists and a variety of activities, exhibitors and special attractions in the second event on Wizard World’s 2013 calendar and the promotion's inaugural event in St. Louis.

The Walking Dead graphic novels accounted for seven of the 10 bestselling titles of the year and were #1 overall for both 2011 and 2012.

Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD.PK), will bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Admission is free for kids 10 and under, and Sunday, March 24, is “Kids Day,” an array of programming specially designed for children. Event hours are Friday, March 22, 3-8 p.m., Saturday, March 23, 10 a.m.-7 p.m and Sunday, March 24, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

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. Kirkman is the creator/writer of the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur and Thief of Thieves. In 2010, Kirkman formed his own Image imprint, Skybound, which publishes his own work and Witch Doctor, Invincible Universe and Clone.  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 2012. 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 Emmy®-winning 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 122 countries and 37 languages. AMC is developing Thief of Thieves as a potential series with Kirkman serving as creator/executive producer and writer. Your destinations for all news and merchandise from Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles is www.Skybound.com and www.TheWalkingDead.com

About Skybound
Skybound is the home of Robert Kirkman's creator-owned work including his Eisner Award-winning comic book series, The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur, Thief of Thieves and Clone as well as Witch Doctor and Invincible Universe. Since its inception, Skybound has created television shows, merchandise and a wide spectrum of platforms, games (The Walking Dead: Assault iOS app), and entertainment events (The Walking Dead Escape). Skybound's successes include the comic behind the hit Emmy®-winning 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 122 countries and 37 languages. AMC is developing Thief of Thieves as a potential series. Skybound/Kirkman frequently top the hardcover and paperback bestseller lists. Your destinations for all news and merchandise from Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles is www.Skybound.com or www.TheWalkingDead.com

About Arthur Suydam
Award winning creator and Marvel artist Arthur Suydam’s meteoric rise to superstardom for his work for the smash hit series Marvel Zombies broke graphic novel records, immediately placing the artist in the category of comic legend.

Suydam was recently honored with: the Spike TV Scream Award, (best writer, best artist, best comic of the year) Suydam’s short story Christmas Carol was chosen for inclusion in The Mammoth Book of Horror and Legends for best comic horror stories of all time and The Art of Painted Comics (2008). Suydam was recently honored with the prestigious Spectrum Gold Award for Excellence in Illustration, the San Sebastian Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and numerous fan-site favorite awards across the globe.

About Wizard World
Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.

The 2013 event schedule to date can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

***** SAVE THE 2013-14 DATES *****
March 22-24 – Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con
May 30 - June 2 – Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con
June 28-30 – Wizard World New York City Experience
August 8-11 – Wizard World Chicago Comic Con
September 20-22 – Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
October 18-20 – Wizard World Nashville Comic Con
November 22-24 – Wizard World Austin Comic Con
January 24-26, 2014 – Wizard World Portland Comic Con
February 7-9, 2014 – Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con