IMAGE COMICS EXCLUSIVES AND PANELS AT EMERALD CITY COMICON

Seattle convention takes place March 1-3

Image Comics is set to make a strong showing at next week's Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, with exclusive convention editions, a full slate of signings by Image creators, and panels featuring some of comics' top writers and artists! The convention takes place on March 1-3 in the Washington State Convention Center.

Four Image Comics convention exclusives will be available to purchase at the Image Comics booth (#1110):

LOST VEGAS #1 by Jim McCann and Janet Lee, convention exclusive cover by Dan McDaid

SEX #1 by Joe Casey and Piotr Kowalksi

THE WALKING DEAD: THE GOVERNOR SPECIAL by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard (available at the Skybound booth, just opposite of the Image booth)

UNCANNY SKULLKICKERS #1 by Jim Zub and Edwin Huang

All convention exclusives are available in limited quantity at the beginning of each convention day, during creator signings, and at creators' Artist Alley tables (check Emerald City Comic Con's website for names and locations).

The Image Comics signing schedule will be released soon, so keep an on Image's website.

There will be three Image Comics panels in Emerald City Comicon's programming, each promising to be a lively discussion.

Putting the "Graphic" in Graphic Novels
It's time to talk about sex and violence! Black Kiss II, Butcher Baker, Sex, Saga, Happy!, Multiple Warheads, Sex Criminals: these comics are definitely not for kids. Image Comics creators who aren't shying away from adult situations talk about creating comics for grown-ups. Is there really such a thing as "gratuitous"? What's it like to be banned in the UK and Canada? Join some of comics most respected creators for an eye-opening conversation. Panelists: Joe Casey (Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker, Sex), Howard Chaykin (Black Kiss II), Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals), Fiona Staples (Saga) FRIDAY 5 PM Hall B

Skybound: On the Rise
There's no limit on what to expect from Skybound, Robert Kirkman's imprint at Image Comics. The Walking Dead continues to dominate comics and television, Invincible just hit its historic 100th issue, and new series are on the horizon. Join Charlie Adlard, Ryan Ottley and more as they discuss what's in Skybound's future.
Panelists: Ryan Ottley, Charlie Adlard, Phil Hester, Josh Williamson SATURDAY 1 PM Hall B

Wondrous Worlds, Fractured Futures: Speculative Fiction and Image Comics
With the unlimited potential of comics, there is perhaps no better medium for speculative fiction than comics. Limited only by their imaginations, Image Comics creators have been creating far-flung universes and dystopian futures where science, fantasy, and technology explode in rich possibilities. Find out why they choose science fiction, how they build worlds, and what inspires them. Panelists: Duffy Boudreau (BlackAcre), Joe Harris (Great Pacific), Fiona Staples (Saga), Richard Starkings (Elephantmen) SUNDAY 1 PM HallB

IDW Publishing’s ETERNAL DESCENT Returns With Volume 2 Graphic Novel! Guitar Heroes Joe Satriani, Gus G, Michael Amott & Misha Mansoor battle for supremacy once more! San Diego, CA (February 22, 2013) -- Continuing to explore the unholy alliance that has long existed between the worlds of heavy metal and fantasy comics, multi-media phenomenon ETERNAL DESCENT returns with the second volume of the much-heralded comic saga! An ETERNAL DESCENT VOLUME 2 trailer is now online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jg944LA1Is Collecting six single issues, an exclusive ‘Cobalt’ one-shot, and extensive art galleries into a 200-page graphic novel set for release in March 2013 by IDW Publishing and available for preorder worldwide, ETERNAL DESCENT VOLUME 2 immerses fans in a dark fantasy world where demons and angels battle for supremacy alongside some of the biggest names in metal, including Arch Enemy, Firewind, Periphery, and Joe Satriani! With the fallen Sirian consigned to his fate and Lyra consumed by her inner demons, Loki’s designs draw ever closer to their terrible conclusion. As the conflict rips into the fabric of time, Gus G. returns with an unlikely guide, offering a glimmer of hope for our heroes… The disturbance reaches far across the universe and heralds the arrival of Joe Satriani, The Extremist, whose incredible energies bring balance to the cosmos, but leave our world consumed by Khaos magic. Michael Amott lies at the heart of this volatile new reality, empowered by mysterious amber artifacts and rivaled only by Misha Mansoor, a time-traveling wanderer wielding unparalleled technology! With lives lost, heroes reborn, and darkness rising, don’t miss the climactic resolution to  ETERNAL DESCENT VOLUME 2! The brainchild of British guitarist and comic creator Llexi Leon, who has teamed with American animation veteran Shaun McLaughlin and DC Comics writer Justin Peniston to bring his unique artistic vision to fruition, Eternal Descent is set in a fantasy universe where lost souls lurk in every shadow, and darkness veils sinister designs. Heavy metal could be the key to salvation… or the gateway to destruction! Offering comics, graphic novels, animated shorts, limited edition ESP guitars, a signature Digitech ­effects pedal and an upcoming video game to keep fans occupied, Eternal Descent is fast becoming an international phenomenon. Set to become a 21st century cult classic, fans of comics and heavy metal alike will be staggered in the scale of Eternal Descent’s ambitions and the second volume of the cult comic series promises to plunge readers even more deeply into the graphic novel’s dark, multi-faceted world. To learn more about Eternal Descent visit www.EternalDescent.com

About IDW IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Toho’s Godzilla; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio. IDW’s critically- and fan-acclaimed series are continually moving into new mediums. Currently, Warner Brothers and Barry Sonnenfeld are attached to adapt LORE into a feature film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney are creating a feature film based on World War Robot, with Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film.

DARK HORSE COMICS & HAPPYGIANT ANNOUNCE USAGI YOJIMBO GAME

Award Winning Comic Brought To Life for Mobile, Tablets, Desktop

New York, NY, ­February 22, 2013 - HappyGiant, in association with Dark Horse Comics, announce “Usagi Yojimbo: Way of The Ronin”, a game now available for iPhones & iPads, and coming soon to Android devices and desktop PC’s (www.usagiyojimbogame.com).

In conjunction with the release of the game, Dark Horse Comics is announcing the first new Usagi Yojimbo collection after a year hiatus working on 47 Ronin. The first new book will be Usagi Yojimbo: A Town Called Hell, which will see release on July 17.

Usagi Yojimbo is the beloved character and world created by award winning author and illustrator Stan Sakai, following the tales of a ronin (masterless samurai), set in feudal Japan. This is the first videogame based on the property in over 25 years and will introduce the epic series to a new generation of fans.

“It’s been far too long since the last Usagi game, and I am so excited to be working with HappyGiant to bring Usagi and his friends back to these new platforms,” said Stan Sakai, “The game turned out great!”

“Happy Giant is thrilled to be working with Stan Sakai and Dark Horse to bring Usagi Yojimbo to the mobile and gaming worlds”, said Michael Levine, CEO of HappyGiant. “This is one of the most treasured properties in the comics world, and we are proud to be adapting it as a game for fans, and for a new generation of fans who will discover it for the first time. This is a real labor of love.”

The title is a “2D side-scrolling hack-and-slash game”, done in the comic’s art style, and in the vein of the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade game, to which Usagi is often linked, as the characters have appeared in each other’s comics and TV series over the years. The game features over 60 different enemies, over 13 boss monsters and several of Usagi’s friends who fight along his side as companions.

About HappyGiant

Founded by veterans of LucasArts and Pileated Pictures (Pileated.com), HappyGiant develops and publishes games for mobile, tablets and emerging platforms.

About Dark Horse Comics

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, 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.

About Usagi Yojimbo

Usagi Yojimbo is a comic book series created by Stan Sakai in 1987. In 2011 IGN ranked Miyamoto Usagi in the top 100 comic books heroes of all time. Set primarily at the beginning of Edo period of Japan (early 17th century), with anthropomorphic animals replacing humans, the series features a rabbit ronin, Miyamoto Usagi, whom Stan Sakai based partially on the famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Usagi wanders the land on a musha shugyo (warrior's pilgrimage) occasionally selling his services as a bodyguard. Usagi Yojimbo is heavily influenced by Japanese cinema and has included references to the work of Akira Kurosawa (the title of the series is derived from Kurosawa's 1960 film Yojimbo) and to icons of popular Japanese cinema such as Lone Wolf and Cub, Zatoichi, and Godzilla. The series is also influenced somewhat by Groo the Wanderer by Sergio Aragonés (Sakai is the letterer for that series), but the overall tone of Usagi Yojimbo is more serious and reflective.

Jagex launches old SCHOOL RUNESCAPE Service following players VOTE

Friday 22^nd February 2013, Cambridge, UK – Jagex, the creators of the hugely popular and multi-award winning free to play adventure game, RuneScape, have confirmed that they will be launching Old School RuneScape today following an already sizable vote of support for the service hosted on the RuneScape website.

RuneScape as it was in late 2007 has often been heralded as one of the defining periods of the game by its players.  Since 2007 the game has undergone some significant improvements, including a completely new graphic and audio engine, upgrade of its combat system and with additional quests and updates added weekly.

Through the vote over the next week, RuneScape players will decide what level of investment the Old School RuneScape should receive going forward, ranging from a basic service with just critical maintenance, to an additional full blown development team focusing on evolving that game in a different direction the players votes will decide.

“This isn’t the first time that we’ve left such a big decision up to our community,” said Mark Gerhard, Jagex CEO, “In 2011 I ran a very similar poll which allowed our players to decide whether to bring back Free Trade and the Wilderness which had, at the time, been removed from the game.  We’re passionate about developing engaging and innovative content for our players and strive to delight and entertain the community.  This year is no different in our ambition to continue to build a game for yet another decade. Our players’ dedication, passion, feedback and enthusiasm all provide the compass, energy and satisfaction that powers Jagex.”

Gerhard continues, “There’s always a certain amount of nostalgia when talking about anything to do with the past, so we needed to be sure that Old School RuneScape was something that a reasonable amount of our players genuinely wanted, rather than just something that they had a passing interest in and with over 250,000 votes already cast, the popularity of this initiative is clear.”

The early access to the Old School 2007 servers begins today and all players that vote will be able to start their adventure prior to its official launch. The poll will remain open for players to vote for the service until Friday 1^st March. To vote now head over to: www.RuneScape.com/oldschool.    

About RuneScape

RuneScape is the world’s most popular free-to-play massively multiplayer online adventure game (as recognised by Guinness World Records), from multiple award-winning independent British development studio Jagex. Set in a richly detailed, medieval fantasy world, RuneScape’s traditional storytelling proudly draws its inspiration from classic role-playing games. RuneScape delivers a contemporary, innovative and original experience for millions of players across the globe every day. RuneScape offers a fully featured free-to-play game, with a popular subscription option of even greater scale and ambition, both running directly within almost any computer’s browser.

Thanks to its character-class-free skill system and elective gameplay, there are no limits to the hero players can become, no quest you cannot complete and no requirement to collaborate with others or face them in player-versus-player combat unless you so choose.  RuneScape’s distinctive role-playing style rewards players who think strategically and play smartly. Its witty, intelligent tone, finely balanced gameplay, epic questing and myriad in-world diversions combine to create a game that has earned its place as the most popular free-to-play massively multiplayer online game of all time and continues to push the boundaries of online role-playing games.

About Jagex

Jagex is a multi-award winning online games developer based in Cambridge, England. Jagex specialises in the development of high quality browser-based games with supporting platform and technology. Jagex is also the largest independent games developer and publisher in the UK.

Jagex has a long-standing reputation for creating the world's best online games and for developing hugely popular, high quality, accessible, free-to-play games and for providing an unbeatable community experience for millions of players around the world. Jagex has developed and self-published over 40 online titles, including the world's most popular free multiplayer online game, RuneScape.com.

THIS MARCH, FLATIRON FILM COMPANY UNLEASHES A BEVVY OF DIGITAL MOSTERS ON DIGITAL AND DVD

WITH INSTALLMENTS OF THE FAN FAVORITE ANIME FRANCHISE, DIGIMON

THE OFFICIAL DIGIMON ADVENTURE SET: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON

&

DIGIMON ADVENTURE: VOLUME 2

With a New Digimon Series on the Way and Over 100 Global Licensees, the In-Demand Retro Franchise Continues to Soar,

as Both New DVD Sets Follow the Official North American Season One Releases in 2012

IN STORES MARCH 26

New York, NY – In 1997, the Digimon franchise was launched, evolving from a popular digital toy to an adventure-packed feature film, multiple TV series and more.  Fast forward 17 years and the Japanese retro creation has continued to build on its international popularity with over 100 global licensees and its first official U.S. DVD releases from Flatiron Film Company, a label of Cinedigm (NASDAQ:CIDM), in partnership with Toei Animation.  THE OFFICIAL DIGIMON ADVENTURE SET: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON ($79.95srp), an 8-disc collection featuring all 50 complete, unedited episodes and DIGIMON ADVENTURE: VOLUME 2 ($19.95srp), a specially-priced 3-disc set including 18 full-length episodes from Season 1, follow the first Flatiron releases in 2012. Both sets are the English versions from the U.S. broadcast and will be available to the far-reaching fan-base and new generation of viewers on March 26, 2013.

For the uninitiated, there are five complete seasons in the Digimon Franchise (not including the sixth, soon to launch as “Digimon Fusion” on Nickelodeon later in 2013), but fans consider Seasons 1 & 2 to be the original, classic episodes.  It is these episodes that have never been officially released in the U.S. until Flatiron unleashed them in all their digital glory.  Season 1 found seven kids who, while at summer camp, discover seven “Digivices” which transported them to a strange digital world.  It’s here that these “DigiDestined” befriended Digimon -- short for Digital Monsters -- who were born to defend their world from various evil forces.  After learning they have the ability to help their new Digimon friends “digivolve” into different monsters and fight as a team, the kids form a pact and hope the digi beings can ultimately help them find their way home.

THE OFFICIAL DIGIMON ADVENTURE SET: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON is the direct sequel to Season 1, and takes place four years after the original series.  Commonly referred to as Digimon Zero Two, it finds most of the original characters now in junior high school, with the Digital World supposedly secure and peaceful.  However, a new evil has appeared in the form of the Digimon Emperor, a human just like the DigiDestined, who has been enslaving all Digimon. Four new children -- Davis, Yolei, Cody, and Ken -- are chosen and along with T.K. and Kari, make up the new generation of DigiDestined, charged with saving the Digital World.  Together they journey back to the Digital World to battle the villainous Emperor and free all the Digital Monsters from his control.  For the first time ever, THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON is unleashed onto digital and DVD and will include all 50 exciting adventures never before released in North America.  Fans of the series will also thrill to bonuses including a full-color 36-page character guide book and a gallery featuring more than 40 villian Digimon sketches. 

Also being released is the 3-disc set DIGIMON ADVENTURE: VOLUME 2.  Featuring 18 episodes across Story Arc 3 in Season 1, this specially-priced offering continues the incredible tales of the seven children -- Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, and T.K.— forced to battle Myotismon, a villain who wants to prevent the group from activating greater powers by capturing the eighth DigiDestined child from the Real World.  Using a dimensional gate, Myotismon and the kids journey between Worlds, attacking and defending as they go. Finally back in the Digital World, Myotismon is defeated and the eighth DigiDestined child is revealed.  But just as the kids think their job is finished, they look up to see the Digiworld upside down and realize they must fix things in the Digital World before the Real World can return to normal!

Engaging long-time fans and uncovering the next generation of Digimon viewers, these DVD and digital releases at long last deliver one of the longest-running Japanese anime properties to animation fans everywhere.

About Cinedigm

Cinedigm is a leader in the digital entertainment revolution.  Cinedigm's pioneering digital cinema deployment and servicing efforts, and our state-of-the-art distribution and exhibition software, are cornerstones of the digital cinema transformation. Cinedigm is also the leading digital aggregator of independent content in the world, providing end-to-end digital content delivery to theaters, across digital and on-demand platforms, and on DVD/Blu-ray. Through partnerships with iTunes, Netflix, Amazon, Google, Hulu, Vudu, Xbox, Playstation, and others, Cinedigm reaches a global digital audience. The company’s library of over 5,000 titles includes award-winning documentaries from Docurama Films®, next-gen indies from Flatiron Film Company® and acclaimed independent films and festival picks through partnerships with the Sundance Institute and Tribeca Film. CEG is proud to distribute many Oscar®-nominated films including “The Invisible War,” “Hell and Back Again,” “GasLand,” “Waste Land” and “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.” Upcoming multi-platform releases include “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey,” “Come Out And Play,” “Arthur Newman,” and “Violet and Daisy.”  Cinedigm™ and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp™ are trademarks of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp www.cinedigm.com. [CIDM-G]

BOOM! STUDIOS
REVEALS EMERALD CITY COMICON 2013
GUESTS & SIGNING TIMES 


BOOM! STUDIOS GUESTS INCLUDE:
28 DAYS LATER & VALEN THE OUTCAST's Michael Alan Nelson
DEATHMATCH's Paul Jenkins
ALIENS vs. PARKER's Paul Scheer, Nick Giovannetti and Joe Quinones
FREELANCERS' Eric Esquivel and Joshua Covey
I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER's Shannon Wheeler
FANBOYS vs. ZOMBIES' Sam Humphries and Jerry Gaylord
STEED AND MRS. PEEL and ICE AGE's Caleb Monroe
and Special Guest Brian Stelfreeze 


along with KABOOM! GUESTS:
ADVENTURE TIME's Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb, JAB, Kassandra Heller, Dustin Nguyen and Pennie Gaylord
ADVENTURE TIME: FIONNA & CAKE's Natasha Allegri, Colleen Coover and
Noelle Stevenson
BRAVEST WARRIORS' Joey Comeau, Mike Holmes and Tyson Hesse 
HEROBEAR AND THE KID's Mike Kunkel
PEANUTS' Vicki Scott


 

 

                                                                       

SCHEDULED SIGNINGS & PANELS

BOOM! Studios Booth #2102
KaBOOM! Booth #2002

Friday, March 1, 2013 - 2pm - 8pm

BOOM! STUDIOS

All Day Sketching - Jerry Gaylord at the BOOM! Booth

All Day Signing - Brian Stelfreeze, Michael Alan Nelson and Caleb Monroe at the BOOM! Booth

2:30-3:00pm - "Breaking into Comics" Panel in Hall A

3:15-4:15pm - Sam Humphries and Jerry Gaylord signing at the BOOM! Booth

4:30-5:30pm - Paul Jenkins signing at the BOOM! Booth  

6:00-7:00pm - Joshua Covey and Eric Esquivel signing at the BOOM! Booth 


KaBOOM! 

All Day Sketching – Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb, Mike Holmes, Travis Hill, JAB, Kassandra Heller, Noelle Stevenson & Pennie Gaylord at the KaBOOM! Booth 

All Day Signing - Vicki Scott and Mike Kunkel at the KaBOOM! Booth 

3:00-4:00pm  – Natasha Allegri, Colleen Coover and Noelle Stevenson signing at the KaBOOM! Booth

4:30–5:30pm – Joey Comeau, Tyson Hesse and Mike Holmes signing at the KaBOOM! Booth

5:30–6:25pm – "It's Adventure Time" Panel in Hall A 

6:40–7:40pm – Ryan North, Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb signing at the KaBOOM! Booth 

Saturday, March 2, 2013 - 10am - 7pm

BOOM! STUDIOS

All Day Sketching - Jerry Gaylord at the BOOM! Booth 

All Day Signing - Brian Stelfreeze, Michael Alan Nelson and Caleb Monroe at the BOOM! Booth
11:00am-12:00pm - Sam Humphries and Jerry Gaylord signing at the BOOM! Booth 

1:00-2:00pm - Paul Scheer, Nick Giovannetti and Joe Quinones signing at the BOOM! Booth

2:10-3:05pm - "We are BOOM!" Panel in Hall B  

4:00-5:00pm - Paul Jenkins signing at the BOOM! Booth 

5:30-6:30pm - Joshua Covey and Eric Esquivel signing at the BOOM! Booth 


KaBOOM! 

All Day Sketching – Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb, Mike Holmes, Travis Hill, JAB, Kassandra Heller, Noelle Stevenson & Pennie Gaylord at the KaBOOM Booth

All Day Signing - Vicki Scott and Mike Kunkel at the KaBOOM! Booth 

12:00 -1:00pm - Natasha Allegri, Colleen Coover and Noelle Stevenson signing at the KaBOOM! Booth

3:30–4:30pm - Dustin Nguyen signing at the KaBOOM! Booth  

4:45–5:45pm –  Ryan North, Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb signing at the KaBOOM! Booth 

6:00–7:00pm – Joey Comeau, Tyson Hesse and Mike Holmes signing at the KaBOOM! Booth


Sunday, March 3, 2013 - 10am - 6pm

BOOM! STUDIOS

All Day Sketching - Jerry Gaylord at the BOOM! Booth 

All Day Signing - Brian Stelfreeze, Michael Alan Nelson and Caleb Monroe at the BOOM! Booth
11:00am–12:00pm - Paul Jenkins signing at the BOOM! Booth 
 
2:00–3:00pm - Joshua Covey and Eric Esquivel signing at the BOOM! Booth 

4:00-4:55pm - "BOOM! presents: Brian Stelfreeze" Panel in Room 3AB


KaBOOM! 

All Day Sketching – Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb, Mike Holmes, Travis Hill, JAB, Kassandra Heller, Noelle Stevenson & Pennie Gaylord at the KaBOOM! Booth

All Day Signing - Vicki Scott and Mike Kunkel at the KaBOOM! Booth 

11:10am–12:05pm – "BOOM!/KaBOOM!: The All Ages Explosion" Panel in Hall B

12:30–1:30pm - Natasha Allegri, Colleen Coover and Noelle Stevenson signing at the KaBOOM! Booth  

1:45–2:45pm – Ryan North, Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb signing at the KaBOOM! Booth 

4:00–5:00pm – Joey Comeau, Tyson Hesse and Mike Holmes signing at the KaBOOM! Booth

 

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.

WILL EISNER WEEK, MARCH 1-10, CELEBRATES THE ‘FATHER OF THE MODERN GRAPHIC NOVEL’ IN A DOZEN CITIES

NEW YORK (February 20, 2013) - The Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation is proud to announce Will Eisner Week 2013, a ten-day series of events in more than a dozen cities nationwide that celebrates graphic novels, free speech awareness, and the career and legacy of Will Eisner, one of the most innovative figures in the history of comics and graphic novels.

Will Eisner Week’s theme this year is, “Read a Graphic Novel,” which will be the underlying message of all the events. Cities holding celebrations include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, and Minneapolis.

Will Eisner Week 2013 has added significance, as it marks 35 years since the 1978 publication of Eisner’s groundbreaking graphic novel, “A Contract With God.”

“This year, we will be having Will Eisner Week celebrations in more places than ever before,” said Will Eisner Week Organizing Committee Chair Danny Fingeroth. “The people doing the events are planning some amazing happenings that will spread the word about how cool graphic novels are, and that celebrate Will Eisner’s astonishing body of work done over a career that spanned seven decades.”

Will Eisner Week 2013 events include:

March 1-15, SAVANNAH, GA: Savannah College of Art and Design will hold several events run by Professor David Duncan, including a March 2 screening of “Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist” and various Eisner-themed art sessions.

March 2, 4:00-4:55 PM, SEATTLE, WA:  Emerald City Comic Convention panel: Eisner’s “A Contract With God—Reflections on the 35th Anniversary,” featuring Dennis O’Neil, Batton Lash, Matt Fraction, Jackie Estrada, and Ben Saunders.

March 3-10, PITTSBURGH, PA: Various events at the Toonseum, including a screening of the documentary “Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist” by Andrew & Jon Cooke on March 6.

March 4-8, ARKADELPHIA, AR: The Comics Arts Club of Henderson State University, under the direction of Professor Randy Duncan, will study Eisner’s work in the context of Immigrant Experience Focus Week.

March 6: 7:30 PM, PORTLAND, OR: The Art Institute of Portland: Lecture on Eisner by Dark Horse Editor Diana Schutz.

March 7, 6:30-9:30 PM, NEW YORK, NY: The Society of Illustrators hosts a Will Eisner Sketch Night.

March 7, 7:00-9:00 PM, SAN FRANCISCO, CA: The Cartoon Art Museum. An Evening With Mario Hernandez, including a discussion of Eisner’s influence. 

March 7, 7:30 PM, PORTLAND, OR: The Jack London Bar. A reading of Eisner’s “Last Day in Vietnam,” with Brian Bendis, Matt Fraction, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Michael Oeming, and Dylan Meconis.

March 7, 7:00-9:30 PM, BOSTON, MA: Tufts University. Screening of “Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist,” followed by a panel discussion including A. David Lewis, Chuck Henebry, and Stephen Weiner.

March 10, 1:00-4:00 PM, MINNEAPOLIS, MN: Minneapolis College of Art and Design hosts a Graphic Novel Read-In, featuring a screening of “Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist.”

March 11, 7:00-9:00 PM, NEW YORK, NY:  Parsons/The New School, Comics & Picture-Story Symposium. Jeremy Dauber and Danny Fingeroth discuss Eisner’s work in the context of Jewish-American literature.

March 12, WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT: Center for Cartoon Studies. Lecture on Eisner by Stephen Bissette. (For CCS students only.)

March 14, 7:30 PM, BURBANK, CA: The Animation Guild will hold a special Comic Art Professional Society meeting devoted to Eisner, hosted by Scott! Shaw.

Celebrations are also being planned for Amherst, MA and Washington, DC. Check www.willeisnerweek.com for updates on all events.

About WILL EISNER:

WILL EISNER (1917-2005) grew up in the tenement Bronx of the Great Depression. He was a pioneer in the creation of comics of the "golden age" of the 1930s and '40s, achieving immortality with his noir crime fighting superhero, The Spirit, the first character to star in a comics insert distributed in newspapers. At one time or another, just about every comics great of his own and succeeding generations worked with and for Eisner, including Jules Feiffer, Wallace Wood, Jack Kirby, Al Jaffee, and Mike Ploog. When The Spirit ceased publication in 1952, Eisner devoted himself to producing educational and instructional Sequential Art, a term he coined. Then, in 1978, Eisner reinvented himself—and the medium— again with his graphic novel A Contract with God, the first of a series of works focused, for the most part with a compassionate yet unsentimental lens, on early 20th century Jewish life in America. Other notable graphic novels included To The Heart of the Storm, A Life Force, Last Day In Vietnam, and Fagin. At the time of his 2005 death, Eisner had just completed The Plot, a comics-form refutation of the resurgent anti-Semitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which was released posthumously by W.W. Norton.

About WILL EISNER WEEK:

WILL EISNER WEEK is an annual series of celebrations that takes place in multiple cities, timed around Eisner’s March 6th birthday. Started in 2009, Will Eisner Week is dedicated to promoting graphic novels, literacy, free speech awareness, and the legacy of Will Eisner. This year Will Eisner Week is primarily being celebrated March 1-10 in locales including New York City, Portland (OR), Seattle, Columbus (OH), Minneapolis, Savannah, Burbank, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Arkadelphia (AR), and Amherst. Will Eisner Week details can be found at www.willeisnerweek.com.

THE UGLIEST KID ON EARTH SELLS OUT

Second issue of TODD gets second printing

Selling out the same week as its release, TODD, THE UGLIEST KID ON EARTH #2 continues the success of the new Image Comics mini-series by Ken Kristensen and MK Perker. The issue will receive a second printing (JAN138185), to be in stores on March 27.

The third issue of TODD, THE UGLIEST KID ON EARTH, which focuses on an infectiously upbeat kid caught in an epically dysfunctional world, will be in stores on March 13.

The title continues to receive critical praise with its second issue:

"Todd, The Ugliest Kid on Earth is so wrong it circles back around and becomes so, so right. If you don't have a slightly askew sense of humor you'll find this more offensive than hilarious, and that's your loss. Todd is one of the rare books that's a good read AND a fun ride."
    -Comic Book Therapy

"This title continues to be one of my favorite this year. The team on this book are layering all sorts of different meats and cheeses and using all kinds of spicy condiments to serve up one hell of a sandwich, and you know how much I like sandwiches."
    -Comics Bulletin

"If you like your humor dark and your satire biting, then you should check this one out. Four and a half Disturbing Prison Groupies out of Five."
    -Fanboy Comics

"It's an insane premise with oddities all over the place, but it's intelligently put together and is heavily entertaining.... Don't let this pass under your radar."
    -Comic List