IMAGE COMICS PUBLISHER ERIC STEPHENSON RECEIVES 2014 COMICSPRO INDUSTRY APPRECIATION AWARD

Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson was honored with the 2014 ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation award this past Friday at the annual Comics Professional Organization convention. ComicsPRO is the only trade organization for direct-market comic book retailers.   After being nominated three years in a row, this is Stephenson’s first win. He received the award shortly after giving an address on the importance of the Direct Market and retailers’ involvement in the ever-changing comics industry.    "I'm honored to be the recipient of this year's Industry Appreciation Award," said Stephenson. "The retailers who make up ComicsPRO are among the industry's very best and I think they do some very important work on behalf of comics and the Direct Market, so as awards go, I think it's really cool.”    "I also think that even though it's my name on the award, it's actually more of a testament to how far Image has come over the last few years, and that couldn't have happened without the hard work and dedication of all the talented men and women at Image Comics,” continued Stephenson. “Jessica Ambriz, Emilio Bautista, Branwyn Bigglestone, David Brothers, Jonathan Chan, Jennifer de Guzman, Addison Duke, Monica Garcia, Drew Gill, Emily Miller, Patricia Ramos, Ron Richards, Kat Salazar, Jenna Savage, Tyler Shainline, Jeremy Sullivan, and Meredith Wallace don't get enough credit for the incredible support they provide to all the creators Image works with, but I absolutely would not be able to do what I do without them."   The award nominations are submitted by ComicsPRO members, narrowed down by the organization’s Board of Directors, and voted upon by members of ComicsPRO. The award was created to honor individuals who have shown particular support of the Direct Market in the comic industry.   About ComicsPRO: Comics Professional Retail Organization (ComicsPRO) is the only trade organization for direct-market comic book retailers. ComicsPRO's goals are to promote advocacy, education, and opportunity for their members. Joining ComicsPRO makes members part of a group facing—and overcoming—many of the same challenges. ComicsPRO allows members, as a small business, to receive benefits that are often only available to much larger groups, including discounted credit card rates and deals on health insurance. But the most important goal of ComicsPRO is to provide a voice for the often overlooked concerns of direct-market retailers.

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, fantasy, 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 INVITES FANS TO CATCH THE EXCITING RETURN OF RANMA ½ IN A BRAND NEW OMNIBUS MANGA EDITION

Creator Rumiko Takahashi’s Groundbreaking

Gender-Bending Martial Arts Comedy Returns To North America In A Newly Re-Mastered 2-In-1 Manga Format

San Francisco, CA, February 28, 2014 – The wait is almost over as VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, announces next month’s exciting release of Rumiko Takahashi’s adored manga (graphic novel) series – RANMA ½ – as newly re-mastered 2-in-1 omnibus editions. The opening volume debuts on March 11^th, presented for the first time ever in a right-to-left reading format that remains faithful to the original work. RANMA ½ is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and will carry a MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

Ranma Saotome never thought a martial arts training mission to China would turn out like this! Due to an unfortunate accident at the cursed Chinese training ground Jusenkyo, when Ranma and his father get splashed with cold water, papa turns into a giant panda and male Ranma becomes a buxom young woman! Hot water reverses the effect, but only until the next time! Constantly chased by battle-happy martial artists and lovesick suitors of both sexes, what's a half-boy, half-girl martial artist to do?

“RANMA ½ was one of the first manga series to achieve massive international success, and became a staple of the VIZ Media catalog for over 14 years, making it one of our longest-running titles and one of the longest-running manga series in North America,” says Hope Donovan, Editor. “The return of RANMA ½ in a new 2-in-1 omnibus is an ideal format to revisit the series or enjoy it for the very first time and will allow fans to appreciate Rumiko Takahashi’s classic romantic comedy action series in a whole new way!”

The spotlight on Rumiko Takahashi's career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan's prestigious New Comic Artist Contest for Those Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series, Urusei Yatsura, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular in their own right. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another— Maison Ikkoku ran from 1980 to 1987, Ranma 1/2 from 1987 to 1996, and Inuyasha from 1996 to 2008. Other notable works include Mermaid Saga, Rumic Theater, One-Pound Gospel, and RIN-NE (all also published in North America by VIZ Media).

Takahashi won the Shogakukan Manga Award twice in her career, once for Urusei Yatsura in 1981 and the second time for Inuyasha in 2002. A majority of the Takahashi canon has been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. Takahashi's manga, as well as the other formats her work has been adapted into, have continued to delight generations of fans around the world. Distinguished by her wonderfully endearing characters, Takahashi's work adeptly incorporates a wide variety of elements such as comedy, romance, fantasy, and martial arts. While her series are difficult to pin down into one simple genre, the signature style she has created has come to be known as the "Rumic World." Rumiko Takahashi is an artist who truly represents the very best from the world of manga.

For more information on RANMA ½ and Rumiko Takahashi titles published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

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 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.

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RANMA ½ © 1988 Rumiko TAKAHASHI/SHOGAKUKAN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Firstly, Happy Women’s History Month!

We at Respect Films and Sequart would like to invite you to help us tell the untold story of women in comics. And time is running out! Our She Makes Comics Kickstarter campaign is entering its final week, and we still need quite a few dollars more to ensure the documentary becomes a reality. (Also, we’re excited to announce the addition of new donation rewards created / autographed by Neil Gaiman, Colleen Doran, Molly Crabapple, and Miss Lasko-Gross!)

                                                                       
She Makes Comics busts up the “boys’ club” of the comic book world, telling the story of women in the comics industry and in fan culture since the Golden Age of the medium. This film will trace the history of women in comics from its early days, when the majority of readers were, in fact, women. It will explore the early contributions female artists made to superhero comics in the ‘50s and ‘60s; the explosion of underground feminist comics in the ‘70s; the maturation of comics in the ‘80s overseen by several key female editors and executives; and the modern age of indie comics and fandom, where artists and fans thrive in ever-growing communities. For the first time on film, female creators, fans, retailers, and scholars will tell their stories in a celebration of creative passion and barrier-breaking storytelling.

The film will be produced by the same Sequart / Respect Films team behind the critically-acclaimed documentaries The Image Revolution, Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods, Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts, and Comics in Focus: Chris Claremont’s X-Men.

We have turned to Kickstarter to help fund She Makes Comics. This is your chance to support discussion about the merits of comics and to help document the story of the women who’ve had a part in shaping comics history.

“We’re really excited to produce a film that will hopefully inspire a new generation of creators and fans and show women that there is a place for them in comics,” said director / producer Marisa Stotter.

Co-producing She Makes Comics is Karen Green, the comics / graphic novels librarian at Columbia University. “To bring all these women together – these smart, creative, powerful women – telling their stories, telling the history of women in comics, this stands as such an amazing example to women out there, to girls out there, that there are a lot of women in this club. And there’s always room for more.”

Rewards include the documentary as a DVD and / or digital download; original artwork created exclusively for the film by Courtney Wirth, Colleen Doran, and Jill Thompson; and a get-started comics art kit that is perfect for an aspiring artist. Rewards also include books and feature-length documentary films from Sequart's catalog.

REWARDS UPDATES:

·         For current pledgers: If you increase your pledge by $10, you’ll get a copy of The Girls' Guide to Guys' Stuff anthology!

·         Also for current pledgers: If you increase your pledge by $30, you’ll get an autographed copy of Colleen Doran’s A Distant Soil: The Gathering graphic novel!

·         For $200, Miss Lasko-Gross (Escape from Special, A Mess of Everything) will draw a portrait of you (or anyone else) from a photo. This is your chance to get a custom portrait from a talented artist!

·         And finally, we have two poster prints of the poem Desert Wind, written by Neil Gaiman and beautifully illustrated by Molly Crabapple. For $400, you can own one! The posters are autographed by both Neil and Molly!

For more information, visit the project’s Kickstarter page.

EMILY AND THE STRANGERS

KICKSTART YOUR HEART IN NEW SERIES!

FEBRUARY 28, MILWAUKIE, OR—After a successful Kickstarter campaign raising more than $64,000 to produce an animated Emily and the Strangers music video, Emily creator Rob Reger returns, with cowriter Mariah Huehner (True Blood, Angel) and artist Cat Farris, for a brand-new Emily and the Strangers miniseries full of evil record companies, stray cat struts, science, and music!

Emily—and her new band, the Strangers—won the battle of the bands and received a record contract with Awesomely Awesome Records, but can the girl who just figured out how to get along with her friends manage dealing with a major corporation? And what’s the deal with the legions of stray cats around town?

Emily is not your average thirteen-year-old girl. Princess pink is her worst nightmare . . . She wears the same black dress every day . . . She loves math and science as much as playing music and skateboarding. Her best friends are her four black cats.

After twenty years as the hero for outcasts, Emily the Strange still promotes the ideals of “Be yourself, think for yourself, do it yourself.” Emily is so anticool, she’s cool . . . A subculture of one, and a follower of no one but herself.

There is also an Emily the Strange feature film currently in development at Universal Pictures, with a script written by Melisa Wallack (Mirror Mirror)!

Read the exclusive interview with Rob Reger and Mariah Huehner on Geek & Sundry!

Emily and the Strangers: Breaking the Record #1 is on sale June 25!

 

The Emily and the Strangers Volume 1: The Battle of the Bands hardcover is available May 14 in comic shops and May 27 in bookstores everywhere! Preorder your copy today!

About Dark Horse

Founded in 1986 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, including 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.

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The Strain Premieres on FX in July, 2014

LOS ANGELES, February 2014 - FX is bringing relief to fatigued South by Southwest attendees in Austin, Texas. The Strain Transformation Station will provide participants with the chance to recover from "the strain" of SXSW with 20-minute power naps inside custom-built Rejuvenation Pods. The pods are equipped with tablets showcasing exclusive content from the new FX original series, The Strain.

The Strain Transformation Station

· Operating from March 7 through March 10, 12:00pm - 6:00pm

· Located in the prominent downtown Austin location 419 Congress Ave. @ 5th Street

· A hostess will be on hand to book power-nap appointments in 10 Rejuvenation Pods with additional sitting area/lounge

· Appointments may also be booked ahead of time through the custom mobile site (www.thestrainpods.com)

· The Strain Vaccine (branded energy shots) will be distributed in and around the venue

· The Strain novels and special-edition comic books will be available for takeaway

The Strain is a high concept thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph, his team, and an assembly of everyday New Yorkers, wage war for the fate of humanity itself.

The ensemble cast of The Strain stars Corey Stoll, Mia Maestro, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand, Natalie Brown, Jonathan Hyde, Richard Sammel, Robert Maillet, Jack Kesy, Ben Hyland, Miguel Gomez and David Bradley. Writer, producer, director and novelist Guillermo del Toro has built his career on bringing fantasy and horror to vivid life. He wrote and directed the dark fairy tale Pan's Labyrinth, which garnered six Academy Award nominations, including one for del Toro for Best Writing, Original Screenplay. The film went on to win three Oscars. Named by The Hollywood Reporter as a "Master of Horror," del Toro's other film credits include Pacific Rim, Hellboy and the upcoming Crimson Peak starring Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam and Jessica Chastain.

About FX

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable channel of FX Networks, a business unit of Fox Networks Group. FX Networks is comprised of FX, FXM and FXX, its newest channel, which debuted on September 2, 2013. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 97 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series, including Sons of Anarchy, Justified, The Americans and The Bridge; the miniseries American Horror Story; and the acclaimed hit comedy series Louie, Archer and Chozen. The network's library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX's roster of acquired hit series includes Two and a Half Men, Anger Management and, coming in 2014, Mike & Molly.

About Dark Horse

Founded in 1986 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, EVE Online, Halo, 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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Cartoon Network Crossover Causes Cosmic Calamity  Samurai Jack, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Ben 10 And More Unite In The ‘Super Secret Crisis War’!   San Diego, CA (February 28, 2014) – When an unstoppable evil spreads across the universe, heroes across time and space will be summoned together to face a threat that none of them could have possibly dealt with on their own. In Super Secret Crisis War!, the fate of the universe will depend upon a stoic warrior, a kid hero, a mad scientist, a fearsome trio of lab experiments, and… Ed, Edd and Eddy?!? This June, the heroes of some of Cartoon Network’s most popular shows will join together at IDW for this all-ages, mega-colossal crossover where worlds and characters collide like never before! Written by the legendary Louise Simonson, the six-issue event will feature the herculean heroes going toe-to-toe against the nefarious nemeses Aku, Vilgax, Mandark, Mojo Jojo, attempting to thwart their conniving conquest. "I love writing group books! So obviously, Super Secret Crisis War! is my dream job!" says series writer, Simonson, "Even researching the series is fun—who doesn’t love watching cartoons!? Especially excellent, award-winning cartoon series like Samurai Jack, Ben 10, Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, and Ed, Edd, & Eddy. But the very best part is seeing the art and design so beautifully realized by the wonderful Derek Charm. Fun characters, great artist, and a really fine editorial team at IDW!" Art and cover duties will be handled The Powerpuff Girls writer and artist Derek Charm. Each issue will also feature a subscription cover by The Powerpuff Girls writer and artist, Troy Little that combine to form one massive image, so make sure to collect them all. Additional variants by top artists including Katie Cook (My Little Pony) will also be available for this special event. The beloved Cartoon Network franchises at IDW have brought back the nostalgia for old fans and introduced a whole new audience to the amazing creations by series creators Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack), Craig McCracken (The Powerpuff Girls), and Man of Action (Ben 10). And starting in July, the madness expands! Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Johnny Bravo, Codename: Kids Next Door, and Cow and Chicken will all take center stage as they join the madness of the Super Secret Crisis War in their own one-shots. Written by Ivan Cohen, Kate Leth, Erik Burnham, Scott Peterson, & Jim Zub, respectively, each one-shot will tie in to the Super Secret Crisis War showing the full scope of the looming threat. With all of these classic characters sharing the page, the universe will never be the same!

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, G.I. JOE and MY LITTLE PONY; Paramount’s Star Trek; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; 2000AD’s Judge Dredd; The Rocketeer; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coast’s 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, Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio, and the multiple award-winning Artist's Edition imprint. 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; Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Warner Brothers are producing a film based on Ashley Wood's Lore; Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film, Kurtzman/Orci are producing a movie based on Locke & Key at Universal.

John Byrne Expands Star TrekTM Visions Ongoing Mission Becomes Ongoing Series   San Diego, CA (February 28, 2014) – Last year, comic-book legend, John Byrne set out “to explore strange new worlds” within the Star Trek universe, using a unique technique, the photonovel. The resulting Star Trek Annual 2013, which is completely sold out through Diamond and headed for a second printing, was a creative success due to this distinctive storytelling device. This May, Byrne will continue his quest “to seek out new life and new civilizations” using the photonovel format to produce an ongoing bi-monthly series, Star Trek: New Visions. “What John does on these photonovel stories is nothing short of amazing,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Office/Editor-in-Chief. “He’s moved far beyond photo-manipulation and montage to constructing his own set pieces, uniforms, and characters. Much more than just comic stories, these tales are the closest thing to Original Series-era ‘lost episodes’ that the world will ever see.” Each issue of this all-new series will be an extra-length affair. New Visions begins by going through the looking glass to tell the story of what happened after the classic “Mirror, Mirror” episode of the original series. In issue #1, “The Mirror, Cracked,” the crew of the Starship: Enterprise discovers two strangers in their midst, and things take a turn when they learn that one of them has made a pact with one of James Kirk’s oldest foes. Star Trek: New Visions #1, a 48-page, full-color, $7.99 comic book, debuts in May 2014. Diamond Order Code MAR140370 E  STAR TREK NEW VISIONS #1 MIRROR CRACKED A new printing of the sold-out Star Trek Annual 2013 will also ship in May. Diamond Order Code MAR140371 E  STAR TREK ANNUAL 2013

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, G.I. JOE and MY LITTLE PONY; Paramount’s Star Trek; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; 2000AD’s Judge Dredd; The Rocketeer; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coast’s 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, Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio, and the multiple award-winning Artist's Edition imprint. 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; Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Warner Brothers are producing a film based on Ashley Wood's Lore; Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film, Kurtzman/Orci are producing a movie based on Locke & Key at Universal.

REVENGE #1, SEX CRIMINALS #1, DEADLY CLASS #1, BLACK SCIENCE #1, AND BLACK SCIENCE #2 ALL SELL OUT INSTANTLY

All five issues are slated for more printings to meet customer demands

Five hotly-anticipated issues from hit Image Comics series simultaneously sold out and are all getting more printings to meet customer demand.   Among the sell-outs, BBC chat-show host Jonathan Ross’ and Ian Churchill’s REVENGE #1—which follows the vengeful and violent war path of Griffin Franks after enemies surgically remove his face—stirred up fans of grit and gore and was given an Adult rating by Comixology before selling-out instantly on New Comics Day. Its second printing can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code JAN148236 and will be available on 3/26.    Chip Zdarsky’s and Matt Fraction's runaway hit sex comedy, which reached critical acclaim early on and has been selling out repeatedly in the interim, continued its streak with SEX CRIMINALS #1 selling out yet again. The issue is slated for its 6th printing and can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code JAN148237 and will be available on 3/26.   The first issue of DEADLY CLASS, the action-packed series about teen assassins in the '80s from Rick Remender and Wes Craig, has sold out instantly as well and is going into its third printing. It can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code JAN148238 and will hit the shelves on 3/26.    Also for Remender fans, BLACK SCIENCE #1 and #2, of the dimension-hopping science fiction hit series with art by Matteo Scalera, have both sold out and are going into third printings. Both can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code JAN148239 and JAN148240 respectively and will be available on 3/26.   REVENGE #1, SEX CRIMINALS #1, DEADLY CLASS #1, BLACK SCIENCE #1, AND BLACK SCIENCE #2 have completely sold out at the distributor level, but may still be available in comic stores. They are currently available digitally on the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com) and the official Image Comics iOS app, as well as on Comixology on the web (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play, with the exception of SEX CRIMINALS #1 which is not available on iOS platforms.

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, fantasy, 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.

IDW Games And Pandasaurus Expand Relationship  Exciting Additions To Product Line Scheduled For 2014 And Beyond San Diego, CA (February 27, 2014) – IDW Games launched in a big way with recently announced games like Kill Shakespeare and 30 Days of Night. To help bolster a board game line already hotly anticipated by fans around the world, IDW is growing its games division by expanding its partnership with Pandasaurus Games. This partnership includes bringing Pandasaurus’ vault of popular games into print, many of which are sold out. The first title in this partnership is Tammany Hall, launching in June, in which the players “take power, rule New York.”  Other titles to follow are Rattus Cartus, the sold-out hit that pits players against each other and the Black Plague, and Yedo, Pandasaurus’ first game, which is a samurai-themed worker placement game from the designers of the upcoming Kill Shakespeare game, Wolf Plancke and Thomas Vande Ginste. It also means that moving forward, IDW Games and Pandasaurus will be co-developing engaging board games that will excite existing fans of the genre and surely make new ones. “We have a commitment to seeing incredible ideas come to fruition in the form of brilliantly themed, technically engaging and visually stunning board games above all else,” said Mary Wardlaw, Director Marketing at Pandasaurus Games, “And that commitment is the exact reason why we couldn't be more delighted to have IDW Games as a partner in upholding and expanding the mission of breathing life into new endeavors, out-of-print lauded gems and beloved brands. Let the games begin!” “Pandasaurus has done an excellent job building a catalog of rich, engaging and in-demand board games. They’re veterans in the industry and we look forward to developing some amazing titles together.” Said IDW Games Director, Jerry Bennington. “This is a partnership that will have an immediate positive impact for both sides and you can be sure you’ll be hearing big things from us soon.” You also have a chance to part of IDW Games and Pandasaurus’ first joint venture, Kill Shakespeare, on Kickstarter now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/idwgames/kill-shakespeare?ref=home_location The future looks very bright for board game fans with the return of some favorites and the release of new and exciting ones!  This year, IDW Games and Pandasaurus invite you to get in the game!

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, G.I. JOE and MY LITTLE PONY; Paramount’s Star Trek; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; 2000AD’s Judge Dredd; The Rocketeer; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coast’s 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, Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio, and the multiple award-winning Artist's Edition imprint. 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; Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Warner Brothers are producing a film based on Ashley Wood's Lore; Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film, Kurtzman/Orci are producing a movie based on Locke & Key at Universal.

HIGH FANTASY, BOOZE, BRAWLS, AND BLOOD IN RAT QUEENS

New Image Comics comedy adventure gets collected in March

You’ve never seen high fantasy heroines like the Rat Queens before. Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric, and Betty the Hippy Smidgen are foul-mouthed, gleefully blood-spattered, prone to fits of indiscriminate property damage, and often intoxicated. They’re the stars of the hit Image Comics/Shadowline comic book series RAT QUEENS, and they’re best f*cking mercenary team in all of Palisade. So why does someone want them dead? Wait, don’t answer that.   Better than any bard’s song of triumph in battle, RAT QUEENS VOLUME ONE: SASS AND SORCERY by Kurtis J. Wiebe (PETER PANZERFAUST) and Roc Upchurch (VESCELL) will be hitting (and we do mean hitting) store shelves in March. The Queens embark on a quest of rare importance, promising fame and fortune should they succeed in this most dangerous of — OK, so they have to clear some goblins out of a cave. But things take a surprising turn, and the Queens are going to have to use their wits and weapons to uncover a plot on their lives.   RAT QUEENS rocketed to cult status when its first issue appeared in September 2013 and went on to win IGN's coveted Best New Series of the year. This paperback volume of the series collects the first five issues, with a cover by Fiona Staples (SAGA). RAT QUEENS VOLUME ONE is available for pre-order now and a five-page preview is on Image Comics’ website. Readers who like their swords bloody and their sorcery sarcastic won’t want to miss out on this hot new title.   RAT QUEENS VOLUME ONE: SASS AND SORCERY by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch, cover by Fiona Staples ISBN 978-1-60706-945-4 128 pages $9.99 Collects RAT QUEENS #1-5 In comic book stores March 26, bookstores April 8 Available for pre-order now   Praise for RAT QUEENS:   “Look, I don't care if you have a job or not. Sell your things, sell your plasma, do whatever you have to do to buy Rat Queens. Give your money to this comic and give it hard…. It's funny, heartwarming and filled with bloody action. Seriously, this is one of the best comic books being published right now. You're a fool to not buy it. Stop being a fool. Your parents raised you better.” —Benjamin Bailey, IGN   “Told with plenty of gentle nudges toward classic fantasy games and even more swearing, guts, and booze, this is a purely fun and very adult take on the genre.” —Arielle Yarwood, Bitch Magazine   “I have a new favorite fantasy comic, and it's Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch's Rat Queens. Don't let the strange name fool you; it's a book full of violence, mayhem, friendship, secrets, and monsters. Oh, and one of the more charmingly dysfunctional groups of warriors you've seen in a while.” —Greg McElhatton, Comic Book Resources   “The characters created by Wiebe and Upchurch bring the series to life. With all the glamour and stage presence of an all girl rock group, the Rat Queens fill up every iota of the spotlight. Each woman is strong in her own right, and has a unique and well articulated personality.” —Sam LeBas, Multiversity Comics   “Rat Queens is destined for comic book greatness, and knows how to sink its bloodthirsty hooks into the growing fandom without succumbing to the over-exhausted and widely problematic tropes prevalent in most Fantasy fiction and art today. This cannot be stressed enough: Rat Queens is fantastic, and you should be reading it.” —ShadowJayd, Bloody Disgusting   “Rat Queens is that rare comic that: 1) features a mostly female leading cast and 2) manages to let those leading women be feisty and foul mouthed without simply being ‘dudes with boobs’ or flattened out into one-dimensional ‘bitch stereotypes.’”  —Lela Gwenn, Women Write About Comics

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, fantasy, 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.

KEL McDONALD’S MISFITS OF AVALON

COUNTS DOWN DIGITAL TO PRINT!

Magical-girl manga with an Arthurian twist!

FEBRUARY 26, MILWAUKIE, OR—Kel McDonald (Sorcery 101, Fame and Misfortune, Cautionary Fables and Fairy Tales) is bringing her young adult graphic novel series Misfits of Avalon to Dark Horse this fall, and starting today, McDonald will release the book online for free!

McDonald will release her graphic novel digitally on her website, KelMcDonald.com, at the rate of one page a weekday until the release date in bookstores.

“I think part of what makes Misfits of Avalon special is that it is taking the magical-girl genre, which is very focused on the feminine, and combining it with girl characters who don’t entirely fit what we think of as girly,” noted author Kel McDonald.

In Misfits of Avalon, four modern-day, misfit teens are reluctant recruits to save the mystical isle of Avalon. Magically empowered—and chained to the task—by a set of rings and directed in their mission by a tight-lipped talking dog, they must stop the rise of King Arthur. But as they struggle to get used to their powers and each other, they’re faced with an even greater challenge: the discovery that they may not be the good guys in this story . . .

Praise for Kel McDonald:

“When McDonald nails her world and character building, she really nails it.”—io9

McDonald’s long-form, ongoing web comic, Sorcery 101, is about a chain-smoking sorcerer learning magic from a bigot vampire. It’s a mix of comedy and drama, and new material can be seen every Monday.

Misfits of Avalon is on sale in comic shops everywhere on October 8 and bookstores on October 21!

Read the exclusive interview with Kel McDonald on Publishers Weekly.

About Dark Horse

Founded in 1986 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, EVE Online, Halo, 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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