Marvel Comics & Wizard World Reveal 'Amazing Spider-Man #1' Exclusive Variant Cover By John Tyler Christopher For Atlanta Comic Con

VIP Attendees Receive Free Copy At Georgia World Congress Center, May 30 – June 1; Continues Year-long Series In Which Marvel Offers Exclusive Books At All 16 Wizard World Shows

NEW YORK, March 21, 2014 – Marvel Comics and Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) today revealed the latest edition of its 2014 series of exclusive variant covers of the best Marvel titles with the unveiling of Amazing Spider-Man #1, drawn by noted artist David Mack. VIP attendees at Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con, May 30 – June 1 at Georgia World Congress Center, will receive a free copy of the limited-edition book at registration.

Christopher is scheduled to be on site at the event to sign copies (autograph fees may apply). Leading professional comic grader CGC will also be on hand to accept books for grading and Signature Series.

The colored version of Amazing Spider-Man #1 will be limited to 3,000 copies and provided free at registration to all Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con VIP attendees, including any celebrity VIP packages.

Tyler's Amazing Spider-Man #1 follows the first three entries, Miracleman #1 and Miracleman #2, both drawn by Eisner Award Hall of Famer Neal Adams for Wizard World Portland Comic Con (Jan. 24-26) and New Orleans Comic Con (Feb. 7-9), respectively, Wolverine #1, illustrated by noted cover artist Greg Horn, for Wizard World Sacramento Comic Con (March 7-9). Artwork is also complete for the upcoming Daredevil #1 by Michael Golden for Wizard World Louisville Comic Con (March 28-30) and Wolverine & The X-Men #1 by David Mack for Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con (April 4-6).

“Amazing Spider-Man #1 is on track to become one of the biggest comic launches of the past few decades,” says Marvel SVP, Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “And we’re proud to celebrate with Wizard through this beautiful and elegant variant from artist John Tyler Christopher.”

Christopher is an illustrator from Seattle, Wash., currently based out of Atlanta. A member of Studio Revolver, his work has appeared on the covers of Witchblade, as a designer for Star Wars Miniatures, and in the pages of Dungeon & Dragons, a variety of White Wolf publications & Mutants and Masterminds.

“John Tyler Christopher's work on big hits like Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men and Iron Man makes him a big hit with fans,” says John Macaluso, Wizard World CEO. “His take on the iconic Amazing Spider-Man is a great addition to this highly collectible series of popular Marvel titles.”

The Greatest Super Hero of All Time RETURNS! The world may have changed since Spidey’s been gone, but so has Peter Parker. This is a man with a second chance at life, and he’s not wasting a moment of it. Same Parker Luck, new Parker attitude. Putting the “friendly” back in the neighborhood, the “hero” back into “super hero,” and the “amazing” back into “Spider-Man!” Also returning: The recharged and re-energized ELECTRO! Writer: Dan Slott; artist: Humberto Ramos.

For more on the 2014 Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con, go to http://www.wizardworld.com/home-atlanta.html.

About Wizard World:

Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, cosplay, 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.

About Marvel Entertainment, LLC

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information, visit marvel.com.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

Wizard World 2014 Schedule
January 24-26 – Wizard World Portland Comic Con
February 7-9 – Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con
March 7-9 – Wizard World Sacramento Comic Con
March 28-30 – Wizard World Louisville Comic Con
April 4-6 – Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con
May 2-4 – Wizard World Minneapolis Comic Con
May 30-June 1 – Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con
June 19-22 – Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con
August 1-3 – Wizard World San Antonio Comic Con
August 21-24 – Wizard World Chicago Comic Con
September 12-14 – Wizard World Richmond Comic Con
September 26-28 – Wizard World Nashville Comic Con
October 2-4 – Wizard World Austin Comic Con
October 31-November 2 – Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
November 7-9 – Wizard World Tulsa Comic Con
November 21-23 – Wizard World Reno Comic Con

ARTIST ROBERT WILLIAMS HONORED BY SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS

Guest of Honor + Screening of Documentary Film Robert Williams Mr. Bitchin’

During 2014 MoCCA Arts Festival in NYC

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LOS ANGELES, CA The Zap Comix anti-hero R. Crumb says of Robert Williams: “He’s an art hero, that’s the truth!” And this April, Robert Williams’ contributions to popular culture are being recognized by the Society of Illustrators during the 2014 Museum of Comic and Cartoon Arts (MoCCA) Arts Festival the weekend of April 5 – 6, 2014 at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan.  To kickoff the festival, the documentary film about Williams’ creative process and cultural impact, ROBERT WILLIAMS’ MR. BITCHIN’ will screen on Thursday April 4 at 7:00pm at Beatrice Theatre.

This irreverent documentary delivers insight into multiple American counter-cultures by following the great American artist and underground legend Robert Williams. From Hot Rods to Punk and Metal, from LSD to the top of the art world, the influential paintings of Robert Williams defied categorization until they became their own art movement.  Williams, age 70, will be enjoying the fruits of hard-fought recognition when he is honored by the Society of Illustrators. Williams is currently preparing for a one-man show later this Fall at the prestigious Tony Shafrazi Gallery (http://www.tonyshafrazigallery.com/).

The film won Best Documentary at the Comic Con International Film Festival, was an official selection at the Big Sky Film Festival, and has screened to standing room audiences at MoMA, MOCA, OCMA, LACMA, Art Miami-Basel and the American Cinematheque Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles.  Called “the best movie about an artist I’ve ever seen,” by artist Ed Ruscha, it is directed and edited by Mary C. Reese and co-directed by Nancye Ferguson (Flying with the Angels), Doug Blake, Stephen Nemeth and Michael LaFetra. Ferguson, Blake (The Sessions) and LaFetra (Night Train), also served as producers and Nemeth (The Sessions, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas) executive produced with Charles Solomon Jr. (Nate & Margaret) co-executive producing.

The screening will take place on Thursday, April 4 at 7:00pm at the Beatrice Theatre at SVA, located at 333 West 23rd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.  A Q & A will follow with Williams and Co-Director/Producer Nancye Ferguson, and will be moderated by culture critic and curator Carlo McCormick. The screening is open to the public but tickets are required:  http://www.societyillustrators.org/Film.aspx?id=11297&terms=williamsbp

The Society of Illustrators, founded in 1901, is the oldest nonprofit organization solely dedicated to the art and appreciation of illustration in America. Prominent Society members have been Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth and Norman Rockwell, among others. The Museum of American Illustration was established by the Society in 1981 and is located in the Society’s vintage 1875 carriage house building in mid-town Manhattan. The two-day festival will also recognize the Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, and Fiona Staples.  Details can be found here: http://www.societyillustrators.org/Society-News/News/2013/MoCCA-Fest/Alison-Bechdel,-Howard-Cruse,-Fiona-Staples-and-Robert-Williams-Headline-2014-MoCCA-Arts-Festival.aspx

FILM SYNOPSIS:  Robert Williams was an artist in search of a movement. A prolific oil painter whose painstakingly detailed work often featured naked women, death, destruction, booze and clowns, he didn’t quite fit the fine art mold.  In the early 1960s he was confronted with trendy abstraction and superficial pop art. Schooled in the Hot Rod culture of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and Von Dutch, he emerged as a leader in the Underground Comic revolution along with R. Crumb, contributing regularly to Zap Comix. His antisocial paintings of an alternative reality were marginalized by the art world for decades although he became a hero of sorts for underground artists. His notoriety exploded when his painting Appetite for Destruction was used (and much vilified) as the cover for that 1987 Guns N’ Roses album.

When he started Juxtapoz Magazine in 1994, his movement found him. Legions of artists looking for a place within the contemporary art world for their cartoonish realism identified with his “low brow” aesthetic. At the time, Williams predicted that “low brow and alternative art are the crack in the dam and with this leak the art world will never be the same.”
By 2010 the art world could ignore him no longer and he was included in the prestigious Whitney Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. ROBERT WILLIAMS MR. BITCHIN’ documents this influential artist as he rises to the top of the art world, always an outsider.

An irreverent, convention-defying tale of life and art as lived by a maverick in the contemporary art world.

TRAILER: http://youtu.be/0EhPY3z3MXY| www.mrbitchin.com | Facebook | @mrbitchinfilm

The film is also available from www.cinemalibrestudio.com on DVD and On Demand.

VIZ MEDIA DELIVERS THE ACTION WITH RED HOT BLACK LAGOON MANGA SALE

For A Limited Time, Lock And Load Big Savings On Digital Edition Of The Hit Manga Series Through VIZManga.com And Digital Partners; Print Version Available From BarnesAndNoble.com

The bullets and high seas action flies off the page as VIZ Media unleashes special savings on Rei Hiroe’s smash hit manga (graphic novel) series – BLACK LAGOON. For a limited time, BLACK LAGOON, Volumes 1-9, (rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers) are available digitally each for $2.00 off the regular MSRP ($8.99) from VIZManga.com; a discount will be available as well as through the NOOK, Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and GooglePlay stores. Print editions are also available to order for 40% off the regular MSRP ($12.99 + s/h) from BarnesAndNoble.com (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/manga/379003481). The special promotion runs until April 2^nd, and coincides with the debut of the Black Lagoon anime series on Toonami on Saturday, March 22^nd.

VIZManga.com is the web-accessible North American portal to VIZ Media’s massive catalog of digital manga titles that spans more than 2,000 volumes across 180 different series. Fans can also purchase VIZ Media digital titles on the NOOK, Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

Lock n' load with the baddest group of mercenaries ever to hit the high seas of Southeast Asia! Aboard their World War II-era torpedo boat, the Black Lagoon, Dutch the Boss, Benny the Mechanic, Revy Two Hand, and Rock, the salaryman from Japan, deliver anything, anywhere. In the dangerous underworld of the Russian Mafia, Chinese triads, Colombian drug cartels, crazed assassins, and ruthless mercenaries, it's hard to know who to trust. But if you've got a delivery to make, and you don't mind a little property damage along the way, you can count on the crew of the Black Lagoon!

Creator/artist Rei Hiroe debuted his first manga series in 1993. His most notable work, BLACK LAGOON, has been published in Shogakukan's monthly magazine Sunday GX since 2002. The series is critically acclaimed for its unrelenting, fast-paced action, gritty stories and highly detailed array of weaponry and military hardware. Based on the success of the manga in Japan, BLACK LAGOON was also developed into a blockbuster animated series that gone on to garner substantial international acclaim and a fervent fan base.

To learn more about VIZ Manga, please visit www.vizmanga.com.

###

BLACK LAGOON © 2003 Rei HIROE/SHOGAKUKAN

DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES

EMERALD CITY COMICON 2014 SCHEDULE!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | MILWAUKIE, OR— Dark Horse Comics is headed to the Pacific Northwest’s foremost, fastest growing and sold out pop culture convention – Emerald City Comicon. 

Join us for signings at booth #206! All signings are free. Free signing cards or comics with each signing while supplies last. 

Comics featuring ECCC exclusive variant covers are $5.00 each and available in limited quantities. Ten per person each day. All proceeds from the ECCC variant of The Witcher will benefit Sharon and Stan Sakai.

SIGNING SCHEDULE

Friday, March 28

11:00 AM            MIND MGMT, STAR WARS: REBEL HEIST Matt Kindt

12:00 PM            SERENITY: LEAVES ON THE WIND #1 EMERALD CITY COMICON VARIANT

Jenny Frison

1:00 PM            COLDER Paul Tobin

2:00 PM            DREAM THIEF Jai Nitz

                        NEVER ENDING Adam Knave and D. J. Kirkbride

3:30 PM            PROJECT BLACK SKY Joshua Williamson (Captain Midnight), Christopher Sebela (Ghost), Joshua Hale Fialkov (Skyman), Frank Barbiere (Blackout), and Fred Van Lente (Brain Boy)

4:30 PM            THE WHITE SUITS Frank Barbiere

                        BATTLEPUG Mike Norton

5:30 PM            MASS EFFECT: FOUNDATION Tony Parker

                        DRAGON AGE Chad Hardin

                        

Saturday, March 29

10:00 AM            BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 10, ANGEL & FAITH SEASON 9,

                        BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 10 #1 EMERALD CITY COMICON VARIANT

            Rebekah Isaacs

11:00 AM            USAGI YOJIMBO, THE WITCHER #1 EMERALD CITY COMICON VARIANT

                        Stan Sakai

                        THE WITCHER Paul Tobin

12:00 PM            STAR WARS: DARK TIMES Randy Stradley and Doug Wheatley

1:00 PM            TOMB RAIDER Gail Simone

2:00 PM            VEIL, VEIL #1 EMERALD CITY COMICON VARIANT Greg Rucka

3:00 PM            EMPOWERED Adam Warren

3:00 PM            MIND MGMT, STAR WARS: REBEL HEIST Matt Kindt

4:00 PM            CITY OF ROSES Patric Reynolds

                        BAD HOUSES Sara Ryan

                        THE FIFTH BEATLE Andrew C. Robinson

5:00 PM            BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 10, ANGEL & FAITH SEASON 9,

                        BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 10 #1 EMERALD CITY COMICON VARIANT

            Rebekah Isaacs

6:00 PM            BANDETTE Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover

            SABERTOOTH SWORDSMAN Damon Gentry

Sunday, March 30

11:00 AM            PROJECT BLACK SKY Joshua Williamson (Captain Midnight), Christopher Sebela (Ghost), Joshua Hale Fialkov (Skyman), Frank Barbiere (Blackout), Fred Van Lente (Brain Boy), and Tim Seeley and Mike Norton (The Occultist)

12:00 PM            FURIOUS Bryan J. L. Glass

                        THE VICTORIES Michael Avon Oeming

1:00 PM            ELFQUEST Richard and Wendy Pini

2:00 PM            STAR WARS: LEGACY Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman, Dave Wilkins, and Brian Thies

3:00 PM            PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES Paul Tobin and Ron Chan

PANEL SCHEDULE

Friday, March 28

2:00 PM             Dark Horse Builds Characters: Project Black Sky, Room TCC 301

Join Matthew Meylikhov of Multiversity Comics (MultiversityComics.com) to discuss Dark Horse superheroes with some of the industry’s top talent, including Fred Van Lente (Brain Boy), Josh Williamson (Captain Midnight), Christopher Sebela (Ghost), Tim Seeley and Mike Norton (The Occultist), Frank Barbiere (Blackout), and Joshua Hale Fialkov (Skyman).

Saturday, March 29

4:00 PM            Exploring the Mythos of Prometheus/Aliens/Predator/AVP, Room TCC 301

Join Dark Horse editor in chief Scott Allie and writers Josh Williamson, Chris Roberson, Paul Tobin, and Christopher Sebela as they delve into the interconnections of the upcoming Prometheus, Aliens, Predator, and Alien vs. Predator comics.

Sunday, March 30 

2:40 PM            Dark Horse Builds Characters: Powered by Creators, Hall D (Room 602–603)

Nearly 30 years ago, Dark Horse arrived with an agenda different from that of any other publisher in comics. The young company was founded on the belief that comics creators should have the option to retain the rights to their own work, and it continues to be a highly fertile breeding ground for new characters, concepts, and more! Join Dark Horse PR director Jeremy Atkins, along with Greg Rucka (Veil), Adam Warren (Empowered), Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT), Michael Avon Oeming (The Victories), Jai Nitz (Dream Thief), Frank Barbiere (The White Suits), and Bryan J. L. Glass (Furious) for a look at some of this year’s most exciting original works!

4:00 PM            ElfQuest: The Final Quest, Room TCC 301

Join Wendy and Richard Pini for this panel celebrating the beloved alternative comic series ElfQuest and its latest generation-spanning installment, The Final Quest. Go behind the scenes, with exciting hints of what’s to come!

PARTY SCHEDULE

Friday, March 28

8:00 PM             The Big Emerald City Comicon Party, Rock Bottom Brewery (21+)  

Dark Horse Comics and Multiversity Comics are teaming up for the Big Emerald City ComiCon party, where you can hobnob with top creators like Stan Sakai, Greg Rucka, Matt Kindt, Gail 7Simone and more. Best of all, all proceeds from the event go to benefit The Hero Initiative, comics preeminent charity that helps support creators in need.

###

                       

 

Steve Niles And Damien Worm Make Halloween Monthly Starting This Fall  IDW’s Masters Of The Macabre Introduce The October Faction    San Diego, CA (March 21, 2014) – It is said that no two families are alike, but never has that been more true than in the case of the Allan family, the subject of Steve Niles and Damien Worm’s new IDW ongoing series, The October Faction. "The lead character is Fredrick Allan, a retired monster hunter who is now teaching Monsters & Mythology while he hides from 30 years of enemies. His heyday was in the 70's, so October Faction will flashback to those 70's monster hunting days,” said series writer Niles, “The main thread is about this man who is trying to get to know his family for the first time ever. Unfortunately, while he has neglected his wife she's become a pill-popping thrill-killer. His two children, just turned 19 and 20, are starting to piece together who their father is and also whether or not he is their real father." "After writing mini-series for the better part of 25 years, I am thrilled to be writing a monthly ongoing and all the more thrilled it's with IDW," added Niles, "October Faction will be Halloween every month if Damien and I have anything to say about it." Steve Niles is credited as one of the contemporary writers that brought horror comics back to prominence with works such as 30 Days of Night, which was also made into a major motion picture. He is currently collaborating with another horror legend, Bernie Wrightson on Frankenstein Alive! Alive! and Damien Worm on Monster & Madman, both from IDW.

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.

VIZ MEDIA AND WELOVEFINE.COM ANNOUNCE SPECIAL FIRST-TIME EVER BLEACH DESIGN CONTEST

BLEACH Manga Creator Tite Kubo And Shueisha Series Editor Will Personally Judge Fan Submissions, With The Grand Prize Winner Receiving A Trip To Anime Expo 2014

San Francisco, CA, March 20, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has announced a special first-ever BLEACH design contest with BLEACH licensee WeLoveFine (WeLoveFine.com). Artwork submissions will be accepted through midnight on Tuesday April 8^th, 2014.

Artistic fans across the U.S. are invited to tap their Bankai and create original and innovative designs that will have a chance to become officially licensed BLEACH t-shirts / merchandise. In addition to cash and other valuable premiums, one lucky winner will be awarded a Grand Prize package that includes airfare to Los Angeles, CA and a full show pass to attend Anime Expo 2014, July 3^rd-6^th, where they will meet the VIZ Media and WeLoveFine teams, and enjoy a fun weekend jam-packed with all things anime/manga. Grab your pens, tablets, mouse, or Zanpakutô and create that winning design today!

The contest’s judging panel includes BLEACH manga creator Tite Kubo and his series editor, Shueisha’s Yujiro Hattori, and representatives WeLoveFine, hip apparel retailer Hot Topic, and anime/manga/media site, Crunchyroll.com.

Full contest rules and a downloadable submission kit are available at:

http://contest.welovefine.com/contest/79-bleach-design-contest#.UyNll_SwKCp.

All designs MUST incorporate characters and themes from the BLEACH anime and/or manga series. Art pieces should be scanned and submitted to WeLoveFine. Submittals must be 100% original and exact copies or tracing of BLEACH manga or anime will not be accepted.

One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive an all expense paid, 3-day 2-night trip to attend Anime Expo 2014, the nation’s biggest annual anime convention to be held in Los Angeles, CA, July 3^rd-6^th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Prize package includes an Anime Expo membership badge, 1 round trip airfare ticket (limited to U.S. domestic flights only) and lodging near the convention center.

Other valuable prizes will also be awarded. Three (3) runner-up Guest Judge's pick winners will each win a $300.00 Cash Prize. One (1) Hot Topic Pick winner will receive a $300.00 Cash Prize and have their design carried exclusively by Hot Topic; One (1) Crunchyroll.com Pick winner will receive a $300.00 Cash Prize and have their design carried exclusively by Crunchyroll.com; and One (1) WeLoveFine Pick winner will also receive a $150.00 gift certificate from WeLoveFine.com.

The BLEACH animated film and TV series (distributed in North America by VIZ Media, rated ‘TV-14’) are based on a smash hit manga series created by Tite Kubo (also published in North America by VIZ Media, rated ‘T’) and follows the adventures of Ichigo, a 15-year old student with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow – a malevolent lost soul – Ichigo encounters Rukia, a Soul Reaper, and inadvertently absorbs her powers. Now, he’s dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace.

BLEACH is a tremendously successful multimedia property internationally. The manga has been licensed to more than a dozen countries and has sold over 50 million copies in Japan alone. In North America, the manga has been a sales hit and the popular animated series (both rated 'T' for Teens) is viewed weekly by millions in the United States and Canada. This success has further spawned an array of related video games, apparel, action figures, trading cards and other merchandise.

For more information on BLEACH please visit www.viz.com/Bleach.

About WeLoveFine

WeLoveFine.com is the online hub selling the most creative licensed designs on the web! Established in 2009, our stock features men’s’ and women’s’ pop-culture-savvy t-shirts – plus a variety of hats, bags, and art prints – covering fan-beloved characters including Star Wars, My Little Pony, Marvel Comics, Hello Kitty, Adventure Time, Scott Pilgrim, Jem, Disney, Star Trek, Sesame Street and more! More information about WeLoveFine is available at: www.welovefine.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.

###

HOUSE PARTY

A graphic novel written and illustrated by Rachael Smith and published by Great Beast Comics

Released 13^th June 2014

Pre-orders open on March 21^st 2014

“Bloody brilliant storytelling, bloody brilliant comics…

I honestly dare you not to be impressed.”
Forbidden Planet International

“With a balance of clean line, sharp wit and expressive cartooning 

Rachael Smith is shaping up to be a major talent in British comics.”

GOSH! Comics

House Party marks the graphic novel debut by award-winning illustrator, Rachael Smith. The story follows three 20-somethings Michelle, Siobhan, and Neil, who are having trouble adapting to life in the real world since feeling like superstars at university. In an attempt to get their carefree composure and happiness back they throw a massive house party, just like they used to. Instead of reconnecting them with their younger selves, however, things go a little differently. In a story that will resonate with the ‘lost’ generation, we watch them try to move forward in lives that none of them really asked for.

Rachael Smith is still relatively new to the world of comics, yet her output has been prolific to say the least. In 2013 Smith released The Way We Write and I Am Fire and has been published through David (V For Vendetta) Lloyd’s digital publishing company Aces Weekly. I Am Fire was even selected as one of Forbidden Planet’s best comics of 2013, so future critical acclaim surely awaits. If you like the comics of John Allison, Chynna Clugston Flores and Marc Ellerby then you’ll find a lot to love from Smith’s smart cartooning.

Great Beast Comics was founded in April 2012 by Adam Cadwell and Marc Ellerby, and aims to provide the most fun and creative stories to as wide an audience as possible. They are extremely excited to be able to release House Party and support this rising star.

Preorders for House Party are open on the project’s kickstarter page here:

www.kickstarter.com/projects/flimsykitten/house-party-a-graphic-novel