Wednesday, October 26, 2016

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES SPECIAL FREE

POK?MON X?Y POCKET COMICS MANGA SAMPLER FOR HALLOWEEN COMICFEST 2016

Support Local Comics Retailers With A Visit On October 29^th And Receive A FREE Sampler Of POK?MON X?Y POCKET COMICS Featuring Comics, Puzzles And Quizzes Based On The Popular POK?MON X?Y Video Games!

San Francisco, CA, October 26, 2016 ? VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing announces its support for Halloween ComicFest 2016 with a special FREE POK?MON X?Y POCKET COMICS sampler that will be available to readers at their local participating comics retailer.

Held annually, Halloween ComicFest will be celebrated on Saturday, October 29^th at scores of comic shops and retailers nationwide on Halloween or the Saturday just before Halloween. On this day, participating shops offer fans and visitors FREE Halloween ComicFest samplers filled with previews of exciting upcoming titles. For additional information and a list of participating retailers, please visit: www.HalloweenComicFest.com.

The POK?MON X?Y POCKET COMICS sampler features an array of stories, puzzles and trivia based on the popular Pok?mon X and Pok?mon Y video games. Readers can quiz themselves and their friends on various Pok?mon Abilities, moves, types, Mega Evolution and lots more! The full POK?MON X?Y POCKET COMICS (rated ?A? for All Ages) features story and artwork by Santa Harukaze and will be released by VIZ Media in December.

POK?MON is one of the most successful international entertainment franchises of all time. More than 279 million POK?MON video games and over 21.5 billion Pok?mon Trading Cards have been sold in more than 74 countries in addition to substantial publishing and merchandise sales. VIZ Media is the official North American distributor for a wide variety of POK?MON home media releases including animated series and films and also publishes a variety of POK?MON manga graphic novel series including Pok?mon Adventures, Pok?mon Adventures: FireRed & LeafGreen, Pok?mon Adventures: Emerald, Pok?mon Adventures: Diamond & Pearl/PLATINUM, Pok?mon Adventures: HeartGold & SoulSilver, Pok?mon Adventures: Black & White and POK?MON X?Y.

For additional information on POK?MON titles as well as other anime and manga titles distributed and published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premier company in the field of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POK?MON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.

Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at www.VIZ.com.

About Pok?mon
The Pok?mon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pok?mon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, and marketing, the Pok?mon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pok?mon website. Pok?mon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children?s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.

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VIZ MEDIA SUPPORTS HALLOWEEN COMICFEST 2016 WITH MANGA SAMPLER FEATURING AN EXCERPT FROM HORROR MASTER JUNJI ITO?S TOMIE

Visit And Support Local Comics Retailers On October 29^th For A FREE Sampler Of Upcoming VIZ Media Deluxe Release Of Junji Ito?s Long Out-Of-Print Debut Series

San Francisco, CA, October 26, 2016 ? VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, gives readers a special treat for its participation in Halloween ComicFest 2016 as it offers a FREE sampler that features an excerpt from manga horror master Junji Ito?s spine-tingling thriller about an immortal femme fatale, TOMIE.

Tomie Kawakami is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye. She can seduce nearly any man, and drive them to murder as well, even though the victim is often Tomie herself. While one lover seeks to keep her for himself, another grows terrified of the immortal succubus. But soon they realize that no matter how many times they kill her, the world will never be free of Tomie.

TOMIE is scheduled to debut on December 20^th as a hardcover Complete Deluxe Edition published under the VIZ Signature imprint.

Manga creator Junji Ito made his professional debut in 1987 and has gone on to be recognized as one of the greatest contemporary artists working in the horror genre. His critically acclaimed titles include TOMIE and UZUMAKI, which were adapted into critically praised live-action films, as well as GYO, which was adapted into an animated feature film. UZUMAKI, GYO and Ito?s celebrated manga short story anthology, FRAGMENTS OF HORROR, are published in English by VIZ Media in deluxe hardcover editions available under the VIZ Signature imprint. Ito?s influences include classic horror manga artists Kazuo Umezu and Hideshi Hino, as well as authors such as Yasutaka Tsutsui and H.P. Lovecraft.

For more information on TOMIE and other Junji Ito manga titles available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at www.VIZ.com.

Bestselling Novelist Chuck Palahniuk and Acclaimed Artist Joelle Jones Present “Salvation,” a short story from the Adult Coloring Book Bait: Off-Color Stories for You to Color

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MILWAUKIE, Ore., (Oct. 26, 2016)—Bestselling writer Chuck Palahniuk’s short stories are provocative and most certainly not for the faint of heart. His public readings are notorious for attracting massive crowds and causing audience members to pass out. And now a new publication pushes Palahniuk’s relationship with his readers even further into unexpected territory. On sale now from Dark Horse Comics, Palahniuk’s adult coloring book debut and second short story collection entitled Bait: Off-Color Stories for You to Color features eight bizarre tales, each paired with pieces of colorable original black and white art.

Bait: Off-Color Stories for You to Color is an unprecedented and unique hardcover book featuring nearly 50 illustrations by artists Lee Bermejo, Kirbi Fagan, Duncan Fegredo, Alise Gluskova, Joëlle Jones, Steve Morris, Tony Puryear and Marc Scheff. The book is printed on uncoated white paper stock for ease of coloring and features a colorable author portrait by Fight Club 2 cover artist David Mack, with a cover illustrated and colored by Duncan Fegredo and designed by Nate Piekos. The 8.5 x 11 inch album-sized hardcover book is available in both bookstores and comic shops for $19.99.

To celebrate the book’s publication, Dark Horse Comics is releasing the short story “Salvation,” written by Chuck Palahniuk, with illustrations from Joëlle Jones (Lady Killer), about a passenger on the Titanic who finds a surgical solution to the obstacle of "women and children first.”

"For once my work is only limited by my readers' imaginations," said Chuck Palahniuk. “Look for coloring contests at Book Soup in Los Angeles, Midtown Comics in New York, Prairie Lights Books in Iowa City, and dozens of other book and comic shops across the nation. Winners receive the $150 Library Edition of Fight Club 2 or deluxe leather-bound editions of my novels. Please note, blood is not an approved color.”

For more information about the participating stores, check out chuckpalahniuk.net.

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About Dark Horse 

For thirty years, 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. Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, 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 Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X, and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga, and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

Joëlle Jones Illustration for "Salvation"

Rhode Warrior #1 Debuts at Rhode Island Comic Con

PROVIDENCE, RI, October 26, 2016: Altered Reality Entertainment and Rhode Island Comic Con have announced this week a new division to their ever-growing presence in the comic book and entertainment industry, Altered Reality Entertainment Comics. Altered Reality Entertainment Comics will release THE RHODE WARRIOR #1 on November 11 at the fifth anniversary Rhode Island Comic Con.

Written/Co-Created by: Ian Chase Nichols

Interior Art by: Chris Campana, Hannibal King, Ian Chase Nichols, Joe St. Pierre
Cover by: Pat Broderick and Sean Forney
Pinup by: Jay Kennedy
[Assistants: Griffin Ess, Jay Kennedy, Robert Carmona]
24 pages • ALL-AGES

In Issue #1, a vile new menace has brought his evil plans to Providence, which threatens the safety of the entire city and all its citizens! Local authorities have only one person to turn to—The Rhode Warrior. In a world filled with super-powered beings and villains of all types, she is Rhode Island's new defender.

The Rhode Warrior's adventures are all-ages superhero stories which take place in Providence and the surrounding areas. The Rhode Warrior is a tough character with a strong sense of right and wrong. She is meant to embody the personality, strength, and resilience of the people of Rhode Island & New England.

“Steve (Perry) and the rest of Altered Reality Entertainment have given us an opportunity, and we are doing everything we can to deliver something new and exciting to the fans attending Rhode Island Comic Con. The Rhode Warrior has work by phenomenal creators that I grew up reading. Seeing them bring a superhero to Rhode Island is really something else,” commented the book's co-creator, Ian Chase Nichols.

The Rhode Warrior #1 will be available exclusively at Rhode Island Comic Con, November 11 to 13 at the Rhode Island Convention Center and Dunkin Donuts Center arena. Copies of the premiere issue may also be pre-ordered through the convention's website, www.ricomiccon.com. Tickets to Rhode Island Comic Con are still available through their website, The Dunkin Donuts Center Box Office, and all Toy Vault locations.

Ian Chase Nichols has worked on multiple Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series for IDW, Imaginary Drugs (IDW), The Tick (NEC) and numerous other independent comics, books, and newspapers. He is also a graphic and web designer. He has been the lead designer for numerous award-winning books.

Altered Reality Entertainment, LLC is an event entertainment company based in New England. It currently produces multimedia, multi-genre events in the New England area including Rhode Island Comic Con, Terror Con, and Southcoast Toy and Comic Show. In 2016, Altered Reality Entertainment expanded its footprint to include Hartford ComiCONN and Colorado Springs Comic Con. Comic book publishing is its newest venture.

SEVEN TO ETERNITY
BURNS THROUGH PRINTINGS
Issues #1 and #2 rushed back to print

“The kind of book Image Comics was made for. It’s unapologetically deep, gorgeously illustrated, and as inviting as it is complex.” —IGN

“Seven to Eternity by Remender & Jerome Opeña is f*cking awesome! Amazing world building, just really dense, smart stuff. Don't miss it!” —Robert Kirkman

Image Comics is pleased to announce that SEVEN TO ETERNITY #1 and #2 will both be rushed back to print in order to keep up with increasing customer demand. The epic new sci-fi/western series written by Rick Remender, drawn by Jerome Opeña, and colored by Matt Hollingsworth has gone back to print multiple times since its launch.

In SEVEN TO ETERNITY readers meet The God of Whispers—a dark tyrant who has spread an omnipresent paranoia to every corner of the kingdom of Zhal. The God of Whispers’ spies hide in every hall spreading mistrust and fear. Adam Osidis, a dying knight from a disgraced house, must choose between joining a hopeless band of magic users in their desperate bid to free their world of the evil God, or accepting his promise to give Adam everything his heart desires.

SEVEN TO ETERNITY takes fans on a hard road through the strange fantasy world of Zhal. All men have surrendered their freedom for fear. Now, one last free man must choose.

SEVEN TO ETERNITY remains available for purchase across all digital platforms, including the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com), the official Image Comics iOS app, Comixology’s website (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play.

SEVEN TO ETERNITY #1, 3rd printing (Diamond Code SEP168407) and SEVEN TO ETERNITY #2, 2nd printing (Diamond Code SEP168408), SEVEN TO ETERNITY #3 Cover A by Opeña and Hollingsworth (Diamond Code SEP160751), and SEVEN TO ETERNITY #3 Cover B by Farel Dalrymple (Diamond Code SEP160752) will be available on Wednesday, November 30th. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, November 7th.

Select praise for SEVEN TO ETERNITY:

“Seven to Eternity has a compelling opening, a vivid (and vividly rendered) setting and a quietly mysterious central character—all of which make for a terrific narrative hook.” —Paste Magazine

“Very much the opulent fantasy you'd expect.” —Kieron Gillen

“Seven to Eternity #1 is divine. It’s an incredible debut issue that will suck you in, chew you up, and spit you out” —Nerdist

“Gorgeous.” —UPROXX

“Has the potential to be thrilling and strange, and we need more of that in comics.” —Comics Alliance

“Seven to Eternity #1 is the kind of book Image Comics was made for. It’s unapologetically deep, gorgeously illustrated, and as inviting as it is complex. The brisk pacing and lack of clear cut direction can mar initial comprehension, but the excellent early focus on family, coupled with the ridiculous amount of beautiful imagery, carries it on through. Regardless of your preferred genre flavor, this debut is well worth your money.” —IGN

“Starts with a bang and doesn’t let up.” —Fangoria

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

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Wizard World Announces 2017 Comic Con TOUR Schedule

16 Shows Scheduled For The 2017 Tour

LOS ANGELES, October 25, 2016 - Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) today announced its 2017 Tour with 16 shows, beginning in New Orleans, January 6-8, 2017 and completing the year in Austin, November 17-19. For a complete list of shows, visit www.wizardworld.com.

“We have been working diligently to put together a schedule which will allow fans from across the country to enjoy the world-class celebration of pop culture and fandom that every Wizard World Comic Con show provides,” said John Maatta , President and CEO of Wizard World. “We are excited to return to some of our most successful and longest-running shows in Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Portland.”

Some of the top celebrities that have attended Wizard World events in 2016 include Chris Evans ( Captain America:The First Avenger, The Winter Soldier, Civil War), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers ), Sebastian Stan ( Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The First Avenger), Stephen Amell (“Arrow”), David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files”), Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson (Back To the Future),WWE® Superstar John Cena®, Carrie Fisher (Star Wars), Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”), Matt Smith and David Tennant (“Doctor Who”), William Shatner (“Star Trek”) and many others.

Headliners, programming and superstar comics creators who will appear at 2017 Wizard World Comic Cons will be announced closer to each show.

In addition to the Wizard World Comic Con experience, each show brings fans the Wizard World Gaming Con which presents the best gaming, technology, exhibitors and competition.

Wizard World comic con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Wizard World is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor. The famed Wizard World Comic Con Costume Contest will take place at each show on Saturday night.

For details on each event and updated schedules throughout the year, visit http://wizardworld.com/searchby/city/ .

About Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD)

Wizard World, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com ) produces comic, gaming and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, gaming, graphic novels, toys, sci-fi, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A's, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also launched the Wizard World concert series ( http://www.wizardworldmusic.com/), ComicConBox™ ( www.comicconbox.com), a premium subscription-based monthly box service, Wizard World Rewards and ConRadio ( www.conradio.com) among its initiatives. Fans can interact with Wizard World on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.

The Wizard World 2016-17 schedule is available at: http://wizardworld.com/searchby/city/ .

Monday, October 24, 2016

Sequart’s Book on Claremont’s 17-Year X-Men Run Now Available

Sequart Organization is proud to announce the publication of The Best There is at What He Does: Examining Chris Claremont’s X-Men, by Jason Powell.

The X-Men franchise is a sprawling comics mythology, to which hundreds of creators have contributed over the past 50 years. The period from 1975 to 1991 is special, however, as the X-Men universe was guided by the voice of one writer, who wrote every single issue of The Uncanny X-Men during that span. His name is Chris Claremont, and he made the X-Men what it is today.

The Best There is at What He Does is an appreciation of the long-term narrative Claremont lovingly crafted month after month, over the course of nearly 17 years. Proceeding chronologically through the issues, this exhaustive overview analyzes the trends, arcs, and themes that emerge throughout his landmark comics opus.

The book is available in print and on Kindle. (Just a reminder: you don’t need a Kindle device to read Kindle-formatted books; you can download a free Kindle reader for most computers, phones, and tablets.) It runs 296 pages and features a foreword by Geoff Klock and a cover by Steven Legge. Find out more on the book’s official page.

About the publisher: Sequart Organization is devoted to the study of popular culture and the promotion of comic books as a legitimate art form. Sequart has released twenty-five books, seven documentaries, and thousands of online articles. Its documentaries include Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously, and its books include The British Invasion: Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and the Invention of the Modern Comic Book Writer.

The Comics Waiting Room Newswire