The Comics Waiting Room Newswire

2012-02-20T16:17:00.001-08:00

Image Comics, The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and iFanboy present the Image Expo Welcome Party

A Benefit Party in Oakland, CA. Celebrating Comics, Music & Free Speech

BERKELEY, CA – February 20, 2012 –Experience Creativity with comics’ greatest creators at the Image Expo Welcome Party sponsored by Image Comics and iFanboy to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! The party is free for CBLDF members and kicks off at 8 PM on February 24, 2012 at The Uptown in Oakland, California. This party jump starts a weekend of celebrating independent comics and free speech at the Image Expo, taking place at the Oakland Convention Center. Proceeds from the Image Expo Welcome Party will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, who will have a gift bag for members and donors!

"The way Downtown Oakland has transformed itself over the last couple years is really inspiring, and I have a lot of admiration for all the people who made that happen,” said Image Comics publisher Eric Stephenson. “Being able to involve Image in an event that takes place within such a vibrant community feels really good."

Many of the superstar creators appearing at the Image Expo will be in attendance for the Image Expo Party, including: Robert Kirkman, Brian K. Vaughan, Joe Casey, Jonathan Hickman, Erik Larsen, Jim McCann, Blair Butler, Rob Guillory, Fiona Staples, Tim Seeley, Sina Grace and Joe Keatinge.

CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein said, “The Bay Area is an incredible creative place, and we’re thrilled to be working with Image and iFanboy to make this killer celebration of art and music that thanks our members for supporting our important work! I can’t wait to meet everyone who comes out!”

The party will also which will feature a musical performance by The Philistines, as well as music from DJs Dollar Bin and Wall Piece and some special celebrity guest DJs.

“We’re super excited to be teaming up with Image Comics and the CBLDF for this event,” said iFanboy co-founder Ron Richards. “There’s nothing better than celebrating comics and rocking out on the eve of a great convention like Image Expo!”

Full event details:

The Image Expo Welcome Party

WHEN: February 24, 2012 – Doors open at 8 PM

WHERE: The Uptown - 1928 Telegraph Avenue Oakland, CA 94612

FREE FOR CBLDF MEMBERS

SUGGESTED DONATION: $10/all others

Proceeds will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

ABOUT IMAGE EXPO
Image Expo is a three-day comic book convention commemorating Image Comics' 20th Anniversary and celebrating creator-owned comics, being held on February 24, 25, and 26, 2012 at the Oakland Convention Center. Image partners Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino, will be the guests of honor, appearing for signings, panels, and special events. Other special guests include Image founders Rob Liefeld, and Whilce Portacio, plus the creators of today's best creator-owned comics, including Ed Brubaker and Brian K. Vaughan. For more information, visit www.imagecomicexpo.com

ABOUT THE COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics artform and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals.

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, 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.

ABOUT iFANBOY
iFanboy is one of the leading online comic websites for news, reviews and a vibrant community. Founded in 2001, iFanboy has become one of the most respected and valued sites in the comics media. Home to the #1 audio and video podcasts about comics, iFanboy is known for it’s personal connection, bringing it’s audience deeper into comics than any other media property. iFanboy is owned by Graphicly, one of the most innovative sources for digital comics and digital publishing distribution. For more information, visit www.ifanboy.com

2012-02-17T12:49:00.001-08:00

Spread the word. Starting tonight, comiXology will be having a 20% off sale on Marvel Icon titles but only through purchase on our website. It's a great opportunity to check out creator-owned titles from Bendis, Brubaker, Fraction, Millar and more!
So what if you want to read on your mobile device? No problem! Using our buy once, read anywhere feature, comiXology allows fans to buy their digital comics through the web and then read them on any device that has the Comics by comiXology app! Just stick with the same account you made the purchase with and the comics will sync right over no sweat! In other words, once you buy through the webstore your synced purchases will show up on your device. (Thats why youll hear us say that Comics by comiXology is a platform, not an app!)
Heres a look at whats on sale:
▪ Casanova
▪ Casanova: Avaritia
▪ Casanova: Gula
▪ Criminal Vol.1
▪ Criminal Vol.2
▪ Criminal: The Last of The innocent
▪ Criminal: The Sinners Vol.1
▪ Fortune & Glory
▪ Incognito
▪ Jinx
▪ Kick-Ass
▪ Powers
▪ Scarlet

2012-02-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

Hi There from NBM Publishing!

For April we're currently soliciting the much awaited 5th volume in P. Craig Russell’s adaptations of The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde. Started in the early nineties, this was a pioneer in kid's comics. Relating to the 1% vs. 99% issue, this story is VERY timely.

The book will debut at this years MoCCA Fest on April 28th & 29th where Craig will be attending as one of the Guests of Honor.

The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde
Vol.5: The Happy Prince
P. Craig Russell
The Happy Prince is arguably the most famous and well loved of Oscar Wilde’s nine fairy tales, rivaled only by The Selfish Giant. It is also a very timely tale at a time of controversy over the increasing chasm between rich and poor…The Happy Prince has lived a life of opulence but has died young and his soul inhabits a beautiful ruby encrusted statue covered all over in gold leaf. From his perch high above the city he is witness to all the poverty, misery, and hopelessness in which his people have been living. When a small barn swallow in flight to the warm south ahead of the approaching winter stops to rest upon the statue the Happy Prince prevails upon him to delay his travels in order to remove his gold leaf a piece at a time and shower it upon the poor citizens. Out of love for the Happy Prince the swallow does his bidding. As the days pass the Prince’s beauty is stripped away and as winter sets in the bird’s fate is sealed. In the spring the townspeople finding only a dull statue with a broken lead heart and a dead bird consign the worthless objects to the ash heap. Only an emissary of God recognizes them as the most valuable treasures of the city and brings them to the gardens of heaven.
8 ½ x 11, 32pp., full color jacket hc: $16.99, ISBN 978-1-56163-626-6
See the preview pages
And see the previous volumes, some of which are going back to press on the occasion of this release!
Craig has also been posting short thoughts and making of videos of this book on the NBM Blog.

THE BONEYARD SET VOLUMES 1-4
Richard Moore
All 4 first full color volumes in one specially priced banded set of this popular spoof of horror. Michael Paris has inherited a plot in the remote town of Raven Hollow. As he arrives, he gets to find out what a doozie that is. He’s basically inherited a cemetery that the villagers want razed! Why? It’s haunted with apparently frightening creatures putting a curse on the whole town! But when Paris actually gets to meet some of the denizens of his inherited headache, it turns out they ain’t all that bad (the vamp, in fact, is quite cute) and maybe the evil is not where it may seem…
6×9, 400pp., full color trade pbs., 4 volumes banded set: $49.99, ISBN 978-1-56163-619-8

NEW from EUROTICA:
The Diary of Molly Fredrickson: Peanut Butter, vol.6
Cornnell Clarke
Molly may actually be falling for a handsome -and thickly endowed- young man who saves her from a scary situation with two guys getting dangerously close to rape. The reward for him is letting him take her ass… the largest she’s ever experienced there, a mind blowing experience that can’t be rushed…
8 ½ x 11, 48pp., full color trade pb.: $11.99 ISBN 978-156163-6853
To see more, click the button on the Eurotica home page

2012-02-17T12:45:00.003-08:00

PETER PANZERFAUST #1 TAKES FLIGHT

Debut issue of new series, sells out, gets reprint

Berkeley, CA - 02/17/2012 - PETER PANZERFAUST #1, the debut of the new Image Comics series that merges Peter Pan with a World War II adventure story, has sold out after being released in stores on February 14. It will immediately return to press for a second printing (JAN128112) due in stores the same day as PETER PANZERFAUST #2 (JAN120599), March 14.

In the first issue of this new ongoing series by Kurtis Wiebe (GREEN WAKE) and Tyler Jenkins, French orphans in Calais, a French city that has been heavily bombed by the Germans, encounter a charismatic American soldier. Inspired by his esprit, the boys find themselves trusting him with their lives — and learning that they can perform feats they would have never thought possible.

Comics reviewers have widely praised the debut:

"Peter Panzerfaust can only promise more action and intrigue amidst a magical story time backdrop on a monthly basis. Here, lost boys do indeed live forever."
- JP Fallavollita, Biff Bam Pop

"Peter Panzerfaust captures the magic of Peter Pan and transports it into a story of brotherhood during war. Not only is Kurtis J. Wiebe's story a great introduction to his new project, but Tyler Jenkins' art masterfully brings that tale to life."
- Jason Clyma, Broken Frontier

"Pick of the Week. If you’re looking for a jaunty boys adventure book with a vintage feel, but modern sensibilities, I can think of nothing on the comic shelves that will fill the need better than Peter Panzerfaust. "
- Josh Flanagan, iFanboy

PETER PANZERFAUST is a monthly, full-color comic book series published under Image Comics' Shadowline imprint, available in comic book stores and multiple digital outlets.

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, 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.
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2012-02-17T12:45:00.001-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 02.17.2012

Brendan Hay, Seth Green, Zeb Wells, Dan Milano, & Heidi Gardner Present: Rascal Raccoon in Reading, Writing, & Revenge!

Join notorious cartoon meanie Rascal Raccoon and author Brendan Hay for a hilarious reading from their new Oni Press graphic novel, Rascal Raccoon’s Raging Revenge, this Sunday, February 19th at Meltdown Comics in Los Angelese, CA. Featuring, live and onstage, the voice talents of Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Family Guy), Zeb Wells (Robot Chicken, Avenging Spider-man), Dan Milano (Greg the Bunny, Warren the Ape), and Heidi Gardner (Funny or Die); you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll eat cupcakes... no really, there'll be cupcakes!

“I couldn't be more excited about this event,” said writer Brendan Hay. “I've always been a fan of dramatic readings and the idea of doing one for Rascal Raccoon's Raging Revenge has been in my mind since the book was published. Being fortunate enough to have so many voice actors lend their talents to the event is the icing on the cupcake, so to speak.”

Hay has written for Robot Chicken, The Simpsons, The Mighty B!, and is currently head writer on a new project for Lucasfilm Animation. But his heart belongs to comics. Rascal Raccoon's Raging Revenge tells the tale of Toonie Terrace, home of the fun-loving Toonies and their jealous, bitter rivals, the Meanies. For all their shenanigans, no Meanie has ever murdered a Toonie… until now. After thousands of painful failed attempts, Rascal Raccoon has finally killed his arch-nemesis, the charming and adorable Jumpin’ Jackalope. Rascal is overjoyed, but there’s one problem: what does he do now?

“It's deep philosophy disguised as slap-stick comedy,” said editor Jill Beaton in describing the graphic novel. “If you spent your entire existence striving for one thing and you finally got it, what then? Brendan's writing is hilarious and Justin Greenwood's art brings everything to life. I can't wait to see the panels on the screen and hear the actors portray these characters. It's going to be amazing!”

Come for the reading, stay for the signing and the cupcakes. Best of all the whole event is FREE!

Rascal Raccoon's Raging Revenge is available now at all finer comic shops and booksellers. Rascal Raccoon in Reading, Writing, and Revenge premiers Sunday 2/19 at 2pm in the Meltdown Comics Annex and features a selected live reading of the new graphic novel by Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Family Guy), Zeb Wells (Robot Chicken, Avenging Spider-man), Dan Milano (Greg the Bunny, Warren the Ape), and Heidi Gardner (Funny or Die)

Rascal Raccoon in Reading, Writing, and Revenge

February 19th, 2pm PST

Meltdown Comics, at the Meltdown Annex

7522 W. Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90046

(323) 851-7223

2012-02-17T09:52:00.001-08:00

IDW Announces New Associate Manager of Marketing & PR

John Schork joins growing publishing company’s marketing team

San Diego, CA (February 17, 2012) – IDW Publishing, a leader in graphic novel and book publishing, announced today that John Schork has joined the company as Associate Manager, Marketing and Public Relations.

“I’ve known John for a couple of years now, and have always been impressed with his attitude, work ethic, and excitement for comics,” said IDW’s Director of Marketing Dirk Wood, “When the need came for someone new on our team, I thought of him immediately.”

Prior to joining IDW, Mr. Schork served as an assistant editor at Dark Horse Comics for two years, working with the Industry’s top creators on some of their flagship titles, including Dark Horse Presents. In 2009, Mr. Schork graduated from Washington State University with a degree in Humanities, Fine Arts and English, and has had a passion for comics since a young age.

As Associate Manager, Marketing and Public Relations, Mr. Schork will work alongside IDW’s Dirk Wood, and Marketing Coordinator, Chloe Zuanich. Together they will continue to grow IDW’s consumer marketing and outreach while expanding the company’s exposure and presence, with Mr. Schork having a large focus on comic industry press and social marketing.

"I'd been very impressed with a lot of the moves IDW had been making and the opportunity to join the team and get involved was an incredibly strong one,” said Schork, “and taking on an expanded role in an industry I love was also something that appealed to me a great deal; but, at the end of the day, I just like being on the same team as The Rocketeer."

John Schork can be reached at johns@idwpublishing.com.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to sign up for updates and learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

2012-02-16T22:06:00.003-08:00

MOONSTONE is proudly offering a brand new comic…never published before…as an exclusive to COMIXOLOGY!

HONEY WEST/CAPTAIN ACTION/FLINT

Team up in this one-shot, 60pg, super groovy spy thriller!

Vertigo’s crime writer Gary Phillips (Angel Town, Cowboys) presents this oversize comic one time event!
For the first time ever Zen freelance spy Derek Flint, the cool curvaceous
private eye Honey West, and the mysterious secret agent super-hero Captain Action team up in a story in swingin’ sixties L.A. to battle hippie
robots, mobbed-up, ray gun totting gangsters, a wigged out mad scientist,
brainwashed GIs and an alien menace we could only called DANGER A-GO-GO. Dig it!

http://www.comixology.com/Honey-West-Captain-Action-Flint-Danger-a-Go-Go/digital-comic/DIG001161

this book CANNOT be seen anywhere else!

The print version would retail at $6.99, but the digital version is just $3.99!

2012-02-16T15:54:00.001-08:00

TRAVEL CHANNEL PREMIERES ALL-NEW EPISODE OF

“GHOST ADVENTURES” VISITING SHANGHAI TUNNELS IN PORTLAND, OREGON

ON FRIDAY, MARCH 9 AT 9:00 PM ET/PT

Travel Channel returns with season six of the popular paranormal travel series, “Ghost Adventures” on Friday, March 9 at 9:00 p.m., ET/PT. Investigative duo, Zak Bagans and Nick Groff, along with equipment technician Aaron Goodwin, explore some of the most haunted locations in America to unearth the trapped souls and dark energy within. This season, the team visits spots that have never been explored by the Ghost Adventures team including the Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, OR, the Peabody-Whitehead Mansion in Denver, CO, as well as the family home of paranormal equipment inventor Gary Galka in East Granby, CT, where business gets personal as they help one family make contact with their dead daughter in a deeply personal story of love, loss and a haunted house. Each of the seven, one-hour episodes starts with an in-depth profile of a location’s haunted past. Once the story is told, viewers follow the investigative team as they survey every nook and cranny while conducting scientific experiments while being locked down overnight.

The new season kicks off with the trio taking a deep dive into the dingy Shanghai Tunnels to unearth the spirits that still haunt Hobo’s Restaurant & Lounge in Portland, Oregon. They meet Shanghai Tunnels curator, Michael Jones, who gives insight on the tragic history of these passageways. In the 1850’s, Portland sent many ships across the Pacific to trade goods. In order to man the ships with an adequate crew, people were “shanghaied,” or kidnapped and sold illegally to trading ships. The tunnels were used to hold them and later transport them to the harbors. Andrew Guthrie, owner of Hobo’s, shows the Ghost Adventures team the trap doors that were once used to trick unsuspecting locals into the tunnels. One of the most tragic stories involves the legend of Nina, a former prostitute who knew about the horrors of the underground. Nina shared these stories with a local missionary, and they in turn went to the cops. The next day, she was found dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft.

The Ghost Adventures team begins their lockdown inside the Shanghai Tunnels at dawn. They descend into the dark tunnels, and their equipment starts to record audio of a female voice. Zak first believes this voice is Nina’s spirit, but after he probes further, it seems to be one of a different prostitute. Then, they record audio of a male that accompanies the initial female voice. Later on, a door rattles unprovoked. As Zak, Nick and Aaron further investigate, they hear phantom footsteps. Meanwhile, one of the static cameras record visual evidence of an unexplained mist. Finally, the guys split up across the tunnels. Zak captures an anomaly in his thermal imaging camera moving towards Aaron in the next room over.

TRAVEL CHANNEL (http://www.travelchannel.com) is a multiplatform travel lifestyle brand with the core mission of providing inspiring and compelling programming that takes viewers beyond their everyday destinations, making the unfamiliar familiar, whether it's around the world or around the block. A dual feed network that is also available in HD, Travel Channel is the world’s leading travel media brand, and is available in over 94 million U.S. cable homes. Owned and operated by Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), Travel Channel has offices in Chevy Chase, MD, and New York, NY. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) also owns and operates HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country.

2012-02-16T15:02:00.001-08:00

DEATH AND THE MAIDEN

The story of a girl assassin in EPIC KILL, from Image Comics in May

BERKELEY, CA — February 16, 2012 — The past is a mystery to the protagonist of EPIC KILL, a new comic book series by Raffaele Ienco due out from Image Comics in May. Eighteen-year-old Song is an assassin. She just doesn't know it. In her life at the St. Thomas School for Troubled Girls, hints of her past slip into her daily life — a tea cup caught before it can shatter on the floor, memories of sparring sessions, and, finally, her ultimate skill put to use once more.

Ienco's anti-heroine is both graceful and cold, having been trained both to kill and to have no remorse. "Song was taught to 'suppress all human emotion and compassion' because of her mission — which is far bigger than what you see in the first issue — can’t be completed by someone with doubt, someone who would stop for even a second and question what she is doing," Ienco elaborated. "She’s come to America to fulfill this mission and left all the tears she’ll ever shed back home in the body of the little girl she once was. Anyone who gets in her way… better move."

Song must fight her way through scores of men trying to kill her to find the man who sent them, and perhaps solve the mystery of who she is — and why she is one of the deadliest weapons in the United States. Ienco, whose previous work includes the horror comic DEVOID OF LIFE, also published by Image, promises to deliver on the title of his comic, with Song performing at least one epic kill in every issue.

EPIC KILL #1 (MAR120415), a 32-page full-color action comic book for $2.99, will be on sale in stores and digital platforms on May 2 and is available for order in the March issue of Previews. An exclusive preview of EPIC KILL #1 was featured at USA Today on February 15.

2012-02-16T13:57:00.005-08:00

Gaius Falls Victim to Evil as Morgana and Agravaine

Hunt Down the Mysterious Emrys on This Week’s MERLIN

‘Gangs of New York’ and ‘Billy Elliot’ star Gary Lewis joins MERLIN

as a powerful wizard when ‘The Secret Sharer’

airs Friday, Feb. 17, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, only on Syfy

The secret of Emrys’ identity may be revealed, and Camelot’s future may be doomed, when Morgana turns her determined focus to court physician Gaius in “The Secret Sharer,” an all-new episode of MERLIN premiering Friday, Feb. 17, at 10 p.m. ET/PT only on Syfy.

In the episode, Agravaine stirs the pot of discontent and casts suspicion on Gaius as a traitor – leading Arthur to order his arrest. It’s a bold gamble to isolate Gaius, who Morgana believes may be the only one who knows the true identity of her most powerful enemy: Emrys. Morgana enlists the powerful wizard Alator (Gary Lewis) to kidnap and force the secret from Gaius. The faithful Merlin knows Gaius to be innocent of the crimes, and sets forth to save his mentor and protect the secret.

Colin Morgan takes his performance as Merlin to new level of drama and emotion in “The Secret Sharer,” a feat not lost on series co-creator and executive producer Johnny Capps.

“Colin has always been a fantastic actor, and when we auditioned him we saw that he had a huge range – which we knew would be essential for the role,” says Capps. “What’s amazing about Colin as an actor is that you’re constantly refining his lines because he has such a powerful presence on screen.

“He can do so much with just a look now. Because of that, with the way we write the dialogue and conceive stories, we can be far more filmic in Merlin’s journey – because Colin doesn’t have to constantly communicate what he’s feeling and thinking through dialogue. He communicates those things so well with just his face that we’re able to push the emotional content of stories a lot more.”

Gary Lewis is the latest acclaimed star of stage and screen to make a guest appearance in MERLIN. The Scottish actor is best known to American audiences for his international breakthrough role as the father in Billy Elliot, and for memorable appearances in Gangs of New York, Eragon and Goal! The Dream Begins.

“Gary Lewis is fantastic,” Capps says. He’s an actor we’ve all really liked, and he plays this very mysterious character that comes into the story working for Morgana. Gary brings a sort of intrigue to the part – a quiet, refined performance that keeps you guessing. And Gary is another amazing addition to a really stellar guest cast for Season 4. We have a huge list of actors we’d love to work with, and we’ve always gotten the first actor we wanted, so we’ve been very lucky.”

“The Secret Sharer,” an all-new episode of MERLIN, airs Friday, Feb. 17, at 10 p.m. ET/PT only on Syfy. All three seasons of MERLIN are now available on DVD and on iTunes. Be sure to follow the latest news on MERLIN at the Official Merlin page on Facebook.

2012-02-16T13:57:00.001-08:00

2012 HARVEY NOMINATION BALLOTS AVAILABLE!

SCOTT KURTZ TO HOST HARVEY AWARDS!

BALTIMORE, MD (February 16, 2011) -- The Executive Committees of the Harvey Awards and the Baltimore Comic-Con are proud to present the official Nomination Ballot for this year's Harvey Awards. Named in honor of the late Harvey Kurtzman, one of the industry's most innovative talents, the Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art.

Ballots can be downloaded from HarveyAwards.org and completed forms can be e-mailed to harveyballots@hotmail.com.

Ballots are due for submission by Monday, April 16th, 2012. In addition to being available on the website, ballots will be sent to all major publishers and distributed at comic conventions. We look forward to your participation and input in this process, and we look forward to seeing you at the Baltimore Comic-Con and the Harvey Awards.

Returning for his fourth consecutive Harvey Awards, Scott Kurtz will be the Master of Ceremonies for the awards banquet, to be held Saturday, September 8th, 2012 as part of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "After Scott, Stan Lee, and the Fake Stan Lee brought the house down again last year, we had to have him back! We are thrilled that Scott agreed to come back to Baltimore and help to make the Harvey Awards ceremony as fun and exciting as the last few years have been!" said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con.

Scott Kurtz has been creating his own comic strips since he got hooked on Garfield in the 4th grade. In 1998, his comic strip, PvP, debuted on the world wide web (pvponline.com) with 700 daily readers. Over the last 10 years, PvP has grown into a genuine Internet phenomenon, growing in readership to an estimated 150,000 readers per day, a monthly title from Image comics, winning a Harvey Award in 2010 for Best Online Comics Work, and winning the Eisner Award for best digital comic in 2006. Scott co-wrote the book "How To Make Webcomics" and co-founded webcomics.com to help assist others in forging their own creative destinies.

Nominations for the Harvey Awards are selected exclusively by creators - those who write, draw, ink, letter, color, design, edit or are otherwise involved in a creative capacity in the comics field. The Harvey Awards are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals.

This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held September 8-9, 2012. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, September 8th. Additional details about the Harvey Awards and the awards ceremony will be released over the next few months.

About The Harvey Awards

The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 25 years, the last 7 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in 22 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org

About The Baltimore Comic-Con

The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 13th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held September 8-9, 2012. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

2012-02-16T11:20:00.003-08:00

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER—THE PROMISE PART 1 TOPS BOOKSCAN AT #1!

February 16, MILWAUKIE, OR—In an amazing show of demand for Dark Horse’s newest graphic novel, Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Part 1 soared to the top of the Bookscan charts last week!

Written by Gene Luen Yang, author of the National Book Award-nominated American Born Chinese, Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise Part 1 marks the continuation of Airbender and the link to its upcoming sequel, Legend of Korra!

Ever since the conclusion of Avatar: The Last Airbender, its millions of fans have been hungry for more--and it's finally here! This series rejoins Aang and friends for exciting new adventures, beginning with a faceoff against the Fire Nation that threatens to throw the world into another war, testing all of Aang's powers and ingenuity!

Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Part 1 is a must-have for any Airbender fan! This is the latest release in an ongoing partnership between Nickelodeon and Dark Horse to bring you the very best in Airbender books.

Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Part 1 is on sale now!

Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Part 2 is on sale May 30^th

About Dark Horse Comics

Since 1986, 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 like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, and comics legend Will Eisner, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton, Trigun, 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 licensed comics material.

2012-02-15T16:23:00.001-08:00

Telltale Games and Robert Kirkman Announce Playing Dead & New Website/Screenshots For Their Game Based on The Walking Dead

New Online Talk Show Reveals the Process of Making a Game based on the World’s Most Popular Zombie Franchise

San Rafael, CA – February 15, 2012 – Telltale Games and Robert Kirkman, the Eisner Award-winning creator/writer of The Walking Dead, announced that the first episode of Playing Dead, a new online talk show discussing their upcoming game, The Walking Dead, is now live and available to view on the games’ official website, which also debuted today.

Based on Robert Kirkman’s groundbreaking comic book series, The Walking Dead is an episodic Adventure Horror game series set during the same apocalyptic period witnessed by Sheriff Rick Grimes. Telling the story of a new group of survivors as they struggle to flee the horror of Atlanta and the surrounding communities consumed by the undead, The Walking Dead offers players the chance to experience the very first days of the apocalypse, meeting people and participating in events that intersect with the story seen in the comic books.

Playing Dead is an online talk show that takes fans behind the scenes to reveal what has gone into making the game. Hosted by AJ LoCascio (the voice of Marty McFly in Telltale’s Back to the Future: The Game series), the nine-part show will feature guests including The Walking Dead creator/writer Robert Kirkman and Gary Whitta, screenwriter for The Book of Eli and story consultant for the game.

After a 24-hour period of exclusivity on the official website, Playing Dead will also be available to watch on YouTube, iTunes and soon after, other online outlets including Xbox LIVE® and PlayStation®Network.

“Telltale has always believed in sharing and interacting with our fans as much as possible as we head towards the launch of a game and Playing Dead is an exciting evolution of that process,” said Dan Connors, Telltale co-founder and CEO. “I don’t think any other developer or publisher has created anything quite like this before and we really hope that people will enjoy it.”

“Collaborating with Telltale on The Walking Dead continues to be a fantastic process. They understand the world and the characters that I created and what it takes to make a game out of them. What’s really exciting is that they’re telling a new story with new characters, so you’ll get to see the same world Rick Grimes did, but now from a different point of view,” added Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead. “Playing Dead is going to be an awesome way for fans to learn about the game and how it was made. It makes sense that Telltale are talking to people in this unique way because The Walking Dead is going to be a unique zombie game.”

Telltale also released 3 new screenshots from the game, highlighting the game’s distinctive visuals, inspired by the work of The Walking Dead comic book artist Charlie Adlard. They can be accessed at Telltale's media center vip.telltalegames.com. Direct link to new screenshots: Link

The Walking Dead is a five part episodic Adventure Horror game that will be available for digital download beginning in spring of 2012 for all major gaming platforms.

Telltale Games has also compiled a list of some frequently asked questions about their game based on Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead for reference. It can be viewed at the Telltale blog: Link

2012-02-15T16:22:00.003-08:00

Jason’s I Killed Adolf Hitler Gets Optioned For The Silver Screen

FEBRUARY 15, 2012– Fantagraphics is excited to announce that Studio Eight has optioned the film rights to the Eisner award-winning graphic novel I Killed Adolf Hitler in association with Up Country Productions. The graphic novel by acclaimed Norwegian comics artist Jason (aka John Arne Sæterøy) and published by Fantagraphics Books in 2007 revolves around a hitman sent back to 1938 by a scientist to kill the Führer and avert the Holocaust. Complications ensue.
Jamie and Alex Brown of Studio Eight have teamed on the project with screenwriter D.C. Walker of Up Country Productions, who adapted the material.
More details to be announced.

2012-02-15T16:22:00.001-08:00

I KILL GIANTS WINS INTERNATIONAL MANGA AWARD

Image Comics congratulates Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Niimura on their receiving the International Manga Award for their comic book I KILL GIANTS. The Japanese Foreign Ministry announced that Kelly and Niimura had won the prestigious prize on Tuesday.

Originally published by Image Comics in 2008, then released in an oversized hardcover collection in 2010, I KILL GIANTS tells the story of Barbara Thorson, an acerbic fifth-grader so consumed with fantasy that she doesn't just tell people that she kills giants with an ancient Norse warhammer — she starts to believe it herself. The reasons for Barbara's troubled behavior are revealed through the course of the book, as she learns to reconcile her fantasy life with the real world.

"We do a lot of books I'm extremely proud of, but this is one is way up there," said Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "The outstanding work Joe and Ken did on I KILL GIANTS is proof positive of how great this medium is. That something so moving and heartfelt can be both a critical and commercial success should be an inspiration to creative people everywhere. It's nothing short of an honor to be associated with such an extraordinary piece of work."

Kelly and Niimura will receive their award in a ceremony on Friday, followed by a ten-day tour of Japan, during which they will meet with Japanese cartoonists and publishers and visit areas hit hard by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year.

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, 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.

2012-02-15T14:00:00.001-08:00

TODD MCFARLANE TO ATTEND FIRST EVER IMAGE EXPO

Spawn Creator Brings Exclusive Toys and Comics to the Bay Area

In celebrating 20 years of independent comic book publishing, Todd McFarlane joins fellow Image Founders and Partners at the Image Expo in Oakland, CA February 24^th-26^th, and he’s bringing his toy and publishing companies with him!

If you didn't get your hands on the exclusive signed version of the resin statue, Spawn: The Beginning, sold solely in our online store, now is your chance! A limited number of statues will be available at the show, so be sure to get yours early at the McFarlane booth. The first 75 people who purchase a statue will receive access to a private signing with Todd McFarlane on Saturday, February 25^th at 4:00 PM. As an added bonus, each person will receive a FREE signed advanced copy of Spawn #217, along with the FREE copy of Spawn #1 and #2 included with your resin statue purchase! We'll also have various Spawn, Haunt, and Sam & Twitch trade paperbacks available, as well as select t-shirts from the upcoming Famous Stars and Straps Spawn line. For more information, stop by the McFarlane Companies booth, #36!

To know where to catch McFarlane in action, here’s an inside look at his events for the weekend:

Todd McFarlane Signing

Saturday, February 25^th

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Don’t miss your chance to meet legendary comic creator Todd McFarlane! Signing limited to two items per person. Tickets available the morning of the signing at the McFarlane Companies booth, #36.

Twenty Years of Independence: The Image Comics 20th Anniversary Panel

Saturday, February 25^th

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Twenty years ago, a group of young artists left their work-for-hire jobs to forge their own path in comics. The result was Image Comics, a publisher dedicated to creators’ individual visions and a champion of creative ownership. The Image Comics partners and some of the original founders now come together to talkabout that momentous meeting of minds and talent.

Panelists: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino

From Page to Screen: Comics on TV

Saturday, February 25^th

3:00 – 4:00 PM

How do producers go about translating comics for the small screen? How does working in comics compare to working in television? A panel of comics creators who have worked in television — whether as producers like Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and Brian K. Vaughan (Lost), writers like Jay Faerber (Ringer), creators like Joe Casey (Ben 10) and Todd McFarlane (Spawn), or a little bit of everything like Blair Butler — will assemble to talk about the ins and outs of the industry.

Panelists: Blair Butler, Joe Casey, Jay Faerber, Robert Kirkman, Todd McFarlane, and Brian K. Vaughan

Todd McFarlane Exclusive Spawn: The Beginning Resin Statue Signing

Saturday, February 25^th

4:00 – 5:30 PM

Join Todd McFarlane for an exclusive signing devoted to the first 75 fans to purchase our limited edition Spawn: The Beginning resin statue. All signed versions of this collectible are sold out in our online store, so this is a rare opportunity to get your hands on one. Tickets will be given away with purchase at the McFarlane Companies booth, #36, along with a FREE signed advanced copy of Spawn #217.

Pro Tips with Todd McFarlane

Sunday, February 26th

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

In a world of comic book icons, comic superstar Todd McFarlane and his creation Spawn have clearly stood the test of time. Now McFarlane himself is inviting aspiring creators and fans to an extended workshop where he'll share behind-the-scenes tips and tricks about his creative process. Armed with a Wacom and more than 20 years of experience as one of the most successful pros in the business, McFarlane will show fans how to unleash their own creativebeast within! WORKSHOP ROOM A

2012-02-15T07:54:00.001-08:00

Image Comics: A 20th Anniversary Celebration
Cartoon Art Museum Exhibition: February 4 – April 29, 2012
Opening reception Thursday, February 23, 2012

San Francisco, CA:

In 1992, seven of the most popular comic book artists in the world joined forces to create Image Comics, a company specializing in the publication of creator-owned comics and graphic novels. The first wave of Image Comics was an immediate hit with fans, and the company has grown over the past two decades to become one of the largest comics publishers in North America. In addition to publishing work by the Image partners, they give a voice to work by numerous independent creators. Its best-known series include Spawn, Savage Dragon, Witchblade, The Darkness, Invincible and The Walking Dead.

The Cartoon Art Museum’s exhibition Image Comics: A 20th Anniversary Celebration features over 40 pieces of original artwork spanning 20 years, including works from all seven Image founders, Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), Jim Lee (WildC.A.T.s), Rob Liefeld (Youngblood), Todd McFarlane (Spawn), Whilce Portacio (Wetworks), Marc Silvestri (Cyberforce), and Jim Valentino (Shadowhawk). Works from Image partner Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead) will also be included in this historic exhibition.

The opening reception for Image Comics: A 20th Anniversary Celebration will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2012 from 7:00-9:00pm. Special guests include Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible), Fiona Staples (Saga), Ryan Ottley (Invincible) and many more to be announced, as well as a few last-minute surprises. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased here: . Admission to this party will be $5-$50, with tickets sold on a sliding scale. This party kicks off the three-day Image Expo which will be held at the Oakland Convention Center from Friday, February 24 through Sunday, February 26. Please visit imagecomicexpo.com <http://www.imagecomicexpo.com/> for details.

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, 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 <http://www.imagecomics.com/> .

ABOUT IMAGE EXPO
Image Expo is the premier Northern California comics convention in 2012. The three-day event takes place at the Oakland Convention Center February 24, 25 and 26. Celebrating the creative spirit of independence, Image Expo commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the formation of Image Comics. But more than just looking to the past, the event showcases the evolving the comic market by spotlighting the future of independent publishing.

Headline guests include Image Comics Founders & Partners Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino. Special guests for Image Comic Expo include Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples, Blair Butler, Ed Brubaker, Joe Casey, John Layman, Jonathan Hickman, and many more!

2012-02-15T07:53:00.001-08:00

HIDE YOUR LASAGNA!
KaBOOM! LAUNCHES
A NEW ONGOING GARFIELD MONTHLY
COMIC BOOK SERIES
THIS MAY

February 15, 2012 - Los Angeles, CA - KaBOOM!, BOOM! Studios' all-ages imprint, is proud to announce a partnership with PAWS, Inc. to produce a new original ongoing GARFIELD comic book this May. THE GARFIELD SHOW and GARFIELD AND FRIENDS writer Mark Evanier teams up with Garfield strip cartoonist Gary Barker to bring you all the laughs (and lasagna) you can handle!

“We’re excited to be working with BOOM! Studios to bring fans the first comic book with Cattitude,” Jim Davis, Garfield’s creator, said. “Watch out, Dark Knight and Man of Steel…here comes Garfield!”

“We are incredibly honored to work with this character and this creative team,” BOOM! Studios Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ross Richie said. “Mark Evanier wrote or co-wrote nearly every episode of seven seasons of the show GARFIELD AND FRIENDS, one of the longest-running Saturday Morning cartoon shows in history, and works on THE GARFIELD SHOW right now. He, along with strip artist Gary Barker, were hand-picked by Jim Davis himself, so we know we've got just the right creative team.”

"We can't wait to tell new Garfield stories," BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon said. "We have two awesome creators who have had their hand in the Garfield world for a very long time. We couldn't ask for better creators to work with and bring the world of lasagna, hated Mondays and diets to the Direct Market.”

This May, everyone’s favorite lasagna-scarfing cat opens the fridge to an all-new ongoing comic book series! Join Garfield as he begins his monthly exploits with Jon, Odie, and the rest of the gang in the latest all-ages must-read from KaBOOM! With brand new stories featuring everyone’s favorite feline, this debut #1 issue is sure to please Garfield fans new and old alike!

GARFIELD #1 is written by Mark Evanier (THE GARFIELD SHOW) with art by Gary Barker. This title ships in May with with a special cover incentive program. For every 10 copies ordered, retailers receive 1 free copy. For every 15 copies ordered, retailers may order 1 free Gary Barker "Superhero" variant. For every 30 copies ordered, retailers may order 1 First Appearance Garfield variant free.

GARFIELD features 24 pages of story and carries a price point of $3.99 and a Diamond Code of MAR120887.Find more information at: http://www.kaboom-studios.com/series/title?series_id=837&name=Garfield

About BOOM! Studios
Founded by Ross Richie, 2009 and 2010's "Best Publisher" BOOM! Studios, an Eisner and Harvey Award-winner, generates a constellation of bestselling comic books and graphic novels with the industry's top talent, including Mark Waid's IRREDEEMABLE, new HELLRAISER comics written by Clive Barker, PLANET OF THE APES, 28 DAYS LATER, and Philip K. Dick's DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?. BOOM!'s all ages imprint KaBOOM! publishes Charles Schulz' PEANUTS, Cartoon Network's ADVENTURE TIME, Roger Langridge's SNARKED, and Scholastic's WORDGIRL. 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.

About Garfield
GARFIELD was born on the comics pages on June 19, 1978. The mastermind of cartoonist Jim Davis,GARFIELD is a humorous strip centered on the lives of a fat, lazy, cynical orange cat who loves lasagna, coffee, and his remote control; Jon Arbuckle, his owner; and Odie, a sweet but dumb dog. GARFIELD was introduced to the world in just 41 newspapers and is now the most widely syndicated comic strip ever, appearing in 2400 newspapers. The success of the comic strip spawned a popular animated TV show, Garfield and Friends, which appeared on CBS-TV from 1988 to 1995, and is currently in worldwide syndication. In 2009, The Garfield Show debuted on Cartoon Network USA and now airs in 135 countries. PEOPLE magazine called the show, "One of the Year's Best New Kids' Shows" in 2009.

In 2004, Twentieth Century Fox invited Garfield to star in his first-ever full-length feature film, Garfield: The Movie. A sequel, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties was released in June 2006. The movies earned over $340 million at the box office. Garfield has also starred in three CGI animated movies, all penned by Jim Davis. Fox released Garfield Gets Real (2007), Garfield's Fun Fest (2008), and Garfield's Pet Force (2009) on DVD and in limited theatrical release.

Garfield also entertains his fans on a popular web site, garfield.com, and engages kids in interesting and pedagogically sound activities to promote literacy at professorgarfield.org. English, Science and Life Skills are among the topics Garfield and his pals address at learninglab.org, a public service of the Virginia Department of Education.

Garfield has long been considered a “classic” or “evergreen” property because he has not only endured, but continues to be fresh and funny after over 30 years in the limelight.

Follow Garfield, along with 3.5 million other fans, on Facebook (facebook.com/Garfield) and Twitter (twitter.com/Garfield).

About Garfield
Cartoonist Jim Davis’ company, Paws, Inc., located near Albany, Indiana, was founded in 1981 to handle the creative end of the Garfield licensing business. Today, Paws is the sole owner of all copyrights and trademarks for the Garfield property, and controls not only the creative angle of the fat cat’s flourishing empire, but also the licensing, marketing, and brand management of Garfield and the Garfield characters.

2012-02-14T09:18:00.001-08:00

ARCANA AND RENEGADE’S TURNING TIGER ROARS INTO ACTION THIS APRIL

Take one state of the art fully armed sentient military attack robot, let it go rogue, then set the army and more robots after it. And let it happen in downtown Ewanstown, USA . If things get bad, have it kidnap a child and see if you can stop her parents blowing the operation wide open to the media.

Arcana Comics is proud to present the April release of TURNING TIGER: SPECIAL EDITION, written by Richmond Clements, illustrated by Alex Moore and produced by Renegade Arts Entertainment. Collecting the two part miniseries, TURNING TIGER: SPECIAL EDITION is also filled with extras such as an afterwards from Richmond Clements, character designs, and a pin-up gallery from artists such as Shane Oakley (Albion, Cthulhu Tales), Chie Kutsuwada (The Story of Lee), Michael Carroll (2000 A.D., Judge Dredd Megazine) and more.

TURNING TIGER involves a top secret military robot colliding with the world of a suburban American family. TURNING TIGER brings a tale of explosive action, government conspiracies, and above all, family. But why has the robot chosen this family and their daughter in particular? All will be revealed...

Critics have raved about TURNING TIGER:

"Turning Tiger is the perfect tale of sci-fi encountering the family next door, a gripping adventure that we know really could happen. The dynamic storytelling will melt the heart of both the young and adult reader alike, so it’s simply not to be missed!" - SciFiPulse.net

"This is a superb comic..." - Forbidden Planet International

"...production is really smart, and the art from Alex Moore is stunning." - Comic Buzz

"Ultimately, this is a well-produced piece of work and a worthy first effort." - Irish Comic News

TURNING TIGER: SPECIAL EDITION, a 58-page full-color paperback, will be on sale in stores April 1st for $7.99 and is available to order in the February 2012 edition of Diamond Previews (FEB120740, ISBN: 978-1-926914-87-9). For more information, please visit http://www.arcana.com/view_title.php?id=265

About Arcana Studios

Arcana Studios, Inc. is a transmedia company that has aggressively pursued establishing brands through engaging storytelling and compelling art. With a strong foothold in the print publishing world, Arcana continues to be a premier content provider. Arcana owns one of the world’s largest libraries of graphic novels and comics, and has adapted this library into live action feature films, stereoscopic 3D animated features, episodic television series and toys.

About Clements

Richmond Clements is the father of two wonderful boys and lives in the Scottish Highlands with his partner Vicky Stonebridge, with whom he co-organizes HiEx: The Highland International Comic Expo. As well as writing Turning Tiger, and between bouts on his beloved X-Box, he is an editor for FutureQuake Press and writer of the forthcoming Graphic Novels Ketsueki, Corvus and Pinkerton. For more from visit: http://hiexcomics.blogspot.com/

About Alex Moore

Currently studying illustration at Middlesex University, Alex’s artwork has featured in Orang Utan Comics’ FTL anthology. She is currently working on Liberty, a graphic novel for Markosia. Her influences include Juanjo Guarnido, Adrian Alphonsa, and Fabio Moon. For more on Alex visit her blog: http://threepennyorchestra.blogspot.com/.

About Renegade Arts Entertainment

We are a creator owned publisher of comic books, but only a few and we are very discerning with our choices. Our mix so far has been from experienced A-list writers and artists and newer blood who pitched projects just too good to turn down.

Some of our projects have come from within Renegade itself, like Alan Grant and Shane Oakley's Channel Evil and Alexander Finbow and William Simpson's Shades Of Grey. We only publish comic books that our creators are 100% passionate about and all of us at Renegade believe are of the highest quality. For more information, please visit us at www.renegadeartsentertainment.com.

2012-02-13T15:41:00.002-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 02.13.2012

ONI PRESS DECLARES 100% ON-TIME RECORD FOR 2011, VOWS TO DO SAME IN 2012

Now that the calendar year has turned, comics publisher Oni Press is doing a victory lap for 2011. The company released 40 titles last year, and every single one of the softcovers, hardcovers, and comic books shipped from the printer on time. Whether it was a regular issue of a color comic like The Sixth Gun, a black-and-white Courtney Crumrin special, or a massive 264-page original graphic novel like Petrograd, if it was promised for a specific date, it was delivered to retailers and consumers on that date.

“Entering into 2011, we set a definitive goal for ourselves,” said George Rohac, operations director at Oni Press. “We had seen our publishing line grow exponentially, and in order to get a handle on the outstanding slate of books that lay before us, we decided to overhaul how we scheduled our publications and make a firm commitment to getting every title out on time. This happy dance I'm doing right now means the plan worked. We met the challenge.”

“In past years, Oni Press' reputation was hurt by its sporadic release system,” marketing director Cory Casoni added. “Late titles were starting to damage the trust that our customers had in us. Retailers were concerned about committing to an Oni Press series because they weren't sure that the comics would arrive when they were supposed to. Everyone in the office banded together and we turned it around. From editorial to the design department, every step of the way, we all put in our very best to see each book to completion.”

The tide began to turn for the company when it embarked on its breakout hit, The Sixth Gun, in May 2010. “The Sixth Gun was a kind of test balloon for ongoing series,” Rohac said. “Oni Press has done ongoing books before, but they hadn't always run smoothly. We wanted to create a model for The Sixth Gun that we could replicate on future series. Now it's nearly two years later and we have Sixth Gun product on store shelves consistently. We're getting Wasteland back on track the same way, and we're planning farther and farther ahead to make sure that if we say an Oni Press title will be there, it's going to be there.”

Oni Press recently unveiled its new logo and motto RevolutiOnize Comics, a symbol of its ongoing mission to bring new and innovative product to the comic book market. These two moves indicate a future that not only builds on the successes of the past, but advances them.

“This year is only going to be better than the last,” Casoni added. “So far in 2012, we've had an issue of Sixth Gun and Wasteland both ship on time, released Polly and the Pirates Volume 2 when promised, and the Spontaneous hardcover by Joe Harris and Brett Weldele released a month early. We may be beating our chests right now, but we're not going to drop the ball while we do it. I look forward to sending out a press release just like this one in 12 months.”

Next on the slate for Oni Press are The Sixth Gun #19 by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt, and Bill Crabtree, and the third volume of Possessions, the macabre comedy series from cartoonist Ray Fawkes. Both books are due to go on sale February 22. “Both are with the distributors,” Rohac confirmed, “and both will be out on time.”

2012-02-13T15:41:00.000-08:00

IDW Delves Into Molly Crabapple’s
“Week in Hell”

The Art of Molly Crabapple, Vol. 1: Week in Hell drops March 14th

San Diego, CA (February 13, 2012)—In September 2011, acclaimed artist Molly Crabapple embarked on a truly unique and captivating endeavor: one hotel room, 270 square feet of blank paper, and five days to cover it all in art. Backed by her dedicated fans and armed with caffeine, champagne, and a lot of ink, she set about transforming the room with her engrossing and dynamic work; creating vast, imaginative pieces that would turn an ordinary hotel room into an otherworldly wonderland.

“I conceived of Week in Hell as a way to break on through to the other (artistic) side by drawing beyond the limits of endurance,” said Crabapple. “I never imagined that so many people would want to help me do it. While covering the room in drawings, I thought I was pro until I collapsed at the end of one 20-foot wall. The room killed me a bit, but I killed it a bit, too.”

Also featuring a foreword by Warren Ellis, photography by Steve Prue, and a cover by fashion photographer Clayton Cubitt, this is an art book unlike any other.

THE ART OF MOLLY CRABAPPLE: WEEK IN HELL is the first volume of a three-volume art-book series that IDW will be producing with Crabapple in 2012.

“I’m ecstatic to be doing these books with Molly,” said IDW’s Chris Ryall, Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief. “Her art is wildly inventive, wholly original, and just pleasant as can be. Which are also terms that apply to Molly herself, too. Also, I don’t see how anyone could resist a book filled with whimsical tentacled creatures and other such flights of fancy adorning fancy hotel room floors, walls, doors, and ceilings.”

More information about Molly Crabapple can be found at:
http://mollycrabapple.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/mollycrabapple
http://mollycrabapple.tumblr.com/

THE ART OF MOLLY CRABAPPLE, VOL. 1: WEEK IN HELL ($9.99, 48 pages, full color) will be available in stores in March 14, 2012. ISBN 978-1-61377-154-9.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

2012-02-13T15:11:00.001-08:00

IMAGE TO CAPTURE THE SECOND VOLUME OF MORIARTY

Moriarty: The Lazarus Tree Gets Collected in March

Writer Daniel Corey returns in March with more adventures of the nefarious Professor Moriarty, arch nemesis of Sherlock Holmes, in MORIARTY: THE LAZARUS TREE VOL 2 TP from Image Comics. Collecting issues #5 through #9 of the ongoing series, MORIARTY: THE LAZARUS TREE features artwork from Anthony Diecidue (Stan Lee's TIME JUMPER) and comic book legend Mike Vosburg (HBO Tales from the Crypt), with colors by Perry Freeze and letters and design by Dave Lanphear.

Following the misdeeds of the original supervillain, it is 20 years after the death of Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty finds himself afflicted with unsettling visions. He sets sail for Burma in search of an old ally, but finds himself caught up in a city on the brink of revolt, a troublesome Imperial Policeman, and a secret that holds the key to his destiny.

MORIARTY: THE LAZARUS TREE, VOL. 2 TP, a 136-page full-color paperback, will be on sale in stores March 14th for $14.99 and is available to order in the January 2012 edition of Diamond Previews (JAN120526, ISBN: 978-1-60706-490-9). For more information, please visit www.professorjamesmoriarty.com and www.facebook.com/daniel.corey.

Here's what reviewers are saying about MORIARTY: THE LAZARUS TREE:

TOP TEN ONGOING COMICS OF 2011 - ComicBook.com

"To me, the book is what I imagine Kubrick's take on Holmes lore might be..." – The Daily BLAM!

"Professor Moriarty is treated with the respect a villain of his caliber should be treated. Pick it up!" - Impulse Gamer

"It's fast-paced, entertaining and extremely clever..." - Comiclist

"This comic is a lot of fun. It’s really easy to get caught up in the adventure of MORIARTY and Corey has crafted a villain of such diabolic proportions." - Freakin Awesome Network

"...It’s an incredible adventure that’ll leave you begging for more by the time you reach the final panel." TOP FIVE BOOKS OF 2011 - Mass Movement Magazine

About Daniel Corey
Daniel Corey is a director, screenwriter, playwright, and novelist. He has authored screenplays, teleplays, stage plays, two comic series, and a novel. www.professorjamesmoriarty.com

About Anthony Diecidue
Anthony’s work includes principal art for Stan Lee and Walt Disney Home Entertainment's digital motion comic series TIME JUMPER and MORTAL KOMBAT VS. DC COMICS for Midway Games.

About Mike Vosburg
Mike Vosburg has worked for Marvel and DC as well as drawing the entire run of cover inserts for the HBO Tales from the Crypt series, and winning an Emmy as a director on the HBO animated series Spawn.

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, 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.

2012-02-13T14:20:00.001-08:00

First Ever Star Trek®/Doctor Who Comic Book Crossover Coming in May

Star Trek: The Next Generation® crew and the Doctor face off  
against the Borg and the Cybermen

San Diego, CA (February 13, 2012)—In conjunction with BBC Worldwide Consumer Products and CBS Consumer Products, IDW Publishing will make history when two of the greatest science-fiction properties of all time come together in a comic book for the first time. The world’s most popular time traveler teams up with the U.S.S. Enterprise crew in STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/DOCTOR WHO: ASSIMILATION2, taking fans on an adventure where no man has gone before.

“By joining these two sci-fi powerhouses, fans will be taken on the ultimate adventure through time and space,” said Liz Kalodner, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Consumer Products.

Launching in May, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/DOCTOR WHO: ASSIMILATION2 will feature fan-favorite villains the Borg and the Cybermen as they create an unholy alliance resulting in potential disaster for all humanity. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise find themselves joining forces with the Doctor and his companions, with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance.

“We are excited about this new adventure for the Doctor and the fact that he will be travelling with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his iconic crew. This is a perfect partnership for not only Doctor Who’s incredible fans, but also for the brand. We have just celebrated our most successful year yet. Doctor Who’s latest season delivered record ratings for BBC AMERICA and it was most downloaded full TV seasons of 2011 in the U.S. on the iTunes Store,” says Soumya Sriraman, executive vice president Home Entertainment and Licensing.

This eight-issue series will be written by Scott and David Tipton, the authors of critically acclaimed Star Trek: Infestation, with a helping hand from longtime Doctor Who writer Tony Lee, and will feature fully painted artwork by J.K. Woodward (Fallen Angel).

Fans are encouraged to ask their retailers about the rare wraparound photo cover. Plus, artist Joe Corroney (Star Trek Ongoing) will provide a variant cover featuring the Doctor and friends aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Doctor Who and Star Trek are two hugely successful franchises that began as television series, and have expanded into a number of other media, including comic books, which continue to captivate fans all over the world. Nearly five decades and 1,500 episodes in the making, this is the moment that both Trekkers and Whovians have waited for all their lives!

STAR TREK TNG/DOCTOR WHO: ASSIMILATION2 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in May 2012.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to sign up for updates and learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

Connect with Doctor Who on Facebook, Tumblr, and BBC AMERICA’s Twitter.

® & © 2012 CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc.

BBC, DOCTOR WHO (word marks, logos and devices), TARDIS and CYBERMAN are trade marks of the British Broadcasting Corporation and are used under license.

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 and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coasts 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, and Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.

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, while Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film.

About BBC Worldwide Americas
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide Americas brings together all of BBC Worldwide’s businesses in North and South America. The company exists to maximize the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the UK license payer, and invests in public service programming in return for rights. The company has seven core businesses: Channels, Sales and Distribution, Content and Production, Consumer Products, Digital Media, Magazines, and recently formed Brands, Consumers & New Ventures. Under these businesses fall two key brands in the U.S. – digital cable channel BBC America and a bi-coastal production arm responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars for ABC.

About CBS Consumer Products
CBS Consumer Products manages worldwide licensing and merchandising for a diverse slate of television brands and series from CBS, CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution, as well as from the company's extensive library of titles, Showtime and CBS Films. Additionally, the group oversees online sales of programming merchandise. For more information, visit www.cbsconsumerproducts.com

2012-02-13T12:39:00.001-08:00

Here is an advanced look at what is coming to comics by comiXology this Wednesday the day after Valentine's Day! Not only do we have a swan-boat load of new Same Day as Print books out this week, but we're also brining you more classic back issues from some of the comic book industry's most legendary creators! Just remember, this list might be subject to some last minute changes. Enjoy!

Same Day as Print

Archie Archie Marries Betty #17
Archie Marries Veronica #17
Betty & Veronica #258
Sonic Universe #37

Creator Owned
Sacrifice #3

DC Comics
Batman #6
Batman Beyond #1
Birds of Prey #6
Blue Beetle #6
Captain Atom #6
Catwoman #6
DC Universe Online Legends #23
DC Universe Presents #6
End of Nations #4
Green Lantern Corps #6
Legion of Super-Heroes #6
My Greatest Adventure #5
Nightwing #6
Red Hood and the Outlaws #6
Supergirl #6
Wonder Woman #6
Young Justice #6

Dynamite
Army of Darkness #1
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #3
Queen Sonja #27
Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time: Eye of the World #21
Vampirella #14
Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #10

Image
Activity #3
The Darkness #99
Glory #23
Mondo #1
Moriarty #9
Peter Panzerfaust #1
Super Dinosaur #8
Witchblade #153

IDW
Dungeons & Dragons: Drizzt #5
Ghostbusters: Ongoing #6
G.I. Joe 2: Movie Prequel #1
nfestation II: Dungeons and Dragons #1
Transformers: Infestation II #2
Road Rage #1
Star Trek: Legion of Superheroes 5
Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye 2
Transformers: Autocracy 3

Marvel
Amazing Spider-Man #679.1
Avenging Spider-Man #4
Fear Itself: The Fearless #9
Formic Wars: Silent Strike #3
Generation Hope #16
Marvel's The Avengers Prelude: Furys Big Week #2
Ultimate Comics X-Men #7
Uncanny X-Men #7
Venom #13.2
Wolverine #301
X-Factor #232

Oni Press
Wasteland #16

New & Noteworthy Back Issues

Antarctic
Gold Digger #42-45

Arcana
League of Super Evil GN
Curse of the Cortes Stone GN
Woody And Noble GN

Archaia
OKKO: Cycle of Water #1

Archie
Betty #172-175
Sonic the Hedgehog #57-58

Aspen
Soulfire Vol. 2 #0-2

Asylum
Zombie Terrors #3

Bluewater Productions
Nanny and Hank #3-4
Vincent Price Presents #17-18

BOOM! Studios
7 Warriors #3
Operation Broken Wings #3
Roger Langridge's Snarked #4

Cryptozoic
Starcraft FrontLine Vol. 1
Warcraft: Legends Vol. 1

DC Comics
Arsenal #1-4
Arsenal Special #1
Batman Plus Arsenal #1
Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1-3
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #64-73
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #64-68
Countdown to Adventure 1-8
Detective Comics #785-793
Nightwing #79-85
Salvation Run #1-7
Teen Titans #51-56

Dynamite
Sherlock Holmes #1-3

IDW
Amazon: Heroic Tales #9
Locke & Key Clockworks #4

Image
Cross Bronx #1-4
Phonogram Vol.1 TP
Savage Dragon #126-128
Witchblade #26-38

Markosia
The Silver Bullet #1-3

Marvel
Daredevil #56-65
Ghost Rider: Heaven's On Fire #1-6
New Avengers #51-54
Scarlet Spider #1
Ultimate Spider-Man #123-128
Uncanny X-Men #526-529

Moonstone
Phases of the Moon #1-2

MTV Comics
Agent Mom #5
The Gloom #5

Oni Press
Wasteland #23-24
Super Pro K.O.! Vol.1 GN

Red 5
We Kill Monsters Collection

SLG
Heart of a Corpse #1-2

Top Shelf
American Elf (17+)
Hey Princess
Korgi Vol 3

Vertigo
100 Bullets #74
Fables #98
Hellblazer #142- 143
Jack of Fables #48

Wildstorm
Ex Machina Special #3-4

Zenescope
Grimm Fairy Tales #62
Grimm Fairy Tales- Dream Eater Saga #8
Brimstone #6
Return To Wonderland 2009 Annual

2012-02-13T12:38:00.001-08:00

THE WALKING DEAD PANEL LIVE AT IMAGE EXPO ADDS NORMAN REEDUS

Actor will join THE WALKING DEAD creator Robert Kirkman and WD castmate Steven Yeun in conversation with Chris Hardwick

BERKELEY, CA - Image Expo is excited to announce the addition of Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl Dixon on AMC's record-breaking television series The Walking Dead to the comic convention's The Walking Dead panel. The panel takes place during Image Expo on Saturday, February 25 at 4 p.m. in the Oakland Convention Center in Oakland, California. Reedus will join The Walking Dead creator and executive producer Robert Kirkman and Reedus' "Walking Dead" castmate Steven Yeun (Glenn) in conversation with Chris Hardwick.

Fans of The Walking Dead stick around after the show every week to watch The Talking Dead and hear what goes on behind the scenes of cable TV's highest rated drama in history. This conversation will be even better because you can see it up close and in person exclusively by attending Image Expo. This unique and first-time ever opportunity offers the chance to not only listen in but ask your own questions of some of the show's principle players live and in person. Kirkman, Yeun, and Reedus will talk to Hardwick about the latest shocking plot twists and what it’s like working on a show that has taken the world by storm.

This is just one of the exciting panels taking place during Image Expo, ranging from small, limited-attendance workshops conducted by the Image founders to large panels with some of comics' most talented creators talking about the present and future of the industry. In addition to this panel, Robert Kirkman will also be on the stage for three other panels: to discuss taking your favorite comics from the page to television, the latest from his Image Comics imprint Skybound, and a special fan question-and-answer session. For a complete listing of Image Expo's programming, go to www.imagecomicexpo.com

ABOUT IMAGE EXPO
Image Expo is a three-day comic book convention commemorating Image Comics' 20th Anniversary and celebrating creator-owned comics, being held on February 24, 25, and 26, 2012 at the Oakland Convention Center. Image partners Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino, will be the guests of honor, appearing for signings, panels, and special events. Other special guests include Image founders Rob Liefeld, and Whilce Portacio, plus the creators of today's best creator-owned comics, including Ed Brubaker and Brian K. Vaughan. For more information about Image Expo, visit www.imagecomicexpo.com.

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, 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.

ABOUT ROBERT KIRKMAN
Robert Kirkman's success and passionate advocacy for creator-owned comics led him to become the first person invited to become a partner at Image Comics since the company's inception twenty years ago. He's the creator/writer of the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, kid-friendly Super Dinosaur, The Astounding Wolfman, and new title Thief of Thieves, among many others. Kirkman has earned the respect of the comic, writing and television communities and topped the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels in 2011, taking four of the top spots. He's the creator/executive producer and writer of the hit television show, AMC's The Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an international success in 120 countries and 250 million households. www.Skybound.com is your destination for all news and merchandise for Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles.

2012-02-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

Project: Rooftop Announces Winners

"Invincible: Viltrumite Vogue" Redesign Contest

Invincible artists Cory Walker & Ryan Ottley Acted As Guest Judges

After months of anticipation and speculation, Project: Rooftop has compiled the 100+ entries and tallied the results to crown the winner of its Invincible: Viltrumite Vogue Redesign Contest. The creation of Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley, Invincible has blossomed to be the flagship hero for Image Comics' super-hero books and one of the most popular comics icons created in the past decade. Sponsored by the innovative comics retailer Thwipster, "Invincible: Viltrumite Vogue" is the latest in a line of contests by Project: Rooftop, giving artists a chance to redesign a super-hero in a friendly competition for prizes, recognition and just plain fun.

The winner of Invincible: Viltrimute Vogue is none other than artist Kris Anka with this entry:

For winning 1st place, Anka will receive the prize package containing the first three volumes of Invincible: The Ultimate Collection courtesy of the contest's sponsor, Thwipster. Anka has been a featured artist at Project: Rooftop for roughly a year now, and burst onto the comic scene last year drawing the finale of Guarding The Globe and moving over to Marvel where he does covers now for New Mutants. Look for an exclusive interview with Anka about his design later this month.

Second place in the contest goes to another frequent face at P:R, Vanni LoRiggio, who won Invincible Compedium Vol. 1. Third place goes to indie artist Evan Bryce for his red-tinged design of the hero, winning him Invincible: The Ultimate Collection Vol. 1. For the full text of the judges' comments on these design as well as the runner-ups, you can visit Project: Rooftop's website.

Joining our regular P:R staff to judge these entries was two artists responsible for making Invincible who he is: co-creator Cory Walker and current Invincible artist Ryan Ottley. Both Walker and Ottley have contributed redesigns to Project: Rooftop in the past, but having their experience and expertise for this contest broughtt to a whole new level.

Thanks to Paul Milligan for designing our contest logo!

Project: Rooftop (http://www.projectrooftop.com) is where cartoonists and illustrators bring their costume design skills to task in tribute to the superheroes and villains we've grown up with. This site is intended to promote the idea of superhero costume redesigning as a skill, specific to superhero media. We also aim to foster continued interest for these amazing characters and spotlight up-and-coming creators.

2012-02-13T08:09:00.001-08:00

Private Practice star Tim Daly reprises role of Superman for JUSTICE
LEAGUE: DOOM

Superman: The Animated Series star returns for key role in
all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie available Feb. 28;
Daly to take part in Feb. 16 West Coast Premiere at Paley Center in Los Angeles

The quintessential voice of the Man of Steel – primetime television
star Tim Daly – once again returns to his original animated role of
Superman in JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM, the next entry in the popular,
ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies.

Daly set the standard as the voice behind the world’s ultimate super
hero for Superman: The Animated Series as well as in several animated
movies and video games. While fanboys hail his vocal performance as
their point of recognition, the Emmy nominated actor is known well
throughout the world for his primetime television series roles,
including eight seasons on Wings, an intense recurring role on The
Sopranos, a memorable turn on HBO’s landmark mini-series From The
Earth To The Moon, and his current ABC hit series, Private Practice.

Daly has joined the festivities surrounding the West Coast Premiere of
JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM on Thursday, February 16 at The Paley Center for
Media in Beverly Hills. The actor will appear for red carpet
interviews and take part in the panel discussion following the film –
alongside his co-stars Phil Morris (Seinfeld, Smallville), Paul
Blackthorne (The River), Oliva d'Abo (The Wonder Years) and Susan
Eisenberg (Justice League, Justice League Unlimited). Also confirmed
to attend is director Lauren Montgomery and dialogue/casting director
Andrea Romano.

Warner Home Video will distribute JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM on Blu-Ray, DVD
and for Download on February 28, 2012.

Daly took a few minutes to offer answers to some questions that
haven’t been posed to him – lately. Here’s what Mr. Daly had to offer
…

QUESTION:
What’s the crux of JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM from Superman’s perspective?

TIM DALY
Well, as usual, it’s all about saving the planet. But first, the
Justice League has to save the Justice League. Batman disappoints his
colleagues in the Justice League by having a plan to stop any rogue
Justice League member, and by allowing those plans to be stolen.
Superman understands Batman, though – he really has created these
contingency plans for a pretty noble reason. He's trying to protect
the world by inserting some checks and balances into this system,
realizing that the Justice League has an incredible amount of power,
and he wants to make sure that they always use that power in a way
that's not destructive.

QUESTION:
Are you able to turn on and off the Superman voice without hesitation,
or is there some sort of warm-up involved – mentally or vocally?

TIM DALY:
There’s just a lot of technical things to keep in mind. You get warmed
up like you do with anything and, after a little rehearsing, it’s all
second nature. That doesn’t mean I didn’t want to go back and do a few
lines over again – you want these things to be just right. But you
don’t necessarily jump straight back in. I mean, it's not like I walk
around being Superman in real life. But when you read the script and
put yourself in the position that Superman is in – I mean, he's always
saving the planet, for God's sake. When you realize that, it's not
difficult to take the gravitas of the situation and make your voice do
what it needs to do.

QUESTION:
As well as you know this character after all of these years, are you
ever shy to offer suggestions about how certain dialogue might be
presented or altered?

TIM DALY:
Usually the writing is pretty great, but then again, I can't keep my
mouth shut. If I think something can be better, I'll speak up and say
so. But I will explain why I’m making the suggestion. I actually find
that writers respond very well to being asked questions. “Why would
Superman say that?” “Would it be better if I said it this way?” You
don’t just want to be critical – that doesn't benefit anyone. The best
creative work usually comes from a collaboration.

QUESTION:
Have you ever found yourself using the Superman attitude or voice in real life?

TIM DALY:
I did a little bit when my kids were young. And I found that it
worked much better on my daughter than my son. I would say to her,
(beefs up his voice), “Stop that right now.” And she would be suitably
taken aback. But my son, he didn't really care.

QUESTION:
Has providing the voice of Superman helped you learn anything about
yourself or changed you in any way?

TIM DALY:
Maybe a little bit. Maybe some of what gets you through your walks in
the world is attitude. Certainly Superman has a lot of power and he
doesn't have to be showy, rather he carries that confidence quietly.
He knows what he can do. I certainly am not capable of pulling that
off in my own life. But knowing that, I can fake that attitude to
help me out now and then.

QUESTION:
What Superman memorabilia have you collected over the years?

TIM DALY:
I have a beautiful wooden Superman statue with a removable cape – I
really love that piece. I have a cel from the original Superman series
cartoons. And I have a gold Superman “S” pin. And then there’s my
tights, uh, but don’t tell anymore.

QUESTION:
TV and film is usually a one-way experience for you. You don't really
get to see the final product with an audience very often. But you’re
coming back to the Paley Center in Los Angeles for the premiere of
JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM – and this will be your second time seeing one of
the DC Universe animated movies alongside the fans. What was your
experience like watching Superman/Batman: Apocalypse last time?

TIM DALY:
It was really great because the fans were so into it. Fan reaction is
really wonderful to experience in person, especially fans of this
genre. They’re so passionate. And it was also fun because it was just
my voice and Superman's image. Usually when I see myself in a film or
on television, there's about a six-month period where I can't look at
it because all I’ll see are the mistakes. I'm just appalled by the
person that I see. The camera sees me from angles that I've never
seen myself, so I never think it's me. I look at that and I think,
“My God, that's me.” But with these films, I can look up and it is
Superman on the screen. So I don't have to go through all that. He
has no flaws.

QUESTION:
What's the magic of working with dialogue director Andrea Romano?

TIM DALY:
The great thing about working with Andrea is that she loves it so
much, and she's so positive about it. You can't fake that. Even
after all this time, doing 41 shows at a time, all the series and
films, she’s right there with the same enthusiasm and love for the
material. I don’t know how she keeps it all straight. Plus, she really
loves actors – you always feel like she’s rooting for you. And that
makes it very easy.

2012-02-13T08:08:00.001-08:00

Warner Bros. Receives Hundreds of Letters Illustrating the More than 16,000 signatures of HP Fans

Boston, MA – Over the past several days Warner Bros.’ (WB) California headquarters has received nearly 400 individual sheets of paper adding up to the more than 16,000 signatures the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) collected in 2010 and 2011 to make all Harry Potter chocolate Fair Trade. The pages were sent by more than 200 members of the HPA from across the country, as a part of the “Not in Harry’s Name Campaign,” to show WB how important Fair Trade chocolate is to fans of the Harry Potter series.

The HPA has been campaigning for WB to show proof that the chocolate they use for their Harry Potter products is produced under Fair Trade standards. WB informed the HPA of their own research that contradicts the “F” rating for their practices by the reputable group, Free2Work. The HPA asked WB to share this research. However, WB has not responded and has therefore made it clear that they have no intention to share this research.

“The HPA has worked tirelessly for more than a year to ensure that no child is enslaved while making chocolate in Harry Potter’s name,” HPA Executive Director Andrew Slack said. “For fifteen months, we have given WB every possible opportunity to partner with us by making all Harry Potter chocolate Fair Trade. They have turned down each of those opportunities because they underestimate us. It’s now a matter of time before the entire world sees that fans of the Harry Potter series are responsibly advocating for children while the leaders of WB are acting irresponsibly. If the research they cite exists then they be able to produce it. They should have nothing to hide.”

Among the thousands of fans from across the globe that have signed on to support this campaign are four of the actors of the Harry Potter movies, including Evanna Lynch, Natalia Tena, Mark Williams, and Jason Issacs. The support of actors in the series illustrates the importance of the campaign to all of those involved in the beloved series.

For the past several months fans of the series have also been expressing their concern over the status of Harry Potter chocolate through Howler videos, where fans are able to put their feelings on their topic in a video directly to WB and cease and desist letters, expressing that while WB owns the intellectual property rights they don’t own the spirit of the series.

An overview video of the Not in Harry’s Name campaign can be viewed on our YouTube channel and many frequently asked questions are addressed in the attached Questions and Answers document.

The HP Alliance (www.thehpalliance.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit that engages Harry Potter fans in social activism. With over 70 active chapters and 40 volunteer staff, the HPA has donated five cargo planes to Haiti, 55,000 books, protection for thousands in Darfur, and made huge strides in anti-genocide, LGBT, and media reform advocacy, and more. Covered in hundred of major publications and praised by JK Rowling, Harry Potter celebrities, Paul Farmer, and a slew of NGO’s the HPA recently came in first place in the Chase Bank Community Giving Contest on Facebook winning $250,000.

2012-02-12T10:05:00.001-08:00

Volume 2 of Unite and Take Over: Stories Inspired by the songs of the
Smiths is in the works. As with the first volume, the premise of the
book is “What is the story that plays in your head when you listen to
your favorite Smiths song?” The book will be published in time for
Record Store Day on April 21 (http://www.recordstoreday.com).

The new volume has a brand new set list of songs to be interpreted by
new and returning creators. The set list includes:

Well I Wonder - Jamie S. Rich and Christoper Mitten
The Headmaster Ritual - Jonathan Goff and Jim Hanna
Half a Person - Eric M. Esquivel and Eric Schock
Oscillate Wildly - Christopher Murrin and Matt Goodall
London - Russell Hillman and Michael Stewart
Reel Around the Fountain - Jennifer de Guzman and Tracy Hui
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - Dave Baker and Amy Tidwell
I Won’t Share You – Dave Baker
A Rush, A Push and the Land is Ours - Brad Dwyer
Girl Afraid - Libbi Rich and April Reyna
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before - Shawn Demumbrum
and Jason Pedersen
Strech out and Wait - Jacob Gallegos and Oliva Peleaz
Sweet and Tender Hooligan - Adam Sanders and Chris Mendoza
Big Mouth Strikes Again - Christian Marra

To raise funds for the production costs of the book, the publisher has
created a Kickstarter campaign. Pledging to the Kickstarter campaign
is the easiest and cheapest way to ensure that you get a copy of the
book. Please pledge at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/756324374/unite-and-take-over-volume-2-a-smiths-comic-anthol
. There is less than two weeks left to pledge to insure that the book
is available in the quantities and quality that the first book was
published.

In the meantime, you can find the image for the Record Store Day cover
here: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s-8DVO_XXsA/TyDJdyjtgwI/AAAAAAAAAQs/cUXoerTzl3c/s1600/Color.jpg

Shawn Demumbrum
SpazDog Press

2012-02-11T17:06:00.003-08:00

NO ORDINARY SCULPTURE—DARK HORSE DELUXE DEBUTS THE FIRST STATUETTE FROM ARTIST CAMILLA D’ERRICO AT TOY FAIR 2012

MILWAUKIE, OR, February 10—Artist and designer Camilla d’Errico is exploding across the pop-culture landscape. Her paintings, comics, apparel, toys, and licensed merchandise items are found in trendsetting venues worldwide, and her unique art style sets these items apart from the crowd. Dark Horse Deluxe, a division of Dark Horse Comics, announces the latest step forward for d’Errico, a limited-edition sculptural bust inspired by her painting No Ordinary Love.

Slated for a late June release, the meticulously painted sculpture measures approximately 8 inches tall and 5 inches in width, making it a diminutive but exquisite jewel of a statuette. It is strictly limited to only 950 hand-numbered copies for worldwide distribution. It is packaged in a full-color collector box, with a certificate of authenticity inserted to certify it for collectors.

“Translating Camilla’s work into three dimensions was a challenge,” Dark Horse’s David Scroggy observed, “but with a lot of help from Camilla and the skilled artisans at Gentle Giant Studios, we were able to arrive at a piece that is unmistakably d’Errico, with all the subtle nuance and details of sculpture and paint application that her audience would expect.”

Camilla d’Errico supervised every aspect of the sculpting and paint application as the piece took shape, providing additional reference, commentary, and color notes throughout the prototyping process.

“No Ordinary Love is a piece that is very dear to me,” Camilla d’Errico reflected. “It’s the visual interpretation and expression of my feelings for my ‘one and only,’ so you can imagine how exciting it is, that this particular piece was chosen!”

The painting No Ordinary Love was included in the Dark Horse art book of d’Errico’s work, Femina and Fauna, which has gone into multiple printings and can be found in a diverse array of retail venues, such as bookstores, art galleries, pop-culture and designer-toy emporiums, and comic shops. A second hardcover collection of Camilla d’Errico’s paintings, Helmetgirls, is scheduled for publication by Dark Horse in July.

Dark Horse will display No Ordinary Love to the trade for the first time at its booth at International Toy Fair, held at Jacob Javits Center in New York, February 12–15, 2012.

2012-02-10T11:11:00.001-08:00

TODD MCFARLANE TO ATTEND FIRST EVER IMAGE EXPO

Spawn Creator Brings Exclusive Toys and Comics to the Bay Area

To know where to catch McFarlane in action, here’s an inside look at his events for the weekend:

Todd McFarlane Signing

Saturday, February 25^th

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Don’t miss your chance to meet legendary comic creator Todd McFarlane! Signing limited to two items per person. Tickets available the morning of the signing at the McFarlane Companies booth, #36.

Twenty Years of Independence: The Image Comics 20th Anniversary Panel

Saturday, February 25^th

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Panelists: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino

From Page to Screen: Comics on TV

Saturday, February 25^th

3:00 – 4:00 PM

Panelists: Blair Butler, Joe Casey, Jay Faerber, Robert Kirkman, Todd McFarlane, and Brian K. Vaughan

Todd McFarlane Exclusive Spawn: The Beginning Resin Statue Signing

Saturday, February 25^th

4:00 – 5:30 PM

Pro Tips with Todd McFarlane

Sunday, February 26th

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

2012-02-09T15:02:00.001-08:00

IMAGE EXPO ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE VARIANT COVERS

Attendees of Image Expo, taking place February 24, 25, and 26 in Oakland, California will get something else in addition to excellent programming, array of exhibiting publishers and artists, and face time with their favorite collectors -- the chance to get six comics with convention-exclusive covers.

The first 5,000 attendees of Image Expo will receive a free copy of THE WALKING DEAD #94 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Cliff Rathburn with an exclusive cover picturing Michonne, katana at her side, atop an intertwined mass of zombies.

An exclusive GLORY #23 featuring a new cover by Ross Campbell and the slogan "FIGHT CENSORSHIP" will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and will be available only at the CBLDF booth.

Other exclusive covers are THE DARKNESS #100, featuring a sketch cover by Marc Silvestri; ARTIFACTS #14 with art by Stjepan Sejic and a blank back cover for attendees' favorite artists to sketch on, THIEF OF THIEVES #1 with art by Shawn Martinbrough, and CHEW #24 with art by Rob Guillory.

The Image Expo convention-exclusive variant covers will be available in limited quantities.

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, 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.

ABOUT IMAGE EXPO
Image Expo is a three-day comic book convention commemorating Image Comics' 20th Anniversary and celebrating creator-owned comics, being held on February 24, 25, and 26, 2012 at the Oakland Convention Center. Image partners Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino, will be the guests of honor, appearing for signings, panels, and special events. Other special guests include Image founders Rob Liefeld, and Whilce Portacio, plus the creators of today's best creator-owned comics, including Ed Brubaker and Brian K. Vaughan.

2012-02-09T11:18:00.001-08:00

GOOD LUCK TROLLS RETURN IN 2012!

DARK HORSE DELUXE OFFERS UP A NEW TWIST ON A CLASSIC TOY WITH AN ALL-NEW MYSTERY-BOX ASSORTMENT TO DEBUT AT TOY FAIR!

MILWAUKIE, OR, February 9—The Good Luck Trolls became one of America’s biggest toy fads in the early 1960s, and again in revivals over the years. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association commemorated them as one of the hundred most creative toys of the twentieth century. History repeats itself like never before in 2012, when Dark Horse Deluxe offers up these beloved and timeless figures in various iterations!

Thanks to a law passed by Congress, the US copyright for the Good Luck Trolls has been restored to its rightful Danish owner. Now Dam Things has licensed to Dark Horse the right to issue the Good Luck Trolls in the ever-popular “mystery box” style assortment, marking the first new troll products in the US in many years.

Dark Horse’s vice president of Product Development, David Scroggy, notes, “When we considered developing the Good Luck Trolls for the first time, we were confident that they would resonate with our audience of pop-culture fans and modern collectors. We think that they are likely to be embraced by our young-adult consumers.”

“Dark Horse has been very successful with the mystery box and we look forward to seeing them include the Good Luck Troll in their program,” says Calle Østergaard, CEO of Dam Things in Denmark.

This all-new assortment of colorful designs, featuring an array of hair colors and exotic surface treatments from glitter to metallic to flocked, are sure to stun both collectors and casual fans as they make their first appearance at Toy Fair 2012!

Please contact Dark Horse’s director of public relations, Jeremy Atkins, if you would like to set up a walk through at the show, where Dark Horse Deluxe will debut products to be released in spring and summer, including the Good Luck Trolls mystery-box assortment.

Retailers, check out your April-dated Previews for more information on this exciting new Dark Horse edition to Dark Horse’s mystery-box program!

2012-02-09T11:16:00.001-08:00

THIEF OF THIEVES SNATCHED OFF SHELVES

DEBUT ISSUE OF NEW ROBERT KIRKMAN TITLE SELLS OUT

Continuing a trend for Image Comics in 2012, THIEF OF THIEVES #1, the first issue of a new series by Robert Kirkman (THE WALKING DEAD), Nick Spencer (MORNING GLORIES), and Shawn Martinbrough has sold out. The issue has immediately gone back to press and a second printing (DEC118235), with a new cover by Martinbrough, will be in stores on the same day as THIEF OF THIEVES #2, March 14.

The story of a master thief who gives up a luxurious and thrilling life of crime to try to salvage everything he lost -- his family and a life above ground -- by leaving it all behind, THIEF OF THIEVES launched on February 8. Prior to sale, there was wide interest in Kirkman bringing a television-style writing process to comics. A team of writers helps to refine the story of THIEF OF THIEVES, with Kirkman at the helm to guide the story.

Like all Image Comics, THIEF OF THIEVES is available on a variety of electronic platforms, as well as in comic book stores.

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, 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.
ABOUT ROBERT KIRKMAN
Robert Kirkman's success and passionate advocacy for creator-owned comics led him to become the first person invited to become a partner at Image Comics since the company's inception twenty years ago. He's the creator/writer of the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, kid-friendly Super Dinosaur, The Astounding Wolfman, and new title Thief of Thieves, among many others. Kirkman has earned the respect of the comic, writing and television communities and topped the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels in 2011, taking four of the top spots. He's the creator/executive producer and writer of the hit television show, AMC's The Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an international success in 120 countries and 250 million households. www.Skybound.com is your destination for all news and merchandise for Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles.

2012-02-09T09:03:00.003-08:00

WORLD PREMIERE OF NEW SERIES ‘TRANSFORMERS RESCUE BOTS’

AND SECOND SEASON PREMIERE OF ‘TRANSFORMERS PRIME’

ROLL OUT ON THE HUB TV NETWORK FEBRUARY 18

TRANSFORMERS Mega-Saturday also Features

Network Debut of Fan-Favorite Feature Film

“Transformers: The Animated Movie”

LOS ANGELES – The Hub TV network, a television network for kids and their families, announces the return of all-new, action-packed TRANSFORMERS programming from Hasbro Studios on Saturday, February 18 with the world premiere of a new Hub Original Series, the animated “Transformers Rescue Bots,” and the second-season premiere of the Daytime Emmy^® Award-winning CG animated series “Transformers Prime,” as well as the network debut of the 1986 classic Transformers: The Animated Movie.

Kicking off this ultimate day for TRANSFORMERS fans is the world premiere of the series “Transformers Rescue Bots” with two back-to-back, half-hour episodes (11:30 a.m. and noon ET). In addition, the second season of the popular series“Transformers Prime” launches with the first episode of a special three-part premiere (8:30 p.m. ET), and is immediately followed by The Hub Network premiere of Transformers: The Animated Movie (9 p.m. ET).

“Transformers Rescue Bots” is created specifically for the younger generation of TRANSFORMERS fans and features a group of Autobots charged with a mission to protect andlearn about humans. Stationed by Optimus Prime on a technologically advanced island, the Rescue Bots – Heatwave, Boulder, Blades and Chase – team with a human family of first responders including a police chief, firefighter, rescue pilot and engineer to keep peace and safety in their new found home. Alongside their new human friends, the Rescue Bots learn teamwork and heroism. Produced by Hasbro Studios, the half-hour series brings family, heart, humor and adventure to the Transformers brand.

Executive produced by Jeff Kline (“Transformers Prime”), “Transformers Rescue Bots” features the vocal talents of LeVar Burton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Lacey Chabert ("Party of Five"), Steve Blum (“Transformers Prime”), Maurice LaMarche (Emmy^® Award winner for “Futurama”) and Peter Cullen (“Transformers Prime”) who voices Optimus Prime when he makes cameo appearances in the series.

The second season of the popular animated series “Transformers Prime” digs deeper into TRANSFORMERS mythology as both the Autobots and Decepticons uncover clues relating to secret artifacts of Iacon, Cybertron’s capital city. Their discoveries could not only change the balance of power in the war, but alsopotentially revive their dead home planet.

Spearheading the creative efforts on “Transformers Prime” are Co-Executive Producer Duane Capizzi (“The Batman,” “Superman: Doomsday”) and Executive Producers Jeff Kline (“Jackie Chan Adventures,” “Men in Black: The Animated Series”) as well as writing-producing duo Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek, Cowboys & Aliens, and Transformers feature films and TV’s “Fringe” and “Hawaii Five-O”). Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Josh Keaton, Jeffrey Combs, Kevin Michael Richardson, Ernie Hudson, Markie Post and Steve Blum lend their voices to the returning series produced by Hasbro Studios.

“Transformers Prime” was honored with a Daytime Emmy® Award in 2011 for OutstandingIndividual Achievement in Animation for both Background Design and Color Design, and was nominated for four additional Daytime Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Writing in Animation, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition, Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program and Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime.

Capping off “Transformers Mega-Saturday” is the network premiere of the feature film Transformers: The Animated Movie. Featuring the voice of legendary actor Orson Welles in his final role, the 1986 film depicts the epic battle between theAutobots, Decepticons and a mysterious new villain Unicron for peace on Cybertron. Produced by Hasbro and Marvel, the animated film features the voices of Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Leonard Nimoy (“Star Trek”) and Eric Idle (Monty Python and the Holy Grail).

About The Hub

THE HUB is a multi-platform joint venture between Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) and Hasbro, Inc., (NASDAQ: HAS) with a goal of entertaining, enlightening, empowering and educating children and their families. The cable and satellite television network features original programming as well as content from Discovery's library of award-winning children's educational programming; from Hasbro's rich portfolio of entertainment and educational properties built during the past 90 years; and from leading third-party producers worldwide. The Hub lineup includesanimated and live-action series, as well as specials, game shows, and family-favorite movies. The network extends its content through a robust and engaging online presence at www.hubworld.com. The Hub rebranded from DiscoveryKids on October 10, 2010, and reaches approximately 62 million U.S. households. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.

To find the channel in your area, please visit http://www.Hubworld.com and check the channel locator at the top of the page.

Visit The Hub on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hubtvnetwork

2012-02-09T09:03:00.001-08:00

A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL MARCHES TO HER OWN BEAT IN A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG,

NEW FROM VIZ MEDIA

An Outspoken Outsider With Amazing Singing Talent Tries To Fit In And Still Maintain Her Hard Edge In The Latest Manga Series From VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat Imprint

San Francisco, CA, February 8, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, debuts the poignant shojo manga (graphic novel) series, A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG, now available. The new title, published under the company’s Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens and carries an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Meet Maria Kawai – she’s gorgeous and whip-smart, a girl who seems to have it all. But when she unleashes her sharp tongue, it’s no wonder some consider her to be the very devil! Maria’s difficult ways even get her kicked out of an elite school, but this particular fall may actually turn out to be her saving grace... Maria’s frank nature gains her more enemies at her new school, but her angelic singing voice inadvertently catches the attention of Yusuke Kanda and Shin Meguro. Can these boys mend her hardened heart, or will they just end up getting scorched?

“Maria Kawai, an outspoken and radically honest girl who struggles to fit in at a new school, is beautiful and has an amazing singing voice, but isn’t the least bit concerned with being nice or popular,” says Amy Yu, Editor. “When she gets bullied by fellow classmates, two boys step up to aid her—Yusuke Kanda, a cheerful and popular guy who always tries to avoid conflict, and Shin Meguro, a moody outsider who tends to keep to himself. All these characters are dealing with something that we all struggle with—trying to figure out who we truly are and accepting ourselves even though the community asks us to be someone we’re not. It’s an engaging new series that offers a lot of depth, and we’re proud to have it be a part of the Shojo Beat imprint.”

Manga creator Miyoshi Tomori made her debut in 2001, and her previous titles have included Hatsukare (First Boyfriend), Tongari Root (Square Root), and Brass Love!! Her current series, A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG, was featured in Japan in the popular shojo magazine Margaret.

For more information on A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG, or other shojo manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit ShojoBeat.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 monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine 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. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

2012-02-09T09:02:00.001-08:00

A Desperate Morgana Finds an Unlikely Assassin

in Friday’s All-New Episode of MERLIN

Under her sinister spell, Merlin sets out to kill Arthur

in episode airing Feb. 10 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, only on Syfy

Can murder and comedy go hand-in-hand? It can (and does) when your bewitched assassin is Merlin and his target is the King himself. That’s the unlikely plot of “A Servant of Two Masters,” an all-new episode MERLIN premiering Friday, Feb. 10, at 10 p.m. ET/PT only on Syfy.

While saving Arthur’s life, Merlin is inadvertently captured by Morgana – who delights in torturing the young warlock, then placing him under her control with the use of a Fomorroh, a multi-headed serpent with deadly powers. Armed with the king’s most trusted servant, Morgana sends Merlin away with one mission: kill Arthur.

“That was always what we had in our minds,” said co-creator and executive producer Johnny Capps: “to let the series grow darker, but never lose sight of its warmth and humor.”

Indeed, “A Servant of Two Masters” vividly demonstrates the unique vision for MERLIN of Capps and co-creator and executive producer Julian Murphy, established since the series’ inception, of balancing drama with comedy in a way all ages can enjoy – while always raising the stakes of the story and its outcome.

“Our strategy for the show has always been to create an action-adventure show that appeals to and entertains the entire family,” Capps says. “The other important thing about Merlin is that each season we refresh it and, as the characters get older and the stakes get higher, then the series gets darker, just like in the Harry Potter films.”

This week’s episode takes the vision a step further by combining intensely dramatic scenes of Morgana torturing and abusing Merlin with images of a bumbling Merlin attempting to kill Arthur – by poison, crossbow and sword – that find their laughs in an honest, genuine way.

“The darker we go, the funnier we go, too,” Capps explains. “That’s always been an important focus for us. No matter how dark the series gets, you never lose the emotional heart of it.”

“A Servant of Two Masters,” an all-new episode of MERLIN, airs Friday, Feb. 10, at 10 p.m. ET/PT only on Syfy. All three seasons of MERLIN are now available on DVD and on iTunes. Be sure to follow the latest news on MERLIN at the Official Merlin page on Facebook.

2012-02-08T16:29:00.001-08:00

THE WALKING DEAD GOES LIVE ON iBOOKS

BERKELEY, CA — THE WALKING DEAD is a best-selling comic, became an acclaimed television series on AMC, and now Robert Kirkman’s creation expands its pop culture empire as it becomes the first Image Comics title to be available on Apple’s iBooks.

Readers wanting a digital reading experience won’t have to wait to get the whole story.
All fifteen collections of the ongoing comics series are available now in the iBooks store, priced at $9.99 each, except for volume one Days Gone Bye, which is $8.99

The collections of THE WALKING DEAD occupied more than half of the top 25 slots in Diamond Comics’ list of top-selling graphic novels of 2011. The debut of Image Comics’ best-selling title on iBooks is part of the publisher’s overall commitment to releasing their creator-owned properties in a variety of media. Besides being sold in retail stores, individual issues of Image comics are available on multiple electronic platforms.

The publisher expects to release more titles on iBooks in the coming weeks, beginning with John Layman and Rob Guillory’s Eisner-winning New York Times bestselling series Chew.

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, 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

2012-02-08T14:20:00.001-08:00

GOING OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY

GLORY #23 Sells Out, Gets Second Printing

BERKELEY, CA — GLORY, the second title in Image Comics’ hotly anticipated relaunch of their Extreme line, has sold out of issue #23 at the distribution level, before it even arrives on store shelves on February 15. Image has immediately gone back to press and a second printing of GLORY #23 (DEC118223), with a new cover by Ross Campbell, will be in stores on the same day as GLORY #24, March 14.

GLORY #23 marks writer Joe Keatinge’s and artist Ross Campbell’s bold revival of the Rob Liefeld-created superheroine. Glory has returned to Earth -- this time, not to save it but to live as a human among humans. And there are two young women there who have been waiting for her.

Keatinge and Campbell bring a euro-comic-meets-indie sensibility to the superhero comic. This sensibility is most visible in the art by Campbell, who is known for his realistic and varied depictions of women in his books Wet Moon and Shadoweyes, but also present in the inclusion of new characters Riley and Gloria, through whom the reader gets to know the god-like warrior princess.

"Seeing such a different take on the superhero genre succeed has me thrilled," said writer Keatinge. "Glory is an atypical heroine and I'm very thankful there's such demand to see what we do with her."

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, 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.

2012-02-08T14:19:00.001-08:00

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER JOINS SYLVESTER STALLONE IN “THE TOMB”

MIKAEL HÅFSTRÖM SIGNS ON AS DIRECTOR

Los Angeles, CA – February 8, 2012 – It was announced today that Arnold Schwarzenegger will star opposite Sylvester Stallone in the action/thriller THE TOMB, which will be directed by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström.

An Emmett-Furla Films/Mark Canton production, the film is produced by Atmosphere Entertainment chairman Mark Canton (300, IMMORTALS), Randall Emmett (LAY THE FAVORITE, RAMBO), George Furla (LAY THE FAVORITE, RAMBO), Robbie Brenner (MACHINE GUN PREACHER, A PERFECT GETAWAY), and Kevin King-Templeton (THE EXPENDABLES, RAMBO, ROCKY BALBOA). Emmett/Furla Films is financing the project. Summit holds worldwide distribution rights to THE TOMB and will release the film in North America.

Written by Miles Chapman for the screen, with a rewrite by Jason Keller, THE TOMB follows Ray Breslin (Stallone) who is the world’s foremost authority on structural security. He’s analyzed every high security prison and has gained a vast array of survival skills. But all Ray’s ingenuity and knowledge are about to be put to work in the most challenging test he's ever faced: escaping from the master prison of his own design.

Schwarzenegger, in the role of Church, plays a complex inmate with multiple shades of grey. He’s the guy who fights to keep the prisoners from losing their humanity in their darkest hour as they struggle together to stay alive

THE TOMB, which Brenner had originally set up as a spec script at Summit will be shot in Louisiana this spring.

"I am thrilled to be making THE TOMB with two film icons – Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger," said producer Mark Canton. "It is the perfect pairing for this high octane thriller. Robbie Brenner, Emmett/Furla, Kevin King-Templeton and I have been working long and hard with Summit to bring them together for this dynamic project."

Schwarzenegger and Stallone will next be seen on screen together in THE EXPENDABLES 2, which is currently in post-production and will be released this summer by Lionsgate. Schwarzenegger just wrapped filming THE LAST STAND, produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and directed by Jee-woon Kim.

Håfström recently directed horror film THE RITE starring Anthony Hopkins for New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. He also directed 2010’s SHANGHAI starring John Cusack; the Jennifer Aniston, Clive Owen thriller DERAILED; MGM’s 1408 starring John Cusak and Samuel L. Jackson, and the Swedish drama EVIL.

Schwarzenegger is repped by CAA. Håfström is repped by WME.

About Summit Entertainment

Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE® company, is a worldwide theatrical motion picture development, financing, production and distribution studio. The company handles all aspects of marketing and distribution for both its own internally developed motion pictures as well as acquired pictures. Summit also represents international sales for both its own slate and third party product.

About Emmett/Furla Films

Emmett / Furla Films, the Los Angeles based film production and financing company founded in 1998 by company principals Randall Emmett and George Furla, has quickly emerged as one of the industry’s most prolific production companies with the capacity to develop, package, finance and produce a broad array of films for wide theatrical release.

The company just wrapped production on “Broken City” starring Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Other recently completed EFF films include “Frozen Ground” starring John Cusack, Nicolas Cage and Vanessa Hudgens; the Stephen Frears directed comedy “Lay the Favorite” starring Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rebecca Hall and Vince Vaughn; the drama “Fire With Fire” starring Josh Duhamel, Bruce Willis and Rosario Dawson; the action / thriller “Freelancers” starring Robert DeNiro, Forest Whitaker and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson; and the mystery crime thriller “End of Watch” starring Jake Gyllanhall and Anna Kendrick.

New projects set to go in 2012 include “The Tomb” starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, “2 Guns” with Mark Wahlberg for Universal, “Rule #1” with Reese Witherspoon,” “Empire State” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emile Hirsch, and “The Pursuit” with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

About Atmosphere Entertainment

Founded in late 2003 by noted entertainment industry executive and producer Mark Canton, Atmosphere Entertainment MM, LLC, develops and produces theatrical motion pictures and television programming that will appeal to audiences throughout the world. Atmosphere’s latest film is Immortals, Relativity Media’s epic mythology-themed action adventure starring Henry Cavill, and directed by visionary filmmaker Tarsem. The film, which opened last November has grossed in excess of $200 million worldwide and is the third highest grossing R-rated film of 2011. Among Atmosphere’s recent successes are the mega-hit 300, The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on a series of highly popular children’s graphic novels and Summit’s romantic comedy Letters to Juliet, directed by the late Gary Winick and starring Amanda Seyfried, Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Egan, Gael García Bernal, and Franco Nero.

In pre-production is The Battle of Artemesia, the companion to 300 which is written by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad and will be directed by Noam Murro for Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. based on Frank Miller’s latest graphic novel; Young Caesar, based on the first of Conn Iggulden’s internationally acclaimed, best-selling novels, The Gates of Rome, which tells the story of a young Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus, is adapted by Academy-Award® winner Bill Broyles and Stephen Harrigan and will be directed by Burr Steers; and Tunnels, to be directed by Vincenzo Natali for Relativity, which is expected to be the next sensation in the vein of “Harry Potter”.

In development are Spanking Shakespeare, which reunites Atmosphere with Spiderwick Chronicles producing partner Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Paramount Pictures, is an hilarious high school comedy about a kid with a funny name who has two things on his mind: getting into college and getting laid; and Play Dead, a fresh and riveting supernatural thriller about football player zombies bent on revenge in a football-obsessed Texas town, is being written by novelist and screenwriter Joe Schreiber based on Ryan Brown’s debut novel with Lucky VIII Films and Davids Canton Productions also producing.

About Kevin King-Templeton

For over two decades, producer Kevin King-Templeton has been associated with Rogue Marble Productions, the production company of writer, director and actor Sylvester Stallone. During his tenure he has found his forte in the action genre, producing projects with a global reach, from the remote jungles of Brazil and Thailand to the most cosmopolitan of cities. In addition to Stallone King-Templeton has worked with acclaimed acting heavyweights Robert De Niro, Bruce Wilis, Arnold Schwarzenegger,Harvey Keitel, Mickey Rourke, Michael Caine and Anthony Quinn.

The British-born King-Templeton has overseen some of the most astounding action sequences in motion picture history, including those shot on location in Bulgaria for the in the recently wrapped feature The Expendables 2. Directed by Simon West and starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Liam Hemsworth Jean Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins, Jet Li and Chuck Norris.

His additional credits a producer include The Expendables, directed by Sylvester Stallone and released

in 2010 to Number One at the Box Office; Bullet to the Head directed by Walter Hill and the latest installment of Rambo shot in the remote inner jungles of Burma, which continued the saga of the heroic Vietnam Vet John Rambo.

King-Templeton also produced Rocky Balboa a critical and audience success which definitively confirmed

both Sylvester Stallone and Rocky as iconic cultural symbols. Previously he produced Avenging Angelo and Driven and he also served as associate producer on Get Carter and the critically-acclaimed Cop Land for director James Mangold. For television he developed and produced a pilot for Paramount Pictures Television and The CBS Network entitled Father Lefty.

He is also exec producing the highly-anticipated musical production Rocky based on the original 1976 Academy Award © winning motion picture, for Stage Entertainment in Hamburg, Germany, and will eventually bring the show over to America for the Broadway Stage.

King-Templeton is currently producing The Tomb for Summit Entertainment.

2012-02-08T14:18:00.001-08:00

Screenwriter Tony Puryear Creates Concrete Park, Edgy Graphic Novel, for Dark Horse Comics

New sci-fi epic, written and drawn by Hollywood multitasker, appears in legendary anthology magazine Dark Horse Presents

Los Angeles, CA, February 8, 2012—Tony Puryear wrote the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger smash Eraser, becoming the first African American screenwriter to pen a $100 million summer blockbuster. He has written action and sci-fi scripts for a who’s who of Hollywood A listers, from Will Smith to Mel Gibson to Jerry Bruckheimer, and adapted storied sci-fi properties like Fahrenheit 451 and Buck Rogers for the big screen. Now he brings that Hollywood horsepower to the world of graphic novels.

Concrete Park, Tony Puryear’s first comics project, appears in Dark Horse Presents #8 from Dark Horse Comics, the premier independent comics publisher. “Concrete Park is a sprawling epic,” Puryear says. “It’s the sci-fi story I’ve been waiting to tell. It’s a perfect fit with Dark Horse Presents, the legendary anthology comic that served as a launch pad for innovative work by the biggest names in comics, including Frank Miller (Sin City, 300) and Mike Mignola (Hellboy). I’m honored to be in the company of these amazing world builders, and happy Mike Richardson of Dark Horse believes Concrete Park belongs with them.”

Richardson says, simply, “I love this strip.”

Concrete Park is a dark and provocative near-future story. It takes place in a turbulent mega-city on a distant desert planet (think Cairo or Rio in space). Young human exiles from Earth must fight to make a new world there. They are “young, violent and ten billion miles from home.” In its ambitious scope, it resembles nothing so much as George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, but with favelas and aliens, cops and cyborgs, ghettos and gangs, instead of castles and armies.

Concrete Park was cocreated by Puryear and his wife, actress Erika Alexander (Living Single, Déjà Vu), and her brother, writer Robert Alexander. Puryear handles the writing and art chores on the book, and in a refreshing twist for someone known as a writer, it’s his art that has drawn the most initial acclaim. Read About Comics said, “[Puryear’s] art . . . instantly grabbed my attention. His thick, heavy inks are striking, forming his characters with a great deal of confidence and force. Through his art, you instantly get a feel for this near-future [city]; the swagger of his characters and their surroundings just bursts off of the page” (http://www.readaboutcomics.com/2012/01/02/dark-horse-presents-7/).

About Tony Puryear

Tony Puryear is the first African American screenwriter to write a $100 million summer movie blockbuster. His 1996 hit Eraser catapulted him into a career writing pictures for A listers Jerry Bruckheimer (Buck Rogers), Will Smith, and Oliver Stone. Puryear’s adaptation of the Ray Bradbury classic Fahrenheit 451 for Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson has circulated in Hollywood for years as a legendary unproduced script. His latest script is Lady Scarface for the new RKO Pictures.

A talented artist and designer, Puryear was recently honored when his official campaign poster for Hillary Clinton’s historic 2008 presidential run was added to the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery.

He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress and Concrete Park cocreator Erika Alexander.

About Dark Horse Comics

Since 1986, 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 like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and best-selling prose author Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and the Occultist. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan the Barbarian, Mass Effect, Serenity, and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry’s leading publisher of licensed material.

2012-02-08T08:15:00.007-08:00

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES

GOTHAM CITY IMPOSTORS

Gear Up for Unconventional Urban Warfare in an Original Download Only First-Person Multiplayer Shooter – Available Now for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Windows PC

BURBANK, Calif. – February 8, 2012 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced the launch of Gotham City Impostors, an original, download only, multiplayer first-person shooter from Monolith Productions for the Xbox 360^®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

Gotham City Impostors allows up to 12 players to battle for control of an unhinged Gotham City overrun by Impostors inspired by the DC Comics characters Batman and The Joker. The game can be purchased for 1200 Microsoft Points in the Xbox LIVE^® Marketplace for Xbox 360, and for $14.99 in the PlayStation®Network, as well as for PC via the Games for Windows LIVE Marketplace, Steam®, Origin, GameStop’s 'Impulse Driven' download store and other leading digital resellers.

“Gotham City Impostors is a unique first-person multiplayer shooter that delivers a completely different Batman experience that is irreverent, fun and humorous,” said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The game is unlike any other on the market today and gives fans the opportunity to play the game in whichever way they want to play. We can’t wait to see reactions from players wreaking havoc in Gotham City.”

Players can engage in deliriously fast paced, uniquely vertical, and completely unconventional urban warfare where progress supports leveling up and access to a mind-boggling array of customization options. Unlock new Bats or Jokerz costumes and build your own specific loadout from a huge assortment of traditional and homebrew weaponry, equipment, and perks. Gadgets such as the Glider Rig, Grappling Hook, and Spring Boots give gamers unprecedented mobility options, while support items like the Bear Traps, Boomerang, and Body Armor open up new tactical options.

The game features five maps and four modes inspired by DC Comics’ Batman license. The maps include Crime Alley, Amusement Mile, Ace Chemical, The Docks and Gotham Power. Gamers can choose from several gameplay modes – Team Deathmatch, Fumigation or Psych Warfare modes – and engage in all-out combat, or they can choose the Challenges mode, a single-player mode that allows players to safely explore the different maps and practice using different weapons, support items and gadgets.

A free downloadable content pack will be available in March. It will include a new “25^th Floor” map, as well as over 100 new customization options including weapons, support items, costumes and calling card elements.

Gotham City Impostors is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. Fans can visit www.GothamCityImpostors.com for more information.

# # #

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

About Monolith Productions

Monolith Productions, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is located in Kirkland, WA. Over the past 15 years, Monolith has risen to critical acclaim through an emphasis on delivering quality products such as F.E.A.R., The Condemned series, Aliens vs. Predator 2, TRON 2.0 and the No One Lives Forever franchise.

About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.

Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

(s12)

2012-02-08T08:15:00.005-08:00

TRAVEL CHANNEL’S HIT SERIES “GHOST ADVENTURES” RETURNS FOR A SIXTH SEASON ON FRIDAY, MARCH 9 AT 9:00 PM ET/PT

Popular Paranormal Investigative Team Returns to Unearth

Some of the World’s Most Haunted Locations

Premiere Episode Features UFC Fighter Brendon Schaub,

Joins Team for Peabody-Whitehead Mansion Investigation in Denver

CHEVY CHASE, MD (February 8, 2012) – Travel Channel returns with season six of the popular paranormal travel series, “Ghost Adventures” on Friday, March 9 at 9:00 p.m., ET/PT. Investigative duo, Zak Bagans and Nick Groff, along with equipment technician Aaron Goodwin, explore some of the most haunted locations in America to unearth the trapped souls and dark energy within. This season, the team visits spots that have never been explored by the Ghost Adventures team including the Peabody-Whitehead Mansion in Denver, CO, the Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, OR, as well as the family home of paranormal equipment inventor Gary Galka in East Granby, CT, where business gets personal as they help one family make contact with their dead daughter in a deeply personal story of love, loss and a haunted house.

Each of the nine half-hour episodes starts with an in-depth profile of a location’s haunted past. Once the story is told, viewers follow the investigative team as they survey every nook and cranny while conducting scientific experiments while being locked down overnight.

“Ghost Adventures continues to attract huge audiences for the Network and has a growing appeal to travelers who seek a different type of thrill and adventure,” said Andy Singer, SVP, Programming and Production, Travel Channel. “Zak, Nick and Aaron have built a dedicated fan base that seem to follow their every visit and tweet, and are inspired to visit many of the destinations featured in their show.”

The new season kicks off with the trio as they head to Denver, CO to explore the historically haunted Peabody-Whitehead Mansion. Built in 1889, its first owner Dr. William R. Whitehead was convinced the building was plagued by the spirits of hundreds of soldiers he tried to save from his days as a surgeon for the Confederate Army during the United States Civil War. After his death, when controversial Colorado Governor James Peabody moved in to the mansion, things only worsened. The governor was viewed by many as the enemy of the working man and in 1904, the Governor ordered state militia to break union strikes by the region’s gold miners by brute force. Hundreds were injured in the violence, and dozens were killed as their bloodshed was on the governor’s hands. All the years of torment are now trapped inside this now empty Grant Street mansion. In addition to being the site of a suicide, there have been over 120 years of ghostly activity in the building including reports of visitors being pushed up against the wall by unseen forces!

UFC Fighter Brendon Schwab joins the trio at the Peabody-Whitehead Mansion in hopes to shed some light on the evil entities in order to learn more about the darkness that lies within the walls of this historic location. During the investigation in the basement, it gets personal when a spirit calls out Brendan by name, and then reveals new evidence about an unsolved crime. This turn of events triggers the involvement of the Denver Police Department – currently reviewing the “Ghost Adventures” team's evidence.

“Ghost Adventures” is produced by MY Tupelo Entertainment for Travel Channel. For MY Tupelo, executive producers are Michael Yudin and Joe Townley. For Travel Channel, executive producer is Daniel A. Schwartz.

2012-02-08T08:15:00.001-08:00

I TOLD YOU SO
BY EISNER AWARD WINNER
SHANNON WHEELER
FROM BOOM! TOWN THIS APRIL

February 8, 2012 - Los Angeles, CA - This April, BOOM! Town issues Shannon Wheeler’s follow-up to the Eisner Award-winning I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER with I TOLD YOU SO. BOOM! Town offers this 116-page collection of Wheeler's rejected New Yorker cartoons on the heels of his Eisner win for Best Humor Publication this past summer.

"Shannon has done it again," says BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. "He brought an Eisner-worthy collection of strips to I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER last year, and I'm proud to say that I TOLD YOU SO delivers in the same fashion."

“If you couldn't get enough of I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER, you'll race to pick up this next collection of Wheeler's work,” says BOOM! Studios Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ross Richie. “We couldn't leave it with just one book. There were too many great cartoons left over that The New Yorker didn’t select.”

I TOLD YOU SO serves up another dose of absurd and hilarious cartoons, making up the best-of-the-best-of-the-rest of what's left on the cutting room floor from Wheeler's cartoon submissions to The New Yorker! Don't miss this beautiful hardcover collection presented in a perfect gift-friendly hardcover.

I TOLD YOU SO is written and drawn by Shannon Wheeler (I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER, TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN). The book features 116-pages of story and carries a price point of $17.99 with a Diamond Code of FEB120863.

About BOOM! Town
BOOM! Town is the lit comix imprint of the Eisner, Harvey, and "Best Publisher" Award-winning BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com). BOOM! Town recently won the Eisner Award for its inagural book, Shannon Wheeler’s I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER.

2012-02-08T08:14:00.001-08:00

Moonstone June ’12 Releases

1. GREEN HORNET: Still at Large

Authors: Will Murray, Mel Odom

Edited by: Joe Gentile, Win Scott Eckert, Matthew Baugh

Cover: Doug Klauba

288pgs, 6” x 9”, $17.95

978-1-936814-29-9 (sc)

- The Green Hornet and Kato's final showdown with the notorious
Yellowjacket!
- "Clicker" Binney's origin story!
- Mike Axford pulls a sting on The Hornet!
- The Hornet and Kato take on homegrown terrorists!
- Doctor Fang returns, and Britt and Casey reach a turning point!
Authors: Matthew Baugh, Thom Brannan, Win Scott Eckert, Ron Fortier, Greg Gick, Rich Harvey, CJ Henderson, Howard Hopkins, Bobbie Metevier, Will Murray, Bobby Nash, S.J. Rozan, John Allen Small, Richard Dean Starr, Patricia Weakley, Dan Wickline

2. The GREEN HORNET: Still at Large HC

Cover: Ruben Procopio

302pgs, 6” x 9”, $29.99

978-1-936814-30-5 (hc)

Etra: - Plus, a timeline of all 3 volumes of Moonstone stories fit into the
chronology of the TV episodes!

- Bonus story by BATMAN producer Michael Uslan & Joe Gentile:

the radio era Green Hornet meets Richard Benson, The Avenger!

3. DANGER A GO-GO: GN

Story: Gary Phillips, CJ Henderson

Art: Ben Hansen

Tones: Jason Jensen

Cover: Mark Maddox

100pgs, 7” x 10”, grayscale, $9.99

Vertigo’s crime writer Gary Phillips (Angel Town, Cowboys) presents this oversize comic one time event!
For the first time ever, Zen freelance spy Derek Flint, the cool curvaceous private eye Honey West, and a mysterious secret agent team up in a story in swingin’ sixties L.A. to battle hippie robots, mobbed-up, ray gun totting gangsters, a wigged out mad scientist, brainwashed GIs and an alien menace we could only called DANGER A-GO-GO.

PLUS A NEW SHEENA story and a NEW KOLCHAK story! Dig it!

4. KOLCHAK: NECROMONICON HC

Story: CJ Henderson

Art: Robert Hack

Colors: Jason Jensen

188pgs, color, 7” x 10”, $59.95, HC

ISBN: 978-1-936814-34-3

The NECROMONICON trilogy is finished! Parts 2 and 3 are long since sold out, BUT we have included a BRAND NEW prequel story!

Carl Kolchak, whether he wants the mantle or not, is the world's premier
supernatural investigator. Vampires, werewolves, witches, demons, he has
seen it all. Or ... has he? Can even all the horrors he has stumbled across
prepare him for the monstrous denizens of the Lovecraft Mythos, let alone
its most damned volume, the Necronomicon? This will be the ONLY time these stories will appear together in color!

Told in widevsion.

5. The Spider: Judge, Jury, Executioner sc

Story: Robin W. Bailey, CJ Henderson

Art: J. Anthony Kosar, Cortney Skinner

Cover: J. Anthony Kosar

132pgs, grayscale, 7” x 10”, $12.95,

ISBN: 978-1936814-25-1

The very first Spider tpb collection ever!

Get the complete run of the first series of the most violent and relentless crime fighter of all time! Justice served!

Contains: The Spider Judgement Knight #1-3, “Chaos Maker”, and The Spider short from The Phantom Noir #6.

2012-02-08T08:13:00.001-08:00

MORE FAMOUS FACES FOR DRACULA VS. ROBIN HOOD VS. JEKYLL & HYDE

Publisher Mohawk Media is promising surprise guest stars throughout its new series, Dracula vs. Robin Hood vs. Jekyll & Hyde.

Not content with the title's legendary headliners, the second issue sees a long forgotten character from the Robin Hood legend make a comeback. Plus it features two of history's most twisted tyrants.

British writer Chris Bunting says: "Each guest star will play a vital role in this series. The third issue will bare witness to that with the arrival of a famous horror monster."

Released via the publisher's paperless range of Eco Comics, editor Stuart Buckley explains: "Expect a top quality print comic book in everything but physical format. In fact, not many print comic books look this good.

"The aim of this comic is to give fans lots of fighting and fun. It may not get an Eisner, but this series is already getting rave reviews."

Dracula vs. Robin Hood vs. Jekyll & Hyde #1 and #2 are twenty-page issues, and available to order now in various digital formats via the Eco Comics store: www.mohawkmedia.co.uk/ecocomics at a cover price of $1.95 (approximately £1.20).

Dracula vs. Robin Hood vs. Jekyll & Hyde will initially be a three-issue monthly series available exclusively via the publisher's groundbreaking line of ECO COMICS, designed to have minimal negative impact on the environment.

Further instalments of the series, and other "versus" titles, are set to be announced.

To order Dracula vs. Robin Hood vs. Jekyll & Hyde: www.mohawkmedia.co.uk/ecocomics/
Praise of Dracula vs. Robin Hood vs. Jekyll & Hyde:

"Full of surprises. For originality this comic gets the highest marks: 5 stars"
– JAZMA ONLINE.

"Its purpose is escapism. The artwork... superb. The suspense... gripping"
– THE BEAVER NEWSPAPER (LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS).

"A great adventurous romp"
– PAPER DRAGON INK.

"Delivers on the action and makes these tired old characters relevant again"
– HORRORTALK.
ABOUT MOHAWK MEDIA:
Mohawk Media launched in 2008 with the top-selling graphic novel adventures of one of Hollywood's most instantly recognisable stars, Mr. T. The publisher followed up with a range of new titles including Heroic High and, with a cover by Herb Trimpe, Tough Guy. Further information: www.mohawkmedia.co.uk & www.facebook.com/MohawkMedia
ABOUT ECO COMICS:
A new range of paperless comic books designed with the specific purpose of having a minimal carbon footprint, making Mohawk Media probably the first publisher to take such a groundbreaking, affirmative approach. Eco Comics titles are also available via digital platforms Graphicly and MyDigitalComics. Further information: http://blog.mohawkmedia.co.uk/about-eco-comics/ & www.facebook.com/ecocomics
ABOUT THE WRITER & ARTIST:
British writer Chris Bunting is becoming widely known for making literary and cultural giants accessible to a new generation, while simultaneously pleasing established fans. Such legendary names on his résumé include Action Man, Dick Turpin, Mr. T, and of course, Dracula, Robin Hood and Jekyll & Hyde.
Artist JL Czerniawski has worked on an eclectic range of titles in both the fantasy art and comic book industries. He was artist of the Mr. T graphic novels, and his other comic book work includes Transformers, Night of the Living Dead, and with the movie's director, Smokin' Aces.

2012-02-07T09:06:00.003-08:00

VIZ MEDIA EXPANDS DIGITAL MANGA TITLES AVAILABLE FOR BARNES & NOBLE’S NOOK TABLET™ AND

NOOK COLOR™

15 New Shonen Jump Series Now Available For Barnes & Noble’s 7-Inch NOOK^© Devices, Including BAKUMAN｡, BLEACH, DEATH NOTE, NARUTO, ONE PIECE And More!

The digital manga convergence continues across North America as VIZ Media, LLC, largest distributor and publisher of anime and manga in North America, announces the launch of 15 additional manga (graphic novel) series for the Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color. Beginning today, the company expands its library of digital manga titles offered in the NOOK Store™ to include a variety of popular manga series published under the Shonen Jump and Shonen Jump Advanced imprints.

Volumes are presented in their original Japanese Right-to-Left reading format and are available for purchase and fast download in the U.S. and Canada for $4.99 -$9.99 (U.S. / CAN) each. Over 35 series and 400+ volumes are now available, and new digital manga volumes, including previews, are added weekly.

Viewing manga on NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color is authentic thanks to Barnes & Noble’s newly implemented technology that formats manga in its original right-to-left reading order. Fans can read favorite graphic novels on the award-winning NOOK 7-inch devices, which feature a full-color VividView™ touchscreen. NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color also give users access to the world’s largest digital bookstore, popular movies, TV shows, music and more through the top entertainment services, as well as a collection of high-quality apps, fast Web browsing and email.

The following VIZ Media manga titles are now available, with more to be announced soon:

BAKUMAN｡ Vols. 1-8 · Rated “T” for Teens

BLEACH Vols. 1-37; Vols. 49-50 · Rated “T” for Teens

BLUE EXORCIST Vols. 1-6 · Rated “T+” for Older Teens

CLAYMORE Vols. 1-19 · Rated “T+” for Older Teens

D.GRAY-MAN Vols. 1-21 · Rated “T+” for Older Teens

DEATH NOTE Vols. 1-12 (Full Series!) · Rated “T+” for Older Teens

DRAGON BALL Vols. 1-16 (Full Series!) · Rated “A” for All Ages

DRAGON BALL Z Vols. 1-26 (Full Series!) · Rated “T” for Teens

NARUTO Vols. 1-57 · Rated “T” for Teens

NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN Vols. 1-6 · Rated “T” for Teens

ONE PIECE Vols. 1-58 · Rated “T” for Teens

ROSARIO + VAMIPRE Vols. 1-10 (Full Series!) · Rated “T+” for Older Teens

ROSARIO + VAMPIRE SEASON 2 Vols. 1-6 · Rated “T+” for Older Teens

RUROUNI KENSHIN Vols. 1-28 (Full Series!) · Rated “T+” for Older Teens

TORIKO Vols. 1-7 · Rated “T” for Teens

For more information on VIZ Media manga titles, please visit www.VIZ.com.

For more information on NOOK devices, please visit www.nook.com.

To purchase VIZ Media manga titles for the NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color, please visit the NOOK Book Store at www.barnesandnoble.com/s?view=grid&store=EBOOK&sort=DD&PN=viz&FMT=KA.

2012-02-07T09:06:00.001-08:00

PREPARE FOR AWESOMENESS WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF ‘THE AQUABATS! SUPER SHOW!’ ON THE HUB TV NETWORK MARCH 3

Co-creator of “Yo Gabba Gabba!” Executive Produces and Stars In New Hybrid Live-Action / Animated Series Unlike Anything Else on TV!
LOS ANGELES – The Hub TV network, a television network for kids and their families, will premiere the all-new, action-packed series “The Aquabats! Super Show!” from the co-creator of “Yo Gabba Gabba!” on Saturday, March 3 (1 p.m. ET, with encore performances throughout the week). The outrageous new series follows a popular alternative rock band as they embark on a never-ending quest to right wrongs, destroy boredom and seek justice for all in an inventive blend of live-action and animated crime-fighting spoofs.

”The Aquabats! Super Show!” produced by FremantleMedia Enterprises and The Magic Store, features The Aquabats, a bona-fide rock music band, as they invade America with their first-ever network television series, battling evil with music and superhero powers. “The Aquabats! Super Show!” introduces the greatest crime-fighting, kids’ rock band ever assembled!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT7nrPlM8R0

Executive Producer Christian Jacobs (co-creator, writer, and director of “Yo Gabba Gabba!”) is the band’s lead vocalist and plays the team’s fearless leader, The MC Bat Commander. Also in the cast are fellow founding member and bassist Chad Larson (aka Crash McLarson), keyboards and sax player James Briggs (aka Jimmy the Robot), drummer Ricky Falomir (aka Ricky Fitness) and the most recent member of the band, guitarist Ian Fowles (Eagle “Bones” Falconhawk).

Since their debut in 1994, the Orange County, CA-based band has won over legions of music fans with their music and are well known fixtures at music festivals including Coachella and South by Southwest (SXSW). The band has released five full-length studio albums including their latest, award-nominated “Hi-Five Soup” and has toured internationally.

In addition to the network’s target audience of kids 6-11, and because of the band’s deep roots in music, The Hub TV network plans to support the series launch with extensive marketing and digital campaigns also aimed at parents and music fans.

“The Aquabats! Super Show!” will be supported by traditional and non-traditional off-channel media designed to drive sampling of the wildly original series. Partnerships include support through comic book retailers, independent record stores and online music/humor outlets.

Additionally, the network’s website http://www.Hubworld.com will host a variety of interactive and engaging “The Aquabats! Super Show!”-themed activities surrounding the series premiere. Beginning February 23, Hubworld.com will celebrate the arrival of the Aquabats with a distinctive new show page and an all-new action game, “Aqua-Battle!” Increased promotional support will begin on Monday, February 27 featuring a dynamic home page takeover that includes a mix of video and animation that captures the Aquabats unique brand of humor.

Facebook and Twitter (@HubTVNetwork) followers will also be able to extend their viewing experience online through clips and images teasing the premiere of the series as well as exclusive content, short form videos, and direct cast interaction.

About FremantleMedia Enterprises’ Kids & Family Entertainment
FME Kids & Family Entertainment division was founded in 2009 and has quickly become a worldwide leader in the family entertainment business. With 12 titles in production in collaboration with top producers on four continents, FME Kids & Family Entertainment is already one of the most prolific independent producers and distributors of content in the sector today. Its growing portfolio of content spans across four key genres: preschool, kids comedy, action/adventure and tween/teen fare. FME Kids & Family Entertainment is bringing to networks around the world innovative and exciting shows for television and new media platforms in live-action, 2D animation, CGI, stop-motion, puppetry and real-time animation with programming targeting demographics ranging in scope from preschool through high school. About The Hub
THE HUB is a multi-platform joint venture between Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) and Hasbro, Inc., (NASDAQ: HAS) with a goal of entertaining, enlightening, empowering and educating children and their families. The cable and satellite television network features original programming as well as content from Discovery's library of award-winning children's educational programming; from Hasbro's rich portfolio of entertainment and educational properties built during the past 90 years; and from leading third-party producers worldwide. The Hub lineup includes animated and live-action series, as well as specials, game shows, and family-favorite movies. The network extends its content through a robust and engaging online presence at www.hubworld.com. The Hub rebranded from Discovery Kids on October 10, 2010, and reaches approximately 62 million U.S. households. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.

To find the channel in your area, please visit http://www.Hubworld.com and check the channel locator at the top of the page.

Visit The Hub on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hubtvnetwork