The coolest adventure/espionage series of the late ‘60s”

-- Cinema Retro

ENTERTAINMENT ONE CRACKS OPEN THE CULT CLASSIC TELEVISION VAULTS TO RELEASE THE NEVER-BEFORE-AVAILABLE ICONIC ‘60s SPY SERIES STARRING GOLDEN GLOBE® WINNER ROBERT WAGNER AND

A DAZZLING LINEUP OF A-LIST GUEST STARS

IT TAKES A THIEF: THE COMPLETE SERIES

Street Date: October 23, 2011

DVD SRP (18 disc set): $199.98

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Fusing the heist and espionage genres, IT TAKES A THIEF was an action-adventure series that aired on ABC for two-and-a-half seasons between January 9, 1968, and March 24, 1970. Marking the TV debut of six-time Golden Globe Nominee Robert Wagner (Austin Powers, “Hart to Hart”), the cult classic series was inspired by Hitchcock’s  1955 Cary Grant film, To Catch a Thief, and was among the last of the 1960s spy television genre.  Never-before-available on ANY format, Entertainment One presents IT TAKES A THIEF: THE COMPLETE SERIES in a collectible 18-disc set containing all 66 digitally remastered episodes and a host of bonus featurettes and extras.

Stealing to finance his life as a playboy and sophisticate, Alexander Mundy (Wagner) was the world’s greatest cat burglar… until the day he got caught.  But thievery skills are an asset in the world of espionage, so Mundy is pardoned when he agrees to use his wily ways to help steal for the SIA, an American espionage agency.  Technically under house arrest, Mundy then travels the world over, performing daring acts of thievery in the name of Uncle Sam.  He also works closely with SIA department head, Noah Bain (‘70s TV mainstay, Malachi Throne), his boss, aide, friend and watchdog.  It was Throne who also lent his deep distinctive voice to the split-screen credit sequence set to Dave Grusin’s memorable theme, saying: “Oh, look, Al, I’m not asking you to spy, just asking you to steal.”

The series was created by Emmy® Award winning television writer Roland Kibbee – who had written for “The Virginian” and “The Bob Newhart Show” and would go on to write for “Columbo” and  “Barney Miller”.  And, along with Fred Astaire, who became a semi-regular as Alexander’s retired burglar dad, Alister, IT TAKES A THIEF also boasted a who’s who of A-list guest stars including Season One’s Raymond Burr (“Perry Mason”, Rear Window), Susan Saint James (“Kate & Allie”, “McMillan and Wife”), Gavin MacLeod (“The Love Boat”, “Mary Tyler Moore”), Tina Louise (“Gilligan’s Island”, The Stepford Wives), Bill Bixby (“The

Incredible Hulk”, “The Magician”) and Eve Plumb (“The Brady Bunch”, Little Women), Season Two’s Ricardo Montalbon (“Fantasy Island”, The Naked Gun), Joseph Cotton (Citizen Kane, The Third Man), Richard Kiel (The Spy Who Loved Me, Happy Gilmore), George Takei (“Star Trek”, “Heroes”), Teri Garr (Young Frankenstein, Tootsie), Roddy McDowall (Planet of the Apes, Cleopatra) and Julie Newmar (“Batman”, Seven Brides of Seven Brothers) and Season Three’s Peter Sellers (The Pink Panther, Dr. Strangelove), Frankie Avalon (Grease, The Alamo), Elsa Lanchester (Mary Poppins, The Bride of Frankenstein), and Bette Davis (All About Eve, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?) and Cesar Romero (“Batman”, “Falcon Crest”)

FEATURES

·         All 66 Episodes Digitally Re-Mastered

·         Extended Feature-Length Version of the Pilot Episode

·         The King of Thieves: Interview with Robert Wagner

·         A Matter of Larceny: Interview with Glen A. Larson

·         Limited Edition Senitype (reproduced 35mm film frame)

·         It Takes a Thief Exclusive 4-Piece Coaster Set

·         Collectible Booklet with retrospective essay

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Type: DVD

Catalog #:  EOE-DV-6801

Running Time: 816 mins.

Genre:  TV/mystery

Rated:  n/r

Aspect Ratio: 4X3/1.33:1 Full Frame

Audio: Mono

Language: English with English SDH subtitles

For the latest breaking news on IT TAKES A THIEF and other releases, follow Entertainment One on Twitter: http://twitter.com/eOneHomeVideo

CLAUDIO SANCHEZ'S
ALL-NEW ZOMBIE EPIC
KEY OF Z
DEBUTS OCTOBER 19, 2011

FEATURING THE NEW
ZOMBIFIED TIMES SQUARE COVER ART FROM
NATHAN FOX!

NYCC DETAILS BEGIN TO EMERGE!

September 22, 2011 - Los Angeles, CA - With sights set on New York Comic Con, Halloween (and possibly the MLB playoffs), Evil Ink Comics and BOOM! Studios proudly announced the debut of Claudio Sanchez's KEY OF Z, infesting store shelves October 19th! The announcement comes coupled with brand new, never-before-seen Issue #1 cover art by FLOURESCENT BLACK’s Nathan Fox.

KEY OF Z, co-written by Sanchez and Chondra Echert, introduces Nick Ewing, a man left to survive in a post-zombie-apocalyptic New York City while seeking revenge on those responsible for the death of his family – the warring gangs residing in The Big Apple's most illustrious athletic houses.

The much-anticipated KEY OF Z #1 features interior art from THE AMORY WARS' Aaron Kuder, as well as a baseball-homage limited retailer incentive cover by THE WALKING DEAD's Tony Moore and a stunning NYCC-exclusive cover by Declan Shalvey (28 DAYS LATER, THUNDERBOLTS).

Sanchez and Echert will be signing at their Evil Ink Comics booth (#1345) at New York Comic Con Thursday and Friday (October 13 and 14) and Sunday (October 16). Signing times and full signees will be announced soon!

Also be sure to attend the BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY panel at New York Comic Con where Claudio will be a guest speaker, happening Friday October 14th at 12:15pm in the IGN Theater (http://bit.ly/nhv4pp).

About Evil Ink
Established in 2003, Evil Ink Comics is an independent publisher and house of creation owned by Coheed and Cambria‘s Claudio Sanchez. Their roster of graphic and prose novels includes the hugely popular sci-fi series, THE AMORY WARS: SECOND STAGE TURBINE BLADE, IN KEEPING SECRETS OF SILENT EARTH:3 and YEAR OF THE BLACK RAINBOW; the musical dark comedy KILL AUDIO; and forthcoming zombie-inspired KEY OF Z. To learn more about all things Evil Ink visit www.everythingevilink.com.

About BOOM! Studios
Eisner, Harvey, and Best Publisher Award-winning BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) generates a constellation of bestselling comic books and graphic novels with the industry’s top talent, including Mark Waid's series 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, 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.

VIZ MEDIA SWEEPS THE LATEST

NEW YORK TIMES MANGA BESTSELLER LIST FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A MONTH

Latest NARUTO Edition Takes #1 Spot And Is Complemented By Other Top Manga Properties Including BLEACH, BLACK BIRD, BLUE EXORCIST, ULTIMO, DEATH NOTE And More!

San Francisco, CA, September 21, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has swept the latest Top 10 on the New York Times Manga Bestseller list for the week of September 10^th. This is the second time the company has dominated the list in less than a month; VIZ Media previously swept all Top 10 spots for the week of August 20^th.

The top selling VIZ Media manga (graphic novel) titles included:

1. NARUTO Vol. 52
2. BLEACH Vol. 36
3. BLACK BIRD Vol. 10
4. DENGEKI DIASY Vol. 6
5. KIMI NO TODOKE: FROM ME TO YOU Vol. 10
6. LIBRARY WARS: LOVE & WAR Vol. 6
7. BLUE EXORCIST Vol. 1
8. BUTTERFLIES, FLOWERS Vol. 8
9. ULTIMO Vol. 6
10. DEATH NOTE BLACK EDITION Vol. 5

The New York Times Bestseller lists are an expanded version of those appearing in the September 25^th, 2011 print edition of the Book Review, reflecting sales for the week ending September 10^th, 2011. Rankings reflect weekly sales for books sold in both print and electronic formats.

“We’re very happy to see such a diverse roster of manga titles dominate the latest New York Times manga bestseller list for the second time in a month,” says Leyla Aker, Vice President, Publishing. “The titles range from science fiction to fantasy to romance to suspense, and are a good representation of the breadth of VIZ Media’s catalog. We look forward to continuing to offer fans the most extensive and varied manga catalog of any publisher in the industry!”

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

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular 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.

RaroVideo Launching First-Ever U.S. Blu-Ray Release with
One of Federico Fellini’s Final Masterpieces Dedicated
to his Lifelong Fascination with The Circus - The Clowns

“The Clowns is an affectionate memoir, a lyrical documentary in which Fellini himself, often on-screen as movie ringmaster eulogizes his lost fantasy world.”
-Vincent Canby, The New York Times

LOS ANGELES (September 21, 2011) – Hailed by cinephiles for expertly restoring rare films by influential filmmakers and publishing them with compelling extras, Italian DVD label RaroVideo announces the company’s first-ever U.S. BLU-RAY release will be Federico Fellini’s THE CLOWNS. RaroVideo US’s restored version of Fellini’s THE CLOWNS, one of the director’s final masterpieces, will arrive on BLU-RAY for the first time ever in the U.S. on October 17, 2011. The DVD extras contain a rare and exclusive short film by Fellini, a video essay on the genesis of the film and a 50 page booklet with exclusive Fellini drawings. Hard-to-find, this 1970 film melds memoir and documentary into a circus of fiction and reality where Fellini delights in the role of ringmaster. The carnival-sounding score composed by Nino Rota, and an appearance by Anita Ekberg (star of Fellini’s 1960’s masterpiece La Dolce Vita), enhances the Fellini-esque experience.

Antonioni’s The Vanquished, Adua and Her Friends, The Perfume of the Lady in Black, The Secret of Dorian Gray, The Anger, Live Like A Cop Die Like A Man, To Be Twenty and The Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection are all available now on DVD from RaroVideo U.S.

RAROVIDEO’S COMPANY MISSION STATEMENT
RaroVideo’s eclectic and interdisciplinary approach aims to recognize and publish quality works found in the cinema and visual art world.

ABOUT RAROVIDEO U.S.
RaroVideo U.S. is devoted to producing high-quality DVD, BLU-RAY and VOD releases for American audiences. The partnership behind the company formed in 2010 when Stefano and Gianluca Curti, owners of RaroVideo Italy, teamed with Nico Bruinsma, owner of U.S. DVD label Cult Epics. Stefano and Gianluca Curti started RaroVideo Italy in 1999. Hailed by cinephiles for expertly restoring rare films by influential filmmakers from a wide range of genres, the company has earned an outstanding international reputation for the quality of its high-definition transfers. Its releases are also known for their original uncut versions and exclusive supplemental content as well as the critical analysis and superb booklets that accompany each film. Among the directors featured in the RaroVideo catalog are: Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rosselllini, David Lynch, Derek Jarman, Shinya Tsukamoto, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Jean-Luc Godard, Werner Herzog, Lars von Trier, Lucio Fiulci, Mario Bava, Francesco Barilli, Tinto Brass, Jean Cocteau, Pedro Almodovar and Martin Scorsese to name just a few. RaroVideo was also the first company in the world to release on DVD Andy Warhol’s: The Chelsea Girls, My Hustler, The Nude Restaurant and Lonesome Cowboys. RaroVideo’s U.S. branch is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.


THE CLOWNS – SYNOPSIS
Fellini’s fascination with the circus and the surreal come to a head in one of his final masterpieces, THE CLOWNS. The film reflects Fellini’s childhood obsession with clowns and begins with a young boy watching a circus set up from his bedroom window. Though comicaland referred to as a “docu-comedy”, this film explores deeper human conditions such as authority, poverty, humility and arrogance all of which manifest themselves through
the characters of the clowns who vary from the local sex-crazed hobo, a midget nun, to a mutilated Mussolini disciple. THE CLOWNS features Anita Ekberg, the star of his 1960’s masterpiece, La Dolce Vita and the director himself.

THE CLOWNS – SPECIAL FEATURES
-New HD transfer from original 35MM negative
-Un Agenzia Matrimoniale, a short movie by Federico Fellini. 1953, Italia, 16 minutes, 35 mm, b/w, Italian original audio with English subtitles.
-Fellini’s Circus, a visual Film essay by Adriano Aprà. Fellini Expert and film Historian, Adriano Aprà examines the director’s lifetime fascination with the circus while also comparing its stylistic features to other Fellini films. Italian original audio with English subtitles.
-A fifty page fully illustrated booklet on Fellini’s own reflections and notes concerning the genesis and production of the film. Also included are exclusive original drawings by the director himself.

THE CLOWNS
Price: $39.98 (BLU-RAY)
Street Date: October 17, 2011
Pre-Order Date: Now
Running time: 92 minutes
Distributor: ENTERTAINMENT ONE
Blu-ray UPC: 1601801002
Language: Italian and French with optional English subtitles
Rating: NR

THE THING RETURNS TO DARK HORSE COMICS

WITH A FREE DIGITAL COMIC THAT SERVES AS A PREQUELTO THE NEW THRILLER IN THEATERS OCTOBER 14!

September 21, MILWAUKIE, OR – Dark Horse Comics is pleased to announce that it has created an exclusive digital comic to serve as a prequel to the thriller “The Thing,” in theaters October 14. Starting today, the comic will be released in three parts on September 21, September 28 and October 5 and is available FREE online at www.digital.darkhorse.com and via the free Dark Horse Comics mobile app (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id415378623). The Thing: The Northman Nightmare tells the origin story of pioneering Norsemen who discover a shape-shifting creature that is hiding in a desolate village with few human survivors.

In December 1991, Dark Horse Comics first published The Thing From Another World #1. In the style of Aliens, Predator and Terminator, Dark Horse Comics picked up where John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film left off. Now, 20 years later, Dark Horse shares a much earlier story about this creature from beneath the ice.

Taking us into frigid Greenland, the comic introduces us to a group of Norsemen who find themselves caught in a game of survival when they discover a terrifying creature. The shape-shifting monster has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me, but inside, it remains inhuman. And it hides somewhere in a desolate village with few human survivors, among them a strange group of women...

Said editor Scott Allie: “This property consistently generates much excitement from fans, which made it easy to round up an incredible team for this prequel comic. This is a sincere horror story by guys who know how to knock it out of the park.”

The Thing: The Northman Nightmare is written by Steve Niles (Criminal Macabre), with art by Patric Reynolds (Serenity), colors by Dave Stewart (Hellboy) and a cover by Menton3 (Silent Hill). The Thing: The Northman Nightmare comes to readers as a prequel to Universal Pictures’ upcoming prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name.

“Steve Niles and Dark Horse have done it again, truly an amazing book,” said Menton3. “I am extremely proud to be a small part of it.”

The first eight-page installment of The Thing: The Northman Nightmare can be downloaded digitally from the Dark Horse Digital Comics App or at www.digital.darkhorse.com today FOR FREE!

About “The Thing” film: Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost known as Thule Station. There, a crew of international scientists has unearthed a remarkable discovery. But elation quickly turns to terrifying paranoia in the thriller “The Thing,” as the group of researchers encounters something inhuman that has the ability to turn itself into an exact replica of any living being.

“The Thing” serves as a prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name. Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen, the thriller is produced by Strike Entertainment’s Marc Abraham and Eric Newman (“Dawn of the Dead”). www.thethingmovie.net

About Dark Horse Digital Comics



Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has grown to become the third-largest comics publisher in the United States and is acclaimed internationally for the quality and diversity of its line. Now, in 2011, the company that revolutionized the comic industry proudly presents its groundbreaking digital-publishing program, Dark Horse Digital.

Having launched with hundreds of titles, Dark Horse Digital offers its most popular titles at an unprecedented value, while providing the highest-quality reading experience possible. Single-issue comics are priced as low as just $0.99, and there is also an extensive list of free introductory #1 issues. Additionally, DH Digital’s “bundles” group together story arcs spanning multiple issues into affordable packages, allowing readers to get the three or four issues that comprise a complete narrative, starting at just $3.99 and up. And through cloud-based technology, Digital Store purchases can be read and enjoyed on your laptop, desktop, mobile browser, and Dark Horse Bookshelf app, available now on iTunes.

To get started, simply log on to Digital.DarkHorse.com or download the app to create an account, and begin building your collection today.

ROCK YOUR LOCAL COMIC-BOOK SHOP!

WIN A RELEASE PARTY FOR TOM MORELLO’S ORCHID!

September 20, Milwaukie, OR—Dark Horse Comics is offering one lucky comic-book store the chance to host the official Orchid release party!

That’s right! Tom Morello’s Orchid #1 comes out October 12, and to celebrate, Dark Horse Comics wants you to tell us about your favorite comic-book store and why they should have the party.

Entry rules are simple: Enter to win by commenting on the Dark Horse blog. The store with the most love wins! One entry per person. Multiple entries will be deleted. The party is to be held the evening of October 12, 2011. 

One store will win a release-night party package including:

10 signed copies of Orchid

200 other Dark Horse comics to give away

10 trades to give away

Orchid posters

Dark Horse Comics key chains

An assortment of Dark Horse Comics buttons

4 Dark Horse Comics coffee mugs

Tom Morello’s Nightwatchman CDs

Pizza

A store-exclusive Orchid miniprint

And more!

 The contest ends on September 30, so get on the Dark Horse blog and tell us why your local comic-book shop should win the official Orchid release party!

http://www.darkhorse.com/Blog/627/rock-your-local-comic-book-shop-win-release-party

When the seas rose, genetic codes were smashed. Now, human settlements are ringed by a dense wilderness, from which ferocious new animal species prey on the helpless. The high ground belongs to the rich and powerful, who overlook swampland shantytowns from their fortresslike cities. Iron-fisted rule ensures order and allows the wealthy to harvest the poor as slaves. Welcome to the world of Orchid.

 From the mind of musician Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, The Nightwatchman), with art by Scott Hepburn (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic), Orchid is the tale of a teenage prostitute who learns that she is more than the role society has imposed upon her.

IDW Presents Jack Avarice IS The Courier

All-new five-weekly miniseries coming in November
 

San Diego, CA (September 20, 2011) — IDW Publishing is thrilled to introduce JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER, an exciting, month-long, weekly comic series for the five-Wednesday month of November. Created, written, drawn, and lettered by rising star Chris Madden, the artist on the upcoming Danger Girl: Revolver series, this special five-part series is timed specifically to release one issue a week for each Wednesday of the month.

“When Chris Madden first presented JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER to me, I was absolutely floored,” said editor Tom Waltz. “I mean, the guy is writing, drawing, coloring AND lettering the series—and doing it at top-notch levels on all accounts! It’s a great comic book story filled with exciting and entertaining characters and distinctly fun artwork. Madden is the real deal and I’m so happy IDW gets the chance to show off his diverse talents to the world!”

This explosive miniseries tells the story of Jack Avarice, a down-on-his-luck kid who dreams of a life like the movies. His world is about to change when he’s recruited by the secretive agency called Courier and is dumped head-first into the world of international spying. Each issue will take Jack on an exhilarating new adventure, where he’ll discover that the reality of spycraft is far deadlier than any movie he could imagine. Spies, voodoo magic, deadly beauties, high-caliber thrills, and high-octane destruction, JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER has it all.

"I can't wait for Jack Avarice to hit stands,” creator Madden said. “And I couldn't be happier releasing it through IDW—it’s a perfect match!"

To kick off this great comic event, IDW is offering a special 5% discount on the entire series. Plus, readers are encouraged to contact their local retailers about the special variant Madden sketch cover.


JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 2, 2011. Diamond order code: SEPT11 0253.

JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER #2 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 9, 2011. Diamond order code: SEPT11 0255.

JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER #3 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 16, 2011. Diamond order code: SEPT11 0257.

JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER #4 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 23, 2011. Diamond order code: SEPT11 0259.

JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER #5 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on November 30, 2011. Diamond order code: SEPT11 0261.



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


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; Toho’s Godzilla; Sony’s Ghostbusters; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio; and is the print publisher for EA Comics.

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

THE ACTIVITY: NO LONGER CLASSIFIED

Edmondson & Gerads Confirm Ongoing Image Comics Series

Berkeley, CA – 20 September 2011 – Information has been leaking out over the last week about a mysterious new project from a pair of rising stars, writer Nathan Edmondson (WHO IS JAKE ELLIS?, OLYMPUS, Grifter) and artist Mitch Gerads (Doctor Who, Stan Lee's Starborn). Now the duo have finally announced that their new ongoing action series will be published by Image Comics beginning in December and is titled THE ACTIVITY.

"We've been working on this since February, and we're thrilled to share it with you," said Edmondson. "Starting this December, the secrets of THE ACTIVITY will be revealed."

In THE ACTIVITY, the evolution of global warfare necessitates the evolution of special forces to rise and meet the call. The U.S Army has therefore looked to its last secret special operations tribe, The Intelligence Support Activity, or Gray Fox. Within Gray Fox is a team of elite men and women whose mission is flexible, whose technology is bleeding edge, and whose execution is precise and lethal. They are Team Omaha, and they serve THE ACTIVITY.

"We've been keeping this project quiet for a while now," added Gerads. "I just can't wait to blow the lid off of this whole thing!"

"It's been a real pleasure to watch Nathan develop, not just as a writer, but as a virtual fountain of ideas," enthused Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "He originally came to us with OLYMPUS, but by the time that was wrapping, he'd pitched us WHO IS JAKE ELLIS? and then followed that up THE ACTIVITY and another, still-secert project we'll be rolling out in 2012. He and Mitch make a great team, too, and I can't wait to see where they take this concept."

THE ACTIVITY #1, a 32-page full-color action adventure comic for $3.50, will be on sale in stores December 21 and will be available for order in the upcoming October issue of Previews.

ABOUT NATHAN EDMONDSON

Nathan Edmondson is the author of such hit image comics titles as OLYMPUS with Christian Ward and THE LIGHT with Brett Weldele. He is also the writer of Grifter from DC Comics.  He currently lives in Macon, GA. For more information about Edmondson and his work, visit www.nathan-e.com.

ABOUT MITCH GERADS

Mitch Gerads got his start doing cereal box illustration for General Mills and after leaving that has been doing freelance illustration ever since. He has worked with numerous publishers and companies including IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Adult Swim, Archaia, and Image Comics. His recent work includes Doctor WHO, Stan Lee's Starborn + Soldier Zero, Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes, and Jim Henson's Storyteller. A self-proclaimed Twix addict and (completely related) avid runner, Mitch lives and works from the beautiful (5 months out of the year) city of Minneapolis, MN. For more information about Gerads and his work, visit www.mitchgerads.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.

BENAROYA AND BLUE ESTATE SIGNING EVENT AT GOLDEN APPLE COMICS

 

 

 

Meet the creators of some of the newest titles at Image ComIcs with BLUE ESTATE’s Viktor Kalvachev and the team from BENAROYA PUBLISHING: MARKSMEN's David Baxter, RED SPIKE's Jeff Cahn & SAMURAI’S BLOOD's Owen Wiseman!!!

 

The Benaroya Publishing and Blue Estate event will take place in Los Angeles at Golden Apple Comics on September 21st, 2011 from 6-8 P.M. at 7018 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. For more information, please call 323-658-6047.

 

ABOUT GOLDEN APPLE COMICS 

Golden Apple Comics has been the premier comic book & pop culture store in Los Angeles for over 30 years.Always cutting edge & proactive in the community, Golden Apple views this as a great opportunity to attract new readers to our thriving industry. A place in LA for anything groundbreaking in the comic world.

ABOUT VIKTOR KALVACHEV

With art and design credits ranging from DMZ, The Nocturnals and Penthouse to video games like The Incredibles: Escape from Nomanisan Island, Viktor is also the creative force behind the graphic novel Pherone and the massively multiplayer online virtual world, VIE.

 

ABOUT BENAROYA PUBLISHING

Founded by Michael Benaroya in 2009, Benaroya Publishing is a comic book and graphic novel production company dedicated to thrilling and compelling storytelling. A subsidiary of Benaroya Pictures, Benaroya Publishing is based in Los Angeles, California and launches their debut titles this Spring under the Image Comics label. With David Elliott (FALL OUT TOY WORKS and co-founder of RADICAL PUBLISHING) at the helm as in-house Editor-in-Chief, Benaroya Publishing promises to bring fresh new ideas, and uniquely told stories to the comics literary world. For more information, visit www.benaroyapublishing.com.

ABOUT DAVID BAXTER

David Baxter is a writer/producer whose first feature film, Shooting Lily, won the 1996 SXSW Film Festival. Dave is making his comic book debut with Benaroya Publishing and Image Comics on the title MARKSMAN. Dave is also the recipient of the 2004 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation/Tribeca Film Institute screenwriting grant for two science themed film projects he currently has in development.

ABOUT OWEN WISEMAN

Owen Wiseman writes graphic novels, screenplays, and prose. Owen was raised by hippies in the Pacific Northwest, and fed a steady diet of appropriate books and inappropriate movies. In seventh grade, he was accidentally put into a Japanese class, and the venerable Furado-sensei convinced him to stay. He taught Owen about the language, culture, and fascinating history of this complex and beautiful island nation, and Furado-sensei’s passion for the Japanese culture triggered Owen’s love for it as well.

ABOUT JEFF CAHN

After graduating from Pomona College, Jeff Cahn returned to his hometown of New Orleans, where he interned on the set of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for Digital Domain’s Oscar winning visual effects team. Once the shoot wrapped, he returned to Los Angeles and now works at Benaroya Pictures and Publishing as a story developer and writer of both screen and comics.

UNITED AGAINST CENSORSHIP!

Creators and Retailers Unite for CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 Signings

Berkeley, CA – 20 September 2011 – New York, NY -- CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 hits shelves on October 12. In celebration, retailers around the world are having signings with several of the creators who contributed to the best LIBERTY ANNUAL yet!

CBLDF is delighted to have the support of retailers and creators not only for CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011, but also for UNITED AGAINST CENSORSHIP, a series of in-store signings that will take place the day the book hits store shelves! So far, we’ve lined up the following great events:

Forbidden Planet NYC

October 12, 6:30 p.m.

840 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

(212) 473-1576, www.fpnyc.com

with Thomas Chu, Kevin Sacco, Brandon Montclare, Michael Bramley, J. Gonzo, and more

Laughing Ogre Comics

October 12, time TBD

4258 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43214

(614) 267-6473, www.laughingogrecomics.com

with Dara Naraghi

Another Dimension

October 12, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

424 B - 10th Street NW; Calgary, AB T2N 1V9, Canada

(403) 283-7078

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Another-Dimension-Comics/180997045270673

with Riley Rossmo

We’re still confirming more locations and creators, so be sure to check www.cbldf.org for updates and details! Several of the CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 contributors will also be signing with CBLDF at booth #1158 during New York Comic-Con, October 13-16, 2011!

CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 collects incredible contributions, including original stories by superstars J. Michael Straczynski (Superman: Earth One), Frank Quitely (All-Star Superman), J.H. Williams III (Batwoman), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Judd Winick (Catwoman), Mark Waid (Daredevil) and Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth), and Carla Speed McNeil (Finder). Look for all-new tales featuring Grendel by Matt Wagner, Cowboy Ninja Viking by AJ Lieberman and Riley Rossmo, and Elephantmen by Richard Starkings and Shaky Kane. Plus: a massive and first-ever full-color story from independent comics master Craig Thompson (Blankets, Habibi)! Marvel and DC Comics have stepped up to show their support, with all-new pin-ups of Batman by Dustin Nguyen, X-Men by Greg Land, Green Lantern by Ivan Reis, and the Avengers by Greg Horn! It's all topped off by incredible covers by John Cassaday, Matt Wagner, and two variant covers by Frank Quietly: a full-color, 1 in 25 cover, and a black and white, 1 in 50 cover!

Join the fight against censorship by picking up your copy of CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 (AUG110415), a 48-page full color comic book benefiting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, available from Image Comics on October 12, 2011, for $4.99. The sales of CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 benefit CBLDF’s First Amendment legal work.

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, visitwww.imagecomics.com.

ADVENTURE AWAITS POKÉMON FANS AS VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF

POKÉMON—ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS ON DVD

San Francisco, CA, September 19, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, will excite POKÉMON™ fans everywhere with the DVD release of the full-length feature film from the venerable kids franchise, POKÉMON—ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS. The DVD, rated ‘A’ for All Ages, will be released on September 20^th under the company’s VIZ KIDS imprint and will carry an MSRP of $19.97 U.S. / $19.98 CAN.

As Ash and his friends journey to Crown City to join the crowds watching the Pokémon Baccer World Cup, mysterious forces are in motion that could bring untold misfortune to them all! What secrets does Zorua, a Pokémon they befriend along the way, hide? Why is the powerful Zoroark rampaging through the city, and what does the appearance of the Legendary Pokémon Raikou, Entei, and Suicune mean? All these questions and more will be answered in POKÉMON—ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS! 

“We are thrilled to bring the POKÉMON—ZOROARK: MASTER OF ILLUSIONS DVD to Pokémon fans across the country,” says Brian Ige, Vice President, Animation. “The Pokémon community is incredibly passionate and they will be excited to add this movie to their home DVD library.”

For more information on VIZ Media’s POKÉMON manga and anime titles, please visit www.VIZ.com/Pokemon/.

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.

TEEN WOLF LEAPS FROM MTV TO COMIC

Top Cow Productions Publishes New Comic Based on Hit Show

Berkeley, CA – 19 September 2011 – Following the immediate success of MTV's newest hit show Teen Wolf, Top Cow Productions and MTV Comics are presenting a three issue comics series based on the show that will hit store shelves and digital platforms soon. When the new comic book series was announced at Comic-Con International in San Diego, the fans of Teen Wolf swarmed Top Cow's booth for the exclusive preview of the comic and stood in line for hours waiting to meet the cast and creators of their newest favorite teen horror drama.

This three issue miniseries will begin shipping in a week and, like the break out successful MTV Television series, will appeal to the fans of the original films as well as cultural icons such as the Twilight Saga and the Vampire Diaries. Written by David Tischman (True Blood, Bite Club) with art by Stephen Mooney (Angel) and covers by Joe Corroney (True Blood: Tainted Love), the series will act as both an introduction to new fans of Teen Wolf and augment the viewing experience of the hit MTV show.

"TEEN WOLF reimagines the worn-out werewolf genre, and turns it into a modern story of horror and hot love," explained writer David Tischman. "The scripts are so smart, and I worked with [showrunner] Jeff Davis to keep the same scary horror we see each week on the show; the personal horror of Scott dealing with being a werewolf, and the predatory horror of the werewolf culture. But I also really wanted to focus on the relationship moments between Scott and Allison. In those scenes, I think everybody remembers what that first love was like -- the scary, gut-wrenching "does she like me?" and "can I touch that?" moments we all have growing up. The book's been a lot of fun to write, and I can't wait to see what Jeff comes up with for Season 2."

Scott McCall's life is a living nightmare. Sure, he's co-captain of the Beacon Hills High Lacrosse Team and his hot new girlfriend, Allison, adores him, but Scott was bitten by a werewolf. And every time he gets excited, the claws come out. And the hair. And the fangs. That might be okay, except Allison's father leads a specially trained group of Hunters who want him dead. Scott's managed to keep his secret safe, but what happens when he can't reverse the process?

TEEN WOLF: BITE ME #1 (JUL110434), a full color comic will be on sale in stores on September 21 for $3.99, along with a limited photo variant cover at participating retailers. 

ABOUT MTV

MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. 

MTV’s sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is the leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

ABOUT TOP COW PRODUCTIONS INC. 

Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise, WITCHBLADE, was TNT’s #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008. WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow’s other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. A second game is slated for release from 2K Games in the Fall of 2011. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow’s other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games. 

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, visitwww.imagecomics.com.

Detroit Fanfare is a Working Convention
Full schedule of seminars and workshops part of the programming

Detroit Fanfare is this week…September 24-25!  After the inaugural show last year was a huge success and featured over 100 comic guests including Stan Lee and Jim Starlin, the 2011 version has been super-sized!

Fanfare has brought in some media guests, those with strong tie-ins with comics, to complement the over 250 comic creators at the show.  Bruce Campbell, Peter Weller, Kelly Hu, Adam Baldwin, Steven Yeun, and Brian O’Halloran are featured as is a 30^th Anniversary gathering for the cult hit film, Evil Dead.

Headlining the comic guests are such notables as Kevin Eastman, Tony Moore, Tommy Lee Edwards, Phil Hester, Tim Bradstreet, Ron Marz, and more including many self publishers.

“Detroit Fanfare celebrates the comic convention as it should be because after all,” says Dennis Barger, co-organizer of the event, “this is where comic cons all started way back with Shel Dorf before he went to San Diego.”  Barger says that the emphasis at Fanfare is on the creators of comics and the front entry is publishers and creators first.  “Our Artist Alley is at the front, as soon as you walk in.  It’s the creators that make conventions special.”

In addition to featuring the comic creators first and foremost, scheduling of seminars and workshops focus on a “how to” atmosphere at the convention.  There are workshops on preparing comics for printing, writing secrets, tips on coloring and lettering, understand how to do print on demand, construction of story elements, and much more.  Gary Reed, former publisher of Caliber Comics, and now a co-organizer of the convention, felt that the working aspects of the convention were key.  “Comic creators like to learn from each other and I was surprised how many creators were not only willing, but actually eager, to share their tips and secrets with other creators.  There is a full schedule that anyone wanting to learn more on many aspects of comic creation, would find a lot of great information here.”

Another co-organizer, Tony Miello, echoes Reed’s sentiments.  “Even fans are interested in how things work and many fans are also considering entering the comic creation field.”  Miello said that there were many opportunities for artists to show their skills at the convention.  “We have many of the creators volunteering their time to do portfolio reviews.   We have a room where there will be at least two creators at all times reviewing.”  In addition, Lauren Sankovitch of Marvel Entertainment will also be reviewing portfolios throughout both days and the Center for Creative Studies, a college art school, will also be conducting reviews for both days.

Barger also brings up that in celebration of Shel Dorf, there are the first annual Shel Dorf Awards which will honor creators and titles that the fans have chosen.

The Detroit Fanfare Convention is held at Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit on September 24 and 25.  For more information, visit detroitfanfare.com.