FIVE GHOSTS, ONE VESSEL

A treasure hunter is possessed in Image Comics' new miniseries

Frank J. Barbiere and Chris Mooneyham debuted the first issue of the miniseries FIVE GHOSTS: THE HAUNTING OF FABIAN GRAY at New York Comic Con 2012 as a self-published, limited edition that caught the eye many comics readers and critics. It also caught the eye of Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson, and, starting in March, the miniseries is now being released by the largest independent comics publisher in the United States.

The story of Fabian Gray, a treasure hunter (some say thief) possessed by five ghosts, each an archetypical literary character, who imbue him with their unique talents and skills. The Wizard gives Gray the ability to wield magic. The Archer gives him lightning-quick reflexes and deadly accuracy. The Detective lends powers of intuition and deduction. From The Samurai, Gray borrows discipline and self-mastery – as well as mastery of a razor-sharp katana. The Vampire's subtlety, allure, and deadliness are the most dangerous powers of all for Gray to wield – both to his enemies and himself.

Gray will need the powers of all his ghosts to save the woman who was lost in the same incident that resulted in his possession – his twin sister Silvia, whose absence haunts him even more than the five spirits. But he's finding it harder to control them, so he must hurry – before Fabian Gray is subsumed by the personalities of the FIVE GHOSTS.

"Five Ghosts is the culmination of a lot of different ideas and influences that have been storming around in my head since I started creating comics,"  said writer Barbiere. "I'm excited to be working with Image and can't wait for readers to see what we have in store for them."

Artist Mooneyham renders Fabian Gray's adventures in deep shadows and intense, panel-packed pages, interspersed with splash pages that perfectly pace the narrative. His art has a definite classic horror comic influence apparent but a style all its own.

"I'm a big fan of comics from the 60s, 70s, and 80's, not to mention pulp adventures from the 30s-50s," said Mooneyham. "My mission with Five Ghosts is to bring back that sense of fun and adventure that I feel is missing in today's comics. I'm very excited to have found a home for it at Image Comics."

Interviews with creators Barbiere and Mooneyham have appeared at Comic Book Resources' Robot6 and PreviewsWorld. The first, 40-page issue of FIVE GHOSTS: THE HAUNTING OF FABIAN GRAY will be in stores and available digitally on March 20.

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.

Pull Back the Curtain with “Comics About Cartoonists: The World’s Oddest Profession”! An unbelievable lineup of legendary cartoonists take readers behind the drawing table TODAY! San Diego, CA (January 9, 2013) – Have you ever wanted to know what the life of a cartoonist is like?  Well, if you don’t have one handy, why not have Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Frank Frazetta, Charles Schulz, Jack Cole, Dick Briefer, Winsor McCay, Chester Gould, Sheldon Mayer, Milton Caniff, Ernie Bushmiller, Basil Wolverton, B. Kliban, Rube Goldberg, Jack Chick, Milt Gross, Siegel and Shuster, Will Eisner, Elzie Segar, Harvey Kurtzman, and many, many more tell you by drawing a comic or cartoon to explain about the cartoonist's life? Surely, we jest! The bounds of time and space must certainly render this endeavor impossible! “Nay!” says Eisner-winner Craig Yoe, the acclaimed editor and designer! For the first time, decades of rare work about their lives and craft by these famous cartoonists has been collected into one mind-blowing, meta-tacular book: Comics About Cartoonists: The World’s Oddest Profession! Get the inside scoop from some of the most lauded and legendary names in the history of comics and learn what truly propels the cartooning soul. The comics and cartoons gathered here are both autobiographical fact and far-out fiction. The fanciful comics feature cartoonists as protagonists in nearly every genre, superheroes, science fiction, crime, funny animals, romance, war comics, teen-age humor and plenty of horror. Yoe has left no drawing table unturned, ensuring this full-color, hardcover collection will be as eye-popping as it is intriguing and entertaining. Yoe asserts, "Cartoonists are my heroes. That makes this book featuring comics about the ink-slingers themselves drawn by the cartoonists themselves my very favorite book I've done. Cartoonists and the people that love them are going to go ape-poop over this one!" The spectacular hardcover volume hits shelves today and has already earned some high praise! "The book is fantastic. Unusual stories and seeing them collected in such a beautiful package is a real treat!" – Brigid Alverson, Comic Book Resources “Comics About Cartoonists: Stories About the World's Oddest Profession, is a mind-blowing, gorgeous, 4-color look at the "meta" concept of cartoonists in their own comics. Classic comic creators such as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Will Eisner, and more present stories about their own unique profession -- some cheerful, and some full of pathos.” – Valerie Gallaher, MTV Geek "IDW Publishing's Yoe Books, is a one-stop shop for visual thrills about comics and pop culture." – Michael Dooley, In Print Magazine Let’s face it, there simply isn’t another lineup like the one in Comics About Cartoonists! Craig Yoe is available for convention appearances and interviews with the press in regards to this and his other books. Find Yoe Books' online at http://yoebooks.com and http://www.youtube.com/theyoetube.

About IDW 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; 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. IDW’s critically- and fan-acclaimed series are continually moving into new mediums. Currently, Warner Brothers and Barry Sonnenfeld are attached to adapt LORE into a feature film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney are creating a feature film based on World War Robot, with Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film.

NEW PRICELINE.COM SHOCKER: WILLIAM SHATNER'S “NEGOTIATOR” HAS A SECRET CHILD, AND SHE'S THE BIG BANG THEORY'S KALEY CUOCO

Campaign Highlights New No-Bidding Express Deals(sm) Service

     NORWALK, Conn., January 9, 2013 . . . One year after stunning millions of William Shatner fans by dropping his “Negotiator” character off a bridge, priceline.com (Nasdaq: PCLN) is back with a new TV campaign – and another shocker.  The Negotiator will reveal that he has a secret child, and she is none other than Kaley Cuoco, star of the hit TV series “The Big Bang Theory.” 

The campaign, which begins running January 14 (and is available online now http://youtu.be/EDSnjfxu_Ig), will showcase priceline.com's family-friendly Express Deals(sm) hotel reservation service, where customers don’t have to bid and can get quality hotel rooms (even choosing their bedding type in some cases) at savings of up to 45% over published rates.  The new ad shows The Negotiator driving to the top of a mountain with a little girl and dropping her off in front of a mysterious dojo.  Decades later, he returns to pick her up; she is now an adult, and after years of intense training, is, like her father, highly skilled in the art of finding the best travel deals.  And she may have even learned some techniques that eluded dear old Dad.

“The Negotiator harbors many secrets, and this is just one of them,” said Mr. Shatner.  “It's another layer to the enigma of The Negotiator that shows us there are many different ways to find great hotel deals.  And, as in life, there is something new he can learn from a younger perspective.”

“It’s definitely exciting working with Bill, and being part of a campaign and a brand that I've pretty much grown up with,” said Ms. Cuoco.  “He has single-handedly built the Priceline Negotiator into a pop culture icon.  I think there's a lot of overlap in our fans, who will appreciate seeing us together as a father and daughter team.  And who wouldn't want to be William Shatner's daughter?”

“The customer base for online travel services continues to get both younger – and older – as Internet usage becomes more commonplace and mobile devices make it possible to book hotels, rental cars and airline tickets from almost anywhere, at any time,” said priceline.com’s Chief Marketing Officer Brett Keller.  “The collaboration of William Shatner and Kaley Cuoco will enable priceline.com to reach the different parts of that diverging base with a compelling and entertaining priceline.com message.  We look forward to working with both of them as this campaign unfolds.”

Express Deals is priceline.com’s newest and most family-friendly hotel reservation service that can save up to 45% without bidding on a room. With Express Deals, customers choose the city, neighborhood and star-level hotel they want, and can see all of a hotel’s amenities (pool, on-site restaurant, gym) and, in some cases, they can even specify the type of bedding they want (two queens, one king, etc.). Express Deals listings also show satisfaction scores from guests who have stayed at the hotel.  Room rates are pre-discounted up to 45% over published rates.  After making their reservation, customers are provided with the name of the hotel and their complete itinerary.  Customers who are looking to save even more – up to 60% - can still bid on a room using priceline.com’s Name Your Own Price® hotel service, or they can choose from the more than 201,000 hotels available on priceline.com’s global published-price hotel service.

About The Priceline Group

The Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN) is a leader in global online hotel reservations, with over 270,000 participating hotels worldwide. The Group is composed of four primary brands - Booking.com, priceline.com, Agoda.com and Rentalcars.com - and several ancillary brands. The Priceline Group provides online travel services in over 180 countries in Europe, North America, South America, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Africa.

Booking.com is the number one online hotel reservation service in the world, offering over 260,000 hotels (as of January 1, 2013), and is available in 41 languages. More recent hotel counts are available on the Booking.com website. Priceline.com gives leisure travelers multiple ways to save on their airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises. In addition to getting compelling published prices, travelers can take advantage of priceline.com's famous Name Your Own Price® service, which can deliver the lowest prices available, or the recently added Express Deals^SM, where travelers can take advantage of hotel discounts without bidding.

Agoda.com is an Asia-based online hotel reservation service that is available in 38 languages. Rentalcars.com is a multinational car hire service, offering its reservation services in over 6,000 locations. Customer support is provided in 40 languages.

Ugliest Kid on Earth Steals HeartsTodd: The Ugliest Kid on Earth hits comic stores January 16, 2012

 

(January 9, 2012 – LOS ANGELES) The first issue in Image Comic's new title Todd The Ugliest Kid on Earth will hit stores January 16th, 2012. Preliminary reviews have started coming in and Todd is the book to keep an eye on.  Created by Eisner-nominated artist M.K. Perker and award-winning writer Ken Kristensen, Todd follows  the misadventures of a dysfunctional small-town family caught in extraordinary circumstances.  The full-color four-issue mini series will hit comic stores January 16th in both digital and print formats.  The digital version available through the Image Comics app, Comixology.com, Graphicly.com, ComicsPlus app, and Apple’s iBook app,  will have additional never-before-seen content that is not available in the print version.
Co-creator, Ken Kristensen commented, “We couldn’t be happier -- right out of the gate, the response to TODD from both retailers and reviewers has been overwhelmingly positive. And for a take-no-prisoners, politically incorrect, taboo-tickling book to be embraced like that is a testament to the current state of comic readers, who I think are hungry for stories that have something fresh to say about the world.”
Highlights from the reviews:  
“It stands to be an amazing series and why not add another hot #1 issue to your collection, right?”- The Pullbox.com
“Even with my very lenient attitudes toward what is appropriate and what is not in this life, it is difficult to imagine myself saying something along the lines of, "You really should check out this great new comic I came across, it's about a really ugly kid and a bunch of bigot adults, and a serial killer who collects kids' heads." This is perhaps not unlike my love of the Drawn Together animated series, and South Park, both of which delight in line-crossing, taboo topics treated with casual disregard for propriety, and a shocking affinity for unpleasantness.”-Sequential Tart
Todd is a strange little boy. This comic is even stranger. It is unlike anything you have ever seen before. It does have an appeal that will keep you coming back for more.  -Jazma Online

Email FeelUgly@gmail.com to sign up for the mailing list.
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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.

About co-creator M.K. Perker:
Eisner-nominated comic book artist and writer whose work includes Cairo (Vertigo/DC), Air (Vertigo/DC), Insomnia Café (Dark Horse), as well as runs on Fables (Vertigo/DC), and most recently The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC). He is a member of the Society of Illustrators.

About co-creator Ken Kristensen:
Award-winning writer and comic book junkie. One of the greatest moments of his writing career was working with his hero Pulitzer-prize winner Michael Chabon on The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist (Dark Horse). He is a member of The Writers Guild of America and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

THE ACTIVITY CREATORS LAUNCH WARFAREWITHOUTWARNING.COM

New interactive website for special operations comic from Image Comics

THE ACTIVITY, an Image Comics series that follows the missions of the secret operatives on Team Omaha, part of the ultra-clandestine Intelligence Support Activity, by Nathan Edmondson and Mitch Gerads, now has its own website, www.WarfareWithoutWarning.com. Using an interactive world map, visitors can learn more about the locations of Team Omaha's missions, discover new comics stories, and purchase original art and merchandise.

With books like No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Bin Laden, movies like Zero Dark Thirty, and video games like Call of Duty: Black Ops capturing the world's attention, THE ACTIVITY is primed for the same audiences. Meticulously researched, with stories co-plotted by real Navy SEALs and advisors from within the intelligence and defense communities, THE ACTIVITY sets the standard for black ops realism – not only in the details of the missions but in the psychology of the dedicated, disciplined agents of Team Omaha.

The Warfare Without Warning website allows readers to delve deeper into their world with summaries, background information, and atmospheric music by Brett Schoonover. Special four-page "Easter Egg” stories by Edmondson and Schoonover are accessible by clicking on the right countries. One will be added each month as new issues of the print comic are released, with storylines that tie into the main story of THE ACTIVITY.

In addition, in the store section of the website, anyone who makes a purchase will get a chance to receive a THE ACTIVITY POSTER signed by Edmondson and Gerads, and one person will receive original art.

The first volume of THE ACTIVITY, collecting issues #1-5, with an introduction by Kevin Maurer, co-author of No Easy Day and author of The Lions of Kandahar, is available now. THE ACTIVITY #11, which for the first time depicts Team Omaha carrying out a mission on American soil, will be in stores on January 23.

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.

Will Arthur’s Bane Prove to be

the Undoing of Camelot … or its Salvation?

Two-Part Season Premiere of MERLIN 
Concludes Jan. 11 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy

For years, Merlin has known one immutable fact: He was born to serve Arthur and protect the future of Camelot.  But in “Arthur’s Bane, Part 2,” the conclusion of a two-part season premiere of MERLIN, the certainty of that knowledge may be in doubt.  Last week, MERLIN saw the biggest season-premiere audience in the series' history on Syfy, with more than 1.6 million people watching the start of MERLIN's fifth and final season. 

As "Arthur's Bane, Part 2" begins on Friday, Jan. 11, at 10 p.m. ET/PT Friday on Syfy, both Merlin and his king have been captured by henchmen working for Morgana – single-minded in her determination to find the mysterious “Diamair.”  Among their captors is Mordred – the Druid first encountered as a boy, now a man whose destiny Merlin knows: Arthur will die at Mordred’s hand.

Is Mordred, in fact, Arthur’s bane?  Or could the prophecy be wrong?  Could there be another danger threatening Arthur?

As  the episode progresses, Mordred’s allegiances are called into question, and his magical (and secret) nature stands in strong parallel to Merlin’s own life.  This comparison between Merlin’s magical nature and Mordred’s resonate throughout the episode – and this final season of MERLIN.

“Because of the significance of what having magic means, the gravitas of that, it makes sense Merlin has never said anything to Arthur,” said Bradley James, who plays King Arthur.  “I don’t think it’s ever been about Merlin lying to Arthur – I think it’s been about the safety of Merlin, not to mention the safety of the kingdom.”

But now, years after Arthur helped spare his life under the rule of Arthur’s father, the former King Uther, Mordred has returned … and with him comes the uncertainty of whether he can be trusted.

“Alexander Vlahos is just extraordinary,” says Colin Morgan, who plays the title role of Merlin. “He’s come into the series very late in the game, but brought with him a completely realized character.  Alex really understands who Mordred is – and its exciting to see what he does with the character all throughout this final season.”

MERLIN fans will be able to discover for themselves just what “Arthur’s Bane” refers to when this all-new episode debuts Friday, Jan. 11, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, only on Syfy.

All four previous seasons of MERLIN are available on DVD, on iTunes and on Netflix. Be sure to follow the latest news on MERLIN at the Official Merlin page on Facebook.

EPIC POWER STRUGGLES IN RAVINE

New graphic novel series takes fantasy to new heights

Longtime collaborators on the Image Comics/Top Cow series ARTIFACTS, Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic have taken their creative partnership to a new level — a creator-owned graphic novel series, RAVINE, starting in February 2013. Epic fantasy at its highest with dragons, magic, and political machinations, is set in the kingdom of Palladia, a world that Sejic has been developing for the past eleven years.

"Ravine originated from my desire to make a fantasy comic series that was a full-blooded fantasy tale with rich character development, layered, well-motivated villains, and a deeply detailed world," said Sejic in a December 20 interview with Comic Book Resources.

The world is one where intrigue and power struggles have so dominated the lives of those who rule — royalty and religious leaders alike — that they are blind to the gathering forces that threaten all of them.

While the story, world, and characters are Sejic's, Marz acts as scripter and editor. Both creators cite the nature of an epic fantasy as the reason for releasing the series as graphic novels rather than individual issues.

"This story kind of demands to be told in large chunks," said Marz. "We want this first release to be read as one big story, not serialized, so we're going straight to the collection. It's a bigger risk this way, but I think there's a bigger reward creatively."

RAVINE: VOLUME ONE (DEC120509), a 160-page graphic novel for $14.99, will be released on February 13.

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.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY  DEBUTS CAPETOWN ON EW.COM

New Channel Devoted to "Comic-Con Culture"
Led by Entertainment Weekly Senior Writer Geoff Boucher

CapeTown to Feature New Events and Brand Extensions

(NEW YORK) January 7, 2013 – EW.com, America’s leading online entertainment destination, announces the launch today of CapeTown (ew.com/capetown), a new digital destination devoted to the intersection of Hollywood and "Comic-Con culture" -- the surging scene that encompasses super-hero, sci-fi, fantasy and horror and stretches across film, television, gaming, comics and novels. During its first week, CapeTown will feature exclusive interviews with Robert Downey Jr. on the flight path for Iron Man 3, Brad Pitt on the zombie battle plan in World War Z, and DC Comics writer Scott Snyder on getting under the skin of the Joker.

Led by Entertainment Weekly senior writer Geoff Boucher, who recently joined EW after twenty years at the Los Angeles Times, CapeTown will be home to exclusive first-look previews of blockbuster films and TV shows, in-depth interviews with “geek culture” A-listers, and unparalleled on-the-set access.

“It’s an amazing time for the entertainment of the fantastic -- zombies have brought new life to television, young wizards have reshaped the literary marketplace and, at the movies, superheroes don’t just leap tall buildings they give us a modern mythology,” Boucher said. “All of it is connected by the passionate fan tribes of today, the ones who cheer for Katniss, Batman, Gandalf and Yoda and are always ready for the next quest and adventure. Now, with CapeTown, all of their heroes share one home address on the internet.”

In addition to Boucher, CapeTown will also offer reporting, expert analysis and opinion from EW’s all-star staff of genre experts including Jeff Jensen, Anthony Breznican, James Hibberd, Solvej Schou, Adam Vary, Darren Franich and others.

“Our users already trust EW.com to deliver in-depth coverage of the best genre movies, TV shows, comic books and video games. With the addition of the remarkable Geoff Boucher and the launch of CapeTown, we're creating a true guilty pleasure destination," said EW.com managing editor Bill Gannon. " CapeTown will feature exclusive reporting, film trailer breakdowns, TV episode recaps, and amazing behind-the-scenes content about the films, TV shows and games that fans love."

Additional franchises planned for  CapeTown include a film and television festival in association with American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles. A new series of videos and podcasts, guest essays, and a range of new content by top creatives are just some of the surprises awaiting visitors to  CapeTown, where the only city limits are the far edges of imagination.

Feel free to share our news to your many followers on Twitter, Facebook and beyond!  Be sure to tag @ew and will keep an eye out for possible RTs!  www.ew.com/capetown

HUNGER GAMES COSTUMES COUNTRYWIDE TOUR BEGINS MARCH 1

Exhibit Showcases the Original Screen-Worn Costumes from Record-Breaking Blockbuster

Los Angeles, January 7, 2013

Haxbee, Inc. announces the Hunger Games Costumes Exhibit &Auction. The exhibit encompasses original screen-worn costumes worn by Jennifer Lawrence as “Katniss,” Josh Hutcherson as “Peeta,” Elizabeth Banks as “Effie,” Stanley Tucci as “Caesar,” Liam Hemsworth as “Gale,” Woody Harrelson as “Haymitch,” Lenny Kravtiz as “Cinna,” Donald Sutherland as “President Snow,” Wes Bentley as “Seneca,” and many, many more.

To kick off the tour, Haxbee and its subsidiary, Blacksparrow Auctions, will be providing a special sneak preview at The Hollywood Show in Los Angeles from January 11 to 13. The Hollywood Show, a popular movie and television memorabilia convention that features over a hundred celebrities at each of its four annual shows, will be held at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel.

Following the Hollywood Show, the Hunger Games Costumes Exhibit will begin its tour and be seen at the following locations:

• March 1-3 Emerald City Comic Con, Seattle, WA
• April 11-13 C2E2, Chicago, IL
• October 10-13 New York Comic Con

Additional dates and locations will be announced in the future. The exhibit winds up in New York City, where ReedPOP--the largest producer of pop culture events in the world—will host a live auction at New York Comic Con. Over 200+ costumes will be on the auction block. Interested bidders will be able to bid live in-person, by telephone, via absentee, and on the Internet as facilitated by iCollector. A print catalog will be available for purchase in April.

Haxbee, Inc. and its Blacksparrow Auctions subsidiary have a collective number of 80 years’ experience dealing with Hollywood memorabilia and collectibles. For more information about the company and the Hunger Games Costumes Exhibit & Auction, visit haxbee.com.

Rovolt's Aveon 9 Nominated For Comic Con India Awards 2012

The Legends of Aveon 9, a magnum opus inspired by Indian mystical classics and Western sci-fi, published by Rovolt Entertainment, got nominated for Comic Con India Awards 2012.

The series was nominated in the 4 major categories:

Best Penciller/Inker:

• Abhishek Malsuni (Pencils), Sunil Paswan (Inks) for “The Legends of Aveon 9: The Train to Vexadus”
• Abhishek Malsuni (Pencils), Sunil Paswan/Jagdish Kumar (Inks) for “The Legends of Aveon 9: The Race to Revelations”

Best Colorist:

• Shashank Mishra for “The Legends of Aveon 9: The Train to Vexadus”
• Shashank Mishra  for “The Legends of Aveon 9: The Race to Revelations”

Best Cover:

• Yin Yuming (Imaginary Friends Studios, Singapore) for “The Legends of Aveon 9: The Train to Vexadus”

Best Continuing Graphic Series:

• “The Legends of Aveon 9: The Train to Vexadus”- Book 1 of 7
• “The Legends of Aveon 9: The Race to Revelations” - Book 2 of 7

An epic sci-fi adventure, featuring high drama, unprecedented action and intrigues galore. Extraordinary characters drive the story forward at breakneck pace. Torn apart by their personal demons, their actions will decide the fate of both human and alien civilizations. Ladies and gentlemen, you have landed on the mystical planet of Aveon 9, thousands of years in the future.

Humans may have established their dominion over Aveon 9, but in the bargain they angered the planet’s indigenous civilizations. Humanity would continue wreaking havoc if not for the efforts of a pair of star-crossed lovers – a warrior prince and a beautiful and dynamic princess – and a dedicated native. The trio will battle potently evil forces — human, alien and monster alike — and navigate twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the revelation of a climactic, deep rooted secret!

The Legends of Aveon 9, Speculative Fiction based Graphic Novel series, is being published by Rovolt Entertainment in India. Artists from across the globe are participating in the well appreciated 7 volume title series. Comics Majors like Ron Marz, well known for Green Lantern and Silver Surfer, is the Chief Editor of the series.

The first two titles of the series (The Legends of Aveon 9 – The Train to Vexadus and The Race to Revelations) have been released in the market.
Book 1- ”The Train to Vexadus” is available for sale online as paperback and ebook on Amazon and other major retailers.
Book 2 will soon be available online. Further details are provided on Rovolt's Facebook page and blog.

Comic Con India is the first Comic based convention held in India hosted by Twenty Onwards Media.
Comic Con India Awards 2013 ceremony will be be held in the Capital at India Habitat Centre (IHC) on February 7, 2013.
The 3rd Annual Indian Comics Convention is to be held at Dilli Haat (New Delhi) from February 8 - 10, 2013.
http://comicconindia.com/

Rovolt Entertainment, a Media and Entertainment firm based in India, is creating contents in domains like Graphic Novels, Comics, iPad Applications for Kids, Animation Videos and more.

DEATHMATCH #1
SELLS OUT
GOES TO SECOND PRINT

January 7th,  2013 - Los Angeles, CA - BOOM! Studios is proud to announce that DEATHMATCH #1, the highest launching original series from the company to date, has completely sold out at the distributor level and the publisher has rushed to a second printing.

DEATHMATCH, the newest original comic series from BOOM! Studios, is a dark, psychological deconstruction of the superhero genre by writer Paul Jenkins (Inhumans, FAIRY QUEST) and artist Carlos Magno (PLANET OF THE APES). The full debut issue of this series carries a cover price of just one dollar. DEATHMATCH #1 second print will be available for order from Diamond Comic Distributors the week of January 14th and in stores in early February.

Comic book fans should keep in mind first printings of DEATHMATCH #1 may still be found at the local comic shop nearest you. Not sure where to find your nearest comic retailer? Use www.comicshoplocator.com to find one!

THE SUPERHERO BATTLE ROYALE YOU CAN’T GET FROM MARVEL OR DC! A powerful and mysterious supervillain has imprisoned the world’s greatest superheroes, forcing them to fight to the death until there is but one victor. It’s kill or be killed as we settle the score on all those hypothetical superhero match-ups in the ultimate DEATHMATCH.

DEATHMATCH #1 second print ships with a must-have all new cover by Tom Derenick (HYPERNATURALS) under a Diamond order code of NOV128196. DEATHMATCH #2 is eligible under Diamond's FOC program today, January 7th, under Diamond codes NOV120975-78, and ships with dynamic covers by Whilce Portacio (Incredible Hulk) and Trevor Hairsine (X-O Manowar). Issue #2 will be in stores on January 30th, 2013.

About BOOM! Studios
Founded by Ross Richie, 2009 and 2010's "Best Publisher" BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) generates a constellation of bestselling Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic books and graphic novels with the industry's top talent, including Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s HYPERNATURALS, new HELLRAISER comics written by Clive Barker, PLANET OF THE APES, and Sam Humphries’ HIGHER EARTH. BOOM!'s all ages imprint KaBOOM! publishes Charles Schulz' PEANUTS, Jim Davis’ GARFIELD, Cartoon Network's ADVENTURE TIME, and 20th Century Fox’ ICE AGE. KaBOOM! recently won an Eisner Award for its first original series Roger Langridge's SNARKED. BOOM!'s lit comix-focused imprint, BOOM! Town, won an Eisner Award for its first book, Shannon Wheeler's I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER, and just released SPACE DUCKS, the first comic book from indie musician legend Daniel Johnston.

Nichelle Nichols Joins PHXCC 2013

Phoenix Comicon is proud to announce that actress Nichelle Nichols will be attending Comicon 2013.

“We are so happy, and relieved (laughs) to finally have Nichelle Nichols come to Phoenix Comicon. She is the last of the living original Star Trek cast members to attend our show and we could not be more excited,” says Convention Director Matt Sorberg.

Nichelle Nichols is an actress, singer and voice artist most famous for her tole of communications officer Lieutenant Uhura aboard the USS Enterprise in the popular Star Trek television series (1966 to 1969), as well as the succeeding motion pictures. Her Star Trek character was groundbreaking at the time and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. personally praised her work n the show. There were six subsequent Star Trek movies that Nichols played Uhura, now promoted to Commander that were released from 1979 to 1991

After her time on the Star Trek movies, Nichols has appeared is many other movies including Snow Dogs in 2002 and Lady Magdalene's in 2006. For her musical career, she has released two albums, Down to Earth and Out of This World, which is themed around Star Trek and space exploration. Nichols has twice been nominated for the Sarah Siddons Award as best actress..

Phoenix Comicon is the signature pop culture experience of the southwest. Comicon is presenting guests and programming for hobbyists by attracting the top segments of the comics, anime, sci-fi, film, tv, and gaming industries. Entering its eleventh year, Phoenix Comicon is expected to draw over 40,000 attendees to its May 23-26, 2013 convention held at the Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency in Downtown Phoenix.

For more information, please go to http://www.phoenixcomicon.com.

Mike Choi, Joe Corroney, Peter David, Greg Horn, Mike McKone, Jim Valentino and Matt Wagner Join PHXCC 2013

Phoenix Comicon is proud to announce that comic book artists Mike Choi, Joe Corroney, Peter David, Greg Horn, Mike McKone, Jim Valentino and Matt Wagner will be attending Comicon 2013.

“We love comic books and artists, so our philosophy is the 'more the merrier' for this year's Comicon,” says Marketing Director Jillian Squires.

Mike Choi is best known for his work on books such as Witchblade (2003 to 2006), X-23 (2007) and X-Force (2008 to 2010). Most recently, Choi provided the cover to Green Lantern vol. 5 #5 in 2012.

Joe Corroney is an illustrator who is best known for providing Lucasfilm Ltd. With official Star Wars artwork for related books, games, trading cards and magazines since 1996. He has also developed his creator owned comic book series, Death Avenger. Currently, he is creating new Star Wars artwork for Lucasfilm and Star Wars Insider.

Peter David is best known for his comic book work for an award-winning, 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk. He is also known for his runs on Aquaman Young Justice, Supergirl and Fallen Angel. David has earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and 2011 GLAAD Media Award.

Greg Horn is best known for his work as a cover artist for Marvel Comics and various other publications.  In addition to comic book covers, his art has been featured in posters for Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics. His latest projects include covers for the on-going Ms Marvel series from Marvel Comics, Jenna Jameson's Shadow Hunter from Virgin Comics, as well as a series of pieces promoting Marvel's 2008 "event" Secret Invasion.

Mike McKone first published works included DC Comics' Justice League of America and Justice League International, as well as The Punisher War Zone for Marvel Comics. He is best well known for his work on Marvel's Exiles. This led to his work on DC's Teen Titans and Marvel's Fantastic Four.  Most recently, McKone has done work for Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man in 2011.

Jim Valentino began working for Marvel Comics on their superhero titles and his most notable work, at the time was as writer/artist for the series Guardians of the Galaxy. In 1992, he left Marvel to co-found Image Comics. Of the titles he created at Image, the super-hero series ShadowHawk is the most notable. In 1999, Valentino became publisher of Image Comics until 2003. Most recently, he created Silverline books an all-ages imprint for original graphic novels in 2008.

Matt Wagner is best known as the creator of the series Mage and Grendel. He has also worked on comics featuring The Demon and Batman in addition to the titles Sandman Mystery Theatre and the DC Comics limited series, Trinity. His most recent product is Madame Xanadu.

Phoenix Comicon is the signature pop culture experience of the southwest. Comicon is presenting guests and programming for hobbyists by attracting the top segments of the comics, anime, sci-fi, film, tv, and gaming industries. Entering its eleventh year, Phoenix Comicon is expected to draw over 40,000 attendees to its May 23-26, 2013 convention held at the Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency in Downtown Phoenix.

For more information, please go to http://www.phoenixcomicon.com.

 Kevin Hearne, Tom Leveen, Joseph Nassise, Yvonne Navarro, Weston Ochse, Janette Rallison/C. J. Hill and Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell Join PHXCC 2013

Phoenix Comicon is proud to announce that authors Kevin Hearne, Tom Leveen, Joseph Nassise, Yvonne Navarro, Weston Ochse, Janette Rallison/C. J. Hill and Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell will be attending Comicon 2013.

“We are so happy to have such an amazing group of authors joining us at this year's Phoenix Comicon,” says Marketing Director Jillian Squires.

Kevin Hearne is best known as the author of The Druid Chronicles, which are set in present day Tempe, Arizona, right down the road from Phoenix Comicon. The fifth book in the series, Trapped was released in November 2012. The sixth and seventh books in the series, Hunted and Shattered are both scheduled to be released in 2013. Currently, Hearne is working on a Stars Wars Universe novel.

Tom Leveen is best known for his young adult novel Party (2010). His second novel, Zero was released  in April 2012.

Joseph Nassise is an author of more than twenty novels. His debut novel, Riverwatch in 2003 was nominated for both the Bram Stoker Award and the International Horror Guild Award. He has also authored the internationally bestselling series Templar Chronicles, Jeremiah Hunt Chronicle and Great Undead War. His latest works released in 2012 are By the Blood of Heroes, King of the Dead and On Her Majesty's Behalf.

Yvonne Navarro is best known for her titles Final Impact, The Willow Files, Vol. 2 and That's Not My Name. Final Impact won the 1997 Chicago Women in Publishing Award for Excellence in Adult Fiction. The Willow Files, Vol. 2 won the 2002 Bram Stoker Award in the category of Works for Young Readers. That's Not My Name was the First Place Winner of the National Federation of Press Women's 2001 Communications Contest in the Fiction Novel Category.

Weston Ochse is best known for his first novel, ScareCrow Gods, in 2005. For ScareCrow Gods, he won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. His co-written collection of short stories titled Appalachian Galapagos, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize for Short Fiction. In 2008, Ochse's novella Redemption Roadshow was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award for Best Long Fiction.

Janette Rallison, who recently started using the pen name, C. J. Hill. Rallison focuses primarily on romantic comedies and her notable works include Just One Wish (2009), My Double Life (2010) and My Unfair Godmother (2011). Rallison took on the Hill pen name after her writing shift towards being a young adult author. Hill's first book and overall Rallison's latest work is, Slayers.

Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell is best known for her works The Shard Axe, Legacy of Wolves and Skein of Shadows. The Shard Axe was a 2012 Scribe Award Nominee. Most recently, Rockwell was a nominee for the Dwarf Stars Award for the Graveside Spell. 

Phoenix Comicon is the signature pop culture experience of the southwest. Comicon is presenting guests and programming for hobbyists by attracting the top segments of the comics, anime, sci-fi, film, tv, and gaming industries. Entering its eleventh year, Phoenix Comicon is expected to draw over 40,000 attendees to its May 23-26, 2013 convention held at the Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency in Downtown Phoenix.

For more information, please go to http://www.phoenixcomicon.com.