University Life Gets Weird in New BOOM! Box Title from John Allison, 'Giant Days'

Giant Days #1 Main Cover by Lissa Treiman


Giant Days #1 10 Years Incentive Cover by Shelli Paroline & Braden Lamb
(full wraparound shown)


Giant Days #1 Variant Cover by Meredith Gran
 

February 17, 2015 (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Going off to university is always a time of change and growth, but for Esther, Susan, and Daisy, things are about to get a little weird. BOOM! Box, an imprint of award-winning publisher BOOM! Studios, is pleased to announce the March debut of Giant Days, a new limited series from longtime webcomic creator John Allison (Bad Machinery, Scary Go Round) and Disney artist Lissa Treiman. Combining the humor of Lumberjanes, the sharp wit of Scott Pilgrim, and the positive power of relationships present in Faith Erin Hicks’ Friends With Boys, Giant Days is a quirky coming-of-age adventure.

 

“John has over a decade of hilarious webcomic strips chock-full of clever dialogue and unforgettable characters,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “For Giant Days, John is teaming up with phenom artist Lissa Treiman to tell a story about a group of buddies navigating their way through the craziness of university. Get ready: Daisy, Esther, and Susan may become your new best friends.”

 

Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends because their dorm rooms were next to each other. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of hand-wringing boys, “personal experimentation,” influenza, mystery-mold, nu-chauvinism, and the willful, unwanted intrusion of “academia,” they may be lucky just to make it to spring alive.

 

Giant Days #1 arrives in comic shops on March 18th with a main cover by series artist Lissa Treiman for the price of $3.99 under Diamond order code JAN151155. Also available in a limited quantity are a 10 Years Anniversary incentive cover by Shelli Paroline & Braden Lamb (Adventure Time, The Midas Flesh), and a retailer incentive cover by Meredith Gran (Adventure Time: Marceline and the Scream Queens).

The Final Order Cutoff deadline for retailers is February 23rd. Not sure where to find your nearest comic retailer? Use comicshoplocator.com or findacomicshop.com to find one! It’s also available for order directly from boom-studios.com.

ABOUT BOOM! STUDIOS

Founded by Ross Richie in 2005, Diamond Gem Award-winning “Best Publisher” BOOM! Studios (boom-studios.com) generates a constellation of best-selling Eisner and Harvey Award-winning original and licensed comic books and graphic novels with the industry’s top talent. BOOM! Studios is comprised of four distinct imprints. The original Studios imprint is home to Mike Carey's Suicide Risk; James Tynion IV's The Woods; Mark Waid's Irredeemable; Sons of Anarchy; and Big Trouble in Little China. Steven Grant’s graphic novel 2 Guns was released as a feature film from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. BOOM!’s all-ages imprint KaBOOM! publishes Charles Schulz’ Peanuts; Jim Davis’ Garfield; Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time, Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball, and Steven Universe; Mike Kunkel’s Herobear and the Kid; and Natasha Allegri's Bee and PuppyCat. BOOM!'s experimental imprint BOOM! Box publishes The Midas Flesh and Lumberjanes. In June 2013, BOOM! acquired Archaia Entertainment (archaia.com). Archaia is the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning graphic novel publisher of Mouse Guard, Cow Boy, Gunnerkrigg Court, Rust, and Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand. In October 2013, BOOM! Studios entered into a unique first-look relationship with 20th Century Fox, giving the studio access to its library of titles and giving the publisher access to Fox's vast catalog of films. In August 2014, BOOM! Studios began a similar first-look relationship with 20th Century Fox TV to develop properties for the small screen.
 

KIDS’ COMICS STAR AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS PRAISE ODDLY NORMAL

New graphic novel in stores in March

Some of children's comics most popular authors and illustrators have great things to say about Otis Frampton’s ODDLY NORMAL, the story of a strange girl who goes to an even stranger world. "I've watched Otis create Oddly Normal from the very beginning (via online, not in a creepy, peeking in through the windows way) and it's been a pleasure to watch the evolution of something so special. It's fun, charming and worth saving a space on your shelf for it!" –Katie Cook (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic) "A charming and relatable fish-out-of-water tale." –Hope Larson (A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel, Mercury, Chiggers) “Otis is tapping into that classic thing we all loved about stories growing up... Imagination. I'm glad Oddly Normal is on shelves and hope to see more books like this.” –Skottie Young (Rocket Raccoon, Marvel Comics’ Oz series) ODDLY NORMAL: BOOK ONE will be in comic book stores on March 11 and in bookstores on March 24. It’s specially priced at just $9.99. Pre-order at your local comic book store, bookstore, or online today! Read more about ODDLY NORMAL: BOOK ONE here.

ODDLY NORMAL, BOOK 1 by Otis Frampton ISBN 978-1-63215-226-8 Diamond Comic order code JAN150646 128 pages, paperback, full color $9.99 Collects ODDLY NORMAL #1-5 Rated Everyone In comic book stores March 11, bookstores March 24

More praise for ODDLY NORMAL: “Frampton's art is refreshingly quirky, with strong lines and bold use of color. The world he creates is full of fun and whimsy, and kids will easily relate to Oddly's struggle to become comfortable in her own skin. This will quickly become a favorite among comics fans." –Booklist

Preview

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

THE MARVEL EXPERIENCE TOUR TO FEATURE ORIGINAL MUSIC BY

COMPOSER RANDY MILLER

 

The Tour Is Currently Housed in Del Mar, CA (San Diego Area)

 

(February 16, 2015– Los Angeles, CA) – Composer Randy Miller (Without Limits) is proud to announce that he has written the original music for THE MARVEL EXPERIENCE, which officially launched January 15^th in Dallas, TX. The tour is currently in residence in Del Mar, CA through the 22nd.  For a full list of dates and to purchase tickets, visit http://themarvelexperiencetour.com/.

 

“As a fan of the Marvel Universe since childhood it was with much excitement and anticipation that I began composing the score for THE MARVEL EXPERIENCE,” said Miller. “TMX is a unique opportunity for fans of all ages, all over the country and perhaps beyond to immerse in and experience the Marvel tradition and to hear my original score. My wish is the music becomes a unique part of the ever-evolving Marvel legacy.”

 

Now it’s your turn to save the world!  You can join forces with Marvel’s mightiest heroes on a mission to save the planet.  As S.H.I.E.L.D.’s newest recruit, you’ll swing with Spider-Man, smash with Hulk, and fly with Iron Man in the next generation hyper-reality.

 

Your adventure will take you through seven colossal Domes as you train for a climactic battle against Hydra and its army of evil Adaptoids.  All along the way, you’ll experience the world’s only 360-degree, 3-D stereoscopic theater, and a state-of-the-art thrilling motion ride.  All along the way you will be treated to an original soundtrack composed by Randy Miller.

 

Randy Miller is a composer, arranger, and conductor who has collaborated with such notable filmmakers as Robert Towne, Zhang Yimou, Oliver Stone, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Tom Cruise, Jerry Rees, and Robert Dornhelm. He has created a career that features acoustic and orchestral music that is emotional, richly thematic and sophisticated as well as dynamic in scope.  His music is an artistic blend of many styles – both modern and classical -- mixing a commanding orchestral foundation with cinematic boldness or intricate delicacy.

 

A few of Miller’s early career composing highlights include: Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (Clive Barker), Dreamrider (James Earl Jones), Darkman II: The Return of Durant (Sam Raimi) and the acclaimed TV series The Outer Limits (Pen Densham).  His score for Without Limits, directed by Robert Towne and produced by Tom Cruise, was singled out by The Hollywood Reporter as a "rousing, pulse-quickening score."

 

Miller’s collaboration writing additional music for the Golden Globe-winning Best Original Score of Oliver Stone’s Heaven and Earth led to further collaborations with Kitaro, including co-composing for the Grammy nominated Impressions of the West Lake (directed by Zhang Yimou) and co-composing for the Chinese epic The Soong Sisters (Winner of Best Original Film Score at the Hong Kong Film Festival and Golden Horse Film Festival).  Miller’s credits also include the mini-series Spartacus, Amargosa (Oscar finalist in the documentary category), and the award-winning Disney children’s series Handy Manny.  His recent projects include the documentary Extinction Soup and a series of commercials and short films for the Fortune 500-company, John Deere.

 

“My intention for the TMX music score was to combine strong, colorful and thematic material performed by full orchestra, combined with innovative synths/electronics and great industrial/metal guitar performances,” Miller described.  “The music score is completely original. There are brand new themes for The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, Red Skull, M.O.D.O.K., the Adaptoids, other Marvel heroes, and a 'call to action' fanfare.”

 

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http://themarvelexperiencetour.com/

Sequart Organization is proud to announce the DVD release of their Fredric Wertham documentary, Diagram for Delinquents.

In 1950, America was in a state of panic; many felt that juvenile delinquency was destroying the very fabric of society. In 1954, psychiatrist Dr. Fredric Wertham wrote a scathing indictment of comic books called Seduction of the Innocent. Its central premise was that comics were the leading contributing factor to juvenile delinquency. (At the time, 90% of all children were reading comic books.) That same year, Dr. Wertham testified at special hearings on comic books at the Senate Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency in the United States. Comic books were on trial!

Diagram for Delinquents captures the zeitgeist of late 1940s / early 1950s America and investigates how the funny books found themselves on the bonfire. Using expert interviews and never-seen-before historical photographs and films, Diagram goes further than any documentary to explore and understand the controversial figure at the center of this American tale: Fredric Wertham.

The DVD (as well as a digital download version) is now available for purchase at the Sequart Store. For more information on Diagram for Delinquents, and to watch the trailer, you can visit the film’s page on Sequart.org.

Here’s what the critics are saying:

• “Diagram does a tremendous job of creating a human and social context for events that are too easily oversimplified, bringing full color (literally and metaphorically) to the usual black-and-white portrayal of Fredric Wertham. It's also incredibly fun to watch, using everything that's good about comic book graphics without ever trivializing the material.” — Gerard Jones, author of the Eisner-winning Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book
• “For those who might not have thought to look back at the path the medium has had to walk to get where it is today, Diagram for Delinquents is a well-researched and comprehensive history lesson, and should be required viewing for anyone who ever wondered what the fuss was over those silly old monster comics, anyway.” — Stephen Andrade, Ain’t It Cool News
• “Diagram is so extensive in its research and its relaying of the facts that it’s commendable… A thorough and balanced study of the evolution of comic books, and of Wertham’s career.” — Chris Evangelista, Cut Print Film
• “Diagram for Delinquents delivers the most well-rounded approach [to Wertham’s story] in recent memory… This movie has an impressive collection of old footage, recordings, and photographs that are put to great use.” — Cliff Wheatley, IGN
• “With commentary by expert comics and pop culture historians like Bart Beaty, Amy Nyberg, Bradford Wright, Carol Tilley and others, viewers get an extremely nuanced view of the comics industry of the time and gain a new perspective on the industry.” — Jason Sacks, Comics Bulletin

About the Publisher: Sequart Organization is devoted to the study of popular culture and the promotion of comic books as a legitimate art form. Sequart has published twenty books, six documentary films, and thousands of online articles. The documentaries include She Makes Comics, and the books include Our Sentence is Up: Seeing Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles. Sequart is currently producing a documentary on writing powerhouse Neil Gaiman.

ERIC POWELL’S 'GOON' STATUE DEBUTS AT TOY FAIR 2015!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEW YORK, NY —Dark Horse Comics will reveal a new statue based on Eric Powell’s The Goon at Toy Fair 2015 in New York City. The Goon is a hilarious blend of pulpy horror and slapstick comedy following the ongoing misadventures of the man they call the Goon and his sidekick Franky as they battle the legions of the undead! In late 2012, Blur Studios, Dark Horse Entertainment, and Eric Powell successfully funded a Kickstarter campaign for a feature-film-length story reel based on Powell’s beloved characters. Originally Blur Studios produced a very limited-edition faux-bronze statue for fans as an incentive, sculpted by Sean McNally, an artist involved with Blur’s Goon efforts from the start. Now Eisner Award–winning creator Eric Powell and Blur Studios are set to release this gorgeously painted brutish statue for the Goon’s growing legion of fans. “One of the great things about developing the Goon film has been so many great artists contributing their takes on the character. Especially when it comes to Sean McNally,” remarked creator Eric Powell. “His paintings were the first concept pieces I saw when Blur was pitching the idea of an animated film and contributed to me falling in love with the idea. His Goon statue captures everything I always wanted to convey in the character.” Standing over eight inches tall, this beautiful statue is a must-have for any fan of The Goon. “I don’t think there’s an artist in our studio who doesn’t have at least one high-end collectible at their desk, so it seemed like a very natural decision to offer a special-edition statue as one of our Goon Kickstarter backer incentives,” noted Blur Studios’ Jeff Fowler. “We shipped about two dozen of the statues, which were created in a faux-bronze style. It really is a fantastic sculpt, and when Dark Horse contacted us about potentially creating a new painted version, we jumped all over it! The paint job on our prototype was created by another of Blur Studio’s artist alumni, Chuck Wojtkiewicz. We were aiming for a muddier, grittier, tougher-looking Goon than anything previously produced, and we think it turned out great!” The prototype will be revealed at the Dark Horse booth, #4837, at Toy Fair 2015, held February 14–17 at Jacob Javits Center in New York City.  The limited-edition quantity is still to be determined as of press time. The Goon statue will be packaged in a full-color, oversize collector box. Its release is estimated for summer 2015. Suggested retail price is $150.00. ###

CELEBRATE SPRING WITH THE RETURN OF ‘USAGI YOJIMBO’

WELCOME BACK, USAGI! HAVE SOME NINJAS! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MILWAUKIE, OR—While spring showers usually bring May flowers, they will bring something far more exciting this year: the triumphant return of Stan Sakai and his beloved rabbit ronin in Usagi Yojimbo #145! For the first time since February 2012, Usagi is back in his ongoing series, and there’s no stopping his adventures. Kicking off with a new story in Usagi Yojimbo #145, the series continues as Usagi finds himself caught up in a fight between his thief friend Kitsune and a ninja intent on getting the mysterious scroll Kitsune’s stolen, at any cost! One of NPR’s best books of 2014, the long-running series by Stan Sakai has garnered a vast amount of critical acclaim, and the return of the Usagi Yojimbo ongoing series heralds the fantastic next chapter in Sakai’s incredible saga. Don’t miss out on Usagi’s return! Preorder your copy of Usagi Yojimbo #145 today from your local comics retailer! Usagi Yojimbo #145 Stan Sakai (W/A) b&w, 24 pages $3.50 Also coming in May 2015: Usagi Yojimbo: Senso HC | $19.99 | 978-1-61655-709-6 | JAN150137 Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Find a Local Retailer ### About Dark Horse Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, 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, such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, EVE Online, Halo, Serenity, Game of Thrones, 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 both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

VIZ MEDIA NAMED THE NORTH AMERICAN MASTER MERCHANDISE LICENSEE FOR THE SCI-FI HORROR ANIME PROPERTY TERRA FORMARS

Leading Manga Publisher And Anime Licensor To Manage The Licensing And Development Of A Range Of Products Based On The Acclaimed Sci-Fi Creature Thriller

San Francisco, CA, February 12, 2015 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has been named the official North American master merchandise licensee for TERRA FORMARS.

VIZ Media will license and manage the development of a range of consumer and collectable products based on the edgy sci-fi horror anime series. The first of these are scheduled for release later this year.

In TERRA FORMARS, after humanity’s first manned mission to the Red Planet was lost a second expedition arrives. The explorers prepare to exterminate the cockroaches that were used to transform the Martian environment, but are shocked to discover that the insects have mutated into giant, aggressive humanoids with one overriding goal – exterminate the humans! However, this crew of explorers has each undergone the “Bugs Procedure,” terrifying experimental surgery designed to make them more than human…

“TERRA FORMARS is a gripping series well-suited for product development for the substantial North American market, and its strong characters and hyper-detailed artwork have captivated a substantial and growing fan base,” says Daisuke Aoki, VIZ Media’s Vice President of Licensing. “We look forward to working with leading manufacturing partners to develop TERRA FORMARS for the consumer product space and give fans of the series a range of unique and high quality products!”

For more information on TERRA FORMARS or other licensed properties available from VIZ Media, 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 digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, 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.

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Star Trek Fans Can Now Own A Piece of The Future’s Past

Propworx’s Star Trek auctions in 2015 boldly go where no auction has gone before.

Valencia, CA–February 11, 2015--Propworx (www.propworx.com), the entertainment industry’s leading auction house specializing in the sale of screen-used Star Trek props, costumes, set pieces, and memorabilia, predicts its upcoming Star Trek auctions will engage more fans of the venerable TV/film franchise than any similar event to-date. “Our online auction service opens bidding up to fans from around the world,” explained Alec Peters, Propworx president and founder. “Several items only require opening bids as low as $50 - $100; that means every Star Trek fan has an opportunity to own a piece of sci-fi history at a very affordable price.”

The auction slated for February 21, 2015 launches at noon PST (3pm EST) and will take place on the liveauctioneers.com website. Two additional auctions focusing on props, costumes and models used in various Star Trek television and film productions will take place in May and August. “We have so much Star Trek material that it made sense to hold three auctions instead of just one,” Peters said. “That way, fans won’t feel like they missed out on this great opportunity if their bid on an item in the first auction didn’t win.”

Easy and Affordable Bidding

Participating in a Propworx online auction is easy and the system is built to ensure that winning bidders don’t spend more than they have to in order to win an auction. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Go to the Propworx website (www.propworx.com) and click on the “Upcoming Auctions” article in the left column of the homepage. This will take you to a page with the auction catalog (which you can download and peruse) and a large “Register To Bid” link.
2. In order to bid, you have to be registered with liveauctioneers.com. To do that, you must create an account. This is easy to do (you can either set your own username and password or you can use Facebook or LinkedIn login services).
3. Make sure your account information is complete (including your address and a mobile phone number). You must also accept the site’s terms and conditions and acknowledge that you are over 18 years of age.
4. Take a look at all of the items in the latest Propworx auction (http://bit.ly/1uEgAIg) - if you see something you like, you can now bid on it, just click on the “BID NOW” button and place your bid. The auction does not have to be going on in order for you to bid.
5. When the auction takes place, you will receive notifications via text as to how your bids are doing. You can “go live” to the auction by visiting the site as the auction is happening and participate in the action.
6. If you placed the winning bid, you will be notified as to the final amount of that bid, how to settle (pay) for the item and to work out shipment and delivery details.

“We’re very pleased with the online bidding system at liveauctioneers.com,” said Peters. “Fans can place a bid on an item they want weeks before an event and feel confident knowing that their bid and contact information is safe and secure – and that they won’t have to pay more than they need to in order to win the auction.”

The online service hosts hundreds of auctions each month and claims over four million registered users.

100 Star Trek Items Up For Bid

The February 21^st event features 100 Star Trek props, costumes and models with opening bids ranging from $50 to $40,000. A complete auction catalog can be found here: (http://bit.ly/1zvsNKV) or downloaded directly from the Propworx website. Some of the items include:

• ST:DS9 Cast and Crew Hat $ 50
• ST:TNG 100^th Episode Pin $ 50
• Rick Sternbach Asteroid Art $ 100
• ST:DS9 Production Material Lot $ 50
• ST:DS9 Trials and Tribble-ations Tribbles (3) $ 300
• ST:DS9 Trials and Tibble-ations Tibble (1) $ 100
• ST:DS9 Dabo Chip Set $ 100
• ST:DS9 Klingon Stunt Blade $ 100
• ST:TNG Cobrahead Phaser $ 1,000
• ST:TNG Starfleet Medical Tool $ 200
• ST:TNG Starfleet Medical Tricorder $ 4,000
• ST:ENT Capt. Archer Away Team Outfit $ 300
• ST:ENT Trip Tucker Starfleet Uniform $ 2,000
• ST:VOY Neelix Costume $ 1,000
• ST:VOY Seven of Nine Brown Starfleet Uniform $ 3,000
• ST:VOY Capt. Janeway Starfleet Uniform $ 3,000
• ST:DS9 Leeta Baseball Uniform $ 100
• ST:DS9 Dr. Bashir Starfleet Uniform $ 1,000
• ST:TNG Guinan Wardrobe Lot $ 200
• ST:TNG Female Klingon Uniform $ 300
• ST:TNG Wesley Crusher Starfleet Uniform $ 1,000
• ST:TNG Lt. Worf Starfleet Uniform $ 500
• ST-First Contact: La Forge 21^st Century Outfit $ 300
• ST-First Contact: Lilly Sloan Holodeck Dress $ 200
• ST-Generations: La Forge Starfleet Uniform $ 1,000
• ST:DS9 Klingon Battle Cruiser Model $ 500
• ST:TOS Mid-Grade Phaser $ 40,000

About Propworx – Propworx (www.propworx.com) is the entertainment industry’s leading auction service specializing in the sale of the assets of movie and TV productions in high-end auctions created specifically for that property. Propworx sells props, costumes and set pieces through live and web-based auctions.

VIZ PRODUCTIONS DEVELOPING FEATURE FILM BASED ON AUTHOR SAYURI UEDA’S SHORT STORY THE STREET OF FRUITING BODIES

BATMAN Screenwriter Sam Hamm To Develop Script About An Infestation Of Deadly Hallucinogenic Spores

San Francisco, CA, February 12, 2015 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced that its Los Angeles-based film development division, VIZ Productions, is developing the haunting short story, “The Street of Fruiting Bodies,” by famed Japanese author Sayuri Ueda into a feature film, and has retained Batman screenwriter Sam Hamm to write the adaptation.

“The Street of Fruiting Bodies” depicts the sudden spread of a mysterious and lethal species of hallucinogenic mushroom. The infestation is deadly, but it also offers visions of deceased loved ones to the infected, hinting at the reality of an afterlife, or at least a new kind of existence that is beyond human comprehension. Ueda’s story appeared in the anthology, PHANTASM JAPAN, which collected works by several bestselling authors from both the United States and Japan and was published in English in 2014 by VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint. More information on the book is available at: http://www.haikasoru.com/phantasm-japan.

Jason Hoffs, Head of Production at VIZ Productions, says the story is well suited for feature film adaptation. “Sayuri Ueda turns the ‘killer virus’ concept on its head with an agent that strikes at our emotions rather than our bodies. We hope to marry the pace of a riveting popcorn movie with a compelling meditation on life-after-death, love and memory, and God."

Screenwriter Sam Hamm is best known for his script for the 1989 Tim Burton film, Batman, and also adapted short fiction for Showtime’s Masters of Horror series. He says of the new project, “Ueda creates a world in which the most profound human emotions – love, grief, longing, and hope – can lead to one's salvation or one's undoing, and the true horror is that it may be impossible to tell the difference. ‘The Street of Fruiting Bodies’ is not only disturbing, it is moving.”

VIZ Productions coordinates the licensing of Japanese entertainment media (manga, books and film) to North American-based film studios. The company’s most recent project was 2014’s sci-fi action feature, Edge of Tomorrow, which was co-produced by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures and starred Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton. The film was based on the novel, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL, written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and available in English from VIZ Media’s Haikasoru imprint.  VIZ Productions is also currently developing a feature film adaptation of the hit manga property DEATH NOTE.

For more information on anime, manga and film titles published and distributed by VIZ Media, 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 digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, 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.

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