Female Force Welcome Ellen Degeneres

Press release from Bluewater Productions:

ELLEN DEGENERES FEATURED IN "FEMALE FORCE" BIOGRAPHY COMIC BOOK SERIES

She entertains millions everyday with her quirky wit and timeless charm. Now daytime talk show host and veteran comic Ellen DeGeneres’ life story will be the featured subject of an upcoming issue of Bluewater Productions’ Female Force biography comic series.

Female Force: Ellen DeGeneres, scheduled for a March 2010 release, follows the comedienne from her youth in Louisiana, through the endless smoke-filled comedy club circuit, to her breakthrough sitcom and finally as an Emmy-winning daytime talk show host.

“People forget what a groundbreaking talent she is and that fame did not come overnight,” said Bluewater president Darren Davis. “But through all her highs and lows, she managed to stay true to herself and prove that she is a female force.”

The issue, written by Sandra C. Ruckdeschel and penciled by Pedro Ponzo also delves into Ellen’s personal life as an openly gay performer and an advocate for gay rights. “It is part of who she is and any telling of her story without acknowledging the importance she places on her identity would be disrespectful to her accomplishments,” said Ruckdeschel.

According to Davis, fans of Ellen will be able to revisit several of the entertainer’s most iconic moments including her 1986 appearance on the Tonight Show, the 1997 episode of her sitcom where her character announces she is gay, her entrance as host of the 2006 Oscars, and even her “trademark” dance moves. It evens covers the recent announcement of Ellen joining the judging panel for American Idol.

Female Force offers a broad examination of strong and influential women who are shaping modern history and culture. In past issues, the monthly series has featured Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Stephenie Meyer, JK Rowling, Barbara Walters and others.

The comic book series, launched earlier this year, has drawn considerable media attention, including features on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, “The View” and “Live with Regis and Kelly.” It has also been featured in such periodicals as People Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today and thousands of blogs and other media outlets.

The suggested retail price (SRP) for the upcoming trade paperback is $3.99.
Female Force individual issues are also available on Amazon.com, where they have been ranked among the site’s top 300 books. [END]

Phantom Dream Offers Big Reveal in Third Volume

I finished reading Phantom Dream Volume 4

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin. This is an excellent series - a dark fantasy as timeless romance.

Here Comes Geek-Girl!

PRESS RELEASE:

“With great glasses comes great responsibility:” Ruby Kaye is GEEK-GIRL!

New up-and-coming writer Sam Johnson (Cabra Cini, Gold Town and the creator of comics’ über-cheesecake site, FANBABES) and artist Sally Thompson (Little Thoughts) introduce us to the world’s newest, klutziest super-heroine: Ruby Kaye a.k.a. Geek-Girl!

When 'Little Miss Popular' RUBY KAYE lands a pair of super-tech glasses--invented by brainiac college geek Trevor Goldstein--in a game of Strip Poker, she's granted flight, super-strength, and--due to a flaw in the glasses' programming--super-klutziness.

“We’re used to it being the geek that stumbles upon super-powers and becomes cool as a result. Geek-Girl is a flip on that,” says Johnson.

A co-ed studying Public Relations at Acorn Ridge college in Maine, Ruby Kaye is something of an ‘it’ girl. She hangs with the in-crowd, is top of the party-invite list, and has guys queuing up. “But…” Johnson continues, “When she gets ahold of these glasses that she thinks are going to be oh-so-cool, she finds that what they do to her is seen as anything but by her clique--headed by the über-bitchy Karin Carpenter--who thinks Ruby’s lost it, big time.

“This is where Ruby finds out just how flimsy her ‘cool kid’-based friendships are,” says Johnson; “and by the end of Geek-Girl #0, she ain’t gonna have many left.

“Oh, but that’ll be the least of her problems, with who--or what--then shows up.”

And Geek-Girl #0 is just the beginning for Ruby Kaye, says Johnson, “How she adapts to her new-found powers and clique-alienating klutziness just might be the making of her--as she learns that with great glasses comes great responsibility, and that geeky can be sexy!”

As well as featuring Geek-Girl’s 12-page introduction, Geek-Girl #0 also includes a 3-page preview of the in-the-works 4-issue Geek-Girl mini-series, illustrated by red hot artist Pablo Martinena. Johnson says, “I’ve been keeping Pablo’s pages to myself until now, and when you guys see them--and his smokin’ variant cover--jaws are gonna drop.”

“I’ve got huge plans for Geek-Girl, and it all begins here, in Geek-Girl #0,” concludes Johnson.

Geek-Girl #0 and Geek-Girl #0 Limited Variant Edition, published by FANBABES, are 16-pages b&w, with color cover, and priced $1.99 and $2.50 respectively. Out Now and available to purchase at www.geekgirlcomic.com and at IndyPlanet.com [URL="http://www.indyplanet.com/store/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=geek+girl&osCsid=4nhuf549700na6gi9u743o2a34"]here![/URL] [END]

New Episode of Stan Lee's Time Jumper Arrives

The text of the press release below actually had to do with the 6th episode of Stan Lee's web motion comics, Time Jumper. The 8th episode arrives today at iTunes:

ABOUT EPISODE 6: DESTINATION UNKNOWN

Charity and Sam meet in an undisclosed warehouse. They appear to be scheming something together. Sam continues to pop pills to relieve his body aches of deteriorating DNA. Could he be in on her ploy to dominate the world?

Meanwhile, Terry is in a Washington DC prison cell and has a notebook on hand that his father Arthur left him. It’s crammed with random number sequences, DNA coils, odd symbols and words in German. Lee Excelsior appears before Terry in jail and hands him his Articulus to escape. Terry makes several jumps in time -- to Siberia, then to the British Isles, then to the Paleozoic era and then to 2026 -- where he finds himself with an aged Eric Bellmont.

Eric explains to Terry all the different ways Charity has affected wrinkles in time and confirms her evilness. She almost knocked Earth off its timeline! Suddenly, Terry spots Sam Dixon...the plot thickens.

REMAINING RELEASE SCHEDULE:
EPISODE 7 - 12/1
EPISODE 8 - 12/15
EPISODE 9 - 12/29
EPISODE 10 - 12/29

Purchase Time Jumper on iTunes:
Individual Time Jumper episodes retail for just $0.99 on iTunes.com or for just $7.99 you can purchase a “Season Pass” which automatically loads all 10 episodes on your iTunes account as they become available. To purchase, visit www.itunes.com/timejumper.

About Time Jumper:
Stan Lee (creator of Spider-Man, X-Men, The Hulk, and the Fantastic Four) and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment have joined forces to co-produce Time Jumper, an exciting new superhero story told in 5-8 minute episodes. This original short form content combines motion graphics, video, music, and voice over to create a unique comic book experience set to release on multiple platforms including but not limited to mobile, online, games, DVD and publishing.

Time Jumper is being written and developed to offer a dynamic opportunity for consumers to engage in a multi-dimensional narrative adapted specifically for various platforms, to maximize their experience and interaction with the characters and their universe trans-media. Consumers will have the accessibility to download single or multiple episodes onto a media platform of their choice anytime, anywhere, as well as purchase the comic book in print. The new digital motion comic format combines the traditional print look and feel, including dialogue and thought bubbles, with today’s cutting edge multimedia elements, including edgy visuals, music, voices and a fast-paced storyboard, to take a classic genre into the next dimension.

Storyline Synopsis:
Twenty-year-old college student Terry Dixon has the most unique mobile device on Earth -- The Articulus, a time travel device developed by Terry’s genius father, Arthur Dixon. To prevent the Articulus from falling into the wrong hands, Arthur coded it to work only with his DNA. After a laboratory experiment claims Arthur’s life, Terry and his older brother Sam become the only people capable of using it.

Recruited into secret crime fighting organization H.U.N.T. (Heroes United, Noble and True) after the mysterious disappearance of golden boy Sam, Terry becomes a reluctant hero living in his brother’s shadow. As he struggles to fill his new role, unnatural shifts in the course of history send Terry hurtling through time to capture Charity Vyle, the diabolical leader of criminal cartel C.U.L.T. (Council of Unstoppable, Lethal Terrorists).

But something more than just Terry’s molecules are being reconfigured as he leaps across time, and it threatens to corrupt everything he understands about who he is, and whether the world is actually worth saving after all…
For more in-depth information about the series, characters and behind-the-scenes video please visit www.TimeJumperComics.com. [END]

Detroit Metal City Demands a Dark Lord's Cherry

I finished reading Detroit Metal City, Vol. 3

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin. Lord Krauser must lose his virginity, but does he?

VIZ Media to Ship Final Oishinbo in January

Press release from VIZ Media:

FINAL VOLUME OF THE ULTIMATE FOOD MANGA - OISHINBO RELEASING JANUARY 19TH!

The Last Hand-Selected Volume Out of A 100+ Volume Hit Series Exploring Essential Elements of Japanese Cuisine is coming to an end. Volume 7 Izakaya-Pub Food Is Here!

VIZ Media announced today the release of the final volume of the mega hit food manga by Tetsu Kariya, OISHINBO due out on January 19th. Volume 7, Izayaya-Pub Food is rated ‘T’ for Teens and carries an estimated retail price of $12.99 US and $16.99 CAN.

Izakaya occupies the same vital space in the Japanese culinary landscape as tapas bars in Spain or tavernas in Greece. Unpretentious and frequently boisterous, they're places to meet with friends or business partners to unwind over drinks and small dishes that range from hearty standards to refined innovations. In this volume of OISHINBO, Yamaoka and Kurita investigate classic Izakaya foods such as edamame and yakitori, devise new dishes to add to the menu of an old shop, and discover how the concept of "play" is essential to the enjoyment of food.

OISHINBO creator Tetsu Kariya, writer and essayist extraordinaire graduated from prestigious Tokyo University. Kariya was employed with a major advertising agency before making his debut as a manga writer in 1974 when he teamed up with legendary manga artist Ryoichi Ikegami to create Otoko Gumi (Male Gang). The worlds of food and manga were forever changed in 1983 when Kariya, together with artist Akira Hanasaki, created the immensely popular and critically acclaimed OISHINBO.

“Fans of Japanese cuisine and culture have been delighted with every volume of the critically acclaimed OISHINBO series and we are excited to bring them this final volume that covers the excitement of izakaya,” says Evelyn Dubocq, Sr. Director of Public Relations, VIZ Media.

OISHINBO (or “The Gourmet") depicts the adventures of journalist Shiro Yamaoka, who writes for the fictional newspaper Tozai News. When the paper’s top executives decide to create “The Ultimate Menu” to celebrate the paper’s 100th anniversary, Yamaoka, known for his reputation as a foodie with culinary skills to match, is given the daunting assignment. With the help of his coworker Kurita, Yamaoka begins an epic saga to find unique and tasty dishes that will compose this ultimate bill of fare. Each volume of OISHINBO focuses on specific foods and culinary trends such as sake, sushi, vegetables, rice dishes, ramen, and Izakaya (pub food). VIZ Media has served up selected highlights from this epic 100+ volume series and compiled them into seven a la carte editions that can be enjoyed individually or as a series. OISINBO has further inspired a 136-episode anime series, a live-action film and TV dramas, video games, recipe collections, and TV shows in Japan.

For more information on OISHINBO and other VIZ Media titles please visit www.Viz.com. [END]

DMP to Publish Selfish Demon King Yaoi Novel

Press release from Digital Manga Publishing:

Selfish Demon King (Yaoi Novel)
ISBN: 1569701326
ISBN13: 9781569701324
Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing
Imprint Name: June
Price USD: $10.95
Writer: Kyoko Wakatsuki
Artist: Naduki Koujima
Release Date: December 16, 2009

Size: 4.25 x 6.75”
Format: Softcover
Page Count: 200
Series Volumes: Oneshot
Recommended Age Young Adult 16+
Genre: Yaoi, Fantasy, Romance

Summary
Shizuku is an adorable and spunky high school student, but even he doesn’t know the secret he’s hiding. When Shizuku comes home from school one day, he’s met by a stunningly beautiful man. This paragon of exquisite beauty, Doga, tells Shizuku that the Shizuku’s true nature is that of a sexual mage. Doga is actually the king of the magical realm and that once every hundred years, right at the cusp of mating season, he has to take a sexual mage as his lover… What is Shizuku to do?

Other works by creative team:
Our Kingdom – Arabian Nights (DMP: 9781569701287)
Great Place High School (DMP: 9781569707470)