From Diamond Distributors:
IDW Becomes Premier Publisher
First publisher to achieve higher status with Diamond since 1996;
Diamond and IDW strengthen their exclusive distribution relationship with new agreement and initiatives
Diamond Comic Distributors and IDW Publishing announced today that IDW has become the first publisher to advance to "premier" status since the classification was implemented in 1996. Diamond and IDW have signed a new, multi-year agreement that features a number of fresh initiatives, including premier status, in recognition of IDW's success as a top tier comic book and graphic novel publisher. Under the agreement, Diamond will continue to be the exclusive distributor of IDW comic books and graphic novels to the comic book specialty market, and to the bookstore market through its Diamond Book Distributors division.
"This change recognizes the growth and importance of IDW Publishing," said Diamond President and CEO, Steve Geppi, "and we look forward to working with them for many years to come."
Diamond VP Purchasing Bill Schanes added, "Since IDW began publishing, they have grown consistently each and every year, while at the same time establishing one of the best editorial, marketing, and business teams in our industry. They're easy to work with, understand our market, and are forging ahead with new strategies and plans to grow the consumer appetite for comics and graphic novels."
In April, Diamond's PREVIEWS catalog and PREVIEWSworld.com website will showcase IDW's new vendor status as the company moves to the "Premier Comics" section. IDW will have an exclusive section in the front of the catalog each month, highlighting their new offerings to comic shop retailers and customers.
"We are very pleased to have completed this groundbreaking agreement with Diamond," said Ted Adams, CEO of IDW Publishing. "By combining Diamond's leadership in distribution with IDW's ten-plus years in developing, creating and marketing comic books and graphic novels, we have created an ideal relationship for each of our companies. The comic book medium is trending upward in all parts of consumer awareness and we are proud to be a partner with Diamond for the future."
Key points to the agreement include:
Premier Publisher
Under the new agreement and as a result of the company's consistently strong market share, IDW will have premier status within Diamond and Diamond's PREVIEWS, including an exclusive section at the front of the monthly catalog.
Discount and Terms of Sales
IDW Publishing will remain in a traditional buy/sell relationship with Diamond, with their books continuing to be sold to comic shops under Diamond's Terms of Sale (unlike Diamond's brokerage arrangement with publishers like Marvel and DC Comics where Diamond acts as a sales agent). Discounts will remain unchanged at this time.
Final Order Cut-Off
IDW will be added to Diamond's Final Order Cut-Off Program sometime in the near future. "Since IDW is a traditional buy/sell vendor, we have some programming work to do, but we expect to have that finalized later this year," said Schanes.
Book Market Distribution
Diamond remains the exclusive book market distributor of IDW's publishing efforts. "We're extremely proud of the progress we've made in helping IDW grow its sales in the book store market over the last five years," said Diamond Book Distributors VP Sales & Marketing, Kuo-Yu Liang. "From their strong licensed properties to their successful launch last year of the Worthwhile Books line for kids, IDW has adeptly shown what products will sell into the book market channel."
ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS-the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise-Diamond is based in Baltimore, MD, and services more than 3,500 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at http://www.diamondcomics.com/.
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; Fox's Angel; the BBC's Doctor Who; and television's #1 prime time series CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studios; and is the print publisher for ComicMix. 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.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Moonstone Books Announces "The Phantom Generations" TPB
The PHANTOM GENERATIONS TPB
Story: Tom DeFalco, Ben Raab, etc.
Art: Pat Quinn, Gordon Purcell, etc.
Cover: Eugenio Mattozzi
376pgs, b/w, 7” x 10”, $19.99
Includes two bonus never-before-published stories by Tony Isabella and Mike Bullock!
A monster-tome collection of the one shot comic novellas, with each story (by a different creative team) telling a tale of one of the 21 Phantoms!
Creators like Ben Raab, Pat Quinn, Tom DeFalco, Don Hudson, Mel Odom, Michael Stribling, Will Murray, Enrique Alcatena, Joe Bucco, Danny Fingeroth, Mike Baron, Alex Saviuk, Gordon Purcell, Greg Cox, Steven Grant, Justin Gray, and more!
Friday, March 19, 2010
I Reads You Review: PORTRAIT OF M&N, VOL. 1
Publishing Information: TOKYOPOP, B&W, paperback, 206 pages, $10.99 (US), $13.99 CAN
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4278-1724-2 (ISBN-13)
Portrait of M&N is a new series focusing on two high school students with embarrassing, even debilitating secrets that cannot be shared with people outside their homes.
Fifteen-years-old Mitsuru Abe is attending a boarding school because at her last school, the students discovered that she is an extreme masochist who delights in receiving brutal beatings. Fate brings her into contact with fellow student, 15-year-old Natsuhiko Amakusa, and he turns out to be a narcissist who gazes at himself in a room full of mirrors. They help each other out and keep each other’s secrets. Then, another student, Hijiri inserts himself into their relationship, claiming to be in love with Abe. Is he really, and does Amakusa even care if another guy in love with Abe?
The moment I saw the cover for Portrait of M&N, Vol. 1, it made me want to read the book. On the credit page, Chelsea Windlinger is credited as “graphic designer.” If Chelsea did design the cover, I need to praise her; it is Eisner Award worthy.
As for the manga itself: if this first volume of Portrait of M&N is a good indicator (and I think it is), this will be a good series. Creator Tachibana Higuchi (Gakuen Alice
) isn’t making fun of the leads’ personality disorders, but she’s mines humor in how Abe and Amakusa engage the rest of the world in spite of their afflictions. I’d say that Higuchi is being cruel to her fictional creations, except both Abe and Amakusa are so resilient. Higuchi has a way of placing her characters and their weird interior worlds in the context of the outside world that reminds me of the work of famed New Yorker cartoonist, Charles Addams
. Portrait of M&N is macabre and has a wicked sense of humor in the vein of Addams’ classic cartoons. This is reason enough to embrace Portrait of M&N.This is a wonderful read, and like a dark jewel with the power of enchantment, it won’t let you look away.
A
Buy Portrait of M and N Volume 1 (Portrait of M & N)
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Bluewater Productions Announce Kristen Stewart in "Fame" Series
KRISTEN STEWART TO GETS FAME COMIC BOOK TREATMENT FROM BLUEWATER PRODUCTIONS
Actress Kristen Stewart became an instant celebrity the moment she signed on to play Bella, the love interest of vampire-with-a-soul Edward in the Twilight
series of vampire/romance movies based on the popular novels of the same name.Now Stewart is making the leap to full-on celebrity: She is the newest star of Bluewater Productions' Fame series of biography comics coming in June.
But Stewart has been acting long before Twilight, and most of her work hasn't involved vampires or werewolves. In fact, anyone who has watched the coming-of-age drama/comedy Adventureland, knows just how powerful of an actress Stewart can be.
Fame brings to life in graphic form the stories of the world's biggest celebrities. The series premieres in May and covers the life stories of Lady GaGa & Robert Pattinson. Future editions will include the stories of Taylor Swift and soccer sensation David Beckham.
Writer Kim Sherman, who has also penned Bluewaters' Robert Pattinson entry in the series, said that Stewart's versatility and talent might surprise readers who only know her as Bella.
“For Twilight fans, Kristen Stewart is a woman whom fans long to be and love to hate,” Sherman said. “But Kristen has been in the public eye for years, and her career as a serious actor spans dozens of films over a 10-year period of time. My goal with this biography was to show readers the depth residing in this young woman and the roles she's beautifully tackled through a series of spot shots, pinups and word art.”
Sherman added that the art on this book, provided by renowned artist Warren Martineck, perfectly brings Stewart's story to life.
“Well-known artist Warren Martineck, of Marvel and D.C. fame, takes my script and provides an amazing viewpoint of the beauty, the grit and the individuality which defines Miss Stewart,” Sherman said.
The 32-page comic book, Fame: Kristen Stewart will be available in June, and will retail for $3.99. Two covers will be available: cover A, by Juanmar Studios which attaches like a puzzle to the FAME: Robert Pattinson issue. Cover B is done by famed comic book artist Randy Green “X-men and Witchblade”.
Bluewater Productions has become well-known for its biography comics. In addition to its Fame series, the company also publishes both the Female Force and Political Power line of biography comics. March 31st comes the release of Female Force: Ellen Degeneres.
“I look at every one of our biography comics as a way to lead a new group of readers to the world of graphic storytelling,” said Darren G. Davis, president of Bluewater Productions. “I have little doubt that Kristen Stewart's biography will accomplish this.”
Check out EXCLUSIVE pages from this issue at MTV: http://bit.ly/91fTFx
To find a comic book store near you go to www.comicshoplocator.com. Or the book is able on Amazon.com: http://bit.ly/91nmvC
For more information on Bluewater Productions, visit the company's Web site at www.bluewaterprod.com
WWE Comics Offers YouTube Sneak Preview
For a sneak peek at the new WWE Heroes comic, check out this YouTube trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzY9cN9ee24
I Reads You Review: OTHERS
Creator: Will Dinski
Publishing Information: self-published; 2-color, bound mini-comic, 9pp
Ordering Numbers: View at website: http://www.willdinski.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/pressman1.gif or purchase at conventions in which Dinski appears
Best known for his mini-comics, cartoonist Will Dinski lives and draws comics in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2003, Dinski received a BFA in Comic Art from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and in 2009, he won the Isotope Award for “Excellence in Mini-Comics.” Dinski’s first graphic novel for Top Shelf Productions, entitled Fingerprints, will debut later this year.
Dinski’s mini-comics are handmade books utilizing silk-screened printing on high-grade paper stock. One of those publications is entitled, Others. Dinski bound Others together using a single twine tied around the top of this 4.5” x 6” flip book. A colorful, paper band is wrapped around the book, acting as a kind of mini-dust jacket containing the title “Others,” and the following text: “Two short stories about the solitary and disenchanted.”
Printed in navy blue, the first story is entitled, “The Pressman,” which has as its protagonist a nightshift printer at a daily paper. Although he works at night, the printer spends his days downtown, following office workers around: eating lunch when they do, sitting in traffic with them for laughs, and generally spying on them. His efforts allow him to witness an executive scandal.
Printed in orange ink, the second story is “Get Away from Me,” and is narrated by a bird that makes critical comments about crowds as he watches the humans in the city below. Later, he has his own issues with the pack mentality.
The stories are a little odd, especially “Get Away from Me,” but they have an innate charm that shows through even when reading only a little of them at a time. The format for Dinski’s stories may seem unusual and even distinctive. However, in terms of visuals and narrative, they bear a resemblance to the comics of Dan Clowes and Adrian Tomine.
“The Pressman” has an oddly alluring Film-Noir quality, and the page design and structure also make it quite eye-catching. “The Pressman’s” structure features alternating panels that are either text only (dialogue or narration) or art only. It creates a rhythm that forces the reader to pay attention to each individual panel as the best way to understand the entire story when connecting all the panels as a linear narrative. I think that structure also limits what the reader will imagine happens in between panels.
Dinski’s ideas and stories are a good fit for the format in which he chose to publish Others. This is simply a charming little package is more than just a charming little package. It is also good comics.
A-
http://www.willdinski.com/
VIZ Media to Publish "Rosario + Vampire Season 2"
New Sequel To Bestselling Manga Chronicles Life At A Boarding School Filled With Monsters And The Undead
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, lets fans quench their desire for stories of the undead with the premiere of the sequel to Akihisa Ikeda’s smash hit manga series ROSARIO + VAMPIRE
. ROSARIO + VAMPIRE: SEASON II
will be published under the Shonen Jump Advanced imprint and hits stores nationwide on April 6th with a ‘T+’ for Older Teens rating and a MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.In this action filled series, average teenager Tsukune accidentally enrolled at a boarding school for monsters – no, not jocks or the popular kids, but bona fide werewolves, witches and other unnamable denizens from of his wildest nightmares! On the plus side, all of the girls have a major crush on him. But on the negative side, all the boys are so jealous they want to kill him! And so do the girls he spurns, because he only has eyes for one of them – the far-from-average vampire, Moka. Still, on the plus side, Moka only has glowing red eyes for Tsukune. But on the O-negative side, she also has a burning, unquenchable thirst for his blood!
“They’re sexy, they’re undead and unlike any student body you’ll find!” says Elizabeth Kawasaki, VIZ Media Senior Editorial Director. “The popularity of the vampire genre has exploded in the wake of films like Twilight and TV shows like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, but it’s also long been a favorite subject for manga. ROSARIO + VAMPIRE: SEASON II continues to find Tsukune’s life at Yokai Academy anything but normal. Readers will want to hold on tight to the page, and their souls, with this exciting new action comedy release from VIZ Media and Shonen Jump Advanced!”
Creator Akihisa Ikeda debuted in 2002 with the four-volume magical warrior fantasy series KIRUTO, which was serialized in Japan in Monthly Shonen Jump magazine, which later went on to feature ROSARIO + VAMPIRE beginning in March 2004. ROSARIO + VAMPIRE also spawned an animated series and a drama CD, produced by studio GONZO.
For more information on this title, or others from VIZ Media, please visit www.viz.com.
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