Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Vertigo Unleashes Horror Avalanche for Halloween

This October Vertigo is publishing a slew of titles to send chills down readers’ spines including, AMERICAN VAMPIRE Volume 1, original graphic novels: THE GREEN WOMAN and A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY, a new mini-series: HELLBLAZER-City of Demons, and the ongoing series: iZOMBIE, AMERICAN VAMPIRE, HELLBLAZER, HOUSE OF MYSTERY and the HOUSE OF MYSTERY Halloween ANNUAL #2.

AMERICAN VAMPIRE Vol. 1
This first hardcover volume of the critically acclaimed series collects issues #1-5 and follows two stories: one written by Scott Snyder and one written by Stephen King, both with art by Rafael Albuquerque. Snyder’s tale follows Pearl, a young woman living in 1920s Los Angeles, while King’s story is set in the days of America’s Wild West and tells the origin of Skinner Sweet, the first American vampire—a stronger, faster creature who can walk in the sun.

(Vertigo, Hardcover, 192pg., $24.99, ISBN: 978-14012-2830-5, on sale September 29 comic stores, October 5 book stores)

THE GREEN WOMAN
New York Times bestselling horror novelist Peter Straub resurrects his most sinister creation, Fielding "Fee" Bandolier, the unstoppable serial killer from his acclaimed “Blue Rose Trilogy.” Co-written by Michael Easton, most notably John McBain on ABC’s One Life to Live and illustrated and painted by the award winning comic artist John Bolton, THE GREEN WOMAN is a graphic novel of horror and unrelenting suspense that takes readers deep into the minds of both a serial killer and the police detective whose mission is to bring this monster to justice.

(Vertigo / 152 pgs / color / $24.99 HC / ISBN: 978-1-4012-1100-4 / on sale October 6, 2010 comic store, October 12, 2010 book stores)

A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY
Internationally acclaimed crime novelist Denise Mina and Italian artist Antonio Fuso make their debut with the Vertigo Crime novel A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY. The Usher family struggles to keep up a facade of normalcy that cannot mask a deep and disturbing dysfunction. As they gut their house in the U.K. during a remodeling designed to increase the home’s value, their tenuous family ties quickly tear apart as well. And when the Ushers start dying one by one, of most unnatural causes, A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY takes the reader on a bizarre and often gruesome path leading to a profoundly shocking twist that will haunt you long after the book is done.

(Vertigo / 184 pgs / B&W / $19.99 HC / ISBN: 978-1-4012-1081-6 / On sale October 13, 2010 comic stores, October 19 book stores)

JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER-City of Demons
A 5-issue miniseries from writer Si Spencer and red-hot artist Sean Murphy (JOE THE BARBARIAN). When John Constantine is run over by a truck, it takes a little while for England's nicotine-fueled magus to realize that he's perched between life and death. After a few weeks of hospital rehab, Constantine finds the London streets VERY different from when he left them behind as a series of occult murders and mutilations demands his attention. The common denominator points back to the ER where he was admitted…

(Vertigo / 32 pgs / color / $2.99 / Issue #1 on sale October 13, 2010, Issue #2 on sale October 27, 2010)

I, ZOMBIE
Author Chris Roberson (Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love) and illustrator Michael Allred (Madman) give their unique take on the Zombie Mythos. Told from a female zombie’s perspective I, ZOMBIE is a smart, witty detective series with a mix of urban fantasy and romantic dramedy. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Dylan is a 20-something gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery. Once a month she must eat a human brain to keep from losing her memories, but in the process she becomes consumed with the thoughts and personality of the dead person until she eats the next brain. Along with her best friend Eleanor, a swinging 60s ghost, a posse of vampires who play paintball, a smitten weredog, and a sexy but demented mummy, Gwen ‘zombie girl detective’ sets out to fulfill the dead person’s last request, solve a crime, or right a wrong.

(Vertigo / 32 pgs / color / $2.99 / Issue #6 on sale October 6, 2010)

HOUSE OF MYSTERY Halloween Annual #2
The haunting began last Halloween, but this year, Matt Sturges, Peter Milligan, Mike Carey, Jill Thompson and a hoary host of guest creators deliver even more spine-tingling thrills in the HOUSE OF MYSTERY HALLOWEEN ANNUAL #2! The annual House of Mystery Halloween Party is in full swing when the doorbell rings, which is unusual because a) it's never happened before and b) there isn't a doorbell at the House of Mystery! What does Fig find when she opens the door? A warped trio of kids cursed to trick or treat until the end of time who will spin a tale spanning the years involving many Vertigo favorites such as Hellblazer, Lucifer, Madame Xanadu, iZombie and loads of others!

(Vertigo / 48 pgs / color / $4.99 / on sale October 13, 2010)


Babymouse Want to Be a Cupcake Tycoon

I read Babymouse #13: Cupcake Tycoon

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has smart phone apps).


Monday, October 4, 2010

VIZ Media Celebrates Naruto's Birthday

JOIN VIZ MEDIA TO CELEBRATE NARUTO’S BIRTHDAY WITH NEW MANGA AND ANIME, SPECIAL CONTESTS, AND FUN EVENTS IN OCTOBER

It’s Naruto’s birthday October 10th, and VIZ Media invites fans to help celebrate the birth of the world’s most popular ninja with the release of the latest volume of the NARUTO manga series, the next NARUTO SHIPPUDEN box set, special coverage in SHONEN JUMP magazine, and a series of fun events planned around the 2010 New York Comic Con and Anime Festival.

NARUTO Volume 49, the latest manga installment, hits retailers on October 5th (rated ‘T’ for Teens, MSRP $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN). In this volume, The Gokage Summit commences, and the five leaders of the strongest villages in the ninja world meet to discuss the fate of their universe and how to deal with the ever-looming threat of the rogue organization, the Akatsuki. Plans are made that will affect Naruto deeply. The new Hokage, the leader of Naruto's village, is not afraid to make the final end move against Naruto's old pal, Sasuke!

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN BOX SET 4 (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) will be available October 19th in Special (MSRP $69.97 U.S. / $99.99 CAN and includes Sasuke figure) and Standard editions (MSRP $49.95 U.S / $71.99 CAN). Team Kakashi's spying mission brings them face to face with the Leaf's most deadly enemy, Orochimaru. Naruto's rage brings forth the Nine-Tailed Fox, but at great risk to both himself and those he cares for the most. With Naruto's rampage quelled, the team continues on to Orochimaru's lair to find Sasuke, but the mysterious Sai has disappeared. Could one of their own be planning the ultimate betrayal?

VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP magazine also celebrates NARUTO in its October edition, available now on newsstands, and online! A NARUTO Birthday Sweepstakes is offered where ten lucky fans will win a very special Pakkun backpack filled with exciting premiums including patches, DVD box sets, a collectable figure and more! Also featured is a story on how Naruto will celebrate his birthday, and fun ideas for fans to celebrate theirs. More info is available at: http://shonenjump.viz.com/features/index.php?id=410.

Finally, fans in the New York City area on October 8th are invited to catch the VIZ Media NARUTO Street Team in action. The team will be stationed throughout Times Square during the day and at the 2010 New York Comic Con and Anime Festival at Jacob Javits Convention Center in the afternoon. Come dressed in NARUTO gear to win a prize!

Created by Masashi Kishimoto, NARUTO was first introduced in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country’s most popular ninja manga targeting tweens and teens with more than 100 million copies in circulation to-date. The manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens) and animated counterpart (NARUTO rated ‘T’ for Teens, and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) are among VIZ Media’s most successful properties and have captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America.

The latest NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime episodes from Japan are currently available for free viewing at www.VIZAnime.com and Hulu.com. Dubbed episodes are available for download to own through iTunes, PlayStation Network, Amazon, Xbox and more.

For more information on NARUTO please visit the official NARUTO website at http://www.naruto.com/.

Grant Morrison Documentary Tours the Right Coast and the Left Coast

PRESS RELEASE:

This is your chance to see the GRANT MORRISON: TALKING WITH GODS documentary live with other fans! If you’re near any of these cities, make it your mission to buy a ticket to see this exciting doc:

San Francisco – October 8th through October 13th at the Roxie
NYC – October 9th at Cinema Village (scroll down) with Director / Producer Q&A
Philadelphia – October 15th at the Johnsville Centrifuge with Director / Producer Q&A
Boston – October 17th at the Magic Room with Director / Producer Q&A
LA – October 21st at Meltdown Comics with Director / Producer / Special Guest Q&A

TALKING WITH GODS examines Morrison’s 30-year career and the real-life events that inspired his stories. Featuring extensive interviews with Morrison himself, the film delves into his early days growing up in Scotland, the start of his career in comics, the crazy years of the '90s as his life and his comics became enmeshed, and his recent attempts to turn social darkness and personal troubles into compelling comics. The film also gives insight into his creative process, including a look into his vaunted idea notebooks. Complementing Morrison's own words are interviews with many of his collaborators and colleagues, including Frank Quitely, Warren Ellis, Geoff Johns, Phil Jimenez, Mark Waid, Cameron Stewart, Douglas Rushkoff, Frazer Irving, Jill Thompson, Dan DiDio, and more.


School of Visual Arts Exhibits Work by Over 100 Comics Artists

Press release:

School of Visual Arts Presents "Ink Plots: The Tradition of the Graphic Novel at SVA"

Comic Art Legends and Rising Stars Celebrated in Exhibition, Talks and Film

See Gary Panter, Dash Shaw, Jerry Robinson, Ray Billingsley, David Sandlin and Jerry Moriarty Live On Stage at SVA

New York, October 1, 2010 - School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents "Ink Plots: The Tradition of the Graphic Novel at SVA," an exhibition of original drawings, books, prints and animation by over 100 artists. "Ink Plots" traces the development of sequential art over four decades with selections by SVA faculty members and showcases the work of SVA alumni who are pushing the boundaries of the graphic novel today. "Ink Plots" is curated by Marshall Arisman, chair of the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Department, and Thomas Woodruff, chair of the BFA Illustration and Cartooning Department. The exhibition will be on view at the Visual Arts Gallery, 601 West 26 Street, 15th floor, New York City, from October 8 - November 6, 2010. A reception will be held on Thursday, October 14 from 5:30 - 7pm.

"'Ink Plots' pays tribute to some of the most important artists responsible for the invention and development of the graphic novel," says co-curator Arisman. "The years many of these artists spent teaching at SVA has greatly influenced the present generation of graphic novelists."

Participating current and former SVA faculty members include Sal Amendola, R. O. Blechman, Sue Coe, Will Eisner, Tom Gill, Edward Gorey, Burne Hogarth, Klaus Janson, Frances Jetter, Ben Katchor, Peter Kuper, Harvey Kurtzman, Keith Mayerson, David Mazzucchelli, Jerry Moriarty, Mark Newgarden, Gary Panter, Jerry Robinson, David Sandlin, Walter Simonson and Art Spiegelman.

"We're in the midst of the new platinum age for sequential art," says Woodruff, co-curator of the exhibition. "Using multicultural influences and ambitious new formats, SVA alumni are expanding the boundaries of the graphic novel to include traditional and experimental adult-themed long-format works, diarist comics, fantasy epics, and cutting edge examples of 'Amerimanga' the hybridized East-West form taking hold in our cartooning canon."

Participating SVA alumni include Russell Braun, Sungyoon Choi, Erik Craddock, Pascal Dizin, Nathan Fox, June Kim, Bill Plympton, Nate Powell, Lauren Redniss, Dash Shaw, Koren Shadmi, Raina Telgemeier, Michael Townsend, Steve Uy and Sara Varon, among others. A full list of participating SVA alumni can be found below.

Comics legend Will Eisner is often credited with coining the term "graphic novel" with his 1978 work, A Contract with God, which tells four related stories of Jewish immigrant life in 1930s New York. A critical and commercial success, Eisner's landmark work, along with the popular satire of Harvey Kurtzman's Mad magazine and Burne Hogarth's pioneering Tarzan of the Apes (1972), established a new genre of literature, one that embraced the comic format while telling mature, complex stories. In 1986, graphic novels entered the mainstream with the publication of Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus.

From the psychedelic experimentations of Dash Shaw's high school melodrama Bodyworld (2010) to the teen nightmares Raina Telgemeier poignantly details in her fictionalized memoir Smile (2010), the graphic novel has continued to challenge conventional storytelling in form and content. The genre's popularity has also grown exponentially in the past 40 years, allowing artists and publishers to take greater risks. As seen in the 9/11 memoir American Widow (2008), illustrated by Sungyoon Choi, or in Nate Powell's Eisner award-winning exploration of mental illness, Swallow Me Whole (2008), the limits of the graphic novel are still being tested.

Related Events
"Ink Plots" Benefit Cocktail Party
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Midtown Loft & Terrace, 267 5th Avenue

On Thursday, October 14 from 7 - 10pm, The Alumni Society of School of Visual Arts will hold a benefit cocktail party at Midtown Loft & Terrace (267 5th Avenue, New York City). Tickets are priced at $250 with $100 tickets available to SVA alumni. Proceeds will fund a scholarship for cartooning and illustration students at SVA. For more information on this event, please contact The Alumni Society of SVA at (212) 592-2302 or serwin@sva.edu.

Will Eisner, Master Teacher at SVA
Monday, October 18, 7pm
SVA Theatre, 333 West 23 Street

This two-part event begins with a panel discussion on longtime SVA faculty member Will Eisner moderated by author and comics historian N. C. Christopher Couch and features Curtis creator Ray Billingsley, Punk magazine creator and underground cartoonist John Holmstrom, author and cartoonist Batton Lash and Will & Ann Eisner Family Foundation President Carl Gropper. The evening continues with a screening of Andrew D. Cooke's documentary Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist (2010, 96 min), which features Kurt Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Frank Miller and others discussing Eisner's impact on popular culture. This event is free and open to the public.

Every Picture Tells a Story: Comics and Narrative Painting
Wednesday, October 20, 7pm
SVA Theatre, 333 West 23 Street

New media guru and comics scholar John Carlin, who founded the digital design studio Funny Garbage and co-curated the 2005 exhibition "Masters of American Comics" at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, leads a panel discussion on the relation of comics to narrative painting. Participants include legendary painters, comic book artists and SVA faculty members Gary Panter, Jerry Moriarty and David Sandlin. This event is free and open to the public.

Jerry Robinson: Ambassador of Comics
Wednesday, November 3, 7pm
209 East 23 Street, 3rd-floor amphitheater

A living legend of American comics and one of SVA's original faculty members, Jerry Robinson will discuss his influential career, including his most recent books, Jerry Robinson: Ambassador of Comics (Abrams ComicArts, 2010) and Jet Scott Volume 1 and 2 (Dark Horse, 2010) along with the forthcoming updated edition of the 1974 classic The Comics: An Illustrated History of Comic Strip Art (Dark Horse, 2011). As a member of the original Batman team, Robinson created the Joker and co-created Robin. A 70-year veteran of the comics industry, he was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2004. This event is free and open to the public.

Distinguished Alumnus Lecture by Dash Shaw
Thursday, November 4, 7pm
SVA Theatre, 333 West 23 Street

The New York Times has called artist and SVA alumnus Dash Shaw (BFA 2005 Illustration) "a hard-core experimentalist" and "a hell of an artist, constructing vivid, uncanny compositions with a spectacular sense of color and space." With the publication of Bottomless Belly Button (Fantagraphics, 2008) and BodyWorld (Pantheon, 2010), Shaw has quickly established himself as a leader among today's graphic novelists. The animator and director of IFC's The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century A.D., Shaw is currently working on the animated feature The Ruined Cast. This event is free and open to the public. Presented by the Alumni Society of School of Visual Arts.


About School of Visual Arts
The Visual Arts Gallery, located at 601 West 26th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, 15th floor, is open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm; closed on Sundays and public holidays. Admission is free. The gallery is accessible by wheelchair. For further information call 212.592.2145.

School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.

Participating SVA alumni, as of September 30, 2010, include: Rachel Allison, Delfin Barral, James L. Barry, Lauren Simkin Berke, Russ Braun, Hanni Brosh, Nathan Bulmer, Matty Burns, C.M. Butzer, Aaron Campbell, Mike Carlin, Frank Caruso, Sungyoon Choi, Erik Craddock, Jerry Craft, Marguerite Dabaie, Farel Dalrymple, Nick DeStefano, Matt Dicke, Pascal Dizin, Mike Dubisch, Darnell Edwards, Rami Efal, Anat Even-Or, Brian Floca, Joe Flood, Nathan Fox, Doug Fraser, Stephen Gilpin, Will Grant, N. Steven Harris, Scott Harrison, Paul Hoppe, Dunja Jankovic, Sabrina Jones, Kripa Joshi, Yuriko Katori, Victor Kerlow, June Kim, Scott Koblish, Viktor Koen, Nora Krug, Batton Lash, Brendan Leach, Dongyun Lee, John Paul Leon, Yali Lin, Abede Lovelace, Michael Lurry, Benjamin Marra, Shawn Martinbrough, Andrés Vera Martínez, Patrick McDonnell, Mark McKenna, Joe Meyer, Antonio Montalvo, Christian Montalvo, Al Nickerson, Cheri Nowak, Neil Numberman, Kensuke Okabayashi, Kip Omolade, Bill Plympton, Nate Powell, Joel Priddy, Lauren Redniss, Jungyeon Roh, Matt Roscetti, Koren Shadmi, Dash Shaw, Sandy Spreitz, Leslie Stein, James Sturm, Raina Telgemeier, Jodi Tong, Michael Townsend, Jonathan Twingley, Steve Uy, Sara Varon, Cherise Ward, Carolyn Watson-Dubisch, Graig Weich and Sophia Wiedeman.

Comedy Central at New York Comic-Con

Press release:

COMEDY CENTRAL JOINS NEW YORK COMIC-CON WITH UGLY AMERICANS AND NICK SWARDSON'S PRETEND TIME PANELS AND A SPECIAL SOUTH PARK SURPRISE ON OCTOBER 9th

Comedy Central will have a presence at New York Comic Con again this year. The schedule includes an Ugly Americans panel on Saturday, October 9, from 6:15 - 7:15pm, a Nick Swardson's Pretend Time panel from 7:15 - 8:15 pm and, capping it off at 8:15pm, a special South Park surprise!

In addition, I have Comedy Central prize packs that include autographed posters and DVDs. If you’d like to run a contest just let me know!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9TH: UGLY AMERICANS PANEL
6:15 - 7:15pm ROOM 1A06

Go behind the scenes of this animated series sensation. Featuring a sneak peek of the new season, Q&A, and more. The series follows Mark Lilly, social worker at the Department of Integration, as he helps new citizens both human and "other" adapt to hectic life in the Big Apple. Between his stressful job, a zombie roommate, and a demon ex-girlfriend, Mark’s lucky if he can sneak in a few minutes of sleep. But who can sleep when there’s a drop-dead gorgeous Mermaid sitting at the bar?

Ugly Americans premieres Wednesday October 6 at 10:30/9:30c after an all-new South Park on Comedy Central.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9TH: NICK SWARDSON'S PRETEND TIME PANEL
7:15 - 8:15pm ROOM 1A06

Comedy Central: Nick Swardson's Pretend Time Nick Swardson's Pretend Time is a sketch show in which each sketch is filtered through the absurd point-of-view of stand-up comedian Nick Swardson. Swardson takes the viewer into his goofy world through a series of sketches including the adventures of a jealous man whose mother left her estate to the family cat as well as sketches inspired by the Internet sensation "Gay Robot," which follows the life of a gay robot and his fratboy friends. Swardson's world of make-believe incorporates every reach of the imagination - from time travel accidents to a pirate crew's unfortunately located treasure map. Get a taste of Nick with a sneak peek of the series, Q&A with Nick, and more.

Nick Swardson's Pretend Time premieres Tuesday October 12 at 10/9c on Comedy Central.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9TH: IT'S BUTTERS! AN EVENING OF CHAOS
8:15pm ROOM 1A06

A celebration honoring Leopold “Butters” Scotch. The event will be packed full of games, prizes and CHAOS! Everyone will go home a winner! It’s guaranteed to be an unforgettable night for all South Park fans. That’s all we can say for now.

An all-new season of South Park premieres Wednesday October 6 at 10/9c on Comedy Central.

21st Century Aladdin

I read Aladdin: Legacy of the Lost (Volume 1 TPB)

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has smartphone apps).