Arcana Has Comics App

ARCANA COMICS now available for the iPad and iPhone

VANCOUVER (July 5, 2011) - Arcana Studios, an award winning comic book publisher and transmedia producer, is excited to announce that an app is now available, showcasing all of the amazing books Arcana has to offer.

Joining in with the digital revolution, Arcana Studios has been looking for the best way to offer their readers access to their substantial library of over 150 comic book titles on smart devices. Using the comiXology platform, Arcana has developed an app bringing their books into the hands of the masses. Available now as a free download for the iPad and iPhone, Arcana's app will allow readers to download any of a large number of books for some of the most competitive prices in the industry. The app features a number of free comics available for download and other titles are $5.99 each. The majority of these downloads are full length graphic novels! View screen shots of the app and download a free copy at http://appshopper.com/books/arcana-comics.


About Arcana Studios:
Since 2004 Arcana Studios has established itself as an innovative leader in developing content in numerous mediums. Arcana owns one of the world’s largest libraries of graphic novels and comics, and has adapted this library into live action feature films, stereoscopic 3D animated features, episodic television series and toys. Arcana focuses on a transmedia approach to the scaffolding process of developing brands and intellectual properties.

Arcana's primary method for establishing new brands has been through comic book publishing since their inception, Arcana Comics has published over 150 original intellectual properties in nearly 200 graphic novels reaching sales of over 2,000,000 units. Arcana is found on 15 different countries and translated into seven languages across the globe. Winning the Shuster Award for Top Publisher, the Moonbeam Award for Top Children's Graphic Novel, Foreward Magazine’s Top Graphic Novel at Book Expo America, BIV's Top 40 Under 40 Award and the Top 40 Under 40 in Canada are just a few of the accolades that Arcana has achieved. Arcana has also been awarded the Digital Readiness Grant from BCFilm, a development fund from Telefilm, the Digital Springboard Program from NMBCA, the CME’s Top Export Award and BIV’s Top Fastest Growing Companies Award.

Each graphic novel showcases the high quality branded entertainment that contains over 5000 characters. These characters and storyworlds transcend gender, age, cultural and geographic boundaries. Arcana’s focus towards new media platforms has kept it ahead of the industry’s curve providing customer choice for distribution and format of content.

Our History:
Completing our debut title Kade, we had great success with the gothic hero and began to see the potential we had uncovered. Ant was Arcana's follow-up title and completely sold out in less than 9 days, an unprecedented feat for an independent publisher. Ezra and 100 Girls went on to be featured as one of the top 12 books of the year in Wizard's Secret Stash. Arcana Studio is an official Disney vendor, and has been hired by Disney, Sony Animation, Spike TV, MTV, HBO, CAPCOM, NBC, Warner Bros, Mattel, American Girl, the National Hockey League, Harley Davidson, THQ and more to establish new worlds, characters, stories and brands.

Arcana is a transmedia company that has aggressively pursued establishing brands through engaging storytelling and compelling art. With a strong foothold in the print publishing world, Arcana continues to be a premier content provider. Arcana owns one of the world’s largest libraries of graphic novels and comics, and has adapted this library into live action feature films, stereoscopic 3D animated features, episodic television series and toys.

Arcana Studio Inc. remains independent of major entertainment studio affiliation. Arcana Studio is currently in production of the stereoscopic 3D animated feature, The Clockwork Girl. Arcana is also partnered with Gale Ann Hurd (“Terminator”, “Aliens”) on Gearhead, Alexandra Milchan (Sylvestor Stallone’s “Head Shot”) on Blade of Kumori, Hans Rodinoff and Hollywood Media Bridge (“Lost Boys: The Tribe”) on Raise Kane, Scott Milam (“Mother’s Day”) on Gauze, Ben Magid (“Hack/Slash”) on Trout, Jar Productions (“Hidden Howie”) on Philosopher Rex, Terry Dougas (“The Invention of Lying”) on The Tower, Doc Wyatt (“Napoleon Dynamite”) on 100 Girls, JC Spink (“The Hangover”) on Continuum, Adrian Askarieh (“The Hitman”) on Amnesia and also is producing a three slate at Codeblack/Universal for Light’s Out, Ant and Blam!

Stepping on Roses Superficial Marriage

I read Stepping on Roses, Vol. 6


I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.

Dark Horse Digital Comics at Local Comic Book Shops

EXCLUSIVE NEW DARK HORSE DIGITAL COMICS AVAILABLE TODAY AT YOUR LOCAL COMIC SHOP!

JULY 1, MILWAUKIE, OR—As previously announced, Dark Horse debuts its program to distribute exclusive digital content through brick-and-mortar retailers today, with the launch of B.P.R.D.: Casualties!

Starting today, the Dark Horse Digital Retailer Exclusive program will offer all-new monthly digital comics for free! This exclusive program is a great way to drive both new and existing customers into local comic shops for digital comics that only those stores can provide.

Over the next three months, the program will debut new stories from some of Dark Horse’s hottest titles:

JULY: B.P.R.D.: Casualties -Liz and Abe investigate a series of hideous murders taking place at a remote cabin in the woods.

Creators:
Writers: Mike Mignola, Scott Allie
Artist: Guy Davis
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Clem Robins

AUGUST: Buffy Season 9: Magical Mystery Tour Featuring the Beetles -Spike leads an intergalactic bug crew though time and space in order to get back to planet Earth!

Creators:
Writer: Jane Espenson
Artist: Georges Jeanty
Inker: Dexter Vines
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Letterer: Richard Starkings

SEPTEMBER: Mass Effect – Details coming soon!
A complete list of participating retailers can be found below. Stop into your local comic shop today to pick up a special redemption code for your exclusive eight-page B.P.R.D. story today!

For the complete list of participating stores, please visit the Dark Horse blog: http://www.darkhorse.com/Blog/476/exclusive-digital-comics-available-your-retailer

Rosario+Vampire: Season II: Siren Song

I read Rosario+Vampire: Season II, Vol. 5

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.

VIZ Manga App Adds "Grand Guignol Orchestra" and Others

SUMMERTIME MANGA READING HEATS UP WITH NEW DIGITAL RELEASES FOR THE VIZ MANGA APP FOR iPAD, iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH LAUNCHING THE FIRST HALF OF JULY

I’LL GIVE IT MY ALL TOMORROW, GRAND GUIGNOL ORCHESTRA And INUYASHA Among New Titles; Latest Update Also Features Additions To 15 Popular Manga

VIZ Media delivers more summer manga reading fun as it announces the debut of four new manga (graphic novel) series that join the extensive library of VIZ MANGA APP titles currently available for digital download for the Apple iPad™, iPhone™ and iPod™ Touch.

Launching during the first-half of July will be Shunju Aono’s slacker-inspired I’LL GIVE IT MY ALL TOMORROW, as well as GRAND GUIGNOL ORCHESTRA, creator Kaori Yuki’s twisted tale of horror and tortured romance. The newest round of updates also features the debut of the VIZBIG omnibus version of Rumiko Takahashi’s classic supernatural adventure, INUYASHA. After shopping, also enter to win a $50 iTunes gift card by taking the VIZ Manga App survey, running through the end of August.

The VIZ MANGA APP is now available for free for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices through the iTunes® Store, and all manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada from within the application for only $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume.

I’LL GIVE IT MY ALL TOMORROW Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · Available July 4th
Created by Shunju Aono, I’LL GIVE MY ALL TOMORROW is the story of a hapless forty year-old salaryman who quits his job to pursue his dream of becoming a manga artist – and the family that has to put up with him. While not terribly unhappy, Shizuo Oguro can't fight the feeling that something in his life just isn't right, so he walks away from his stable (yet boring) day job to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Unfortunately for his family, this journey also involves playing video games all day while his teenage daughter and elderly father support him. Will Shizuo succeed in creating a true manga masterpiece, or will he be just another dropout living a life of slack?

INUYASHA VIZBIG Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · Available July · iPad Exclusive!
Kagome is an ordinary modern schoolgirl living an ordinary life. Who would have thought the dried-up old well on the site of her family's shrine would be a gateway to Japan's ancient past? Drawn through the gate against her will, Kagome finds herself battling demons for control of what she thought was a worthless trinket but is actually a powerful magical gem, the Shikon Jewel! Together with an unlikely ally, the half demon Inuyasha, Kagome begins a quest to recover the shards of the Shikon Jewel and learn more about her link to the past.

GRAND GUIGNOL ORCHESTRA Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · Available July 11th
GRAND GUIGNOL ORCHESTRA is the latest series from gothic manga queen Kaori Yuki. Lucille loves heading up the traveling Grand Orchestra, roving from town to town, entertaining the masses and making money. But now the musicians have met their toughest audience yet: people infected with the Guignol Virus, turning them into zombie dolls intent on killing all humans!

Additional new VIZ Media manga volumes launching include:

June 4th:
BLACK BIRD Vol. 7
BLEACH Vol. 18
CLAYMORE Vol. 13
DENGEKI DAISY Vol. 2
D. GRAY MAN Vol. 14
DRAGON BALL Z Vol. 16
HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES Vol. 3
NARUTO Vol. 33
ONE PIECE Vol. 33

June 11th:
DRAGON BALL Z Vol. 17
FUSHIGI YUGI: GENBU KAIDEN Vol. 4
HYDE & CLOSER Vol. 3
KEKKAISHI Vol. 8
NARUTO Vol. 34
ONE PIECE Vol. 34
ROSARIO + VAMPIRE Vol. 10
RUROUNI KENSHIN Vol. 17
THE STORY OF SAIUNKOKU Vol. 3

The VIZ MANGA APP is the leading application to read Japanese manga on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, with an extensive downloadable library of the most popular manga series in the world. The app now offers nearly 300 volumes available for download. Readers should check the app regularly, as new additions to the store and free Chapter 1 previews of other forthcoming manga series are featured.

For more information on the VIZ MANGA APP, please visit www.VIZ.com/apps/.

"Beasts of Burden" Return in Dark Horse Presents

DARK HORSE PRESENTS: BEASTS OF BURDEN!

THE RETURN OF THE PACK IN DHP #4!

June 29, MILWAUKIE, OR—Coming to you fresh from the upcoming eighty-page spectacular, Beasts of Burden returns in Dark Horse Presents #4!

Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson’s lovable and crafty team of critters is back in action for a story that will tempt your taste buds and leave you wanting more!

Adventure, mystery, horror, and humor thrive on every page of Beasts of Burden—a comic-book series that will capture readers’ hearts and haunt their dreams.

Award-winning comics creators Evan Dorkin (Milk and Cheese) and Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother) first introduced these very special investigators in The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings and the other Dark Horse Book of . . . anthologies, for which they won coveted Eisner Awards for Best Short Story and Best Painter.

Evan and Jill will both be in attendance at San Diego Comic-Con 2011!

Looking for more Beasts of Burden? Check out the free comic on DarkHorse.com: http://www.darkhorse.com/Features/eComics/1090/Beasts-of-Burden.

Big Time Rush in Bluewater's FAME Series

NICKELODEON'S TEEN PHENOMENON “BIG TIME RUSH” GETS THE COMIC BOOK TREATMENT IN AUGUST

Bluewater is pleased to announce a special graphic novel featuring the Nickelodeon phenomenon that is sweeping the nation's youth. Of course, we're talking about the boy band that includes Lendall, Logan, Carlos and James.

“FAME: Big Time Rush: The Graphic Novel” will be released in August and have a cover price of $7.99. The biography on the ascension of the boy band is written by CW Cooke and drawn by Erick Orlando Baez.

“We're excited to bring this book to the table,” said Publisher Darren G. Davis. “Our 'FAME' line has done extremely well with the tween generation. Parents are getting these biography comic books to help their kids learn about their icons in a different medium. School and libraries love these biography comic books because of reluctant readers are gravitating to them and reading.

This 40-page graphic novel will be chronicling this saga, “FAME: Big Time Rush: The Graphic Novel ” will explore all sides of this incredibly popular group, from their childhoods to the huge successes they are today.

"Nickelodeon has been a staple of television for so long that we forget how important it is to children as they grow up”, says writer CW Cooke. “”Big Time Rush” gives boys and girls teenage role models that they can look up to without their parents being scared for them."

“Well, I have to say the book was great fun,” says artist Erick Orlando Baez, because I have always worked on the Italian-styled layouts, which is rather strict, consisting usually of six panels per page. Having all this freedom from Bluewater has been both exciting and somewhat scary. I hope I managed to do a good job. The subject, instead, was rather descriptive, and I'm used to that, so I think I got into it quickly enough.”

Join Bluewater Productions as we examine the amazing journey of “Big Time Rush” and how they became one of the ultimate American phenomenons.

Also in stores from the “FAME” biography comic book series is Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Beyonce.

To pre-order the "FAME: Big Time Rush: The Graphic Novel” go to your local comic book shop, Barnes & Noble and amazon.com. To Pre-order it on Amazon click here: http://amzn.to/m5TxsB


About Bluewater Productions
Bluewater Productions Inc. is one of the top independent production studios of comic books, young adult books and graphic novels. Its extensive catalog of titles includes the bestsellers “10th Muse” and “The Legend of Isis” ”Bluewater publishes comic books in partnership with entertainment icon William Shatner (“TekWar Chronicles”), legendary filmmaker Ray Harryhausen (“Wrath of the Titans,” “Sinbad: Rogue of Mars,” “Jason and the Argonauts,” et al) and celebrated actor Vincent Price (“Vincent Price Presents”), Additionally, Bluewater publishes a highly successful line of biographical comics under the titles “Female Force” and “Political Power.”

Bluewater aims to unite cutting-edge art and engaging stories produced by its stable of the publishing industry's top artists and writers.

For more information, visit http://www.bluewaterprod.com/.