More Comic-Books-on-Mystery-Apple-Device Rumors

Gizmodo has a nice article about comic book industry figures hoping Apple's mysterious upcoming tablet will be a savior for the industry. An earlier Gizmodo article talked about Apple supposedly reaching out to print publishers concerning this rumored tablet.

VIZ Media Announces Jormungand

Press release from VIZ Media:

VIZ MEDIA LETS THE BULLETS AND ACTION FLY IN NEW MANGA SERIES JORMUNGAND

Death Is A Business And Business Is Good For A Crack Team Of Mercenaries; Staying Alive Becomes Even More Dangerous When A New Young Recruit Joins The Team

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will premiere the exciting new manga series JORMUNGAND to readers across North America next month. The new action adventure by Keitaro Takahashi will be published by VIZ Media’s Signature imprint and will release on November 10th. JORMUNGAND is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

Jonah is a child soldier, born amidst the chaotic conflicts that rage across West Asia. His family was lost to a war fueled by weapons supplied by the so-called Merchants of Death – international arms dealers. Despite Jonah's hatred of weapons and violence, he employs them extremely well in the service of high-flying arms dealer named Koko Hekmatyar and her band of mercenaries. Their journey through the dark underbelly of the world's arms markets may lead to damnation, but will Jonah somehow make his way back to the light? Only one thing is certain: it's going to be a long, hard road out of hell... Death is their business, and business is good! In Volume 1, Koko Hekmatyar, the head of H&C Logistic Incorporated, introduces new recruit Jonah to her expert team of troubleshooters, and it isn't long before they find some trouble to shoot. An Eastern European government official holds up a shipment of aircraft parts that would shift the balance of power in the region. But the real trouble is that shipment belongs to Koko, and she's not about to miss an opportunity to make a profit, even if it means two nations go to war!

“JORMUNGAND takes its name from the fabled ferocious sea serpent in Norse mythology, and readers will be at the edge of their seats with this fierce band of mercenaries that live up to the name with an insatiable taste for trouble and gunplay,” says Gonzalo Ferrerya, Vice President, Sales & Marketing. “JORMUNGAND is a must-read for any action fan, and Keitaro Takahashi’s manga delivers plenty of bullet-riddled adventures as he fills each chapter with plenty of shady characters, double deals, and enough heavy metal weaponry to make any modern paramilitary jealous! Just remember to keep your head down and eyes glued to the page!”

Keitaro Takahashi’s debut manga, Ordinary±, won the Four Seasons Prize in 1999 and was subsequently serialized in Gekkan Afternoon magazine in Japan. Prior to creating JORMUNGAND in 2006, Takahashi worked as an illustrator for several books and he has drawn considerable acclaim for his striking, realistic and angular style.

For information on VIZ Media titles, please visit www.VIZ.com. [END]

VIZ Media Set to Launch Beast Master

Press release from VIZ Media:

VIZ MEDIA INVITES READERS TO A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE WITH THE NEW BEAST MASTER MANGA SERIES

It’s Animal Attraction When A High School Girl Meets A Cute Boy Who Is Not All He Appears To Be

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, expands its popular SHOJO BEAT imprint with the release of Kyousuke Motomi’s BEAST MASTER manga on November 3rd. The new series is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN.

Leo Aoi looks like a crazy animal with wild eyes – and no one at his new high school will go near him! He does seem to have a special connection with animals, which intrigues overzealous animal lover Yukio Kubozuka. In reality, Leo isn’t nearly as frightening as he appears, but Yukio finds out that he goes berserk whenever he sees blood! Will Yukio be able to get through to Leo during one of these violent fits? Or will his ferocious side eventually devour her? The debut volume also includes a special bonus short story called FLY.

Manga artist Kyousuke Motomi debuted in Japan’s popular shojo manga magazine Betsucomi with No Good Cupid in 2002, and she is also the creator of Handsome! Beads Club. Her latest work, Electric Daisy, is also currently being serialized in Betsucomi.

“BEAST MASTER is part comedy, part romance, part drama and all fun as it adds a new twist to the idea of animal attraction,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media. “Readers will empathize with Leo and his terrible secret and root for the tender relationship he forms with Yukio. Will she be able to tame Leo’s wild side? Will the pair find true love or will his secret destroy them both? Find out in this truly wild new series from VIZ Media!”

Bruce Lee Brand Expands

From Business Wire:

Bruce Lee Enterprises Announces Website Launch and Major Expansion of Brand

Projects Include Film, Television and Licensing

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shannon Lee, daughter of Bruce Lee and CEO of Bruce Lee Enterprises and LeeWay Media is announcing a major expansion of the Bruce Lee brand. Her organization has launched a flagship website, BruceLee.com, and is actively engaged in an ambitious program of licensing name and likeness rights and creating original film and television productions. Upon reacquiring her family’s merchandising rights from Universal Studios, Shannon has opened an in-house licensing division, Bruce Lee Enterprises (BLE), and LeeWay Media Group, a production company dedicated to the perpetuation of the Lee legacy through new media works.

“BruceLee.com will be the beacon of all things Bruce Lee on the Internet,” said Shannon Lee. “The site will include everything from facts about Bruce Lee to digital content to merchandise. I’ll also be writing a blog. My father’s fans have been asking for a place to find information and communicate with each other. This site will be a meeting place for our community.”

LeeWay Media Group, the television and film production company, is actively coordinating a slate of film and television productions. Projects in development include a Chinese language biopic directed by noted Hong Kong director Andrew Lau, an animation project with Waddell Media and Ireland-based Flickerpix, a CG action film, and a Broadway musical from veterans David Henry Hwang (M Butterfly), Stuart Oken (Lion King), Director Bartlett Sher (South Pacific), and David Yazbek (The Full Monty).

Recently completed projects include a 50-part television biography of Bruce Lee that aired in China on CCTV and How Bruce Lee Changed the World, which aired on the History Channel.

Bruce Lee Enterprises (BLE), the licensing company, has been focused on a slate of merchandising and advertising deals that include Pepsi Cola, Nokia, Lucky Brand Jeans and Charter Communications. “The ethos of Bruce Lee - action, power, grace and style - provides a broad base appeal that we are just beginning to realize,” says Alex Stephens, VP of Licensing at BLE. “Bruce smashed racial, gender and generational barriers during his lifetime and our partners understand that his image enables them to market products to a broad and attractive demographic.”

BLE also announced that Greenlight, a media licensing, talent and rights representation consultancy has been selected to represent the rights of Bruce Lee for advertising and endorsements world-wide.

BLE has declared an aggressive program to protect the integrity of the Bruce Lee brand in the United States and internationally. Kris Storti, COO and General Counsel, will coordinate this program. Says Storti, “We are re-doubling our efforts around the world. We are absolutely committed to a vigorous protection of the Bruce Lee brand and our intellectual property, and plan to pursue legal action whenever necessary. This, unfortunately, includes the recently announced biopic by JA Media and Robert Lee.”

The Bruce Lee Foundation, (bruceleefoundation.org) a non-profit organization, will be holding a convention at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Los Angeles, November 13-15 which is open to the public. Linda Lee Cadwell, Foundation Chairperson and wife of the late Lee says, “We continue to be moved by the outpouring of affection and respect for Bruce around the world.” The Foundation provides scholarships and educational programs, as well as a long term goal of creating the Bruce Lee Action Museum.

“Our goal is simple,” says Shannon. “It is to continue to inspire people through my father’s legacy. There is a lot of value in continuing to put that energy out into the consciousness.”

Stephen King to ACTUALLY WRITE a Comic Book

From Attention USA:

This coming March, Vertigo (imprint of DC Comics), will begin publishing American Vampire, a new comic book series with its first five issues co-written by Stephen King and Scott Snyder.

The Daily Beast spoke with its creator, Scott Snyder, and has a great image gallery of character sketches that we thought you'd want to see.

Story -> Stephen King's First Comic Book
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-25/stephen-kings-new-chapter/

Gallery -> Character Sketches Media Gallery http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-25/stephen-kings-new-chapter/?cid=hp:mainpromo5#gallery=893;page=1
[END]

Vivid Entertainment to Finally Release "Shauna Sand Exposed"

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Newsarama Sold Again

Apparently, Imaginova, Inc, the company that bought Newsarama about 2 years ago, has now sold the site to another company - Editor's note

From Business Wire:

TopTenREVIEWS Acquires Technology and Entertainment Web Sites Space.com, LiveScience.com and Newsarama.com

OGDEN, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TopTenREVIEWS today announced it has acquired the Consumer Media Division of Imaginova Inc., a privately held company based in New York City. Included in the acquisition are Space.com, LiveScience.com and Newsarama.com. As part of the ongoing expansion, TopTenREVIEWS has established the TechMediaNetwork to incorporate these properties.

TopTenREVIEWS, the 4th largest technology news site according to September 2009 U.S. comScore Media Metrix data, joins Space.com, LiveScience.com and Newsarama.com as TechMediaNetwork properties, a network encompassing technology, science and entertainment. Combined, 12.2 million people visit TechMediaNetwork sites each month.

“This acquisition expands TopTenREVIEWS' coverage as a trusted technology adviser and strengthens the company as a source of technology news,” said TopTenREVIEWS founder and CEO Jerry Ropelato. “We see strong potential for growth in traffic and revenue as a result of the synergy between the sites.”

TopTenREVIEWS is a privately held technology review Web site covering software, Web services, consumer electronics and entertainment, offering millions of reviews in more than 350 categories. With Space.com, LiveScience.com and Newsarama.com, TopTenREVIEWS expands its coverage to include news and information about technology, science and comic genre entertainment, in addition to content about purchasing the best technology and entertainment products. TopTenREVIEWS will expand its coverage of consumer reviews to include products and services related to the new properties.

“Creating TechMediaNetwork is a natural progression in our company’s goal to create a more comprehensive network of technology and entertainment news, information and purchasing advice,” said Stan Bassett, president of TopTenREVIEWS. “Our new tech network broadens our ability to educate people on a wider range of topics – from astronomy to health to computer security.”

The sites, each brand leaders in their markets, will remain fundamentally the same. The science properties syndicate original content to the following news portals: Yahoo!, MSNBC, AOL, USA Today and FoxNews.com. TopTenREVIEWS will also continue the relationships Imaginova had with the scientific community, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), while expanding its technology and entertainment coverage.

Space enthusiasts visit Space.com for compelling content about space science, astronomy and exploration news. Launched in 1999, Space.com has enjoyed the past management participation of several key space-related public figures.
LiveScience.com is the leading source for groundbreaking developments in health, the environment and technology. It is the 2007 winner of the Online Journalism Award for Specialty Journalism among large Web sites, by the Online News Association (ONA). Known for its ability to convert often complex concepts into simple explanations, LiveScience attracts millions of visitors each month.

Newsarama.com provides comprehensive coverage and commentary of comics and genre-related entertainment. It won the 2008 Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism. Entertainment Weekly included Newsarama in its list of "100 Greatest Websites," and the American Library Association lists it as a research resource in the field of comics.

Founded in 2003, TopTenREVIEWS.com provides consumers with side-by-side product and pricing comparisons to help them research, shop and purchase technology and entertainment products and services. To fuel growth, TopTenREVIEWS received a Series A investment from venture capital firms Highway 12 Ventures and Village Ventures in June 2008. The investment in TopTenREVIEWS built on the success of the initially self-funded company's vision to change the way consumers shop for technology and entertainment products and services by providing helpful, accurate and unbiased reviews and resources.

To learn more about TechMediaNetwork, visit http://www.techmedianetwork.com/.
For more information about TopTenREVIEWS, visit: www.toptenreviews.com/about-us.html.
For more information on LiveScience, visit: http://www.livescience.com/; Space.com, http://www.space.com/; and Newsarama, http://www.newsarama.com/.

TopTenREVIEWS is a trademark of TopTenREVIEWS Inc. All other names are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. [END]