Who Wears the Crown of Love

I read Crown of Love, Vol. 2

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which now has an iPhone app).

Shadowline and Image Comics to Publish "Fractured Fables" in July

PUTTING FABLES BACK TOGETHER AGAIN


Shadowline and Image Comics release FRACTURED FABLES, a fresh take on fairy tales

Some our most beloved fairy tales get a fresh perspective this July with the release of FRACTURED FABLES, an all-new anthology from Shadowline and Image Comics.

"FRACTURED FABLES is pure labor of love," says Shadowline Publisher Jim Valentino. "This book was meant to happen from the start. The creators who worked on it were so enthusiastic, and we've really got something special in FRACTURED FABLES. This book will introduce a whole new generation of fans to comic books!"

Some of the comic book industry's best and brightest use their talents to produce the kid-friendly anthology FRACTURED FABLES. Featuring a cover by MIKE and LAURA ALLRED and humorous takes on familiar fairy tales, creators include JILL THOMPSON, BRYAN TALBOT, PETER DAVID, BEN TEMPLESMITH, TERRY MOORE, SCOTT MORSE, DOUG TENNAPEL, TED McKEEVER, BILL MORRISON, LARRY MARDER, JIM VALENTINO, PHIL HESTER, SHANNON WHEELER and many more!

FRACTURED FABLES, a 160-page full color hardcover anthology featuring an all-star cast of creators, will be available for $29.99 and in stores July 14, 2010. A free sampling of the delightful tales in FRACTURED FABLES will be available on Free Comic Book Day. Look for it May 1, 2010, at your favorite comic book shop!

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

Return to Happy Cafe

I read Happy Cafe Volume 2

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which now has an iPhone app).

Mikansei No. 1 with a Bullet

I read Mikansei No. 1 Volume 1

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which now has an iPhone app).

VIZ Media Presents "Maoh: Juvenile Remix"

VIZ MEDIA OFFERS A BATTLE OF BRAINS VERSUS BRAWN IN NEW MANGA SERIES MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX

A Boy With A Special Power May Be The Key To Saving A City In A Story Of Courage, Determination And Confrontation

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX to North American audiences on May 11th. The new series, by Megumi Osuga and Kotaro Isaka, will be published under the SHONEN SUNDAY imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

In the city of Nekota, where rapid modernization threatens everything the longtime residents hold dear, one young man stands up to oppose the progress. Inukai and his team of vigilantes, known as Grasshopper, protect the citizens from the rising crime wave and the greedy businessmen bent on turning every block into a strip mall. But what is this public hero’s true motive? Is this angelic man really a devil in disguise?

Ando is a high school student who has the power to make others say out loud what he's thinking. In this chaotic city, these two will come together to weave a story of courage, determination and confrontation. But will this be enough to uncover Inukai’s secrets and stop the plot to control the city?

“It’s a cat and mouse chase and battle of wills between two sides with differing ideals as creator Megumi Osuga and Kotaro Isaka set the stage for an engrossing story with MAOH,” says Alexis Kirsch, Editor, VIZ Media. “The new series shows that as crazy as one’s ideas may seem, as long as you believe in yourself and tackle problems head-on, one has the power change the world. This is the perfect addition to our SHONEN SUNDAY library and we are excited to bring this intriguing series to our fans.”

Megumi Osuga made her debut in Shonen Sunday R with the manga series, Tonpachi, and also had a short series called Honou no Ana no Yomi featured in Shonen Sunday Super. MAOH: JUVINILE REMIX launched in Weekly Shonen Sunday in 2007.

Born in 1971 in Chiba Prefecture, Kotaro Isaka is one of the most popular Japanese novelists and has received numerous awards. He has many titles under his belt, and most of them have been turned into live-action movies.

To read free previews of MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX or for more information on other SHONEN SUNDAY series, please visit www.shonensunday.com

Ellen DeGeneres Hardly Seems Worth the Effort - on Either Side

Hunting Lobby Attacks Ellen DeGeneres Comic Publisher for Animal Rights (& Ellen) Support

Million Member US Sportsmen Assn. Outraged by Female Empowerment Issue Featuring Ellen with Proceeds to U.S. Humane Society

When Bluewater Productions president Darren Davis received a call from a Walter “Bud” Pidgeon, president of the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, demanding he withdraw the new Female Empowerment: Ellen DeGeneres issue because of her support of the U.S. Human Society, the Washington-based publisher thought it was someone playing a joke. As emails flooded Bluewater's server from USSA's members castigating him for “elevating” gays, supporting “less than acceptable lifestyles”, and for honoring Ellen's request that issue proceeds go the to U.S. Humane Society he quickly discovered Pidgeon was a real person and had in fact called upon his 3 million members to take action against Bluewater.

Bluewater Productions over the last year has been publishing monthly issues individually dedicated to iconic Americans including Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Walters, and most recently talk show host Ellen De Generes as part of a Female Force series. Each issue tells the lifestory of the subject in an entertaining and informative format, focusing on the positive social contributions.

“Being the subject of a Bluewater issue has become quite the celebrity 'get' with the attendant national publicity” said Bluewater publisher Darren Davis. “We hear from A-list publicists every day pitching one celeb or another.” Davis explained that the subject of each issue, if they choose to participate, gets to select a charity and 1/3 of the proceeds go directly to their nonprofit of choice.

“Ellen chose the U.S. Humane Society” said Davis, “an animal rights organization she has supported for years.”

In a letter demanding Davis take immediate action, Pidgeon explained the USSA's objections including the U.S. Humane Society's campaign to ban dove hunting and their seeking regulation of dog breeders. Pidgeon followed up with a release to the group's 3.1 million members asking them to contact DeGeneres and Bluewater ( http://www.ussportsmen.org/Page.aspx?pid=2403) to share their outrage.

And contact Bluewater the USSA members did. For example, one email expresses outrage for supporting the Humane Society which the write alleges is “Headed by vegans”, and another “I am amazed that a comics publisher would elevate a person of 'DeGenerates' (sic) background …Children are the readers of comics, and they do not need indoctrination into less-than-acceptable lifestyles…”


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.

Following its commitment to green publishing, Bluewater comic books are printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper. FSC certification guarantees that the paper used in Bluewater books contains fiber from well-managed and responsibility harvested forests that meet strict environmental and socioeconomic standards.

For more information, visit www.bluewaterprod.com.

2010 Eagle Awards Deadline Approaches

2010 EAGLE AWARDS NOMINATIONS TO CLOSE MAY 9


STILL TIME TO SELECT YOUR 2009 FAVOURITES

Nominations for the 2010 Eagle Awards will close May 9th. The top five nominees going through to the voting round will be announced at a press conference being held at 11:00am on Sunday, May 23rd at the Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo.

Attending the event are organiser Cassandra Conroy, Barry Renshaw, Glenn Carter, and special guests who will discuss not only the Eagle Awards but also the next step in the evolution of the medium’s longest running prizes. Considered a major step forward for the industry as a whole the move has already drawn support from numerous luminaries among them Peter Bagge, Karen Berger, Howard Chaykin, Steve Epting, Geoff Johns, Denny O’Neil, Jeff Smith, Bryan Talbot, and Brian Wood.

Hosting the meeting is awards founder Mike Conroy who said “I’m really impressed with what Barry and my daughter have planned, it’s a major step forward for the industry and I believe people will be elated when all is revealed.”

There has been a lot of Internet chatter about the Eagles following their absence last year. Rumours were rife with many opining that the Eagles were either on hiatus or even gone forever. Some went so far to suggest the 2010 awards wouldn’t happen. They were of the opinion that Cassandra’s youth was against her and that the pressure was “just too much”.

‘Anyone that believes I was going in blind and naïve is wrong,’ stated Cassandra. ‘There are numerous reasons why 2009 didn’t happen but the call for nominations generated such small numbers that with all our other problems (including the loss of venue) the whole exercise became futile. Last year was far more of an uphill battle than I’d anticipated. I tried everything as did my father, but even with a lot of support there were just too many things against us.’

‘But that was last year,” she continued. ‘In our first week of being live for 2010, the volume of nominees was already four times greater than in 2009. With three weeks to go I’m looking to the future not the past!”

To register your nominations log on to http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/nomination.aspx?view=y

For further information/interviews, please contact Cassandra Conroy at: eagleawards@gmail.com


ABOUT THE EAGLE AWARDS:
Introduced in 1976, the Eagles are the comics industry’s longest established awards. Acknowledged as the pre-eminent international prizes, they have been featured on the covers of leading US and UK titles across the last 34 years ranging from Uncanny X-Men and Swamp Thing to MAD, 2000 AD and Back Issue.

Unique in the comics industry in that they reflect both the professional and the reader’s choice, the Eagle Awards comprise of two distinct stages:

(i) A Nominations Form allows the entire comics community to choose their favourites.

(ii) The top five nominations then appear on the voting form for the readers and fans to choose from, thus focusing the fans with no wasted votes.