Sunday, January 30, 2011

Naruto is 50-Volumes-Old

NARUTO MANGA SERIES REACHES MILESTONE

VIZ Media Set To Release Volume 50 Of Hit Series In February

VIZ Media will release the 50th volume of the NARUTO manga (graphic novel) series on February 1st. The newest adventure of the bestselling series – Water Prison Death Match – will be published under the company’s Shonen Jump imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 / $12.99 CAN.

Killer Bee vs. Kisame! Plus, the realization of Naruto's worst nightmare seems inevitable as the war he's tried to stop for so long looms on the horizon. And Sakura corners Naruto with a reveal that's going knock him for a serious loop. Then, a truth behind the modern ninja world sheds new light on Naruto's true role in the fate of his universe.

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 and has sold more than 85 million copies 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.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime episodes are also currently available for free at http://www.naruto.com/ and through a variety of other web-based, video streaming outlets that have partnered with VIZ Media, including iTunes, Joost and Hulu.

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


Friday, January 28, 2011

10 VIZ Media Titles Make YALSA List

YALSA NAMES TEN VIZ MEDIA MANGA TITLES TO ITS 2011 GREAT GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR TEENS LIST

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, is proud to announce that ten of its manga (graphic novel) titles have been selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) as among 2011’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens. The annual list highlights titles that exemplify the quality and range of graphic novels appropriate for teen audiences. The books, recommended by the association for those aged 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens.

Among these, SATURN APARTMENTS, which is published by VIZ Media’s Signature imprint, was ranked among YALSA’s 2011 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens. For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the U.S. leader in selecting books, videos and audio books for teens.

VIZ Media titles featured on the 2011 YALSA Graphic Novel list include:

AFTERSCHOOL CHARISMA Vol. 1 • by Kumiko Sukane • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
At St. Kleio Academy, all of the students are clones of famous historical figures. Are the clones doomed to repeat the fate of their genetic progenitors, or can they create their own destinies?

BIOMEGA Vol. 1 • by Tsutomu Nihei • Rated ‘M’ for Mature
In a nightmare vision of the future, the N5S virus has swept across the earth, turning most of the population into zombie-like drones! Zoichi Kanoe is humanity’s last hope, and he’s not even human!

BOKURANO: OURS Vol. 1 • by Mohiro Kitoh • Rated ‘M’ for Mature
Saving the world is hard. Saving yourself is even harder.

CROSS GAME Vol. 1 • by Mitsuru Adachi • Rated ‘T’ for Teens
A poignant coming-of-age centered around a boy named Ko, the family of four sisters who live down the street, and the game of baseball!

HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES Vol. 1 • by Natsume Ono • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
An out-of-work samurai finds himself drawn into a mysterious gang known as the Five Leaves.

LIBRARY WARS: LOVE & WAR Vol. 1 • Original concept by Hiro Arikawa; manga story and art by Kiiro Yumi • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
In the near future, the federal government creates a committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable. The libraries vow to protect their collections, and form a military group to defend themselves – the Library Forces!

MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX Vol. 1 • Original story by Kotara Isaka; manga story and art by Megumi Osuga • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
What do you do when the city's savior is actually a devil in disguise...?

NATSUME’S BOOK OF FRIENDS Vol. 1 • by Yuki Midorikawa • Rated ‘T’ for Teens
Natsume can see the spirits and demons that hide from the rest of humanity. Moving to the small town where his grandmother grew up, he discovers that he has inherited more than just the Sight from the mysterious Rieko.

not simple • by Natsume Ono • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
A young man with a fractured family history travels from Australia to England to America in the hope of realizing his dreams and reuniting with his beloved sister.

SATURN APARTMENTS Vol. 1 • by Hisae Iwaoka • Rated ‘T’ for Teens • A Top 10 Selection
A touching, character-rich vision of an intriguing new world. Mitsu takes on his late father's dangerous job as a window washer on the Ring circling the earth where all humans have been relocated…

The complete list of YALSA 2011 selections is available at: www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/.

“YALSA is the leader in recommending high-quality literature, including books and media, and we are very gratified to have so many of our titles featured on the organization’s latest list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens,” says Brian Piech, Senior Director, Marketing, VIZ Media. “Millions of teens read manga from their local school and public libraries each week, and we hope these selections give librarians and their patrons a trusted resource for some of the best and latest from the exciting world of manga.”

For more information on these and other VIZ Media manga titles, please visit: http://www.viz.com/.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

BLU's You and Me, Etc.

I read You and Me, Etc.

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).  This is a Boys' Love title from BLU.


DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 26 2011

DC COMICS

NOV100181 ACTION COMICS #897 $2.99

NOV100266 AMERICAN VAMPIRE #11 (MR) $2.99

OCT100264 BATMAN VS THE UNDEAD TP $14.99

NOV100248 CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #56 $2.99

NOV100222 DC COMICS PRESENTS SUPERMAN SOLE SURVIVOR #1 $7.99

NOV100167 DETECTIVE COMICS #873 $2.99

NOV100263 FABLES #101 (MR) $2.99

NOV100257 GOD OF WAR #6 (MR) $2.99

NOV100196 GREEN ARROW #8 (BRIGHTEST DAY) $2.99

NOV100197 GREEN ARROW #8 VAR ED (BRIGHTEST DAY) $2.99

OCT100327 JACK OF FABLES TP VOL 08 THE FULMINATE BLADE TP (MR) $14.99

NOV100200 JLA THE 99 #4 $2.99

NOV100160 JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST #18 (BRIGHTEST DAY) $2.99

NOV100203 JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #47 $2.99

NOV100262 NEW YORK FIVE #1 (MR) $2.99

OCT100270 QUESTION PIPELINE TP $14.99

SEP100313 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING HC BOOK 04 (MR) $24.99

OCT100330 SANDMAN TP VOL 04 SEASON OF MISTS NEW ED (MR) $19.99

NOV100277 SCALPED #45 (MR) $2.99

NOV100150 SHAZAM #1 $2.99

NOV100209 TEEN TITANS #91 $2.99

OCT100204 WONDER WOMAN #606 $2.99

NOV100261 WORLD OF WARCRAFT CURSE OF THE WORGEN #3 $2.99

NOV100221 ZATANNA #9 $2.99

DC COMICS/DC DIRECT
MAY100306 BLACKEST NIGHT SER 8 BLACK LANTERN BLACK FLASH AF PI

MAY100307 BLACKEST NIGHT SER 8 INDIGO TRIBE ATOM AF PI

MAY100308 BLACKEST NIGHT SER 8 ORANGE LANTERN LEX LUTHOR AF PI

MAY100309 BLACKEST NIGHT SER 8 SINESTRO CORP SCARECROW PI

FEB100311 JLA TROPHY ROOM WONDER WOMAN TIARA BRACELETS LASSO $325.00

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 26 2011

MARVEL COMICS

NOV100514 AGE OF X ALPHA #1 $3.99

NOV108182 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #648 2ND PTG RAMOS VAR (BIG) $3.99

NOV108183 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #649 2ND PTG RAMOS VAR (BIG) $3.99

NOV108184 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #650 2ND PTG RAMOS VAR (BIG) $3.99

NOV100517 ASTONISHING THOR #2 $3.99

NOV100529 AVENGERS #9 $3.99

NOV100648 AVENGERS ACADEMY PREM HC PERMANENT RECORD $24.99

NOV100645 AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS PREM HC VOL 01 $24.99

NOV100616 BLOCKBUSTERS OF MARVEL UNIVERSE $4.99

NOV100541 CAPTAIN AMERICA #614 $3.99

NOV100575 CAPTAIN AMERICA 70TH ANNIVERSARY MAGAZINE #1 $9.99

NOV100567 CHAOS WAR #5 $3.99

NOV100571 CHAOS WAR X-MEN #2 $3.99

NOV100594 DEADPOOL #32 $2.99

NOV100595 DEADPOOL CORPS #10 $2.99

NOV108259 FANTASTIC FOUR #583 3RD PTG EPTING VAR (THREE) $2.99

NOV108260 FANTASTIC FOUR #584 2ND PTG EPTING VAR (THREE) $2.99

NOV108261 FANTASTIC FOUR #585 2ND PTG EPTING VAR $2.99

NOV108262 FANTASTIC FOUR #586 2ND PTG EPTING VAR $2.99

NOV100584 FANTASTIC FOUR #587 THREE $3.99

NOV100663 HAWKEYE & MOCKINGBIRD TP GHOSTS $16.99

NOV100660 HULK END TP $16.99

NOV100569 INCREDIBLE HULKS #621 $3.99

NOV100656 LOCKJAW & PET AVENGERS UNLEASHED TP GN $14.99

NOV100617 MAGNETO #1 $2.99

NOV100657 MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN SPECTACULAR DIGEST TP $9.99

AUG100671 MMW UNCANNY X-MEN HC VOL 07 $54.99

AUG100672 MMW UNCANNY X-MEN HC VOL 07 DM VAR ED 151 $54.99

NOV100615 NAMOR FIRST MUTANT #6 $2.99

NOV100539 NEW AVENGERS #8 $3.99

NOV100612 NEW MUTANTS #21 $2.99

NOV100519 ORSON SCOTT CARDS SPEAKER FOR DEAD #1 $3.99

NOV100579 PUNISHER IN BLOOD #3 $3.99

NOV100540 SECRET AVENGERS #9 $3.99

NOV100669 SIEGE NEW AVENGERS TP $24.99

NOV100576 SPIDER-MAN #10 $2.99

NOV100640 SPIDER-MAN FANTASTIC FOUR HC $19.99

NOV100672 SPIDER-MAN GAUNTLET VOL 04 JUGGERNAUT TP $14.99

NOV100666 TALES OF DRAGON GUARD TP (MR) $19.99

NOV100587 THUNDERBOLTS #152 $2.99

NOV100525 ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS 3 #6 $3.99

NOV100526 ULTIMATE COMICS DOOM #2 $3.99

NOV100527 ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #152 $2.99

NOV100613 UNCANNY X-FORCE #4 $3.99

NOV100614 UNCANNY X-MEN #532 $3.99

NOV100674 WHAT IF CLASSIC TP VOL 07 $29.99

NOV100597 X-23 #5 $2.99

NOV100603 X-MEN #7 $3.99

NOV100621 X-MEN FOREVER 2 #16 $3.99

NOV100607 X-MEN TO SERVE AND PROTECT #3 $3.99

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for January 26 2011

IDW PUBLISHING

NOV100325 ANGEL #41 $3.99

NOV100327 ANGEL ILLYRIA #3 $3.99

NOV100329 ANGEL THE JOHN BYRNE COLLECTION HC $24.99

NOV100351 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #162 $3.99

NOV100312 INFESTATION #1 $3.99

NOV100401 LAST UNICORN HC $24.99

NOV100399 OFF ROAD GN $17.99

DEC100358 TRANSFORMERS ALL HAIL MEGATRON TP VOL 01 $19.99

DEC100359 TRANSFORMERS ALL HAIL MEGATRON TP VOL 02 $19.99

DEC100360 TRANSFORMERS ALL HAIL MEGATRON TP VOL 03 $19.99

NOV100369 TRANSFORMERS PRIME #4 $3.99

NOV100323 ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS 100 PENNY PRESS ED $1.00

Dark Horse from Diamond Distributors for January 26 2011

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP100114 BRIDE OF THE WATER GOD TP VOL 07 $9.99

NOV100031 CONAN THE ROAD OF KINGS #2 $3.50

NOV100034 KULL THE HATE WITCH #3 FABIO COBIACO CVR $3.50

NOV100033 KULL THE HATE WITCH #3 TOM FLEMING CVR $3.50

NOV100016 STAR WARS DARTH VADER & LOST COMMAND #1 TSUENO SANDA $3.50

NOV100019 STAR WARS LEGACY WAR #2 $3.50

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 26 2011

IMAGE COMICS

DEC100529 BROKEN TRINITY READER SET $14.99

OCT100528 ARTIFACTS #5 CVR A KLEIN $3.99

OCT100529 ARTIFACTS #5 CVR B CHRISTOPHER $3.99

OCT100530 ARTIFACTS #5 CVR C KEOWN $3.99

SEP100528 ARTIFACTS TP VOL 01 $9.99

OCT100468 COWBOY NINJA VIKING TP VOL 02 $16.99

SEP100453 CRUSADES HC VOL 02 DEI (MR) $29.99

SEP100530 DARKNESS #89 (MR) $2.99

AUG100515 DARKNESS FOUR HORSEMEN #3 $3.99

NOV108255 ECHOES #1 CVR B 2ND PTG (MR) $2.99

NOV100511 ECHOES #2 (MR) $3.99

AUG100478 GUARDING THE GLOBE #3 $3.50

NOV100468 PROOF ENDANGERED #2 $3.99

NOV100470 SKULLKICKERS #5 $2.99

JAN100417 SPAWN #201 $2.99

NOV100495 TWILIGHT GUARDIAN #1 $3.99

NOV100442 WALKING DEAD OMNIBUS HC VOL 03 $100.00

NOV100443 WALKING DEAD OMNIBUS HC VOL 03 S/N LTD ED $150.00

NOV100413 WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #4 (MR) $2.99

Comics and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for January 26 2011

WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT
DEC100699 WIZARD MAGAZINE #235 $5.99

COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS
NOV101032 AION GN VOL 02 (MR) $10.99

DEC100772 ALAN MOORE NEONOMICON #1 PROJECT CON ED (MR) $3.99

NOV100723 ARCHIE #617 $2.99

NOV100726 ARCHIE & FRIENDS DOUBLE DIGEST #2 $3.99

APR100900 ART OF RED SONJA HC $29.99

OCT101014 BLECKY YUCKERELLA GN VOL 04 $$$$ YOU A-HOLE $11.99

NOV100861 BOYS HIGHLAND LADDIE #6 (MR) $3.99

APR100487 BROKEN TRINITY PANDORAS BOX #5 $3.99

AUG100983 CLOSE LAST DOOR GN VOL 02 (MR) $12.95

NOV101007 COMPLETE BAD COMPANY TP $19.99

NOV100758 CROSSED FAMILY VALUES #3 CHICAGO CON ED (MR) $5.99

DEC100776 CROSSED FAMILY VALUES #3 SLAM DUNK CVR (MR) $5.99

DEC100778 CROSSED FAMILY VALUES #4 LONG BEACH ED (MR) $5.99

NOV100757 CROSSED FAMILY VALUES #6 AUXILIARY ED (MR) $3.99

NOV101026 DEADMAN WONDERLAND GN VOL 04 (MR) $10.99

NOV100916 DF INVADERS NOW #4 LTD ED CVR $14.99

NOV101025 DOT HACK LINK GN VOL 03 $10.99

NOV100804 DRACULA COMPANY OF MONSTERS #6 $3.99

OCT100770 FRAGGLE ROCK VOL 2 #2 $3.95

NOV108299 FREAKSHOW CVR A #1 $3.95

NOV100708 FREAKSHOW CVR B #1 $3.95

NOV100798 FUTURAMA COMICS #53 $2.99

OCT101199 GFT INFERNO TP $15.99

NOV100684 GLAMOURPUSS #17 $3.00

NOV100886 GREEN HORNET GOLDEN AGE REMASTERED #7 $3.99

OCT101094 ICE HAVEN TP $16.00

SEP108196 ICONS DC & WILDSTORM ART OF JIM LEE NYCC EXCL HC (RES) PI

NOV100810 INCORRUPTIBLE #14 $3.99

NOV100733 JUGHEAD #205 $2.99

AUG100935 KATO ORIGINS WAY O/T NINJA #6 $3.99

AUG100931 KEVIN SMITH KATO #7 $3.99

OCT100768 KILLER HC VOL 03 MODUS VIVENDI (MR) $24.95

SEP101024 KING OF FLIES HC VOL 02 $18.99

OCT100748 LITTLEST ZOMBIE TP $14.95

NOV101024 LIVES TP VOL 01 (MR) $12.99

NOV100889 LONE RANGER & TONTO TP $16.99

NOV101033 MARIA HOLIC GN VOL 06 (MR) $10.99

SEP101016 MARK TEXEIRA BABES BRAWN SGN SKETCHBOOK $12.99

SEP101017 MARK TEXEIRA BABES BRAWN SKETCHBOOK SKETCH ED $24.99

DEC100773 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD #1 LONG BEACH ED (MR) $5.99

DEC100774 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD #2 AUXILIARY ED (MR) $3.99

AUG100982 NO TOUCHING AT ALL GN (MR) $12.95

NOV100839 PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS JOAN OF ARC CAMPFIRE GN $9.99

SEP100767 POCKET GOD #3 $3.95

NOV100848 RED MOON GN $19.99

AUG100946 RED SONJA #54 $3.99

NOV101044 ROBERT JORDAN NEW SPRING TP $24.99

OCT101151 RPM #2 $3.99

NOV100840 RUDYARD KIPLING KIM CAMPFIRE GN $9.99

NOV101029 SAMURAI HAREM ASU NO YOICHI GN VOL 07 (MR) $12.99

AUG101008 SERIAL GN GOLDEN SGN ED $16.99

NOV100799 SIMPSONS CLASSICS #27 $3.99

NOV100991 SIXTH GUN #8 $3.99

JUL101067 SPIDER LADY DOMINO ONE SHOT LADY SPIDER $3.99

NOV100818 STAN LEE TRAVELER #3 $3.99

OCT101018 STIGMATA HC $19.99

NOV100835 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #66 (MR) $2.95

NOV100833 WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #715 $3.99

MAGAZINES
NOV101119 ALTER EGO #99 $7.95
NOV101120 BACK ISSUE #46 $7.95
NOV101126 COMIC SHOP NEWS #1232 PI
NOV101170 LOCUS #600 $6.95
SEP101304 STAR WARS VEHICLES COLL MAG #59 STAR SKIFF $18.00
SEP101305 STAR WARS VEHICLES COLL MAG #60 STAR DESTROYER EXECUTOR $18.00

BOOKS
AUG101250 EXPOSE SC VOL 08 $69.00
NOV100944 OVERSTREET HALL OF FAME NYCC FAN EDITION $6.95

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan on Becoming the Lord of Pandemonium

I read Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 1

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


Iron Man 2 Gets 2011 Oscar Nomination

The Oscar watchers that I'd been following the last few weeks thought it would be the odd man out in favor of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, but Iron Man 2 earned an Oscar nomination in the category of best visual effects.

83rd Academy Award Nominations - Visual Effects:

1. “Alice in Wonderland” Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips

2. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi

3. “Hereafter” Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell

4. “Inception” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb

5. “Iron Man 2” Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

I think the winner is likely to be either Alice in Wonderland or Inception, but still when one considers the state of movies made from Marvel Comics titles just 13 years ago before Blade, Marvel Studios has come a long way.
 
The winners in this category and others will be announced Feb. 27, 2011 on ABC.
 
http://www.oscar.org/
 

Monday, January 24, 2011

Wizard World New Orleans Programming Schedule

James Marsters Concert, “Buffyfest,” Billy Dee Williams, “Batman” Panels, Lou Gossett Jr. Spotlight, Live Art Show/After Party Highlight New Orleans Comic Con Programming

Julie Benz, Ray Park, “Walking Dead” Q&A's, Artist Schools Also On Tap This Weekend

NEW ORLEANS, January 19, 2011 – Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con today announced its diverse programming schedule, featuring a James Marsters concert, unique celebrity Q&A's, artist schools, costume contests and more for the event, set for Saturday and Sunday at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Some of the highlights include:

A live concert featuring singer-songwriter-actor James Marsters

“Wizard Spotlight” with legendary actor Louis Gossett Jr.

Rare Q&A panels with Marsters, Julie Benz and Ray Park, as well as popular Comic Con guests Billy Dee Williams, Walter Koenig, Adam West and Burt Ward

Two “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer” panels, featuring twins Nicholas Brendon and Kelly Donovon, and Clare Kramer and James Charles Leary

‘Walking Dead’ Q&A with stars Chandler Riggs, Keisha Tillis and Adrian Kali Turner

Wizard Art School and Q&A's featuring leading artists like David Mack, Bill Sinkiewicz, Cameron Stewart, Kevin Maguire, Yanick Paquette, Phil Jimenez and others

Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con Live Art Show and After Party with Kody Chamberlain and Rob Guillory at Hey! Cafe (4332 Magazine St.)

The popular adult costume contest and fun kids costume contest with great prizes

Standard New Orleans Comic Con programming will take place in Room A and Room B at Hall H of the Morial Convention Center. All programming is included with admission to the event, with the exception of the James Marsters Concert, which requires an additional ticket. Seating for panels is strictly limited and available on a first come first serve basis and each room will be cleared between panels. The full schedule is below:

Saturday

11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
WHO WANTS TO BE ON A REALITY SHOW? W/ JARRETT CRIPPEN ‘THE DEFUSER’
Have you ever wanted to be on a reality show? Are you curious as to what the producers are looking for? Come get inside tips about reality shows and what it takes to win from the winner of Stan Lee’s “Who Wants to be a Superhero?” Season II. The Defuser (Jarrett Crippen) will talk about and answer questions regarding the audition process, competition, living conditions and other topics related to his show and reality shows in general. (Room B)

12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
JAMES MARSTERS Q&A
Best known for his role as Spike, the platinum blonde vampire on hit shows “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel,” James Marsters answers questions about everything from his evolution from acting to music and back, and the projects he plans to conquer in the next few years. (Room A)

WIZARD ART SCHOOL W/ DAVID MACK AND BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Legendary artists and long-time friends David Mack (Kabuki) and Bill Sienkiewicz (Batman: The Widening Gyre covers) unite for this insider look at their art processes, and give advice and their personal dos and don’ts of the trade to new creators interested in sequential storytelling. (Room B)

1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
BILLY DEE WILLIAMS Q&A
Lando lands at New Orleans Comic Con, as the coolest man in Star Wars history sits down to take fan questions. (Room A)

THE ART OF ‘CHEW’ AND ‘SWEETS’
Indie art sensations Kody Chamberlain (Sweets) and Rob Guillory (Chew) join the Wizard World Comic Con Tour and discuss their breakout Image hits. (Room B)

2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
BUFFYFEST Q&A W/ NICHOLAS BRENDON AND KELLY DONOVAN
Buffy’s “Xander Harris” sits down with his sinister twin brother to take fan questions about life during and after the pop culture phenomenon. (Room A)

WIZARD ART SCHOOL W/ CAMERON STEWART, KEVIN MAGUIRE AND YANICK PAQUETTE
Three of comics most renowned storytellers—Cameron Stewart (Batman & Robin), Kevin Maguire (Justice League International) and Yanick Paquette (Batman, Inc.)—discuss art, storytelling and working with collaborators in the digital age. (Room B)

3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
BUFFYFEST Q&A W/ CLARE KRAMER AND JAMES CHARLES LEARY
Join “Buffy” stars Clare Kramer (Glory) and James Charles Leary (Clem) as the duo discuss the behind the scenes shenanigans and fun of shooting one of pop culture’s biggest hits. (Room A)

VICTOR GISCHLER Q&A
Famed novelist (Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse) and comic book scribe Victor Gischler (X-Men: Curse of the Mutants) talks about his recent runs on X-Men and Deadpool as well as his novel background and his rise in comics. (Room B)

4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
BATMAN AND ROBIN Q&A W/ ADAM WEST AND BURT WARD
The original ’60s “Dynamic Duo” re-teams for this one-of-a-kind Q&A, where Batman and Robin drop their masks and talk about their lady co-stars, the villains they faced and the wild nights after the show! (Room A)

SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING
W/ KEVIN NASH
Professional grappler Kevin Nash pile drives and body slams your questions into the mat! (Room B)

5:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
AARON DOUGLAS Q&A
Best known for his role on “Battlestar Galactica” as Chief Galen Tyrol, Aaron Douglas can now be seen on “Hellcats” on The CW, and here he answers all your questions during this exclusive Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con session. (Room A)

THE SOUND OF MUSICAL INTERLUDE W/ ETHAN VAN SCIVER
The halls are alive with the sound of…“music.” Ethan Van Sciver (Flash: Rebirth) invites you to spend the hour trapped in a small room discussing cannibalism, Wolverine, deviancy and all manner of filth and disease through the art of song. Not since Liberace has anyone tickled the ivories with such aplomb. Well, Richard Marx was good. But Ethan is good, too! Come and see! (Room 3)

6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
KIDS’ COSTUME CONTEST
Bring any kids 10 and under for this special event with great prizes just for families and the youngsters. (Room A)

6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
ADULT COSTUME CONTEST
Get your best costume together and come on down to the Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con costume contest for huge prizes and some of the craziest outfits you’ll see this weekend. (Room A)

9:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.
JAMES MARSTERS CONCERT
After enjoying sell-out crowds across the nation, singer/songwriter James Marsters performs a rare and intimate concert up close and personal with Wizard World fans. NOTE: ADDITIONAL TICKET REQUIRED. (Room A)

9:00 p.m.
THE WIZARD WORLD NEW ORLEANS COMIC CON LIVE ART SHOW AND AFTER PARTY W/ KODY CHAMBERLAIN AND ROB GUILLORY
Music by DJ Rüs with Jeff Hebert on drums Join us for this special after-hours event hosted by Kody Chamberlain (Sweets, 30 Days of Night) and Rob Guillory (Chew), and watch some of your favorite comic artists create original work from start to finish right before your eyes. This is a rare opportunity to hang out, network, and get to know some of the top artists in the business. Who knows, you may even get to own an original masterpiece! This is a free event; must be 18 to enter.
LOCATION: Hey! Café, 4332 Magazine St. (Corner of Magazine & Napoleon Ave.)

Sunday
11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
JULIE BENZ Q&A
The star of hit shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Dexter” and “No Ordinary Family,” Julie Benz talks to fans about her extensive career, ups and downs in the industry and her thoughts on the new generation of sci-fi and fantasy on television. (Room A)

TERRY MOORE Q&A
The Strangers in Paradise and Echo creator takes fan questions on his plethora of critically acclaimed and fan-favorite comics as well as talks about his upcoming plans. (Room B)

12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
CLAUDIA CHRISTIAN Q&A PANEL W/ ‘LOOK’ PREVIEW
“Babylon 5” beauty Claudia Christian shares the secrets to her multi-faceted success, and previews a sneak peek of her new Showtime series “Look.” (Room A)

WIZARD ART SCHOOL W/ PHIL JIMENEZ AND JASON PEARSON
Superstar artists Phil Jimenez (Adventure Comics) and Jason Pearson (upcoming Astonishing X-Men) assemble to give out their tips on refining your art, pitching to Marvel and DC, and any other sound advice they can think of about working in comics (Room B)

1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
RAY PARK Q&A
The “X-Men” and “Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace” star engages fans in this one-of-a-kind Q&A, where he discusses his extensive film biography and his evolution to genre icon. (Room A)

STORYTELLING W/ MICHAEL GOLDEN
No matter if you’re a writer, artist or a reader of comics, come for this sit-down with one of the most renowned storytellers in the business, Michael Golden, as he tells you a few tricks of the trade that will help you no matter what type of story you tell or enjoy, in whatever medium. It’s a rare opportunity to talk with the co-creator of X-Men’s Rogue, and groundbreaking penciler on such projects as Bucky O’Hare, The ‘Nam, Micronauts, G.I. Joe, and much more. (Room B)

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
WIZARD SPOTLIGHT: LOUIS GOSSETT JR.
Screen legend and Academy Award winner Louis Gossett Jr. (“Officer and a Gentleman,” “The Punisher,” “Iron Eagle,” “Enemy Mine”) joins the Wizard World Comic Con Tour and sits down for this exciting Q&A, telling the behind-the-scenes stories from the set and answering the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. (Room A)

MIKE GRELL AND MARK RYAN
The legendary comics icon behind classic Legion of Super-Heroes Tales and Warlord, Mike Grell, teams up with Transformers voice actor Mark Ryan (the voice of Bumblebee) to answer fan questions. (Room B)

3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
WALTER KOENIG Q&A
The original “Star Trek” series’ Pavel Chekov, Walter Koenig beams into this Q&A, where he’ll answer any and all questions from the elite Trek fans at New Orleans Comic Con. (Room A)

JAMES O’BARR Q&A
The Crow creator talks about his dark creation, new comics and the plans for a new Crow franchise in the movies. (Room B)

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
‘WALKING DEAD’ Q&A W/ CHANDLER RIGGS, KEISHA TILLIS AND ADRIAN KALI TURNER
AMC’s ambitious horror series, based on Robert Kirkman’s ultra-hot zombie series from Image, now comes to life from director Frank Darabont (“The Green Mile”)! Check out amazing behind-the-scenes footage and extended clips along with a Q&A with stars from AMC’s show. (Room A)


The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is located at 900 Convention Center Blvd. in New Orleans. New Orleans Comic Con is the first stop on Wizard’s 2011 North American tour, which to date has 13 events scheduled. Hours are Saturday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 30, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.. Tickets are available in advance or by calling 1-866-882-5860 and online at www.wizardworld.com/neworleans.html at up to a 15% savings over tickets purchased at the door. Advance adult single-day tickets are $25 ($30 on site); two-day weekend tickets are $40 ($45 on site), and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult). VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available.

The freshly renovated New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is an essential component of what makes the city's major business events so successful. With 1.1 million square feet of contiguous exhibit space, the Convention Center is the sixth largest convention facility in the nation, and it consistently ranks in the country's top ten of facilities that hold the most conventions and trade shows annually.


About Wizard Entertainment:
Gareb Shamus founded Wizard Entertainment in 1991. Today, Shamus publishes consumer magazines Wizard, ToyFare, FunFare and numerous books about pop-culture’s top talent, comic books and toys. Shamus also produces a North American Comic Con tour. Wizard World Comic Con – The Pop-Culture Capital of the World!

For the most recent event information please visit www.wizardworld.com and become a New Orleans Comic Con Fan on Facebook.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

"Mistress Fortune" from Arina Tanemura Due in February

A TEENAGE PSYCHIC MIXES ON-THE-JOB ROMANCE WTH INVADING ALIENS IN ARINA TANEMURA’S MISTRESS FORTUNE MANGA FROM VIZ MEDIA

New Shojo Beat Title Is The Latest From The Creator Of FULL MOON And THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE†

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will delight shojo manga (graphic novel) fans with the release of Arina Tanemura’s MISTRESS FORTUNE on February 1st. The new single-volume story will be published under the company’s Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Fourteen-year-old Kisaki Tachibana has psychic powers. She works for PSI, a secret government agency that fights aliens. She's in love with her partner Giniro, but PSI won't allow operatives to get involved. Just when Kisaki thinks she may be getting closer to Giniro, she finds out she's going to be transferred to California!

“We’re exited to release MISTRESS FORTUNE for current and new fans alike,” says Nancy Thistlethwaite, Editor. “Arina Tanemura pulled from her experience of visiting San Francisco, the home of VIZ Media, as well as San Diego Comic-Con for this manga. Her huge following of readers here will have fun with this story that takes place in both Japan and the United States.”

Arina Tanemura began her manga career in 1996 when her short stories debuted in RIBON magazine. She gained fame with the 1997 publication of I•O•N, and ever since her debut, Tanemura has remained a major force in shojo manga with popular series TIME STRANGER KYOKO, FULL MOON, and THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † (all published by VIZ Media). FULL MOON and another Tanemura manga, KAMIKAZE KAITO JEANNE, have also been adapted into animated TV series.

For more information on MISTRESS FORTUNE, please visit http://www.shojobeat.com/.


Saturday, January 22, 2011

I Reads You Review: GREAT PLACE HIGH SCHOOL (YAOI)



Creator: Naduki Koujima (cartoonist); Sachiko Sato (translation)
Publishing Information: Juné Manga/DMP, paperback, B&W with some color, 164 pages, $12.95 (US)
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-56970-747-0 (ISBN-13); 1-56970-747-2 (ISBN-10)

Drama/Romance; Rated “M” for “Mature 18+”

Great Place High School is a manga from Naduki Koujima, the creator of the manga series, Our Kingdom. The story takes place at a high school full of rambunctious boys and has elements of boys’ love (both shounen-ai and yaoi), bishounen, and high school comedy.

Great Place High School may be like most high schools, with a student body comprised of jocks and geeks and popular girls and not-so-popular girls. The focus, however, is the computer club known as the Information Management Club. There, control freak Ryouichi Tsuruga has to keep things in order, which is made difficult because he has to fend of the machinations of his ultra-vain twin brother, Naruhito.

The arrival of a new member, Minami Wakamatsu, a cute kid with a tendency to destroy electronic gadgets, only complicates matters. Naruhito has a cuteness fetish, and he begins to both harass and hit on Minami. But why should Ryouichi care, unless he also has strong feelings for Minami, whom the Tsuruga brothers feed and dote on as if he were a small pet.

Meanwhile, two other comic melodramas ensue. We learn the history between Student Council President Rin Amanohara and Vice-President Eichi Shidou who have been together since childhood. Also, people think Kotone Kimura and Suzune Kimura are identical twins. They are really first cousins whose mothers are sisters. One thinks they are rivals, but the other cousin thinks they should be romantic.

One of my favorite manga artists is Naduki Koujima because of her gorgeous art. She cartoons the human face with such skill that her characters are beautiful (or pretty like a girl) whether she’s drawing them straight or super-deforming them. I could make viewing Koujima’s comic book art a daily exercise in uplifting my spirits.

Great Place High School, however, is not a great manga, but it is offers light entertainment. It is a collection of short, short stories and several pages of four-panel, vertical gag strips. The Rin-Eichi stories are yaoi as they feature graphic depictions of sex between a male lovers. The Kimura stories are light-hearted shounen-ai boys’ love. The rest of this book is boys’ love comedy – more comedy than BL.

Most of Great Place High School is feel-good and cozy. One might even think of it as BL comfort food. Those who like me enjoy the eye-candy art of Naduki Koujima will want this comfort food.

B


Bomb Queen's Girl Fight



BOMBS AWAY
 
Bomb Queen gets catty with the ladies in early 2011 release
 
She's currently fighting President Obama in the pages of BOMB QUEEN, Vol. VI, but in 2011, Bomb Queen will take girl fights to a whole new level when she takes on HACK/SLASH's Cassie Hack and the Queen of England!

In March, Robinson's BOMB QUEEN ALL-GIRL SPECIAL #1 will see Bomb Queen waging war against the wider world when she travels to London to kill the Queen of England. But Bomb Queen better not underestimate Her Majesty, who has a few tricks of her own that may spell doom for Bomb Queen. There can be only one Queen!

"Barack Obama is a wuss compared to Cassie Hack and Queen Elizabeth," says Robinson. "Bomb Queen has a real fight on her hands this time around!"

BOMB QUEEN ALL-GIRL SPECIAL #1 (JAN110559), a 32-page full-color comic book from Shadowline and Image Comics, will be in stores March 9, 2011, for $3.50.


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 five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound 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 http://www.imagecomics.com/.

Friday, January 21, 2011

John Cory's "A Liberal Dose or Reality"

I want to share this perspective/essay written by John Cory and published at the independent political website Reader Supported News.  Here is the link to the original post.

A Liberal Dose of Reality
By John Cory, Reader Supported News
16 January 11

Reader Supported News Perspective

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." - Samuel Adams

So far there is no direct factual connection between the violence in Tucson and the toxic GOP and its subsidiary Tea Party screaming mobs, or the despicable daily spewing of hate-radio or the crazy chalkboard diagrams of the coming end times.

The false equivalency by the right wing and corporate media that the left does it too is merely a deflection intended to distract and shift focus away from them and their tactics. You can't connect the dots, they say.

A drop of ink on porous paper slowly seeps across the sheet. Multiple drops in multiple locations eventually bleed together without any external help. No one has to connect the dots; they connect themselves.

Thirty years ago Ronald Reagan said, "... government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem."

Plop.

Over the next three decades, vilification of government became a self-replicating meme. Big government fed the cash-driven paranoia machines. Politics got religion with the Moral Majority, which was neither, and Jerry Falwell made a devilish new BFF in Ronald Reagan. The Christian Right was born.

Plop. Plop.

Bogus welfare queens were created from thin air. The dismantling of Unions and the Fairness Doctrine turned news into a product for the corporations, who insisted that they owned the airwaves, not the public. The public good was tossed aside in favor of free-market profiteering without protective regulation.

Money is free speech and some of us have more freedom than others.

Plop. Plop. Plop.

With all this madness came Iran-Contra, the Savings and Loan crisis, HUD grant-fixing scandal, the Lobbyist scandals, EPA scandals and more. An estimated 130 Reagan officials were indicted and/or convicted or investigated for misconduct and/or criminal violations. But Reagan was the best president ever says the GOP.

Big government is bad. Small government, small enough to fit in a President's zipper is good. God be praised.

Boom.

The Great Microphone of Anti-Democracy was created and funded under Reagan and allowed to grow and smear at will over the following decades.

Politics became reality television. The profits of fear made millionaires of the new hate-media puppets, supported extremist think tanks and generated a publishing industry dedicated to the propaganda of self-appointed "real" America; all in the name of the corporate owners of America.

And where has our liberal progressive movement been?

Pointing out their victimhood at the hands of the GOP and how the GOP is mean. Ignoring the elimination of investigative journalism. Scrambling for consultants and pundits to appear on the TV to provide "balance" while agreeing that both sides do it. Gently promoting "objective" media in a world rewarding biased punditry and outright lies.

Woe, is us! It is so unfair. Whatever can we do?

We need to get off our ass and quit pretending the bastardization of corporate media is something new, or that the hateful politics of the right wing cannot be defeated. We need to face reality and stop looking to billionaires and millionaires to fund us or rent us a megaphone to speak to the people.

We also need to disabuse ourselves of the illusion that the Democrats are on our side, or that they represent liberals and progressives let alone the concept that they represent everyday citizens. Modern Democrats are Mugwumps straddling the fence between self-enriching celebrity and GOP corporate compromise.

All of this is obviously more complicated than my simplistic presentation. But I'm a simple guy that believes in the KISS principle. Keep It Simple, Stupid.

And if we think MSBC is the anti-Fox or that it is the liberal platform needed today, then we are just dumb. Snark and shouting and satirical lists are not news reporting or analysis, just tribal entertainment for the converted and like-minded.

No, we need to walk our talk. The other side will call us names no matter what we do, so let us embrace their hatred, as FDR said. Let us be proud radicals and fierce promoters of the common good.

Unions and organizations like the NAACP and La Razza have money that could be used to invest in a non-profit internet/newspaper/broadcast network instead of being spent on lobbying politicians.

Think of it, our own news outlet that conducts investigative reporting and covers real issues. Public subscriptions for print editions and sales of apps for iPad and other devices would provide support money too. Media of, by, and for the people!

Think of putting Robert Parry, Chris Hedges, Sy Hersh, Amy Goodman, Laura Flanders, Glen Greenwald and so many other wonderful voices together in one powerful force of messaging.

We pick a half dozen or so prime issues to promote - issues that overlap compatible areas so as to serve multi-functional roles. Here's a short list off the top of my head:

1. End the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. War creates graves, not jobs.

2. Universal Healthcare - explain why the US spends $7500 per person on healthcare while most other countries spend $3500. Is it American exceptionalism, or just plain greed?

3. Promote government spending on infrastructure like roads, parks, schools and bridges and playgrounds. Immigrants can earn a living and progress toward citizenship by repairing and building infrastructure and paying taxes including Social Security taxes. Jobs, immigration and saving Social Security all rolled into one.

4. Taxes - progressive and enforceable on all persons including corporate persons. Taxes are not evil or onerous, they are the investment in America that sustains all of us.

5. Financial Reform regulation to protect the people. To paraphrase George Carlin, if we're concerned about street crime - that means Wall Street too.

6. Labor must be protected. The right to a living wage. The right to collective bargaining to protect the powerless from the powerful. Labor is not a product - it is not enslavement for corporate enrichment.

7. Bring back the Draft with some modifications that expand the age groups, limit exceptions, and include private contractors being converted to active duty and subject to military pay scales. Government contracts must be severely restricted. To profit from death and bombs cannot be a government function. Conservatives should love this because it is patriotic and confirms their mantra that government does not create any jobs. Right?

8. Support Marriage Equality. "If you're against Gay marriage - don't marry one!" (I saw that on a button.)

Impossible? Why?

In an interview on Democracy Now! Slavoj Zizek pointed out, "Did you notice how strange the word 'impossible' functions today? When you talk about private pleasures and technology, everything is possible. But the moment you go to social changes ... practically everything that disturbs the market is impossible ... we will live forever ... whatever you want ... we will travel to the moon - that's all possible. But a small social change of more healthcare is not possible."

Corporations don't see "impossible." Conservatives did not see "impossible." Fox News and talk-radio were not built in a day, but over years.

If we don't unite and combine our forces, progressives and liberals will drown in the coming corporate GOP takeover of democracy.

In the Pennsylvania coal strikes of 1902, miners wanted to cut their work week from 7 to 6 days and cut their work day from 10-12 hours a day to 9 hours a day and raise wages.

George Baer, president of Reading Railroad, spoke for the owners in what became known as the "divine right" letter when he wrote: "... the rights and interests of the laboring man will be protected and cared for - not by the labor agitators, but by the Christian men to whom God in His infinite wisdom has given the control of the property interests of the country."

When the letter became public, support shifted to the miners as the public saw what was headed their way. An informed citizenry is the greatest fear of every corporate driven government.

It took progressives years and years to bring change and enlightenment to workers and politicians alike. People like Ida Tarbell, Eugene Debs, Emma Goldman, Sinclair Lewis, W.E.B. DuBois and so many others all fought and organized and published their cause and the cause of the everyman and the poor and the sick. And it worked; not always in big events, but in small continuous determined steps.

To quote Edward R. Murrow: "We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it, and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late."

An ink drop on porous paper slowly seeps across the sheet. Add another and then another, until at last they bleed together to forge their own image and shape.

"Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts." - Edward R. Murrow

-PEACE-

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

I Reads You Review: DREAD AND ALIVE #4



DREAD & ALIVE #4
ZOOLOOK, LLC
CREATOR/WRITER/STORYBOARDS: Nicholas Da Silva
ARTIST: Allan Jefferson
COLORS: Giovanna Guimaraes
TRANSLATOR: Ryan Fraser
COVER: Rodney Buchemi
24pp, Color

Dread & Alive is the first superhero comic book with a Jamaican as the protagonist. This new comic book series is created and written by Nicholas Da Silva. The other thing that is unusual about Dread & Alive is that each issue of the series comes with a music compilation. Essentially a soundtrack to a comic book, the music is meant to accompany the reading of the comic book. Readers can listen to tracks from reggae stars such as Lady Saw, Bunny Ruggs, and I Octane.

The hero of Dread & Alive is Drew McIntosh, the roaring Lion – half man/half animal and protector of the animal world (an eco-warrior, of sorts). Drew’s powers come from the Maroon Medallion, a sacred amulet created by the Jamaican Maroons (a group of runaway slaves and their descendants). Drew’s stomping ground is San Francisco, particular the Haight-Ashbury district where he makes his home.

In Dread & Alive #4, Drew and his love interest, Brandy Savage, get the lowdown on international animal poaching from Casey Forrester, an investigative reporter who focuses on environmental issues. Forrester has been targeted by Gryphon, a world renowned hunter and poacher, for assassination. In fact, Drew, as the roaring Lion, saved Casey from one of those attempts.

That battle between Drew and Gryphon captured the attention of the San Francisco PD. Now, two officers, Paz and Williams, are investigating San Fran’s new vigilante and getting closer to Drew. Meanwhile, the powerful shape shifter and Obeah man, ShadowCatcher, is stalking Brandy.

Dread & Alive reminds me of 1970s Marvel Comics titles like Marvel Chillers (featuring Tigra) and Vampire Tales (with Blade) – dark, moody, character-driven soap operas. Even as the writer, creator Nicholas Da Silva is quite visual in his storytelling. His attention to detail concerning motivations – all the characters’ motivations – can slow the story down a bit, but that will make the reader pay attention. If every character matters, the reader cannot dismiss anyone because he will never know from where the next surprise is coming.

Allan Jefferson (who is apparently replacing former series artist, Rodney Buchemi) has good storytelling skills, and his design style is from the Neal Adams school. I think he will serve Dread & Alive quite well. There is room for improvement on all fronts, but this is already a good comic book.

You can find a good overview of the series at Comic Vine.

Purchase CD and Comic Books here.

Dread and Alive #4 music compilation album on iTunes.

Album on Amazon.com.

Mistress Fortune in Love

I read Mistress Fortune

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).  This is an Arina Tanemura manga.


Spawn #200 Second Printing Coming in February



GREAT VALUE, INSTANT SELLOUT

Landmark SPAWN #200 sells out at distribution day of release, second printing on the way

It's an issue too large to contain -- and an issue too hot to keep on shelves! SPAWN #200, the landmark issue of the top-selling independent comic of all time, has sold out at the distribution level!

Image Comics is rushing comics' best value in years back to the presses. The second printing of SPAWN #200 will be in stores February 9, so mark your calendars if you missed the first printing!

"Obviously, it's great to have any book you create sell out," says creator Todd McFarlane, "but given the high initial orders of the first printing of SPAWN #200, combined with the fact that this is our big bicentennial issue, it only makes the sellout that much more rewarding. I'd like to thank both the fans and the store owners for making this possible."

SPAWN celebrates its 200th issue in high fashion, with an all-star lineup: Greg Capullo (HAUNT, THE CREECH), David Finch (CYBERFORCE, Batman), Michael Golden (The 'Nam, Micronauts) Jim Lee (All-Star Batman and Robin, Batman: Hush), Rob Liefeld (YOUNGBLOOD, Deadpool), Marc Silvestri (THE DARKNESS, CYBERFORCE), Danny Miki (SPAWN, Avengers) and Ashley Wood (HELLSPAWN, Zombies vs. Robots) all contributed to the issue. Robert Kirkman (THE WALKING DEAD, HAUNT) even wrote and penciled an origin story for Omega Spawn!

In this landmark issue, the most ruthless villain in the Spawn universe returns. Can Jim Downing survive a face-to-face confrontation? Downing will battle his most fearsome opponent yet and get answers from an astonishing source, as two fan-favorite characters make a glorious return in this double-sized issue.

SPAWN #200 Second Printing (DEC108009), a 56-page full-color comic book for only $3.99, will be in stores February 9, 2011.

Further, 2011 will be a big year for SPAWN: New series artist Szymon Kudranski and writer Will Carlton are already several issues ahead. Issues 201-205 will be coming out bi-weekly, to build on the momentum of the 200th issue. SPAWN 201 (JAN100417) will be in stores January 26; SPAWN 202 (FEB100348) will be in stores February 9; SPAWN 203 (NOV100471) will be in stores February 23; SPAWN 204 (DEC100493) will be in stores March 9; and SPAWN 205 (JAN110621) will be in stores March 23.


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 five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound 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 http://www.imagecomics.com/.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Sarah DeLaine New PR Maven at Image Comics

IMAGE CONTINUES TO EVOLVE

Image Comics Introduced New PR & Marketing Coordinator, Sarah DeLaine

Image Comics has announced that Sarah deLaine, a long-time Image staff member and former employee of the visionary comic book store Comic Relief, will replace Betsy Gomez as the company's PR & Marketing Coordinator.

Since moving to the Bay Area in 2004, deLaine has been a dedicated part of the Berkeley comics community, first at Berkeley's Comic Relief, where she worked with the preeminent comics retail team of Rory Root and Todd Martinez, then as Image Comics' administrative assistant. Martinez became Image's Sales & Licensing Coordinator in May 2010, furthering the working relationship he and deLaine developed during their retail days.

“I'm thrilled to be taking over as Image Comics' new PR & Marketing Coordinator," said deLaine. "I couldn’t think of a better situation than the one we’re looking at now at Image: We have a fantastic, dedicated staff here, and some of the new books we’ll be introducing this year are going to blow everyone away. I want nothing more than to help comics be the best they can be, and I believe Image is the place to do that.”

deLaine will be taking over as PR & Marketing Coordinator effective immediately, and while Publisher Eric Stephenson is disappointed to be losing Gomez, he is excited to have deLaine fill her post.

"I've known Sarah since she worked for Rory Root at Comic Relief, and she's a highly personable individual with a lot of ideas that she can't wait to put to use marketing our titles," stated Image Publisher Eric Stephenson. "I couldn't be more happy to have Sarah take on a greater role as part of the Image team and we're all looking forward to working with her over the months to come as she helps us continue to raise awareness of all the great work creators are doing at Image."

Sales & Licensing Coordinator Todd Martinez added, “I’m confident that Sarah and I will make an excellent team for the future of Image Comics.”

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 five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound 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 http://www.imagecomics.com/.

New Titles Available for VIZ Manga App

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES CAPTIVE HEARTS, CLAYMORE, D.GRAY-MAN AND TORIKO MANGA DOWNLOADS FOR THE VIZ MANGA APP FOR iPad

Four Acclaimed New Series Join The Latest Updates Of More Than Ten Other Titles

VIZ Media continues to rapidly expand its digital library of manga (graphic novel) titles available for the VIZ MANGA APP on the Apple® iPad™ mobile device. Just launched is the dark, armored action of CLAYMORE and the supernatural adventure D.GRAY-MAN, and set to launch on Tuesday, January 25th is the shojo fantasy of CAPTIVE HEARTS and the zany culinary adventure of TORIKO. The latest updates also features new additions to more than ten other popular VIZ Media manga series already available to iPad users.

The VIZ MANGA APP is available for free through the iTunes Store and all manga volumes are available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the application for $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume.

CAPTIVE HEARTS, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Available January 25th
Carefree Megumi Kuroishi was living a life of luxury until the day a girl named Suzuka Kogami walked into his life. All of a sudden, Megumi finds himself kneeling at Suzuka's feet and prostrating himself like a servant! What Megumi doesn't know (until that very moment anyway) is that his family is cursed to follow the orders of the Kogami family.

CLAYMORE, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · Available Now!
In a world where monsters called Yoma prey on humans and live among them in disguise, humanity's only hope is a new breed of warrior known as Claymores. Half human, half monster, these silver-eyed slayers possess supernatural strength but are condemned to fight their savage impulses or lose their humanity completely.

D.GRAY-MAN, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · Available Now!
Set in a fictional 19th century England, D.Gray-man is the story of Allen Walker, a 15-year-old boy who roams the earth in search of Innocence. Washed away to unknown parts of the world after The Great Flood, Innocence is the mysterious substance used to create weapons that obliterate demons known as akuma.

TORIKO, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Available January 25th
In a savage world ruled by the pursuit of the most delicious foods, it's either eat or be eaten! While searching for the tastiest foods imaginable, Gourmet Hunter Toriko travels the world with his bottomless stomach, facing every beast in his way.

Additional new manga volumes available by the end of the month include:

BAKUMAN。 Vol. 2
BLEACH Vol. 6
D. GRAY MAN, Vol. 2
DEATH NOTE Vol. 5
DRAGON BALL Vol. 9
NARUTO Vol. 10
ONE PIECE Vol. 10
OTOMEN Vol. 2
OURON HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB Vol. 2
RUROUNI KENSHIN Vol. 5
VAMPIRE KNIGHT Vol. 2

The recently launched VIZ MANGA APP is the leading application to read Japanese manga on the iPad, with a downloadable library of the most popular manga series in the world. Readers are encouraged to check the app regularly, as new additions to the store and free Chapter 1 previews of other forthcoming manga series for the iPad are featured.

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

Bomb Queen and Hack/Slash Do Valentine's Day



BOMBS AWAY
 
Bomb Queen gets catty with the ladies in early 2011 release

She's currently fighting President Obama in the pages of BOMB QUEEN, Vol. VI, but in 2011, Bomb Queen will take girl fights to a whole new level when she takes on HACK/SLASH's Cassie Hack and the Queen of England!

BOMB QUEEN VS. HACK/SLASH VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL, a one-shot from Bomb Queen creator Jimmie Robinson, hits shelves in February. In it, Tim Seeley's HACK/SLASH heroine Cassie Hack must face down a horde of perverted slashers who have been released from Bomb Queen's evil dimension into her unsuspecting world. Among those evil individuals? Bomb Queen herself!

"Barack Obama is a wuss compared to Cassie Hack and Queen Elizabeth," says Robinson. "Bomb Queen has a real fight on her hands this time around!"

BOMB QUEEN VS. HACK SLASH VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL (DEC100437), a 32-page full-color one-shot from Shadowline and Image Comics, will be in stores February 9, 2011, for $3.50.


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 five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound 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 http://www.imagecomics.com/.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Shaman King A Song Someday

I read Shaman King, Vol. 32 (Shaman King (Graphic Novels))

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


DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 19 2011

DC COMICS

NOV100166 BATMAN #706 $2.99

NOV100172 BATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM #19 $2.99

NOV100156 BRIGHTEST DAY #18 $2.99

NOV100223 DC COMICS PRESENTS THE ATOM #1 $7.99

NOV100271 DMZ #61 (MR) $2.99

NOV100190 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #56 (BRIGHTEST DAY) $2.99

NOV100273 HELLBLAZER #275 (MR) (NOTE PRICE) $4.99

OCT100325 HOUSE OF MYSTERY TP VOL 05 UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT (MR) $14.99

NOV100256 IDES OF BLOOD #6 $2.99

OCT100269 JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL TP VOL 05 $19.99

NOV100198 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #53 $2.99

NOV100206 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #9 $2.99

NOV100275 NORTHLANDERS #36 (MR) $2.99

NOV100212 POWER GIRL #20 $2.99

SEP100300 RAT CATCHER HC (MR) $19.99

NOV100259 RATCHET AND CLANK #5 $2.99

OCT100272 SECRET SIX CATS IN THE CRADLE TP $14.99

NOV100214 SPIRIT #10 $2.99

SEP100254 STARMAN OMNIBUS HC VOL 06 $49.99

NOV100182 SUPERGIRL #60 $2.99

NOV100185 SUPERMAN BATMAN #80 $2.99

NOV100250 TINY TITANS #36 $2.99

NOV100246 YOUNG JUSTICE #0 $2.99

DC COMICS/DC DIRECT

JAN100399 BATMAN THE DARK CRUSADER MINI STATUE $79.99

FEB100314 DRAGON AGE SER 1 DUNCAN AF PI

FEB100315 DRAGON AGE SER 1 GENLOCK AF PI

FEB100316 DRAGON AGE SER 1 LOGHAIN AF PI

FEB100317 DRAGON AGE SER 1 MORRIGAN AF PI

JAN100376 FABLES BIGBY WOLF BUST $60.00

JAN100375 FABLES SNOW WHITE BUST $60.00

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 19 2011

MARVEL COMICS

NOV100560 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #652 BIG $3.99

NOV100531 AVENGERS ACADEMY #8 $2.99

NOV100534 AVENGERS VS PET AVENGERS #4 $2.99

NOV100659 CAPTAIN AMERICA MAN & WOLF TP $14.99

NOV100675 DEADPOOL CLASSIC TP VOL 04 $29.99

NOV100622 DEADPOOLMAX #4 (MR) $3.99

NOV100679 ESSENTIAL IRON MAN TP VOL 03 NEW ED $19.99

NOV100552 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #500 $4.99

NOV100664 MIGHTY MARVEL WOMEN OF MARVEL TP $24.99

NOV100625 SCARLET #4 (MR) $3.95

NOV100647 SECRET AVENGERS PREM HC MISSION TO MARS VOL 01 $24.99

NOV100668 SIEGE MIGHTY AVENGERS TP $15.99

NOV100670 SPIDER-MAN COMPLETE CLONE SAGA EPIC TP BOOK 05 $39.99

NOV100649 STEVE ROGERS PREM HC SUPER-SOLDIER $19.99

NOV100628 SUPERIOR #4 (MR) $2.99

NOV100545 THOR #619 $3.99

NOV100548 THOR FIRST THUNDER #5 $3.99

NOV100671 THOR RAGNAROK TP $14.99

NOV100681 ULTIMATE CAPTAIN AMERICA BY RON GARNEY POSTER $8.99

NOV100599 WOLVERINE #5 $3.99

NOV100608 WOLVERINE & JUBILEE #1 $2.99

NOV100619 X-FACTOR #214 $2.99

NOV100602 X-MEN LEGACY #244 $2.99