Stan Lee at 2010 Comic-Con International

VIZ MEDIA AND POW! ENTERTAINMENT WELCOME ULTIMO CO-CREATOR STAN LEE FOR A PERSONAL APPEARANCE AT 2010 COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

Legendary Comic Book Creator To Participate In SHONEN JUMP Panel Discussion And A Special In-Booth Signing Session

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), and POW! Entertainment (POW!) are proud to welcome comic book legend Stan Lee for a special signing at the VIZ Media booth #2813 on Saturday, July 24th, at Comic-Con International 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

Stan Lee will appear at the VIZ Media booth at the nation’s largest comic book convention to help celebrate the release of ULTIMO Volume 2. ULTIMO (rated ‘T’ for Teens) is the historic collaboration between Stan Lee and famed Japanese manga creator Hiroyuki Takei, and has been serialized in SHONEN JUMP Magazine since its debut in 2009. Volume 2 is available in stores now. Starting at 4PM on Thursday, July 22nd, and Friday, July 23rd, the first 60 fans to purchase ULTIMO Volume 2 at the VIZ Media booth will receive a ticket to have their copy personally autographed by Mr. Lee on Saturday, July 24th, at 1:15PM.

VIZ Media will also welcome Stan Lee as a special guest at the SHONEN JUMP panel, scheduled for Saturday, July 24th, from 10:30-11:30AM in Room 9.

ULTIMO represents a rare East-meets-West production between comics legend Stan Lee, co-creator of many iconic superheroes including Spider-Man™, the Fantastic Four™, and the X-Men™, and Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular SHAMAN KING manga series, published in Japan by Shueisha and in North America by VIZ Media.

The ULTIMO back-story: High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, who seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? In Volume 2, with girl and money troubles, life is hard enough for high school student Yamato, but then he stumbles upon Ultimo, a peculiar-looking puppet. Things only get stranger when Ultimo awakens and his archenemy, Vice, shows up. Ultimo and Vice are Karakuri Dôji, the mechanical embodiment of pure good and pure evil, devoid of human emotions that can cloud one’s judgment. Their purpose: to battle to the death to prove once and for all whether good or evil is the most powerful force in the universe.

For over half a century, Stan Lee has been synonymous with superhero comics. In addition to co-creating countless memorable series and characters, including Spider-Man™, the Incredible Hulk™, and Daredevil™, he served as the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Lee remains a hugely respected and dynamic figure in the entertainment industry and continues to develop a variety of film, television and video game properties.

“We are extremely honored to have a legend of Stan Lee’s stature as a guest at the VIZ Media booth for a special signing at Comic-Con this year,” says Christopher Boily, SHONEN JUMP Editor-In-Chief. “The groundbreaking collaboration of the ULTIMO manga has been a great success, and we are also extremely excited to welcome Mr. Lee as a guest at this year’s Shonen Jump panel in celebration of the release of Volume 2 of ULTIMO!”

Stan Lee and his producing partner Gill Champion’s company, POW! Entertainment (Pinksheets: POWN.PK), worked with VIZ Media parent company Shueisha, and with JEA and Dream Ranch to facilitate the development of ULTIMO. Champion, POW!’s COO and President, says, “Fans won't want to miss Ultimo Volume 2 as more of the mysteries surrounding the Karakuri Dôji are finally explained. The characters that Stan and Hiroyuki Takei have created together are both classic and unique at the same time, with many different aspects that both manga and American comic fans will enjoy!"

For more information on ULTIMO, SHONEN JUMP and VIZ Media please visit www.Ultimo.viz.com or www.shonenjump.com. You can also stay up-to-date on all Shonen Jump happenings by following ShonenJump on Twitter.


About POW! (PURVEYORS OF WONDER) Entertainment, Inc. (OTC: POWN)
An advanced media and entertainment company with a first-look deal with Disney, POW! was founded by Stan Lee, together with award winning producer Gill Champion and intellectual property specialist Arthur Lieberman Esq., to create, produce and license original intellectual properties. POW! specializes in franchises for the entertainment industry, including animation and live-action feature films, plus television, DVDs, video games, merchandising and related ancillary markets, all of which contribute to global expansion. Walt Disney Studios entered into a first-look deal with POW! in 2007. Under the new arrangement, Walt Disney Studios expands that relationship through enhanced rights to the creative output of POW! as well as certain exclusive consulting services. Disney has also taken a 10% equity stake. To find out more, check out http://www.powentertainment.com

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including the popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; and website at www.VIZ.com.

Webcomics Auction for Gulf Coast

Web-Comics Auction To Benefit The Gulf Of Mexico

Web-cartoonists from around the country and beyond have answered Carly Monardo's call for original art donations. The donated artwork is being auctioned off on Ebay with 100% of the profits going to The Colbert Nation Gulf Of America Fund, managed by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

The first auctions went live on Monday, July 5th, with new 5 or more artists being added each day. Response has been extremely positive and fans seem enthusiastic to bid on their favorite creators' work. The final set of auctions will launch tomorrow, July 9th (Friday). Each individual auction lasts for a total of 10 days.

Monardo, a color-stylist for Adult Swim's hit series Venture Bros., was inspired to organize the event after seeing how successful her colleague Thomas Bayne's animation auction had been. Bayne's auction (which has already raised thousands of dollars for the Gulf Of America Fund) featured original production drawings from Venture Bros., many signed by creator Jackson Public and members of the show's cast.

The Web-Comics Auction has attracted talents from around the world, including fan-favorites Kate Beaton ("Hark! A Vagrant"), Anthony Clark ("Nedroid"), Christopher Hastings ("The Adventures Of Dr. McNinja), and Michael "Mookie" Terracciano ("Dominic Deegan: Oracle For Hire). There are even contributions from non-cartoonists, such as Brandon Bird, who was recently profiled in Newsweek for his bizarre celebrity portraits.

The official web-site for the auction has a full list of contributors, a schedule with links to each live auction, and links to additional information on the charitable fund the profits will be donated to. It is located at: http://www.lasagnachildren.com/Gulf

Contact:
Carly Monardo, auction organizer
carly.monardo@gmail.com
917-622-0807
http://www.whirringblender.com/

Baltimore Comic-Con Ticket and Hotel Information

Tickets On Sale, Hotel Discounts Available for the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con!

Tickets for the Baltimore Comic-Con, to be held on August 28 and August 29, 2010 at the Baltimore Convention Center, are now on sale! Many have been asking, and we're pleased to now be able to offer the opportunity to purchase your tickets! To do so on-line, please follow

http://www.ticketmaster.com/Baltimore-Convention-Center-tickets-Baltimore/venue/172201

to purchase your Two-Day, Saturday, or Sunday passes. Tickets can also be purchased in person at Cards, Comics & Collectibles of Reisterstown, MD (100A Chartley Drive, Reisterstown, MD 21136), or at any show or convention at which Cards, Comics & Collectibles is exhibiting. As with years past, we encourage you to purchase tickets ahead of the show so as not to have to wait in the ticket line.

"We've been getting a lot of questions about when tickets would be on sale this year," said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "Everyone can now solidify their travel plans, and be sure to take advantage of the discounts that the hotels around the Baltimore Convention Center are offering -- just follow the About > Hotels link off of our main webpage for details!"

We are also proud to announce that Archaia Comics and Adhouse Books will be exhibiting at the 2010 convention in addition to the already-announced Boom! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, IDW, Image Comics, Top Cow Productions, and Top Shelf Comix.

Joining our already spectacular list of comic book professional guests, we are happy to announce the following additions: Dave Aikins (SpongeBob Squarepants), Van Jensen (Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer), Norman Lee (New Mutants), Joe Linsner (Dawn: Not To Touch The Earth), Clay Mann (X-Men Legacy), Pop Mhan (Ender's Game: Mazer In Prison), Sean Murphy (Joe the Barbarian), Paul D. Storrie (Twilight Crusade: Gabriel), Timothy Truman (Conan the Cimmerian), and Kelly Yates (Doctor Who: 2010 Annual).

Guests previously announced include: Mike and Laura Allred (Madman), Sergio Aragones (Groo), Ivan Brandon (Nemesis: The Imposters), Tom Brevoort (Executive Editor, Marvel Comics), Jim Calafiore (Secret Six), Eric Canete (New Avengers: Luke Cage), Bernard Chang (Prince of Persia), Howard Chaykin (Black Kiss), Sean Chen (Nova), Cliff Chiang (Greendale), Mark Chiarello (Editor, DC Comics), Frank Cho (Ultimate Comics New Ultimates), Mike Choi (X-Force), Steve Conley (Star Trek Omnibus: The Original Series), Amanda Conner (Power Girl), Shane Davis (Superman: Earth One), Dan DiDio - Sunday only (The Outsiders, Co-Publisher, DC Comics), Al Feldstein (MAD Magazine), Francesco Francavilla (The Green Hornet: Year One), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (Wednesday Comics), Ron Garney (Wolverine: Weapon X), Sterling Gates (Supergirl), Bryan J.L. Glass (Mice Templar), Michael Golden (Marvel 1602: Spider-Man), Cully Hamner (Detective Comics), Dean Haspiel (ACT-I-VATE), Jonathan Hickman (Fantastic Four), Greg Horn (Green Lantern), Adam Hughes (Wonder Woman), Jamal Igle (Supergirl), Georges Jeanty (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Geoff Johns - Sunday only (Blackest Night, Chief Creative Officer, DC Comics), J.G. Jones (DC Universe Legacies), Denis Kitchen (Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen), Barry Kitson (Iron Man 2 Prequel), Rich Koslowski (BB Wolf and the 3 LPs), Greg LaRocque (The Exiled), Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), Steve Lieber (Underground), Luna Brothers (The Sword), David Mack (Kabuki), Laura Martin (Girl Comics), Ron Marz (Witchblade), Todd McFarlane - Saturday only (Spawn), Mark McKenna (Banana Tail), Mike McKone (Avengers Academy), Bob McLeod (New Mutants Forever), Terry Moore (Echo, SiP), Mark Morales (Siege), Chris Moreno (Toy Story), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Phil Noto (Avengers: The Origin), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex), Jeff Parker (Thunderbolts), Lauren Perry (Blank-ees), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Brandon Peterson (Ultimate Extinction), Chris Pitzer (Publisher, Adhouse Books), Paul Pope (Wednesday Comics), Eric Powell (The Goon), Jack Purcell (Gotham City Sirens), Mike Raicht (The Stuff of Legend), Tom Raney (Black Widow: Deadly Origin), Chris Roberson (I, Zombi), James Robinson (Justice League of America), Budd Root (Cavewoman), Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge), Craig Rousseau (Marvel Her-Oes), Stephane Roux (Zatanna), Jim Rugg (Afrodisiac), Tim Sale courtesy of Hero Initiative (Captain America White), Ian Sattler (Editor, DC Comics), Stuart Sayger (Bram Stoker's Death Ship), Bob Schreck (Jurassic Park), Jim Shooter (Magnus, Robot Fighter), Louise Simonson (X-Factor Forever), Walter Simonson (Thor), Andy Smith (WildC.A.T.S.), John K. Snyder III (The A-Team: Shotgun Wedding), Allison Sohn (Star Wars sketchcard artist), Jim Starlin (Dreadstar), Brian Stelfreeze (The Authority: The Lost Year), Karl Story (Zatanna), Billy Tan (Shadowland), Ben Templesmith sponsored by Laughing Ogre Comics (Choker), Mark Texeira (X-Men: Origins), Herb Trimpe (Incredible Hulk), Billy Tucci (Shi), Dexter Vines (Ultimate Avengers), Neil Vokes (Superman Adventures), Doug Wagner (World of Warcraft: Horde), Matt Wagner (The Green Hornet: Year One), Mark Waid (Irredeemable, Editor-in-Chief, Boom! Studios), Marv Wolfman (New Teen Titans), John Workman (Heavy Metal), Bernie Wrightson (Swamp Thing), and Chrissie Zullo (Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love).

In coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found at our website (http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/baltimorecomics), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/baltimorecomiccon), MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/baltimorecomics), and ComicSpace (http://www.comicspace.com/baltimorecomicon) pages.

This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 28th.


Contact Information
Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:
press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution
promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications
registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations
harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com - for communications regarding the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet
general@baltimorecomiccon.com - for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries

About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 11th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 5 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

I Reads You Review: FRUITS BASKET: BANQUET

Creators: Natsuki Takaya with Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane (adaptation) and Alethea and Athena Nibley (translation)
Publishing Information: TOKYOPOP, B&W with some color, paperback, 224 pages, $14.99 U.S., $18.99
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4278-1798-3 (ISBN-13)

The recently published Fruits Basket -Banquet- is a coda to the popular manga series. Fruits Basket is a shojo manga (comics for teen girls) created by Natsuki Takaya. It was serialized in the Japanese magazine, Hana to Yume, from 1999 to 2006, and was eventually collected in 23 volumes (or tankōbon). It was published in North America by TOKYOPOP, both in paperback and also in hardcover “Ultimate Editions.” TOKYOPOP billed Fruits Basket as the “#1 selling shojo manga in America.”

Fruits Basket follows high school student Tohru Honda and her life with the Sohma Family. After Tohru’s mother died in a car accident, she lived in a tent and supported herself. She is eventually taken in by her friend, Yuki Sohma, and lives in a home with him and his cousins, Shigure and Kyo. Some of the Sohmas are cursed. Thirteen members of the family are possessed by spirits of the Chinese zodiac, and they turn into their respective zodiac animals when hugged by someone of the opposite sex. Although she keeps the curse a secret, Tohru makes it her goal to break the Sohma curse.

Banquet is 200-plus page of odds and ends. It opens with a 16-page color section of illustrations, with some of them being double spreads. There is some fan art and also a creator interview that is packed with pencil art. There are also several contest sections with a few pages devoted to most of the characters or chapters that received a lot of votes. Readers will delight in a new eight-page manga related to the “Couples & Combination” contest. In the end, Fruits Basket -Banquet- is for the hardcore Fruits Basket fan.

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Image Firsts: Wave Two Titles

ALL THAT FOR A DOLLAR

Image Comics reprints the first issues of classic series in October's continuation of IMAGE FIRSTS: WAVE TWO

This Fall, Image Comics is re-presenting 10 first issues as an introduction to some of its most acclaimed titles. Each debut acts as a perfect primer to its corresponding ongoing series and collected editions. Starting in September and continuing through October, each reprinted first issue will be available for only $1.

IMAGE FIRSTS: WAVE 2 shipping this October include:

IMAGE FIRSTS: ELEPHANTMEN #1
story RICHARD STARKINGS
art MORITAT
cover LADRÖNN
OCTOBER 6

IMAGE FIRSTS: MADMAN #1
story MIKE ALLRED
art & cover MIKE ALLRED
OCTOBER 13

IMAGE FIRSTS: GODLAND #1
story JOE CASEY
art TOM SCIOLI
OCTOBER 20

IMAGE FIRSTS: HACK/SLASH #1
story TIM SEELEY
art & cover TIM SEELEY
OCTOBER 27

IMAGE FIRSTS: DEAD @ 17 #1
story JOSH HOWARD
art & cover JOSH HOWARD
OCTOBER 27

Discover some of Image Comics' best series in October with the continuation of IMAGE FIRSTS: WAVE TWO, re-releasing the first issue ELEPHANTMEN, MADMAN, RISING STARS, HACK/SLASH and DEAD@17 for only $1.


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.

Reborn Ten Years Later

I read Reborn!, Vol. 16

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

I Reads You Review: FRUITS BASKET ULTIMATE EDITION, VOL. 4

Creators: Natsuki Takaya with Alethea and Athena Nibley and Alexis Kirsch (translation)
Publishing Information: TOKYOPOP, B&W, hardcover, 410 pages, $14.99 U.S., $18.99
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4278-0731-1 (ISBN-13)

I imagine that on different occasions during the last few weeks, manga creator Natsuki Takaya found herself suffering from what seemed like cramps. They were actually the labor pains she felt as she brought another Fruits Basket fan into the world – me.

Fruits Basket was serialized in the Japanese magazine, Hana to Yume, from 1999 to 2006, and was eventually collected in 23 volumes (or tankōbon). Fruits Basket is the story of high school student Tohru Honda. After her mother dies in a car accident, Tohru begins living in a tent and supporting herself. She eventually finds a home with Yuki Sohma and his cousins Shigure and Kyo.

The Sohmas are not normal because they live with a curse. Thirteen members of the family are possessed by spirits of the Chinese zodiac, and they turn into their respective zodiac animals when hugged by someone of the opposite gender. Tohru promises to keep this fact a secret, but her goal is to break the Sohma curse. Meanwhile, Tohru and the Sohmas have various adventures.

TOKYOPOP, the North American publisher of the series, has been republishing Fruits Basket in “Ultimate Editions,” which reprints two volumes of the series. Fruits Basket Ultimate Edition Volume 4 collects Fruits Basket, Vol. 7 (which contains Chapters 37-42 of the story) and Vol. 8 (Chapters 43-48).

There are several storylines that occur in these 12 chapters. Tohru’s friendship with the shy Kisa Sohma causes her friction with another Sohma, the smart-alek Hiro, who begins to harass and steal from Tohru. In a long flashback, Tohru’s friend Arisa Uotani tells how meeting Tohru and her late mother, Kyoko, changed her life. Also, Tohru meets the troubled Ritsu Sohma, and the arrival of parent-teacher conferences brings up the touchy subject of the Sohmas’ parents.

TOKYOPOP bills Fruits Basket as the “#1 selling shojo manga in America,” and I have seen it on a few manga bestseller lists that I found. I don’t follow message boards and fan groups, so I don’t know why so many other readers like it. I like it because, at least in these stories, Fruits Basket is about friends having a good time, and when they have a bad time, they work through it together as friends. The characters are engaging; they’re the kind you just want to follow around from page to page. Creator Natsuki Takaya makes her characters so playful and so exuberant that even their squabbling has a sparkling, fun quality about it.

Another great thing about Fruits Basket is Takaya’s gorgeous art. It’s a relatively simple style, but there is a sexy and vivacious air about ever line and every brush stroke, which results in pretty figure drawing. As a bit character says about the cast “But such beautiful children. Are they models?” They’re certainly models for good shojo manga.

A-

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