Otodama's Pretty Boys and the Men Who Want to Hurt Them

I read Otodama - Voice From the Dead

2010 Harvey Award Nominations

2010 Harvey Awards Nominees Announced!

The 2009 Harvey Awards Nominees have been announced with the release of the final ballot, presented by the Executive Committees of the Harvey Awards and the Baltimore Comic-Con. Named in honor of the late Harvey Kurtzman, one of the industry's most innovative talents, the Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art. They will be presented August 28, 2010 in Baltimore, MD, in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con.

Nominations for the Harvey Awards are selected exclusively by creators - those who write, draw, ink, letter, color, design, edit or are otherwise involved in a creative capacity in the comics field. They are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. Thank you to all that have already participated by submitting a nomination ballot.

Final ballots are due to the Harvey Awards by Friday, August 7, 2010. Full details for submission of completed ballots can be found on the final ballot. Voting is open to anyone professionally involved in a creative capacity within the comics field. Final ballots are available for download at www.harveyawards.org. Those without Internet access may request that paper ballots be sent to them via mail or fax by calling the Baltimore Comic-Con (410-526-7410) or e-mailing baltimorecomicccon@yahoo.com.

This will be the fifth year for the Harvey Awards in Baltimore, MD. Our Master of Ceremonies this year for the second year in a row will be Scott Kurtz (www.pvponline.com). Look for more details soon on how you can attend the Harvey Awards dinner.

This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. The ceremony and banquet for the 2009 Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 28.

Without further delay, the 2009 Harvey Award Nominees:

BEST WRITER
Jason Aaron, "SCALPED", Vertigo/DC Comics
Geoff Johns, "BLACKEST NIGHT", DC Comics
Robert Kirkman, "THE WALKING DEAD", Image Comics
Jeff Kinney, "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #3: THE LAST STRAW", Amulet Books
Mark Waid, "IRREDEEMABLE", BOOM! Studios

BEST ARTIST
Robert Crumb, "BOOK OF GENESIS", W.W. Norton
Guy Davis, "BPRD: BLACK GODDESS", Dark Horse Comics
Brian Fies, "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?", Abrams ComicArts
David Petersen, "MOUSE GUARD : WINTER 1152", Archaia Studios Press
Frank Quitely, "BATMAN AND ROBIN", DC Comics
JH Williams III, "DETECTIVE COMICS", DC Comics

BEST CARTOONIST
Darwyn Cooke, "RICHARD STARK'S PARKER: THE HUNTER", IDW
Jeff Kinney, "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #3: THE LAST STRAW", Amulet Books
Roger Langridge, "THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK", BOOM! Studios
David Mazzucchelli, "ASTERIOS POLYP", Pantheon
Seth, "GEORGE SPROTT (1894-1975)", Drawn and Quarterly

BEST LETTERER
Chris Eliopoulos, "FRANKLIN RICHARDS: SON OF A GENIUS" stories, Marvel Comics
Brian Fies, "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?", Abrams ComicArts
Thomas Mauer, "RAPTURE", Dark Horse Comics
David Mazzucchelli, "ASTERIOS POLYP", Pantheon
Richard Starkings, "ELEPHANTMEN", Image Comics

BEST INKER
Oclair Albert, "BLACKEST NIGHT", DC Comics
Steve Ellis, "HIGH MOON", Zuda/DC Comics
Klaus Janson, "AMAZING SPIDER-MAN", Marvel Comics
Jeff Kinney, "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #3: THE LAST STRAW", Amulet Books
Mark Morales, "THOR", Marvel Comics

BEST COLORIST
Brian Fies, "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?", Abrams ComicArts
Steve Hamaker, "BONE: CROWN OF HORNS", Graphix
Laura Martin, "THE ROCKETEER: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES", IDW
David Mazzucchelli, "ASTERIOS POLYP", Pantheon
Dave Stewart, "BPRD: BLACK GODDESS", Dark Horse Comics

BEST COVER ARTIST
Jenny Frison, "THE DREAMER", IDW
Mike Mignola, "HELLBOY: THE BRIDE OF HELL", Dark Horse Comics
Michael Avon Oeming, "MICE TEMPLAR: DESTINY, PART I", Image Comics
Frank Quitely, "BATMAN AND ROBIN", DC Comics
JH Williams III, "DETECTIVE COMICS", DC Comics

BEST NEW TALENT
Kevin Cannon, "FAR ARDEN", Top Shelf
Rob Guillory, "CHEW", Image Comics
Reinhard Kleist,"JOHNNY CASH: I SEE A DARKNESS", Abrams ComicArts
Nathan Schreiber, "ACT-I-VATE: POWER OUT", http://act-i-vate.com
Matthew Weldon, "NEW BRIGHTON ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY", Image Comics

BEST NEW SERIES
"BATMAN AND ROBIN", DC Comics
"CHEW", Image Comics
"IRREDEEMABLE", BOOM! Studios
"SWEET TOOTH", Vertigo/DC Comics
"UNWRITTEN", Vertigo/DC Comics

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES
"BEASTS OF BURDEN", Dark Horse Comics
"DIARY OF A WIMPY KID", Amulet Books
"GANGES", Fantagraphics Books
"INVINCIBLE", Image Comics
"SCALPED", Vertigo/DC Comics
"THE WALKING DEAD", Image Comics

BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC PUBLICATION FOR YOUNGER READERS
"AMULET: STOREKEEPER'S CURSE", Graphix
"DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #3: THE LAST STRAW", Amulet Books
"GROWN-UPS ARE DUMB", Hyperion Books
"THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK", BOOM! Studios
"NEW BRIGHTON ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY", Image Comics
"3-2-3 DETECTIVE AGENCY", Amulet Books

BEST ANTHOLOGY
"ACT-I-VATE", http://act-i-vate.com
"FLIGHT # 6", Villard
"POPGUN # 3", Image Comics
"STRANGE TALES", Marvel Comics
"WEDNESDAY COMICS", DC Comics

BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC ALBUM
"ASTERIOS POLYP", by David Mazucchelli, Pantheon
"BOOK OF GENESIS", by Robert Crumb, W.W. Norton
"GEORGE SPROTT (1894-1975)", by Seth, Drawn and Quarterly
"FOOTNOTES IN GAZA", by Joe Sacco, Metropolitan Books
"STITCHES", by David Small, W.W. Norton
"WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?", by Brian Fies, Abrams ComicArts

BEST PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED GRAPHIC ALBUM
"A.D.: NEW ORLEANS AFTER THE DELUGE", by Josh Neufeld, Pantheon
"COLLECTED ESSEX COUNTY", by Jeff Lemire, Top Shelf
"GRAVESLINGER", by Shannon Denton, Jeff Mariotte, John Cboins & Nina Sorat, IDW
"MASTERPIECE COMICS", by R. Sikoryak, Drawn and Quarterly
"MICE TEMPLAR VOLUME 1", by Bryan J.L. Glass and Michael Avon Oeming, Image Comics

BEST SYNDICATED STRIP OR PANEL
"CUL-DE-SAC", by Richard Thompson, Universal Press Syndicate
"FOXTROT", by Bill Amend, Universal Press Syndicate
"GET FUZZY", by Darby Conley, United Feature Syndicate
"MUTTS", by Patrick McDonnell, King Features Syndicate
"PEARLS BEFORE SWINE", by Stephan Pastis, United Feature Syndicate

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT
"THE BEST OF SIMON AND KIRBY", by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; edited by Steve Saffel, Titan Books
"HUMBUG", conceived and edited by Harvey Kurtzman and created by Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Will Elder, Al Jaffee and Arnold Roth; edited by Gary Groth, Fantagraphics Books
"RIP KIRBY", by Alex Raymond; edited by Dean Mullaney, IDW
"THE ROCKETEER: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES", by Dave Stevens; edited by Scott Dunbier, IDW
"THE TOON TREASURY OF CLASSIC CHILDREN'S COMICS", edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly, Abrams ComicsArt

BEST AMERICAN EDITION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL
"THE ART OF OSAMU TEZUKA: GOD OF MANGA", by Helen McCarthy, Abrams ComicArts
"MANGA KAMISHIBAI", by Eric P. Nash, Abrams ComicArts
"THE PHOTOGRAPHER", by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier LeFevre and Frederic Lemercier, First Second
"PLUTO: URASAWA X TEZUKA", by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki, Viz Media
"20TH CENTURY BOYS", by Naoki Urasawa, Viz Media

BEST ON-LINE COMICS WORK
"HARK! A VAGRANT", by Kate Beaton, http://harkavagrant.com
"HIGH MOON", by Steve Ellis, David Gallaher and Scott O. Brown, http://www.zudacomics.com/high_moon
"POWER OUT", by Nathan Schreiber, http://act-i-vate.com
"PVP", by Scott Kurtz, http://www.pvponline.com
"SIN TITULO", by Cameron Stewart, http://www.sintitulocomic.com

SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR IN COMICS
Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson, "BEASTS OF BURDEN", Dark Horse Books
Jeff Kinney, "DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #3: THE LAST STRAW", Amulet Books
Roger Landridge, "THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK", BOOM! Studios
Bryan Lee O'Malley, "SCOTT PILGRIM #5", Oni Press
Andrew Pepoy, "THE ADVENTURES OF SIMONE & AJAX: A CHRISTMAS CAPER", ComicMix

SPECIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION
"ART OF HARVEY KURTZMAN: THE MAD GENIUS OF COMICS", by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle, Abrams ComicArts
"THE BRINKLEY GIRLS: THE BEST OF NELL BRINKLEY'S CARTOONS FROM 1913-1940", edited by Trina Robbins, Fantagraphics Books
"GEORGE SPROTT (1894-1975)", by Seth, Drawn and Quarterly
"THE ROCKETEER: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES", by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier, IDW
"SECRET IDENTITY: THE FETISH ART OF SUPERMAN'S CO-CREATOR JOE SHUSTER", edited by Craig Yoe, Abrams ComicArts
"WEDNESDAY COMICS", edited by Mark Chiarello, DC Comics

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL OR JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION
"ALTER-EGO", edited by Roy Thomas, TwoMorrows
"ART OF HARVEY KURTZMAN: THE MAD GENIUS OF COMICS", by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle, Abrams ComicArts
"THE BEST OF SIMON AND KIRBY", by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; edited by Steve Saffel, Titan Books
"THE COMICS JOURNAL", edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean and Kristy Valenti, Fantagraphics Books
"UNDERGROUND CLASSICS", by James Danky and Denis Kitchen, Abrams ComicArts

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY
"ALEC: THE YEARS HAVE PANTS", by Eddie Campbell, Top Shelf
"ASTERIOS POLYP", by David Mazucchelli, Pantheon
"GANGES #3", by Kevin Huizenga, Fantagraphics Books
"GEORGE SPROTT (1894-1975)", by Seth, Drawn and Quarterly
"JONAH HEX #50", written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, artwork by Darwyn Cooke, DC Comics
"RICHARD STARK'S PARKER: THE HUNTER", by Darwyn Cooke, IDW
"WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?", by Brian Fies, Abrams ComicArts


Congratulations to all of the nominees! If you know a nominee, please pass on the good news!

The Harvey committee and the Baltimore Comic-Con will make every effort to contact all nominees. If you are a nominee and do not hear from us by July 23, please contact us at baltimorecomiccon@yahoo.com. We would love to discuss your involvement in the ceremony and the Baltimore Comic-Con.

For additional information about Harvey Kurtzman and the Harvey Awards, visit http://www.harveyawards.org/.

Visit http://www.harveyawards.org/ for Ballots & Submission Details!

For additional information about the Baltimore Comic-Con, visit http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/.

For additional information about the Harvey Awards Master of Ceremonies Scott Kurtz, visit http://www.pvponline.com/.

CHEW #12 Has Comic-Con Variant Cover

POYO TAKES A BITE OUT OF COMIC-CON

Image Comics announces Comic-Con variant cover for CHEW #12

Whether he's just the meanest rooster in town or the Devil himself, Poyo deserves all the adoration he gets, including his first convention exclusive cover on CHEW #12 at Comic-Con International 2010!

Limited to 350 copies, you can show your love for Poyo and CHEW by picking up your copy from writer John Layman and artist Rob Guillory at Image Comics booth #2729. Layman and Guillory will also have a very limited number of copies of CHEW: THE OMNIVORE EDITION, which won't be in stores until August 11, 2010.

In CHEW, Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective-as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest and most bizarre cases.

This gorgeous oversized OMNIVORE EDITION, loaded with extras, follows Tony for the first ten issues of IGN.com's pick for "Best Indie Series of 2009," and MTV Splash Page's "Best New Series of 2009." Collects the New York Times best sellers "Taster's Choice" and "International Flavor."

CHEW #12: POYO Variant, a 32-page full-color comic featuring a five-color cover of Poyo, will be available at Comic-Con International for $10 at Image Comics booth #2729.


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.

One Piece Unstoppable 54

I read One Piece, Vol. 54

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has just released the v2.0 of their iPhone app).

Stan Lee in L.A.

COMIC BOOK ICON STAN LEE TO MAKE A LOS ANGELES PERSONAL APPEARANCE TO CELEBRATE HIS NEWEST CO-CREATION ULTIMO

VIZ Media has announced a very special personal appearance by comic book legend Stan Lee on Friday, June 16th at 7:00pm at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles, located at 189 Grove Drive Suite K 30, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Lee is the co-creator of comics’ most iconic superheroes including Spider-Man™, the Fantastic Four™, and the X-Men™. His Barnes & Noble appearance celebrates the release of Volume 2 of his latest co-creation – ULTIMO, and he will be autographing copies of ULTIMO Volumes 1 and 2.

ULTIMO (rated ‘T’ for Teens) is a historic East-meets-West collaboration between Lee and famed Japanese manga creator, Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular SHAMAN KING series. ULTIMO, Volume 2 is available in stores now and is also serialized in VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP Magazine.

VIZ Media will also welcome Stan Lee for a special appearance in the company’s booth #2813 on Saturday, July 24th at Comic-Con International 2010, the nation’s largest comic book convention taking place in San Diego, CA.

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 more information on ULTIMO please visit Ultimo.viz.com or http://www.shonenjump.com/.

TOKYOPOP Partners with Hulu

Press release:

TOKYOPOP Announces Content Partnership Deal with Hulu

Assortment of feature films, reality shows, and motion comics queued for release

TOKYOPOP, the leading proponent of the global manga lifestyle and otaku culture, announced today that they have partnered with Hulu, an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites, to provide a wide array of animated and live-action video content.

The deal is structured to feature TOKYOPOP's long-form content as a high-end viewing experience, with a focus on premieres and exclusive broadcast windows, featuring the debut of the live-action comedy film Van Von Hunter and the premiere of the brand-new reality series America's Greatest Otaku.

"Hulu is the perfect platform for the TOKYOPOP brand," said Stu Levy, TOKYOPOP founder and CEO. "They have created the highest-quality viewing experience on the web and we know that our films and shows are going to shine in that venue."

The TOKYOPOP showpage (http://www.hulu.com/studio/tokyopop) launches with the avant-garde anime feature Spring and Chaos. Spring and Chaos (original Japanese title Kenji no Haru) is the spellbinding animated biography of one of Japan's most beloved poets, Kenji Miyazawa. Directed by anime master Shoji Kawamori (Macross, Escaflowne, Arjuna, Aquarion), Spring and Chaos is an unparalleled visual feast and a touching portrait of a true artistic visionary.

Upcoming TOKYOPOP offerings on Hulu will include:

· Van Von Hunter:
TOKYOPOP's first live-action feature film is a This is Spinal Tap-style mockumentary set in the exotic world of anime and manga fandom. The movie is directed by producer and TOKYOPOP founder Stu Levy along with Steven Calcote and stars voice actor extraordinaireYuri Lowenthal (Naruto, Ben 10). Van Von Hunter will appear on Hulu in late July after its debut screening at the Fantasia film festival in Montreal on July 17th.

· America's Greatest Otaku:
This 8-episode reality show will take viewers on a whirlwind journey through 20 cities over 8 weeks on TOKYOPOP's groundbreaking bus Tour of North America. America's Greatest Otaku will dive deep into the subculture of the most dedicated anime and manga fans in the country on a search for the #1 fan of all! AGO's world premiere exclusively on Hulu will be late Fall 2010.

· Manga Motion Comics:
A selection of TOKYOPOP's world-class Manga Motion Comics - including several world premieres - will begin showing on Hulu this summer.


About TOKYOPOP
Founded by multi-cultural media visionary Stu Levy, TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with offices in the UK and Germany, in addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, which are licensed in 50 countries in more than 30 languages, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.

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.