VIZ Media to Publish "Flower in a Storm" in May

FLOWER IN A STORM BRINGS ON A FRENZIED ROMANTIC CHASE IN FUN NEW SHOJO SERIES FROM VIZ MEDIA

When A Boy Just Won’t Take No For An Answer Sometimes All A Girl Has Left Are Her Superpowers

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, offers FLOWER IN A STORM, an imaginative romantic comedy from a fresh new talent of the shojo manga world, Shigeyoshi Takagi. Set to be published under the Shojo Beat imprint and released on May 4th, FLOWER IN A STORM is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Riko Kunimi is trying to lead a normal high school life when Ran Tachibana bursts into her classroom carrying a gun and tells her that her life is now his. Ran, who is the richest and most powerful 17-year-old in Japan, wants her as his wife, and he’s not taking no for an answer!

If Ran can’t capture her by five o’clock the next day, he’ll give up, but he has all that money can buy at his disposal. However, Riko has one trick up her sleeve—she has superpowers!

“FLOWER IN A STORM is a zany, sweet, over-the-top story of a girl with superhuman abilities who just wants to lead a normal life and a boy who leads anything but a normal life but just wants to make her his,” says Leyla Aker, Editorial Manager, VIZ Media. “We hope shojo readers will enjoy this fresh, funny debut series from a young creator.”

FLOWER IN A STORM is a two-volume series that was originally featured in Lala and Lala DX magazines (also the original home of VAMPIRE KNIGHT). This is the first graphic novel from Shigeyoshi Takagi.

For more information on this title, or other shojo titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.shojobeat.com.

Comic Book Bin Announces Intuitive iPhone App

Comic Book Bin Launches New, Intuitive iPhone™ App for Comic Book Hobbyists

ComicBookBin iPhone app adapts to lifestyle of comic book hobbyists

CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The popular and unique comic book Website The Comic Book Bin has launched a new iPhone app, with the most comprehensive list of comic book conventions, a global comic book store search and a directory of more than 10,000 articles.

The intuitive second-generation Comic Book Bin app adapts to the lifestyle of the comic book reader, unlike first-generation apps that force users to learn new interfaces.

"Other comic book apps force readers to read complex contents on tiny screens and to change the way they interact with a comic book," said Comic Book Bin Founder and Publisher Hervé St-Louis.

St-Louis, a reputable and well-known industry expert, said that the Website needed to reflect the future of communications with this mobile app.

"The iPhone, no matter how much other smart phones have advanced since the launch of the original version from Apple, is a symbol for the new way people consume information on mobile devices," he said. "It’s the most mature mobile environment."

Features of the new app include:
Powerful search engine that can find articles published since 2002. Users who prefer to browse and search articles can either use a gallery view with image thumbnails images when in landscape mode, or a simple news-reader type of listing.

A continually updated comic book convention listing that is one of the most comprehensive comic book convention schedules available anywhere.

A multi-lingual, global comic book store locator that locates comic book stores in the user's area without forcing the user to do any work such as entering zip codes or personal addresses. It also lists comic book stores freely, unlike other apps.

For more information, visit www.comicbookbin.com/iphone.html. To download this app from the iTunes store, visit http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/comicbookbin/id360213878?mt=8

The full media kit is available at: http://www.comicbookbin.com/presskit/


About The Comic Book Bin
The Comic Book Bin is an independent site founded in 2002 where respectful and well-researched discourse on comic books is promoted. Founder Hervé St-Louis is a graduate student at the Center for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary. The Comic Book Bin, a Coolstreak Cartoons property, is based in Calgary, Canada.

The Plaid Avenger in "Battle for Burma"

The Plaid Avenger is back, and I reviewed the second issue over at the Comic Book Bin (which now has an iPhone app).

This time around, this charming masked man heads to Burma to rescue a real world hero, Aung San Suu Kyi, from the clutches of real world villain, Senior General Than Shwe.

New Reliable Press Announces New Crime Anthology

NEW RELIABLE PRESS READY TO TAKE ON THE BIG BOYS OF CRIME COMICS

Acts of Violence explores mob loyalty, vigilante justice, drug addiction and dirty cops

New Reliable Press, one of Canada’s most versatile comics publishers, has just released Acts of Violence: A Crime Comics Anthology, a collection of sequential crime fiction told in the pulp tradition.

“Crime comics are in the midst of a revival,” says Ed Brisson, founder of New Reliable Press and co-creator of Acts of Violence, citing examples like DC’s Vertigo Crime line, Ed Brubaker’s Criminal, Marvel Noir, and Dark Horse’s recently released crime comics anthology.

And true to the nature of characters in crime fiction, the small, scrappy upstart is ready to go toe-to-toe with the big boys.

“Our promotional campaign is as well planned as a bank heist,” says Brisson. “Postcards have been sent to more than 500 comic shops in North America, and the creators are working the phones and social networking to connect with retailers and comic fans.”

Over the month of April, Acts of Violence creators have called more than 350 comic shops in North America, with more calls to be made before the end of the month. The creators feel this grassroots promotion is what is ultimately going to drive interest in the anthology.

“We’re not going to bust any kneecaps, but we will bust our asses to get the word out about our book,” says Brisson.

Featuring the talents of Toren Atkinson, Ed Brisson, Chad Boudreau, Dino Caruso, Damian Couceiro, Todd Ireland, Kevin Leeson, Manoel Magalhaes, and Marvin Mann and cover art by Fiona Staples, Acts of Violence unveils a roster of new voices in hard-boiled crime comics.

In “The Three Princes”, a trio of young friends is schooled on the alcohol and blood soaked streets of Prohibition era America. A rookie lawman must protect a killer from the desperate and despairing parents of a murdered girl in “Six O’Clock Noose”. A drug addled ten-time loser seeks to break the chains of misery that bind him in “Reggie-Town”. And in “The Orchard”, two cops take a late night drive into broken morals and violence.

Novelist and comics writer Mike Carey called Acts of Violence “a dark, rich anthology… [with] strong creative voices, using the comics medium to do ambitious things.”

A 20-page preview of Acts of Violence can be found at http://www.actsofviolencecomic.com/.

The anthology is being distributed by Diamond Comics, and has been solicited in the April edition of Previews. A PDF that you can print and bring to your local comic shop to let them know you’d like to order the book can be obtained at http://newreliable.com/AoV_PDF.pdf. The PDF contains all the info your retailer will need for Acts Of Violence.

Contact edb@newreliable.com for interview requests or general inquiries. Visit http://www.actsofviolencecomic.com/ for more information about Acts of Violence.

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Gestalt the Return of Ouri

I read Gestalt, Vol. 6

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

"Political Power" Has Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER GETS COMIC BOOK TREATMENT IN JUNE

Is he the embodiment of the American dream? Or is he simply a man lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time? That's the question Bluewater Productions tackles in its newest biography comic, Political Power: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Due to hit comic shops on June 30, Bluewater's latest bio comic traces Schwarzenegger's life as he rises from obscure body builder to movie star to governor of California. It's a career path few would have predicted. Then again, defying predictions is a common theme for Schwarzenegger.

Few, after all, would have predicted a movie career for Schwarzenegger. And fewer still would have predicted that the former body builder would become Hollywood's top action star. But in movies such as Terminator, Predator and True Lies, Schwarzenegger brought untold profits to the movie studios smart enough to cast him as their leading man.

Written by Justin Peniston with interior art by Matt Filer, Political Power: Arnold Schwarzenegger continues Bluewater's successful line of biography comics. Bluewater launched the Political Power line last July with a comic on former Secretary of State Colin Powell. It has since presented the stories of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Al Gore. Like its sister title, Female Force, the series has a simple goal: to tell even-handed stories of the individuals responsible for shaping the American experience.

Peniston said that even hardcore Schwarzenegger fans will be surprised at some of the revelations in Political Power: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“The crazy thing is, as something of an action movie buff, I probably tended to dismiss Arnold's accomplishments more than I should have,” Peniston said. “I didn't realize, living in a culture that allows people to become famous for any old thing these days, how difficult it was for Arnold to make the jump from bodybuilding to acting. I didn't know that he was a millionaire before he was a successful actor. I didn't know that he's been following a plan that he's had in place all along. I guess I'm saying that I knew he was a self-made man; but I didn't know what that really meant until I took on this project.”

Darren G. Davis, publisher and founder of Bluewater Productions, said that Schwarzenegger was a natural choice for the Political Power line.

“Arnold Schwarzenegger is the governor of the most-populated state in the country,” Davis said. “He is undeniably an important man. He was also the most sought-after action movie star for more than a decade. Arnold Schwarzenegger certainly deserves his own comic.”

Interviews and high-resolution images are available upon request. For more information about Political Power and Bluewater Productions, visit www.bluewaterprod.com. In stores later this month "Political Power: Al Gore" and "Political Power: Rush Limbaugh"


About Bluewater Productions
Bluewater Productions Inc. is one of the top independent production studios of comic books, young adult books and graphic novels. Its extensive catalog of titles includes the bestsellers “10th Muse” and “The Legend of Isis” ”Bluewater publishes comic books in partnership with entertainment icon William Shatner (“TekWar Chronicles”), legendary filmmaker Ray Harryhausen (“Wrath of the Titans,” “Sinbad: Rogue of Mars,” “Jason and the Argonauts,” et al) and celebrated actor Vincent Price (“Vincent Price Presents”), Additionally, Bluewater publishes a highly successful line of biographical comics under the titles “Female Force” and “Political Power.”

Bluewater aims to unite cutting-edge art and engaging stories produced by its stable of the publishing industry's top artists and writers.

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

For more information, visit www.bluewaterprod.com.

Bluewater Productions to Reprint Sold Out Ellen DeGeneres Bio Comic

BLUEWATER’S ELLEN DEGENERES BIOGRAPHY COMIC SELLS OUT, 2nd PRINTING ON ITS WAY


Just as she sells out venues across the country, Bluewater Productions’ bio comic on daytime talk show host and veteran comedienne Ellen DeGeneres has also sold out one week after its release. A second printing, with a new cover is already in production.

“I can’t say I’m surprised given Ellen’s enormous fan base and wide appeal,” said Bluewater president Darren Davis. “But I’m always gratified and thankful when the demand for a book exceeds our projections.”

The issue written by Sandra C. Ruckdeschel and penciled by Pedro Ponzo, has received national attention being featured in such mainstream publications as MTV, People Magazine, US Weekly and E! Entertainment Television.

Recently the issue, for which Bluewater is donating a portion of the proceeds to the Humane Society of the United States at Ellen’s request, came under scrutiny by a pro-hunting organization.

“They have threatened to boycott the issue because we put gratis advertisements for the Humane Society in our book.” Davis said. “Our official response to them is although we respect their right to disagree with the aims and goals of the Humane Society we do not share their concerns.”

Ellen DeGeneres is a well-known animal rights proponent.

According to Davis, many of the personalities featured in the Bluewater’s biography comic book series request the company make a donation to their favorite charity. This is typically done with free advertising space for the non-profit and/or a donation of a portion of the proceeds.

Female Force: Ellen DeGeneres, released last week, follows the comedienne from her youth in Louisiana, through the endless smoke-filled comedy club circuit, to her breakthrough sitcom and finally as an Emmy-winning daytime talk show host.

The issue also delves into Ellen’s personal life as an openly gay performer and an advocate for gay rights. “It is part of who she is and any telling of her story without acknowledging the importance she places on her identity would be disrespectful to her accomplishments,” said Ruckdeschel.

The new cover for the second printing was drawn by Michal Szyksznian.

According to Ruckdeschel, fans of Ellen will be able to revisit several of the entertainer’s most iconic moments including her 1986 appearance on the Tonight Show, the 1997 episode of her sitcom where her character announces she is gay, her entrance as host of the 2006 Oscars, and even her “trademark” dance moves. It evens covers the recent announcement of Ellen joining the judging panel for American Idol.

Female Force offers a broad examination of strong and influential women who are shaping modern history and culture. In past issues, the monthly series has featured Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Stephenie Meyer, JK Rowling, Barbara Walters and others.

The suggested retail price (SRP) for the upcoming trade paperback is $3.99.

Female Force individual issues are also available on Amazon.com, where they have been ranked among the site’s top 300 books. The ISBN number for the Ellen issue is 978-14507-0017-7. To find a comic book store near you go to www.comicshoplocator.com


About Bluewater Productions
Bluewater Productions Inc. is one of the top independent production studios of comic books, young adult books and graphic novels. Its extensive catalog of titles includes the bestsellers “10th Muse” and “The Legend of Isis” ”Bluewater publishes comic books in partnership with entertainment icon William Shatner (“TekWar Chronicles”), legendary filmmaker Ray Harryhausen (“Wrath of the Titans,” “Sinbad: Rogue of Mars,” “Jason and the Argonauts,” et al) and celebrated actor Vincent Price (“Vincent Price Presents”), Additionally, Bluewater publishes a highly successful line of biographical comics under the titles “Female Force” and “Political Power.”

Bluewater aims to unite cutting-edge art and engaging stories produced by its stable of the publishing industry’s top artists and writers.

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

For more information, visit www.bluewaterprod.com.