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News Archives: April 2008
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ALETHEIA PREMIERES ON MYSPACE!
Image Comics/Shadowline's ALETHEIA premieres online in an unprecedented way!
In an unprecedented move, Image Comics Shadowline has teamed up with MySpace Comic Books to release the entirety of the upcoming ALETHEIA weeks before release.
"With the ever increasing amount of new titles on the stands, we really wanted to do something new and different to help ALETHEIA stand out," said Shadowline President Jim Valentino. "Teaming up with MySpace in this manner gave the series a spotlight it may not have had otherwise had and we don't doubt it will result in many more readers heading into stores for the book."
The one-time MySpace pre-release preview of ALETHIA #1 details the origins of the series, showing the gods never left the Earth and have a secret, yet strict stranglehold on our society. When one woman loses the love of her life them, she goes on a quest for revenge against these hidden kings of humankind.
ALETHEIA #1, a 32-page full color comic book for $3.50, will be in stores March 29th. The full preview can be seen at www.myspace.com/comicbooks
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JOSH MEDORS BENEFIT AUCTION AT UPCOMING EMERALD CITY COMIC CON
Auction to benefit Josh Medors' fight with cancer at this year's Emerald City Comic Con
23 April 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - Unknown to the general public, FRANK FRAZETTA'S SWAMP DEMON, RUNES OF RAGNAN, WILLOW CREEK, GI JOE and 30 DAYS OF NIGHT
artist Josh Medors has been fighting cancer for the past several months. In his time of need, Image Comics and Frazetta Comics have stepped in organize an auction with all proceeds going straight to Josh.
"Josh is a good friend, father and artist. With the support from the comic industry that he loves so dearly, we can all help with costly medical bills and ease his pain just a little would be most appreciated," said Frazetta Comics Editor/Artist Jay Fotos. “We are under a crunch, for the show is just a few weeks away, so anyone that would like to donate please contact me as soon as you can so we can get your donations there for the auction in time, we are also taking PayPal donations as well that go directly to Josh.”
Many of the industry's finest are donating items to auction, including Frank Frazetta himself. Any other creators interested in donating are encouraged to contact Jay Fotos at jayfotos@cox.net.
The Josh Medors Benefit Auction will take place Saturday, May 10th at the Emerald City Comic Con. If you would like to make a PayPal donation, please do so to jmedors1@insight.rr.com.
Contributors thus far:
Frank Frazetta
Jerry Beck
Brian Haberlin
Tom Beland
Mark Kidwell
Todd McFarlane
Nat Jones
Tony Moore
Peter Bergting
Richard Starkings
Steve Niles
Kody Chamberlin
Jay Fotos
Rick Remender
Christian Beranek
Ahmet Zappa
Image Comics
IDW Publishing
Zenescope Entertainment
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IMAGE COMICS TAKES MANHATTAN!
Image Comics makes its first full debut at this years' New York Comic Con!
This upcoming weekend, Image Comics makes its first full debut at New York Comic Con, celebrating with an announcement packed panel and guests galore!
"For whatever reason New York has been a tough city to hold a convention, but the folks behind the New York Comic Con have pulled it off better than anyone could imagine," said Image Comics Publisher Erik Larsen. "I've really enjoyed every year I've attended and thought it was long past time Image Comics had a complete set up, including one of our now famous Image Comics Shows!"
In addition to signings with creators such as AMORY WARS/Coheed Cambria's Claudio Sanchez, SPECIAL FORCES' Kyler Baker, DYNAMO 5's Jay Faerber, BILLY DOGMA's Dean Haspiel, SUBURBAN GLAMOUR's Jamie McKelvie, Shadowline President Jim Valentino and Image Comics Publisher & SAVAGE DRAGON creator Erik Larsen fans will also be able to purchase a selection of Image's library, which includes what may be the very last opportunity to ever buy an original, first printing WALKING DEAD VOL. 1 DELUXE HC.
Furthermore, this years' Image Comics Show (Saturday at 2-3 PM, ROOM: 1E16) features three generations of Image creators discussing the rise of creator owned comics and what it means for the future of the industry. Panelists include Image founders, Erik Larsen & Jim Valentino, DYNAMO 5's Jay Faerber and newer names such as AMORY WARS' Claudio Sanchez & HAZED's Mark Sable. It wouldn't be an Image Comics Show without a number of announcements, including the biggest change on SPAWN since Todd McFarlane left the title.
The New York Comic Con will take place Friday, March 18th to Sunday March 20th. Image Comics can be found at booth 1407.
SIGNING SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
3-4 PM: Mark Sable (Hazed, Fearless, Grounded), Chris Burnham (Nixon's Pals), B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick, '76)
4-5 PM: Paul Maybury (Aqua Leung, PopGun) & Jamie McKelvie (Suburban Glamour, Phonogram)
5-6 PM: Dean Haspiel (Billy Dogma), Michel Fiffe (Panorama), Michael Cavallaro (Parade with Fireworks)
6-7 PM: Mike Oeming & Bryan JL Glass (Mice Templar)
7-8 PM: Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon, Image Comics Publisher) & Jim Valentino (Vignettes, Shadowline President)
SATURDAY
10-11 AM: Mark Sable (Hazed, Fearless, Grounded) & Glen Brunswick (Killing Girl, Gray Area)
11 AM -12 PM: Gerry Duggan & Phil Noto (Infinite Horizon)
12 - 1 PM: Claudio Sanchez (The Amory Wars, Coheed & Cambria)
1 - 2 PM: Todd Dezago & Craig Rosseau (Perhapanauts)
2 - 3 PM: THE IMAGE COMICS SHOW! - ROOM: 1E16
2 - 3 PM: Rob G, Rick Spears (Repo), Vasilis Lolos
3-4 PM: Joe Kelly (I Kill Giants) & Salgood Sam (Sea of Red)
4-5 PM: Kyle Baker (Special Forces, Bakers: Babies & Kittens) & Paul Maybury (Aqua Leung)
5-6 PM: Harold Sipe & Hector Casanova (Screamland)
6-7 PM: Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon, Image Comics Publisher), Mike Oeming and Bryan JL Glass (Mice Templar)
SUNDAY
10 - 11 AM: Paul Maybury (Aqua Leung) & Jamie McKelvie (Suburban Glamour, Phonogram)
11 - 12 PM: Harold Sipe & Hector Casanova (Screamland)
12 - 1 PM: Jay Faerber, Yildiray Cinar, Mahmud Asar (Noble Causes, Dynamo 5)
1 - 2 PM: Kyle Baker (Special Forces, Bakers: Babies & Kittens), Fred Hembeck (Hembeck) & Mark Sable (Grounded, Hazed, Fearless)
2 - 3 PM: Jim Valentino (Vignettes, Shadowline President) & Glen Brunswick (Killing Girl, Gray Area)
3 - 4 PM: Todd Dezago and Craig Rosseau (Perhapanauts) & Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto (Infinite Horizon)
4 - 5 PM: Erik Larsen (Image Comics Publisher, Savage Dragon) & Chris Burnham (Nixon's Pals)
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EISNERS NOMINATE IMAGE COMICS!
Image Comics receives nine nominations in this years Eisner awards!
This past Monday, the nominations were announced for the 2008 Eisner Awards, with Image Comics garnering a total of nine nominations for nine different titles.
"We're especially proud of this year's nominations, as the the mix titles reflects the direction Image has taken over the last several years," said Image Comics Executive Director Eric Stephenson. "We're looking at nominations for creators old and new, in genres ranging from all-ages humor to political thrillers and just about everything in-between."
This year's nominations are easily Image's most varied and eclectic in sometme with new creators such as Jonathan Hickman (Best Limited Series - THE NIGHTLY NEWS) and Michael Cavallaro (Best Limited Series - PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS)) up for awards alongside veterans like Kyle Baker (Best Writer/Artist - THE BAKERS: BABIES AND KITTENS) and Joe Casey (Best Graphic Album - Reprint: GØDLAND CELESTIAL EDITION). Also featured are two titles spotlighting a number of creators, 24SEVEN, VOL. 2 for Best Anthology and LUCHA LIBRE for Best Humor Publication. Others include THE INFINITE HORIZON by Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto for Best New Series, PX! BOOK ONE: A GIRL AND HER PANDA by Many Trembley and Eric A. Anderson for Best Publication for Teens and Ben Tempelsmith in a shared Best Painter or Multimedia Artist for his work on FELL.
Winners will be announced on Friday, July 25th during the ceremony at San Diego Comic Con International. More information about the Eisner Awards can be found at http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_main.shtml.
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WIZARD #200 UNLEASHES MILLAR AND HARRIS' WAR HEROES!
First full-color look at Millar and Harris' WAR HEROES comes in WIZARD #200 PLATINUM!
This past month CIVIL WARS' Mark Millar and EX MACHINA's Tony Harris announced their newest superhero collaboration, WAR HEROES, and at long last WIZARD #200 PLATINUM will give readers their first full look at the upcoming mini-series.
"Thus far we've been pretty coy with the art by only showing my pencils," Harris said. "But WIZARD #200 PLATINUM will be the first place to see the art fully fleshed out, including Cliff Rathburn's inks and colorist JD Mettler's gorgeous palette. I think the final results will surprise a lot of people. It's truly a huge leap from my previous superhero work, in the best of ways."
WIZARD #200 PLATINUM will be the first glimpse at the completed art and contains unseen material giving the first mention of one of the series' stars. In addition, an interview with both Millar and Harris gives as of yet unknown details of their upcoming superhero smash up.
Millar added, "WAR HEROES is an awfully big deal for us as it really extends a lot of the themes and ideas Tony and I first started in CIVIL WAR, ULTIMATES, FANTASTIC FOUR, EX MACHINA and KICK-ASS so we really wanted to put a extra large spotlight on the book. Considering Wizard's been such a massive supporter of both of us, it was the logical choice for the preview. I think it'll really show fans just how big the scope of WAR HEROES is, especially since it's what I would have liked ULTIMATES 3 to be."
WIZARD #200 PLATINUM (MAR083349E & MAR083350E), a full color magazine for $5.99, will be in comics stores April 30th and on newsstands May 13th.
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TORI AMOS INKS THE COMIC BOOK TATTOO!
Tori Amos anthology comes this July!
This July the ever-growing relationship between comics and music reaches new heights as Tori Amos and Image Comics release COMIC BOOK TATTOO, a 480-page, full color anthology adapting the themes and ideas behind her songs into a lush volume of sequential art.
“I have been surprised, excited and pleasantly shocked by these comics that are extensions of the songs that I have loved and therefore welcome these amazing stories of pictures and words because they are uncompromisingly inspiring,” says Amos. “It shows you thought is a powerful formidable essence and can have a breathtaking domino effect."
To assemble COMIC BOOK TATTOO's diverse roster of talent, Amos worked alongside editor Rantz Hoseley, co-creator behind the upcoming DISPLACED
PERSONS and VIX. Together they formed a line up featuring Y: THE LAST MAN's Pia Guerra, Leah Moore, John Reppion David Mack, Hope Larson, Ryan Kelly, Jonathan Hickman, Colleen Doran, Eric Canete, Ted McKeever, Jock, Anthony Johnston, Dame Darcy, Carla Speed McNeil, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Mark Buckingham, Ivan Brandon, C. B. Cebulski and many more, including an introduction by SANDMAN creator Neil Gaiman.
Editor Hoseley added, "While the connections between comics and music have been long established by generations of creators, Comic Book Tattoo is the pure distillation of how these two art forms inspire and feed off of each other across all the classifications, genres and styles of comic storytelling. Like Tori’s music, these stories run the gamut of human experience, emotion and imagination brought to life by some of the most compelling and innovative creators in the field of comics."
COMIC BOOK TATTOO, a 12” x 12” 480-page anthology, will be in stores July 23rd.
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DIG FREE YOUR CEMETERY BLUES!
The sold out first issue from Image Comics' Shadowline now available online!
After two sold out issues, Image Comics' Shadowline is now offering CEMETERY BLUES #1 online at no charge.
"The reception to CEMETERY BLUES has been really stunning," said series illustrator and co-creator Thomas Boatwright. "After going through all of our options, including a much demanded second printing, we opted to put the issue online to reach the most amount of people possible."
CEMETERY BLUES follows Ridley and Falstaff, two bumbling monster hunters who battle evil forces, drink a few pints and destroy untold amounts of private property in the process! Fans who enjoy the first issue can be on the look out this July as the entire mini-series will be collected in THE UNEARTHED CEMETERY BLUES VOL. 1, which includes 81 pages of rarely and never before seen material, including the scarce self-published stories.
Image Comics Shadowline President Jim Valentino said, "CEMETERY BLUES is unique in its ability to combine hilarious gags with truly horrifying moments. This aspect is why its a perfect fit into the Shadowline lineup."
CEMETERY BLUES #1 can be read for free at http://www.imagecomics.com/onlinecomics.php. THE UNEARTHED CEMETERY BLUES VOL. 1 TP, a 184-page black and white tradepaperback for $16.99, will be available July 9th.
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AMERICAN FLAGG! ARRIVES THIS JULY!
Long-awaited AMERICAN FLAGG! collection comes this July!
This July, Howard Chaykin's AMERICAN FLAGG! arrives for the series' 25th anniversary in its much-anticipated hardcover definitive edition.
"This hardcover goes well beyond my wildest initial expectations," Chaykin said. "The past few years consisted of remastering and restoring every line of every panel on every page to ensure this is the best edition possible. I have been extremely fortunate to have both Image Comics and Dynamite Entertainment working hard on this hardcover, and they have made me, as a creator of one of my most personal works, as happy as possible. I couldn't be happier."
In AMERICAN FLAGG!'s dystopian future, America and its corporations have fled the Earth for the relative safety of Mars. Their abandoned planet has been ravaged by war and a recently fired television star, Reuben Flagg, becomes its reluctant champion. The award-winning series' first fourteen issues will be collected in a definitive edition hardcover designed by Chip Kidd and contains Chaykin's never-before-seen sketchbook and an all-new, 12-page story written and illustrated by Chaykin, all book-ended between an introduction by THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY author Michael Chabon and an afterword by ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN artist Jim Lee.
Image Comics Publisher Erik Larsen stated, “Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg! was one of the series that defined the 1980s. Chaykin on American Flagg! --Simonson on Thor -- Miller on Daredevil -- Alan Moore on Swamp Thing -- that was the good stuff. Chaykin's book explored mature themes not common in comics at the time and the intense mix of satire science fiction, coupled with his amazing art was applauded by readers the world over. Fans have been patiently waiting for this but we wanted this to be the definitive collection."
“The old adage of good things come to those who wait will prove itself again, once retailers and fans have the book in their hands," Dynamic Forces President Nick Barrucci added. "This is one of the first projects in which we were involved as a publisher, and it’s taken longer than any other project. Reconstructing the pages has been harder than anyone of us could have imagined. We’ve all worked together and are bringing a piece of history to the fans and retailers, as this is Howard Chaykin’s seminal work. Once we were finalizing the restoration, and realized we could have the Hard Cover in stores for the 25th Anniversary, we decided to add more content by adding issues #13 and #14, the epilogues to the first 12-issue novel, to this collection. This collection will have a lot of material in one package, and, we hope, that when fans and retailers hold it in their hands, they will appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears we all put in to this book, to get it as right as possible."
The AMERICAN FLAGG! hardcover will be available in stores and then also at the San Diego Comic Con in July 2008. The first softcover volume (collecting issues #1-6 and the new story) will arrive in September with the second volume (#7-14) arriving in Winter.
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WELCOME TO THE CHARLATAN BALL!
Joe Casey and Andy Suriano bring the magic this June!
Magic comes crashing down on reality this June in the pages of the ongoing CHARLATAN BALL with series writer, IRON MAN: ENTER THE MANDARIAN's Joe Casey, and artist, STAR WARS: CLONE WARS' Andy Suriano, at the helm.
"This series is meant to be a chaotic head trip from start to finish," said Casey. "To me, creator-owned means total freedom. Andy and I feel like we've been let off the leash. It's been a long time coming for us, and we can't wait to mainline this book directly into the veins of the Direct Market... and beyond!"
CHARLATAN BALL follows C-level magician Chuck Amok and his pet rabbit, Caesar, as they're unknowingly entangled in a multi-dimensional war they can't even begin to comprehend, where magic is the main weapon of choice for all its combatants. The only one who knows the truth is the one who brought him here: the untrustworthy Demon Empty, and he's not talking. The series follows the misadventures of Chuck and Caesar thrown headlong into a world of super-psychedelia.
CHARLATAN BALL #1 (APR082158), an ongoing 24-page comic book for $2.50, will be available in stores June 11th.
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