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News Archives: September 2008
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IMAGE COMICS GOES BACK TO BALTIMORE!
Image Comics returns to Baltimore with a massive guest list and the promise of announcements galore!
This upcoming weekend the world's greatest creator-owned and operated publisher, Image Comics, makes a big return to the Baltimore Comic Con.
"Baltimore is a favorite show of mine, I can't wait to attend that show again, it's always a blast," said Image Comics partner Robert Kirkman. "This may be the biggest collection of Image creators outside of the San Diego Comic Con, but at a show where one-on-one face time with them is prime. Plus, I hear we're bringing a massive slate of announcements to this years' Image Comics Show! It's going to be a great year!"
Kirkman will take part in two panels at the show, first on Saturday for the long-awaited debate on the future of comics between him and POWERS' Brian Michael Bendis, Saturday at 2:45 PM in Oa room (upstairs, room 307). Then Sunday, The Image Comics Show will take place from 12-1 PM in Earth 53 (upstairs, room 307) and will be the epicenter of announcements for the weekend, with highlights including Kirkman being joined by special guests BACK TO BROOKLYN's Jimmy Palmiotti, ELEPHANTMEN's Richard Starkings and SAVAGE DRAGON's Erik Larsen as well as the public debut of IMAGE UNITED art and the very first word on a number of titles.
In addition, the Baltimore Image Island will feature a massive guest list of Image Creators, including Kirkman, SAVAGE DRAGON's Erik Larsen, LIBERTY MEADOWS' Frank Cho, THE SWORDS' The Luna Brothers, ELEPHANTMEN's Richard Starkings, PVP's Scott Kurtz, RED MASS FOR MARS' Ryan Bodenheim and MICE TEMPLAR's Bryan J.L. Glass. In addition, many other Image Creators will be in attendance, such as BACK TO BROOKLYN's Jimmy Palmiotti, THE PRO's Amanda Conner, SPECIAL FORCES' Kyle Baker, INFINITE HORIZON's Phil Noto, AMERICAN FLAGG's Howard Chaykin and PERHAPANAUTS' Craig Rousseau & Todd Dezago.
Image Comics can be found at booth #110 during The Baltimore Comic Con, Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th, at the Baltimore Convention Center. For more information, please see http://www.comicon.com/baltimore/.
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SHADOWLINE GOES ONLINE WITH ALL-NEW WEB COMICS COMMUNITY!
Shadowline establishes web-comics community with fan favorites and newcomers alike!
The digital comics revolution continues as Image Comics' Shadowline expands their web comics division with a number of titles from fan favorites and the newest generation of creators!
"While my first love comes in the traditional comics format, there's no denying the massive amount of new ideas and talent coming from the online world," said Shadowline Publisher Jim Valentino. "It's become a way for creators like PLATINUM GRIT's Trudy Cooper to gain recognition or established names like FINDER's Carla Speed McNeil to get their work to a wider audience. We're thrilled to bring these creators together in one collective."
Shadowline's continued diversity will be reflected in the web comics, as the line will vary from the science fiction of FINDER to the political intrigue of Len Kody & Jenny Frison's CHICAGO: 1968 and even the oft-kilter superheroics of ACTION, OHIO by Neil Kleid and Paul Salvi. The lineup also currently includes newer titles like HANNIBAL GOES TO ROME, and the long-running YENNY and BRAT-HALLA. Future contributions include the web comic hit, PLATINUM GRIT by Trudy Cooper and Danny Murphy, and the upcoming LI'L DEPRESSED BOY featuring art by Jim Mahfood, Sam Kieth and more to come!
More information can be found at www.shadowlinecomics.com/webcomics.
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PRESS RELEASE - BARACK KEEPS BRINGING IT!
Savage Dragon's endorsement results in yet another printing for SAVAGE DRAGON #137!
The world's only super powered presidential endorsement keeps lighting up the headlines as SAVAGE DRAGON #137, featuring the titular character's endorsement of Barack Obama, sells out at a distribution level yet again, resulting in a third printing!
"Believe me, we're trying to keep it in stock," said SAVAGE DRAGON creator Erik Larsen. "We've been printing much more than we predicted needing and the demand just kept growing. I'm thrilled to know that whether people agree or disagree with Dragon, they're extremely passionate about what may be the most important US Presidential election yet."
SAVAGE DRAGON #137 has been talked about the world over, from within comic book communities like Comic Book Resources, Newsarama, ICV2 and iFanboy to the wider world of pop culture with the New York Times, Huffington Post, IMDB, UGO and many, many more. This heat has resulted in what has been the best selling issue of Dragon in several years and a third printing, featuring another variation on the cover colors.
SAVAGE DRAGON #137 3RD PTG (AUG088060), a 32-page full color comic book for $2.99, will be in stores October 15th, 2008.
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TOP COW ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2008 PILOT SEASON!
Fans vote for TWILIGHT GUARDIAN and GENIUS to get their own series!
Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced today that the winners of the 2008 Pilot Season campaign are Twilight Guardian by writer Troy Hickman and artist Reza and Genius by writers Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman and artist Afua Richardson.
For over a month, fans went to the Top Cow website, the Pilot Season website or other sites once per day, every day, to vote for their favorite 2008 Pilot Season one-shots. Pilot Season is an annual initiative Top Cow began in 2007 that borrows its concept from the television industry: Six “pilots” are submitted for consideration to be “picked up for a season,” except instead of TV executives deciding their fates, it’s the fans! 2007’s top two vote getters, Cyblade and Velocity, will debut with new series later this year. 2008’s winners will debut with new series in 2009.
Twilight Guardian and Genius beat out Urban Myths by Jay Faerber and Jorge Molina, The Core by Jonathan Hickman and Kenneth Rocafort, Alibi by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Jeremy Haun and Lady Pendragon by Matt Hawkins and Eru.
Twilight Guardian is about an average woman with a particular kind of OCD that drives her to patrol a nine-block area in her neighborhood every night, and about the other “night people” and situations she encounters because of it. Genius asks the question, “Alexander, Hannibal, Napoleon, Patton. What if the greatest military mind of OUR generation was a 17-year-old girl who grew up on the tough streets of an urban war zone?” Both books resonated with a majority of the voters and their creators are ecstatic, excited and even surprised.
“Holey crullers! I really don’t know WHAT to say,” said Troy Hickman. “I feel like I did once at a convention years ago when I somehow wound up on an elevator with Mr. Curt Swan, and I remember thinking, ‘Something’s gone terribly wrong. They’ve accidentally let me on the IMPORTANT elevator!’ The creative teams on the other Pilot Season comics are just terrific, some of the most talented people working in this, or any, medium, and I feel so proud to even be included in this competition. And big congrats to Genius for winning the other spot!”
“I’m shocked, really,” said Adam Freeman. “Genius is not a traditional comic and I suppose that is one of its greatest assets as well as its biggest obstacle. We weren’t sure how readers would react but we knew it was a story we were passionate about. Kudos to Top Cow for being the only publisher willing to take that risk with us. Someone wiser than me once said, ‘Never underestimate your audience’ and, truth be told, we did a little on this one. We didn’t think people would ‘get it’ but apparently they did.”
“Hell, I’m just thrilled to have won something,” added Marc Bernardin. “Seriously though, it’s like Adam said: We knew Genius was an uphill battle, but every now and then, those uphill battles get WON.”
“I blew my voice squealing like a happy pig for a half hour and came up with at least five victory dances,” exclaimed Afua Richardson when she found out Genius was one of the winning titles. “I feel like I won one for all the oddballs out there—all the artists left of center, for the chicks who fight stigmas in comics, all of them!”
Now that the winners have been declared, the creative teams will work with Top Cow’s editorial department to start planning out their series, which will debut in 2009.
“Issue #1 of Genius sparked a few pretty heated debates in some circles but that was only the first act to a much larger story,” explained Freeman. “There is a lot more to tell. I am very curious how the future issues will be received because, trust me, this book is not going where you think it is.
“We’re going to dip a bit into Destiny’s back-story and the forces that combined to make her the woman she is today,” teased Bernardin. “And we’re going to show just how bloody revolution can be.”
“I look forward to a) seeing what happens next; b) getting the chance to work with Marc and Adam again; and c) really getting a chance to show my stuff,” asserted Richardson. “I just really want put my best foot forward on this.”
“Well, now comes the fun part: making comic books,” conveyed Hickman. “Let’s see if we can take Twilight Guardian where comics haven’t gone before. I don’t want to give anything away, but I promise you there will be comedy, and drama, and plenty of the unexpected. Maybe she’s a Skrull…”
“Everyone here at Top Cow wants to wish a hearty congratulations to the teams on Twilight Guardian and Genius for a hard-won victory in this year's Pilot Season,” proclaimed Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik. “It was an incredibly close race across the board and these two teams campaigned hard for the fans' votes. The fans have spoken and we've already got the wheels in motion to give them more of what they want!”
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DINICARTOONS JOINS TOP COW!
AWARD-WINNING CREATOR PAUL DINI BRINGS THE DINICARTOONS UNIVERSE TO TOP COW!
Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced superstar creator Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Detective Comics, Countdown, Lost, Madame Mirage) is bringing his Dinicartoons universe to Top Cow, kicking off with a one-shot in November featuring Dinicartoons’ star character, Jingle Belle.
“I had a great experience working with Top Cow on Madame Mirage so I’m really happy to be bringing my cast of Dinicartoons characters there,” said Dini, who recently completed the first volume of Madame Mirage with the publisher, which is now available in trade paperback.
Dinicartoons is the overall universe of Paul Dini’s original creations, home to a collection of Saturday morning cartoon-like characters created by Dini, which, in spite of their “cartoony” nature, are meant for all ages but appeal to older readers because of their humor, edginess and pop culture relevance. Led by Jingle Belle, the spoiled teen-age daughter of Santa Claus, the Dinicartoons cast of characters includes: Little Rashy and Superrica the sock monkeys; Polly Green the Halloween witch; Ida Red, the spunky Texas cowgirl; Tashi Ounce, the snow leopard girl; and Hyper Hyena the... well, the name says it all.
“Some Dinicartoons books will feature already known characters like Jingle Belle and Sheriff Ida Red,” said Dini. “Others will be completely new creations.”
Things kick off in November’s Jingle Belle: Santa Claus Vs. Frankenstein one-shot, in which Jingle finds Frankenstein’s monster in the Arctic and “rehabilitates” it to fit in at Santa’s Workshop. But when a city decides Santa is no longer welcome, the monster’s beastly side is awakened and he sets off in a misguided attempt to help his newfound friend, prompting Jingle and her pop to stop the creature before he sullies the good name of Christmas forever.
Joining Dini on this venture will be Stephanie Gladden, who is currently a character artist at Cartoon Network and has worked on licensed comic series like The Powerpuff Girls, The Simpsons, Ren & Stimpy and Wolf & Red. She also created her own comic book called Hopster’s Tracks.
“I’ve been lucky to work with Stephanie a few times before on Jing,” said Dini. “She’s got a great classic cartoon style that I really love. It harkens back to her love for things like the wonderful Looney Tunes and Fleischer shorts, early Hanna/Barbera cartoons and the funnier Disney stuff. Also, she draws amazingly gorgeous girls, a big plus as the story stars both Jing and her cute witch friend Polly.”
“I’ve worked with Paul in the past on some of his comics and animation projects and I’ve always enjoyed his work,” commented Gladden. “I was very flattered when he asked if I could draw this for him. Paul has a real appreciation for artists and understands comics as a visual medium. He writes ‘like an artist.’
“Plus, Frankenstein having it out with Santa Claus—it begs to be drawn!” she laughed.
Top Cow is happy to welcome Dini back. “Paul ranks as one of the top creators in the business,” raved Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik. “We’ve all been fans of his work in comics, animation, and television. We’re incredibly elated that he’s chosen to make Top Cow the home for Dinicartoons.
“In addition, Madame Mirage fans can look forward to a second season coming soon!”
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SHADOWLINE LAUNCHES ALL-AGES LINE, SILVERLINE BOOKS!
This October, Image Comics Shadowline will debut Image's first ever all-ages graphic novel and books imprint, Silverline Books.
This October, Image Comics’ Shadowline will debut Image’s first ever all-ages graphic novel and books imprint, Silverline Books.
“Silverline Books is dedicated to publishing quality all-ages books that bridge the gap between traditional storybooks and comics,” said Publisher Jim Valentino. “We believe that there’s a strong need to reach out to younger readers and introduce them to comics with uplifting, non-violent stories in a format they’re familiar with.”
Silverline Books officially begins October 29th with its first all-new release, DEAR DRACULA by Joshua Williamson and Vicente Navarrete; a Halloween-themed story about a boy who gets visited by his hero, the king of all vampires. It continues in November with BRUCE, THE LITTLE BLUE SPRUCE by Shadowline editor Kristen Simon and Image co-founder Jim Valentino, in which the titular tree wants nothing more than a family to take him in on Christmas.
The year ends with two more Silverline titles, including December’s MISSING THE BOAT by Justin Shady (aka Wayne Chinsang) and Dwellephant, about two lazy animals who are too late for Noah’s Ark, and the softcover follow-up to last years double Eisner award nominee PX! BOOK TWO: IN THE SERVICE OF THE QUEEN by Eric A. Anderson and Manny Trembley.
For more about Silverline Books, including five page previews, SRP, page count, format and ISBNs, please visit www.shadowlinecomics.com/silverline.
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CELEBRATE TEN YEARS OF RED ROCKET 7 WITH THE ALLREDS AND SAN FRANCISCO'S NEON MONSTER!
Mike and Laura Allred to celebrate anniversary with signing, party and original art gallery!
In their only public appearance this year, MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS' Mike and Laura Allred will celebrate the tenth anniversary of their RED ROCKET 7 graphic novel at San Francisco's Neon Monster on Saturday, October 4th!
“While Laura and I have held off from appearances this year, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to celebrate RED ROCKET 7's tenth anniversary with our friends at Neon Monster with their own one year anniversary,” Mike Allred said. “Like RED ROCKET 7, Neon Monster celebrates the common ground between comics and music on a daily basis and the enthusiasm they're bringing may even surpass our own!"
Neon Monster will be celebrating RED ROCKET 7 in a big way with a traditional signing from 5-8 PM and an anniversary party from 8-12 PM featuring the first ever public gallery showing of Allred's original art from RED ROCKET 7 and a rarely heard mix of the RED ROCKET 7 album sequel, THE GEAR: SON OF RED ROCKET 7.
The event will also be the debut of the NEON MONSTER ARTIST EDITIONS, a limited edition boxed set containing store exclusives, with the Allreds edition featuring a dozen 14” x 11” silkscreened prints reproducing art from RED ROCKET 7 in their original black & white state, each hand-signed by Mike and Laura, and a new compact disc pressing of THE GEAR. In addition, all copies of the RED ROCKET 7 hardcover sold at the event will feature an exclusive tip-in plate, also signed by the Allreds.
The RED ROCKET 7 10th Anniversary party will take place at Neon Monster, located at 901 Castro St. in San Francisco, CA on Saturday October 4. For more information, please call 415-206-9644 or visit www.neonmonster.com.
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CAVALLARO'S PARADE COMES COLLECTED THIS NOVEMBER!
The complete Eisner-nominated PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS) hits stands in definitive edition!
The Eisner-nominated true story behind cartoonist Michael Cavallaro's family history is finally collected this November in a full color, deluxe revised & expanded tradepaperback!
"PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS) makes for the perfect Shadowline book in terms of not just its quality, but it's ability to stand out from anything else on the stands," said Shadowline Publisher Jim Valentino. "We couldn't be more proud of Michael and his achievement."
PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS) opens in 1923, as Italy is pulling itself from the wreckage of the first World War while unknowingly plummeting toward another. The nation seemed to be holding its breath, and the slightest perceived transgression could result in violence. On the evening of the Feast of the Epiphany, it did, causing one man to choose between political standing and his very own family.
PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS) TP (SEP082265), a 72-page full color deluxe tradepaperback for $12.99, will be in stores November 26th, 2008.
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TOP COW AT BALTIMORE COMIC-CON
Publisher returns to the Charm City with special guests, exclusive comics and great giveaways
Top Cow Productions Inc. announced today it will be exhibiting at the 2008 Baltimore Comic-Con, a comics and pop culture extravaganza to be held at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland from September 27 – 28. The publisher will use the event to mark the launch of Dragon Prince, a new limited series co-created by Ron Marz (Witchblade) and Jeff Johnson (Amazing Spider-Man, Way of the Rat), written by Marz and drawn by Lee Moder (First Born: Aftermath, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.).
Dragon Prince is an all-ages story about a young boy who discovers he is not only descended from dragons but is also being hunted by an evil race of powerful Magi. A special Baltimore Comic-Con variant cover for issue #1, drawn by superstar cover artist David Finch (New Avengers, World War Hulk), will be available exclusively at the show. Marz, Moder and Finch will be at the convention and they will be signing copies of Dragon Prince #1 all weekend so fans should check the Top Cow booth for a schedule of their appearances.
In addition, Top Cow will host scorching-hot, rising star Kenneth Rocafort (Madame Mirage), who will attend to mark the debut of Cyblade #1, for which he has provided a variant cover. Cyblade #1 by Joshua Hale Fialkov (Pilot Season: Alibi) and Rick Mays (New Avengers) marks the launch of a solo series based on the young, psionic blade-wielding member of Cyberforce and follows her adventures before joining the team. The series is a result of a fan-voted poll in Top Cow’s 2007 Pilot Season initiative, in which readers voted on which one-shot they’d like to see made into its own series.
Rocafort will also be on hand to sign copies of the Madame Mirage Vol. 1 trade paperback, which is available for the first time in September and collects all six issues that he and writer Paul Dini (Detective Comics) worked on. Madame Mirage is the tale of a gorgeous, tech-savvy femme fatale who targets an underground organization of super-villains for termination, but as the title suggests, all is not what it seems. Rocafort also penciled one of 2008’s Pilot Season books, The Core, and will work on an as-yet-unannounced project for Marvel Comics.
An exclusive Baltimore Comic-Con cover for Broken Trinity #2 by Top Cow founder and superstar artist Marc Silvestri will also be available at the show. Broken Trinity is a three-part mini-series with three tie-in books in which at least one established character dies and new characters are introduced to the Top Cow Universe with permanent ramifications.
Top Cow will also present a panel on Saturday afternoon (check schedule at the show for time and location), where attendees can hear some exciting announcements about upcoming publishing plans, including new projects from top creators. Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik, VP Editorial Rob Levin, Ron Marz, Lee Moder and Kenneth Rocafort will sit on the panel for the presentation and will also be available to answer any questions.
At the Top Cow booth, Sablik and Levin will be conducting portfolio reviews and accepting leave-behind samples of artwork from individuals who are interested in entering Top Cow’s 2008 Talent Search, in which two talented up-and-comers will be invited to study under Marc Silvestri in the publisher’s Los Angeles-based studio. See the schedule at the booth for designated times.
Top Cow is nominated for two Harvey Awards, one of the comic industry’s oldest and most respected honors. The ceremony will be held at the Baltimore Comic-Con during the evening of September 27. Top Cow is nominated for Best American Edition of Foreign Material (Witchblade Takeru Manga) and Best Inker (Kevin Nowlan, Witchblade).
As a bonus, there will be free preview books, prizes and other giveaways available at the Top Cow booth at Baltimore Comic-Con, so fans should be sure to stop by when they attend the show. Tickets for the event are available at http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com.
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BARACK OBAMA SELLS OUT!
Pre-release sell out results in a limited edition second printing!
SAVAGE DRAGON's recent endorsement of Barack Obama heated up headlines from the New York Times to the Huffington Post and has led to a pre-release distributor-level sell out, resulting in an emergency second printing to meet demand.
"A lot of people have asked me whether or not Dragon would run again this election, but given its importance, I decided to have him bow out," said Savage Dragon creator Erik Larsen. "Given Dragon's history and the opinions he expressed during his own run, Obama really was the only candidate for Dragon to endorse, my own opinions aside."
The SAVAGE DRAGON #137 second printing will feature an altered version of the Barack Obama cover, including a new background and trade dress.
SAVAGE DRAGON #137 2ND PTG (JUL088177D), a 32-page full color comic book for $2.99, will be in stores September 10th, 2008.
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