Thursday, May 28, 2009

TRANSFORMERS Fans Invade Southern California as New Toy Line Storms Toy Aisles Nationwide



TRANSFORMERS Convention in Pasadena coincides with launch of new TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN movie toys


The 2009 TRANSFORMERS fan convention, which is in Pasadena on May 28 to 31, is destined to be one of the biggest and most exciting TRANSFORMERS gatherings ever!


In addition to celebrating Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS brand’s 25th anniversary and anticipating the June 24th debut of DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, new toys and merchandise from the second movie in the franchise go on-sale from coast to coast beginning Saturday morning, May 30th.

The convention, which is known as “BotCon” (with syllables taken from the two TRANSFORMERS factions AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS), is annually the largest official gathering of TRANSFORMERS fans in the world and is open to both TRANSFORMERS collectors and non-collectors — and the young and young-at-heart.

BotCon will be held at the Pasadena Convention Center located at 300 East Green Street in Pasadena, Calif., and will be open to the public on May 30 – 31. Special activities are planned on May 28 – 29 for attendees who purchase multi-day packages.

On Saturday, May 30th, kids ages 5 to 14 will be able to participate in the TRANSFORMERS Challenge, which will award prizes based on how quickly kids can convert TRANSFORMERS toys from robot mode to vehicle mode. Kids may qualify in the preliminary round from 9:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., with the fastest competitors moving on to the semi-final and final rounds that will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. All kids participating will receive a TRANSFORMERS toy, and the fastest kids in both the senior and junior age division will receive a HasbroToyShop.com gift card worth $500. Official rules are posted on www.BotCon.com.

Additionally, BotCon attendees will have the opportunity to learn how to draw TRANSFORMERS characters from Hasbro’s designers, see toys in the new 2009 TRANSFORMERS toy line, buy, sell, and trade TRANSFORMERS toys from throughout the franchise’s 25-year history at more than 200 tables of merchandise, and attend panel discussions and seminars led by TRANSFORMERS experts. Special activities for kids will be held throughout the weekend in the Hasbro booth.

For fans not able to make it to southern California this weekend, they can head to their favorite toy retailer and be among the first to purchase the new toys based on the upcoming movie TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN. Highlights from the line include:

• BUMBLEBEE MOVIE VOICE MIXER: In the 2007 TRANSFORMERS movie, BUMBLEBEE was a scene-stealer and an instant favorite among kids and long-time TRANSFORMERS fans. Now, kids can pretend to be the fun-loving AUTOBOT character BUMBLEBEE with a role-playing helmet. The toy allows kids to mix their voice through a “radio” and also features realistic robot battle sounds and “radio” tune-in phrases to add authenticity to the play experience. Recommended for ages 5 and up, with an approximate retail price of $39.99.

• TRANSFORMERS MOVIE CONSTRUCTICON DEVASTATOR: The largest and most powerful foe the AUTOBOTS will encounter in this summer’s TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN is sure to be DEVASTATOR, a monstrous DECEPTICON robot made up of six separate construction vehicles known as the CONSTRUCTICONS. The TRANSFORMERS MOVIE CONSTRUCTICON DEVASTATOR allows kids to re-create the film’s awesome action sequences. Recommended for ages 5 and up, with an approximate retail price of $99.99.

• TRANSFORMERS MOVIE FIGURES: For more than 25 years, TRANSFORMERS action figures have been known for their “MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE” play pattern, with robots converting into vehicles, and then back to robots again. In 2009, TRANSFORMERS movie action figures featuring the new film’s most popular characters will be available in three scales: DELUXE, VOYAGER (larger scale), and LEADER (largest scale and includes lights and sounds). Recommended for ages 5 and up the DELUXE figures have approximate retail prices of $12.99, VOYAGER figures have approximate retail prices of $22.99 and LEADER figures have approximate retail prices of $44.99.

“There has never been a more exciting time to be a TRANSFORMERS fan and collector than now,” said Brian Savage, director of the TRANSFORMERS Collectors’ Club. “Fans worldwide are buzzing about the upcoming live-action movie TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN and its toy line. Collectors are excited about the TRANSFORMERS UNIVERSE toy line that celebrates 25 years of ROBOTS IN DISGUISE and features many much-loved classic ‘bots from the brand’s origin. And kids continue to love the action figures from the popular TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED series on Cartoon Network.”

BotCon general admission sessions will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 30 and 31. (On Saturday, doors are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; on Sunday, doors are open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Special multi-day packages and exclusive TRANSFORMERS products are available on a limited basis. General admission for adults (13 & up) is $15 and for children (12 & under) is $8. Children will be admitted for free with the purchase of an adult admission. Additional information can be found at www.BotCon.com or by calling 817-448-9863.

For 25 years, Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) has provided kids with hours of MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE action with figures that convert from vehicle to robot and back again. Millions of boys around the world grew up creating fantastic adventures and battles featuring heroic AUTOBOTS, such as OPTIMUS PRIME and BUMBLEBEE, clashing with the evil DECEPTICONS, led by MEGATRON. The brand’s popularity became cemented in the pop culture’s upper stratosphere following the 2007 release of the first live-action TRANSFORMERS movie, from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, in association with Hasbro. The blockbuster film, directed by Michael Bay and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, grossed more than $700 million worldwide at the box office, and TRANSFORMERS merchandise generated more than $480 million in sales that year. On June 24, 2009, fans will experience the next chapter of TRANSFORMERS when Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits theaters worldwide.
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5 Quick Questions with Duncan Roulean


Duncan Rouleau is an American comic book writer and artist, and is a part of the Man of Action collective of creators (along with Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Steven T. Seagle), who created the series Ben 10, currently airing on Cartoon Network.

Rouleau has illustrated a variety of popular American comic books for Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics, and other publishers. He recently illustrated, and co-wrote, the 8-issue miniseries of The Metal Men in 2007 by DC Comics.

In 2006, Rouleau released his first original graphic novel, The Nightmarist, published by Active Images.



He agreed to answer 5 Quick Questions:

1) What would you say is your greatest achievement in comics?

As far as "greatest achievement" I suppose I should leave that to others to decide. I know that I am extremely proud of the work that I am doing presently From the graphic novel The Nightmarist to the Metal Men mini series and the book I'm doing right now The Great Unknown. I am also proud to have worked on both Uncanny X Men as well as Action Comics Superman.

2) Who was your favorite writer or artist that you worked with & why?

Different people have taught me so many things. The other guys in Man of Action ( Joe Kelly, Joe Casey and Steve Seagle) are the ones that have constantly pushed me to do better. I was extremely proud to have George Perez and Terry Austin ink my pencils. The reason well - they are both legends.

3) What character you have never worked .., would you like to do & why?

I am really enjoying working on my own titles right now, and will probably concentrate on those for the time being. However having said that - I would like to get my hands on some Spiderman.

4) Who are your influences?

I'm unsure. I love Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, John Byrne, Alex Toth to name a few. I don't think i draw like any of them however.

5) What hero or villain would you like to change if you could and why?

I think there are too many mutants in the world. I would like to go back and put a cap on that.

Check out Duncan at his site Manofaction.tv
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Spider-Man Gets Caught In the Dark Reign Today!


The events of Dark Reign finally catch up to Peter Parker in Amazing Spider-Man #595, on sale now! Acclaimed writer Joe Kelly and fan favorite artist Phil Jimenez begin the hotly anticipated “American Son” as the web crawler takes on his most dangerous mission yet!


Can Wolverine, fellow member of the New Avengers, help Spider-Man take down Norman Osborn? J Jonah Jameson and Peter Parker are…cousins!? Harry Osborn deals with a recent heart break and his father’s machinations; will demons of times past come back to haunt him? What role do Norman’s Dark Avengers play in this family reunion?

For a look behind the scenes of “American Son”, including all-new art plus commentary by Kelly and Spider-Man Editor Steve Wacker, check out the Spider-Man: American Son Sketchbook. It’s free, courtesy of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, right here:
http://marvel.com/digitalcomics/titles/AMAZING_SPIDER-MAN~colon~_AMERICAN_SON_SKETCHBOOK.2009.1

Critics are raving about the new storyline!

“Joe Kelly clearly understands who all of the book's characters are, and how they relate to one another…Kelly balances the various elements of the book well…”-- David Wallace, Comicsbulletin.com

“Joe Kelly writes a brilliant Peter Parker story – and that’s what American Son at this early stage appears to be, an arc focusing heavily on the man behind the mask, and that is always more fun in my opinion”—Joe Kelly, TheComicAddiction.com

Amazing Spider-Man #594

Head over to your local comic shop and pick up Amazing Spider-Man #595—in stores now!

American Son Part 1
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #595 (MAR092529)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #595 GRANOV VARIANT (MAR092530)
Written by JOE KELLY
Pencils & Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Variant Cover by ADI GRANOV
Rated A …$2.99
ON SALE NOW!

American Son Part 2
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #596 (APR090449)
Written by JOE KELLY
Pencils by PAULO SIQUEIRA
Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Rated A …$2.99

On-Sale—6/3/09
American Son Part 3
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #597 (APR090450)
Written by JOE KELLY
Pencils by MARCO CHECHETTO
Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Rated A …$2.99
On-Sale—6/10/09

American Son Part 4
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #598 (APR090451)
Written by JOE KELLY
Pencils by PAULO SIQUEIRA
Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Rated A …$2.99
FOC—5/28/09, On-Sale—6/17/09


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MARVEL PRESENTS SPECIAL HARD COVER EDITION OF X-MEN: MAGNETOTESTAMENT


Collection of groundbreaking limited series includes exclusive extras by Stan Lee, Greg Pak and new short story detailing a real-world Holocaust survivor’s story, on sale now!


On May 28, Marvel Comics will release the highly anticipated X-Men: Magneto Testament hard cover, a collection of the five-issue critically acclaimed limited series from the fan favorite team of New York Times Best-Selling Author Greg Pak (Incredible Hulk, Incredible Hercules) and Carmine Di Giandomenico. This collector’s edition hard cover will be jam-packed with amazingly powerful extras, including a story never before published, and arrives with a suggested retail price of $24.99.
Today, the whole world knows him as Magneto, the most radical champion of mutant rights that mankind has ever seen. But in 1935, he was just another schoolboy -- who happened to be Jewish in Nazi Germany. The definitive origin story for one of Marvel's greatest icons begins with a silver chain and a crush on a girl -- then quickly turns into a harrowing struggle for survival against the inexorable machinery of Hitler's Final Solution.

Extras in the X-Men: Magneto Testament hard cover include a comprehensive End Notes and Teachers Guide, Afterward by Greg Pak, Afterward by iconic Marvel creator Stan Lee and brand new cover by legendary artist Joe Kubert.

Additionally, X-Men: Magneto Testament collects the short story The Last Outrage, written by Dr. Rafael Medoff, director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, and illustrated by comic book luminaries Neal Adams & Joe Kubert. Learn the true life story of Dina Babbit, a Holocaust survivor who was forced by Nazis to paint portraits during her captivity in Auschwitz, and her continuing struggle with a Polish museum to reclaim her works from their possession.

Fans and critics agree—X-Men: Magneto Testament is one of the most important graphic novel achievements to date. IGN.com named this the “Best Mini Series of the Year” for 2008. Don’t miss X-Men: Magneto Testament , the book IGN deemed “easily one of the best products Marvel has put out this decade”, wherever books are sold.

X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT PREMIERE HC (MAR092634)
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Parental Advisory …$24.99
ON SALE NOW!

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G.I. JOE: RESOLUTE Q&A



You've seen G.I. JOE: RESOLUTE - now hear from the filmmakers themselves!


Recently, hundreds of fans submitted their own questions and comments to the show’s creative team (Joaquim Dos Santos - Director, Dan Norton - Lead Background & Prop Designer, Steve Drucker - Executive Producer).

We sat down with all three and asked them our favorite questions among those submitted.

Check back to
gijoeresolute.com today and watch the exclusive Hasbro video interview!
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Ghostbuster Minimates Found in the Amazon Jungle!



Video game enemies need love too! I mean, who wouldn’t want these updated monsters?


The 4pk includes:

The crazed pizza thrower: Chef

The “I like to burn things” Archietect

The Constatnly Misspelled Azeltor

And the Always Dirty Slime Monster!

Here’s your first look at the fantastic packaging

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Trapp's Rap - Buffy without Joss Whedon???


Click Here to go to the website containing the article below


With vampire boyfriends on everyone’s wish list, it’s not surprising that Hollywood looks to reviving one of its legendary slayers. Not that we would mind of course, as who doesn’t want Buffy to return and save us from the undead? The real question is: does anyone want Buffy without her creator, Joss Whedon?



According to The Hollywood Reporter, there are plans to bring Buffy back to the big screen without Whedon’s participation. Instead, it will be a relaunch handled by the director of the 1992 film, Fran Rubel Kuzui, and her husband Kaz Kuzui, along with Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment. It would have no connection to Whedon’s legendary television series, or to its comic book continuation, but would instead “reboot” the story from the very beginning in order to not upset the series’ die hard fans.

Is this what fans want? Ever since “Buffy” went off the air, they’ve been clamoring for a return of the Buffy they know; one who would bring Angel, Spike, Xander, Dawn and Willow along with her. The comic book series has pleased some fans, but the majority are hungry for a television or big screen movie that would continue from where “Buffy” and its spin-off “Angel” left off. While the producers told THR that it’s possible Whedon could become involved, the article also states that Kuzui and company seem determined to take Buffy “into a new place” by themselves. Will their approach bring in a new audience, or will they alienate fans and newcomers alike?

So yeah, I'm not sure what to think of this. Even though Joss Whedon wrote the original Buffy movie back in 1992, I still trust Whedon more to do the film right. But getting the director of that 1992 film, Fran Rubel Kuzui, that just makes me a little worried about how the film will be done. But according to the article, it sounds like they want to do some type of a revamping of the most popular vampire slayer of all time. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about giving directors a chance to bring their own interpretation to a very established character, but I just don't know, this really does worry me! I hope I'm not the only one worried about this.
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THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #2 SELLS OUT IN ONE WEEK!



ISSUE #2 OF FAN-FAVORITE SERIES SELLS OUT IN ONLY ONE WEEK!


BOOM! Studios announced today that THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #2, one of the premiere titles for their new BOOM! Kids imprint, has sold out in only one week!


This follows on the heels of simultaneous pre-release sell outs for THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #1 and THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #1, as well as sell outs of CARS: THE ROOKIE #1 and THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #2.

Fans should keep in mind, while Diamond Comics Distributors is completely sold out, THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #2 first printing may still be found at a direct market retailer near you.

Diamond Comics Distributors is making the second printing of THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #2 available for retailers to order immediately and the second print will be featured in a forthcoming issue Diamond Dateline.

THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #2 second print (APR098203) features a brand new cover by interior artist Marcio Takara and will hit store shelves late-June.

THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #2 features all new INCREDIBLES stories written by legendary comic book scribe Mark Waid and drawn by Marcio Takara. The first printing of issue #2 of the fan-favorite series shipped with two variant covers, with cover A by Sean Galloway and cover B by Marcio Takara. The first printing of THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #2 also features a hard-to-find Kirby-inspired C cover from GODLAND artist Tom Scioli!

THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS has seen rave reviews from all quarters:

"Waid and Takara have done a really solid job with this series...The dialogue, pacing and action give it exactly the right feel." -- The Scoop

"THE INCREDIBLES is great as both an all-ages book, and a super hero tale." -- Project Fanboy

"This is a great book for younger readers. It stays true to the spirit of the movie, and Marcio Takara’s art is dynamic and alive on every single page" -- The Longbox Chronicles

"If you’re looking for a fun book that the kids and you can enjoy, or if you’re just a big Incredibles fan, this is definitely worth your time." -- read/RANT!

"The story’s a fast, easy read, with solid writing... The art is stellar and matches the Pixar animation of the movie in aces.... Overall, it’s good, clean fun for the whole family to enjoy and an outstanding title to use as a gateway into the world of comics for kids." -- Fandomania

BOOM! Studios announced the launch of their new imprint, “BOOM! Kids” in late March. BOOM! Kids serves as a child-appropriate home for BOOM!’s kid-friendly publishing content. The company’s new imprint includes its own website, www.boom-kids.com. The premiere books for this imprint include THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #1, THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK #1, both released on March 25th, and CARS: THE ROOKIE #1 released April 1st.

All BOOM! Kids’ titles will be serialized as individual 24 page comic books in Direct Market comic book collector shops and newsstands, then each four issue complete story will be collected into graphic novel trade paperbacks available in the mass market via Borders, Barnes & Noble and the direct market as well.

Recently, BOOM! Studios announced a national newsstand distribution agreement with Kable Distribution Services, Inc. for the BOOM! Kids line of the monthly publication to the newsstand market.

For additional information, see
www.boom-kids.com.

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