Tuesday, September 8, 2009

TV News: Cesar Millan and Scooby-Doo Share 40th Birthday Celebration



Birthday Bash for World Renowned Dog Behaviorist and Famous Pup Also Celebrates the World Premiere Movie Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins airing on Cartoon Network
and September 22 release on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack

Cartoon Network Makes Donation to Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation

40,000 Snausages® Scooby Snacks for Dogs Donated for Duo’s Birthday Celebration



Zoinks! Cesar Millan and Scooby-Doo have turned 40! The world renowned dog behavior specialist and beloved iconic cartoon character celebrated turning 40 together at their very own birthday bash today at the East Valley Animal Shelter in Van Nuys, Calif. Also sharing in the festivities were some of Cesar and Scooby’s favorite dogs available for adoption at the shelter, Los Angeles Councilman Tony Cardenas, children from Van Nuys Recreation Center’s “Off-Track Enrichment program” and the cast of the upcoming movie Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, a co-production of Warner Premiere and Cartoon Network.

The film premieres on Cartoon Network on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT, and Warner Home Video will release the film on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

In honor of Cesar Millan and Scooby-Doo’s 40th birthday, Cartoon Network presented a donation of $10,000 to the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation, supporting the foundation’s efforts to increase the number of dog adoptions each day. Currently, there are millions of dogs available from adoption shelters and rescue organizations across the nation hoping for a second chance and a permanent, new home.

The cast of the film – Robbie Amell (Fred), Kate Melton (Daphne), Hayley Kiyoko (Velma) and Nick Palatas (Shaggy) – and Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins producer Brian Gilbert also joined the festivities to help celebrate the birthdays.

“I'm so happy to be celebrating my 40th birthday with an icon like Scooby-Doo. And I’m thrilled to use this celebratory moment to promote the importance of giving dogs a second chance and adopting them from local shelters or rescue groups,” said Cesar Millan. “Many thanks to Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Consumer Products for contributing to the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation and for supporting our continued efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home shelter dogs.”

“When we discovered that both Cesar and Scooby were reaching this exciting milestone around the same time, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to bring the two of them together for a celebration that would not only be fun, but also honor the great work of the Cesar and Illusion Millan Foundation,” said Stuart Snyder, President and COO, Turner Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media.

“Scooby-Doo and Cesar Millan have played vital roles in helping kids relate to animals in a compassionate, empathetic way. I am proud they have chosen to celebrate their birthdays right here in one of the city’s animal care centers and are talking to our kids about pet responsibility,” said Councilman Tony Cardenas.

More than 40,000 Snausages® Scooby Snacks were also donated in celebration of the world’s favorite Great Dane’s birthday bash. With four flavors in each box - cheese, beef, chicken and pizza flavored – the crunchy Scooby Snacks are beloved by dogs everywhere. In addition, Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ licensees contributed an array of products for today’s festivities, including Thermos lunch kits, Ty Scooby Beanies, Scooby fruit snacks and baked graham crackers.

Dog behavior specialist Cesar Millan is best known for his hit television series Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan on National Geographic Channel. The Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation promotes the adoption of abused and abandoned dogs at shelters and rescue organizations. The foundation also provides direct funding for spaying and neutering programs and the humane education of children of all ages. For more information, visit MillanFoundation.org.

On Sept. 13, Scooby-Doo will not only celebrate his 40th year on television, but also the world premiere of the new live-action movie Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins on Cartoon Network. For the first time ever, the never-before-told origin story of the Mystery Inc. gang will be revealed in the two-hour movie premiering on Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. (ET, PT). Warner Home Video will also release Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Read more...

Read More

Comic News: ELEPHANTMEN OVERSHIPS ITS ULTIMATE JUMPING ON POINT THIS THURSDAY!



ELEPHANTMEN #21 comes to participating retailers this week with a very special overship!


This Thursday, the acclaimed sci-fi series, ELEPHANTMEN, will give readers a chance to jump on board as participating stores receive a special 25% overship.

"I'm so glad we're overshipping this particular issue, because I want it to get into as many people's hands as possible," Starkings said. "We've sold out of EVERY issue since #16 – the Marian Churchland issues were a huge hit – and our numbers have been holding very steady since we returned to our regular monthly schedule with our series of standalone stories, DANGEROUS LIAISONS. I envision ten hefty ELEPHANTMEN collections by the time we're done, so readers have a lot to look forward to."

ELEPHANTMEN #21 is an action-packed, pulls-no-punches story with Totally Kick Ass artwork by regular cover artist Boo Cook, and acts as a direct sequel to the series' first issue as it picks up on the stories of Elephantman Ebony Hide and his human friend, Savannah. This issue also sows the seeds for the next big storyline, QUESTIONABLE THINGS. Image's overship will ensure participating stores have the chance to bring new readers onboard along with the fans of the collections looking for an entry point to the ongoing series!

Starkings added, "In addition, original series artist Moritat returns with issue #23 as Hip Flask and Ebony are forced to deal with a MAPPO sleeper cell which seeks to reactivate the Elephantmen as the weapons of mass destruction they intended them to be! We also have knockout covers by J Scott Campbell and Steve Skroce, and a couple other big surprises in the months to come. Watch this space!"

ELEPHANTMEN #21 (JUL090393), a 32-page full color comic book for $3.50, will be in-stores September 10th, 2009. For more information, please see http://www.hipflask.com/issues/elephantmen21/.

Read more...

Read More

Comic News: Brubaker & Phillips Award-Winning CRIMINAL Returns!



Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, the team that wowed fans and critics with the smash-hit Incognito, return with the crime noir series that started it all—Criminal is back!


Tracy Lawless, the most popular character in the series history, takes center stage in Criminal: The Sinners #1 as made men turn up dead all over the city! But when criminals need justice, Tracy’s their best—and only—hope! But just who’s behind these mob-style hits on made men? If you haven’t experienced Criminal, the series that ComicbookResources.com calls “The best crime comic ever published”, Criminal: The Sinners #1 is the perfect place to jump onboard!

“Doing INCOGNITO was just the break that Sean and I needed to recharge our crime batteries. Now we’re back with more grimy goodness, and hopefully all the new readers we picked up with INCOGNITO will follow us back to CRIMINAL,” Brubaker said. “And as always with CRIMINAL, this new story stands on its own, and is totally new-reader-friendly.”

Clocking in at 40 pages of all new content—with no ads—now’s the time to jump into one of the most acclaimed new series of the decade! Don’t miss Criminal: The Sinners #1!

CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS #1 (JUL090583)
By Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Mature Content/No ads…. $3.50
FOC—9/10/09, On-Sale—9/30/09

Read more...

Read More

Comic News: Top Cow releases The Darkness/Pitt #1 for Free on Comics by comiXology app!



PAUL JENKINS & DALE KEOWN’S

THE DARKNESS/PITT #1 FREE ON IPHONE

Sold Out Debut Issue Available at No Cost Through Comics by comiXology Application



Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that the first issue of The Darkness/Pitt, which has sold out at the distributor level, would be made available for free on comiXology’s Comic store/library/reader application for the iPhone beginning this Wednesday, September 9th. The issue will also be available in its entirety on comiXology.com.

Paul Jenkins (Captain America: Theater of War) and Pitt creator Dale Keown (Berserker) have reunited for the first time since their much-lauded run on The Darkness in 2002 in The Darkness/Pitt. The series also marks the first Pitt series in a decade and creator Keown’s return to the character he is best known for. In the three issue limited series, Jackie Estacado, mafia hitman and current bearer of The Darkness, encounters an alien infection which turns normal people into monstrous zombie like beings. Meanwhile, Pitt, an alien/human hybrid warrior, and his teen half-brother Tim arrive in New York tracking down this same problem. The highly anticipated crossover series has been over five years in the making and was held back from release by Top Cow Productions until all principal work on the series had been completed.

“We're thrilled to be a part of Top Cow's strategy to get more exposure for The Darkness/Pitt. The long-awaited return of Pitt deserves great exposure to a wide audience, and our patent-pending Guided View really shines with the material,” explained comiXology President David Steinberger, “Many thousands of people now have the opportunity to read the first issue and use Comics by comiXology's unique in-app connection to retailers to pre-order the next issue.”

“Top Cow has been talking with comiXology for some time about an opportunity to explore their terrific iPhone app and introduce some Top Cow properties to the world of mobile comics and this seemed like the perfect opportunity,” added Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik, “Not only do we put our best foot forward, but hopefully we can drive some additional sales to direct market retailers for issue #2 and #3.”

The Darkness/Pitt #2 is scheduled to be in stores on September 23rd and readers will be able to contact their local comic shop through the Comics by comiXology application. Customers can pre-order issue #2 with the following Diamond order codes:

JUL090442 DARKNESS PITT #2 (OF 3) KEOWN CVR A
JUL090443 DARKNESS PITT #2 (OF 3) HUTOMO CVR B

Comics by comiXology can be found at http://itunes.com/apps/Comics

Read more...

Read More

DVD News: MAD MONSTER PARTY: SPECIAL EDITION



“This party should make everybody chuckle!” - ¬The New York Times

Street Date: 9/8/09
Order Date: 8/12/09
DVD SRP: $14.98



Mad Monster Party, the beloved animated Halloween classic, comes to Special Edition DVD this September from Lionsgate. Featuring the voices of horror film legend Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) as Baron Boris von Frankenstein and Golden Globe® nominee Phyllis Diller (TV’s “The Pruitts of Southampton,” Best TV Star-Female, 1966) as the Monster’s Mate, Mad Monster Party: Special Edition is a hilariously spooky classic! This treasured stop-motion movie comes from the studios of Rankin-Bass - the team who created “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman” and other beloved holiday specials and has been called an inspiration for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. The Mad Monster Party: Special Edition includes a brand-new retrospective featurette and two fun sing-a-longs, and is encased in frighteningly fun neon O-card DVD packaging - making it the perfect treat for Halloween this year!

Baron Von Frankenstein has decided to retire as the head of the Worldwide Organization of Monsters. But first, he must inform the other monsters about his plans. How to deliver the news? How else - through a Mad Monster Party! Von Frankenstein’s guests include a who’s who of Halloween favorites, including The Werewolf, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Mummy, The Invisible Man and more. But who among them is fit to be the new head of the monsters? Find out in this frighteningly fun holiday classic from Rankin Bass (“Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer”) that will leave kids of all ages howling with delight!

*DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
• “Groovy Ghouls: The Making of Mad Monster Party” – featurette that includes interviews with cast and crew and the official Rankin Bass historian.
• Two bonus sing-a-longs for kids of all ages!
• Theatrical trailer
*Subject to change

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 1967
Title Copyright: © STUDIOCANAL - Videocraft International Ltd.
Type: Special Edition
Rating: NR
Genre: Animated / Holiday / Family
Closed Captioned: English Closed Captioned
Subtitles: None
Format: Full screen (1.33:1)
Feature Running Time: 95 minutes
DVD Audio Status: Dolby Digital Mono

Read more...

Read More

TV News: ABC's HIT TV SHOW "LOST"-THE AUCTION AT DISNEY'S D23 IN ANAHEIM SEPTEMBER 10-13, 2009



ABC's HIT TV SHOW "LOST"-THE AUCTION
AT DISNEY'S D23 IN ANAHEIM SEPTEMBER 10-13, 2009


Come See Original Props And Costumes From The Show And Meet Cast Members Who Will Be Signing Autographs

Profiles in History will offer fans a special preview of the props, costumes and set pieces that will be available


If you are a fan of all things LOST, then Disney's D23, taking place September 10-13, 2009 at the Anaheim Convention Center, is definitely the place to be. Profiles in History, the world's largest Hollywood memorabilia auctioneer, will offer fans of the hit ABC television series, LOST a special preview of their Summer, 2010 auction, with a display of authentic props, costumes and set pieces including Kate's toy plane, Hurley's winning lottery ticket, Locke's hunting knife, Sawyer's letter and many other surprises! This four-day sneak preview will be at booth 1930 and runs from 9:00am-5:00pm each day.

ABC is pleased to announce the "LOST" Auction will take place after the series finale in May 2010. "In celebration of our fans around the world, Profiles in History has been selected to auction a selection of original props, set pieces, costumes and collectors' artifacts from the entire series in order to give our fans a chance to own a piece of one of the greatest, most iconic shows in history.

Profiles in History President, Joseph Maddalena: "Profiles in History is thrilled to be holding the LOST Auction. LOST is one of the most iconic TV shows ever created, and we are working in conjunction with ABC to offer fans from around the world an opportunity to own a memento of this amazing show. This is a once in a lifetime auction event that will celebrate one of the most beloved shows in television history."

For more information about Profiles in History and to download complete catalogs from previous auctions, please visit HYPERLINK www.profilesinhistory.com.

Read more...

Read More

Toy News: Uglydoll NYC! Fashion's Night Out at Yoyamart Thursday, Sept 10th 6-11pm





Read more...

Read More

Comic News: Marvel Comics On-Sale 09/10/09



Hey there True Believers, here’s your official list of comic books, collections and posters arriving in comic stores on Thursday, September 10th, 2009.


For more information on any of these titles, and on upcoming mighty Marvel releases, please visit http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?date=2009-09-10 or contact your local comic book retailer at 1-888-comicbook. Stay tuned each week for a brand new list of Marvel releases so that you’ll never miss your favorite heroes in action!

Comics On-Sale:
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #600 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #604
DARK AVENGERS/UNCANNY X-MEN: EXODUS (DAX)
DARK AVENGERS/UNCANNY X-MEN: EXODUS BIANCHI VARIANT (DAX)
DARK REIGN: THE LIST - AVENGERS ONE-SHOT
DARK REIGN: THE LIST - AVENGERS ONE-SHOT HERO VARIANT
DARK REIGN: YOUNG AVENGERS #4 (DR)
ENDER'S GAME: COMMAND SCHOOL #1
HULK TEAM-UP ONE-SHOT
INCREDIBLE HERCULES #134
INCREDIBLE HULK #600 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
KICK-ASS #7
MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #15
MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD #1
MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN #2
MODELS, INC. #1
MODELS, INC. #1 TIM GUNN VARIANT
NOMAD: GIRL WITHOUT A WORLD #1
PUNISHER: FRANK CASTLE MAX #74
THE MARVELS PROJECT #2 EPTING COVER
THE MARVELS PROJECT #2 MCNIVEN COVER
THE MARVELS PROJECT #2 PAREL VARIANT
THOR: TALES OF ASGARD BY STAN LEE & JACK KIRBY #5
THUNDERBOLTS #135 (DR)
THUNDERBOLTS 135 70TH FRAME VARIANT (DR)
ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #2
WAR OF KINGS: WHO WILL RULE? ONE-SHOT
X-MEN FOREVER #3 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
X-MEN FOREVER #4 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
X-MEN FOREVER #7

Collections On-Sale:
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 VOL. 3: VAMPIRE STATE TPB
FANTASTIC FOUR: LOST ADVENTURES BY STAN LEE TPB
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2: WAR OF KINGS BOOK 1 TPB
MARVEL 1602 PREMIERE HC
MARVEL SUPER HERO TEAM-UP TPB
MS. MARVEL VOL. 7: DARK REIGN PREMIERE HC
RUNAWAYS: THE GOOD DIE YOUNG PREMIERE HC
SPIDER-MAN NOIR GN-TPB
ULTIMATUM: SPIDER-MAN PREMIERE HC
YTHAQ - NO ESCAPE PREMIERE HC

*DAX= Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men:Utopia tie-in
*DR= Dark Reign tie-in



Read more...

Read More