Image Founder and WILDC.A.Ts creator Jim Lee provides all-new cover for November's IMAGE UNITED #1!
Since IMAGE UNITED's announcement, fans have clamored for the one missing Image Comics founder, Jim Lee, to take part in the crossover event. Earlier today, Image and Newsarama revealed Lee will definitely take part with an all-new cover featuring the entire pantheon of Image superheroes at the hands of the resurrected Al Simmons.
"Things just got real," IMAGE UNITED writer Robert Kirkman said. "Having all seven founders truly united propels the crossover to a whole new level. That's a commonly used phrase, but it's definitely the case here. This is exactly the moment fans have been hoping for and I'm very happy to say Jim delivered. That said, if you think this is cool, just wait for what happens next!"
IMAGE UNITED is a six-part crossover encompassing the entire Image superhero universe and features each Image founder illustrating their own characters. Since its announcement, the crossover has set headlines with New York Times, USAToday and other massive media outlets for its once-in-a-lifetime approach to the superhero crossover. Lee's cover is available for order in addition to those by Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Jim Valentino, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri and Todd McFarlane.
IMAGE UNITED #1, a full-color 32-page comic book for $3.99, will be in-stores November 25th, 2009.
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FLYING HIGH!Step behind the scenes as we bring you the lowdown on Disney Pixar’s dynamite DVD, Up. We’ve got a backstage pass to the making of the awesome animation – and you’re invited! 
UP, UP AND AWAY…
What’s the new Blu-ray about? “The story centers around a grumpy old man called Carl Fredricksen and an 8-year-old wilderness explorer called Russell,” explains the movie’s director, Pete Docter. “The pair fly off to South America for a wild adventure on a floating house suspended from helium balloons!”
BRIGHT SPARK!
“The original idea for the movie came from a drawing by Pete Docter,” explains producer, Jonas Rivera. “It was a simple drawing of a house being lifted up by hundreds of balloons and there was something wonderful about it. We decided we needed to create a story to go with the picture.”
WATER WORKS!
The head of Pixar Animation – John Lassetter – was moved to tears by the original pitch of the movie. “It’s true,” continues Rivera. “John Lassetter cried when the idea was pitched to him. He was giving us feedback with tears in his eyes!”
BE PREPARED…
A team of Pixar workers – including Pete Docter – took a trip to South America to research the movie and its stunning locations. “Pete bought just about every gadget he could find for the journey,” reveals the film’s character designer, Daniel Lopez. “The team got to experience what it truly felt like to be in the mountains for several days. They got dirty and muddy – and it was a great experience to inspire them.”
POP THE QUESTION!
“When we started work on the movie, we didn’t have the technology to animate more than 50 balloons at a time,” admits supervising technical director, Steve May. “Our goal was to animate 50,000 balloons to lift up Carl’s home in the movie, so we had to severely upgrade our technology.” How did the upgrade go? “Eventually we were able to animate 130,000 balloons,” chuckles May.
GOLDEN OLDIE!
The lead character in the movie is a cranky 78-year-old man called Carl – and a lot of time went into creating his animated appearance. “When we started animating Carl, we looked at a lot of older people for inspiration,” reveals character designer, Daniel Lopez. “We drew inspiration from actors from the past like Walter Matthau, or we looked at people we knew, like our grandparents and parents. We also looked at Spencer Tracey, who is a well-known actor from a great era. He’s a loveable guy who you want to hug – and that’s exactly what Carl is like.”
FOUR TIMES THE FUN…
The crew at Pixar spent four years creating the animated action of Up. “We spent months coming up with the look of the simplest of characters,” admits supervising animator, Scott Clark. “We wanted to create a loveable guy with Carl, so he’s got a big nose like a Muppet character, as well as big ears and a big hearing aid. We spent forever working out the square shape of his face!”
PERFECT PETE!
A Pixar animator, Pete Sohm was a huge inspiration for the character of Russell. “Pete’s got these wonderful child-like qualities even though he’s a grown man,” reveals supervising animator, Scott Clark. “We took Pete into the yard outside Pixar and gave him a tent to put up, but we didn’t tell him that we’d turned it inside out. We filmed him trying to put it up – and he was hilarious. When you see Russell and the tent in the movie, this is where the idea came from.”
HAPPY CAMPER!
“Russell was one of the most complicated characters to animate because he has so much equipment on him,” reveals supervising technical director, Steve May. “He loses things as he goes on his journey and the articles he carries get dirtier as he progresses through the film.”
CHANGING SPACES…
“The story of Up wasn’t always going to be about Carl,” explains character designer, Daniel Lopez. “It wasn’t about an old man in the beginning, but there was always the idea of a floating house or a floating city in the sky. Up wasn’t always set in the mountains of Venezuela, but when the director discovered the setting, he knew it would work because it’s so magical and unexplored. It’s above the clouds, it’s remote and it’s very adventurous. It’s perfect!”
THE NAME GAME!
“Up is the first title of a Pixar movie that doesn’t really tell you anything about the story,” explains the movie’s producer, Jonas Rivera. “We’ve had Cars, Toy Story and Monsters Inc., which all tell you what the movie will involve – but Up is different. Pete Docter thought Up felt right, so he fought to keep it. What other titles were in the running? We didn’t really look into it too much, but The Story Of Carl Fredrickson didn’t seem to work at all!”
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT!
The animators used a lot of real life props for inspiration during their work on the movie. “We tied a bunch of balloons together and took them outside the Pixar building to see how they react in the sky,” admits supervising animator, Scott Clark. “We also got an airship to fly over Pixar so that we could see how it soars through the air. We copied its movements for the villain’s airship in the movie.”
A DOG’S LIFE!
A huge amount of effort went into animating the animals as realistically as possible. “I visited a doggy day care centre in California where I filmed dogs walking around and playing,” admits supervising animator, Scott Clark. “We’d then look at the videos and try to copy the movements for the dogs in our animations.”
BIRD BRAIN!
A colorful, 13-foot-tall bird called Kevin pops up during the South American adventure. “Kevin is based on quite a few different birds, including a pheasant, ostrich, heron, quail and cassowary,” reveals supervising technical director, Steve May.
GOING GLOBAL…
The animators, artists and writers at Pixar are a multicultural bunch. “We have people from Spain, France, Australia, the USA, New Zealand, the Philippines, Canada, England, Japan, China, Germany, Italy and Mexico,” admits supervising animator, Scott Clark. “There are people from all over the world at Pixar!”
Disney Pixar Up available on High-Def Blu-ray and DVD November 10th!
In celebration of the November 10th DVD & Blu-ray Combo pack release of Disney•Pixar’s UP, we have a selection of 8 fantastic retro posters made for the film.
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SIEGE: THE CABAL [Prologue to Siege] (OCT090467)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by MICHAEL LARK
Cover by DAVID FINCH
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC—11/12/09, On-Sale—12/2/09
SIEGE #1 (of 4)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL
Variant Cover by GABRIELE DELL'OTTO
Variant Cover by JOE QUESADA
Sketch Variant by OLIVIER COIPEL
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC—12/10/09, On-Sale—1/6/10
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ROBERT KIRKMAN AND MARC SILVESTRI UNLEASHES THE DEMON FROM THEIR HEADS
PILOT SEASON: DEMONIC #1
Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that Pilot Season 2009 will continue with Pilot Season: Demonic #1. Hitting comic book stores December 16, 2009, Pilot Season: Demonic #1 is a 32-page glance into the creative minds of Image Comics partners Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible) and Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri (X-Men/Dark Avengers: Utopia, The Darkness).
Written by Kirkman and featuring art from Top Cow alumni Joe Benitez (Soulfire, The Darkness), Pilot Season: Demonic #1 centers on the story of Scott Graves and his inner demon—only his demon manifests itself in his real life. Providing him strength, the demon is only satiated when Scott kills. In a conflicted Faustian bargain, Scott will continue to kill as long as the demon promises not to make him kill his wife and daughter. Stalking the night as Demonic, a vigilante known for savagely slaughtering the wicked, Scott must asks himself how long he can continue living this way and if the demon is in fact real. Pilot Season: Demonic #1 features a cover by co-creator Silvestri.
Pilot Season: Demonic #1 will carry the price of $2.99 as part of Top Cow’s ongoing initiative to maintain their price point at $2.99 throughout 2009 for all of their regular comic books. A total of five new properties will be introduced in Pilot Season 2009 from co-creators Kirkman and Silvestri. Previously announced has been Pilot Season: Murderer in stores in October. A bargain priced issue titled Pilot Season: Declassified introduces readers to all five concepts for only one dollar.
An annual Top Cow tradition since 2007, Pilot Season allows fans the opportunity to choose the next two Top Cow series based on a selection of one-shot Pilot Season “pilot” issues through online voting. The inaugural Pilot Season initiative garnered more than four million votes from fans across the globe.
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G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO
THE COMPLETE SERIES
LIMITED-EDITION COLLECTOR’S SET
Jam Packed with 17-DVDs, 95 Episodes, Extensive Bonus Content, Voice Cast Reunion, A Collectible Book, a 1-GB “Dog Tag” Flash Drive Featuring 2 New G.I. JOE Silent Comics and much more in a Deluxe Footlocker Case In Stores November 10, 2009 from Shout! Factory
This November 10, 2009, the action explodes onto DVD as the epic adventures of the original action hero arrive in stores nationwide in the ultimate collector’s set. Witness their fight for freedom as the G.I. JOE team faces off against the venomous COBRA organization and their bid to rule the world. For the first time ever, fans can own the complete series of the original animated television show that was a pop-culture phenomenon for a generation of kids in the 1980’s.
Now you can relive the original animated adventures of DUKE, SCARLETT, SNAKE EYES, FLINT, LADY JAYE and the rest of the team with G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero The Complete Series limited-edition collector’s set from Shout! Factory in collaboration with Hasbro.
Loaded with over 36 hours of content, this 17-disc collector’s set of G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero contains all 95 episodes including the final episodes that have never been available on DVD until now, brand-new bonus features celebrating G.I. JOE’s rich history, a special collectible book, an exclusive 1-GB “Dog Tag” Flash Drive (USB 2.0) with G.I. JOE silent comics, and special Arashikage and Cobra Rub-on tattoos. All collected in a specially designed deluxe footlocker case. Plus, there is a special DVD place holder inside this case for the G.I. JOE original animated movie when it becomes available next year! A fan must-have for this holiday season, G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero The Complete Series limited-edition collector’s set is priced at $179.99 SRP.
EXTENSIVE DVD BONUS FEATURES:
*Looking Back with writer Ron Friedman, Part One
*Looking Back with writer Ron Friedman, Part Two
*Looking Back with writer Ron Friedman, Part Three
*“Knowing Is Half The Battle” PSAs
*G.I. JOE’s Original 1963 Toy Fair presentation
*Archival Hasbro toy commercials
*Printable “Jungle Trap” Script
*Every Day Heroes: The History of G.I. JOE
An in-depth and insightful look at the many lives of G.I. JOE, from action figures and play sets to comic books and animated series. Includes exclusive, brand-new interviews with those most responsible for the success of G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero
Men & Women of Action: Creating the G.I. JOE Animated Series
A look back at the development and production of G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero with members of the creative team and voice talent.
Voices of A Real American Hero
An unbelievable roundtable discussion with eight key members of the voice cast. Jack Angel (Wet Suit), Michael Bell (Duke), Gregg Berger (Spirit), Aurthur Burghardt (Destro), Corey Burton (Tomax), Richard Gautier (Serpentor), Neil Ross (Shipwreck), B.J. Ward (Scarlett).
Greenshirts: The G.I. JOE Fandom
An intimate look at those most touched by G.I. JOE: its legion of loyal fans.
Declassified: A Conversation With Larry Hama
An in-depth interview with the comic book writer most responsible for the unforgettable stories and characters of G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero.
Fan Material - Live-action fan film Battle For The Serpent Stone.
SYNOPSIS
G. I. JOE is the code name for America’s daring highly-trained special missions force.
Its purpose: to defend human freedom against COBRA, a ruthless organization determined to rule the world!
1n 1982 Hasbro made a bold statement when it launched its classic toy line of action heroes as an adventure-based team of unique characters, each with his – and her – own specialties. And because it captured the imaginations and hearts of kids aspiring to make a difference in the world, G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero was an immediate success lasting over 25 incredible years.
Technical Information
Street Date: November 10, 2009
Rating: Not Rated
Packaging: deluxe footlocker case
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Suggested Retail Price: $179.99
Running Time: 36.5 hours
Discs: 17
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THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ #1 (of 8) (SEP090381)
THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ #1 (of 8) SHANOWER VARIANT
THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ #1 (of 8) MCGUINNESS VARIANT
Written by ERIC SHANOWER
Pencils & Cover by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Variant Cover by ERIC SHANOWER
Variant Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
All Ages …$3.99
ON SALE NOW!
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ HC (JUL090457)
Written by ERIC SHANOWER
Penciled by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Cover by SKOTTIE YOUNG
All Ages …$29.99
ON SALE NOW!
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DAVID PETERSEN, CREATOR OF ‘MOUSE GUARD,’ TO APPEAR AT LONDON’S FORBIDDEN PLANET COMICS SHOP
PETERSEN WILL SIGN COPIES OF ‘WINTER 1152’ AT THE MEGASTORE ON NOVEMBER 7th
For one day only, Eisner and Origins Award-winning writer/artist David Petersen will be appearing at Forbidden Planet comics shop in London, England, providing fans across the pond a chance to meet the creator behind the brave and noble band of sword-wielding mice whose adventures continue in Mouse Guard: Winter 1152. The book recently spent six weeks on The New York Times Bestseller List.
The one-hour signing will run from 1 to 2 p.m. on November 7th, 2009 at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, England. The Mouse Guard series is an all-ages publication that any reader would enjoy this holiday season.
"I’m thrilled to be signing in the UK for the first time!” exclaimed Petersen. “In the past. I have heard from vocal fans asking about a UK appearance, so I hope this can be the first of many.”
Amongst various accolades and awards, Mouse Guard has received an avalanche of positive reviews. Tom McLean of Variety said, “This is a fun book about warrior mice in a fantasy vein that reads like a mix of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Stuart Little.’ Petersen’s art is wonderfully textured and the story is a good one, suitable for kids.”
Newsarama’s J. Caleb Mozzocco said Mouse Guard “is great stuff—an all-ages adventure with a little something for everyone” and Ed Sizemore of Comics Worth Reading raved, “Mouse Guard is perfect. There are no flaws in plot, character, design, color, narration or world building. This is a must-read for any fan of high fantasy. It’s also a must-read for lovers of great comics in general.”
The first two volumes of Mouse Guard and the Mouse Guard: Roleplaying Game are available as hardcovers. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 is also available in a collector’s edition, oversized black and white hardcover, limited to 1,000 printings.
Follow David Petersen on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mouseguard
David Petersen’s website: http://www.davidpetersen.net/
Mouse Guard website: http://www.mouseguard.net/
Forbidden Planet website: http://forbiddenplanet.com/
Ordering Info
Mouse Guard: Winter 1152
Diamond Order Code: MAY09 0647
ISBN-10: 1932386742
Mouse Guard: Fall 1152
Diamond Order Code: MAY09 0648
ISBN-10: 1932386572
Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game
Diamond Order Code: APR09 8450
ISBN-10: 1932386882
Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 Limited Edition Black and White Hardcover
Diamond Order Code: OCT09 0695
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Spinning out of Dark Avengers and New Avengers, Clint Barton (AKA Ronin) is Norman Osborn’s prisoner…but the mightiest women of the Avengers intend to change things!
New Avengers Annual #3, from award winning writer Brian Michael Bendis and red hot artist Mike Mayhew present the team of Jessica Jones, Spider-Woman, Mockingbird and Ms Marvel on a quest to save their captured comrade—no matter the cost! But are the Avenger’s playing right into Norman Osborn’s hands.
Critics continue to praise New Avengers, with IGN.Com raving, “Bendis has proved to be one of the most consistent comic book writers; not only of his generation, but in the history of the form. Across myriad titles and years worth of work, the man has produced dependably good, and oftentimes great, comic books.”
Will Jessica Jones and her teammates be able to save one of their own or will their daring attempt be met with disaster? The fate of Clint Barton will forever change the Avengers and New Avengers Annual #3 has the answers!
NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL #3 (OCT090535)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils and Cover by MIKE MAYHEW
Rated T+ …$4.99
FOC – 11/12/09, On Sale – 12/02/09
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