Wednesday, April 14, 2010

TOY NEWS: Hot Toys - Iron Man 2: 1/6th scale Whiplash Limited Edition Collectible Figurine

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Hot Toys is proud to present the 1/6th scale Whiplash Limited Edition Collectible Figurine from the Iron Man 2 movie. The movie-accurate Whiplash collectible is highly detailed and specially crafted based on the image of Mickey Rourke as Whiplash in the movie, highlighting the newly sculpted head, muscular upper body, patterned tattoos, light-up functions, highly detailed accessories and weapons.


The 1/6th scale Whiplash Limited Edition Collectible Figurine specially features:
- Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Mickey Rourke as Whiplash in the movie Iron Man 2
- Newly developed head sculpt with real-like facial expression, wrinkles and beard
- Multi-layered stereoscopic hair sculpture with grey highlight on dark brown hair
- Newly developed upper muscular body and arms
- Highly detailed patterned tattoos on neck, upper body, arms, palms and fingers
- Approximately 30 cm tall
- Over 30 points of articulations
- Two (2) pairs of interchangeable palms
- + One (1) pair for holding metal-like whips
- + One (1) pair of fists
- LED chest light (white light, battery operated, battery included)
- Metal-like electricity generator with light-up function at the back
- Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted

Costume:

- Brown-colored jumpsuit with burning effect and holes

- Hydraulic exoskeleton with brown-colored leather-like harness

- Brown-colored leather-like belt with accessories

- One (1) pair of brown-colored buckled boots

Accessories:

- Necklace with cross-shaped pendant

- Figure base with Whiplash nameplate and movie logo

Weapons:

- One (1) pair of metal-like whips with real-like flashes and wires

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Artists:
- Head Sculpted by Kojun

- Head Painted by JC. Hong

- Head Art Directed by JC. Hong

*Product shown is not final, pending licensor approval

**According to Marvel, there are legal implications regarding the orange-color of the pants as shown in the movie. Therefore, the pants’ color in merchandise would vary from that in the movie and would be tuned to brown color accordingly

Release date: end Q2 – early Q3, 2010
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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

CONVENTION NEWS: Hero Initiative at C2E2

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Plans to party with Kirby Krackle and The Fuglees, tattoo a lucky fan and release new Witchblade fragrances!
All in the name of charity!



C2E2 – short for the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo – is the latest convention spanning the greatest in the worlds of comics and pop entertainment. Hero Initiative, the non-profit organization raising money for comic creators in hard times, will be joining in the fun April 16-18 at the Lakeside Center McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. Action-packed weekend festivities include artists such as Adam Kubert sketching for fans, parties at nearby Reggie’s Rock Club, auctioning off a custom tattoo, and premiering new fragrances. And it all happens in the middle of the best gathering of popular culture in downtown Chicago!

The most generous and talented Adam Kubert will sketch four—only four!—drawings the whole weekend at C2E2, and will do these exclusively for Hero. Raffle tickets to purchase these coveted gems will be available at the booth Friday and Saturday morning for $1 each. Winning tickets will be picked at 2:30 pm on Saturday. Each sketch will be $250. All proceeds will go directly to Hero Initiative.

We'll try just about anything to raise money, and so will Ink Fusion tattoo artist Brian Stringer! You can also purchase $5 raffle tickets to get a tat from Brian designed by Marvel Comics all-star artist Ron Garney! Tickets will be available all day Friday and until 12:45 on Saturday at both the Hero and Ink Fusion booths. Drawing takes place at the Hero booth Saturday at 1 PM. Ron will be signing at the Hero Initiative booth from 1-3 PM on Saturday, and will draw the winning ticket himself and create the winner’s design. The raffle winner will get his (or her) tattoo from Brian Stringer at 11 AM on Sunday. For full details, see: http://tinyurl.com/y2jp97g

Enjoy the con during the day, but make sure you spend your evenings at Reggie's Rock Club, 2109 S. State St.! It's only about four blocks from the convention center, but FREE shuttle buses decked out with demons and skulls will be running between the con and Reggie's! Events include:

Saturday night, 7:00 PM, KIRBY KRACKLE and THE FUGLEES! Kirby Krackle features comic store owner and convention promoter Jim Demonakos, while the Fuglees are fronted by artist Andy Kuhn! $5 cover at the door for this event. The party continues following the show with live art, music played by various DJs and dancing SHOJO SHOWGIRLS. The parties don’t stop ’til 3 AM!

In addition all day Sunday at Reggie’s, the Custom PopCult Art Show features the work of SHAWNIMALS, JIM MAHFOOD, JOSH BLAYLOCK, STEVE SEELEY, JOEY POTTS, MIKE HUDDLESTON and a host of others, all doing their own custom versions of Drippy, the PopCult mascot. 25% of the money goes to Hero, and the rest to the hard-working artists. In Addition, everyone's favorite parody news source, THE ONION will be on hand with their Pop Culture trivia, and harvesting photos of volunteers for use in their articles. Yes, YOU could be "Area Nerd" in a future The Onion piece.

Also at Reggie’s on Sunday form Noon to 2:00pm, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab will hold a "Meet-’n'-Sniff"! The scent-makers at BPAL will be debuting a NEW Witchblade scent at C2E2, and even if you can't make the scene at the con, swing by to meet up with other Black Phoenix fans and sniff and trade scents!

Hero Initiative’s booth schedule at the con as follows:
FRI, 16 APR.
1230-230: Gordon Purcell

SAT, 17 APR:
100-300:Ron Garney
230-430: Adam Kubert, 4 head sketches only, $1 raffle, $250

SUN, 18 APR:
1030-1230: Chris Samnee
130-230: Jimmy Cheung
230-330: Bill Reinhold

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About The Hero Initiative:
The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strict to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterday’s creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today. For more information, visit www.heroinitiative.org or call 626-676-6354
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CONVENTION NEWS: C2E2 Hosts ICv2 White Paper!

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C2E2 Hosts ICv2 White Paper
Annual Comic Market Overview



ICv2 publisher Milton Griepp will present the company’s Comic Industry White Paper at C2E2 on Friday at C2E2 at McCormick Place in Chicago, the company announced today. The annual ICv2 White Paper, which has been presented for the last four years at New York Comic Con, is the definitive source of information each year on the comics business. Highlights include:

Comic market size estimate
Graphic novel market size estimate
Manga market size estimate
Underlying trends and dynamics
Outlook for 2010

“We’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to present our White Papers at New York Comic Con for the last four years,” Griepp said. “C2E2’s launch this spring made it the perfect venue to release this year's report.”

ICv2’s Comic Industry White Paper is sponsored this year by Reed Exhibitions. “In the past, we’ve been able to support our work on the White Paper through our Conference at New York Comic Con,” Griepp explained. “With C2E2 taking over that slot in the calendar, we needed a new way to support our annual report on the industry. Reed stepped up to the plate with their sponsorship.”

“I want to thank Reed for sponsoring the Comic Industry White Paper,” Griepp said, “Presenting the White Paper at C2E2 will be a great way to kick off this new show in Chicago, and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

The ICv2 Comic Industry White paper will be presented at 12:15 p.m. Friday, April 16 at C2E2 at McCormick Place in Chicago, in Room E350.

About ICv2
ICv2 is the #1 source of news and information for the buyers, gatekeepers, and tastemakers on the front lines of the pop culture business, covering the hottest categories--comics and graphic novels; movie/TV products; manga and anime; and hobby games (collectible, cool board, minis, RPGs).

ICv2 publishes daily news and info on ICv2.com, and in-depth analysis and features four times a year in its magazine Internal Correspondence. ICv2 also hosts conferences at New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con International.
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COMIC NEWS: The Marvel Booth At C2E2: The Only Place For Marvel Contests And Giveaways!

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This April, Marvel arrives at the first ever Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo to catapult the newest entertainment event to the ultimate level!



Marvel (Booth #758), along with the hottest creators in the industry, bring fans all that they’ve been craving and more! Over the course of the three day mega-event, Marvel is bringing the fan service with tons of events, signings, and awe-inspiring on-stage events that will make C2E2 an event to remember! Marvel loves to give prizes away and at C2E2, there will be plenty to give out! Be sure to stop by the Marvel Booth (#758) for your chance to get in on the fun the entire weekend!

Friday, April 16th

2:00 - 2:30 PM Sega Demo - SEGA will be demoing the Iron Man 2 video game on the Xbox 360. Swing by, and suit up as Iron Man and, for the first time ever, War Machine in a story that takes you beyond the movie and into the comic universe in this all-new action adventure game. Bag yourself a show-only limited edition Iron Man 2 video game poster into the bargain.

3:00 - 4:00 PM Marvel Charades Game Show - Are you the living room champion of pantomime? Do you have a mutant ability to convey what you are thinking through simple hand gestures and body contortions? Can you drop it like it’s hot? Then make sure you are in the Marvel Booth as we choose fans from the crowd to team up with Marvel creators and editors to play Marvel Charades live on stage!

5:00 - 6:00 PM The Marvel Your Universe Game Show - Always wanted to be on a game show but never got the call? Well now’s your chance. Stop by the Marvel booth as we randomly select people from the audience to partner up with Marvel creators and editors as contestants on a live on-stage game show.

6:00-7:00 PM Super Happy Fun Marvel Giveaway Hour-You Make Yours Marvel every day and we appreciate it! And we’d like to show our appreciation by giving you some cool prizes like variant comic books, trade paperbacks, and hard-to-get autographed items. So stop by with your fellow Marvel Zombies (not the ones that enjoy brains) and you may be lucky enough to hop, skip and jump away with some gifts that will make you the envy of your family, friends, coworkers and pets.

Saturday. April 17th

12:00 - 1:00 PM Marvel Charades Game Show - Are you the living room champion of pantomime? Do you have a mutant ability to convey what you are thinking through simple hand gestures and body contortions? Can you drop it like it’s hot? Then make sure you are in the Marvel Booth as we choose fans from the crowd to team up with Marvel creators and editors to play Marvel Charades live on stage!

2:00 - 3:00 PM Marvel Costume Contest - Are you dressed as your favorite Marvel character? Then get your friendly neighborhood, star-spangled, best-at-what-you-do self down to the Marvel Booth at Comic-Con for The Marvel Costume Contest! The Grand Prize: a Marvel Omnibus signed by Stan Lee! All entrants may also be featured in a gallery on Marvel.Com!

3:30 - 4:00 PM Sega Demo - SEGA will be demoing the Iron Man 2 video game on the Xbox 360. Swing by, and suit up as Iron Man and, for the first time ever, War Machine in a story that takes you beyond the movie and into the comic universe in this all-new action adventure game. Bag yourself a show-only limited edition Iron Man 2 video game poster into the bargain.

4:30 - 5:30 PM The Marvel Your Universe Game Show - Always wanted to be on a game show but never got the call? Well now’s your chance. Stop by the Marvel booth as we randomly select people from the audience to partner up with Marvel creators and editors as contestants on a live on-stage game show.

6:00 - 7:00 PM Super Happy Fun Marvel Giveaway Hour - You Make Yours Marvel every day and we appreciate it! And we’d like to show our appreciation by giving you some cool prizes like variant comic books, trade paperbacks, and hard-to-get autographed items. So stop by with your fellow Marvel Zombies (not the ones that enjoy brains) and you may be lucky enough to hop, skip and jump away with some gifts that will make you the envy of your family, friends, coworkers and pets.


Sunday, April 19th

12:00 - 1:00 PM Super Happy Fun Marvel Giveaway Hour - You Make Yours Marvel every day and we appreciate it! And we’d like to show our appreciation by giving you some cool prizes like variant comic books, trade paperbacks, and hard-to-get autographed items. So stop by with your fellow Marvel Zombies (not the ones that enjoy brains) and you may be lucky enough to hop, skip and jump away with some gifts that will make you the envy of your family, friends, coworkers and pets.

1:30 - 2:30 The Marvel Your Universe Game Show - Always wanted to be on a game show but never got the call? Well now’s your chance. Stop by the Marvel booth as we randomly select people from the audience to partner up with Marvel creators and editors as contestants on a live on-stage game show.

3:30 - 4:00 Sega Demo - SEGA will be demoing the Iron Man 2 video game on the Xbox 360. Swing by, and suit up as Iron Man and, for the first time ever, War Machine in a story that takes you beyond the movie and into the comic universe in this all-new action adventure game. Bag yourself a show-only limited edition Iron Man 2 video game poster into the bargain.

Make sure not to miss the first C2E2 ever! Join Marvel (Booth #758) and its talented creators at Lakeside Center at McCormick Place April 16th to the 18th. You really don’t want to miss out on the fantastic line up of superstar talent, exciting panels, and loads of top secret information that Marvel will be dishing up at C2E2!

Marvel Entertainment, LLC. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel's strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information visit www.marvel.com.
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COMIC NEWS: LANCE BRIGGS BECOMES THE DARKNESS AT C2E2

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Top Cow Productions, Inc. is proud to announce Lance Briggs, the 5-time Pro Bowl player and Co-Defensive Captain of the Chicago Bears, will play a special role in Top Cow’s plans for next week’s Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2).



"I've been in love with comics since I was 7 years old. I remember reading my first ever comic, the Original X-Men, and thinking that it was the coolest thing ever," said Briggs. "Top Cow and C2E2 are making my childhood dreams come true."

”It’s very in vogue for celebrities to espouse a love of comics these days, but rarer to find someone of Lance’s stature that has a true, deep seeded love of comics,” commented Publisher Filip Sablik. “Lance’s love of comics is clear to anyone who spends five minutes with him and his passion for Top Cow and The Darkness is second to none. We’re incredibly proud to showcase his love of Marc Silvestri’s favorite son on the special commemorative cover for Chicago fans.”

Shot at Collector’s Paradise in Winnetka, CA (http://comicsandcards.net), Briggs makes a special appearance on the exclusive Top Cow C2E2 cover variant of The Darkness #84 sporting a Darkness t-shirt by Iron Fist (www.ironfistclothing.com) [Photo credit: David Dearmore, www.dearmorephoto.com]. The exclusive variant is extremely limited and will be made available for the first time anywhere at C2E2. Fans are encouraged to stop by the Top Cow booth early to secure an issue. Briggs will be autographing at C2E2’s Autographing Table 2 on Sunday, April 18th from 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM. There will be a charge for the autograph, with all proceeds going to his charity Briggs 4Kidz.

Lance Briggs will be hosting a panel titled “Lance Briggs: Dreams Come True” on Saturday, April 17, at E353 from 3:00-4:00pm. At the panel, geek out with Briggs as he talks about his favorite comics and shares the stage for a dream come true conversation with some special guests from Top Cow including Matt Banning, Ron Marz, Phil Hester, Nelson Blake II, and Mark Waid. Briggs will also make a special appearance at the Top Cow “Herd It Through the Bo-Vine” panel on Saturday, April 17 at 7:15-8:15pm in E450.

The C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo) convention will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois for the weekend of April 16-18, 2010. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.C2E2.com.

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About Top Cow Productions Inc.
Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise, WITCHBLADE, was TNT’s #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008. A feature film, co-produced by Platinum Studios, Inc. and Arclight Films, is slated to begin production in Australia with director Michael Rymer. WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow’s other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow’s other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games.

About Briggs4Kids
Briggz4Kids is a foundation developed to provide emotional and financial support, by raising funds and awareness for at risk youth in the Chicago area. The organization has executed numerous charity efforts since it's launch. One project Briggs4Kiz is most proud of is it's annual Holiday Shopping Spree. Since 2006, the Briggs4Kidz foundation has taken a total of 100 local children from the Chicago land area who need it most on a holiday shopping spree, each child received $250. Eligibility was decided based on their performance in school. Today, Briggs4Kidz has plans to expand these philanthropic endeavors to Sacramento, CA and Phoenix, AZ.
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COMIC NEWS: BOOM! STUDIOS @ C2E2 '10 BOOTH #359

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SIX EXCLUSIVE C2E2 VARIANTS

SPECIAL C2E2 ONLY IRREDEEMABLE ART CARD SIGNED BY MARK WAID

AVAILABLE ONLY AT WAID'S IRREDEEMABLE PANEL

BOOM! STUDIOS, BLACK PHOENIX ALCHEMY LABS AND CHALLENGER COMICS + CONVERSATION HOST
THE IRREDEEMABLE 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY FRIDAY APRIL 16TH 2010, 8pm!

BOOM! STUDIOS GUESTS INCLUDE:

EISNER AWARD NOMINATED IRREDEEMABLE/INCORRUPTIBLES's Mark Waid
28 DAYS LATER's Michael Alan Nelson & Declan Shalvey
FARSCAPE's Keith R.A. DeCandido & Will Sliney
FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS' David Alan Mack
THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC BOOK/MUPPET PETER PAN's Amy Mebberson
TOY STORY 's Jesse Blaze Snider
MR. STUFFINS' Johanna Stokes

GET YOUR OWN "GET-A-SKETCH" VARIANT COVER FOR THE MUPPET SHOW COMIC
BOOK
& RECEIVE A UNIQUE SKETCH FROM ARTIST AMY MEBBERSON



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SCHEDULED SIGNINGS & PANELS
Friday, April 16, 2010 - Booth #359
All Day – Signing with Keith R.A. DeCandido, David Alan Mack, Amy Mebberson (signing & sketching), Michael Alan Nelson, Declan Shalvey,
Will Sliney, Jesse Blaze Snider, Johanna Stokes at BOOM! Booth.
12:00 – 1:00pm – Mark Waid signing at BOOM! Booth.
3:00 – 4:00pm – Mark Waid signing at BOOM! Booth.
4:30 – 5:30pm – Mark Waid Takes On The Trivia Fans (Variant Stage)
6:30 – 7:30pm – BOOM!'s IRREDEEMABLE One Year Anniversary Panel (E350)
8:00pm – 12:00am – The IRREDEEMABLE 1st Birthday Party w/ Mark Waid
Where: Challengers Comics + Conversation located at 1845 N. Western Ave. 2R Chicago, IL 60647 (PH: 773.278.0155 / www.challengerscomics.com)

Saturday, April 17, 2010 - Booth #359
All Day – Signing with Keith R.A. DeCandido, David Alan Mack, Amy Mebberson (signing & sketching), Michael Alan Nelson, Declan Shalvey,
Will Sliney, Jesse Blaze Snider, Johanna Stokes at BOOM! Booth.
10:00 – 10:50am – Mark Waid signing at BOOM! Booth.
11:00 – 12:00pm – BOOM! Studios & BOOM Kids! Panel. (E350)
1:45 – 2:45pm – Jeff Smith Spotlight with Moderator Mark Waid. (E353)
3:00 – 4:00pm – Lance Briggs: Comic Fanboy Dream Come True w/ Mark Waid and more (E353)
5:00 – 6:00pm – Mark Waid signing at BOOM! Booth.

Sunday, April 18, 2010 - Booth #359
All Day – Signing with Keith R.A. DeCandido, David Alan Mack, Amy Mebberson (signing & sketching), Michael Alan Nelson, Declan Shalvey,
Will Sliney, Jesse Blaze Snider, Johanna Stokes at BOOM! Booth.
10:00 – 11:00am – Mark Waid signing at BOOM! Booth.
1:15 – 2:15pm – Indie Is In with Moderator, Mark Waid. (E450)
3:00 – 4:00pm – Mark Waid signing at BOOM! Booth.

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The 2010 BOOM! Studios' LIGHT THE FUSE convention tour continues at C2E2 2010. Here are the full tour dates:
BOOM! STUDIOS

LIGHT THE FUSE TOUR 2010

Keep an eye out for us, we might be coming to a town near you!

April 24-25 - Calgary Entertainment Expo - Calgary Canada
April 24-25 - L.A. Times Festival of Books - L.A, California
May 22 - Summit City Comic Con - Fort Wayne, IN
May 27-30 - Phoenix Comicon - Phoenix, Arizona
May 25-27 - Book Expo America - New York, New York
June 4-6 - HeroesCon - Charlotte, North Carolina
June 25-28 - ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition - Washington DC
July 21-25 - Comic-Con International - San Diego, California
August 27-29 - Fan Expo Canada - Toronto,Canada
August 28-29 - Baltimore Comic-Con - Baltimore, MD
October 8-10 - New York Comic Con - New York, New York
October 29-31 - Long Beach Comic Con - L.A., California

About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (http://www.boom-studios.com) is a unique publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry’s biggest talents, including Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, The Henson Company’s FARSCAPE, and the original Mark Waid series IRREDEEMABLE. BOOM!’s children publishing imprint BOOM Kids! publishes titles such as Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES, CARS, and TOY STORY, as well as Disney’s THE MUPPETS, DONALD DUCK, UNCLE SCROOGE and WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES.
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COMIC NEWS: Get Your Marvel Swag Signed At C2E2!

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Marvel arrives this April for the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo and Chicago will never be the same again!

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Marvel isn’t coming alone; it’s bringing its top talent to town as well!. Among the myriad of exciting events and panels Marvel (Booth #758) has planned for C2E2, there will also be a whole slew of signings over the course of the three day event!

FRIDAY
1:00 – 2:00 PM
REILLY BROWN
JONATHAN HICKMAN
JIM MCCANN
FRED VAN LENTE

2:00 – 3:00 PM
MARJORIE LIU
PAUL PELLETIER
MIKE PERKINS
DANIEL WAY

3:00 – 4:00 PM
JOE QUESADA

4:00 – 5:00 PM
PETER DAVID
VALENTINE DELANDRO
BUTCH GUICE
SEAN MCKEEVER

5:00 – 6:00 PM
BOB LAYTON
KHOI PHAM
FRANK TIERI
PAUL TOBIN

5:30 – 6:30 PM
JEPH LOEB
GREG PAK


SATURDAY
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
ELIZABETH BREITWEISER
MITCH BREITWEISER
RON GARNEY
ADAM KUBERT

12:00 – 1:00 PM
JOE QUESADA

1:00 – 2:00 PM
REILLY BROWN
PETER DAVID
VALENTINE DELANDRO
KHOI PHAM

2:00 – 3:00 PM
RACHEL DODSON
TERRY DODSON
STUART MOORE
MIKE PERKINS

3:00 – 4:00 PM
JEPH LOEB

4:00 – 5:00 PM
DENNIS CALERO
GREG PAK
PAUL PELLETIER
FRED VAN LENTE

5:00 – 6:00 PM
SEAN MCKEEVER
FRANK TIERI
PAUL TOBIN
DANIEL WAY
6:00 – 7:00 PM
MIKE CHOI
JONATHAN HICKMAN
ALESSANDRO VITTI
SKOTTIE YOUNG



SUNDAY
10:30 - 11:30 AM
JEPH LOEB

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
C.B. CEBULSKI
GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
MARJORIE LIU
DANIEL WAY

12:30 – 1:30 PM
ELIZABETH BREITWEISER
MITCH BREITWEISER
PETER DAVID
BUTCH GUICE

1:30 – 2:30 PM
REILLY BROWN
GREG PAK
KHOI PHAM
FRED VAN LENTE

2:30 – 3:30 PM
JIMMY CHEUNG
JIM MCCANN
PAUL PELLETIER
SKOTTIE YOUNG


This is the first C2E2 ever and Marvel plans to start off with style! Join Marvel (Booth #758) and its talented creators at Lakeside Center at McCormick Place April 16th to the 18th. You really don’t want to miss out on the fantastic line up of superstar talent, exciting panels, and loads of top secret information that Marvel will be dishing up at C2E2!

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Marvel Entertainment, LLC. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel's strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information visit www.marvel.com.
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COMIC NEWS: THE FINAL CUT

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THE SWORD wraps up with issue #24 and parties on both coasts



The Luna Brothers' critically acclaimed series THE SWORD, published by Image Comics, ends with issue #24, and it will go out with panache at two back-to-back wrap parties in New York City and Los Angeles.

On Thursday, May 13th, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., the Luna Brothers will appear at MIDTOWN COMICS - Grand Central (459 Lexington Avenue, corner of 45th Street, New York City, NY; www.midtowncomics.com). Then, the Luna Brothers fly to the Left Coast on Friday, May 14, where they will be at GOLDEN APPLE COMICS (7018 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA; www.goldenapplecomics.com) from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. An exclusive SWORD print will be available at both events (limited to 100 copies per event), and the Luna Brothers will be signing at both events. The Golden Apple Comics event will also feature a reading of the script for the final issue.

"We're really excited to celebrate THE SWORD with all of the fans," say the Luna Brothers. "We've spent a little over two years on this series, and the fans have been there every step of the way. We hope that everyone has a great time at these events!"

THE SWORD tells the story of Dara Brighton, a young woman who witnesses the murder of her family at the hands of three very powerful elemental beings who are after a sword in her father's possession. In the aftermath, Dara attains the sword, which gives her incredible abilities beyond her wildest imagination. In THE SWORD #24, Dara Brighton's epic quest for revenge against the three elementals who murdered her family comes to its conclusion.

THE SWORD #24 (MAR100401), a 40-page full color comic book for $4.99, will be in stores May 12, 2010. Also available are THE SWORD: FIRE, collecting issues #1-6; THE SWORD: WATER, collecting issues #7-12; and THE SWORD: EARTH, collecting issues #13-18.

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Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
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TOY NEWS: Star Trek Geological Tricorder

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Here it is. New pics of the latest Tricorder replica from DST, the Geolical Tricoder. Features two opening compartments and removable vials of mineral samples!


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BOOK NEWS: Tor Books and EA Games announce Dead Space prequel novel!

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Tor Books and EA team up on Dead Space literary prequel!

DEAD SPACE: MARTYR

Edgar Award finalist and Horror Sensation Brian Evenson to write epic novel



Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world—and Visceral Games™, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced Dead Space™: Martyr (A Tor Trade Paperback; $14.99; July 2010), the first novel based on the award-winning Dead Space videogame franchise. Dead Space: Martyr delves into the back story of the fiction including the history of the Church of Unitology, the discovery of the enigmatic “Black Marker” and the mysteries behind an alien artefact of unknown power. Dead Space: Martyr will be available in July 2010 at select retailers worldwide.

When geophysicist Michael Altman learns of a mysterious signal emitting from deep within the Chicxulub crater, he cannot resist the lure of an undiscovered artefact. He soon learns that being in close proximity to the artefact causes strange occurrences - visions of the dead, vivid dreams, and violent murders. Altman’s experience with the alien artefact leads to this crucial first chapter in the Dead Space saga.

“One of the most compelling storytelling aspects of Dead Space has been the Church of Unitology: its origins, power, and role in Dead Space,” says Tor editor, Eric Raab. “Writer B.K. Evenson gets into the terrifying aspects of mob mentality like no other writer today. This isn’t only a great story within the Dead Space universe; it’s a great novel on its own.”

“The Dead Space world is incredibly vast and rich -- expanding its fiction into a novel lets us share parts of the story that just can’t fit into videogames,” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of Dead Space 2. “We hope Dead Space: Martyr will be the first of many books to let fans dive deeply into Dead Space’s secrets and immersive lore.”

B. K. Evenson is the award-winning author of Last Days, voted best horror novel of 2009 by the American Library Association and The Open Curtain, a 2006 Edgar Award finalist and Time Out New York best book of the year.

Originally launched in 2008, Dead Space quickly became one of EA’s top rated wholly-owned intellectual properties. With close to 100 industry awards and an average critic score of 89*, Dead Space became a hit with horror and videogame fans worldwide. In 2009, EA launched Dead Space Extraction, a prequel to the original game and will continue to expand the fiction with its stunning sequel, Dead Space 2.

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Art not finalized


* According to Gamerankings.com and Metacritic.com

About Tor Books
Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books, founded in 1980 and committed (although not limited) to SF and fantasy literature. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperback, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. Books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and for the last twenty-one years in a row the company has been named Best Publisher in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA™, EA SPORTS™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO, Visceral Games and Dead Space are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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COMIC NEWS: We Are The X-Men

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Find out more during Marvel’s X-Men panel at the inaugural C2E2 expo on Sunday, April 18.at 2:45pm.

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CONVENTION NEWS: ReedExhibitions Acquires Singapore Toys, Games & Comic Convention!

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Leading EventOrganizer Extends Pop Culture Influence; Seeks Fans in World Communities



Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading organizer of trade and consumer events, has today announced that it has acquired the Singapore Toy, Games&Comic Convention (STGCC). Launched in 2008 and owned and operated by local event planner PI Events, STGCC is a strategic fit for Reed Exhibitions, which has an existing office in Singapore, and which has consolidated a team of professionals in its North American office to work exclusively on pop culture events. The new pop culture team will work closely with the Reed Exhibitions Singapore staff as well as maintain a strategic partnership with PI Events to stage a preeminent event in the Asian market which fits with other events in the Reed pop culture portfolio, including New York Comic Con (NYCC) and the soon to be launched Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). The last STGCC took place in August, 2009. The next STGCC will take place from December10-12, 2010 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre (www.suntecsingapore.com).

“This acquisition is the first step in our far reaching commitment to service pop culture fans all over the world by building quality events which bring enormous attention to the pop culture community, and open new markets for our exhibitors” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group. “We want to spread the currency of cool to regions all over the planet. We have a team in place that is wholly devoted to pop culture and which shares in the passion of the community, and we have the support of a company that is not only committed to the growth of our business, but which has offices, staff and resources around the world. We are eager to work with our colleagues in Singapore to make the next Singapore Toys, Games&Comic Convention a massive success and a dominant show in Southeast Asia for years to come.”

Underscoring the significance of this development for the pop culture community, Kuo-Yu Liang, Vice President of Sales&Marketing for Diamond Book Distributors, the world’s biggest distributor of English-language comics and pop culture products, states: “Singapore is one of our biggest export territories and it is also the gateway into the fast growing Southeast Asia and UAE markets, home to hundreds of millions of young fans who love pop culture. The fact that Reed is making this market more accessible is fantastic. It significantly enhances our opportunity to know our customers and to grow our business in this important part of the world.”

STGCC doubled in size at its second showing in 2009 and went from a 2 day event to a 3 day event, including a full day of conference sessions. “While it’s early to announce details of our plans for 2010 our intention is to build on what has already been successful at STGCC, while bringing in some new ideas that have worked for us on some of our other shows,” Fensterman continues. “Notably, we want to take advantage of the unique location of Singapore,being at the crossroads of Asia, and build a show with broad appeal and which combines the best of the East and the West.”

Michelle Lim,Managing Director Reed Exhibitions Singapore, says: “We are thrilled to be staging a Con in Singapore and we look forward to welcoming customers from the US. We are confident that Asian fans will be attending STGCC to discover new pop culture brands and content. With the emergence of a strong network of budget airlines in Asia providing affordable travel for over 500 million people in a four-hour radius from Singapore; the staging of the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August 2010; and the opening of two integrated resorts – Marina Bay Sands and Resort World tying up with Universal Studios this year, we expect Singapore to be a destination of choice and a top draw for many Asian markets. STGCC will certainly provide fertile ground for US companies wanting to raise their profile and brand awareness among the fans in Asia.”

Reed’s pop culture business has grown rapidly since New York Comic Con was launched in 2006. NYCC itself has grown to become the second largest pop culture event in the world, and other major shows are being launched or have been added to the Reed pop culture portfolio through partnerships. The pop portfolio now includes: Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX East&West,Star Wars Celebration V, New York Anime Festival, and UFC Fan Expo. “We are building our presence domestically as well as internationally and the number of shows we have added to our portfolio certainly speaks to this rapid growth,” Fensterman concludes. “We will be making more announcements in the near future.”

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS:

Reed Exhibitionsis the world’s leading events organizer, with over 470 events in 37countries. In 2008 Reed brought together over seven million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle Eastand Asia Pacific, and organized by 38fully staffed offices. Its portfolio of over 470 events serves 44industry sectors. Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations and government departments Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.
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COMIC NEWS: Kick-Ass 100K!

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Mark Millar & John Romita Jr’s Kick-Ass is the comic book/ movie phenomenon everyone’s talking about and now the hardcover collection is about to surpass 100,000 copies in print, with nearly 40% of the copies sold to date sold through direct market retailers!


“My first inclination is to try to be clever and say that I have 100,000 relatives to thank.... but I won't,” said Kick-Ass artist and co-creator John Romita Jr. “I'm extremely proud of this all, and very excited about working on the next two chapters!”


Mark Millar, co-creator and writer of Kick-Ass added, “The idea that a twenty-five dollar book has hit 100,000 sales in a little over a month is just insane. Especially when this doesn't count all the international orders or the trade paperback we have coming up. That's roughly ten times what Johnny and I were expecting and we would like to thank the comic-book retailers in America for their support of this book. This was not cheap and they took a gamble on us and I promise that Johnny will buy each and every one of them a drink at every convention he ever hits from now on.”

With the feature film hitting theatres this Friday, no comic book fan can afford to miss the hardcover taking the world by storm—it’s time to Kick-Ass!



KICK-ASS PREMIERE HC (DEC090575)

KICK-ASS PREMIERE HC DM VARIANT (DEC090576)

Written by MARK MILLAR

Penciled by JOHN ROMITA JR.

Covers by JOHN ROMITA JR.

Mature …$24.99

ON SALE NOW!

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Marvel Entertainment, LLC. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel's strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information visit www.marvel.com.
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