Thursday, July 14, 2016

Dark Horse Comics Brings Neil Gaiman's "Forbidden Brides" to Comics


HERE COMES THE BRIDE ON THE NIGHT OF ALL NIGHTS

Beloved comic writer Neil Gaiman returns to "Forbidden Brides"

MILWAUKIE, Ore. — Dark Horse is excited to announce Neil Gaiman (Sandman) is returning to one of his darkly complicated short stories in Neil Gaiman’s Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire. Originally published as a short story in Gaiman’s collection Fragile Things, Forbidden Brides has been adapted by Shane Oakley into a stunning hardcover graphic novel. Gaiman’s most recent graphic novel, How to Talk to Girls at Parties, debuted at number three on the New York Times bestseller list.

This haunting example of satirical gothic literature tells the story of a writer struggling to compose nonfiction on a dark, stormy night. Wishing to create serious stories about frail women in white nightgowns, mysterious bumps in the night, and the undead rising to collect old debts, the author is unsuccessful because of his tendency to insert comedy into his dark tales. Talking ravens, family disagreements, and interruptions from his creepy butler further hinder his literary efforts.

Writer Neil Gaiman explained the overarching theme of Forbidden Brides and the aspects of this story that influenced Sandman: “It’s about what fantasy is, and why we write it, and what it would mean to write fantasy if you lived in a Gothic universe. Some of it prefigured things I’d do in Sandman four years later.”

Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire goes on sale January 25, 2017. The hardcover graphic novel is available for preorder from Penguin Random House and Amazon.

The Fragile Things anthology received much fanfare:

In an ironic story called ‘Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire,’ a struggling author cannot stop writing fiction that reads like awful parodies of horror fiction, because his life itself is an awful parody of horror fiction. ‘It’s not the satirist in you that makes you lampoon the commonplace and the humdrum,’ he is told by a talking raven. ‘Merely boredom with the way things are. D’you see?’” — The New York Times

Gaiman began as a journalist, wrote comics and now writes everything from poetry to films. His work shows the ease with which he moves between these worlds; he straddles many genres and crosses many lines, one of which is the (sometimes invisible) line between adult and young adult fiction.” — BookPage


About Dark Horse

For 30 years, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, the company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X, and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga, and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

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Image Comics Announces its 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International Plans


IMAGE COMICS AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON

Creator-owned panels, con exclusive variants, and signings in #YourImage

Image Comics is pleased to return to San Diego this year for San Diego Comic-Con on Wednesday, July 20th through Sunday, July 24th, 2016.

LIMITED* SDCC VARIANTS SOLD AT THE IMAGE BOOTH (#2729):

  •     MONSTRESS, VOL. 1 hardcover by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda, $40
  •     SNOTGIRL #1 by Bryan Lee O’Malley & Leslie Hung, $10
  •     THROWAWAYS #1 by Caitlin Kittredge & Steven Sanders, cover art by Roberta Ingranata, $10
  •     PAPER GIRLS Book Plate with art by Cliff Chiang (free with purchase of PAPER GIRLS, VOL. 1 at the booth)

* Quantities will be limited by customer and per day on a first come, first served basis. Please ask at the Image booth about availability.
CONVENTION EXCLUSIVES:

  •     TOKYO GHOST, VOL. 1 Convention hardcover by Rick Remender & Sean Gordon Murphy, $35
  •     SEX CRIMINALS, VOL. 3 Covention hardcover by Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky, $35

PANELS HOSTED BY IMAGE COMICS:

THURSDAY
Comics in #YourIMAGE: Creating the Zeitgeist, Thursday, 7/21/16, 2:00p.m. - 3:00p.m., Room: 23ABC

Comics are more popular than ever, and it's all thanks to creators who are bringing their passions, interests, and original ideas to the medium. Chynna Clugston Flores (BLUE MONDAY), Kieron Gillen (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE), Marjorie Liu (MONSTRESS), and a few more special guests are making comics cooler, story by story.
                                   
FRIDAY
Comics in #YourIMAGE: Defining New Worlds, Friday, 7/22/16, 11:00a.m. - 12:00p.m., Room: 23ABC
                           
Comics are capable of anything, if you give them a chance. Joe Harris & Kelly Fitzpatrick are creating near-future sci-fi in SNOWFALL, Chris Burnham showed us a vision of hellish horror in NAMELESS, and Steven Seagle & Jason Katzenstein brought us an all-ages monster-themed coming-of-age tale in CAMP MIDNIGHT. They create new worlds that readers fall into and love forever, and they share their expertise here. 
                                                
SATURDAY
Comics in #YourIMAGE: Riffing on Reality, Saturday, 7/23/16, 1:00 - 2:00p.m., Room: 7AB 
                        
Works don't have to be completely realistic to feel real—sometimes just dipping a toe in reality and then taking off in another direction will do the job. Joshua Williamson co-creates NAILBITER, Caitlin Kittredge writes THROWAWAYS, and Matt Fraction scripts ODY-C & SEX CRIMINALS. These creators and our special guests take something we know well and then throw a monkey wrench into the works, creating something familiar, but innovative, at the same time.                       
                           
SUNDAY
Comics in #YourIMAGE: Tomorrow's Comics Today, Sunday, 7/24/16, 2:00 - 3:00p.m., Room: 7AB   
                       
What do mainstream comics look like? What appeals to "the average reader"? Bryan Lee O'Malley & Leslie Hung (SNOTGIRL), Jamie McKelvie (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE), Brandon Thomas (HORIZON), and Jim Zub (WAYWARD) are making books that appeal to anyone and everyone, and redefining the idea of mainstream comics in the process.   
                       
SIGNINGS* HOSTED AT IMAGE COMICS BOOTH (#2729):
*wristbands will be available for fans to pick as soon as doors open, first come, first served, at the Image booth on the day of the desired ticketed signing.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20
  • Charlie Adlard, 6 - 6:45 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 21
  • Joshua Williamson & Adam Guzowski, 10 - 10:45 a.m.
  • Sina Grace, 11 - 11:45 a.m.
  • Kyle Higgins, 12 - 12:45 p.m.
  • Brandon Thomas + Juan Gedeon, 12 - 12:45 p.m.
  • Keenan Marsall Keller & Tom Neely, Brian Schirmer & Jeremy Saliba, 1 - 1:45 p.m.
  • Jason Aaron & Jason Latour, 1 - 1:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Terry Dodson, 2 - 2:45 p.m.
  • Bryan Lee O’Malley & Leslie Hung, 3 - 3:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Charlie Adlard, 3 - 3:45 p.m.
  • Brenden Fletcher & Babs Tarr, 4 - 4:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Brian Haberlin, 4 - 4:45 p.m.
  • Meredith McClaren, 5 - 5:45 p.m.
  • Otis Frampton, 5 - 5:45 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 22
  • Jim Zub, 10 - 10:45 a.m.
  • Joe Harris, 10 - 10:45 a.m.
  • Cliff Chiang & Jared Fletcher, 11 - 11:45 a.m.
  • Nicola Scott, 11 - 11:45 a.m.
  • Caitlin Kittredge, 12 - 12:45 p.m.
  • Charlie Adlard, 12 - 12:45 p.m.
  • Rick Remender, 1 - 1:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Joshua Williamson, 1 - 1:45 p.m.
  • Man of Action Group: Steven T. Seagle, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, and Duncan Rouleau, 1 - 1:45 p.m.
  • Steven T. Seagle & Jason Katzenstein, 1:45 - 2:30 p.m.
  • Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda, 2 - 2:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Bryan Lee O’Malley & Leslie Hung, 3 - 3:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Spawn Kills Everyone: J.J. Kirby, Liana Hee, 3 - 3:45 p.m. (will be signing 100 limited edition SPAWN KILLS EVERYONE posters featuring the art of all three SKE covers)
  • Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie, 4 - 4:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Ed Brubaker, 4 - 4:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Andy Belanger & Becky Cloonan, 5 - 5:45 p.m.
  • Emi Lenox, 5 - 5:45 p.m.
  • Max Landis, 5 - 5:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Robert Kirkman, 6 - 7 p.m. (ticketed)

SATURDAY, JULY 23
  • Scott Snyder & Jock, 10 - 10:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Caitlin Kittredge, 10 - 10:45 a.m.
  • Ed Brubaker, 11 - 11:45 a.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie, 11 - 11:45 a.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Chris Dingess, 11 - 11:45 a.m.
  • Tula Lotay, 12 - 12:45 p.m.
  • Dustin Nguyen, 12 - 12:45 p.m.
  • Man of Action Group: Steven T. Seagle, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, and Duncan Rouleau, 1 - 1:45 p.m.
  • Jason Latour & Jason Aaron, 1 - 1:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Brian Buccellato, 2 - 2:45 p.m.
  • Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda, 2 - 2:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Brandon Thomas & Juan Gedeon, 2 - 2:45 p.m.
  • Bryan Lee O’Malley & Leslie Hung, 3 - 3:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Matt Fraction, 3 - 3:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Nick Spencer, 4 - 4:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Rick Remender, 4 - 4:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Shawn Martinbrough, 4 - 4:45 p.m.
  • Emi Lenox, 5 - 5:45 p.m.
  • Kyle Starks, 5 - 5:45 p.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 24
  • Howard Chaykin, 10 - 10:45 p.m.
  • Brenden Fletcher, 11 - 11:45 a.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)
  • Cliff Chiang & Jared Fletcher, 12 - 12:45 p.m.
  • Ivan Brandon, 2 - 2:45 p.m.
  • Bryan Lee O’Malley & Leslie Hung, 3 - 3:45 p.m. (ticketed, 3-item limit)

IMAGE CREATORS IN ARTIST ALLEY:

  • Brian Buccellato, BB-20
  • Chris Burnham, CC-15
  • Shane Davis & Michelle Delecki, EE-17 & 18
  • Mark Dos Santos, FF-10
  • Otis Frampton, GG-3
  • Joe Harris, EE-20
  • Edwin Huang, EE-19
  • Dustin Nguyen, CC-1
  • Eric Shanower, BB-1


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
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 five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, 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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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

DC Comics Announces 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International Star Lineup

Celebrate Wonder Woman’s 75th Anniversary, Meet the Cast of “Suicide Squad,” Be The Batman and More at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2016

DC Entertainment Takes Comic-Con by Storm with the Best Stars, Characters and Panels, along with the Hottest Comic Book Talent and a Can’t-Miss lineup of Events

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DC Entertainment is pulling out all the stops in 2016 to make Comic-Con International: San Diego an event to remember for the multitude of fans attending July 20-24, 2016. The greatest Super Heroes and Super-Villains in comics and pop culture, the hottest artists and writers, exciting events and panels along with some of the most popular movie stars in Hollywood will all combine to make the DC booth (#1915) the place to be every day of the convention.

Comic-Con International: San Diego 2016 will be the launch pad for a yearlong celebration of DC’s famed Amazonian Super Hero. DC celebrates the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman with a variety of activities commemorating her iconic evolution on and off the page. On Saturday, July 23, 2016 from 3:00 – 4:00pm in Room 6DE, fans will be treated to some of the creative talent at the heart of Wonder Woman’s past, present and future, along with a few surprise guests at the “Wonder Woman 75” panel.

Rare Wonder Woman costumes and props will be on display in the booth, including the original costume worn by Lynda Carter in the 1970s “Wonder Woman” television series as well as the costume donned by star Gal Gadot in the upcoming “Wonder Woman” 2017 feature film. Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, will accompany her co-stars Chris Pine (Capt. Steve Trevor) and Connie Nielsen (Queen Hippolyta) to the DC booth for an autograph session, Saturday from 12:15 to 1:00pm. Wristbands for the Wonder Woman cast signing will be extremely limited and will be distributed beginning at 6am Saturday morning at the Sails Pavilion with the WB queue via lottery.

The excitement surrounding Wonder Woman’s 75th isn’t just limited to the show floor. Beginning Wednesday evening, fans will also have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to take a photo in the cockpit of Wonder Woman’s iconic invisible jet, located on the corner of Island and 6th, just outside the San Diego Convention Center in the Gaslamp district. Illuminating at night, this unique experience will also feature larger-than-life Wonder Woman art pieces being created live onsite, with art inspired by her history and upcoming film, by female artists throughout the weekend.

For fans that like to root for the bad guys, the “Worst Heroes Ever” will be in full effect at Comic-Con with a host of “Suicide Squad”-related activities. Throughout the weekend, the DC booth will feature costumes and props from the movie, in theaters August 5th, 2016. Comic fans will get a big dose of Suicide Squad, courtesy of the DC – Suicide Squad: Most Wanted panel on Friday from 11:15am-12:15pm in Room 6DE. The Harley Quinn team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner will be joined by artist Mauricet (HARLEY AND HER GANG OF HARLEYS), along with writer Rob Williams and legendary artist Jim Lee, the team bringing fans new adventures of these villains-turned-heroes in SUICIDE SQUAD: REBIRTH, on sale August 3rd, 2016.

On Saturday, fans will be lining up early to make sure they meet and get autographs from the cast of “Suicide Squad” when they make their appearance at the DC booth from 1:15 – 2:00pm. Cast members will include: Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Will Smith (Deadshot), Jared Leto (The Joker), Joel Kinnaman (Col. Rick Flag), Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Jay Hernandez (El Diablo), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Killer Croc), Scott Eastwood (Lieutenant GQ Edwards), Cara Delvingne (Enchantress), Adam Beach (Slipknot) and Karen Fukuhara (Katana). As with the “Wonder Woman” cast signing, wristbands will be extremely limited; they will be distributed Saturday morning beginning at 6am at the Sails Pavilion with the WB queue via lottery system.

Scheduled nearly every hour of the Con, the DC booth will also host an array of appearances and autograph sessions for some of the best artists and writers in comics including, but not limited to, Scott Snyder (ALL STAR BATMAN, AMERICAN VAMPIRE), Tom King (BATMAN, SHERIFF OF BABYLON), Liam Sharp and Nicola Scott (WONDER WOMAN), Peter Tomasi and Pat Gleason (SUPERMAN), Hope Larson and Rafael Albuquerque (BATGIRL), Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti (HARLEY QUINN), Julie and Shawna Benson (BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY) and Dan Jurgens (ACTION COMICS, BATMAN BEYOND).

Ever wanted to “Be The Batman?” Then come to the DC booth for a hands-on demo of “Batman: Arkham VR,” the first virtual reality experience that allows players to put on the cape and cowl of Gotham’s Dark Knight like never before. From Rocksteady Studios, “Batman: Arkham VR” immerses players into the gritty world of Gotham City through the eyes of the World’s Greatest Detective. And if that’s not enough Batman, the booth with also feature a life-sized LEGO Batman statue. Demos for Batman: Arkham VR will also require wristbands, available at the Sails Pavilion beginning Thursday at 6am.

For fans of DC Super Hero Girls, it’s time once again to “Get Your Cape On” and mingle with the young heroes from “Super Hero High” in real life! The DC Super Hero Girls will be on hand to pose for pictures and give autographs to fans throughout the weekend. DC Super Hero Girls character Katana will also dazzle fans in the booth with her exhibitions of expert swordplay. Following the success of the New York Times best-selling original graphic novel DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: FINALS CRISIS, the heroes return in the upcoming original graphic novel DC SUPER HERO GIRLS Vol. 2: HITS & MYTHS and the original animated direct-to-DVD movie DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: HERO OF THE YEAR.

Any self respecting fan knows that no comic book convention is complete without cosplay, and the DC booth is the go-to spot for some awesome cosplay get-togethers every single day:

  •     Thursday, July 21, 2:30pm – DC Comics Bombshells cosplay celebration
  •     Friday, July 22, 5pm – Suicide Squad “Squad Up” cosplay celebration - Location: Island and 6th Avenue, near Invisible Jet display
  •     Saturday, July 23, 5:00pm – Wonder Woman cosplay contest
  •     Sunday, July 24, 2:30pm – DC Super Hero Girls cosplay contest

All cosplayers who attend will be awarded a special custom DC Fans medal for participating (while supplies last).

The DC booth will also include a green screen where fans pose in backgrounds from their favorite DC comic characters, films and games, including the Suicide Squad movie, the Wonder Woman comic, DC REBIRTH, DC Super Hero Girls and the Injustice video game.

Fans will also be treated to a series of must-attend panels spotlighting DC’s iconic characters, and sneak peeks of yet-to-be released series. Highlights include:

  •     Fans jaws are still agape and minds blown from the biggest comics event of 2016: DC’s linewide REBIRTH relaunch! Join moderators Dan DiDio and Jim Lee along with some of the industry’s most creative talent to see what’s to come! (Saturday – 5:30, Room 6DE).
  •     Presented as “Comics for Dangerous Humans,” dive into the disruptive new pop-up imprint from My Chemical Romance front man and Eisner Award-winning writer Gerard Way, DC’s YOUNG ANIMAL. Joined by an experimental group of collaborators, Way will unleash a collection of bold new stories that will take the medium to places never before seen (Friday – 5:30, Room 5AB).
  •     After more than 75 years of stories, the Batman family of comics has never been hotter! Join the DC talent behind your favorite Dark Knight tales for an exclusive look at what’s next for the World’s Greatest Detective and his crime fighting colleagues! With Tom King (BATMAN), Scott Snyder (ALL STAR BATMAN), Julie and Shawna Benson (BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY) and James Tynion IV (DETECTIVE COMICS) among others, this is the best time to explore the gritty streets of Gotham City! Room: 6DE
  •     Be there as top talent from the genre-defying Vertigo imprint such as SUICIDERS: KINGS OF HELL.A. writer/artist Lee Bermejo, LUCIFER artist Lee Garbett and SHERIFF OF BABYLON writer Tom King discuss what’s to come in their current series (Thursday – 4:30, Room 8).
  •     Always the most hilarious panel at the Con, the MAD Magazine panel led by longtime editor John Ficarra and his “Usual Gang Of Idiots” including longtime artist Sergio Aragones and GOODNIGHT BATCAVE artist Tom Richmond will be one not to miss (Thursday – 6:00, Room 5AB).
  •     Highlighted by stunning new Wonder Woman 75th anniversary figures, the DC Collectibles panel will unveil their latest line of action figures, statues, props and more (Thursday – 10:00, Room 9).
  •     The Graphitti Designs booth #2314 will also once again carry highly collectible, exclusive variant comic books available for SDCC attendees only. All titles will be on sale beginning Wednesday Preview Night, July 20. DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE #5 features an exclusive cover from BATGIRL artist Rafael Albuquerque and sells for $15 and is limited to two (2) copies per customer. Additional variants include BATMAN #1, WONDER WOMAN #1, and SUPERMAN #1 featuring art by Jim Lee and imprinted on silver foil, each selling for $10. JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 also receives the exclusive convention variant treatment, featuring cover art by Tony Daniel imprinted on silver foil and selling for $10.

Download the new DC All Access mobile app for a complete list of panels, behind-the-scenes coverage and in-depth interviews directly from DC’s web series, “DC All Access.” The app is available for free at the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.

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Dark Horse Comics Announces "Spell on Wheels"


KATE LETH AND MEGAN LEVENS ARE SPELL ON WHEELS

Dark Horse Is Proud to Announce Magical New Series

MILWAUKIE, Ore. — Dark Horse is proud to announce a new original comic series, Spell on Wheels, written by Kate Leth (Adventure Time: Seeing Red, Patsy Walker, a.k.a. Hellcat!) with illustrations by Megan Levens (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10, Madame Frankenstein) and a beautiful cover created by Ming Doyle (Girl Over Paris, Constantine: The Hellblazer).

Spell on Wheels: Night of the Wand follows the adventure of three talented witches —Andy, Claire and Jolene — as they embark on a road trip to retrieve their stolen magical objects. The three witches must work together to retrieve their possessions, but are they strong enough to defeat the dark magical force behind the thievery?

The first issue of Spell on Wheels: Night of the Wand goes on sale October 19, 2016, with four subsequent issues published monthly.

Megan Levens and Kate Leth will attend the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con. The Spell on Wheels creative team will host a signing on July 23, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. at the Dark Horse booth.


About Dark Horse

For 30 years, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, the company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X, and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga, and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

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Titans Comics Announces Comics Line with Hard Case Crime

TITAN & HARD CASE CRIME TEAM UP FOR NEW COMICS LINE

TITAN COMICS KICKS OFF NEW LINE WITH A RANGE OF TOP CREATORS INCLUDING MAX ALLAN COLLINS (ROAD TO PERDITION, QUARRY) AND WALTER HILL – DIRECTOR OF HIT MOVIE THE WARRIORS

Titan Comics is drawing down on the iconic crime imprint Hard Case Crime, ready to pull the trigger on a brand new line of comic books.

Hard Case Crime is the leading publisher of hardboiled crime novels, publishing the giants in the genre: Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Lawrence Block, Mickey Spillane, Ed McBain, Donald E. Westlake, James M. Cain and Max Allan Collins, whose best-selling Quarry series is destined for TV in the highly anticipated adaptation for Cinemax in September – and for comic books in an all-new Quarry comic series from Titan and Hard Case Crime in 2017.

Starting this October, Titan will bring Hard Case Crime’s gritty, sexy, violent world to life. The first shots fired out of the Hard Case Crime comics line will be Prohibition epic Triggerman by the legendary director of The Warriors, Walter Hill, and punky neo-noir Peepland from celebrated crime authors Christa Faust and Gary Phillips.

Debuting in stores on October 5, 2016, Triggerman is an operatic Prohibition era mini-series, written by Walter Hill, director of cult 70s New York City gangland smash The Warriors, and illustrated by trusted collaborator Matz (Body and Soul). In the mean streets of Chicago, a convict is thrown headfirst into a life of bloodshed and bullets to save the girl he left behind…

Hitting stores the following week, on October 12, 2016, is Peepland – a semi-autobiographical neo-noir mini-series with a punk edge set in the seedy Times Square peep booths of 1980s New York City. Written by award-winning crime novelist and former peep show employee Christa Faust (Money Shot, Nightmare on Elm Street) with Gary Phillips (The Underbelly, The Rinse) and art by rising star Andrea Camerini (Il Troio).

These two explosive new titles debut with a range of variant covers to collect by top industry artists including Fay Dalton (Judge Dredd Magazine), Mack Chater (In the Dark), Alex Ronald (Doctor Who), Caitlin Yarsky (The Changeable Harper Finn), Andrea Camerini, Robert Hack (Sabrina), Dennis Calero (Assassin’s Creed), and Francisco Paronzini (Iron Fist).



“We are so excited to be steering the Hard Case Crime series into a new frontier,” said Ricky Claydon, Direct Sales & Marketing Manager at Titan Comics. “We aim to bring to comics that same grit and gristle that Hard Case Crime is famous for!”

“Before I became a mystery reader, I was a comic book fan – so the chance to expand Hard Case Crime into the world of comics is a dream come true,” said Charles Ardai, winner of the Edgar, Shamus and Ellery Queen awards and editor of Hard Case Crime. “Hard Case Crime is already known for its sexy, stylish artwork, and the sharp, tough, high-velocity stories we tell are a natural for the medium.”

Peepland #1 (on-sale October 5) and Triggerman #1 (on-sale October 12) are both available to order from the August edition of PREVIEWS.

Like a case yet to be opened, the complete range of titles is still lurking in the shadows. For more announcements and news on this exciting new line of comics, join Titan Comics on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

Peepland #1 covers:
·      Peepland #1 Cover A: Fay Dalton
·      Peepland #1 Cover B: Mack Chater
·      Peepland #1 Cover C: Alex Ronald
·      Peepland #1 Cover D: Caitlin Yarsky
·      Peepland #1 Cover E: Andrea Camerini
·      Peepland #1 interior art by Andrea Camerini

Triggerman #1 covers:
·      Triggerman #1 Cover A: Jef
·      Triggerman #1 Cover B: Dennis Calero
·      Triggerman #1 Cover C: Fay Dalton
·      Triggerman #1 Cover D: Robert Mack
·      Triggerman #1 Cover E: Francisco Paronzini
·      Triggerman #1 interior art by Jef


About Titan Comics
Titan Comics offers astounding comics and graphic novels from the world's greatest licensed properties, alongside creator-owned comic books from new and world-renowned talent and classic graphic novels re-mastered for brand-new audiences.

For more information, visit: https://www.titan-comics.com

Connect with Titan Comics:
https://twitter.com/ComicsTitan
https://facebook.com/ComicsTitan
http://titancomics.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ComicsTitan

About Hard Case Crime
Hard Case Crime brings you the best in hardboiled crime fiction, ranging from lost noir masterpieces to new novels by today’s most powerful writers, featuring stunning original cover art in the grand pulp style.

http://www.hardcasecrime.com/
http://twitter.com/hardcasecrime

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Brian Stelfreeze, Joseph Linsner Headline New Guests Announcement for Baltimore Comic-Con 2016

Stelfreeze, Linsner, Gallant, Frederick-Frost, and Case at BCC 2016

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - The Baltimore Comic-Con returns to the Inner Harbor on September 2-4, 2016 at the Baltimore Convention Center. We welcome the new comics guests Brian Stelfreeze, Joe Linsner, SL Gallant, Alexis Frederick-Frost, and Richard Case. Find ticket details for the Baltimore Comic-Con and Harvey Awards at www.baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets.

Brian Stelfreeze, one of the original Gaijin Studios members, is a multi-talented artist, with experience and credits penciling, inking, coloring, painting, and even writing. His comic book covers have gained him much attention and lauding, and his run painting covers on DC Comics' Shadow of the Bat for over 50 issues is noteworthy by itself. His name has been attached to titles such as Domino for Marvel, Matador and Wednesday Comics' feature on Demon and Catwoman, for DC, and Gun Candy and The Ride at 12-Gauge Comics (where he serves as Art Director). Brian's creative output is found these days on BOOM! Studios' Day Men, Marvel Comics' Black Panther, and be sure to pick up BOOM! Studios' The Signature Art of Brian Stelfreeze this September to get a definitive look at the works of his publishing career.

Joseph Michael Linsner is most well-known for his creation Dawn, who first appeared in the self-published Cry for Dawn in 1989 and followed by numerous series at Sirius, He is also the creator of several other characters, including Sinful Suzi in Sin Boldly, released in December 2013 by Image Comics. He has worked on Dawn/Vampirella through Dynamite Entertainment, Justice League Quarterly at DC Comics, Killraven, Mystique, and Claws at Marvel Comics, and he drew the cover of the Image Comics one-shot Witchblade/The Punisher #1. In September, he will provide interior art duties on DC Comics' Harley Quinn.

In addition to a having had a healthy commercial illustration career working major brand names and customers, SL Gallant has worked on a wide range of comics titles for publishers such as DC, Chaos, Malibu, and Dark Horse. Once he started doing work for Marvel Comics and Titan Comics, he transitioned to working full-time in the comic industry. In recent years, his work has been published by IDW, first on their Don Pendleton's The Executioner series and now on their ongoing G.I. Joe movie prequel series. For Titan Publishing, he has provided art for Torchwood magazine and their Dreamworks Monsters Vs. Aliens movie adaptation. You will also have undoubtedly noticed his Free Comic Book Day cover for American Mythology Productions' The Pink Panther.

Alexis Frederick-Frost, an inaugural class graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS), is a co-author and illustrator of the critically acclaimed Adventures in Cartooning series of graphic novels. A combination of a how-to book and an exciting adventure story, Adventures in Cartooning was chosen as a Booklist Top Ten Graphic Novel of 2010 and received multiple awards. He also writes and illustrates the recurring comic Kit and Clay published in The Phoenix Magazine in the United Kingdom. Alexis's illustrations have appeared online and in a variety of publications by Nickelodeon Magazine, Bodleian Library Press, First Second Books, Tugboat Press, and others. Alexis will be seated in our Kids Love Comics Pavilion.

Richard Case got his start at Marvel Comics, working on Strange Tales, but got his first real run on Doom Patrol at DC Comics. He has contributed to numerous other noteworthy, acclaimed titles at DC Comics, including Sandman, Shade, the Changing Man, Preacher, and Hunter: The Age of Magic. He was also a contributor to the Artist Alley Comics digital initiative, and has recently seen work solicited in Action Lab Entertainment's Princeless: Raven, the Pirate Princess, Dynamite Entertainment's The King Collection, DC's Doom Patrol Book Two trade paperback, and AC Comics' Crypt of Horror.

"Stelfreeze has really got Black Panther fans excited again, so we're really excited to see him return -- we expect he'll be in high demand," said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "These are all fantastic guests, fantastic artists, and we're thrilled to have them with us in 2016."

TICKETS
General Admission and VIP Package tickets for Weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as the Harvey Awards, are now on sale! Visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/ for more information and to purchase your advanced tickets now, and as always, kids 10 and under get into the show free with a paid adult General Admission!

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
While they are available, be sure to take advantage of discount rate arrangements we have made with hotels near the Baltimore Convention Center. For all the details, see: http://baltimorecomiccon.com/about/hotels/

GUARANTEED PARKING
To make parking easy and stress-free, we have partnered with Parking Panda, the nationwide leader in online parking reservations, to allow attendees driving to the show to purchase guaranteed parking near the Baltimore Comic-Con. Click here to book your guaranteed parking spot, or if you need help or have questions, call 800-232-6415.

In the coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found on our website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages.

Contact Information

Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con:
press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution
promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications
registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations
harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com- for the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet
general@baltimorecomiccon.com- for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries


About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 17th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 11 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

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"Pokemon Adventures" Creators to Appear at 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International

VIZ MEDIA DETAILS POKÉMON ADVENTURES CREATOR EVENTS AT 2016 COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

Welcome POKÉMON ADVENTURES Manga Creators Hidenori Kusaka And Satoshi Yamamoto For A Special Panel Discussion And Autograph Sessions At The Famed Annual Pop Culture And Comics Convention

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, proudly presents the creators of the famed POKÉMON ADVENTURES manga series – Hidenori Kusaka and Satoshi Yamamoto – for their first-ever North American professional appearance at the 2016 Comic-Con International.

The pair are scheduled to meet fans for multiple autograph sessions and also will participate in a POKÉMON ADVENTURES panel event alongside the Japanese and English language series editors. VIZ Media will support their appearances with an exclusive POKÉMON ADVENTURES art book, as well as a manga bundle that will be available for purchase at the company’s booth on the main show floor.

Comic-Con International is one of the nation’s largest comic book, science fiction and pop culture events, and will take place July 20th–24th at the San Diego Convention Center, in San Diego, CA. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 2813. Complete details on Comic-Con are available at: www.comic-con.org.

POKÉMON ADVENTURES Comic-Con International Creator Events

Saturday, July 23rd

1:00pm – 2:00pm - Spotlight on POKÉMON ADVENTURES Creators (Horton Grand Theatre)

The creative team behind VIZ Media's POKÉMON ADVENTURES manga, Hidenori Kusaka (writer) and Satoshi Yamamoto (artist), will lead this special ticketed panel presentation. Attendees will receive a limited edition poster. Pairs of tickets will be  distributed starting at 9:00am at the Sails Pavilion; please check program guide for more details.

3:00pm – 4:00pm - POKÉMON ADVENTURES Autograph Session (Sails Pavilion AA07)

Meet writer Hidenori Kusaka and artist Satoshi Yamamoto, the creators behind the POKÉMON ADVENTURES manga! All attendees at this ticketed signing session will receive a personalized shikishi art board! Ticket distribution begins at 9:00am at the Sails Pavilion.

Sunday, July 24th

1:00pm – 2:00pm - POKÉMON ADVENTURES Autograph Session (VIZ Media Booth #2813)

Meet writer Hidenori Kusaka and artist Satoshi Yamamoto, the creators behind the POKÉMON ADVENTURES manga! The first 100 attendees to participate will receive a personalized shikishi art board and priority will be given to those that purchase a POKÉMON ADVENTURES book from the booth! Stop by the VIZ Media booth for more details.

VIZ Media POKÉMON ADVENTURES Products Available For Purchase:

·         THE ART OF POKÉMON ADVENTURES 2016 Con Exclusive: $15
·         POKÉMON X•Y Vols. 1-3 Bundle: $10   

Hidenori Kusaka writes and Satoshi Yamamoto creates artwork for POKÉMON ADVENTURES, where fans’ favorite Pokémon game characters jump out of the screen into the pages of this action-packed manga! The creative duo have developed several series within the POKÉMON ADVENTURES universe including Pokémon Adventures, Pokémon Adventures: FireRed & LeafGreen, Pokémon Adventures: Emerald, Pokémon Adventures: Diamond & Pearl/PLATINUM, Pokémon Adventures: HeartGold & SoulSilver, Pokémon Adventures: Black & White and POKÉMON X•Y. They are currently working on the twelfth and thirteenth story arcs, POKÉMON X•Y and POKÉMON OMEGA RUBY ALPHA SAPPHIRE.

In addition to writing manga, Hidenori Kusaka also edits children’s books and plans mixed-media projects for Shogakukan’s children’s magazines. He uses the Pokémon Electrode as his author portrait.

Satoshi Yamamoto began drawing VIZ Media’s POKÉMON ADVENTURES in 2001, starting with volume 10. Yamamoto’s favorite manga creators/artists include Fujiko Fujio (Doraemon), Yukinobu Hoshino (2001 Nights), and Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira). He loves films, monsters, mysteries, punk rock music, and livin’ the good life. He uses the Pokémon Swalot as his artist portrait.

POKÉMON is one of the most successful international entertainment franchises of all time. More than 275 million POKÉMON video game titles and over 21.5 billion Pokémon Trading Cards have been sold in more than 74 countries in addition to substantial publishing and merchandise sales. VIZ Media is the official North American distributor for a wide variety of POKÉMON home media releases including animated series and films and also publishes a variety of POKÉMON manga graphic novel series including Pokémon Adventures, Pokémon Adventures: FireRed & LeafGreen, Pokémon Adventures: Emerald, Pokémon Adventures: Diamond & Pearl/PLATINUM, Pokémon Adventures: HeartGold & SoulSilver, Pokémon Adventures: Black & White and POKÉMON X•Y.

For additional information on POKÉMON as well as other anime and manga titles distributed and published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premier company in the field of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.

Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at www.VIZ.com.

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