Image Comics Welcomes "Cannibal" This Halloween

CANNIBAL COOKS UP THRILLS IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN

New ongoing southern-gothic series set to launch this October

Image Comics is pleased to announce that New York Times bestselling author Brian Buccellato (SONS OF THE DEVIL, The Flash, Injustice), Jennifer Young, and artist Matias Bergara (Sons of Anarchy) are teaming up for a southern-gothic horror series set to launch this October 2016.

In CANNIBAL #1 a small Everglades town is hit by a new virus that causes those it infects to crave human flesh. But with no cure in sight, the region has become split over what to do with the victims. For the Hansen family the answer is simple: kill them. However all of that changes when the virus infects those the family cares about most.

“It’s about a Florida town that is just trying to hold onto their everyday lives at the dawn of a cannibal epidemic,” said Young. “Told through the eyes of the Hansen family, it’s an anti-apocalypse story because mankind is too stubborn to give in. It’s a about family and community, and explores how people respond to the spread of deadly diseases.”

“These cannibals are just like us. They feel remorse and guilt and don’t want to eat people,” added Buccellato. “But the virus manifests as an insurmountable addiction that builds up until they can’t control themselves. After they feed and sate their hunger, they must face the guilt and ramifications of their actions. At it’s heart, it’s an allegory for drug addiction.”

Young continued: “In a world where your neighbor, your friend, your barber could suddenly try to eat you, this story is also about mankind’s resolve and deeply-ingrained desire to maintain the status quo—so deep that they will assimilate the idea of cannibals into their normal life.”

This is the second collaboration by Buccellato, Young, and Bergara, following the short story, “Jennifer” which appeared in SONS OF THE DEVIL, VOL. 1.

CANNIBAL #1 (Diamond Code AUG160575) will hit comic book stores on Wednesday, October 5th. The final order cutoff deadline for retailers is Monday, September 12th, 2016.


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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2016 Baltimore Comic-Con Announces First Media Guest, Sean Astin

TMNT and Lord of the Rings' Sean Astin Comes to Baltimore Comic-Con

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - The Baltimore Comic-Con returns this September 2-4, 2016 to the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. We are very pleased to announce our first media guest for 2016, Sean Astin, currently voicing Raphael on Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and co-star of Lord of the Rings. Sean will be in attendance Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for the Baltimore Comic-Con and Harvey Awards are now available -- click here to purchase yours now!

Sean Astin is best known for his film roles as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, and the title character of Rudy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of "24" and currently voices Raphael in the Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series.

The child actor made his feature film debut at age 13. He portrayed Mikey in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster hit The Goonies (1985). After The Goonies, the young performer appeared in several more films, including the Disney made-for-TV movie, The B.R.A.T. Patrol opposite Nia Long, Tim Thomerson, and Brian Keith; Like Father Like Son with Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron (1987); White Water Summer with Kevin Bacon (1987), The War of the Roses (1989); and the lauded World War II epic film Memphis Belle (1990). He successfully navigated the transition from child actor to young adult in the films Toy Soldiers (1991) and Encino Man (1992).

Astin scored a career-defining, triumphant success in the inspirational and universally applauded college football biopic Rudy (1993), about the life-changing struggles and rewards of the title character, Daniel Ruettiger. He followed his success in Rudy by starring in films throughout the 1990s, including the Showtime science fiction film Harrison Bergeron (1995), the Gulf War film Courage Under Fire (1996), the Warren Beatty political satire Bulworth (1996). and the romantic comedy Boy Meets Girl (1997).

In the early 2000s, Astin experienced another career breakthrough with his role as Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, released in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Along with the many awards bestowed upon the trilogy, particularly its final installment, The Return of the King (winner of eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture), Astin received many award nominations for his own performance in Return of the King, taking home the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor and awards from the Las Vegas Film Critics Society, the Seattle Film Critics, the Utah Film Critics Association, and the Phoenix Film Critics Society. As an ensemble, the Return of the King cast received awards from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and the Screen Actors Guild.

Since Lord of the Rings, Astin has consistently worked in film and television. His film roles have included the Adam Sandler comedies 50 First Dates and Click.

In television, Astin guest-starred as Lynn McGill throughout the fifth season of the Fox drama 24. He also appeared in the made-for-TV films Hercules and The Colour of Magic, and in episodes of Monk, Las Vegas, My Name is Earl, and Law & Order, among other shows. He went on to directed a 2003 episode of the TV series Angel, titled "Soulless", as well as an episode of the Showtime Series Jeremiah, where he played the enigmatic Mr. Smith during the 2nd season.

Astin's career has also expanded to include voice-over roles. He narrated the American version of the Animal Planet series Meerkat Manor, and voiced the title character in the animated Disney Channel series Special Agent Oso. His other voice work includes Balto III: Wings of Change and many video games, including Kingdom Hearts. Astin is currently the voice of Raphael in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series on Nickelodeon.

Recent films starring Sean include The Surface (2014), Woodlawn (2015), and Range 15 (2016), a crowd-sourced dark comedy made by and for vets. Coming soon are the political satires For All Eyes Always (2016) and Swing State (2016). Sean narrated and executive produced the documentary Remember the Sultana (2015), and portrayed an exaggerated version of himself in the popular Kickstarter-funded web series Con Man (2015).

"Sean is a huge addition to the show as our first media guest of 2016," said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "It's great to have an actor of such profile that all of our fans will know from something -- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lord of the Rings, The Goonies, and Rudy are the obvious choices, but his resume is long and diverse. We're looking forward to having him to Baltimore, and we know our attendees are too!"

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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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 10th to 16th, 2016 - Update #52

Support Leroy on Patreon. 

POLITICS - From TPM:  Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announces Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate.

From RollingStone:  Why Mike Pence is the absolute worse.

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TELEVISION - From MassLive:  Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart reunite to cover the 2016 Republican National Convention.

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COMICS - From IGN:  Do right by the X-Men comics franchise!

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COMICS - From YahooMovies:  New photos of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman - one with Chris Pine.

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SPORTS - From NBA:  Oh, no!  Los Angeles Lakers young stallion, Larry Nance, Jr., suffers a probably hand fracture.

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SPORTS -  From YahooSports:   New England Patriots Super Bowl champion quaterback, Tom Brady, gives up on his "Deflage-gate" lawsuit.

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MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  Chiwetel Ejiofor in talks to join Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix in the film "Mary Magdalene."  Ejiofor would play Peter the Apostle.

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RACE - From YahooTV:   D.L. Hughley rips into FOX News' Megyn Kelly.

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EMMYS - From YahooTV:  "Game of Thrones" leads the 2016 Emmy nominations with 23 nominations.

From YahooTV:  A complete list of 2016 Emmy Award nominations.

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MOVIES - From EW:   First look at Jude Law and Charlie Hunnam in Guy Ritchie's "King Arthur."

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MOVIES - From EW:  See this first look at "Pennywise the Clown" as played by Bill Skarsgard in the latest adaptation of Stephen King's It - due in theaters Sept. 2017.

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RACE - From TheGuardian:  Eve Ensler - It's time for white people to reckon with racism.

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COMICS - From GMAYahooNews:  Marvel kills of Bruce Banner in comic book, "Civil War II #3."

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From YahooNews:  Even U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), an African-America, has felt the sting of the long arm of the law - both Capitol Police and law enforcement.

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MOVIES - From MovieWeb:  "Saw 8" to beginning shooting in the Fall, likely in Canada.

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COMICS - From BleedingCool:  See Keiynan Lonsdale as "Kid Flash," appearing in the upcoming season of "Flash."

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GAMES - From Deadline:  Who is going to catch the rights to the hot franchise, "Pokemon."

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MOVIES - From EW:  Sigourney Weaver talks about the fate of "Ellen Ripley" in the stalled "Alien" sequel.

HARRY POTTER - From Gamespot:  J.K. Rowling reveals why Uncle Dursley hated Harry Potter.

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TELEVISION - From BuzzFlash:  The time David Letterman called Donald Trump a racist.

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COMICS - From Variety:  FOX, the broadcast network, is entering the Marvel Universe with an "X-Men" action-adventure television series.  It co-produced with Marvel, and FOX is committed to a producing a pilot.  Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, and Marvel's Jeph Loeb are among executive producers.  Matt Nix is writing.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  The new all-girl "Ghostbusters" has a post-credit scene.

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SPORTS - From YahooStyle:  Serena Williams breaks "tradition" and wears sandals to the Wimbledon champions dinner.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Javier Bardem to pick up a paycheck from Universal by appearing in its "Frankenstein" reboot.

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Ubisoft chief says the movie based on his company's game, "Assassin's Creed," will not make money.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  NBA legend, champion, and star, Tim Duncan, has announced his retirement.  He won five championships with the San Antonio Spurs, the only team he played for.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  "The Secret Life of Pets" won the 7/8 to 7/10/2016 weekend box office with a $103.17 million estimated opening.  This is the largest domestic opening weekend for an original animated property.

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OBITS - From the BBC:  American journalist Sydney Schanberg has died at the age of 82, Saturday, July 9, 2016.  His work in Cambodia inspired the Oscar-winning film, "The Killing Fields."

MOVIES - From Collider:  First set photo images of Sofia Boutella as the titular monster in the upcoming Tom Cruise reboot of "The Mummy."

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From BleedingCool:  "Child's Play" is returning to home video.

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From IndieWire:  Goldie Hawn will return to movies for the first time since 2002 in an adventure movie with Amy Schumer.

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MUSIC - From IndieWire:  Ray Parker, Jr., who wrote the song "Ghostbusters" for the original film has mixed feelings about the new "Ghostbusters" theme.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Serena Williams wins the 2016 Wimbledon Women's Single title - her 7th Wimbledon singles' title.  This is her 22nd Grand Slam singles championship, which ties her with Steffi Graf for the most in professional tennis' "Open era" (which began in 1968).  The all-time women's Grand Slam singles champ is Margaret Court with 24.

From YahooSports:  Later, Serena joined her sister Venus Williams to win the 2016 Wimbledon Women's Doubles Championship - their sixth.

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The Killing of #AltonSterling and #PhilandoCastille and #Dallas:

From Newsone:  The NRA will not defend Black and brown gun owners because they are not the organization's constituency.

From Truthout:  The system that killed Alton Sterling and Philando Castille cannot be reformed.

From RSN:  Beyonce says "respect our lives."

From YahooNews:  Pa. police officer picks up tab of guy who refused to sit next to him and his fellow officers in a diner.

From Clevelanddotcom:  NFL running back, Isaiah Crowell (Cleveland Browns), posted this horrible and violent image against police officers.
From YahooSports:  Now, it will cost Crowell a game check.

From TheIntercept:  Baton Rouge police reponse to #AltonSterling protests is complete militarization.  The world is watching.

From ESPN:  Four cops who were working a WNBA Minnesota Lynx game leave over T-shirts the players wore.

From YahooNews:  This buzzed-about photo from the #AltonSterling protests in Baton Rouge is quite popular and maybe iconic and may one day be legendary.

From CSM:  First use of a robot to kill a suspect in U.S. history.

From RSN:  Marc Ash: I blame the police

From RiverFrontTimes:  A young police officer ambushed during a traffic stop.  There is a Go Fund Me page for him.

From Baton Rouge Advocate:  Baton Rouge police say out-of-towners (i.e. outside-agitators) are making Alton Sterling demonstrations more violent.

From RSN:  The President Is Wrong About Dallas, Wrong About Race

From TheGuardian:  NRA afraid to support some Black gun owners?

From Metro:  London stands with #BlackLivesMatter

From WashPost:  New information on NYPD road-rage killing.

From WashPost:  Let's agree that Rudy Giulani needs to shot dead.

From Truthout:  The problem is over-policing.

From telSUR:  Four Latinos killed by police this week, and America really didn't notice.

TRAILERS-VIDEOS:

From FoxMovies:  The new trailer for Warren Beatty's film, "Rules Don't Apply."

From Facebook:  Idris Elba adds a finishing touch to a "Star Trek Beyond" mural painted on the side of a building in London by artist Jim Vision.

Waypoint Entertainment Acquires Film Rights to Image Comics' "Plutona"

WAYPOINT ENTERTAINMENT ACQUIRES LEMIRE AND LENOX’S PLUTONA

Addictive Pictures to produce alongside Waypoint Entertainment under their first-look deal

LOS ANGELES — Waypoint Entertainment has acquired the rights to bestselling and award-winning author Jeff Lemire and illustrator Emi Lenox's comic series Plutona, a coming-of-age story which centers on a group of kids who find the body of a famous dead superhero in the woods. Waypoint Entertainment’s Ken Kao (The Nice Guys), will produce with partner Dan Kao and Addictive Pictures' Russell Ackerman (Mama) and John Schoenfelder under their first-look deal.

Image Comics released Plutona, a five-issue limited series, on September 2015 to critical acclaim.

"Emi and I are extremely excited to be working with Waypoint Entertainment and Addictive Pictures to help bring our vision for Plutona to the big screen,” said Lemire. “Plutona has been a labor of love for us and we were very careful about finding a home for it, and we are thrilled that the team at Addictive and Waypoint share our passion for the story and for its potential as a film."

Lemire is the author of titles including the Essex County Trilogy, Sweet Tooth, The Nobody, and wrote a run of Animal Man. He is known for his moody, humanistic stories and sketchy, cinematic, black-and-white art and has worked extensively with DC and Marvel Comics. Lenox is perhaps best known for her diary comic Emitown, as well as having work featured in such critically-acclaimed series as Nowhere Men, Madman, Glory, and Sweet Tooth.

Lemire is represented by Angela Cheng Caplan of Cheng Caplan Company and attorney Allison Binder of Smelkinson, Genow, Stone, Binder & Christopher LLP.

Waypoint Entertainment recently acquired the rights to two Mark Millar properties, American Jesus and Supercrooks, which Ken Kao will produce with partner Dan Kao and Addictive Pictures. They are also in pre-production on the sci-fi thriller Tau, directed by Federico D’ Alessandro and starring Maika Monroe and Ed Skrein.

Waypoint Entertainment is a film and television development, production, and finance company with a slate that includes: Scott Cooper’s Hostiles starring Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike; Martin Zandvliet’s The Outsider starring Jared Leto; Shane Black’s detective thriller The Nice Guys starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling; Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Trees starring Matthew McConaughey, Ken Watanabe, and Naomi Watts; and Terrence Malick's Weightless starring Ryan Gosling Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, and Rooney Mara.

Addictive Pictures is a film and television production company with a specialty in elevated genre films. Addictive is currently prepping Jeremy Saulnier's next film Hold the Dark for A24, and recently closed a deal for Deeper written by Max Landis starring Bradley Cooper at MGM.


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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The Archies Meet the Ramones in "Archie Meets Ramones"

Rock out in October when ARCHIE MEETS RAMONES with Alex Segura, Matthew Rosenberg, and Gisele Lagace

Legendary punk group to meet fan-favorite characters in epic time-traveling adventure this October.

Archie. Jughead. Betty & Veronica. Reggie. The Archies.

Joey. Tommy. Johnny. Dee Dee. Ramones.

The next must-read crossover from Archie Comics debuts in October as The Archies find themselves stuck in 1970s New York City -- and face to face with the Ramones!

The oversized one-shot issue debuts on October 5th, 2016 from the best-selling creative team of co-writers Alex Segura (ARCHIE MEETS KISS) and Matthew Rosenberg (We Can Never Go Home) with jaw-dropping art by Gisele Lagace ("Occupy Riverdale") and colorist Shouri and variant covers from Veronica Fish, Francesco Francavilla, and Dan Parent.

No stranger to musical crossover comics, co-writer Alex Segura's passion for music and comic books made writing ARCHIE MEETS RAMONES a no-brainer, "My comic fandom always ran parallel to an obsession with music, so having the chance to merge them for this project has been amazing. Not only are Matt and Gisele amazing collaborators - they're wonderful people and friends. This is the project we've been waiting years to do, and I hope it makes Archie and Ramones fans happy."

"When I was growing up Archie ignited my lifelong love for comics and Ramones are what made me fall in love with punk. As an adult, it's a dream come true to be able to smash these two things together," added co-writer Matthew Rosenberg.

As both a musician and comic artist, Gisele Lagace calls getting to draw ARCHIE MEETS RAMONES a dream project come true. "I'm giving this my all, Ramones style, to make sure fans of both Archie and Ramones dig the results."

Visit the official Archie Comics website for more information, follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates, and download the Archie App for iOS and Android to read all your favorite Archie Comics!

ARCHIE MEETS RAMONES #1

Hey! Ho! Let's go! America's favorite teens cross paths with the original NYC punks in this extra-sized one-shot spectacular that is not to be missed!

When the Archies tank at the Riverdale High Battle of the Bands, a magical twist of fate sends them hurtling into the past—and face-to-face with none other than the Ramones! Can the legendary punks get the Archies to realize their own rock 'n' roll potential and find their way home? Probably not—but it'll be a blitzkrieg bop of a journey, as the two bands bounce from 53rd and 3rd to Rockaway Beach in this must-read crossover from the writers of the best-selling ARCHIE MEETS KISS and WE CAN NEVER GO HOME with jaw-droppingly beautiful art from Gisele Lagace ("Occupy Riverdale")!

Script: Alex Segura and Matthew Rosenberg
Art: Gisele Lagace, Shouri
Archie Meets The Ramones #1 CVR A Reg: Gisele Lagace
Archie Meets The Ramones #1 CVR B Reg: Veronica Fish
Archie Meets The Ramones #1 CVR C Reg: Francesco Francavilla
Archie Meets The Ramones #1 CVR D Reg: Dan Parent
On Sale Date: 10/5/2016
48-page, full color comic
$4.99 U.S.

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Dark Horse to Publish English Edition of French Graphic Novel, "Muhammad Ali"

Dark Horse to Publish Original Graphic Novel “Muhammad Ali”

Celebrate the life of the Greatest!

MILWAUKIE, OR—Dark Horse Comics is set to release Muhammad Ali, the story of an icon in a graphic novel from writer Sybille Titeux and artist Amazing Ameziane.

Published for the first time in English, this critically acclaimed French graphic novel celebrates the life of the glorious athlete who metamorphosed from the young boxer Cassius Clay to the legendary three-time heavyweight champion, activist, and provocateur Muhammad Ali, and focuses on key figures in the civil rights movement.

Cassius Clay is a kid who rushes into boxing by chance after his bike is stolen. His talent for the sport is proven when he wins an Olympic gold medal. The world heavyweight champion never takes a hit without fighting back. Clay becomes Muhammad Ali, a Civil rights activist, contemporary of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, and one of the greatest icons of the twentieth century.

Not only a titan in the world of sports but in the world itself, he dared to be different and to challenge and defy through his refusal to be drafted to fight in Vietnam, his rejection of his “slave” name, and ultimately his final fight with his body itself through a thirty-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. Witness what made Ali different, what made him cool, what made him the Greatest.

Muhammad Ali (978-1-50670-318-3) debuts on October 26, 2016, and retails for $19.99. Preorder your copy today at your local comic shop or through Penguin Random House!


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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"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Debuts September 10th on Starz

Starz Announces September 10 Premiere Date of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Honor of Star Wars Celebration Weekend

Exclusive Television Premiere of Movie Also Available for Download via the STARZ App

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--STARZ subscribers rejoice! Epic lightsaber battles and X-wing dogfights will be available exclusively to STARZ subscribers with the television premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens with a special presentation on Saturday, September 10, 2016. The seventh installment in the Star Wars franchise will premiere on all six STARZ channels at 9 PM ET/PT and again at 11:20 PM ET/PT and be available for download via the STARZ App as of September 10, 2016.

    “No greater fandom has ever existed than the Star Wars fans, and we are thrilled to be the exclusive home of The Force Awakens”

“No greater fandom has ever existed than the Star Wars fans, and we are thrilled to be the exclusive home of The Force Awakens,” said Chris Albrecht, President and CEO of Starz. “We are offering a variety of ways for fans and subscribers to watch – on the STARZ networks, on demand, by streaming or download on the STARZ App or through an Amazon Prime STARZ subscription. We want to make the movie as accessible as the fans’ appetites for what is truly one of the greatest franchises of all time.”

For $8.99 per month with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers, fans now have the opportunity to enjoy instant access to more than 2,700 selections each month, including STARZ hit series ranging from “Outlander,” “Power” and the upcoming “American Gods,” to Hollywood hits and popular movies. STARZ subscribers from participating cable, satellite and telco partners can also authenticate and view STARZ content in the new, easy-to-use app. Users can authenticate to STARZ directly in-app or on their PC/Mac and watch every episode of every season of the best of STARZ’s original programming, as well as the biggest, most extensive movie library of all the premium subscription networks in the U.S.*

Star Wars: The Force Awakens will air across the STARZ channels numerous times throughout the day on Sunday, September 11, 2016, including replays on STARZ at 9 PM ET/PT and 11:20 PM ET/PT.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens saw the eagerly anticipated reteaming of original Star Wars stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill, along with Anthony Daniels, the only actor to have been in all seven Star Wars films, and Peter Mayhew. The returning cast was joined by newcomer Daisy Ridley, who beat out fierce competition to take the principal role of Rey; BAFTA Rising Star Award winner John Boyega (Attack the Block, Imperial Dreams) as reluctant stormtrooper Finn; Emmy® nominee Adam Driver (Lincoln, “Girls”) as the villainous Kylo Ren, and Golden Globe® winner Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, The Bourne Legacy) as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt. Lucasfilm President and eight-time Academy Award® nominee Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams, along with his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, are the film’s producers. Having established a musical legacy with his iconic scores for the previous six films in the Star Wars saga, acclaimed composer John Williams returned to score Star Wars: The Force Awakens, ultimately garnering his 50th Oscar® nomination for his work.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens brought an estimated $248 million in North America, and two sequels, Episode VIII and Episode IX, are scheduled for release in 2017 and 2019.


About Starz
Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television networks (Starz Networks) and global content distribution (Starz Distribution), www.starz.com. The Starz Networks operating unit is home to the flagship STARZ® brand with 24.0 million subscribers in the United States as of March 31, 2016, with the STARZ ENCORESM network at 32.4 million subscribers. Through STARZ, the company provides high quality, entertaining premium subscription video programming with 17 premium pay TV channels and associated on-demand and online services. STARZ is sold through U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, telecommunications companies, and other online and digital platforms. Starz offers subscribers more than 5,000 distinct premium television episodes and feature films every year and up to 1,500 every month, including STARZ Original series, first-run movies and other popular movie and television programming. The Starz Distribution operating unit is home to the Anchor Bay Entertainment, Starz Digital, and Starz Worldwide Distribution divisions. In addition to STARZ Original series, Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires movies, television and other entertainment content for worldwide home video, digital, and television licensing and sales.

*source: Starz internal analysis of distinct movie title data for the period 1/1/2015-12/31/2015.

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