Sunday, August 14, 2016

Mark Wheatley, Marc Hempel Headed to 2016 Baltimore Comic-Con

Wheatley, Hempel, G.D. Falksen Together in Baltimore

Baltimore Comic-Con Brings Veteran Creators, New Projects

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND  - Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel, the creative pioneers who launched Blood of the Innocent, Mars, and numerous other creations, will explore things a little closer to home with their appearance at the Baltimore Comic-Con, September 2-4, 2016 at the Baltimore Convention Center. This is the seventeenth annual Baltimore Comic-Con and this marks Insight Studios Groups' sixteenth straight appearance at the show. They will be joined by studio mates Jerry Carr, G.D. Falksen, and Evelyn Kriete, as well as long-time collaborator and acclaimed editor, Mike Gold.  Purchase your tickets now and avoid additional lines.

Despite vibrant and incredibly varied solo careers, Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel have been frequent, highly successful collaborators. Their work together has included Tarzan, Jonny Quest, Titanic Tales, and Doctor Cyborg, among other projects. They are presently at work on a fully restored and lavishly produced re-issue of their acclaimed graphic novel Breathtaker for Titan Comics as well as a touring show of the original art organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum. Long out of print, it was originally serialized and then collected into a best selling trade paperback by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint 20 years ago. Their work, both together and separately, was extensively profiled in IS Art: The Art of Insight Studios.

"Even with the addition of some stellar media guests, the Baltimore Comic-Con remains one of the most staunchly comic-centric conventions on the circuit. Of course we're favorably predisposed to our hometown show, but it's so much more than just regional pride. The guest list just can't be beat by any other show of this size or even many that are quite a bit bigger," said Mark Wheatley. "We're extremely happy our big, annual gathering of the tribe happens right here in Baltimore, and we're looking forward to making some great announcements."

On his own, Wheatley has most recently had his work for CBS Television featured on The Millers, 2 Broke Girls, and Super Clyde, and the Square Roots pilot for ABC. In print his work has been featured in the acclaimed Jungle Tales Of Tarzan from Dark Horse Comics, on the cover of the Meteor House release of Exiles Of Kho, the Phillip Jose Farmer series novel by Christopher Paul Carey, and his own well-received art book, Stars, which presents elaborate line art portraits of actors, musicians, and authors.

With a track record that includes Frankenstein Mobster, Radical Dreamer, Return of the Human, Hammer of the Gods, EZ Street, Skultar, and Lone Justice, Wheatley is an Inkpot, Mucker, Gem, Speakeasy, and Eisner award-winning creator. He has lectured at the Library of Congress, exhibited at the Norman Rockwell Museum, created set pieces for The Black Eyed Peas, designed for Lady Gaga, and contributed designs to ABC's Beauty and the Beast. He will be displaying art from Doctor Cthulittle, his innovative new project in collaboration with studio members G.D. Falksen and Evelyn Kriete.

Marc Hempel, grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and now resides in Baltimore, Maryland, where he plies his craft on such diverse projects ranging from his own Gregory, Tug & Buster, and Naked Brain to Disney Adventures, and from Clive Barker's Hellraiser to "The Kindly Ones" in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. Hempel's art has also appeared in MAD, Marvel Fanfare, Epic Illustrated, Heavy Metal, Flinch, My Faith in Frankie, The Dreaming, Lucifer, Munden's Bar, Nickelodeon Magazine, and a 21-page Escapist story for Dark Horse Comics. His series The Love Brothers has appeared in Aces Weekly.

ComicMix.com editor-in- chief Mike Gold is a 40-year veteran of the comic book field, having co-founded the Chicago Comicon as well as First Comics with Rick Obadiah, later serving as group editor/director of editorial development of DC Comics and a packager of comics with arrogantMGMS. Among the many projects he edited and helped develop are American Flagg!, Jon Sable Freelance, GrimJack, The Flash, Green Arrow, The Question, Legends, Breathtaker, and Mars. Gold is also a long-time political activist and broadcaster, presently doing the show Weird Sounds Inside The Gold Mind on getthepointradio.com. He was the recipient of the Hero Initiative Humanitarian of the Year Award, given at the Baltimore Comic-Con in 2011.

Cryptozoo Crew artist Jerry Carr will debut a select number of large and small stretched canvas prints, illustrating a variety of furkini-clad jungle heroines and the monkeys who love them. At the Baltimore Comic-Con he will also unveil new, limited edition poster prints depicting all kinds of alien, primate, and reptilian critters. His and Allan Gross' Cryptozoo Crew has been optioned by Alcon Entertainment.

G.D. Falksen is an author, lecturer, public speaker, and actor. He also studies history and has consulted for Disney. He is the author of The Ouroboros Cycle series, The Transatlantic Conspiracy, and several other works of fiction. He is a voice actor for and co-writer of the animated film Hullabaloo and an accompanying educational series titled Ask The Professor.

Evelyn Kriete is an editor, producer, artist, stylist, marketing adviser, social media strategist, and new media coordinator. She is also a crowdfunding consultant for Indiegogo and Comicmix. Through crowdfunding, she has raised over $1 million for various projects, including the animated film Hullabaloo, which she is producing alongside film creator James Lopez. She has previously worked on the staff of literary publications such as Weird Tales and Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine.

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 Insight Studios Group
Insight Studios has been creating comics, stories, and art for print, TV, and digital media for over 30 years. The core of the talented group has remained remarkably stable in all those years even while its creators have continued to come up with new and exciting projects. During that time, studio members have created or worked on Breathtaker, Mars, Blood of the Innocent, EZ Street, Lone Justice, Return of the Human, Sandman: The Kindly Ones, Tarzan, Jonny Quest, MAD, Road Song, Doctor Cyborg, Cryptozoo Crew, Disney Adventures, The Black Hood, and many others.

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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Saturday, August 13, 2016

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 7th to 13th, 2016 - Update #51

Support Leroy on Patreon.

OBIT - From Deadline:  The actor Kenny Baker has died at the age of 81 (although some reports are listing him at 82 or 83).  The 3-foot, 8-inch actor is best known for playing R2-D2 in six Star Wars movies.  Baker also appeared in "The Elephant Man," "Time Bandits," and "The Goonies."

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ANIME-FILM - From TheTrackingBoard:  One of my favorite anime, "Tiger & Bunny, is being developed as a live-action American film.  "Tiger & Bunny" follows a veteran hero and his partner, the hot new thing.

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TELEVISION - From TheTrackingBoard:  The creators of the long-running CBS TV series, "How I Met Your Mother," is developing a family comedy for the network.

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MOVIES - From YahooNews:  On the set of "Fast 8," Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are greatly at odds with one another.

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SPORTS - From CTVNews:  Brazil receives its first gold medal of the Rio Olympics.  Brazilian Rafaela Silva won gold in judo (57 kiogram division).  Born in a favela (slum), Silva had been the target of horrible racists taunts.  She has also come out as gay.

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BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  "Suicide Squad" looks to hold onto first place at the weekend box office, despite a seeming big debut from the animated "Sausage Party."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Patty Jenkins, who is directing 2017's "Wonder Woman" movie, does not like this open letter that calls her film a mess.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The United States' unlikeliest gold medal is a comeback story about swimmer, Anthony Ervin.

MOVIES - From Polygon:  "Suicide Squad" has a problem that may also be a problem for other films based on DC Comics characters.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Michelle Carter becomes the first U.S. woman to win gold in the Olympic shot put.

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TELEVISION - From DeadlineTV:  Long-time "Criminal Minds" cast member, Thomas Gibson, is no longer with the series, following a suspension for an on-set confrontation.

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MOVIES - From Vulture:  Former employee sends an open letter to top Warner Bros. executives and is highly critical to say the least.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Simone Manuel becomes the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal for an individual swimming event (100 meter freestyle).  She tied for the gold with Canadian Penny Oleksiak - the first tie for a gold medal since 2000.  In fact, the last time an American woman won gold in the 100 meter freestyle, it was a tie involving 2 Americans.

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COMICS - From EntertainmentWeekly:  In celebration of the birthday of Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America) posts a gag video featuring Hemsworth having trouble with a hammer.

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MOVIES - From EntertainmentWeekly:  Hugh Jackman posts a photo on social media that has fans talking about how old he looks.  "Old Man Logan" anyone?

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Classic Nickelodeon cartoon, "Rocko's Modern Life" will return in a special.

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MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:  "Bad Boys 3" is now called "Bad Boys for Life."  The release date has also been removed from 2017 to 2018.

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STAR WARS - From BleedingCool:  Lando Calrissian reportedly to appear in the Han Solo spinoff movie in which Alden Ehrenreich.

From TheWrap:  7 actors who would be great as young Lando Calrissian.

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TELEVISION - From IGN:  Gabriel Luna is the new "Ghost Rider," who will appear on the fourth season on ABC's "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.  Nicolas Cage played the character in two films.

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Ousted "Saturday Night Live" cast members, Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah, have new gigs at Showtime.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Mel Gibson escapes settlement payments with is baby mama, Oksana Grigorieva.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Dammit.  Angelina Jolie has decided not to appear in Kenneth Branagh's remake of "Murder on the Orient Express."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Brad Pitt is courting David Fincher to direct the "World War Z" sequel.  Fincher and Pitt worked together on "Se7ev," "Fight Club," and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

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STAR TREK - From Variety:  CBS' new "Star Trek" series, "Star Trek: Discovery" will have a female lead, who will not be the captain.

From IndieWire:  More details on "Discovery" including the show having a larger contingent of aliens and a gay character.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Speaking of all-girl reboots, there is "Ocean's 8," an all-female reboot of "Oceans Eleven."  Rihanna and Anne Hathaway are in talks to join a cast that already includes Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  So the all-female "Ghostbusters" reboot looks to be a box office flop.

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OBITS - From YahooSports:  John Saunders, longtime ESPN anchor, died today, Wednesday, August 10, 2016.  He was 61.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Three cast members, including Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah, are leaving "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) or were fired.  One of them, Killam, is not sure why.

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MOVIES - From HitFix:  There is a planned remake of the classic horror film, "Suspiria."  The director of the original, Dario Argento, isn't impressed by those plans, although he is not against the film.

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POLITICS - From BostonGlobe:  Louisiana's new Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards has saved lives since he accepted the Medicaid expansion under "Obamacare."

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OLYMPICS - From YahooSports:  U.S. women make history in capturing Rio Olympic gymnastics team gold, the remarkable Simone Biles.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From YahooNews:  In Ferguson, Michael Brown's parents are still waiting for secret files in their lawsuit against his killer, former police officer Darren Wilson, the city, and it former police chief.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Tri-Star is leading the revival of "The Chronicles of Narnia" film series.  The new will film be based on "The Silver Chair."

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MOVIES - From YahooCelebrity:  Dwayne Johnson calls some of his "Fast 8" male co-stars "candyasses."

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Breck Eisner is in talks to direct a new Friday the 13th film.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From TheRoot:  High fives and orders to make sure the body camera are off after Chicago pigs... I mean... cops shot an unarmed Black teen.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  The Tom Cruise-Doug Liman film previously known as "Mena" is now entitled "American Made."  It also moves from Jan. 2017 to a Sept. 2017 release date.

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TELEVISION - From DeadlineTV:  Director David O. Russell ("Silver Linings Playbook," "American Hustle") is prepping a TV series starring Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore.

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COMICS-FILM - From  WeGotThisCovered:  Set photos from "Spider-Man: Homecoming" shows off Spider-Man's web-shooters.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Woody Allen's series for Amazon has a name, "Crisis in Six Scenes."  The series debut on Amazon Prime Video on September 30th and will be comprised of six episodes.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Joseph David-Jones has been cast in Kathryn Bigelow's untitled 1967 Detroit Riots film.  David-Jones plays "Connor Hawke" in "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" for The CW.

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CULTURE - From RSN:  Renee Zellwegger on against her: "We can do better."

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POLITICS - From NYMag:  Former Fox News boss, Roger Ailes, used Fox's budget to finance a "Black Room" campaign against his personal enemies.  He may have used the network's budget and profits to pay off sexual harassment claims against him.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 8/5 to 8/7/2016 weekend box office is "Suicide Squad" with an estimated take of $135.1 million.

From YahooMovies:  "Suicide Squad" sets three August box office records - largest opening weekend ($135.1 million) and largest single day ($65.2 million) and largest Thursday preview ($20.5 million), which is part of the Friday haul

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BOOKS-FILM - From RollingStone:  George R.R. Martin's books are the source material for HBO's Emmy-winning hit, "Game of Thrones."  Now, his anthology series, "Wild Cards," which he shares with other writers, is being developed for television.

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CELEBRITY - From PopSugar:  Angelina Jolie will be a visiting professor at the London School of Economics next year.

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OBIT - From YahooCelebrity:  Ricci Martin, the youngest son of legendary actor and singer, Dean Martin, has died at the age of 62, Wednesday, August 3, 2016.  Ricci was a musician and also a singer, and he toured a tribute show to his late father (who died in 1995).

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From IBT:  I have heard it said that America is driving Black people crazy.  Here, is some proof or at least an article about it.

TRAILERS-VIDEO CLIPS:

From YouTube:  First teaser trailer for "Allied," a new film from Robert Zemeckis, starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard.

From YouTube:  Marvel's Captain America: Civil War - Black Panther Featurette

From YouTube:  From the "Ben-Hur" remake, "You Should Have Killed Me."

From YouTube:  "Office Christmas Party" trailer.


Image Comics Announces Azzarello and Risso's "Moonshine"

MOONSHINE AN INTOXICATING NEW SERIES

Azzarello and Risso fans will get drunk off this werewolf prohibition story

Image Comics is pleased to announce that author Brian Azzarello (ALPHA KING) and artist Eduardo Risso, the New York Times bestselling, Eisner Award winning creative team that redefined the crime genre with 100 Bullets, have reunited for an all-new gangster tale with a horror-twist in MOONSHINE.

As an added treat for fans, the series is set to launch this October—making it the perfect Halloween read—and features a variant cover by legendary comics creator, Frank Miller.

Set during Prohibition, and deep in the backwoods of Appalachia, MOONSHINE #1 tells the story of Lou Pirlo, a city-slick “torpedo” sent from New York City to negotiate a deal with the best moonshiner in West Virginia, one Hiram Holt. What Lou doesn’t figure on is that Holt is just as cunning and ruthless as any NYC crime boss. Because not only will Holt do anything to protect his illicit booze operation, he’ll stop at nothing to protect a much darker family secret...a bloody, supernatural secret that must never see the light of day… or better still, the light of the full moon. 

"It’s killer to be working with Eduardo again on a project that we've been dying to get to,” said Azzarello. “Like 100 Bullets, the high concept is a grabber, but the heart of the story is dealing with an extremely fractured ‘hero’ (Gangster, Lou Pirlo). He’s one of the most complex characters I’ve written in a long time and I can’t wait to dig into his many sides… seedy and otherwise.”

Risso added: “Being back together with Azzarello is always a pleasure. And to now be at Image, with the freedom to do what we do best, is an added thrill. This time around I’m doing my own coloring so that’s a new approach and I look forward to hearing what our fans think about it. It’s important as creators to keep challenging yourselves and I think we’re doing that with Moonshine!”

MOONSHINE #1 Cover A by Risso (Diamond Code AUG160556) and Cover B by Miller (Diamond Code AUG160557) will hit comic book stores on Wednesday, October 5th, 2016. 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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"Rocko's Modern Life" Returns in an Original One-Hour TV Special

Nickelodeon Brings Back Rocko’s Modern Life for Brand-New, Original One-Hour TV Special Based on the Classic ‘90s Hit Animated Series

Series’ Creator Joe Murray Serves as Executive Producer

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marking its 25th anniversary of original creator-driven animation to the day and date, Nickelodeon today announces another reinvention of its library content: the greenlight of an original one-hour TV special based on its classic ‘90s hit, Rocko’s Modern Life. With Rocko’s original creator Joe Murray on board as executive producer, the animated Rocko's Modern Life TV special will bring back all the show’s classic characters and offer some surprising new takes on life in O-Town. Additional news of Rocko’s airdate and casting will be announced in the coming months.

    “Following our news about Hey Arnold! and Legends of the Hidden Temple, greenlighting a Rocko’s Modern Life TV special is another strong example of how we are bringing our library content back for both new audiences and the generation that grew up on them in the ‘90s”

"I'm very happy to be rejoining Rocko and my friends from O-Town again,” said creator and executive producer Joe Murray. “What I have found by bringing these characters back is that it's not so much about nostalgia, but a sense that they still feel relevant and fresh to me, and after twenty years, they can't wait to comment on modern life in the 21st century. They still have a lot to say."

Originally airing from 1993-1996, the animated Rocko’s Modern Life follows the adventures of an Australian wallaby named Rocko and his two companions, Heffer Wolfe and Filburt, through their adventures in their home of O-Town.

“Following our news about Hey Arnold! and Legends of the Hidden Temple, greenlighting a Rocko’s Modern Life TV special is another strong example of how we are bringing our library content back for both new audiences and the generation that grew up on them in the ‘90s,” said Chris Viscardi, SVP, Content Development, Nickelodeon Franchise Properties. “It’s a testament to the strength and appeal of these characters that so many people have loved Nick animation for these last 25 years, and we are excited to bring them back for new stories and adventures.”

Today’s Rocko’s greenlight news--25 years to the day of the original launch of the iconic Rugrats, The Ren & Stimpy Show and Doug—follows recent announcements of Nickelodeon bringing back its library content for today’s audiences. Coming in 2017 is Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie, a new, original TV movie that will feature a storyline picking up from where the original series ended in 2004, resolving unanswered questions and plotlines, including Arnold finally getting answers about the whereabouts of his missing parents.

This fall, Nickelodeon will premiere its Legends of the Hidden Temple original TV movie, an action-adventure movie based on its ‘90s game show of the same name. Drawing from the original show’s premise of kids competing to retrieve artifacts from a mysterious Mayan temple, the new action-adventure TV movie version will follow three siblings who embark on a high-stakes, life-or-death mission.

August 11 celebrates 25 years of original creator-driven animation for Nickelodeon, marking a significant milestone exemplifying decades of rich history and commitment to bringing fresh innovative content to kids and families around the world. Later this year, Nickelodeon will open up a 190,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art complex in Burbank, Calif., to serve as the West Coast hub for the network, housing the ever-growing number of animated and live-action series, TV movies, and award shows and events seen globally.

Nickelodeon, now in its 37th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

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I Reads You Review: Chew Volume 1: Taster's Choice

CHEW, VOL. 1: TASTER'S CHOICE
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: John Layman
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Rob Guillory with Lisa Gonzales
LETTERS: John Layman
ISBN: 978-1-60706-159-5; paperback (April 2011 – second printing)
128pp, Colors, $9.99 U.S.

Chew created by John Layman and Rob Guillory

Chew is an ongoing comic book series from writer John Layman and artist Rob Guillory.  Published by Image Comics, Chew became an immediate hit, selling out, and earning critical acclaim.  By the end of its first two years of publication, the series had won two Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards (Eisners), including “Best New Series” (2010).

The first five issues of Chew are collected in the trade paperback, Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice.  This first collection of the hit series includes, of course, Chew #1 (cover dated: June 2009), which introduces Philadelphia Police Department Detective Tony Chu, a cop with a weird secret.  Tony is “cibopathic,” which means that he can get psychic impressions from whatever he eats or tastes.

If he eats an apple, Tony sees images that can tell him about the tree from which the apple came, what pesticides were used on that tree, or even when that apple was harvested.  Or Tony can eat a hamburger, and the pictures that appear in his mind could be a replay of when the cow was… harvested.

In the world of Chew, poultry is illegal because chickens were blamed for a bird flu epidemic that killed 23 million people in the United States and 116 million worldwide.  Tony and his partner, John Colby, stumble upon a black market poultry operation.  By the end of it, Colby is grievously wounded and Tony commits a shocking act of cannibalism.  Tony is recruited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) to join its Special Crimes Division.  He is matched with a new partner, the loquacious Mason Savoy.  Suddenly, cannibalism is the least of Tony's problems.

Of the many things that work successful with Chew, I think the fact that Tony Chu's life becomes more complicated is probably what keeps the series fresh and hopping.  Writer John Layman shows off his imaginative and inventive sides, producing plots which reveal that things are both what they seem and not what they seem.  The expected and unexpected are fickle lovers with a bad sense of timing where Tony Chu is concerned.

Layman also gives Chew a wicked sense of humor that plays on cop fiction stereotypes – the by-the-book newcomer (Tony to the F.D.A.), the wise old bull of a partner (Mason Savoy), and the legion of criminal enterprises, street hoods, and assorted lowlifes.  Yet Layman's depiction of a world of government corruption, bureaucratic putrefaction, and institutional decay make Chew not only timely, but also timeless.  Chew is imaginative science fiction as a satire of our society for all seasons.

In artist Rob Guillory, Layman has found the proverbial perfect man.  I can imagine another artist drawing Chew, but I do not believe that anyone but Guillory could be the series' conceptual designer or its graphical storytelling guide.  Chew would not be Chew without Guillory anymore than Pixar would be what it is without John Lassetter.

I have revisited the beginning of Chew, so that I could start over and move onto what I have not read.  Unless it has experienced a tremendous fall-off, it is one of the best comic books of the past decade.

A

www.ChewComic.com
www.RobGuillory.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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SuBLime Manga Releases a New Yaoi Series, "Ten Count"

GLOBAL YAOI PUBLISHER SUBLIME LAUNCHES THE STEAMY THERAPIST-PATIENT ROMANCE TEN COUNT

The Hotly Awaited Psychological Tale Of Forbidden Love Between A Therapist And His Patient From Rihito Takarai

San Francisco, CA – SuBLime, the leading global English-language yaoi manga publisher, delivers summertime sizzle to readers with this story of forbidden love between a therapist and his patient in the new series TEN COUNT, now available.

This new title by creator Rihito Takarai is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers and is available in print and digital formats. The print edition carries an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. The digital version carries an MSRP of $5.99 U.S. and offers readers two methods of digital access to the volume on SuBLimeManga.com – via a DRM-free downloadable PDF, viewable on any enabled eReader device and computer, as well as via the online manga viewer found on the SuBLime website.

In TEN COUNT, corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day he meets Kurose, a therapist who offers to take him through a ten-step program to cure him of his compulsion. But as the two go through each of the ten steps, Shirotani’s attraction to his counselor grows.

“This hotly awaited new series is going to heat up summer reading as its troubled protagonist falls for a therapist with a most unorthodox treatment,” says SuBLime Editor, Jennifer LeBlanc. “Creator Rihito Takarai is adored among yaoi fans. We are very excited to add her to the SuBLime catalog and look forward to her work reaching even more readers through this latest release.”

TEN COUNT is Rihito Takarai’s second English-language release, with her first being the now out-of-print Seven Days. She has also been published in French, Spanish, and German.

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at www.SuBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga, on Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga, and on Tumblr at http://sublimemanga.tumblr.com.


About SuBLime
SuBLime is a global yaoi/boys’ love manga publisher presenting English-speaking fans everywhere with a broad selection of high quality titles. SuBLime offers titles digitally worldwide at www.SuBLimeManga.com, with many available in a Download-to-Own format, and selections in print also available in English-language editions worldwide.

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Amazon Announces a Documentary Series About Hugh Hefner, Founder of "Playboy"

Amazon Greenlights American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story for Prime Video

The Amazon Original Series draws from unprecedented access to more than 17,000 hours of footage and over 2,600 scrapbooks from Hefner’s personal archives, chronicling the life of an American icon and the history of the brand he created

In addition to streaming or downloading thousands of titles on Prime Video, Amazon Prime members enjoy fast, free shipping, unlimited access to more than a million songs with Prime Music, unlimited secure photo storage with Prime Photos, and more—customers can enjoy a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime today


SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon today announced it has greenlit the Amazon Original Series, American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story. The docuseries combines archival footage, interviews and cinematic reenactments to tell the story of Playboy magazine’s charismatic founder Hugh Hefner and his impact on global culture and history. The 13-episode season will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in the US, UK, Germany, Austria and Japan in 2017, and be available via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online at Amazon.com/originals. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.

    “I’m pleased that this docuseries will shed light on what has been an incredible journey and the voice Playboy has had in the discussion of our ever-changing culture. Just as importantly, my hope is that it will inspire others to pursue their dreams.”

Produced by Stephen David Entertainment and Alta Loma Entertainment, American Playboy begins in post-war America and takes us through the launch of Playboy magazine in 1953 and the next six decades of Hefner’s life and career. As he built his empire, Hefner became both a social justice advocate and a target of the conservative movement, battling with the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover while becoming an outspoken defender of civil rights. With unprecedented access to more than 17,000 hours of never-before-seen footage from the Playboy archives and Hefner’s personal scrapbooks (which number more than 2,600 and constitute a Guinness World Record), American Playboy will be the Hugh Hefner story in his own words. The 90-year-old Hefner has been deeply involved in the development and production of American Playboy, imbuing the series with rich first-person accounts and never-before-told stories.

“Although Hugh Hefner is an iconic figure known worldwide, most people may not be aware of the impact he has had on some of this country’s most important social revolutions,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Studios. “We are excited to bring Prime members the untold story of Mr. Hefner’s remarkable life and his contributions to modern American history.”

“It has been a long road in finding the right partners to tell the full story of Playboy as it has unfolded over these past 63 years, and I believe we have found them in the collaborative team of Stephen David Entertainment and Amazon,” said Hugh Hefner. “I’m pleased that this docuseries will shed light on what has been an incredible journey and the voice Playboy has had in the discussion of our ever-changing culture. Just as importantly, my hope is that it will inspire others to pursue their dreams.”

“To say that Hugh Hefner has lived a ‘full life’ is an incredible understatement,” said Stephen David, Executive Producer and president of Stephen David Entertainment. “Hefner created more than a magazine—Playboy became a thrilling lifestyle, one that Hef has embodied for the better half of a century. Bringing Hef’s world to life has been an adventure for SDE, and we cannot wait to share it with Prime members.”

American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Stephen David Entertainment and Alta Loma Entertainment and executive produced by Stephen David (The Men Who Built America, The World Wars, The Making of the Mob, The American West), Peter Jaysen (You Me Her) and Dick Rosenzweig (The House Bunny, The Playboy Club) with co-executive producers Shirley Escott (Shadow of Doubt, The Making of the Mob: New York) and Tim Kelly (NASCAR: The Rise of American Speed, American Genius).


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About Alta Loma Entertainment
Alta Loma Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., a media and lifestyle company that markets the brand through a wide range of media properties and licensing initiatives. The company developed the successful series You Me Her, which has been picked up for three seasons by DirecTV’s Audience channel. Playboy is one of the most recognized and popular consumer brands in the world. The company publishes Playboy magazine in the United States and licenses foreign editions of Playboy around the world; operates Playboy.com, a leading men’s lifestyle and entertainment site; and creates content for distribution via feature films, television networks, websites, mobile platforms and radio. Through licensing agreements, the Playboy brand appears on a wide range of consumer products in more than 180 countries, as well as retail stores and entertainment venues. For more information about Playboy Enterprises, please visit www.PlayboyEnterprises.com.

About Stephen David Entertainment
Stephen David Entertainment (SDE) – a Banijay Group Company – is an Emmy Award-winning, New York-based production company. SDE counts The Men Who Built America, The World Wars, The American West and The Making of the Mob franchise among its popular, hybrid documentary series. In the six years since its inception, SDE has developed numerous docudrama mini-series and select scripted projects, utilizing high-end production techniques and cutting-edge VFX.

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