Saturday, October 17, 2009

Comic News: Bloom County Debuts at #1



First ever chronological collection tops The New York Times Best Seller List



Opus, Milo, Bill the Cat and the entire cast of Bloom County characters make their triumphant return as The Bloom County Library Volume One debuts at the top of The New York Times Best Seller List! The first of a five volume series, The Bloom County Library Volume One features every daily and Sunday strip from 1980-82 in chronological order, many reprinted for the first time, plus context pages and commentary from the creator, Berkeley Breathed.

“Honestly, I thought most of the old Bloom County fans were either wandering the streets talking to Pluto on their CIA brain implants or dead,” said Breathed. “Instead it seems that they’re still out there in large numbers, lucid and sober enough to read. NOW I find this out, years after I quit.”

Breathed's Bloom County is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed newspaper strips of modern times. Premiering on December 8th, 1980 - a month after the election of Ronald Reagan as President - the strip brought to the comics pages a unique amalgam of contemporary politics and fantasy, all told with hilarious wit and humor. Breathed was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1987 for his work on Bloom County and at its height the strip was published in an astonishing 1200 newspapers.

“While debuting as #1 on The New York Times list is incredible,” said editor Scott Dunbier, “I’m even happier to be able to say to Berkeley: ‘Told you so!’”

In addition to a complete chronological reprint of the first two years, The Bloom County Library Volume One contains a series of context pages sprinkled throughout the book, providing perspective for the reader and presenting a variety of real-life events and personalities that were contemporary at the time of original publication. Breathed also adds his own commentary, giving the reader insight on certain strips and his creative process.

The Bloom County Library Volume One is the most recent release from IDW and its imprint, the Library of American Comics, helmed by Eisner Award winner Dean Mullaney. The Bloom County Library Volume One is edited by Dunbier and designed by Mullaney.

The Bloom County Library Volume One ($39.99; ISBN 978-1600105319) is now on sale.

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Comic News: MarvelFest NYC 2009 Celebrates Release of Astonishing X-Men Motion Comic!



Marvel is proud to announce MarvelFest NYC 2009 (www.marvel.com/fest), an all-new interactive outdoor experience in New York City to celebrate the iTunes release of the groundbreaking Astonishing X-Men Motion Comic on October 28th.

In celebration of the release of the AXM Motion Comic, based on the award winning story by superstars Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and John Cassaday (Captain America), this landmark first episode will be projected three stories high so that fans can experience the adventure like never before! Join celebrities and the biggest names in Marvel history to commemorate the Astonishing X-Men premiere!

The festivities begin at 4pm at Forbidden Planet (www.fpnyc.com), when some of Marvel’s most legendary creators, including Neal Adams (Uncanny X-Men), Chris Claremont (Uncanny X-Men, X-Men Forever), and Dan Slott (Amazing Spider-Man) sit down to meet fans and sign autographs. This is your chance to meet some of the most influential writers and artists in Marvel history!

Then, at 6pm, make sure you’re at Union Square on 14th street as New York City prepares for the world premiere of the Astonishing X-Men Motion Comics and join in a bevy of activities that’ll have fans of all ages excited, including cool Marvel giveaways, the opportunity to photograph yourself on a life size Marvel cover and sketches from Marvel creators all throughout the evening! Don’t miss the kick off of the MarvelFest Costume Contest, in which contestants (18 years old and older) will have a chance to win a variety of prizes, including the grand prize of being featured in a Marvel comic book! Costumes will be judged by a panel of celebrity judges and all contestants will receive a limited-edition Nick Fury Hasbro action figure (while supplies last), an exclusive Vengeance of The Moon Knight #1 MarvelFest Variant comic book and a 1 month subscription to Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited just for participating in the costume contest!!

And then at 7pm, make sure to get your popcorn ready as the Astonishing X-Men Motion Comic premiere rocks Union Square, introducing a brand new form of animated storytelling in a size that'll blow your mind! Join Wolverine, Cyclops and all your favorite X-Men as they're brought to life in one of their most acclaimed stories ever!

“MarvelFest NYC 2009 is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone who loves Marvel’s great characters” said Mike Pasciullo, Vice President of Merchandising and Communications. “This is something that’s never been done in the comic industry and we can’t wait to see how New York turns out to celebrate the premiere of Astonishing X-Men. Not only do you get a front row seat for a piece of entertainment history, but you can meet your favorite comic creators and dress up like your favorite heroes or villains for awesome prizes. And who doesn’t like Mighty Marvel Giveaways?”

It’s the ultimate experience for Marvel fans of any age—so what’re you waiting for? On October 28th there’s only one place to be, bub, and that’s at Union Square in NYC for the Astonishing X-Men Motion Comic premiere in MarvelFest NYC 2009!

For complete details and official rules regarding MarvelFest NYC 2009 please visit www.marvel.com/fest.


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Comic Review: Clive Barker's Seduth #1



Horror and comics have had a long and profitable partnership and it is not uncommon for many of our great horror fiction writers to return to the medium that inspired them in their youth. After all, a comic is a great vehicle for that staple of horror storytelling: The Weird Tale. British author Clive Barker is no stranger to the comics and his new comic Seduth makes good use of the medium and is produced in old-school 3-D as well.



Seduth is a compact tale of a man who possesses a diamond which contains a malignant darkness, and what happens when it is unleashed upon him and the world at large when it is physically cracked open. The story fits nicely in the Barker body of work and explores his common themes of hidden worlds and body horror. For a short piece it covers a lot of scope, particualarly with the introduction of Sanguin Crystalis, a plague that is released from the opened diamond that reveals itself in crystaline growths in the blood and on the body.

Seduth is presented in 3-D and retail copies will be packaged with 3-D glasses. This has the effect of muting the color palette somewhat but it actually pays off in dividends in the last third of the comic, which features some truly trippy visuals that put the 3-D to good use. Seduth is a great treat for fans of Clive Barker and anyone who likes their horror surreal and disturbing.

Patrick Garone
Staff Reviewer
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