Thursday, March 18, 2010

COMIC NEWS: Dark Horse Announces C2E2 Domo Exclusive!



DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES C2E2
CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE!
COLLECTORS REJOICE OVER ALL-NEW DOMO QEE!



Dark Horse Deluxe, the product arm of Dark Horse Comics, has announced a special exclusive variant in their popular line of toys based on fashion and viral superstar Domo. The Domo Qee figure is unique to the Hong Kong–based toy company Toy2R and has been a massive hit since the line was launched in 2009.

The debut Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) will be held at McCormick Place, located at 2301 South Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois. Dates are April 16–18, 2010.

The convention exclusive features Domo covered with a Hawaiian-style print, setting it apart from previously released figures in the series. Only 1,200 of this special variant have been manufactured, and they will be made available to both casual fans and collectors at the Dark Horse Comics booth in the exhibit hall on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We made a Domo Qee exclusive for Comic-Con International in San Diego last summer,” Dark Horse’s vice president of product development, David Scroggy, recalled. “We were surprised to find it had sold out by the end of the first day of the show. We made even fewer of them this time around, and as this promises to be a very well-attended first-time event, we advise attendees to drop by early if they are interested in owning one.”

The release of the C2E2 variant closely follows the on-sale date of the second “mystery box” series of Domo Qee toys, which are scheduled for release on March 31, 2010. This “blind-box” assortment features figures individually packed at random. The only way to know which is inside is to purchase it! In the Domo blind-box assortment, figures are sold in counter displays of fifteen, and each display box of fifteen figures is packed into a master carton of four cases.

The special two-inch version of the lovable mascot turned iconic viral superstar from Japan’s NHK television network is growing in popularity in the United States. Dark Horse was an early licensee of Domo, under the auspices of licensing agency Big Tent Entertainment, and has already produced sold-out limited editions of Domo as various sizes and colors of flocked vinyl figures, stationery, journals, and sculpted magnets. Party lights, sticky note books, and other new Domo items are on tap for summer.

Starting from a very unusual place as an advertising icon, Domo’s unique look and personality have catapulted the character from four hundred television spots in Japan into one of the Internet’s biggest sensations, sparking worldwide recognition. As the poster child for personalized, user-generated content, Domo has been able to transition from popularity within Japan to a worldwide following, spawning countless fan-made images, websites, and videos, along with a first-ever licensed product line including plush, toys, fashion, and collectibles selling at major trend retailers nationwide.

About Qee
Qee (pronounced "key") is a collection of designer toys created by Hong Kong–based company Toy2R, which was founded by Raymond Choy in 1995. Qees are produced in limited numbers and are highly collectible. Many contemporary artists and designers from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America have designed figures. Domo is the mascot of NHK Television in Japan, and is breaking out worldwide as animation, toys, publishing, and apparel.

About Big Tent Entertainment, LLC
Big Tent Entertainment, LLC (bigtent.tv) is an entertainment company specializing in the integrated development and management of media brands. Formed in 2002, the company manages a portfolio across both traditional and new media while focusing on brand strategy, community building, viral marketing, licensing, and retail merchandising. Big Tent currently serves as the worldwide (ex-Asia) marketing and licensing company for fashion and viral sensation Domo as well as the North American agency of record for a number of properties including: Discovery Kids, the leader in educational content for children; Telemundo, a leading producer of high-quality content for Hispanics in the U.S. and audiences around the world; TOKYOPOP, the world-renowned manga publisher and global pop-culture brand; Crusty Demons, the masters of freestyle motocross; Purple Ronnie, U.K.’s most successful licensed character; and PixFusion, a global leader in personalization products.

About Dark Horse
Since 1986, 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. 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 like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Janet Evanovich, Gerard Way, and comics legend Will Eisner, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Mass Effect, Serenity, and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as one of the world's leading publishers of licensed comics material.
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COMIC NEWS: All Aboard Bram Stoker’s Death Ship



All-new vampire comic series based on Stoker’s world-famous Dracula

Coming in May



For more than one hundred years, Bram Stoker’s iconic vampire has frightened readers around the world. Now, IDW Publishing and writer Gary Gerani (Pumpkinhead) add another layer to this horrifying tale with Bram Stoker’s Death Ship. Starting in May, the all-new four-issue series offers the untold story of the harrowing, nightmarish sea voyage from Transylvania to England.

“This book is a really creepy,” commented IDW Senior Editor, Bob Schreck. “If you love the Bram Stoker original, you’re absolutely going to love this comic book series, as both Gary and Stuart worked very hard to capture that sense of dread in the pit of your stomach and stark raving mind-shattering fear.”

Helmed by Gerani, the creator and co-screenwriter of Stan Winston’s Pumpkinhead, this horror series takes readers on a blood-pumping journey on the Russian schooner Demeter. One by one, the terrified crewmembers vanish, victims of the unearthly lifeform that lies comatose in the ship’s hold during daylight hours. Artist Stuart Sayger brings this un-dead tale to life with gripping interior art as well as a variant cover for the first issue. Popular hardcover and paperback cover artist, Cliff Nielsen, provides all four stunning, spine-tingling painted covers for the entire series.

Bram Stoker’s Death Ship #1 (of 4, $3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in May. Diamond order code MAR10 1013.



About IDW Publishing

IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro's The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount's Star Trek; Fox's Angel; the BBC's Doctor Who; and television's #1 prime time series CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; YOE Books, a partnership with YOE! Studios; and is the print publisher for ComicMix.

IDW's original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.
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TOP COW JUNE 2010 RELEASES



Top Cow has released their solicits for April 2010

Angelus #6 (of 6)
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Stjepan Sejic
The ARTIFACTS lead-in series concludes!
The final battle for the mantle of the Angelus reaches its climax as Dani Baptiste takes on a foe who knows her every weakness, inside and out. Will Dani have to sacrifice everything dear to her, even her humanity, to survive?
Full Color 32 pages $2.99 limited series
Expected Ship Date – June 16th, 2010
““


Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box #5 (of 6)
(W) Rob Levin & Bryan Edward Hill (A) Alessandro Vitti (Cov) Tommy Lee Edwards
The ARTIFACTS lead-in series reaches its penultimate issue!
The End of Days has come! When Elias and his Disciples of Adam unleash the dark power of Pandora's Box, a terrifying villain is let loose upon the Earth. Will Glori and Finn rise to stop Armageddon, or will their compulsion to destroy each other doom millions of innocent lives?
From newcomers Rob Levin (The Darkness: Shadows & Flame) and Bryan Edward Hill (Broken Trinity: Aftermath), and artist Alessandro Vitti (Secret Warriors). Featuring covers by Tommy Lee Edwards (Book of Eli, Turf)!
Full Color 32 pages $3.99 limited series
Expected Ship Date – June 23rd, 2010
““


Berserker #1-6 Signed Set
(W) Rick Loverd (A) Jeremy Haun (Cov) Dale Keown, Jeremy Haun
Get all six issues of Top Cow and DiVide Pictures brutal 2009 limited series in this convenient set! As an added bonus, fans will receive the first issue signed!
Full Color $15.99 Set (x 6 Comics)
““


The Darkness #86
(W) Phil Hester (A) Sheldon Mitchell (Cov) Rafael Albuquerque
Alkonost, Part 2 of 2!
In the hunt for The Sovereign Jackie and crew strike a deal with an insane Russian mobster and collector of the occult, but his supernatural enforcer wants to add a Darkness wielder to the collection. What is The Alkonost and how does it control even The Darkness itself?
Top Cow Pit artist Sheldon Mitchell (Pilot Season: Stealth) joins regular writer Phil Hester (Gen13, The Anchor) for a sinister two-part story. Featuring a cover by Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire)!
Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series
Expected Ship Date – June 30th, 2010
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Witchblade #139
(W) Ron Marz (A) Stjepan Sejic (Cov) Stjepan Sejic
Sibling Rivalry!
Julie Pezzini has led a rough life, including a stint in prison. But that's nothing compared to being the sister of an NYPD Detective who also happens to wield a powerful mystic weapon. Even Sara and the Witchblade might not be enough to keep Julie safe in Sara's world of supernatural threats!
Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series
Expected Ship Date – June 9th, 2010
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Velocity #2 (of 4)
(W) Ron Marz (A) Kenneth Rocafort (Cov) Kenneth Rocafort
The Pilot Season Winner is Back!
As the members of Cyberforce lay dying from a fatal techno-virus, their only hope for survival is their teammate Velocity. Carin Taylor has never been more in need of her super-speed as the races around the globe, trying to find and cure her teammates before the same virus kills her. The issue continues the inaugural creative union of writer Ron Marz (Witchblade, Angelus) and artist Kenneth Rocafort (Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer).
Full Color 32 pages $3.99 limited series
Expected Ship Date – June 30th, 2010
““


The Darkness Accursed Iron Fist Shirt Pack
(W) Phil Hester (A) Michael Broussard, Jorge Lucas (Cov) Michael Broussard
Designer Fashion Collides with Great Reads!
Now for a limited time, fans can show off both their allegiance to The Darkness and their great fashion sense at a bargain price! This exclusive pack includes both The Darkness Accursed Volume 1 and Volume 2 trade paperbacks (a $15 value!) along with a coupon to redeem one of two Iron Fist designer t-shirts (a $25 value!), mailed directly to the fan’s home.
Iron Fist produces the highest quality apparel “made with love for a heartless world” and have been worn by such musical stars as L’il Jon, Papa Roach, Killswitch Engage, and the Dollyrots.
Full Color $34.99 trade paperback/shirt pack
Expected Ship Date – June 2nd, 2010
““


Witchblade Iron Fist Shirt Pack
(W) Ron Marz (A) Mike Choi (Cov) Stjepan Sejic
Designer Fashion Collides with Great Reads!
Now for a limited time, fans can show off both their allegiance to Witchblade and their great fashion sense at a bargain price! This exclusive pack includes both Witchblade Volume 1 and Volume 2 trade paperbacks (a $20 value!) along with a coupon to redeem one of two Iron Fist designer t-shirts (a $35 value!), mailed directly to the fan’s home.
Iron Fist produces the highest quality apparel “made with love for a heartless world” and have been worn by such musical stars as L’il Jon, Papa Roach, Killswitch Engage, and the Dollyrots.
Full Color $45.99 trade paperback/shirt pack
Expected Ship Date – June 2nd, 2010


Berserker Volume 1 Trade Paperback
(W) Rick Loverd (A) Jeremy Haun (Cov) Dale Keown
Produced by Milo Ventimiglia and DiVide Pictures!
The lives of Aaron and Farris, two young and completely different men, are turned upside down when they discover an animalistic and uncontrollable rage living inside them. Meanwhile, two mysterious organizations seek them out for their newfound strength and power for their own purposes. But what good is strength and power when you can't tell friend from foe?
From screenwriter Rick Loverd and artist Jeremy Haun (Chuck, Detective Comics) comes a raw, bloody series in the spirit of Wanted!

“A guilty pleasure with a long lifespan ahead of it.” – Fangoria

“…a bold series that goes past blood and guts tactics.” – Broken Frontier

“…to call this book "intense" is almost an understatement.” – Best Shots @ Newsarama

Full Color 176 pages $14.99 trade paperback
Expected Ship Date – June 16th, 2010
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COMIC NEWS: Broussard to Draw Artifacts



PUBLISHER ANNOUNCED ARTIST FOR SUMMER EVENT SERIES AT EMERALD CITY COMICON

BROUSSARD TO DRAW ARTIFACTS



During this past weekend’s Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced additional details regarding its major summer event series, Artifacts, at their “Herd It Through the Bo-Vine” panel. In addition to Ron Marz as the writer of the 13-issue series, announced previously at Comic-Con International in 2009, publisher Filip Sablik also revealed the event will feature three distinct art teams.

Artifacts promises to be Top Cow’s most ambitious art series to date and will weave together story lines from a number of Top Cow titles, including Witchblade, The Darkness, Angelus and Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box. It has been known that thirteen mystical Artifacts guide the fate of the Top Cow Universe. For centuries, it’s been whispered that bringing together all 13 artifacts would bring upon mankind’s destruction. The series will begin with a mysterious figure who seeks to put Armageddon into motion.

Unique to the mega-series Artifacts will be the fact that the series will be split between three teams, each completing four issues. Marz will reunite with artist Michael Broussard (The Darkness, Unholy Union), who will pencil Artifacts #1-4. The remaining two art teams will be announced in the future. Additionally, a special guest artist will complete the ultimate 13th issue of the series.

”Both Ron and I are incredibly excited to have Michael leading the artistic charge for Artifacts. He’s done an incredible job of the last few years on The Darkness and this is a fantastic opportunity to elevate fan’s awareness of his beautiful work,” commented Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik. “By having three different art teams working on this massive event series, we hope to avoid some of the problems that have plagued other projects of this scope, such as delays or last minute artistic changes,” Sablik added.

Comic fans can read the 32-page prelude story in the upcoming Free Comic Book Day’s Artifacts First Look issue on May 1. The story will help new readers get up to speed on the current status of the key players in the Top Cow Universe going into the summer event as well as bring key elements of the story into play.

Currently, in stores is the lead-in series Broken Trinity: Pandora’s Box by the writing team of Rob Levin (The Darkness: Shadows & Flame, The Darkness: Butcher) and Bryan Edward Hill (Broken Trinity: Aftermath) with art from Alessandro Vitti (Secret Warriors). The limited series centers on Michael Finnegan and Glorianna Silver, the bearers of the Artifacts known as the Glacier Stone and Ember Stone, respectively, who return for a pulse-pounding, world-spanning adventure to gather the 13 artifacts before a fanatic cult does.



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



Get a look at Iron Man like you’ve never seen him before! Marvel is proud to unveil even more of the stunning Iron Man By Design variant covers by some of the top artists of today!


“Everyone’s clamoring for more of the Iron Man By Design variant covers and I’m glad to unveil more of them today” said David Gabriel, Senior Vice-President of Sales & Circulation.

Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on these hotly-anticipated variant covers, as Iron Man continues to garner mainstream media buzz! No Marvel fan can miss April’s Iron Man By Design variant covers!

DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH #10 (FEB100470)
DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH #10 IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT (FEB100471)
Written by VICTOR GISCHLER
Penciled by BONG DAZO
Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT by CHRISTIAN NAUCK
Parental Advisory …$2.99
FOC—3/25/10, On-Sale—4/21/10


NOVA #36 (FEB100553)
NOVA #36 IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT (FEB100554)
Written by DAN ABNETT
& ANDY LANNING
Penciled by ANDREA DI VITO
Cover by MIKE DEODATO
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Rated T+ …$2.99
FOC—3/25/10, On-Sale—4/21/10


GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #25 (FEB100550)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #25 IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT (FEB100551)
Written by DAN ABNETT & ANDY LANNING
Penciled by BRAD WALKER
Cover by ALEX GARNER
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Rated T+ …$2.99
FOC—3/25/10, On-Sale—4/21/10


X-FACTOR #204 (FEB100568)
X-FACTOR #204 IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT (FEB100569)
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by VALENTINE DE LANDRO
Cover by DAVID YARDIN
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT by FREDERIC GENET
Rated T+ …$2.99
FOC—3/25/10, On-Sale—4/21/10


DEADPOOL #22 (FEB100466)
DEADPOOL #22 IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT (FEB100467)
Written by DANIEL WAY
Penciled by PACO MEDINA
Cover by JASON PEARSON
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Parental Advisory …$2.99
FOC—4/1/10, On-Sale—4/28/10


Marvel Entertainment, LLC. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel's strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information visit www.marvel.com.
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COMIC NEWS: TOP COW PREVIEW: The Darkness #83



Top Cow Comics presents a preview Phil Hester and Michael Broussard's The Darkness #83, which will be available in stores on Wednesday, March 24th. This issue marks the last issue of Broussard's run on The Darkness.


The Darkness #83
(W) Phil Hester (A) Michael Broussard (Cov) Dennis Calero

“The Hunting Party”, Part 2 of 2!
Jackie Estacado, the current bearer of the Darkness, often takes advantage of the fact that his enemies don’t know the extent of his powers or his weakness to light. Captured by an old enemy Jackie will have to rely on his wits alone to survive. Meanwhile, Jackie’s crew must deal with the Sovereign without their powerful boss to back them up!

Featuring a cover by Dennis Calero (X-Men Noir, Dark Tower).

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series





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COMIC NEWS: I'M A MEMBER OF THE GUARDIANS OF THE GLOBE




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COMIC NEWS: IDW Becomes Premier Publisher



First publisher to achieve higher status with Diamond since 1996;

Diamond and IDW strengthen their exclusive distribution relationship with new agreement and initiatives



Diamond Comic Distributors and IDW Publishing announced today that IDW has become the first publisher to advance to “premier” status since the classification was implemented in 1996. Diamond and IDW have signed a new, multi-year agreement that features a number of fresh initiatives, including premier status, in recognition of IDW’s success as a top tier comic book and graphic novel publisher. Under the agreement, Diamond will continue to be the exclusive distributor of IDW comic books and graphic novels to the comic book specialty market, and to the bookstore market through its Diamond Book Distributors division.

“This change recognizes the growth and importance of IDW Publishing,” said Diamond President and CEO, Steve Geppi, “and we look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

Diamond VP Purchasing Bill Schanes added, “Since IDW began publishing, they have grown consistently each and every year, while at the same time establishing one of the best editorial, marketing, and business teams in our industry. They’re easy to work with, understand our market, and are forging ahead with new strategies and plans to grow the consumer appetite for comics and graphic novels.”

In April, Diamond’s PREVIEWS catalog and PREVIEWSworld.com website will showcase IDW’s new vendor status as the company moves to the “Premier Comics” section. IDW will have an exclusive section in the front of the catalog each month, highlighting their new offerings to comic shop retailers and customers.

"We are very pleased to have completed this groundbreaking agreement with Diamond," said Ted Adams, CEO of IDW Publishing. "By combining Diamond’s leadership in distribution with IDW’s ten-plus years in developing, creating and marketing comic books and graphic novels, we have created an ideal relationship for each of our companies. The comic book medium is trending upward in all parts of consumer awareness and we are proud to be a partner with Diamond for the future."

Key points to the agreement include:

Premier Publisher
Under the new agreement and as a result of the company’s consistently strong market share, IDW will have premier status within Diamond and Diamond’s PREVIEWS, including an exclusive section at the front of the monthly catalog.

Discount and Terms of Sales
IDW Publishing will remain in a traditional buy/sell relationship with Diamond, with their books continuing to be sold to comic shops under Diamond’s Terms of Sale (unlike Diamond’s brokerage arrangement with publishers like Marvel and DC Comics where Diamond acts as a sales agent). Discounts will remain unchanged at this time.

Final Order Cut-Off

IDW will be added to Diamond’s Final Order Cut-Off Program sometime in the near future. “Since IDW is a traditional buy/sell vendor, we have some programming work to do, but we expect to have that finalized later this year,” said Schanes.

Book Market Distribution

Diamond remains the exclusive book market distributor of IDW’s publishing efforts. “We’re extremely proud of the progress we’ve made in helping IDW grow its sales in the book store market over the last five years,” said Diamond Book Distributors VP Sales & Marketing, Kuo-Yu Liang. “From their strong licensed properties to their successful launch last year of the Worthwhile Books line for kids, IDW has adeptly shown what products will sell into the book market channel.”



ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS—the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise—Diamond is based in Baltimore, MD, and services more than 3,500 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.

ABOUT IDW PUBLISHING— IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The Transformers and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; the BBC’s Doctor Who; and television’s #1 prime time series CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studios; and is the print publisher for ComicMix. IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

***
© 2010 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. All rights reserved. Diamond, the Diamond logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Diamond Comic Distributors in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective copyright owners.

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CONVENTION NEWS: C2E2 Reveals Kids Day Activity



C2E2 ORGANIZERS ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR KIDS DAY ON SUNDAY, APRIL 18

Lance Briggs is Kids Day Guest of Honor

C2E2 to Sponsor Scholastic Book Fair at Local Elementary School



Organizers of the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) have today revealed their plans for Kids Day which will take place on Sunday, April 18, 2010. C2E2, the new pop culture convention which is being launched by the organizers of New York Comic Con (NYCC), is set to debut April 16 – 18 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in downtown Chicago and the Kids Day festivities will closely resemble the enormously popular Kids Day at New York Comic Con (NYCC) which attracted 6000 kids and their parents last year. All children under twelve will get into C2E2 for free on Kids Day!

Lance Briggs, the 5-time Pro Bowl player and Co-Defensive Captain of the Chicago Bears, will be the Kids Day Guest of Honor and will participate in numerous events at C2E2 over the course of the weekend, including signing footballs, auctioning off signed Chicago Bears and C2E2 items, as well as moderating a panel on Saturday, April 17. Mr. Briggs is a comic book enthusiast and is also the founder of Briggz4Kids, a foundation dedicated to raising funds and awareness for at risk youth in the Chicago area. Proceeds from his auctioned items will go to benefit Briggs4Kidz. Organizers also note that C2E2 will be sponsoring a week long Scholastic Book Fair during the week of C2E2 at Pershing East elementary school in downtown Chicago.

“We want this to be our best Kids Day ever,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for Reed Pop Culture and Show Manager for C2E2. “Lance Briggs is an awesome personality to have as our Kids Day Guest of Honor and he has done so many great things for kids. We are incredibly grateful to him for bringing such a high level of recognition to C2E2 and especially to our Kids Day events. Our intent has been to link Kids Day to the wider Chicago community and I think Lance’s participation, along with our sponsorship of the Scholastic Book Fair at Pershing East elementary school, certainly does that. We will have a ton of kids’ activities at C2E2 and we encourage parents to bring the whole family to our show on Sunday, April 18!”

Pershing East elementary school is located approximately one mile from McCormick Place. The Scholastic Book Fair will run the week of C2E2 and as part of C2E2’s sponsorship, convention organizers are providing each student with $5 to purchase books at the fair. This $5 purchase will put one or two books in each student’s hand. In addition, C2E2 is providing 50 local schools with $5 coupons for all students who want to attend C2E2.

The types of activities that will be a part of Kids Day events at C2E2 include author readings, an opportunity to meet Spider Man and Stormtroopers, a Star Wars Drawing Workshop, and a Making Comics Workshop. Organizers note that all Kids Day programming and guest information is posted on the website at www.C2E2.com. Tickets for C2E2 may also be purchased via the website. Additional information about the convention is available via the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge, at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2.

About Lance Briggs: Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 3rd round in 2003, Lance Briggs has carried over his success from the college ranks where he was a 3-time All Pac-10 player at the University of Arizona into the NFL. Lance has established himself as one of the elite defensive players in the league and has been selected to play in 5 consecutive Pro Bowls (2005-2009), the highest honor for current NFL players. He was named Co-Defensive Captain in his 2009 season. He also helped his team earn a trip to Super Bowl XLI in 2007, the ultimate goal for all teams where he played an outstanding game leading his team with 13 tackles.

Lance started a comic book social network www.lancescomicworld.com to combine his love of comic books and football. He is also really active in his community through his Briggs4Kidz foundation.

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

About Scholastic: Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, has a corporate mission supported through all of its divisions of helping children around the world to read and learn. Recognizing that literacy is the cornerstone of a child's intellectual, personal and cultural growth, for nearly 90 years Scholastic has created quality products and services that educate, entertain and motivate children and are designed to help enlarge their understanding of the world around them.

About Reed Exhibitions Pop Culture Group: The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.
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