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News Archives: October 2008
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TODD MCFARLANE AND WHILCE PORTACIO SPAWN AN IMMEDIATE SELL OUT!
SPAWN #185's all-new direction completely sells out!
The comic book event of the season started off with a bang as SPAWN's new direction, courtesy of Image Founders Todd McFarlane & Whilce Portacio, resulted in an immediate distribution-level sell-out!
"Obviously it’s good news to have the initial issue sell out so quickly, but now the bigger task is to continue that momentum in the issues going forward," Spawn creator Todd McFarlane said. "As a reminder, the first few issues will be a lot of setup before we kick this into high gear. Each issue isn’t meant to be its own stand-alone book."
As if SPAWN #185's cataclysmic and unforgettable opening wasn't enough, readers were also introduced to the awakening of the mysterious and comatose Patient 47. In the pages that followed, secrets boiled to the surface and lives were lost, creating one of the greatest mysteries to hit the SPAWN mythos. While limited amounts of the first printing may still be available at your local comic book store, a second printing will hit stands soon to meet the additional demand.
SPAWN #185 2nd ptg., a 32-page full color comic book for $2.95, will be available in stores soon.
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CELEBRATE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR WITH ARCHIBALD!
Archibald Aardvark returns in an all-new noir mystery this January!
Image Comics' Shadowline presents an all-new mature readers adventure with the greatest unknown cartoon star of yesteryear, Archibald Aardvark, as ARCHIBALD CHASES THE DRAGON!
"As always, this one's definitely not for the kids," said Archibald Aardvark creator and artist Grant Bond. "Having Dara Naraghi take over the writing is perfect, as ARCHIBALD CHASES THE DRAGON puts a whole new spin on the murder behind the murder of Archibald's brother."
ARCHIBALD CHASES THE DRAGON is the third Archibald one-shot illustrated by Bond, following ARCHIBALD SAVES CHRISTMAS & ARCHIBALD SAVES EASTER, and the first written by Naraghi. This time around a tip-off about a long thought solved murder brings Archibald to Little China, in search of the mysterious "Compassionate Wind of Death". However, it doesn't take long before this noir tale of greed, secrets and a deal with the devil threatens to have Archibald fall victim to the red dragon haunting his dreams.
ARCHIBALD CHASES THE DRAGON (NOV082277), a 32-page two-color one-shot for $3.50, will be in stores January 7th, 2008.
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THE SECRETS OF SPAWN REVEALED IN THE BOOK OF THE DEAD!
Steve Niles, Ashley Wood and David Hine reveal Spawn's secrets this December!
The secrets behind the Spawn universe are revealed in this December's SPAWN: BOOK OF THE DEAD, courtesy of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT creator Steve Niles, STRANGE EMBRACE's David Hine and HELLSPAWN's Ashley Wood.
"Spawn: Book of the Dead is an overview of more than 200 issues of various stories spread out over multiple titles. The intent of this book was to try and condense those thousands of pages, ideas and characters into a digestible version for those who haven't been keeping their own notebook about my flagship character, " said Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. "To help bring this idea to life, Steve Niles took my ideas and strung together a timeline of some of those events. Then, the near impossible task of putting artwork to the huge mythology of Spawn fell on the shoulders of Ashley Wood. With the help of David Hine and my able staff (as well as Ashley updating a handful of the art pieces), I hope that you will agree with me that the wait was definitely worth it.”
SPAWN: BOOK OF THE DEAD acts as the ultimate guide to the SPAWN mythos, putting new perspectives on fan favorite characters past, present and hints for the future. The 104-page, full color hardcover will feature a bundled edition strictly limited to 3,000 units, which includes an all-new Pewter Raven Spawn figurine that will never be made available anywhere else. In addition, every single hardcover will be hand-signed by SPAWN creator, Todd McFarlane.
SPAWN: BOOK OF THE DEAD HC (OCT082256), a 104-page full color hardcover and limited-edition toy for $32.99, will be in stores December 3rd, 2008.
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THE DARKNESS #7 BENEFITS THE HERO INITIATIVE!
VARIANT COVER BY PHIL HESTER FOR THE DARKNESS #7 TO BENEFIT THE HERO INITIATIVE!
Top Cow Productions, Inc. and The Hero Initiative proudly announced today a limited-edition variant cover for The Darkness #7 drawn by Phil Hester would be available for sale at Wizard World Texas, taking place November 7-9 at the Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the books will benefit The Hero Initiative.
The Hero Initiative is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to helping comic creators in need. It provides them with emergency medical care, funds for essentials in life and assistance to get back into paying work.
The Darkness, a long-running series from Top Cow that was adapted into a hit videogame in 2007, is the continuing saga of Jackie Estacado, a former mob hitman-turned-crime boss who inherited a curse that allows him to create and control nearly anything he can imagine as long as he’s in darkness. The series is currently written by Phil Hester (FireBreather, Green Arrow) and drawn by Michael Broussard (Unholy Union). For this issue, however, guest artist Jorge Lucas (Pilot Season: Ripclaw) gives Broussard a spell, but Hester happily agreed to donate his art skills to create a special variant cover.
“Phil Hester is not just an amazing writer and top-flight artist, but a heckuva nice guy,” beamed Jim McLauchlin, president of The Hero Initiative. “We’re very pleased that Top Cow has helped us out in creating this killer cover.”
“The Hero Initiative does a great service to the comics community by helping creators in need,” said Mel Caylo, Top Cow’s VP Marketing and Sales. “We are more than happy to help keep their mission going.”
The Darkness #7 variant issue will be available for sale exclusively at The Hero Initiative Booth at Wizard World Texas, taking place during the weekend of November 7-9 at the Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas. Hester is attending the event and will appear at the Hero booth, where he will be available to sign purchased copies of the special issue. “We’re beyond happy to host him at our convention booth for the weekend,” said McLauchlin.
Fans who are unable to attend the convention can purchase a very limited amount of the books after the show from the special Hero Initiative section on the Atomic Comics website at www.atomiccomicstore.com/heroinitiative.html. Regular copies of The Darkness #7 go on sale in comic shops Nov. 5.
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DRAW YOUR OWN LIQUID CITY ROBOT AND WIN!
Image Comics' upcoming anthology, Liquid City, holds contest for robot drawing artists!
To coincide with the upcoming LIQUID CITY anthology, editor Sonny Liew is inviting the artists of Deviantart.com to submit their own robot designs for the chance to win big!
"The variety of robot designs is practically limitless," said editor Sonny Liew. "I hope we'll see lots of fun and interesting ones sent in for the contest."
The LIQUID CITY Draw-A-Robot Contest is your chance to one of three signed copies of LIQUID CITY for the grand prize - a page of original art from the story by Liew and Mike Carey, "Faces." To enter, simply create and design an original robot - no fan art - and submit it by by November 2nd 2008 (EST). Winners will be notified on the Liew's DeviantArt journal on November, 5th. For more information and contest details, please see http://sonny123.deviantart.com/journal/20889602/.
LIQUID CITY (SEP082215), a full-color 326-page anthology for $29.99, will be in stores November 5th 2008.
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WITCHBLADE ANIME ON ITUNES!
The first episode is free!
Funimation and Top Cow Productions, Inc. are excited to announce “Witchblade – The Anime Series” is now available on iTunes. Fans can download the first episode for free from now until October 26th.
From the renowned anime studio GONZO, Witchblade is the saga of a woman who must bear the burden of a terrible force of destruction known as the Witchblade. Based on the comic book series from Top Cow Productions, the anime series goes into the future to tell the tale of a new bearer of the Witchblade and the conspiracy that surrounds her burden. Witchblade is the first U.S. comic book property to be made into an anime.
Masane Amaha is a woman on the fringe of society, bouncing rootless from town to town with no memory of the past and no clue as to what the future holds. But upon her arrival back in Tokyo, chance and circumstance conspire to unleash the fury of the Witchblade. The ancient weapon stirs. Conscripted into the service of the Doji Group and hunted down by the emissaries of the NSWF, Masane will find herself an unwilling ground zero for the swelling chaos fast approaching.
A new bearer of the Witchblade has been chosen. As she stands on the brink of destiny, she is forced to seek the balance between ecstasy and ruin.
The free download is available here.
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SHADOWLINE PLUGS THE DEFINITIVE TED McKEEVER LIBRARY INTO EDDY CURRENT!
Next edition in THE DEFINITIVE TED McKEEVER LIBRARY comes this December!
This December, Shadowline expands THE DEFINTIVE TED McKEEVER Library with McKeever's Eisner-nominated 21st century quixotic superhero, EDDY CURRENT!
"What's cool about Eddy Current, is that in going over these chapters for the collected library edition, I'm struck and reminded by how truly timeless his tale is," McKeever said. "Ironically, Eddy Current is more relevant today than it was 22 years ago. Go figure!"
McKeever's EDDY CURRENT begins with its titular hero confined to an asylum until a mail-order Dynamic Fusion Suit allows him to escape and pursue his dream of saving the world. This definitive edition continues the tradition set by volume one, TRANSIT, by featuring EDDY CURRENT as never before with the complete, re-mastered story and many never or rarely seen pieces.
THE DEFINITIVE TED McKEEVER LIBRARY, VOL. 2: EDDY CURRENT (OCT082308), a 358-page black and white hardcover for $34.99, will be in stores December 17th, 2008.
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EXPLORE THE WORLD OF FRANK FRAZETTA'S DEATH DEALER WITH GOODMAN GAMES!
Frank Frazetta's legendary Death Dealer becomes table top module!
This Spring, Goodman Games teams up with Frank Frazetta and the Frazetta Comics crew to create the very first adventure module adaptation of the FRANK FRAZETTA'S DEATH DEALER series, "The Shadows of Mirahan."
"Not only is this the first module based off the Frazetta Comics series, it's the first module fully approved by Frazetta period," said Frazetta Comics editor Jay Fotos. "Players will be able to explore the world of Death Dealer as never before, featuring the characters and situations given depth in the 'Shadows of Mirahan' storyline. This is the game Frazetta fans have dreamed about!"
The adventure module will be published under the GSL license from Wizards of the Coast, utilizing the Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition mechanics and will feature cover art by Frank Frazetta as well as an alternate-cover edition by the original FRANK FRAZETTA'S DEATH DEALER team, Nat Jones and Jay Fotos.
For more information please see http://www.myspace.com/frazettacomics and http://www.goodman-games.com. Additionally, the "Shadows of Mirahan" storyline is available as FRANK FRAZETTA'S DEATH DEALER HC (FEB082134), a full color 208-page, slip cased hardcover for $49.99.
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PX! IS IN SERVICE OF THE QUEEN THIS DECEMBER!
The critically acclaimed all-ages series continues!
The two-time Eisner nominee, PX!, returns this December courtesy of series creators Manny Trembley and Eric A. Anderson in an all-new graphic novel!
"It's amazing to see our passion project continue after the the second printing of PX! Book One," said Trembley. "We have big plans for the series - and this book, which focuses on Weatherby, is just the beginning of a much larger story.”
PX! BOOK 2: IN THE SERVICE OF THE QUEEN picks up where the first volume left off, as the villainous Pollo recruits help from the underworld in his plot to take over the world's computers. It's up to Dahlia, Panda, Wikkity and Weatherby to not only fight back against Pollo's army, but also save Dahlia's father from their grasp. Unfortunately, victory comes in the form of a dark secret from Weatherby's past that may also be his own undoing.
PX! BOOK 2: IN THE SERVICE OF THE QUEEN (OCT082309), a 152-page softcover for $16.99, will be in stores December 10th, 2008.
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TOP COW LAUNCHES IMPALER ONGOING!
Follows October release of trade paperback that collected the first story arc!
On the heels of the first trade paperback shipping in October, Top Cow Productions, Inc. is excited to continue to publish Impaler in a new ongoing series that launches in December, written by William Harms and drawn by British newcomer Matt Timson (Popgun).
After seeing the potential in the property based on the story in the Impaler Vol. 1 trade paperback (Diamond item no. AUG082292), Top Cow quickly commissioned creator and writer Harms for more.
"Vampires continue to resonate with people – just look at the success of properties like HBO's True Blood and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books," said Top Cow's VP Marketing and Sales Mel Caylo. "We recognized Impaler is truly a fresh, new spin on the 'vampire mythos' and were excited to keep the story going. We think it has the potential to be like Walking Dead, but for vampires."
In the first story arc of Impaler, a derelict cargo ship is found adrift offshore during a terrible blizzard in New York City. When New York's Finest is sent to investigate the missing crew, an unspeakable horror is unleashed that quickly spreads all over the snow-covered borough, as a vampire plague quickly moves through the city's population. The people's only hope lies in Vlad Tepes, the real-life historical inspiration for the vampire legend, Dracula. Vlad the Impaler arrives to defend the city from the ever-growing vampire horde, but how much can one man do against an army of thousands?
Issue #1 of the ongoing series picks up where the end of the first story arc left off, with the U.S. military stepping in to try and stop the advancing mass of vampires. Despite the horrific aspects of the story, at the center of Impaler is a character study into the mindsets of a reluctant hero and a band of weary people just struggling to survive.
"I have the next couple arcs already plotted," said Harms, "and I think fans of the book will really dig where things are going."
Impaler can be found on the web at www.topcow.com/impaler. Fans can pre-order issue #1 from their favorite retailer using Diamond item no. OCT082313 for the Matt Timson cover or OCT082314 for the Sheldon Mitchell cover.
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ROBERT KIRKMAN GUARANTEES: ON-TIME IN '09!
All Robert Kirkman penned titles now featuring guaranteed ship dates!
Starting this January, Robert Kirkman gives his books the one thing fans have demanded for years - guaranteed ship dates!
"That's right, kids, this time it's for real," said Kirkman. "Every single one of my titles - WALKING DEAD, INVINCIBLE, ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN and BRIT - will now be guaranteed to ship by their solicited date. This isn't an empty promise and I've taken that extra step of hiring Aubrey Sitterson, an editor for my entire line, a guy you may know from his days at Marvel."
Aubrey Sitterson, who first worked with Kirkman on titles such as THE IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN and MARVEL TEAM-UP, has been quietly working with Kirkman for the last several months, ensuring the upcoming resolicited books hit their target date.
Sitterson said, "I spent years wrangling Robert at the House of Ideas. Now, I'm champing at the bit to crack the whip and mix whatever metaphors necessary to get every last one of his books out on time - no exceptions and no excuses!"
The guaranteed ship dates will begin this January, with ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #12, BRIT #12, INVINCIBLE #58 and THE WALKING DEAD #57.
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IFanboy Presents The Kirkman/Bendis Baltimore Brawl!
IFanboy presents the official Image Comics coverage of the highly anticipated event!
In what was easily the most talked about panels of the year, Robert Kirkman and Brian Michael Bendis brought their long-running debate on creator owned comics at this year's Baltimore Comic Con!
Many fans have clamored for video coverage, so Image Comics teamed up with the premiere destination for digital comics content, iFanboy, to present the company's official coverage of the event.
The entire debate, including exclusive pre and post-debate interviews with both Bendis and Kirkman, can be viewed by clicking here!
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SILVERLINE MISSES THE BOAT THIS DECEMBER!
All-ages graphic novel reveals the final fate of the forgotten Churamane!
Shadowline's all-ages Silverline book imprint expands this December with the story of the one species too lazy to get on Noah's Arc, MISSING THE BOAT.
"MISSING THE BOAT is a project I knew we had to publish based off the concept alone," said Silverline Publisher Jim Valentino. "The idea of a species so lazy they doomed themselves to extinction really caught me, but Justin Shady's [aka Wayne Chinsang"> story combined with Dwellephant's innovative art style really brought the whole thing together."
MISSING THE BOAT solves the riddle of what happened to the Churamane, a particularly lazy and not too terribly bright species that lived a long time ago and vanished without a trace. Intelligently written with wonderfully vibrant art, this story will delight adults as well as children and, if you're not looking, may even teach a lesson or two.
MISSING THE BOAT (OCT082310), a 96-page hardcover graphic novel for $18.99, will be released December 17th, 2008. For more information, please see www.shadowlinecomics.com/silverline.
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