And this concludes our daily sneak peek at the 352 page gallery that is The Art of Top Cow coffee table book. The book is out now. If you want to induce drooling, it’s worth grabbing.
Free Anime Episodes
From the generous folks at Madman Entertainment comes a few more series from their on-line Screening Room. Info below.
Following the successful launch of Screening Room +, Madman announces further series’ now available for streaming online.
Screening Room + (www.madman.com.au/videos) launched in early April, 2009, debuting with premiere episodes of FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD, and has already grown to stream tens of thousands of episodes and regularly garners hundreds of daily viewers.
Madman now proudly presents all 26 episodes of HIS AND HERS CIRCUMSTANCES, a fan-favourite romance from the director of NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. All 26 episodes are currently online and available for an 8-week season only.
Coming late July is Studio Gainax’s GURREN LAGANN and the highly anticipated GUNADAM 00 – two of the most popular and sought after upcoming anime series.
Both series will stream episodes prior to their release on DVD. Go here for all free episodes.
Mass Effect Comic
Mass Effect was a pretty good sci-fi game for the XBOX 360. Now fans can celebrate, as both a sequel and a comic is in the works. Press release below.
EA AND DARK HORSE COMICS BLAST OFF WITH MASS EFFECT COMIC SERIES
Sci-Fi Comic Prequel Bridges Heroic conclusion of Mass Effect and Mysterious Beginning of Mass Effect 2
BioWare™, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Dark Horse Comics today announced a new comic book series based on Mass Effect™, the blockbuster sci-fi action videogame that IGN.com rated the #1 Xbox 360™ game of all time. In Mass Effect: Redemption, the story takes readers through the treacherous events leading up to Mass Effect 2 which opens with galactic hero Commander Shepard having mysteriously gone missing and left to fight for survival. What unfolds next will expose readers to new locations, aliens and extended storyline in the Mass Effect universe. Mass Effect: Redemption is scheduled to launch in January 6, 2010.
The Mass Effect: Redemption story is written by Lead Writer Mac Walters at BioWare. Walters is the script writer behind Mass Effect 2. He brings unique insight to the Mass Effect comic and nuance of the world within. The comic is scripted by John Jackson Miller (Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, The Invincible Iron Man) and drawn by Omar Francia (Star Wars Legacy). This first four-part series explores the exotic and dangerous future Milky Way of Mass Effect, revealing previously unseen locations, aliens, and enemies of this rich science fiction landscape.
Mac Walters and Omar Francia will be autographing a Comic-con exclusive Mass Effect signing card at the Dark Horse booth (#2615) on July 24th at 4:00pm – 5:00pm at Comic-Con International 2009 in San Diego, CA.
“Fans of Mass Effect are going to be pleasantly shocked by the events in these comics,” says Mac Walters. “We worked very closely with Dark Horse to make sure this story was built in to the Mass Effect 2 arc, right from the ground up. Reading the series won’t just add to your experience of the universe, it will change the way you look at Mass Effect 2… and beyond.”
“Those familiar with Mass Effect are aware that it offers one of the deepest and most compelling universes in the history of space adventure,” says Dark Horse President and Publisher Mike Richardson. “We have a long history of successfully adapting properties such as Aliens, Star Wars, and Serenity into comics, and we feel that Mass Effect has tremendous potential with regard to graphic storytelling.”
The narrative in Mass Effect: Redemption picks up just as Commander Shepard disappears and is left without the support of the crew on the Normandy in the lawless Terminus Systems. Shepard must fight for survival, and will be assisted by close companion, Dr. Liara T’Soni, to come home alive. This story is sure to be a must-read for fans looking to fill the gap between the first and second game.
Mass Effect: Redemption issue 1 hits comic shop shelves in January 6, 2010.
Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for release on Xbox 360 and PC in early 2010. Follow us on Twitter or for more information about BioWare please visit their official site.
The Art Of Top Cow Preview Part 4
Below are a few pages from The Art of Top Cow, that’s being released tomorrow.
The Art Of Top Cow Preview Part 3
Here’s a third look at the coffee table tome showcasing some of the great art from Top Cow over the years. The Art of Top Cow is released on July 22.
The Art Of Top Cow Preview Part 2
As promised, here’s the second daily preview of Wednesday’s release of The Art of Top Cow Hard Cover.
Zeke Deadwood: Zombie Lawman Review
Having been somewhat perplexed by Slave Labor Graphics’ recent Strange Eggs Jumps The Shark anthology, I was pleasantly surprised at the entertainment value in this western/zombie/comedy mash-up. Zeke Deadwood: Zombie Lawman is created by T.A Boatwright and Ryan Rubio, and the title of this one-shot pretty much tells you what it’s all about.
It begins with an old-time radio show as an earnest narrator tells tha tale of the titular gun slinger, or as he puts it: Whenever innocent blood is spilled upon the sand of the American West, a foul wind blows in across the frontier – signaling the arrival of justice!
It opens on a nameless town filled with the kind of bandits and desperadoes seen in many 1950s TV shows (or The Three Amigos) before a brave sheriff makes his last stand. Then in rides a skeletal figure to rescue the people from the wild shooting in the streets. Zeke makes his presence known at the church and tavern, and makes a rotten impression due to his undead stench, and then seeks the leader of the bandits for a good old fashioned shoot out.
Boatwright’s pencils are simple, but the inks really make it stand out. The black and white art fits perfectly with the rough atmosphere and it’s an entertaining enough one-shot. It’s certainly not hilarious, but it’s pretty harmless too. The 3 pin ups in the remaining pages by T.J Kirsch, Havard S. Johansen (see below) and Guy Davis are simply awesome and I’d love to see a Zeke Deadwood series done by any one of them.
Zeke is basically a zombie Clint Eastwood or Gary Cooper, but with a penchant for singing and falling off his horse, though not at the same time. There’s nothing revealed about his origins, or any deep themes. Zeke Deadwood is just a streamlined approach to a novel concept.
There’s an interesting interview with Boatwright here, with a look at some interior pages too. I hope we see more of Zeke. As we all know, zombies work in any genre, and this one has the potential to be another winner.
The Art of Top Cow Preview Part 1
The Art of Top Cow Hard Cover is released on Wednesday July 22. It’s a full colour coffee table book with an impressive 352 page count from the likes of Marc Silvestri, Dale Keown, Stjepan Sejic, Michael Turner, David Finch and many more. Top Cow describes the mammoth tome thusly;
The Art of Top Cow is a gigantic collection that combines The Art of The Darkness, The Art of Witchblade and The Art of Marc Silvestri, plus select additional pieces drawn by some of the best artists to have graced the pages and covers of Top Cow titles. This is the definitive art collection for the ultimate art fan.
This over-sized 10” x 12” coffee table book will feature a beautiful dust cover with a unique poster printed on the inside of the dust cover.
I thought I’d share a few random pages a day with you every day until its release, because any excuse is a good one to show great art. Feast your eyes on the gorgeous artwork below. Consider it a gallery of babes and brutes.
John Fultz Interview
Now up at Broken Frontier is my interview with writer John Fultz. As well as being an English Language Arts teacher, Fultz has a healthy respect for classic literature, which he brought to his Archaia fantasy series Primordia. You can read the interview here.
Iron Man 2 Pics
Thanks to Entertainment Weekly’s Comic-Con special, we have two new pics of Iron Man 2. The sequel stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Mickey Rourke as the Russian bad guy Whiplash and Scarlett Johansson as the sleek spy Black Widow. The film opens on May 7 next year.
Was Superman A Spy?
Brian Cronin’s excellent column for comicbookresourecs.com continues to be fascinating reading. This week it’s all about those popular creatures of the night – vampires. Read it and astound your Twilight loving friends with some fascinating trivia. Where else will you find Bob Hope, a cross dressing Frankenstein and a Japanese animated movie based on Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula?!
On a related note, Cronin’s new book, Was Superman A Spy? is a very interesting read. Like his column, but structured without the false/true clarifications, it focuses on Marvel, DC and other publishers and all the weird legends that surround their storied history. It’s comprised of new and previously published (on his CBR column) material and is a brisk, informative read that serves as an engrossing reminder of the strange and wonderful history of the comic book form. I picked up an extra copy for a friend who hasn’t read comics regularly in about fifteen years and he lapped it up. It really is a great book.
I also reviewed Cronin for the last issue of Extra Sequential about the book (starting on page 18.) Go here for my interview with Cronin and here for his latest Legends column.
Marvel’s Comic-Con 09 Panels
There’s just not enough hours in the day, especially at Comic-Con. Marvel’s schedule below.
Marvel is proud to unveil our complete panel schedule for Comic Con International in San Diego . Sure, you’ll be visiting our booth on the convention floor (that’s booth #2429, True Believer!), but now you can enjoy the world-famous Marvel Panels! Swinging off the stands, flying onto the big screen, smashing through televisions, blasting into game consoles, and ruling the web, Marvel Entertainment is the one company where you can find the best in comics, films, animation, games and digital media. Now we’re bringing it all to San Diego for you, the fans!
“Marvel has the best fans in the world and we’re excited to provide them with the best panels in the world,” said Mike Pasciullo, Vice President of Merchandising and Communications, Marvel Entertainment Inc. “If you’ve never experienced a Marvel panel live, make sure to stop by for Q&A with your favorite creators, major announcements and, as always, big surprises!”
Please note, all guests, times and rooms are subject to change.
Thursday, July 23
1:00 – 2:00 Marvel: Mondo Marvel – From the Marvel U to the Ultimate U and everything in between, we’ve got the top talent on hand to talk about all of your favorite heroes and villains as well as make a few surprise announcements! Panelists include Jason Aaron (Wolverine: Weapon X), Dennis Calero(X Men Noir), Matt Fraction (Invincible Iron Man), Paul Tobin (Models, INC), Frank Tieri (Dark Reign: Lethal Legion), Steve Wacker (Spider-Man Editor), Jim McCann (New Avengers: The Reunion), and more as they take on all questions! Room 6DE
3:30 – 4:30 Marvel: Breaking Into the House of Ideas – Are you a writer or artist? Ever dream of working for Marvel? Do you find yourself thinking “I could do that…if I knew how!” Well, here’s your chance! Join C.B. Cebulski, Marvel’s Talent Liason, and special guests writer Jeph Loeb (Ultimatum), Marvel editor Charlie Beckerman, artist Mike Choi (X-Force), colorist Christina Strain (Runaways), and more to find out the answers on how to get your foot in the door at every level in the creative process and how to make your job MARVEL! Room 6DE
Friday, July 24
11:00 – 12:00 Marvel: X-Men – The streets have erupted in violence and the safe haven mutants thought they’d found is in turmoil. The Dark Avengers have put Daken in Wolverine’s place, and there’s an all-out war tearing through space and time with a certain red-haired green-eyed girl at the center of it. You’ve got questions & these people have answers! X-Men group Editor Axel Alonso is joined by a host of creators to lay out what’s going on and resurrect a beloved…—well, that would be telling! You need to hear it for yourself! Panelists include Matt Fraction (Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia),Craig Kyle & Chris Yost (X-Force), Marjorie Liu (Dark Wolverine), Daniel Way (Deadpool), Jason Aaron (Wolverine: Weapon X), and more for this all-new, all-DEADLY panel! Room 6DE
2:00 – 3:00 Marvel: Cup O’ Joe – This is it, Mighty Marvel fans- the no-holds-barred, anything goes, full of surprises panel you wait all year for, and it’s here! Marvel’s EEK (Editor-in-Chief) Joe Quesada takes on all questions, shocks the audience with jaw-dropping announcements, and keeps you guessing with surprise guests. You never know who will show up, but you better be here, because this is the panel that everyone will be talking about! Room 6BCF
4:30 – 5:30 Marvel Animation –The new age of Marvel animation is here! Marvel’s President of Animation Eric Rollman and General Manager of Nicktoons Network Keith Dawkins are joined by the creative minds behind the new hit series Wolverine and the X-Men, and Iron Man: Armored Adventures. Head Writers Greg Johnson (WatX), Chris Yost (IMAA), Supervising Producer Craig Kyle (WatX, IMAA), Voice Director Jamie Simone (WatX) and the voice of Wolverine, Steve Blum, discuss each series and what the future holds. Then stay tuned for a first look at Marvel Animé from acclaimed Japanese animation studio Madhouse, featuring Madhouse President Masao Maruyama (Gotham Knight, Tokyo Godfathers), and writer Warren Ellis (The Authority, Astonishing X-Men). Also expect sneak peaks at the upcoming next Marvel Animated Feature from Lionsgate. You don’t want to miss this panel! Room 6BCF
The Marvel Animation panel is linked to talent signing events at the Marvel Entertainment booth (#2429) on the convention floor. The talent behind Iron Man: Armored Adventures and Wolverine and the X-Men will be signing from 3-4pm. Masao Maruyama and Warren Ellis will be signing from 6-7pm.
5:30 – 6:30 Marvel Digital Comics…And Beyond!. Be there for the world premiere of Marvel Motion Comics! Join Joe Quesada, Dan Buckley, members of the Marvel Digital Media Group and SURPRISE GUESTS as they unveil the next phase in graphic storytelling. Also, catch the world premiere of the Marvel.com original video series, Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?! episode 4. Plus, get jacked into the rest of the digital dynamite—from Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited (the greatest collection of Marvel comics ever assembled online) to casual games, original streaming video and the future of Marvel’s ever-growing digital endeavors! Room 6DE
Saturday, July 25
10:00 – 11:00 Marvel: “Hero Up” with The Super Hero Squad Show! – Marvel’s first action-comedy series is a manic, mind-blowing, all-ages romp through the Marvel Universe. Coming to Cartoon Network in September, the animated show is loaded with superstar voice talent. Join several of the actors, previewing their characters in a live performance: including Tom Kenny (Spongebob) as Iron Man & MODOK, Charlie Adler (Cow and Chicken, Transformers features) as Dr. Doom, Steve Blum (Wolverine and the X-Men) as Wolverine, Grey DeLisle (Fairly Oddparents, Clone Wars) as Ms. Marvel, andStan “The Man” Lee as The Mayor. Supervising Producer Cort Lane (Iron Man: Armored Adventures), Matt Wayne (Justice League Unlimited), Supervising Director Mitch Schauer (Freakazoid, Angry Beavers), Exec. Producer Joe Quesada (Marvel Editor-In-Chief) & Exec. Producer Eric Rollman(President, Marvel Animation) share series secrets, a world premiere clip and a preview of THQ’s epic Super Hero Squad video game. Followed by Q&A! Room 6BCF
At 2:30pm The Super Hero Squad Show panel will be followed by a signing event at the Marvel Entertainment booth (#2429) featuring much of the cast, including Tom Kenny, Charlie Adler, Steve Blum, Mikey Kelly (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature), Dave Boat (Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2) and Travis Willingham (Fullmetal Alchemist).
11:30- 12:30 Activision: Ultimate Alliance 2 Room Indigo Room
11:30 – 12:30 Marvel: Dark Reign – The Cabal has taken over the Marvel Universe and forever changed it. Now, Norman Osborn has his LIST and is taking everyone down who stands in his way. What lies on the horizon? Find out here as the creators behind the madmen & women putting the Marvel Heroes through their paces answer your questions and let you in on what happens next! Join Joe Quesada, Rick Remender (Dark Reign: The List), Matt Fraction (Invincible Iron Man), Jason Aaron (Dark Reign: The List), Frank Tieri (Dark Reign: Made Men), Joe Casey (Dark Reign: Zodiac), Marvel editor Alejandro Arbona and more as they shed some light on DARK REIGN! Room 6A
4:00 – 5:00 Marvel Studios/Paramount: Iron Man 2 Movie Panel – Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the sequel to the blockbuster film based on the legendary Marvel Super Hero ” Iron Man. ” Directed by Jon Favreau, “Iron Man 2″ stars Robert Downey Jr. Joining Downey in the cast are Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Clark Gregg, John Slattery, Mickey Rourke and Samuel L. Jackson. Hall H
Sunday, July 26
11:00 – 12:00 Marvel: The Women of Marvel – One of the most talked about panels from last year is back! Forget Storm & She-Hulk, meet the real Ms. Marvels of the comic world! Join women from every discipline in the creative process at Marvel to hear what it’s like working as a woman in comics today and how you can join them. Say goodbye to the so-called “Boy’s Club,” these ladies are busting down the four-color ceiling! Guests include New York Times Best Selling author Marjorie Liu (Dark Wolverine), Christina Strain (World War Hulk), Colleen Coover (Marvel Adventures), Sonia Oback (X-Force), Emily Warren (Secret Invasion) and more! Room 7AB
12:45-1:45 Marvel: The Next Generation of Marvel Video Games – Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Super Hero Squad and Iron Man 2. Join us for trailer previews, discussion and Q & A on the next wave of Marvel Games from publishers Activision, THQ, and SEGA. Writers Matt Fraction , Mark Hoffmeier, and Evan Skolnick will be on hand along with the game developers Kyle Brink, Robert Blackadder, Dan Tanguay and TQ Jefferson to discuss views on how story and design can come together to make licensed games that don’t suck. Room 6A
Harry Knowles Gets Radical
This is a rather impressive coup. The man who made film reviews interesting, and pop culture loving acceptable will be hosting a Radical Publishing panel at next week’s Comic-Con in San Diego. Press release below.
At SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL 2009, Radical Publishing will be featuring an all-star panel with top talent from both the comic and entertainment industry. Hosted by Ain’t It Cool News’ founder and head geek, Harry Knowles, the Radical Creators Panel will treat fans to a preview of upcoming Radical projects as well as the opportunity to hear some exclusive announcements on Friday, July 24th from 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M. in Room 4. Guests who arrive at the panel will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win a pair of passes to the Radical Event at the Hard Rock Hotel. The lucky winner will be announced at the end of the panel.
The Radical Publishing Creators Panel will include comic book legend Jim Steranko, cover artist for Radical’sHercules: The Knives of Kush; Arthur Suydam (Marvel Zombies), creator and writer for Cholly & Flytrap: Center City; Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), creator and writer of City of Dust: A Philip Khrome Story; Jimmy Palmiotti(Jonah Hex), creator and co-writer of the upcoming Radical series Time Bomb; David Hine (Civil War: X-Men), writer of FVZA: Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency; Rick Remender (Punisher), creator and writer of Radical’s upcoming futuristic crime thriller The Last Days of American Crime; Nick Simmons (A&E’s Gene Simmons Family Jewels), son of rock legend Gene Simmons and creator, writer and artist of Incarnate, which debuts at Comic-Con; Zombie Studios CEO Mark Long, Nick Sagan (writer of the Idlewild trilogy) and M. Zachary Sherman (SOCOM: Seal Team Seven) of the critically acclaimed science fiction epic Shrapnel: Aristeia Rising; Sam Sarkar, creator and writer of Caliber, soon to be a major motion picture produced by Johnny Depp’s Infinitum Nihil; and Steve Pugh, writer and illustrator of the supernatural detective series Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead, based on a story by Warren Ellis.
“This is a panel that’s sure to live up to the hype,” said Radical President and Publisher Barry Levine. “We’re proud to be hosting a collection of the best in the business at our San Diego Comic-Con panel this year and we’ll be announcing some of our most exciting projects to date that will implement the new Bigger Books! Bigger Value!format. This is something you won’t want to miss.”
Top Cow’s July Freebies
Top Cow’s latest freebie initiative launches across 25 comic shops in the U.S and Canada. Details below, and perhaps your comic shop (see the link below).
CYBERFORCE/HUNTER-KILLER #1 HEATS UP JULY’S “LET US WIN YOU OVER” PROMOTION
Publisher unveils 25 participating retailers for month of July
Top Cow Productions, Inc. revealed today the names of the participating retailers in their “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative for July and the next free issue in the program – Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1.
The “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative is a yearlong campaign by Top Cow Productions to give out free copies of its regular comics to potential fans in the U.S. and Canada through participating comic book stores. Each month, a different set of stores, each month a different free comic. The stores vary by geography and demographics. Top Cow has partnered with ComicsPRO to bring this promotion to fans and a portion of July’s retailers are members of ComicsPRO. Top Cow reminds retailers that any direct market retailer with a Diamond account is eligible to participate and should contact their Diamond Customer Service representative for information on signing up.
Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1 marks the return of two of Top Cow’s most popular teams to the forefront of the Top Cow Universe and the first time the two teams have met. When the Hunter-Killer team zeroes in on Cyberforce as rogue Ultra-Sapiens, a brutal melee erupts. But who is manipulating the two teams into conflict and to what end? Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1 is written by Hunter-Killer co-creator Mark Waid (Irredeemable, Amazing Spider-Man) and drawn by artist Kenneth Rocafort (Astonishing Tales, Madame Mirage). Series artist Rocafort provides two connected covers each featuring one team and the hot art team of Mike Choi & Sonia Oback (Uncanny X-Men, X-Force) provide covers for Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1. The issue will be in comic shops on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 and retails for $2.99.
“It’s no hyperbole on my part when I say that this is Top Cow’s biggest event series for 2009. We’ve been building towards this for well over a year and so it was a natural step to include the launch issue in the “Let Us Win YOU Over” program,” said Filip Sablik, Top Cow’s Publisher.
“ ’Let us win YOU over’ should be renamed ‘THANK YOU Top Cow’. Two hundred FREE copies to give to customers is the type of promotion I hope to see more of from all comic publishers,” added Ryan Liebowitz of Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles, CA, “It’s a win-win scenario for everyone and a total no-brainer!”
A list of the participating retailers during the month of July (listed alphabetically by state) is included below. Additional information can be found at the official online home of the “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative –www.topcow.com/freecomics. Customers who currently purchase Berserker at the stores below will be able to purchase an extremely limited “All Beef” Edition (limited to just the stores listed below) at the regular cover price. Fans are encouraged to contact the retailer they wish to visit for specific details:
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