Thursday, February 28, 2013

MIKUNOPOLIS in Los Angeles Blu-ra & CD Combo Release

Aniplex of America launches
the Mikunopolis in Los Angeles Limited Edition
Blu-ray &CD Combo Set on April 16, 2013

This April, fans can own a piece of Mikunopolis history!

SANTA MONICA, CA (February 22, 2013)
– Fans of the internationally known Vocaloid Hatsune Miku can look forward to something special this April. On their latest live panel on their Youtube channel, Aniplex of America Inc. announced that Mikunopolis in Los Angeles will be a Limited Edition Blu-ray & CD combo set and is scheduled for release on April 16th, 2013. Mikunopolis in Los Angeles will be available through anime distributor RightStuf.com and official retailers (http://aniplexusa.com/retailers/). Pre-orders begin on Monday, February 25.

Dark Horse Announces Emerald City Comicon 2013 Schedule!

DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES

EMERALD CITY COMICON 2013 SCHEDULE!

February 25, MILWAUKIE, OR
— Dark Horse Comics is headed to the Pacific Northwest’s foremost and fastest growing pop culture convention – Emerald City Comicon.

IDW Teams Up with CARTOON NETWORK!

IDW Teams Up with Cartoon Network !
Publisher To Serve As Home for Comics Based on Network’s Classic Hits!

San Diego, CA (February 25, 2013)
– IDW Publishing and Cartoon Network Enterprises today announced that the two companies have forged a partnership to produce and release comics based on many of the network’s popular and iconic classic characters!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

IDW Publishing’s ETERNAL DESCENT Returns With Volume 2 Graphic Novel!

IDW Publishing’s ETERNAL DESCENT
Returns With Volume 2 Graphic Novel!
Guitar Heroes Joe Satriani, Gus G, Michael Amott &
Misha Mansoor battle for supremacy once more!

San Diego, CA (February 22, 2013)
-- Continuing to explore the unholy alliance that has long existed between the worlds of heavy metal and fantasy comics, multi-media phenomenon ETERNAL DESCENT returns with the second volume of the much-heralded comic saga!

An ETERNAL DESCENT VOLUME 2 trailer is now online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jg944LA1Is

Collecting six single issues, an exclusive ‘Cobalt’ one-shot, and extensive art galleries into a 200-page graphic novel set for release in March 2013 by IDW Publishing and available for preorder worldwide, ETERNAL DESCENT VOLUME 2 immerses fans in a dark fantasy world where demons and angels battle for supremacy alongside some of the biggest names in metal, including Arch Enemy, Firewind, Periphery, and Joe Satriani!

With the fallen Sirian consigned to his fate and Lyra consumed by her inner demons, Loki’s designs draw ever closer to their terrible conclusion. As the conflict rips into the fabric of time, Gus G. returns with an unlikely guide, offering a glimmer of hope for our heroes… The disturbance reaches far across the universe and heralds the arrival of Joe Satriani, The Extremist, whose incredible energies bring balance to the cosmos, but leave our world consumed by Khaos magic. Michael Amott lies at the heart of this volatile new reality, empowered by mysterious amber artifacts and rivaled only by Misha Mansoor, a time-traveling wanderer wielding unparalleled technology! With lives lost, heroes reborn, and darkness rising, don’t miss the climactic resolution to ETERNAL DESCENT VOLUME 2!

The brainchild of British guitarist and comic creator Llexi Leon, who has teamed with American animation veteran Shaun McLaughlin and DC Comics writer Justin Peniston to bring his unique artistic vision to fruition, Eternal Descent is set in a fantasy universe where lost souls lurk in every shadow, and darkness veils sinister designs. Heavy metal could be the key to salvation… or the gateway to destruction!

Offering comics, graphic novels, animated shorts, limited edition ESP guitars, a signature Digitech ­effects pedal and an upcoming video game to keep fans occupied, Eternal Descent is fast becoming an international phenomenon.

Set to become a 21st century cult classic, fans of comics and heavy metal alike will be staggered in the scale of Eternal Descent’s ambitions and the second volume of the cult comic series promises to plunge readers even more deeply into the graphic novel’s dark, multi-faceted world.

To learn more about Eternal Descent visit www.EternalDescent.com and for further information, images, review copies and interview opportunities with the creators and musicians who appear in Eternal Descent, contact press@eternaldescent.com


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IDW Publishing Press Release

Dark Horse Comics & HappyGiant Announce USAGI YOJIMBO Game!

DARK HORSE COMICS & HAPPYGIANT
ANNOUNCE USAGI YOJIMBO GAME

Award Winning Comic Brought
To Life for Mobile, Tablets, Desktop

New York, NY, ­February 22, 2013
- HappyGiant, in association with Dark Horse Comics, announce “Usagi Yojimbo: Way of The Ronin”, a game now available for iPhones & iPads, and coming soon to Android devices and desktop PC’s (www.usagiyojimbogame.com).

Minneapolis Anime Convention Announces Monica Rial

Bloomington, MN - February 22, 2013 - AniMinneapolis, a Minneapolis anime convention, is excited to announce that voice actor Monica Rial will be appearing at AniMinneapolis from June 28-30, 2013 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Bloomington, Minnesota. AniMinneapolis brings over 3,000 anime fans together to celebrate during a weekend of events, concerts, anime screenings, cosplay, and special guests.

Monica Rial has been working in the anime voice over industry for 13 years. As an actress for ADV Films and Funimation Entertainment has lent her voice to over 250 anime including: Baccano! (Chane), Black Butler (Mei Ren), Certain Magical Index (Index), E.F. a Tale of Memories (Chihiro), Fairy Tail (Mirajane), Hetalia (Flying Mint Bunny/Belarus), High School of the Dead (Shizuka), Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (Treeya), Negima (Konoka/Kazumi/Satsuki), One Piece (Tashigi/Carue/Kuina), Ouran Host Club (Renge), Panty and Stocking (Stocking), Princess Jellyfish (Mayaya), Sergeant Frog (Momoka), Shinchan (Ai), Soul Eater (Tsubaki), Towa No Quan (Tei), Tsubasa (Sakura), Witchblade (Maria) and many more. She can be heard on the Cartoon Network in Deadman Wonderland (Shiro), Casshern Sins (Ringo), Samurai 7 (Shino) and FMA Brotherhood (May Chang). You can also catch her on Nicktoons and the CW as Bulma in Dragonball Z Kai. She’s appeared in several video games including Ms. Splosion Man, Comic jumper, and Borderlands 2. Be sure to come by and say hello!

AniMinneapolis will be held June 28-30, 2013 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Bloomington, Minnesota. Rooms are only $109 per night, and free parking is plentiful. The three day convention features hundreds of unique events and panels, including concerts by nerdcore performers, cosplay costume contests, and Q&A sessions with special guests. A list of the convention's biggest events is online at http://animinneapolis.com/events

Monica joins other special guests including Todd Haberkorn, Sonny Strait, LittleKuriboh, Spike Spencer, Dr. Awkward, YTCracker, V is for Villains, StarF, and Mattari 2600. The guest list is on the convention website at http://animinneapolis.com/guests

More information about tickets and attending the convention can be found online at http://animinneapolis.com/


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MetaCon Press Release

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Stephen Mooney and IDW Get Fully Awesome by going HALF PAST DANGER!

Stephen Mooney and IDW Get Fully Awesome
By Going HALF PAST DANGER!

Mooney’s Explosive Miniseries Blows Up This May!

San Diego, CA (February 21, 2013)
– Dinosaurs? Check.Exotic locale shrouded in mystery? Check. Battle-hardened soldiers armed to the teeth? Check. Femme fatales as dangerous as they are beautiful? Check. History’s most evil villains? Nazis. Check.

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL Digital Audio Book Now Available, Tie In Edition Forthcoming!

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES A NEW AUDIOBOOK RELEASE
OF THE HIT SCI-FI ACTION THRILLER
ALL YOU NEED IS KILL

Acclaimed Novel Now In Production
As A Major Feature Film From
Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures,
VIZ Media Also Secures Publishing Rights To Official Movie Novel Edition

San Francisco, CA, February 20, 2013
– VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced the digital release by Simon & Schuster Audio of an unabridged audio book version of Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s science fiction thriller ALL YOU NEED IS KILL. The acclaimed novel, read and narrated by Mike Martindale, is now available for $19.95 U.S. from the Simon & Schuster website.

DARK HORSE DELUXE PARTNERS WITH TOY2R TO DISTRIBUTE LIMITED EDITION HELLBOY MINI-QEE VINYL TOYS!

DARK HORSE DELUXE PARTNERS WITH TOY2R
TO DISTRIBUTE LIMITED EDITION
HELLBOY MINI-QEE VINYL TOYS!

MILWAUKIE, OR
–At this year’s International Toy Fair, Dark Horse revealed what is sure to be one of the year’s most-talked-about toy releases! Hong Kong’s innovative designer-toy company Toy2R will produce a new range of 5” vinyl figures in their popular “Mini-Qee” format, putting their unique design spin on Mike Mignola’s popular Hellboy character.

Monday, February 25, 2013

TRAVIS SMITH WINS Yu-Gi-Oh! CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES MIAMI

TRAVIS SMITH CROWNED KING OF GAMES
AT Yu-Gi-Oh! CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES IN MIAMI, FLORIDA

El Segundo, CA (February 19, 2013)
– Top Duelists from all over the Southeastern States and Atlantic Coast of the U.S. swarmed into Miami, Florida this past weekend to participate in the first Yu-Gi-Oh! CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (YCS) of 2013, the premier-level Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG) event from Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (Konami).

Minneapolis Comic Con Announces Chris Patton and Sonny Strait

Minneapolis, MN - February 18, 2013 - The Minneapolis ComiCon, Meta Con, announced today that anime voice actors Chris Patton and Sonny Strait will be appearing at Meta Con 2013 at the end of August. The two will be coming together at Minneapolis's largest pop culture and comic con to sign autographs and participate in Q&A sessions throughout the weekend.

Chris Patton has been Voice Acting in Anime for thirteen years for ADV Films, FUNimation Entertainment, Sentai Filmworks, and Okratron 5000. Some of his more well-known roles are Sousuke Sagara in all the Full Metal Panic series, Greed in Fullmetal Alchemist and Brotherhood, Asura in Soul Eater, Akuto Sai in Demon King Daimao, Keima in The World God Only Knows, Ikki in Air gear, Sho in Guyver, Fakir in Princess Tutu, Nishi in Gantz, and Turles in Dagonball Z: The Tree of Might.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

KIDS COMIC CON 2013!


Learn more from Kids Comic Con!

The *fee for one person with one professional badge is $35.00 (One 6-8 ft Table / One Chair); the fee for two people with two professional badges is $50.00 (One 6-8 ft Table / Two Chairs). [*Fees for large booth and corporate displays are negotiable.] ON-SITE REGISTRATION IS NOT GUARANTEED.
Please click on Artist & Vendor Registration

Thursday, February 21, 2013

FUNimation Entertainment Announces English Language Cast of LASTEXILE – FAM, The Silver Wing

FUNimation Entertainment Announces
English Language Cast of LASTEXILE – FAM, The Silver Wing

Flower Mound, TX (February 15, 2013)
- FUNimation(R) Entertainment today announced at KatsuCon, the main cast for LASTEXILE – FAM, The Silver Wing –.

The full cast & series synopsis can be found below.
ADR Director -Christopher Bevins / ADR Engineer- Cris George / Head Writer-John Burgmeier
Script Writer-Bonny Clinkenbeard
FAM- Jād Saxton / GISELLE - Leah Clark / MILLIA- Carrie Savage / DIO -Greg Ayres
LUSCINIA- Duncan Brannan / SĀRĀ- Monica Rial / VASANT- Gwendolyn Lau

Series Synopsis:
Soaring adventure and high-flying heroism fill the skies in Last Exile - Fam - The Silver Wing, a thrilling new chapter in the Last Exile saga!

Years ago, humanity abandoned the ruined Earth. Generations later, with the planet again capable of sustaining life, mankind returned. In the skies above the reborn world, rebellious young Fam and her best friend Giselle make their living as Sky Pirates. Atop sleek Vespa Vanships, the girls dart fearlessly through the clouds, capturing and selling airborne battleships for profit. It’s a life of care-free swashbuckling – until the Ades Federation attacks. The only nation to remain on Earth during humanity’s exile, The Ades Federation wages war against those who returned only after the planet’s darkest days had passed. When Fam and Giselle rescue a princess from the clutches of the rampaging Ades armada, they join the young royal’s battle to save her Kingdom from destruction – and undertake the impossible mission of uniting humanity in peace.

The Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack will be released April 30, 2013 in 2 parts: Part 1 (episodes 1-11 + bonus episode 9.5), and Part 2 (episodes 12-21 + bonus episode 15.5)


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FUNimation Entertainment Press Release

A New Journey to KILL SHAKESPEARE Begins!

A New Journey to KILL SHAKESPEARE Begins!

The acclaimed Shakespearean mash-up returns
as 5-issue mini-series this month
and the stage version makes its first multi-week run
with Chicago’s Strawdog Theatre in March

San Diego, CA (February 15, 2013)
– Spurred by the demand of fans from the worlds of comics, theatre and academia, IDW Publishing is proud to announce the return of the acclaimed comic series Kill Shakespeare with the release of KILL SHAKESPEARE: THE TIDE OF BLOOD #1. The new five-issue run, with the original creative team of co-writers Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col and artist Andy Belanger returning, debuts on February 20th, 2013 in comic book stores across the United States, Canada, and overseas.

Ashley Wood Infiltrates the Fine Art World with MACHINE WITCHES!

Ashley Wood Infiltrates the Fine Art World
with MACHINE WITCHES!

San Diego, CA (Februrary 15, 2013)
– Having taken the comic book and toy industries by storm, it was only a matter of time until acclaimed artist, designer, and enfant terrible Ashley Wood* snuck his talents into the hallowed walls of one of the world’s foremost fine art galleries.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

BEST OF EC COMICS ARTIST'S EDITION Coming in June From IDW!

BEST OF EC COMICS ARTIST'S EDITION Coming in June From IDW!
Oversized collection features classic stories and stunning works

San Diego, CA (February 15, 2013)
– IDW Publishing is proud to announce an Artist's Edition like no other—The Best of EC COMICS Artist's Edition, Volume One. This massive book will measure 15" x 22", the same size as both the Wally Wood and MAD Artist's Editions, and will contain stellar works by Al Williamson, Harvey Kurtzman, Bernie Krigstein, Johnny Craig, and others. Additionally, there will be an art gallery of classic covers—including the peerless Weird Science-Fantasy #29 by Frank Frazetta.

VIZ Media Announces New Shojo & Shonen Manga Acquisitions!

VIZ MEDIA PREPARES NORTH AMERICAN FANS FOR
HOT NEW MANGA RELEASES FROM
SHOJO BEAT AND SHONEN SUNDAY IMPRINTS

New Acquisitions Set To Debut Beginning This Summer
Include MIDNIGHT SECRETARY and MAGI

San Francisco, CA, February 14, 2013
– VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has just announced details on several new forthcoming manga series acquisitions scheduled to launch beginning this summer and continuing into the fall.

TIGER & BUNNY's Corporate Superheroes Are Coming Soon to DVD and Blu-ray!

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES NORTH AMERICAN DVD AND BLU-RAY RELEASE OF TIGER & BUNNY SET 1

Catch Japan’s First Corporate Superheroes In An Action-Packed Anime Series That Explores A Most Unlikely Friendship Between
A Washed-Up Veteran And A Rookie With An Attitude

San Francisco, CA, February 13, 2013
– VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, gives fans a rollicking dose of anime action with the DVD and Blu-ray release on February 19th of TIGER & BUNNY Set 1. The 2-disc set, which contains Episodes 1-13 of the 26-episode action/sci-fi series, is rated TV-14, and will carry a DVD MSRP of $44.82 U.S. / $43.24 CAN, and a Blu-ray MSRP of $54.97 U.S. / $66.15 CAN.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Roy & Wordie's TIGER LUNG Debuts in Dark Horse Presents!

ROY & WORDIE’S TIGER LUNG TO DEBUT IN DARK HORSE PRESENTS!

February 18, MILWAUKIE, OR
–Set to hit the pages of Dark Horse’s Eisner-winning anthology, writer Simon Roy and artist Jason Wordie’s Tiger Lung is going back in time!

“The Tiger Lung concept is about taking the animist, shamanistic worldview of the hunter-gatherer and exploring what it would look and feel like to the shamans that literally lived within that worldview. Setting it in the ice age also gives us a chance to touch on more varied themes, too—mainly, how the world would have looked to humans who did not rule nature, but who were just a part of it,” explained Simon Roy.

Tiger Lung: Under the Ice is a story about Tiger Lung, an ice-age shaman, and his journey underneath a glacier and into the spirit world beneath it to retrieve the corpse of his father. But dark spirits abound beneath the ice, and should Tiger Lung fall, the souls of both him and his father will be trapped there forever.

“We found the format for Dark Horse Presents to be very interesting. It seemed to be well suited for exactly what we wanted to do with a Tiger Lung story—classic adventure!” added Jason Wordie. “Being that the format is split into three parts, it insured that we kept it fresh and exciting every step of the way, including lots of twists and turns. We focused on old-school serialized adventure, while also trying to bring in some more modern ideas.”

Catch Tiger Lung appearing in Dark Horse Presents #21, on sale Wednesday, February 20th!


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Dark Horse Comics Press Release

Neon Alley Anime Channel Lauches Today On Xbox 360!

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES NEON ALLEY ON XBOX 360

Innovative 24/7 Anime Channel Expands To Deliver
A Wide Range Of Exclusive Programming for Xbox LIVE Users

San Francisco, CA, Feb. 12, 2013
– VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, generates even more excitement for its new Neon Alley 24/7 anime platform as it announces the expansion of its proprietary content delivery service to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Super: Soldier


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Dark Horse Comics Press Release

IDW Limited releases signed edition of Judge Dredd: The Complete Brian Bolland

IDW Limited Launches Judge Dredd Deluxe Hardcover Program
with The Complete Brian Bolland

IDW Limited Deluxe Hardcover features signatures from
Brian Bolland and Judge Dredd co-creator John Wagner,
and a set of twelve limited-edition lithographs

San Diego (February 12th)
IDW Limited announced plans today to enter the field of law enforcement. Starting with Judge Dredd: The Complete Brian Bolland, IDW Limited (http://idwlimited.com/judge-dredd-the-complete-brian-bolland.html) will begin offering deluxe hardcover editions of the Judge Dredd reprint program. Featuring signatures from top Judge Dredd talent and the original creators, this will be the definitive line for fans of the smash 2000 A.D. series. This first offering includes signatures from iconic artist Brian Bolland as well as the co-creator of Judge Dredd, John Wagner.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Anime Boston 2012 - Anime Unscripted

This was an event that I was looking forward to at the convention. Even though I missed part of the show (guessing 30 minutes), the less than comical talent was not expected. I was disappointed in the performance, because it did not end my night with laughter. Instead, I got two actors with no comical skills, while the others were the only ones who gave me a good laugh.

Here we have Chris Ayres at the podium, who delivered his character with comical, yet serious, responses. The other actors (left to right) Keith Silverstein, Carli Mosier and Greg Ayres had to ask questions that referred to the situation that Chris's character was in. However, Chris has no knowledge of said situation and had to figure out what it was. Unfortunately, he actually had NO IDEA what the actors were talking about. He literally said “I have no idea what you're talking about” and I recall one of the actors trying to spoon feed him the answer. It took a while, but he did fine in the end.