The Roar of the Zillo Beast

from StarWars.com:

One of the largest CG-models ever created for The Clone Wars, the fearsome Zillo Beast — the titular creature of two episodes in Season Two — cuts an intimidating first impression by virtue of its sheer size. But daunting though it may be from a physical perspective, the Zillo’s true terror comes not from its corporeal enormity alone; its instantly iconic sound design complements the creature’s features by giving the giant beast just the right mix of power, personality and pain.

“There was a lot of trial and error getting there,” says Dave Acord, sound editor on The Clone Wars and creator of the Zillo’s distinctive cry. “I tried a number of animals, musical instruments, cars — but ultimately, the Zillo roar is 75% horse. Pitched down, of course, and boomed. The other 25% is varying combinations of bobcat and lion, mostly for the growls and some of the heavier bellows. The complexity of the horse whinny seemed to have the right appeal in terms of expression and otherworldliness. At times, the roar can sound terrible and menacing. Other times, you can hear the pain in his voice. The Zillo has a lot of character, and we’ve tried to match that with our sound design.”

Citing musical beginnings as an influence on his notions of cinematic sound design, Acord has worked to develop a keen ear — an essential requirement for creating the aural foundation of that “galaxy far, far away.” The process itself tends to be an iterative one, he says — but that’s all part of the fun.

“When designing a new creature, for example, I may record some animal — or I might have recorded something previously,” says Acord. “But often in the creation of the effect, the idea evolves. I might decide a ‘death scream’ needs a better shriek — and maybe a table scraping on a concrete floor will be the right sound sweetener. That’s really still the best way to get what you want — get out there and record! Sometimes what I start with ends up being something else entirely by the time I’m finished.”

Given that so many of the creatures, vehicles and aliens of The Clone Wars don’t exist in our galaxy, much of Acord’s job requires that he design and develop the rich Star Wars sound-scape from scratch. The result is a daily routine which is anything but monotonous — and a resume which is anything but typical.

“I get to create all the new sounds for the show,” he says. “I was really happy with the way the spider-assassin droids turned out [in ‘Voyage of Temptation’]. Very creepy little springy servos and metallic screams. Some of my other favorites have been the Malevolence and its ion weapon, the darksaber and the commando droids. Dave Filoni has even cast me a few times in the show, too. The most fun is collaborating with some really talented people, like Dave, Matthew Wood, George Lucas and Ben Burtt — to name just a few. I am so proud of the work we do for The Clone Wars; it’s an incredibly dense and detailed show, and we manage to create a 5.1 mix for every episode, which is no easy feat!”

VIZ Media Titles Dominate “New York Times” Manga Best Seller List

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media has announced that 9 of its manga titles have made the New York Time’s Manga Best Seller list for the week ending April 10th.

VIZ Media Best Selling Manga Titles on the list include (In Listed Order):

  1. Rosario + Vampire: Season II, Vol. 1
  2. Yu-Gi-Oh! R, Vol. 4
  3. Naruto, Vol. 47
  4. The Gentlemen’s Alliance †, Vol. 11
  5. One Piece, Vol. 40
  6. One Piece, Vol. 39
  7. One Piece, Vol. 41
  8. One Piece, Vol. 43
  9. One Piece, Vol. 42

The rankings reflect sales of graphic novels at thousands of retailers and venues nationwide. These include hundreds of independent book retailers; national, regional and local chains; online and multimedia entertainment retailers; university, gift, supermarket, discount department stores and newsstands.

“It’s exciting to see such a wide variety of VIZ Media titles reach this level of popularity,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President, Sales, VIZ Media. “From the irresistible bite of Rosario + Vampire to the high seas pirate adventures of One Piece to the romantic shojo hijinks of The Gentlemen’s Alliance, these titles continue to show the diversity of the manga genre and its strong appeal among readers of all ages and interests.”

Rosario + Vampire: Season II, Vol. 1
Rated “T+” (For Older Teens)
Shonen Jump Advanced
Average human teenage boy Tsukune accidentally enrolls at a boarding school for monsters — no, not jocks and popular kids, but bona fide werewolves, witches, and other unnamable monsters out of his wildest nightmares!

Yu-Gi-Oh! R, Vol. 4
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
The twisted Yako Tenma has taken control of the gaming company KaibaCorp, using its high-tech dueling machines to resurrect the dead… but the original master of KaibaCorp is not happy! Kaiba, Yugi’s archrival, challenges Yako to a duel to see just who will control Japan’s biggest gaming company. Can Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon stop Yako’s evil plan. Look for an ultra-rare Angel 07 Card inside! (Limited quantities available).

For more information on Yu-Gi-Oh! and to read free online previews of the manga, please visit ShonenJump.viz.com.

Naruto, Vol. 47
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
Naruto inches ever closer to discovering the true identity of his nemesis, Pain, but is it worth it as the frustrated ninja begins to morph at last into the dreaded Nine Tails? Plus an unexpected confession reveals incredible secrets about his past as Naruto prepares for the ultimate battle with Pain. Can the chakra-challenged Naruto win when one misstep could spell disaster?

For more information on Naruto and to read free online previews of the manga, please visit Naruto.com.

The Gentlemen’s Alliance †, Vol. 11
Rated “T+” (For Older Teens)
Shojo Beat
Haine goes to Shizumasa and Takanari’s grandfather, the head of the Togu family, to ask him to release the twins from their fate. He tells her she must pass the same trial the twins went through for determining the Togu heir. Haine agrees, but little does she know that a former friend is now out for her life.

For more information on The Gentlemen’s Alliance † and to read free online previews of the manga, please visit ShojoBeat.com.

One Piece, Vol. 39
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
Sanji, Usopp and Franky are on their own against the Navy as the rest of the Straw Hats hurry to catch up to the speeding Sea Train. But freeing Robin from the clutches of CP9 won’t be an easy task with a train full of enemies. And even if they do reach her, does she even want to be rescued?!

One Piece, Vol. 40
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
Hankering for a fight, Luffy’s got a jump start on the battle to rescue Robin and Franky before they’re sentenced by the Navy’s court at Enies Lobby. Now that the Straw Hats and the Franky Family have banded together, the World Government is in for an epic battle. But did the Navy deceive Robin into sacrificing herself in order to trap the Straw Hats?!

One Piece, Vol. 41
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
Robin and Franky have been captured by CP9 and locked in the courthouse on Enies Lobby. The Straw Hats and Franky’s crew must join forces if they want to save their friends. But before they can rescue them, they must face Spandam’s six deadly assassins. Can the two groups work together, or will CP9 finally win?

One Piece, Vol. 42
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
The Straw Hats have infiltrated the Tower of Justice to save Robin, but they still need a special key to release her. One of the CP9 assassins holds the right key, but Luffy and his crew may have to defeat them all. Can the Straw Hats thwart CP9 and rescue Robin?

One Piece, Vol. 43
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
Luffy has made it to the tower where Robin is being held captive, but in order to save her he must get past the deadly assassin Rob Lucci. The rest of the Straw Hats are busy fighting their own battles to find the key that will free Robin. Can the crew find the right key in time?!

For more information on One Piece and to read free online previews of the manga, please visit OnePiece.viz.com.

For more information on these titles, or others from VIZ Media, please visit viz.com.

VIZ Media Transports Readers to “Kingyo Used Books” — A Fantastic Place Where Readers Find Their Dreams in Manga

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, transports readers to an unassuming store that stocks all the manga a fan could ever desire with the release of Kingyo Used Books on April 20th. The new series, by Seimu Yoshizaki, will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated “T+” for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

In Kingyo Used Books, a businessman discovers how his childhood memories can brighten his day. An art student finds inspiration. An archer hits a surprising bull’s-eye. A housewife rediscovers romance. A teenager discovers his true self in the pages of a manga magazine. Welcome to Kingyo Used Books, a place where people find their dreams in manga…

“Kingyo Used Books is the little shop that every fan dreams of. The endearing vignettes that take place there show how peoples’ lives can be affected by books in a significant way,” says Leyla Aker, Senior Editorial Manager, VIZ Media. “Kingyo Used Books uses a variety of genres to take readers on a journey that traces the history and evolution of manga. We hope this new series will strike a chord that inspires fans to similarly revisit a cherished manga title from their own past.”

Kingyo Used Books is currently featured in Japan in IKKI magazine, home to some of the most innovative and compelling titles in the world of contemporary manga. The series is also featured at SigIKKI.com, VIZ Media’s unique online destination for edgy new manga designed for mature audiences.

Seimu Yoshizaki was born in Kanagawa, Japan. She made her manga debut with Aka–chan to Tenshi (Baby and Angel) in 1989. Aside from Kingyo Used Books, which is currently being serialized in IKKI magazine, she is the creator of many other titles, including Telekinesis (Yamanote TV Kinema Room), Ugokashiya, Kaban Toshokan and Deka Girl.

For more information on other SIGIKKI titles and to check out a sneak peek of chapter one through eight of Kingyo Used Books, please visit SigIKKI.com.

“Batman Beyond” Continues!

from Things from Another World:

Terry McGinnis — the Batman of the future — and an elderly Bruce Wayne — the original Batman — are the sworn protectors of Neo-Gotham, but when someone targets The Dark Knight’s old foes, the new Batman must begin a case that reaches back into Bruce Wayne’s past and puts Terry’s future directly in danger!

This summer heralds the long-awaited return of the popular Batman Beyond franchise! The six-issue Batman Beyond miniseries will be penned by Emmy Award-nominated animation writer Adam Beechen (Batman: The Brave and the Bold) with art by Ryan Benjamin (Batman & the Outsiders).

Fans of Batman Beyond won’t want to miss the Superman/Batman Annual #4 from writer Paul Levitz and artist Renato Guedes starring the Batman Beyond characters!

Pre-order Batman Beyond #1

Log In & Set Up a Batman Beyond Series Subscription

Pre-order Superman/Batman Annual #4

Find Out What It Takes to Make It to the Top as a Manga Creator in the New Shonen Jump Series “Bakuman”

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the upcoming release of the manga series Bakuman. The series, rated “T” for Teens, will be released on August 3rd under VIZ Media’s popular Shonen Jump imprint and will carry a MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.
Previews for the series will start to run in the May 2010 issue of VIZ Media’s popular monthly manga anthology — Shonen Jump magazine which is on stands now.

Bakuman is written by the author of Death Note, Tsugumi Ohba, and the artwork is by Takeshi Obata, the artist known for series such as Death Note, Hikaru no Go and Ral Grad. The story follows average student Moritaka Mashiro, who enjoys drawing for fun, but when his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world?

In the opening volume, Moritaka is hesitant to seriously consider Akito’s proposal because he knows how difficult it can be to reach the professional level. Still, encouragement from persistent Akito and the motivation from a girl he has a crush on help push Moritaka to test his limits!

“Bakuman is an outstanding, behind-the-scenes manga about manga, and the artists who create it, written and drawn by the creative team that produced the Death Note series,” says Elizabeth Kawasaki, Senior Editorial Director at VIZ Media. “The series is a great read for all manga fans, and especially fun for aspiring artists.”

Born in Tokyo, Tsugumi Ohba is the author of the hit series Death Note. The writer’s current series Bakuman is serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan.

Takeshi Obata was born in 1969 in Niigata, Japan, and is the artist of the wildly popular Shonen Jump title Hikaru no Go, which won the 2003 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize: Shinsei “New Hope” award and the 2000 Shogakukan Manga award. Obata is also the artist of Arabian Majin Bokentan Lamp Lamp, Ayatsuri Sakon, Cyborg Jichan G, and the smash hit manga Death Note.

For more information on this title, and other Shonen Jump titles, please visit shonenjump.viz.com.

The Complete Ouija Interviews

The Complete Ouija Interviews

Chances are that you’ve played with a Ouija board at some point in your life, as part of a childhood slumber party, slightly inebriated college gathering, or Hallowe’en dare. Typical of the majority of spirit board sessions, the answers to your questions were probably disappointingly vague, a “yes” or “no” interspersed with a bunch of random gibberish.

In The Complete Ouija Interviews, author Sarah Becan shows how interesting conversations with the dead can be when you’re lucky enough to make contact with ghosts who have good communication skills. Even more compelling, Becan reveals, “The collected stories in this book all come from actual Ouija board sessions, which occurred during the three years that my brother Jeff lived and worked at a hostel on Nantucket Island.” Who needs an Interview with the Vampire when you can read interviews with real otherworldly spooks?

The Complete Ouija Interviews was originally published as a short series of handmade mini-comics:

Sample panels from the mini-comics are posted at each of the links above, and an excerpt from the Ouija Interview #1 mini-comic is also available to read online, serving as a preview of the Ouija Interviews.

Assisted by a 2009 Xeric Foundation Grant, the mini-comics were then collected into one volume by Becan’s Shortpants Press, “an independent small press from Chicago dedicated to making unique, interesting, and really cool minicomics, zines, prints and art books.”

At the beginning of The Complete Ouija Interviews is a foreword written by Becan’s brother, Jeff, in which he gives a brief history of the Ouija board and the time the Becan siblings spent on Nantucket, including a description of a Ouija board session that may convince some readers that the toy really is a conduit to the deceased. The four Ouija interviews then follow, in the order that they were published as mini-comics. In the first interview, we’re introduced to Theo, who was murdered after getting caught cheating on his wife with a woman he gleefully describes as having “big knockers”. Despite being an unrepentant womanizer, it’s hard to dislike the villain in this tragic romance, as he claims to have sincerely loved both women, and takes full responsibility for the transgressions that led to his untimely demise. Next, we meet Chip, a young, gay ghost who’s a smart aleck with a penchant for telling truly tasteless jokes. It’s difficult to tell whether anything Chip says is serious or truthful, especially when he claims to have been reincarnated as a strawberry, but he does reveal some potentially intriguing information about the afterlife. Chapter three features a conversation with an adorable little girl who was murdered when she was only ten years old. Becan and her brother David sat at the board during this session, and Naomi indulges in a bit of shameless adolescent flirtation with David, telling him that she loves him. Naomi’s story becomes less light-hearted, though, when she’s asked about the identity of her murderer, and her answers imply that she was killed by a pedophile who was known to her and her friend. The fourth installment in the Ouija tales, the longest and most in-depth of the interviews, takes up about a third of the book, and is also the darkest and saddest of Becan’s stories. The brother and two sisters interviewed were murdered by their father, who killed their mother, as well. As if that weren’t horrifying enough, it slowly becomes clear, to the reader’s discomfort, that murder wasn’t the only crime committed against one of the sisters. It’s Agatha’s story that will haunt readers most, long after the final page of the book is read.

In addition to the main stories, the book includes a half dozen mini-interviews, bonus material brand new to The Complete Ouija Interviews. Scattered throughout the compilation, these vignettes spotlight ghosts who pop in to offer brief, yet poignant, comments or words of advice to the living.

The Complete Ouija Interviews is a very professional-looking independent publication, the perfect-bound volume covered in a heavily textured feltweave paper that feels hand-made and is embossed on the front with an image of Theo. While it resembles, in size, the cute novelty gift editions sold as impulse items at bookstores, The Complete Ouija Interviews is distinguished by its elegant sepia-toned art and meaningful content. The presentation is deceptively simple, but effective: Pages consist of single panels with narrow caption boxes containing Becan’s interview questions running unobtrusively across the top. The interviewees float against a plain background that approximates a Ouija board with the numbers and letters wiped off, their answers printed in traditional comic strip speech balloons. Like in Peanuts, the characters manage to display a remarkable range of expressions and emotions with very few drawn lines. The minimalist ghosts, using slight head tilts and subtle eye and mouth shifts, are far more expressive than the fully rendered superhero figures found in big-name comic books.

If you’re looking for a comic that will truly touch your heart, then passing over The Complete Ouija Interviews would be a grave mistake, since reading it is sure to lift your spirits.

Recommended Reading Level: Young Adult and up (12+) for implied violence, adult themes, sexual content, and crude bodily humour.

Order directly through the Shortpants Press website, or check with your local comic book store.

The Complete Ouija Interviews is distributed by Shortpants Press. For more information on the book and its author, visit jakze.com. Shortpants Press may also be followed on Twitter.

ThinkGeek’s newest glowy umbrellas + $10 off

from ThinkGeek:

Dear Space Chimps,

Our intergalactic dreams came true when our monkeys toured NASA Goddard on Saturday and partied with some Stormtroopers and R2-D2 at Yuri’s Night. Timmy even got to kiss a rubber chicken and ride in a Tang purse.

But we know your squishy minion hearts are set on seeing certain April Fool’s Day items come to life. We are awash in a sea of your emails, tweets, and wall posts. Begging, pleading, crying delicious salty tears. No updates just yet, but we will say that some wishes will be granted…

Magical LED Umbrellas Usher in H2O Gravity Celebration
What’s that old saying about April showers? Oh yeah… it rains a lot in April but we’re supposed to be grateful for the rain because it makes flowers come out in May, if you’re into that kind of thing. But mostly, rain. It’s wet and it sucks to be out in it. Why not make your outdoor excursions simultaneously more dry AND awesome? Both of these umbrellas look like standard black umbrellas at first, but each has a special superpower. The Lumadot LED umbrella has dozens of blue LEDs that can be switched on to look like little glowy raindrops and the Blade Runner Style Umbrella’s LEDs are in the shaft, lighting the way through futuristic L.A. as you chase down replicants. Rain sucks, but don’t let it make YOU suck. That’s what we say. Battle rain in pure techie style right now.

Save $10 — The cure for the spring cleaning blues
Beautiful weather means spring cleaning, and spring cleaning means you now have less stuff! You know what that means, right? More room for newer, cooler stuff! How to Redeem: Add $40 or more of products to your cart now through 11:59 pm EDT on Friday, 4/16/10. Use code SCREWZPLUSTEN at checkout and your order will be automagically adjusted to reflect the discount and the free Screwz-All.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

Spock is “Beaming” home to Vulcan, Alberta on April 23, 2010

from Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station:

On Friday April 23, 1010, actor Leonard Nimoy, best known for his portrayal of Mr. Spock in the original Star Trek series will be visiting Vulcan, courtesy of the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. To mark this historic occasion, town officials have commissioned sculptor Nathan Scott to create a bronze bust of Mr. Spock that will be unveiled by Nimoy during his visit.

While in Vulcan, Nimoy will leave behind his iconic “live long and prosper” handprint that will be immortalized in bronze, and will present the Town of Vulcan two unique items on loan from his personal Star Trek collection. These items include: the Spock ears that he wore during the filming of the Original Star Trek TV series and a lithograph of the Original Star Trek cast, autographed by all of the original cast members. These unique memorabilia items will be on display at the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station for the next year.

Schedule of Events:

2:00PM — Dignitaries begin to arrive and parade begins to line up at the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station.

2:30PM — Mr. Nimoy arrives at the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station (Good opportunity for photo and video footage).

3:00PM — Parade-style procession from Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station to downtown Vulcan.

See:

  • The RCMP lead off the parade in their Red Serge,
  • The County Central High School Concert Band performing music from Star Trek,
  • Vulcan’s Mayor and Council in their Star Trek uniforms aboard a Starship float,
  • Representatives from the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, and
  • Mr. Nimoy as honourary Parade Marshall.

3:30PM to 4:15PM — Mr. Nimoy’s official “Welcome to Vulcan” Ceremony on stage in downtown Vulcan (Good opportunity for photo, video and sound bites)

  • Vulcan’s Mayor will present Mr. Nimoy with the Key and Transporter Coordinates to Vulcan,
  • Mr. Nimoy will unveil a bronze bust of Mr. Spock that the Town of Vulcan had commissioned in his honour, and watch him leave behind his famous “Live Long and Prosper” handprint,
  • Mr. Nimoy will address the spectators and Vulcan residents.

For a complete list of other celebrity guests who will be attending the 2010 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo on April 24 & 25, visit calgaryexpo.com.

“The Guild” Season 4

from The Guild:

We’re pleased to announce that Season 4 of The Guild is official — Microsoft has renewed the show for another season and new episodes of The Guild will be coming to Xbox, Zune and PCs this summer.

Felicia is putting the finishing touches on the script for Season 4, which will pick up where Season 3 left off. Pre-production is underway, keeping producer Kim Evey and Streamy Award winning director Sean Becker very busy as cameras are set to roll sometime in May. Seasons 1 through 3 are currently available on watchtheguild.com, iTunes, Amazon and YouTube.

Microsoft has sponsored The Guild since season 2. The Guild thanks Microsoft — along with all the fans — for continued support of the show.

–The Guild management

Be Like the Hero of Canton in this New Jayne Cobb “Troublemaker” Replica T-Shirt!

from Quantum Mechanix:

Troublemaker
Let's Be Badguys!

Jayne Cobb — whether he’s your crappy town’s biggest hero or the guy who just clothes-lined some pee yen lookin’ to ruin your day — he’s the best good guy to have by your side when it’s time to be bad guys.

What Jayne is best known for, besides naming large weapons after girls and having a girl’s name his own self, is his vast collection of awesome t-shirts. And best known of these shirts is “Troublemaker”, an apt title for the man who made it famous.

For the first time ever, QMx has created an exact replica* of Jayne’s Troublemaker t-shirt. Troublemaker is made from a custom fine cotton jersey ringer with full front and wing pallet sleeve printing. The original Troublemaker shirt was printed on a crew neck Old Navy t-shirt — a t-shirt that’s no longer available. So QMx had to recreate the t-shirt from the ground-up — from the weave to the custom dyes color-matched to the original screen-worn shirt.

The artwork is printed with a 5-color process using plastisol heat-cured, deep-penetration inks. The shirt was silk-screened to spec, based off one of the screen-used shirts now owned by Propstore.com.

Troublemaker is available in men’s sizes only from S-3XL and starts at only $26.95.

* Sweat stains not included. Afraid you’ll have to add those the old-fashioned way.

Win Trip to New Zealand plus Raygun Fabulatoria

from Weta:

Tri-dimensional Industrial Design Contests!

Win a trip to New Zealand (sharp left at Australia)

The good people at Grordbort Industries in cohorts with the clever buggers at InterGrid are introducing a contest for digital artists to contrive and loco-mote electro-phosphorous models based on rayguns from the Dr. Grordbort’s universe.

This shootout is aimed at inexperienced upstarts as well as seasoned computational artists who will use new-fangled contraptions monikered: “InterGrid’s innovative Cloud rendering system, the Green Button”, to multidimensionalise and locomotate their creations.

Hong Kong braintrust Cyberport’s Digital Media Centre (DMC) will support the competition by making technological wizardry and remote meteorological computational bric-a-brac available to the contestants via The Green Button.

Monthly rewards for the most accomplished and acclaimed entries will be selected by Grordbort Industries and InterGrid lackeys. The supreme over-achiever and celebrated winner shall be announced in the month of October and the Grand Prize is a trip to New Zealand to meet Richard Taylor Esq. and Greg Broadmore (the Buffoon) at Weta Workshop, the designated manufacturing facility for some of Grordbort Industries’ designs.

For more competition ephemera, please visit raygunshootout.com.

But that is certainly not all! Create your own Alien!

Weta and frisky fresh-faced fraternisation phenomenon Frenzoo are likewise launching a competition. The honour here will be bestowed upon those who create the most outrageous extra-terrestrial life forms and far-off lands. Again in more than just a handful of dimensions. All and sundry can enter this contest and contestants could win monthly prizes from the Weta range of trinkets and collectibles.

For more information, visit frenzoo.com.

Go forth and create! Hazzaah!

Read the full press release in 21st Century English — PDF file (53kb)