Dark Horse to Kick Off New Gold Key Comics Program at C2E2!

from Dark Horse Comics:

Dark Horse and Classic Media announced today that this weekend’s C2E2 convention will be the launch for the much-anticipated new Gold Key Comics program. Fans will have the chance to meet Dark Horse President Mike Richardson and creator Jim Shooter, and gain insider information on what to expect from this summer’s upcoming releases. News of the line was first announced at San Diego Comic Con International 2009, and fans have been anxiously awaiting details ever since.

“Jim and I share a great affection for these terrific characters. We have some very exciting ideas on how to introduce them to a whole new generation of fans.” said Mike Richardson, president of Dark Horse Comics. “C2E2 is just the beginning.”

“I’ve done this long enough to know when it feels right — and it does — so there’s a chance, at least, that it is. I stand on the shoulders of giants like Manning, Newman and Du Bois,” said Jim Shooter. “On top of that I’ve had terrific support from Mike Richardson and Senior Editor Chris Warner, plus great art from Bill Reinhold and Dennis Calero. Overture, curtain, lights…!”

In addition, throughout the C2E2 weekend, Dark Horse will announce the creative teams and more titles in the works for Gold Key. Then, the new line will kick off in print only a few weeks later, on Saturday, May 1st, as part of Free Comic Book Day, and fans can look for exciting promotional Apps on iTunes in early May.

Doctor Solar, the first title in the line, will arrive in stores this summer!

Fantastic Adventures and Alien Worlds Await in Four New Science Fiction Releases from VIZ Media’s Haikasoru Imprint

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 four new science fiction novels under its Haikasoru imprint. Slum Online, by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, and The Stories of Ibis, by Hiroshi Yamamoto, will hit stores on April 20th. Loups-Garous, by Natsuhiko Kyogoku, and The Next Continent, by Issui Ogawa, will be released on May 18th.

Haikasoru publishes some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences. The imprint launched in North America with a dedicated focus on Japanese science fiction.

Slum Online by Hiroshi Sakurazaka
Price: $13.99 U.S. / CAN $18.99
Available April 20

Etsuro Sakagami is a college freshman who simply drifts through life, but when he logs on to the combat MMO Versus Town, he becomes Tetsuo, a karate champ on his way to becoming the most powerful martial artist around. While his relationship with new classmate Fumiko goes nowhere, Etsuro spends his days and nights online in search of the invincible Ganker Jack. Drifting between the virtual and the real, will Etsuro ever be ready to face his most formidable opponent?

Author Hiroshi Sakurazaka published his first novel, Wizards Web, in 2003. His 2004 short story, “Saitama Chainsaw Massacre,” won the 16th Japan SF Magazine Reader’s Award and he has also been nominated for the prestigious Seiun Award, a Japanese literary honor that recognizes exemplary science fiction. Sakurazaka’s other novels include Characters (co-written with Hiroki Azuma) and All You Need Is Kill (also published in English by Haikasoru).

The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto
Price: $15.99 U.S. / CAN $19.99
Available April 20

In a world where humans are a minority and androids have created their own civilization, a wandering storyteller meets the beautiful android, Ibis. She tells him seven stories of human/android interaction in order to reveal the secret behind humanity’s fall. The tales Ibis tells are science fiction stories about the events surrounding the development of artificial intelligence in the 20th and 21st centuries. At a glance, these stories do not appear to have any sort of connection, but what is the true meaning behind them? What are Ibis’s real intentions?

Hiroshi Yamamoto was born in 1956 in Kyoto and began his career as a writer and game designer. He gained popularity with titles such as February at the Edge of Time and the Ghost Hunter series. Yamamoto’s first hardcover science fiction release, God Never Keeps Silent, became a sensation among science fiction fans and was nominated for the Japan SF Award. His other novels include Day of Judgment and The Unseen Sorrow of Winter. In addition to working as a writer, Yamamoto is active in several literary capacities serving as editor of various classic science fiction anthologies and as president of To-Gakkai, a group of tongue-in-cheek “experts” on the occult.

Loups-Garous by Natsuhiko Kyogoku
Price: $16.99 U.S. / CAN $23.00
Available May 18

In the near future, humans communicate almost exclusively through monitors connected to online networks — face-to-face meetings are rare and the surveillance state nearly all-powerful. Even school children are only allowed to meet in the flesh in designated communication centers. So when a serial killer starts slaughtering junior high students, the crackdown is harsh. And despite all the safeguards, the killer’s latest victim turns out to have been in contact with three young girls: Mio Tsuzuki, a certified prodigy; Hazuki Makino, a quiet but opinionated classmate; and Ayumi Kono, her best friend. As the girls get caught up in trying to find the killer — who just might be a werewolf — Hazuki learns that there is much more to virtual reality than meets the eye.

Natsuhiko Kyogoku has won many literary awards for his works including the 1996 Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Grave of Goblins, the 1997 Izumi Kyoka Award for Laughing Iuemon, the 2003 Yamamoto Shugoro Prize for Inquisitive Koheiji and the 2004 Naoki Prize for Going Around a Hundred Stories, the sequel. His novel, The Summer of the Ubume, was also published in English in 2009. In addition to working as a writer, Natsuhiko Kyogoku established his own design studio and still works as an art director, designer, and bookbinder for various projects. He’s also an expert in yokai (monsters and ghosts of Japanese folklore).

The Next Continent by Issui Ogawa
Price: $16.99 U.S. / CAN $23.00
Available May 18

The year is 2025 and Gotoba Engineering & Construction, a firm that has built structures to survive the Antarctic and the Sahara, has received its most daunting challenge yet. Sennosuke Toenji, the chairman of one of the world’s largest leisure conglomerates, wants a moon base fit for civilian use, and he wants his granddaughter Tae to be his eyes and ears on the harsh lunar surface. Tae and Gotoba engineer Aomine head to the moon where adventure, trouble, and perhaps romance waits.

Issui Ogawa is known as one of Japan’s most prominent science fiction writers. His 1996 debut, First a Letter from a Popular Place, won the Shueisha JUMP Novel Grand Prix. The Next Continent garnered the 35th Seiun Award. A collection of his short stories won the 2005 Best SF Poll and The Drifting Man, included in that collection, was awarded the 37th Seiun Award for domestic short stories. Ogawa’s other works include Land of Resurrection, Free Lunch Era, and The Lord of the Sands of Time (published by Haikasoru in 2009). Ogawa is also a principal member of the Space Authors Club.

For more information on Haikasoru please visit the dedicated website at haikasoru.com.

J!NX: We’re in yer Interwebz, Chattin’ With Strangrz

from J!NX:

New J!NX Classic Tee: Catroulette
Unless you live under a rock and never turn on the computer or television, you’ve most likely heard of Chatroulette and all of the… interesting strangers that can be found there. It seems like everyone is chatting: moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas… it’s only a matter of time before the pets are at it as well. You might even encounter one who will sing a song about you. I can has chatz?

Super-Colossal Sale is Super-Colossal!
We’d like to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone who took advantage of our epic Super-Colossal sale last week and made it one of our most successful sales ever! If you missed out on the sale this time, make sure you’re signed up for our weekly newsletter and are following us on Twitter and Facebook to receive notifications and sneak-peaks for all our upcoming sales and promotions!

Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess — “Instructions” Book Trailer

from HarperKids:

Check out an animated book trailer for Instructions, the new book from Newbery Medal winner Neil Gaiman and illustrator Charles Vess!

Find more Neil Gaiman videos, games and books at mousecircus.com.

Trust Dreams.
Trust your heart,
and trust your story.

A renowned storyteller whose words have transported readers to magical realms and an acclaimed illustrator of lushly imagined fairy-tale landscapes guide a traveler safely through lands unknown and yet strangely familiar…

…and home again.

New “Star Wars” Animated Series in the Works

from StarWars.com:

Lucasfilm Animation is currently developing an all-new animated Star Wars series, focusing its efforts on the comedic aspects of the “galaxy far, far away.” Featuring creative involvement from Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, creators and executive producers of the Emmy and Annie Award-winning Robot Chicken, as well as writing from The Daily Show‘s Brendan Hay, the series will look at the Saga’s characters with a playful and irreverent tone. The series will be produced by Daytime Emmy and Gemini Award-winner Jennifer Hill (The Backyardigans), and directed by Emmy-nominated Todd Grimes (Back at the Barnyard).

“There are so many stories taking place in the Star Wars universe, and they don’t all have to focus on the fate of the galaxy,” said Grimes. “We’re looking at Star Wars from a new perspective; this will be a glimpse at how the rest of the galaxy is affected by the events of the Saga. There’s a lot of humor to be mined from that.”

“The Star Wars universe is so dense and rich; it’s crazy to think that there aren’t normal, mundane everyday problems in a world so well-defined,” said Green. “And it’s even crazier to think of what those problems might be, since it’s all set in a galaxy far, far away. What do these characters do when they’re not overthrowing Empires?”

Said Senreich, “We’re going to pull back the curtain of some of those behind-the-scenes shenanigans. It’s going to appeal to all ages, the way Star Wars should — but there’ll be plenty buried under the surface, as well. As Obi-Wan might say, ‘it all depends on your point of view’.”

VIZ Media Nominated in Multiple Categories for the 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, announced today that three of its manga titles and one creator have been nominated in several categories for the 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for a total of 6 nominations, as announced by Comic-Con International on April 8, 2010.

Named for pioneering writer and comic artist Will Eisner, the awards recognize exemplary comics, graphic novels and other pop writings, and are given each year as part of the annual Comic-Con International convention. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on the evening of Friday, July 23rd during Comic-Con, at which VIZ Media will be a major exhibitor and participant in the programs offered. VIZ Media titles are consistently nominated for the Eisner Awards, and in 2008, took home the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material — Japan for Tekkonkinkreet: Black & White, by acclaimed creator Taiyo Matsumoto.

The nominated titles from VIZ Media are:

Oishinbo by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki

  • Best U.S. Edition of International Material — Asia

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki

  • Best Limited Series or Story Arc
  • Best U.S. Edition of International Material — Asia

Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa

  • Best Continuing Series
  • Best U.S. Edition of International Material — Asia

In addition, Naoki Urasawa is nominated for Best Writer/Artist, for his work on Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys and Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka. According to the nomination list, Urasawa-sensei is also the creator with the most nominations.

“We are so excited that VIZ Media again has several nominees in the coveted Eisner Awards,” states Alvin Lu, Vice President, Publishing VIZ Media. “These awards recognize excellence in the comics industry, and we are honored to be considered among such a diverse group of nominees.”

Oishinbo by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki
VIZ Signature
Rated “T” for Teens
Oishinbo (or “The Gourmet”) depicts the adventures of journalist Shiro Yamaoka, who writes for the fictional newspaper Tozai News. When the paper’s top executives decide to create “The Ultimate Menu” to celebrate the paper’s 100th anniversary, Yamaoka, known for his reputation as a foodie with culinary skills to match, is given the daunting assignment. With the help of his coworker Kurita, Yamaoka begins an epic saga to find unique and tasty dishes that will compose this ultimate bill of fare. The subject of the debut volume is classical Japanese cuisine, and features delicious stories on subjects like how to prepare a proper dashi (the broth that is one of the building blocks of Japanese cooking), green tea, and red snapper sashimi. Each subsequent volume of Oishinbo focuses on specific foods and culinary trends such as sake, sushi, vegetables, rice dishes, ramen, and izakaya (pub) food.

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki
VIZ Signature
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
(Nominated in Three Categories)
Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka is a modern reinterpretation of the work by the master of manga, Osamu Tezuka. In an ideal world where man and robots coexist, someone or something is after the seven great robots of the world. Interpol assigns robot detective Gesicht to this most strange and complex case — and he eventually discovers that he is one of the targets!

Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa
VIZ Signature
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
(Nominated in Three Categories)
Humanity, having faced extinction at the end of the 20th century, would not have entered the new millennium if it weren’t for them. In 1969, during their youth, they created a symbol. In 1997, as the coming disaster slowly starts to unfold, that symbol returns. This is the story of a group of boys who try to save the world.

The Slanket

The Slanket, Walk the Slank

Nearly everyone has heard of the Snuggie Cult by now, but “The Original Fleece Blanket with Sleeves!” was actually The Slanket. Slanket founder Gary Clegg came up with the idea in 1998 as he huddled in his freezing dorm room, bundled up in a sleeping bag with an arm hole ripped in it. His mother sewed the Slanket prototype soon after. Multiplying quickly as the popularity of its design spread, the innovative sleeved blanket soon turned into a pop culture phenomenon. A description on the packaging explains why it’s become an inevitable object of desire for geeks: “Reading, channel surfing, snacking, working on the computer, or playing video games; We’ve got you covered! Here at the warm world of Slanket, we take comfort Seriously!”

While the Snuggie only offers a handful of styles, The Slanket comes in a dazzling variety of colours and patterns. Plus, to make choosing a colour even more interesting, each Slanket has a colour-themed story associated with it. For example, the Moss Green Slanket is paired up with cryptozoology:

The cool temperate rain forests of the Pacific Northwest are home to the legendary Sasquatch, aka Bigfoot. Some speculate that Sasquatch is really the ancient ape, Gigantopithecus blacki. Either way we know one thing, when the beast kicks back after a night of roaming the lush forest, he snuggles in with a Moss Green Slanket. Comfort for every creature.

Some Slankets have punny, trademarked names, as well, like the Royale with Sleeves, a light purple robe fit for a fairy princess to lounge in:

Hear ye, hear ye! By proclamation of the Grand Wizard of Blankets, we hereby present our most magical Slanket to date. If you are traveling to exotic lands, fighting dragons, or rocketing around the galaxy, you’ll want to have your Royale with Sleeves Slanket. Protection against chills, monsters and laser beams! Plus, your hands are free, so piloting your space craft and waving your wand is easy. Space craft and wand not included. Please be a responsible adventurer and remember to share any ancient stock piles of gold with the less fortunate back home.

Walk the Slank, the first Slanket print produced, combines geek-chic black with a pirate theme for extra geek points:

Well this is a fine mess, a cutlass at my back prodding me out beyond the edge of the gunwale, and the swirling ocean below. If only my blunderbuss hadn’t misfired in the humid South China sea air… It wasn’t the water I feared, but the man eating sharks that followed the ship, feeding on the garbage thrown overboard, in this case, likely to be me. If I get out of this, I’ll never forget the mark on their flag… Walk the Slank.

One touch of The Slanket lets you know that this luxurious sleeved blanket is far superior to all of its imitators and cheap knock-offs. It’s made of a thick, super-soft fleece whose 100% polyester microfibers will survive multiple trips through the washing machine without pilling or getting that ratty look that fleece often does when it’s repeatedly washed. Stitching along the hems and seams is flawless, and durable enough to guarantee many years of use. The Slanket is also oversized to keep every inch of you warm, its overflow of material stretching well past your toes; you’ll start to feel the fleece’s cocooning warmth the moment you wrap up in it. (Slankets don’t have pockets for your hands, like the Snuggie Deluxe, but who really needs pockets on a blanket anyway?) The Slanket is so warm, in fact, that you can earn Eco-Geek points by turning the heat down or completely off while wearing it, saving money on your heating bill that could be better spent on things like DVDs and video games. Just one warning: when others see how cozy you are in your Slanket, they’ll immediately covet it, so it’s best to leave spares lying around to avoid having your own Slanket filched.

In addition to the standard Slanket, there’s a Kids Slanket for children and adults under five feet tall, a Travel Slanket that’s cut shorter than the regular 60″ x 95″ Slanket so you can wear it in public without tripping over the hem, and a double-occupancy Siamese Slanket. The Siamese Slanket seems to defeat the purpose of a blanket created for ease of mobility, but, if you’re snuggled up with the right person, it offers an obvious alternative benefit.

The Slanket isn’t all about self-centered creature comfort, though. Dedicated to humanitarian causes, the company is “Spreading the Warmth” by donating a portion of sales to charitable organizations. Currently, these include the H2O Africa Foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. It’s a corporate attitude that Clegg sums up in these terms:

Everyone behind the The Slanket is on the same level when it comes to life. Besides creating a product to make people comfortable and warm, our life goals are not to accumulate mansions, SUV’s, expensive watches and closets just for shoes. What we want in life is to travel the world and experience all its cultures while representing humanity positively. Whether surfing in Costa Rica, snowboarding in Austria, or studying language in South America and China, we love to spread our sleeves and let them flap in the wind, giving back in the process.

In case that doesn’t give you sufficient warm fuzzies, here’s the note that’s attached to shipping receipts:

Thank You for Your Slanket Order!

We value you as a customer and appreciate your business very much.

You are now part of the coalition of comfort. Our Slanket army has one top priority, to spread the warmth. Now that you have your Slanket sit back, relax, and enjoy it!

I hope you love yours as much as I love mine.
— Gary

A tag sewn on the right sleeve of The Slanket proclaims it “The Best Blanket Ever”, and it’s not an empty boast. After getting a Slanket, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without one.

Order directly through The Slanket website.

The Slanket is distributed by The Slanket and its international affiliates. For all the latest news and special offers, follow The Slanket on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, and sign up for their newsletter.

Riese is moving to SyFy!

Riese

from Riese:

We’re thrilled to announce that SyFy has licensed Riese! Full Press Release below:

Syfy remains on the forefront of cutting edge fantasy based digital entertainment with the acquisition of the highly acclaimed web series, Riese, it was announced today by Craig Engler, SVP and GM of Syfy Digital. Syfy Digital has acquired the rights to the entire 10-part series — which is distributed by Fireworks International, the television and digital distribution arm of ContentFilm plc — with an eye towards development for a broadcast air. Riese consists of two five-part episode seasons, with season two premiering fully for the first time exclusively on Syfy.com. Season one and two are both slated for a digital launch in the fall 2010.

“Riese is a fantastic web series with a lot of room to grow, and we’re excited to work with the very talented cast and crew to help them take the show to the next level, backed by the full promotional efforts that Syfy can bring to the table,” said Engler. “At the same time we’ll be working hand-in-hand with our TV development team to see if Riese has the potential to make the jump to TV, just like our hit show Sanctuary did.”

Riese recently scooped the Streamy Award for ‘Best Cinematography in a Web Series’ with a further three nominations for Best Sound Design, Best Foreign Series and Art Direction. The digital series starring Christine Chatelain (Sanctuary, Fringe), Sharon Taylor (Smallville, Eureka), Ben Cotton (Stargate Atlantis, Harper’s Island), and Patrick Gilmore (Fringe, Stargate Universe), was shot in Vancouver, BC, and is created by Ryan Copple and Kaleena Kiff and produced by Galen Fletcher and Nicholas Humphries.

Jonathan Ford, Executive Vice-President, Digital Acquisitions and Distribution at Fireworks International added, “Syfy is highly regarded in the digital community with a fantastic background in identifying and securing the best in new multiplatform content. We are delighted to announce this significant deal for the important US market and look forward to working with the Syfy team on the web series as well as developing Riese for television.”

Riese is a fantasy-adventure based web series that chronicles a mysterious wanderer named Riese, (portrayed by Chatelain). A life-on-the-run from a world with a dim future, Riese and her trusted wolf companion, Fenrir flee their dying land of Eleysia in search of freedom as they are hunted by assassins of ‘The Sect,’ a terrifying religious entity. As she tries to piece together her mysterious past, Riese will take on a life and death journey with the balance and the fate of the world lying in the palm of her hands.

About Fireworks International:

Fireworks International is Content Film’s international television and digital distribution division with over 3,000 hours of high-quality and commercially appealing programming including an extensive slate of major drama series, non-fiction entertainment, kids live action comedy and drama series, TV movies, mini-series and special event programming. Recent additions include comedic drama series, Republic of Doyle, primetime drama series, The Border and heart-warming family drama series, Heartland; non-fiction primetime documentary specials Hunting the Lost Symbol and I Know What I Saw; U.S. tween comedy The Assistants; high definition multi-platform thriller series Valemont, Girl Number 9 and Sci-Fi thriller, Riese; new children’s programmes Half Moon Investigations, Family Biz as well as the classic anime series, Robotech; plus over 200 U.S. network mini-series and TV movies; and specials including the Annual U.S. Primetime Emmy Awards show. This new product is combined with the large and valuable Fireworks library catalogue, which is complemented by a raft of formidable television shows including Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, Mutant X and Relic Hunter.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 95 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. Syfy. Imagine greater.

This all wouldn’t be possible without your support. Thank you so much for everything, as this is all thanks to you. We’ll keep you updated when we hear more news! And, let us know what you think on our forum!

-Ryan

Spring Cleaning! Save up to 75% on Official Merchandise at WBshop.com!

from WBShop.com:

Save up to 75% Off select Official Merchandise. Totes, Collectibles, T-Shirts and more!

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J!NX Super-Colossal Sale — Hurry, only 2 days Left! $7 off tees and more

from J!NX:

2 DAYS LEFT!
Many of you have been taking advantage of our biggest discounts ever. For the few who haven’t, you still have 2 days to take advantage of this amazing deal. Never before have we offered $7 off shirts and $15 off hoodies. Also, if you’ve been waiting to adopt a Talking Plush Murloc, now’s the best time, with adoption fees reduced to $25! This sale ends Friday @ 11:59pm EDT, so hurry up and get your order in! (Some restrictions apply, see our FAQs for details.)