Category: Comics

Abrams ComicArts at San Diego Comic-Con

from ABRAMS:

ABRAMS and Abrams ComicArts at San Diego Comic-Con July 21-25, 2010

Author Panels and Signings, Sneak Peeks at Upcoming Titles, and Exciting Giveaways! Visit Booth #1216!

ABRAMS will once again have a strong presence at San Diego Comic-Con 2010, just two years after launching the Abrams ComicArts imprint. Critically acclaimed books such as Matt Groening’s The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis, The Topps Company’s Wacky Packages New New New, Todd Hignite’s The Art of Jaime Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death, and Dan Nadel’s Art in Time: Unknown Comic Book Adventures, 1940-1980 have helped make this year at Abrams ComicArts a resounding success.

Still to come this fall on the Abrams ComicArts list are: Archie Marries… by Michael Uslan; Jerry Robinson: Ambassador of Comics by N. C. Christopher Couch; The Night Bookmobile, an original graphic novel by Audrey Niffenegger; The Horror! The Horror! Comic Books the Government Didn’t Want You to Read! by Jim Trombetta; Shazam! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear; and Krazy Kat & the Art of George Herriman: A Celebration edited by Craig Yoe.

Other fall ABRAMS books of interest include: Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Writers and Artists Who Made the National Lampoon Insanely Great by Rick Meyerowitz; Faeries: Deluxe Collectors Edition by Brian Froud and Alan Lee; Star Trek: The Original Series 365 by Paula M. Block with Terry J. Erdmann; The Art of Avatar by Jody Duncan and Lisa Fitzpatrick; Kidrobot’s I Am Plastic, Too: The Next Generation of Designer Toys by Paul Budnitz; and Star Wars: Visions with a foreword by George Lucas. All of these upcoming books will be represented at the Abrams ComicArts booth (#1216). Abrams ComicArts will hold several in-booth signings and has organized panels for this year’s show. Check the schedule below for dates and times.

The Abrams ComicArts booth will also have exciting GIVEAWAYS including: posters of The Art of Jaime Hernandez, Faeries, The Night Bookmobile, and Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater; DVDs of The Horror! The Horror!; reading group guides of The TOON Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics; and playing cards of Jerry Robinson’s concept sketch for the Joker. For Comic-Con Kids’ Day on Sunday, July 25, there will be several fun giveaways from the ABRAMS children’s imprint Amulet including: Diary of a Wimpy Kid water bottles, bookmarks, and tattoos; and galleys for Barry Deutsch’s upcoming graphic novel Hereville and Michael Buckley’s N.E.R.D.S. Book Two: M is for Mama’s Boy. In addition, Jason Shiga will be signing copies of his bestselling graphic novel Meanwhile.

Abrams ComicArts Signings
Booth #1216

Thursday, July 22
1-2:00 pm, Ethen Beavers, N.E.R.D.S. Book Two: M Is for Mama’s Boy
2-3:00 pm, Chip Kidd, Shazam! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal

Friday, July 23
11-12:00 noon, Brian and Wendy Froud, The Heart of Faerie Oracle
3-4:00 pm, Jaime Hernandez and Todd Hignite, The Art of Jaime Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death

Saturday, July 24
10-11:00 am, Jaime Hernandez and Todd Hignite, The Art of Jaime Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death
2:30-3:30 pm, Lela Lee, Angry Little Girls, Angry Little Girls in Love
4-5:00 pm, Brian and Wendy Froud, The Heart of Faerie Oracle

Sunday, July 25
2-3:00 pm, Jason Shiga, Meanwhile

Abrams ComicArts Panels

Friday, July 23
1:30-2:30 pm, Spotlight on Jerry Robinson, Room 9
One of the true legends of comics, Comic-Con special guest Jerry Robinson is a writer, artist, historian, curator, and creator rights activist. Jerry discusses his seventy years in comics — from his contributions to the Batman mythos to the creation of the Joker and development of Robin, Alfred, Penguin, Scarecrow, and Two-Face. Jerry is interviewed by Michael Uslan, the executive producer of the Batman movies, comics historian, and author of upcoming Archie Marries… (Abrams ComicArts). In their discussion, Robinson and Uslan will take the audience from behind the scenes of the Golden Age of comics to the filming of The Dark Knight and Jerry’s latest book projects including the upcoming Jerry Robinson: Ambassador of Comics (Abrams ComicArts).

4-5:00 pm, Krazy Kat’s 100th Anniversary Celebration!, Room 4
An exclusive multimedia show of unpublished strips, drawings, and paintings presented by Craig Yoe, author of Krazy + Ignatz in Tiger Tea (IDW) and the upcoming Krazy Kat & the Art of George Herriman: A Celebration (Abrams ComicArts). The panel will explore a century of Krazy-ness, with Greg Goldstein (IDW), R. C. Harvey (The Art of the Funnies), Charles Kochman (executive editor, Abrams ComicArts), Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics), and Peter Maresca, (editor/publisher, Sunday Press Books). Plus a thrilling bonus: a never-before-seen home movie of Krazy’s creator, George Herriman.

Saturday, July 24
11:30-12:30 pm, Shazam! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, Room 9
Author/designer Chip Kidd (Mythology, Bat-Manga, Rough Justice), author/producer Michael Uslan (Archie Marries…), and Charles Kochman (executive editor, Abrams ComicArts) celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Big Red Cheese in this panel and slideshow discussion celebrating Kidd’s upcoming fall release from Abrams ComicArts, Shazam! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal.

Follow us on Twitter: @abramscomicarts
abramscomicarts.com

Dark Horse to Give First Look at “Mass Effect: Evolution” at Comic-Con!

from Dark Horse Comics:

Following the incredible success of Dark Horse Comics’ Mass Effect: Redemption, the publisher will join forces again with BioWare, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc., for an all-new comic book series based on the blockbuster sci-fi action videogame Mass Effect 2 that sold two million copies in its first week and earned a 96% score on the industry-watched review aggregator Metacritic. Scheduled to launch on January 19, 2011, Mass Effect: Evolution will take fans to a new corner of the Mass Effect universe, shedding light for the first time on the origin of the Illusive Man and the founding of his black-ops outfit, Cerberus.

Mass Effect: Evolution reunites the creative team of Redemption with Mac Walters, Lead Writer of Mass Effect 2 and the upcoming Mass Effect 3, writing the story and bringing his unmatched understanding of Mass Effect’s characters to the comics. Walters is joined by John Jackson Miller (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, The Invincible Iron Man), who scripts the series, and Omar Francia (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2), who returns as artist. The team will be joined by Massimo Carnevale (Y: The Last Man, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), who provides stunning painted covers.

“It’s exciting to be working once again with Dark Horse and the creative team from Redemption,” Walters said. “I really enjoyed taking this series in a darker, grittier direction — a fact that’s reflected in Massimo’s outstanding covers. I’m sure fans of the universe and comics alike will enjoy this new glimpse into the Mass Effect universe!”

“Our first Mass Effect series exceeded all expectations,” Dark Horse Publisher Mike Richardson said. “We’re very excited about continuing the adventures of these great characters and working with the great folks at EA.”

The four-issue series offers the most revealing glimpse to date of humans’ first steps into the wider universe of Mass Effect. Opening in a time of war, Evolution introduces a younger and very different Illusive Man, fighting to maintain human autonomy from alien interference, a cause that takes him behind enemy lines and into conflict with some of Mass Effect’s most dangerous figures. His journey from dissident to power broker presents new insights into the Mass Effect saga for existing fans, while the focus on the earliest days of Cerberus provides a riveting story of action and intrigue for sci-fi readers of all stripes.

Dark Horse will be revealing more about the series and cover art from issue #1 at San Diego Comic-Con International. Comic-Con attendees should head to the “Video Game Comics — The Next Big Thing” panel on Thursday, July 22 at 1 p.m. in Room 5AB or the “Dark Horse Comics: Make Contact in 2010” panel on Friday, July 23 at 11:30 a.m. in Room 3 for more!

Serenity: Who is Shepherd Book?

from Things from Another World:

One of Serenity‘s greatest mysteries is finally revealed in Shepherd’s Tale, filling in the life of one of the show’s most beloved characters — Shepherd Book!

Who was Book before meeting Mal and the rest of the Serenity crew, how did he become one of their most trusted allies, and how did he find God in a bowl of soup? Answers to these and more questions about Book’s past are uncovered in this original graphic novel by rising stars Zack Whedon (Dr. Horrible, Terminator, Fringe) and Chris Samnee (Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps, Daredevil).

A pivotal chapter in the ongoing Serenity saga, Shepherd’s Tale is also a rollicking, action-packed epic in its own right!

Order Your Copy Today

See Other Serenity Products

Lady Robotika: Message from Jane & Bill

from Lady Robotika:

Dear Lady Fanatikas,
(I made that term up and if anyone has a better idea PLEASE tell me, I’m all ears.)

Today is the BIG DAY! Lady Robotika Issue One: “Slaveship to the Stars!” hits the stores today! Finally, your three year long nightmare of waiting is over. Heh heh.

We are so dang grateful to those of you that pre-ordered, as the pre-orders are what the pubisher will use to determine whether or not our series will keep getting made. If you didn’t get a chance to pre-order, you may still be able to find Issue One somewhere if you scramble! We hope you do track a copy down, because we LOVE Lady Robotika and think you will too.

Anyway, ENJOY!! Can’t WAIT to hear what you think, and please don’t forget to pre-order Issues Two and Three if you can. The Origins story is a six issue tale, and we want you to be able to read all of it!

Please come visit us at one of our signings, listed below.
Thank you and lots of love,
Jane & Bill

ladyrobotika.com

• July 16 — Book Signing
Noon-2pm and 4-6pm
Atlantis Fantasyworld
1020 Cedar St.
Santa Cruz, California 95060

• July 17 — Book Signing
5pm-7pm
Whatever Store
548 Castro St.
San Francisco, California 94114

• July 22 — Comic-Con
3:00-4:00pm: Fractured Fables (Doug TenNapel, Phil Hester, Bill Morrison, Derek McCulloch, Anthony Peruzzo, Ben Templesmith, Ted McKeever, Camilla D’Errico)

• July 23 — Comic-Con
o 11:00-12:00pm: Jane Wiedlin, Bill Morrison, Jim Silke
o 4:00-5:00pm: Jane Wiedlin, Bill Morrison, Jim Silke
o Eisner Awards — Bill Morrison (host)

• July 24 — Comic-Con
3:00-4:00pm: Jane Wiedlin, Bill Morrison, Jim Silke

• July 26 — Lady Robotika release party & San Diego Comic-Con after-party!
7pm-10pm
Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90046

Dark Horse and Red Bull’s Chinashop Magazine Launch #NotAtComicCon Campaign!

from Dark Horse Comics:

On July 24th fifty-five comic book shops across the country will host unique parties in conjunction with ChinaShop Magazine and Dark Horse Comics to celebrate the highly dedicated culture of sequential art during the weekend of San Diego Comic-Con.

Branded #NotAtComicCon, based on the Twitter hash-tag those unable to attend San Diego Comic-Con have been using, fifty-five participating stores will create a fun and creative atmosphere where free drinks and over $200 worth of Dark Horse prizes will be available. In addition, Dark Horse Comics will make an exclusive announcement to fans at participating stores before releasing the special information to crowds in San Diego.

Fans looking to participate in the unprecedented, nation-wide event can find a comic book shop in their area on the following site:

http://www.darkhorse.com/Blog/34/notatcomiccon

Plus, during the week of July 19th, ChinaShopMag.com will feature interviews with well-established comic creators who aren’t attending San Diego Comic-Con to get their insight into the larger community rarely talked about in mainstream news outlets.

Fans are also encouraged to use the hash-tag “#notatcomiccon” when talking about the event to show the world the fun comic fans have even outside the largest pop-culture convention. For more updates, follow @notatcomiccon and @chinashopmag on Twitter.

VIZ Media Announces Exciting Personal Appearances, Activities and Show Exclusives for 2010 Comic-Con International

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 an exciting roster of personal appearances, panel discussions, events, giveaways and convention exclusives for 2010 Comic-Con International. Comic-Con is the nation’s largest comic book and science fiction event, and takes place July 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center, California. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 2813.

Fans won’t want to miss a very special opportunity to meet comics and pop culture icon Stan Lee, co-creator along with Hiroyuki Takei (Shaman King) of the groundbreaking Ultimo manga series (rated “T” for Teens), on Saturday, July 24th. Mr. Lee will be a special guest at the Shonen Jump Panel, scheduled at 10:30AM in Room #9, where fans will get the latest manga and anime news and on-the-spot surprises, including a special Ultimo button for all attendees. Mr. Lee will also make an in-person appearance at the VIZ Media booth for a signing session of Ultimo Volume 2 at 1:15pm.

Vampire Knight (rated “T+” for Older Teens) is the newest anime series to captivate fans and is based on the smash hit manga series by Matsuri Hino, also published by VIZ Media. To celebrate the release of DVD Volume 1, the company is pleased to welcome as guests the talented voice actors Mela Lee (Yuki), Vic Mignogna (Zero) and Ethan Murray (Kaname) on Friday, July 23rd. Catch Vic Mignogna in the VIZ Media booth at 11:00am, where he will host the Vampire Knight trivia game. The festivities continue at 1:00pm, where fans will have the opportunity to meet the three voice actors at an in-booth signing session. Round out the day at the Vampire Knight Panel, at 3:30pm in Room #9, where Vampire Knight manga editor Nancy Thistlethwaite and the Vampire Knight voice actors will have an in-depth discussion of the edgy gothic romantic drama. There will also be a raffle, featuring exclusive prizes, for fans who come dressed in their best Vampire Knight costume.

The VIZ Media booth will be an exciting destination on the show floor for fans, with exclusive products available for purchase during special times throughout the show (attendees should check the digital signboard at the front of the booth for the daily schedule). For the Naruto: Shippuden fan, there will be a Naruto: Shippuden Limited Edition Sage Naruto Figure from Toynami and straight-from-Japan full-color reproduction Naruto: Shippuden animation cels (from Digital Manga) featuring favorite characters Naruto and Sasuke. Two special Vampire Knight bundles will be offered: Vampire Knight anime DVD Volume 1 with a Cross Academy armband set, and a set of 6 collectable Vampire Knight pins (armband and pins both from Great Eastern). Also available will be a bundle featuring One Piece Volume 54 (rated “T” for Teens) and One Piece Limited Edition Luffy Mallow (from FUNimation and Shocker Toys), and exclusive Bleach iPhone 3G/3GS cell phone cases from France in two designs featuring Ichigo and Toshiro.

VIZ Media will be offering a variety of fun activities at the booth this year. Fans can pose with their favorite Vampire Knight or Kekkaishi anime characters in a special photo area. Test your knowledge in the Naruto and Bleach trivia games. Try the fan-favorite claw catcher game to snag fun Naruto: Shippuden or Bleach prizes. Everyone’s a winner at the VIZ Media Treasure Trove, where players grab a coin to exchange for cool prizes. Fans can sample the video game area, featuring Namco Bandai Games America with a preview of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 (Rated “T” for Teen) for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Scan your badge to enter to win a Naruto Shippuden-branded PSP game system and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 (Rated “T” for Teen) for the PSP (no purchase necessary), and get a Bandai collectible card good for three free Naruto Shippuden episodes on the PlayStation Network.

The VIZ Media collectable tote bag is back in a brand new color for 2010 — get your free bag to see what series are featured this year. Other giveaways include Biomega posters, VIZ Media Bling, Vampire Knight manga samplers, and much more while supplies last!

Finally, VIZ Media is proud to have three manga titles — Oishinbo (rated “T” for Teens), by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki; Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka (rated “T+” for Older Teens), by Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki, Macoto Tezka and Tezuka Productions; and Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys (rated “T+” for Older Teens), by Naoki Urasawa — nominated for 5 awards for the 2010 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards, which are considered the Oscars of the comic book industry. 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. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel on the evening of Friday, July 23rd.

For more up-to-date information on VIZ Media’s activities at San Diego Comic-Con International, visit VIZAnime.com/comiccon.

VIZ Media Announces Special New Promotion for “InuYasha” Feature Films and TV Episodes Available from iTunes, Hulu and VIZAnime.com

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media announces a new promotion for InuYasha episodes and feature films (all rated “T” for Teens) available now from the iTunes Store in the U.S. and Canada (iTunes.com), as well as the streaming content provider Hulu (Hulu.com) and VIZAnime.com, the company’s premier website for anime.

iTunes will offer the first three InuYasha feature films (dubbed) — InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time, InuYasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass, and InuYasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler, for a special Download-To-Own (DTO) sale price of $4.99 (U.S.) each until August 3rd. Additionally, InuYasha TV episode 1 is available to download for FREE, and episodes 2-167, covering Seasons 1-7, will be 50% off and available for iTunes users to download for only $0.99 each.

Hulu will stream InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time (subtitled) for free until August 11th; it will also be available during the same period on VIZAnime.com, the free-to-use interactive web destination that is the permanent home to some of the company’s best-loved animated series.

InuYasha is a hit TV anime series is based on a massively popular manga (also published by VIZ Media, rated “T+” for Older Teens) by famed creator Rumiko Takahashi, who won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for the series in 2002. Many of Takahashi’s titles have been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. The InuYasha anime series ran for 167 episodes in total and has also spawned an exciting finale series, InuYasha: The Final Act (also available on VIZAnime.com), as well as several successful feature films.

InuYasha
When an enchanted well draws her into the past, Kagome, an ordinary modern schoolgirl, finds her destiny tied to the doglike half-demon InuYasha and a mythical gem called the Shikon Jewel, or “Jewel of Four Souls,” of which the smallest shard can grant the user unimaginable power. Throughout their quest to restore the shattered Shikon Jewel, InuYasha and Kagome have never faced an enemy more deadly or more cunning than the demon mastermind Naraku. With the Shikon Jewel nearly whole and in Naraku’s hands, the race to collect the remaining shards intensifies and a battle of epic proportions is brewing on the horizon…

InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time
200 years ago, InuYasha’s father sealed away a powerful demon from a foreign land named Hyoga. A Shikon Jewel shard awakens Hyoga’s son, Menomaru, inspiring him to absorb the remains of his father’s power to take control of the world! It’s now up to InuYasha and his friends to stop this nearly invincible foe!

InuYasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
With their greatest foe seemingly defeated, InuYasha and his friends return to their lives. But their short period of peace is once again shattered as a new enemy begins to emerge. Kaguya, the self-proclaimed Princess from the Moon of legend, begins a plan to plunge the world into a perpetual night of the full moon. InuYasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippo must once again unite to face a new threat.

InuYasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler
Many years ago, the Great Dog Demon wielded the Three Swords of the Fang. Upon his death, he bequeathed a sword to each of his sons, InuYasha and Sesshomaru, leaving the third sword, the wrath-filled Sounga, locked away forever. Now that the Sounga’s power has been awakened, these two battling brothers must put away their sibling rivalry and face off against the force that spells doom for all mankind.

To learn more about the InuYasha anime and manga series, please visit VIZAnime.com or ShonenSunday.com.

Comic Book Icon Stan Lee to Make a Los Angeles Personal Appearance to Celebrate His Newest Co-Creation “Ultimo”

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media has announced a very special personal appearance by comic book legend Stan Lee on Friday, June 16th at 7:00pm at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles, located at 189 Grove Drive Suite K 30, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Lee is the co-creator of comics’ most iconic superheroes including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. His Barnes & Noble appearance celebrates the release of Volume 2 of his latest co-creation — Ultimo, and he will be autographing copies of Ultimo Volumes 1 and 2.

Ultimo (rated “T” for Teens) is a historic East-meets-West collaboration between Lee and famed Japanese manga creator, Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular Shaman King series. Ultimo, Volume 2 is available in stores now and is also serialized in VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump Magazine.

VIZ Media will also welcome Stan Lee for a special appearance in the company’s booth #2813 on Saturday, July 24th at Comic-Con International 2010, the nation’s largest comic book convention taking place in San Diego, California.

The Ultimo back-story: High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, who seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? In Volume 2, with girl and money troubles, life is hard enough for high school student Yamato, but then he stumbles upon Ultimo, a peculiar-looking puppet. Things only get stranger when Ultimo awakens and his archenemy, Vice, shows up. Ultimo and Vice are Karakuri Dôji, the mechanical embodiment of pure good and pure evil, devoid of human emotions that can cloud one’s judgment. Their purpose: to battle to the death to prove once and for all whether good or evil is the most powerful force in the universe.

For more information on Ultimo please visit Ultimo.viz.com or shonenjump.com.

VIZ Media and POW! Entertainment Welcome “Ultimo” Co-Creator Stan Lee for a Personal Appearance at 2010 Comic-Con International

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), and POW! Entertainment (POW!) are proud to welcome comic book legend Stan Lee for a special signing at the VIZ Media booth #2813 on Saturday, July 24th, at Comic-Con International 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

Stan Lee will appear at the VIZ Media booth at the nation’s largest comic book convention to help celebrate the release of Ultimo Volume 2. Ultimo (rated “T” for Teens) is the historic collaboration between Stan Lee and famed Japanese manga creator Hiroyuki Takei, and has been serialized in Shonen Jump Magazine since its debut in 2009. Volume 2 is available in stores now. Starting at 4PM on Thursday, July 22nd, and Friday, July 23rd, the first 60 fans to purchase Ultimo Volume 2 at the VIZ Media booth each day will receive a ticket to have their copy personally autographed by Mr. Lee on Saturday, July 24th, at 1:15PM.

VIZ Media will also welcome Stan Lee as a special guest at the Shonen Jump panel, scheduled for Saturday, July 24th, from 10:30-11:30AM in Room 9.

Ultimo represents a rare East-meets-West production between comics legend Stan Lee, co-creator of many iconic superheroes including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, and Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular Shaman King manga series, published in Japan by Shueisha and in North America by VIZ Media.

The Ultimo back-story: High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, who seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? In Volume 2, with girl and money troubles, life is hard enough for high school student Yamato, but then he stumbles upon Ultimo, a peculiar-looking puppet. Things only get stranger when Ultimo awakens and his archenemy, Vice, shows up. Ultimo and Vice are Karakuri Dôji, the mechanical embodiment of pure good and pure evil, devoid of human emotions that can cloud one’s judgment. Their purpose: to battle to the death to prove once and for all whether good or evil is the most powerful force in the universe.

For over half a century, Stan Lee has been synonymous with superhero comics. In addition to co-creating countless memorable series and characters, including Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Daredevil, he served as the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Lee remains a hugely respected and dynamic figure in the entertainment industry and continues to develop a variety of film, television and video game properties.

“We are extremely honored to have a legend of Stan Lee’s stature as a guest at the VIZ Media booth for a special signing at Comic-Con this year,” says Christopher Boily, Shonen Jump Editor-In-Chief. “The groundbreaking collaboration of the Ultimo manga has been a great success, and we are also extremely excited to welcome Mr. Lee as a guest at this year’s Shonen Jump panel in celebration of the release of Volume 2 of Ultimo!”

Stan Lee and his producing partner Gill Champion’s company, POW! Entertainment, worked with VIZ Media parent company Shueisha, and with JEA and Dream Ranch to facilitate the development of Ultimo. Champion, POW!’s COO and President, says, “Fans won’t want to miss Ultimo Volume 2 as more of the mysteries surrounding the Karakuri Dôji are finally explained. The characters that Stan and Hiroyuki Takei have created together are both classic and unique at the same time, with many different aspects that both manga and American comic fans will enjoy!”

For more information on Ultimo, Shonen Jump and VIZ Media please visit Ultimo.viz.com or shonenjump.com. You can also stay up-to-date on all Shonen Jump happenings by following ShonenJump on Twitter.

New Fiction and Other Fun Offerings from Tor.Com

from Tor.com:

It’s No Small Offering
But it is “Small Offerings,” a short story by Nebula and LOCUS Award-winning writer Paolo Bacigalupi. Originally published in Pump Six and Other Stories, and like many of the stories in that collection, “Small Offerings” takes us to a near future where… well… I really don’t want to spoil Paolo’s beautifully-timed reveals. Suffice it to say I’m glad it’s not the future yet.

Baby, Don’t Hurt Me
Whether you’re a terminally clumsy teenager with a thing for a terminally moody vampire or just an average couple living on Mockingbird Lane, Scott Brundage says that love is love.

WANTED!
Ross McDonald, for the crime of being totally awesome. An artist and letterpress enthusiast, Ross makes paper props for movies, most recently the wanted poster for Jonah Hex, featuring Josh Brolin’s scarred-up mug. He takes us through his process and his discussions with the studio as well as some history on wanted posters.

As Long As Mark Wahlberg Doesn’t Cover It…
Jason Heller has been finding us a lot of lesser-known science fictional musical gems, and this week, it’s Jermaine Jackson’s “Escape from the Planet of the Ant Men.” Overshadowed by “Thriller” and sadly lacking a cool music video — perhaps one could be mixed from Star Trek and Them! — the song is an unabashed tribute to classic science fiction, and only one example of this Jackson’s attempts to fuse SF and pop music.

AHH!
The frogs have taken over Dan Goldman’s Red Light Properties!

Rewatch Central
This week on Torie Atkinson and Eugne Myers’ Star Trek rewatch, the Enterprise crew faces  “The Ultimate Computer.” (And then Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was like, “Nuh uh.”)

Reread Corner
Leigh Butler has reached the heights! She wraps up The Path of Daggers with chapter 28 and chapters 29-31; the reread index is here.

In The Lord of the Rings reread, Kate Nepveu takes us to “The Houses of Healing.”

Fun factoid:
The epic Isner-Mahut tennis match at Wimbledon lasted longer than all three Lord of the Rings theatrical releases; by the time Isner won, after eleven hours and five minutes of play, they were just twenty minutes short of lasting as long as the special editions. That’s some serious warrior spirit.

VIZ Media Simulcasts Exclusive New Anime Series “Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan” on VIZAnime.com

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 launch of a brand new anime series — Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan — on VIZAnime.com, the company’s premier website for anime. The first subtitled episode of the new fantasy action-adventure series about a junior high school student that is part human and part yokai (supernatural demon), premiered for free after the series debut in Japan; free new episodes will be simulcast mere hours after it airs in Japan each Monday.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, based on the best selling Nurarihyon no Mago manga series in Japan, is being offered under the Shonen Jump imprint, home to other exciting properties including Bleach and Naruto. While the day belongs to humans, the night belongs to yokai, supernatural creatures that thrive on human fear. Caught between these worlds is Rikuo Nura. He’s three-quarters human, but his grandfather is none other than Nurarihyon, the supreme commander of the Nura clan, a powerful yokai consortium. So, Rikuo is an ordinary teenager three quarters of the time, until his yokai blood awakens. Then he transforms into the future leader of the Nura clan, leading a hundred demons.

“We are pleased to expand the line-up on VIZAnime.com with the exclusive simulcast of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, reaffirming our commitment to bringing the latest series from Japan,” says Ken Sasaki, Senior Vice President & General Manager of VIZ Media. “We are excited for fans to explore the fantastic world of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, and share their thoughts and start discussions through the social network features of VIZAnime.com!”

VIZAnime.com is a free-to-use web destination that is now the permanent home to some of the company’s best-loved animated series. Over 1,100 episodes are currently available, and new content is added on a weekly basis. Series currently featured on VIZAnime.com include Bleach, Buso Renkin, Death Note, Honey and Clover, Hikaru no Go, InuYasha, InuYasha: The Final Act, Kekkaishi, Nana, Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, One Piece and The Prince of Tennis.

To view subtitled Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan animated episodes (rated “T” for Teens) and other VIZ Media animated titles, please visit VIZAnime.com.