Category: Books & Writing

VIZ Media Announces Encore Broadcasts of “Bleach” Feature Films on Adult Swim

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media has announced special encore presentations of two Bleach animated feature films — Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody and Bleach the Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion (both rated “T” for Teens) — on Saturday, August 14th on Adult Swim. Check local times for availability and airtimes (Bleach Show Schedule on Adult Swim).

Based on the wildly popular animated series and best-selling Bleach manga series, created by Tite Kubo (both distributed and published in North America by VIZ Media, and rated “T” for Teens), Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody begins as unidentified beings known as “Blanks” start popping up. They are soon followed by a Soul Reaper named Senna who makes them disappear. Puzzled by these unknown beings and the even more mysterious girl, Ichigo and Rukia set out to learn more, but uncover an evil plot when a menacing clan tries to kidnap Senna. Banished from the Soul Society long ago, the clan’s leader has sent the World of the Living and the Soul Society on a collision course, and Senna seems to be the key to his diabolical plot for revenge. Can Ichigo and his fellow Soul Reapers save the two worlds from annihilation?

Bleach the Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion continues the action-packed adventures of Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki. After the treasured Ouin is stolen, Toshiro Hitsugaya disappears and becomes suspected of treason. When the Soul Society calls for his capture and execution, Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki vows to prove Hitsugaya’s innocence. Will the secret of the Ouin and Captain Hitsugaya’s motives be revealed before his honor, his life, and the Soul Society are destroyed?

The Bleach manga and animated series follows the adventures of Ichigo, a 15-year old student with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow — a malevolent lost soul — Ichigo encounters Rukia, a Soul Reaper, and inadvertently absorbs her powers. Now, he’s dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace.

Bleach animation can be viewed on Adult Swim and also through a variety of web-based video download and streaming outlets that have partnered with VIZ Media, including iTunes, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Amazon, and Hulu. To view subtitled Bleach animated episodes for free online anytime, please visit VIZAnime.com.

More information on Bleach is available at Bleach.viz.com.

Shinigami Death Gods and the Hunt for a Serial Killer Conspire in New Blue-ray “Death Note Collection”

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, will debut the Blu-ray Death Note Collection on August 24th, 2010. The 3-disc set includes 2 feature films — Death Note and Death Note II: the Last Name — as well as a bonus disc containing more than two hours of all new behind-the-scenes footage. Both films feature Japanese audio with English subtitles as well as an English dubbed dialogue track. MSRP for the Death Note Collection is $39.98 U.S. / $57.99 CAN.

To celebrate the new release, VIZ Pictures will hold a special screening of both films at VIZ Cinema, located inside NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco’s Japantown (1746 Post St., San Francisco, California 94115) on Saturday, September 4th. Death Note plays at 12:00 noon and Death Note II screens at 2:30pm. Special combo tickets are available for $35.00 and include passes for the screenings, the Blu-ray release and a poster. Regular combo tickets are $15.00 for tickets for both shows (no Blu-ray or poster), while general admission for one screening is $10.00. Tickets and information are available at vizcinema.com.

As a special offer to U.S. and Canadian Death Note fans, VIZ Pictures will award three lucky winners posters for Death Note and Death Note II along with an autograph from one of the three lead actors — Tatsuya Fujiwara (who played Light), Erika Toda (Misa) and actor Kenichi Matusyama (L/Ryuzaki), one of the most promising actors in Japan, who can also be seen in films such as NANA (2006), Linda Linda Linda (2005) and Detroit Metal City (2008). The campaign runs until September 24th. For more details about the campaign, visit viz-pictures.com.

“Death Note is an intense psychological crime thriller and we’re very proud to debut both films in a special new collection on Blu-ray,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures. “Death Note established a new benchmark for Japanese anime, manga, and film and we invite domestic fans to savor all the tension and imaginative supernatural drama of this exciting new release from VIZ Pictures!”

Death Note is a battle of wits based on the acclaimed manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata (published in North America by VIZ Media, rated “T+” for Older Teens). Law student Light is upset with the justice system and when he finds the Death Note dropped by a Shinigami death god, he vows to rid the world of evil. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies. As criminals all over the world begin to perish mysteriously, a world-renowned detective known only as “L” is put on the case to stop this serial killer that the public calls “Kira”. The battle between Light and L continues in Death Note II: the Last Name as Light joins the investigation team. L suspects Light of being Kira while Light attempts to learn L’s real name. Time becomes even more crucial with the appearance of a second Kira. Whose name will be the last written in the Death Note?

For more information on Death Note or other VIZ Pictures titles, please visit viz-pictures.com.

Writing Tips from Alice Kuipers

The Worst Thing She Ever Did

I recently read The Worst Thing She Ever Did by Alice Kuipers. It’s the story of a young girl name Sophie who went through a traumatic event and is having trouble going on with her life after it. While my own traumatic events weren’t quite the same as Sophie’s, I could definitely identify with her struggle to express herself and find not only the missing words to do so but discover who she is now that everything in her life has changed.

The Worst Thing She Ever Did is a young adult novel written as Sophie’s journal, so you see inside her head, into what she’s thinking and feeling, as she attempts to open up on the blank pages. At first, the entries are brief with little detail of her daily life and they are spaced days apart. As the book continues, you see her slip a few bits and pieces of the past in as she more fully details her days.

Because a strong theme of the book is finding ways to get unstuck so you can open up and express yourself, I asked if Alice Kuipers could share a bit with us about how she gets unstuck and finds inspiration to get her lost words flowing again.

I’m really glad to be guest blogging for you. Thanks. You asked me to share a few writing tips and so I thought I’d blog a bit about how to get inspired when you’re stuck and you don’t know what to write. In my novel The Worst Thing She Ever Did, the main character, Sophie, is completely stuck with what to say in the face of her suffering. She is lost for words and until she gets unstuck she can’t move on to her future. Turns out, for her, writing is the way forward.

Writer’s block can be something quite terrifying. The blank page stares at you, or more likely the blank screen. That little cursor blinks impatiently. How do you get ideas? Well, there are lots of sources of inspiration so here are five ideas to get you unstuck and get writing.

  1. Read magazines and newspapers especially if you’re writing SciFi because thrilling and weird innovations and events will get your imaginative neurons firing. I saw an old article about giant sinkholes in Guatemala the other day — that could inspire anything from serious melancholy poetry to wild exotic fantasy.
  2. Think of a hero of yours and put them in a challenging situation. What would they do? The harder the challenge, the more difficult the situation, the better the story.
  3. Take a line from something you’re reading and use it to inspire you — it could be your first line for a story or the finishing line that you have to reach.
  4. Put on a piece of music you haven’t listened to for a while but that you used to love. Let the memories the tune inspires get you writing.
  5. Imagine you’ve left every thing and every one you know somewhere far away. You’re in a totally unknown place. Are you still you? What happens? Sometimes writing what you don’t know (as opposed to the old adage of writing what you know) can get you fired up and over being stuck.

Getting unstuck is one thing. But being inspired is just the start of discovering yourself as a writer. It took me several years to find the way I wanted to tell the stories I want to tell.

For me, taking my time was the best way to discover my voice, so I have one final piece of advice on finding your voice:

Experiment with every form and genre you can imagine (and read widely to discover forms you’d never heard of) until you find the one that suits you. You might surprise yourself and discover you’re a sound poet, or a comic playwright, or maybe you’re a screenwriter for children’s movies. The more you write, the more comfortable you’ll be in your writer skin.

I have loads more tips and prompts and links on my website alicekuipers.com for emerging writers.

Come and see me there!

Ali

More Alice Kuipers Links:
Browse Inside The Worst Thing She Ever Did
Alice Kuipers’ Official Website
Alice Kuipers’ HarperCollins Canada Website
Alice Kuipers on Twitter
Alice Kuipers on Facebook

Last Chance to Save on Celebration V Tickets

from StarWars.com:

Star Wars Celebration V is FINALLY HERE…

IT’S TIME for Star Wars Celebration V — kicking off THIS Thursday, August 12! Below are some last minute updates and a few pieces of information we think will be helpful when you arrive.

Last Chance to Save on Ticket Prices!
If you still haven’t purchased your ticket to Celebration V, don’t wait! Ticket prices will increase beginning THIS Wednesday, August 11 at 11:59 PM (ET). LAST chance to SAVE before ticket prices increase, be sure to buy your tickets TODAY!

Stay Connected with Us Onsite
From our blogs to our armada of social media outposts, we’ve set up a number of ways for you to get involved and keep up with us during Celebration V. Be sure to follow us on our social networks throughout all four days of the show and don’t forget to download the FREE Celebration V mobile app!

Follow Us on Facebook
Stalk Us on Twitter

Orlando 101
Have you given any thought to what you’ll do after the show each evening, and in your days in town before and after the convention? Need some help planning what to do? Orlando 101 is your comprehensive, friendly guide to the best restaurants, attractions and activities that will ensure your trip to a far-off galaxy (otherwise known as Central Florida) is nothing short of out of this world! We’re also thrilled to offer you and your family a variety of special offers and savings at select locations, all of which simply require a flash of your Celebration V show badge. View Your Orlando 101 Guide.

Shuttle Schedule and Parking Information
Star Wars Celebration V will be running shuttle busses between the Orange County Convention Center and select hotels in the official room block. Click here for the shuttle service schedule. Parking is available at the designated parking lots. Shuttles will be provided from the Orange County Convention Center owned and operated lots only. This shuttle schedule will also be available onsite. Click here for directions and designated parking locations.

Programming/Schedule Updates
We’ve updated the SWCV schedule again! Didn’t we just do that? Yeah. Why’d we update it again? We’ll be simulcasting The Main Event to these stages — Digital Stage, Behind-The-Scenes Stage, Celebration Fan Stage, Star Wars Fan Movie Stage, Collectors Stage, and the Star Wars Classroom. Be sure to check out the updated Main Stage FAQ.

Orlando Convention Aid
Orlando Convention Aid has partnered with Star Wars Celebration V to help attendees make the most of their time in Orlando! Check out their wide range of discounts on attractions, restaurants, golf, nightlife, transportation, shops and so much more! Click Here and learn more from the only website with a discount on every listing!

Star Wars Authors at Celebration
Star Wars Celebration welcomes guests from across the galaxy far, far away, and while we’ve talked a lot about the celebrities in front of and behind the camera, we wanted to give a little love to the talents that have brought Star Wars into the world of prose. Star Wars authors including Aaron Allston, Christie Golden, Troy Denning, Jason Fry, Daniel Wallace, Ryder Windham, Helen Keier, and Tom Angleberger will be appearing at the show, and you can get all the details about where and when right here.

Celebration V Fashion Shows
It’s time to experience the stylish side of the galaxy far, far away with the first ever Celebration Fashion Show! Hosted by Ashley Eckstein, voice of Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars, fans will have a chance to check out the latest and greatest fashions from Lucasfilm’s leading licensees. Models will strut their stuff on the convention floor in a Kids show at 1 PM and an Adult show at 4 PM both Friday and Saturday. Don’t miss the fun — you may even see a surprise guest model or two!

Weta: Photos, The Forum, Comic-Con: It’s all about the fans!

from Weta:

WotWots to screen on US TV!
We’re very pleased to announce that the WotWots have received the green light to be shown on The Hub, a joint venture between Discovery Channel and Hasbro which launches in the US on October 10. As soon as we have a definite start date — you’ll be the first to know!

See collectors’ own photos of Smaug the Golden
Smaug the Golden is now shipping in the US (and will be shortly in the rest of the world). The Weta Collectors on the forum (our most discerning customers) have some very nice things to say about it. Start reading at about page 25 (23 July) when the first few were opened by expectant fans.

Work to begin on Rivendell environment from The Lord of the Rings
We will shortly be starting the sculpting and modelmaking work on one of the more iconic locations from The Lord of the Rings — Rivendell. Home to Elrond and Arwen and the place where Aragorn was raised. We of course have the original miniatures that Weta’s artists built for the movies, so we’re not short of reference material. The discussions are already running hot on the forum in anticipation — join them! It’s free, it’s easy and they’re a very friendly bunch who welcome newcomers with open arms.

Photos from Comic-Con on our Facebook page
The ever-reliable David Tremont and Ri Streeter along with Shadow and Flame Centurion Charles Song have continually supplied us with great photos of fans and friends at Comic-Con. Have a look!

Two of the custom Dr. Grordbort’s guns from Comic-Con still available!
The Divine Ray and Der Adler are on their way back from Comic-Con and are looking for new owners! They are one-of-a-kind, hand painted right here at Weta Workshop by the same people who work on our movies. Those words spell: Collectible!

Please tell us — need a stand for your District 9 gun?
Would you like the option of a table stand for your District 9 gun? Tell us and we’ll see if there’s enough interest!

Weta Dollars — what are they?
In a nutshell? The more you spend, the more you save! We have a lot of new people reading our newsletters and I thought it timely to remind you that you get Weta Dollars when you buy from Weta’s website. For every US$100 you spend, you earn 10 Weta Dollars. These convert into real US$ off subsequent orders (if you so choose), saving you US$10 off that order. If you’ve spent US$500 in the last 12 months, you get promoted to Gold Collector and earn 15 Weta Dollars for every US$100 you spend. Read more about Weta Dollars!

Art of District 9 revealed
See some sneak preview pages of Weta’s Art of District 9 book, due for release in November! The author of the book, Daniel Falconer, has leaked a couple of spreads… and has promised to leak more… 🙂 Where? On the forum, of course!

Awesome fan photos and professional-looking montages
The Arc Generator from District 9 has started shipping in the US and it didn’t take long before our friend JESTER started slaying the local wildlife. Awesome effects, Jester! Check out more fan photos on our Facebook page and in our forums!

Venusian insects all but extinct!
We always start a new range of products with great anticipation, but when we launched the Venusian bug specimens in our Dr. Grordbort’s range, we have to admit to a mild flutter in the gut region. Selling insects? Are we mad? Yes, we are, of course, but that’s neither here nor there — what matters is that you have embraced these colourful critters (The Blue Sacked Pillock, Nandy Duke and Xenodefugio Subtiltus) to the extent that we’re now looking down the barrel of selling out before long. Less than a quarter remain, so if you have been putting it off, don’t delay any further.

Weta Cave exhibition makeover and new DVD
We have earlier announced that the Weta Cave is getting its annual exhibit swap-out between 9 and 13 August and that we’re closed during that time. The discussions have been fierce on the forum about what should go into the new exhibit. We’re confident some forum posters will be pleasantly surprised (UKGirl, Red, Dtssyst and others) but we’re awaiting final approval on the ability of some items. The Weta Cave exclusive behind-the-scenes DVD has also had a make-over and will include clips from our latest projects, such as District 9, Under the Mountain, Daybreakers, The Lovely Bones and James Cameron’s Avatar. Find out more about the Weta Cave!

Follow Weta Online! Twitter | Facebook

Vampires, Soul Reapers and Ninja Heat Up the Summer with New Anime Releases from VIZ Media

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will delight anime fans with several exciting new DVD releases scheduled for the summer. These are scheduled to include the North American debut of Vampire Knight, as well as the latest episodic releases of the popular Bleach and Naruto: Shippuden series and a new Pokémon collection.

Vampire Knight Volume 1
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $19.97 US / $28.99 CAN
Available Now
At the prestigious Cross Academy, there are two sessions of classes, the Day Class and the Night Class. As the school’s Disciplinary Committee, Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu keep watch over the Day Class students, who are all infatuated with the beautiful and elite Night Class students. As Guardians, Yuki and Zero must also protect the secret of the Night Class — they are all vampires!

For more information on the Vampire Knight manga and to read free previews online please visit shojobeat.com.

Pokémon Elements: Collection, Part 1
Rated “A” for All Ages
MSRP: $29.92 U.S. / $42.99 CAN
Available August 31st
Following the Pokémon All Star series, the Pokémon Elements: Collection bundles Volumes 1-5 of the most important episodes commemorating the different types of Pokémon. Included are: Volume 1: Grass, Volume 2: Fire, Volume 3: Water, Volume 4: Electric and Volume 5: Ice.

New Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden Releases Include:

Naruto: Shippuden Box Set 3, Standard Edition
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $49.95 U.S. / $71.99 CAN
Available August 3rd
After fierce battles with the Akatsuki, Sakura, Granny Chiyo, Kakashi and Naruto have finally retrieved Gaara from Deidara’s clutches. But is it too late? Back in the Leaf Village, Kakashi’s on bed rest for overusing his Mangekyo Sharingan, and Naruto prepares to recruit some of his friends for Team Kakashi. But the village elders have beat him to it, and their choice of the unfeeling Sai has Naruto spitting mad!

Naruto: Shippuden Box Set 3, Special Edition
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $69.97 U.S. / $99.99 CAN
Available August 3rd
Features same DVDs as the Standard Edition but includes a special limited edition Sasori figurine.

Naruto: Shippuden Volume 11
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available Now
Naruto is horrified to learn that he’s responsible for the destruction caused by his rampage under the influence of the Nine-Tailed Fox, which includes Sakura’s injuries. Though the battle takes a severe toll on his body, the team continues on to Orochimaru’s lair to find Sasuke. But the mysterious Sai has disappeared along with Orochimaru, and the implications could spell disaster for the Leaf Village.

Naruto: Shippuden Volume 12
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available August 10th
The search for Sasuke is nearing its end as Team Kakashi infiltrates Orochimaru’s hideout. When Sai witnesses Naruto’s strong sense of loyalty for Sasuke, he’s reminded of the feelings he once had for his own brother. The moment finally comes when Naruto and Sakura face Sasuke once more, but everything may be spoiled when Sai’s true mission is revealed! Features episodes 49-53.

Naruto Uncut Box Set Season 3, Volume 2
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $49.95 U.S. / $71.99 CAN
Available August 31st
Naruto has an irrepressible spirit, and even though his friend and teammate Sasuke has gone over to the evil Orochimaru, he’s determined to carry out his shinobi duties. His missions include searching for Orochimaru’s hideout, tracking an escaped prisoner, and saving a gold-mining town from a group of thugs. Then his leadership skills are put to the test when he takes Konohamaru and his pals on a training exercise to Mt. Takurami, where he gets them lost! Does Naruto have the chops to find his way out of a raging storm with a pack of eager young ninja in tow? Features episodes 136-163.

For more information on Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, please visit NARUTO.com.

New Bleach Releases Include:

Bleach Volume 30
Rated “T” for Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available Now
Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki is determined to learn how to control his inner Hollow and visits Shinji Hirako at the Visoreds’ hideout to find a way. But as much as Ichigo wishes to suppress his inner Hollow, Shinji wants to force him to release it. Ichigo must enter his inner world, where he’s greeted by a more powerful version of himself wielding a white Zangetsu, which may be his most formidable opponent yet!

Bleach Volume 31
Rated “T” for Teens
MSRP: $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN
Available August 24th
Ichigo and his friends undergo exhaustive training, and Captain Hitsugaya’s advance troops prepare for the showdown with Sosuke Aizen. But Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto is more interested in exploring life in the World of the Living, embarking on the shopping spree of a lifetime. Her fun is interrupted by the appearance of a formidable new enemy, Mock Arrancars that are wreaking havoc in Karakura Town. Features episodes 127-131.

For more information on Bleach, please visit BLEACH.viz.com.

For more information on other animated titles from VIZ Media please visit VIZAnime.com.

Split Reason: Back to school sale, save 15%

from Split Reason:

School is Nigh!
Save 15%
Use Promo Code: OCTORAWK
Offer Expires August 31st, 2010

That’s right. It’s almost time for you little sponges to put down the gamepads and start soaking up the cold hard facts of life! While this may not be the awesome you hoped for it is critical to your long-term success as a gamer. You’ll learn some pretty cool stuff like how to add and subtract large denominations of rupees, conjure potions (I wouldn’t recommend drinking them), craft the finest of weaponry from balsa wood, triangulate the location of your healer in Azeroth, or devise a low entropy arrangement of blocks for a higher Tetris score. There’s an infinite list of ways school will help you take pwnage to new heights! There’s also a short bit about pirates, ninja’s, and samurai’s, so yeah — you don’t want to miss that.

If you’re still in the dumps over the reduction of gaming hours, or fear your epic chest piece offers no protection from being stuffed into a locker by the captain of the football team, at least we have some awesome t-shirts on sale! The amount of time it takes a bully to understand them might be just enough for you to make like Sonic and run like hell! Check them out…

DEATHS RED RING T-SHIRT $16.95
A visual metaphor of the infamous RROD! Consoles live, and then they die. It all boils down to fate… and a good warranty. Artwork by Jonah Block.

AHAB VS DICK T-SHIRT $16.95
A truly epic battle for the ages, had it been waged in an arcade, would have looked something like this. Remember kids, cheat codes hadn’t been invented yet.

HOME SWEET TAUN TAUN T-SHIRT $16.95
This beautiful winter get-a-way may smell bad, but it will keep you warm. It comes pre-furnished, includes HD cable service, and is only a 4 hour walk from the nearest rebel base camp.

BODY OR BRAINS T-SHIRT $16.95
Xenomorphs want you for your body, zombies want you for your brains, and geeks will want you for this t-shirt.

BURST DAY T-SHIRT $16.95
While the human race tends to celebrate birth annually with something referred to as a Birthday, it’s quite a different occasion for alien-kind.

EPIC LIFE T-SHIRT $16.95
When you have a level 60 toon with enough gold, armor, and weaponry to arm a small country, real life tends to feel slightly inferior. We know this all too well, and support your denial with our first customer design, the Epic Life t-shirt. Since a walk to the corner store doesn’t hold as much weight as a 40-man siege, ganking spree, or an 8 hour farming session, let the world know you’re just an alt.

RAGE QUIT T-SHIRT $16.95
You know him, you’ve played against him. He spits profanities, screams ignorance, and manages to quit every losing game just before the stats save. Mr. Rage-Quit!

RUN R2 T-SHIRT $15.95
Our favorite little robot is in trouble! The only way to save him from the evil Empire is to buy this shirt and make all your friends jealous. Seriously.

RULE 32 T-SHIRT $16.95
Where are you, you spongy, yellow, delicious bastards?

TECH SUPPORT T-SHIRT $10.00
The poster boy of outsourcing, and often the bottom rung of the totem pole in the IT industry, tech support holds a unique place in the hearts of many a techie. If you’ve ever worked in tech support or continue to cling to the BOFH handbook like a 2nd Bible, this t-shirt is for you.

BUSTERS ADVANTAGE T-SHIRT $12.00
The ‘busters must have had an extra page in their manual.

RATHER BE GAMING T-SHIRT $10.00
Wear this t-shirt to: your favorite family outing, any Friday that’s deemed as ‘casual’ by your demon-of-a-man boss, or simply while being dragged to some god-awful chick-flick by your significant other. It’s a perfect, but silent protest against all things inane and meaningless, and by that we mean anything that’s not playing a video game.

LIGHT GUN T-SHIRT $12.00
If only we could actually get our hands on a gun like this, life would turn into one big video game!

MANGA BABY TEE $10.00
This design was sent to us by one of our weekly t-shirt winners who is only 14! She sent us a wonderful thank-you drawing, and a little SplitReason.com touch resulted in what we think is a great t-shirt design! Thanks Jaimie!

DAILY GRIND T-SHIRT $10.00
Wash, rinse, repeat. As long as they keep raising the level cap, you’ll continue to suck at the proverbial MMO teat. There is no escape, there is only the sweet, delicious sound of DING!

See Coverage from San Diego Comic-Con 2010

from Things from Another World:

Whew! We had an excellent time at San Diego Comic-Con this year, but we are still recovering from the biggest comics-related event of the year! We’ll have a full newsletter next week, but this week, we invite you to sit back and enjoy the hours of “live” video coverage we’ve been posting to our blog!

Check out SDCC ’10 Panels, Exclusive Interviews & More!

We stood in line for hours, so you wouldn’t have to! These are just a few of the highlights we captured on film at SDCC ’10:

Get Interviews, Updates, and Weekly Comics Reviews on Our YouTube Channel!

Want to see our Wednesday New Releases videos, in which we review the hottest new comics and more, as soon as they go live? Or see future coverage of conventions and interviews before your friends? Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, TFAWVideos!

Of course, we also have tons of exclusive content on our blog at http://www.TFAW.com/Blog, including interviews, contests, previews and more!

Janet and Alex Evanovich’s “Troublemaker” a Success at Comic-Con!

from Dark Horse Comics:

Last week, fourteen-time number-one best-selling author Janet Evanovich’s first-ever graphic novel, Troublemaker, saw a much-anticipated worldwide English-language release.

Troublemaker is available everywhere, from department stores to bookstores and comic shops across the U.S., making the title one of the most widely distributed the company has published without any Hollywood tie-ins.

Cowritten by daughter Alex Evanovich, Troublemaker is the continuation of the popular Barnaby series, which features the high-stakes misadventures of the main character, Alex Barnaby; NASCAR driver Sam Hooker; and, of course, Beans, the Saint Bernard. The third book in the series, this exciting new volume delivers more fast cars, fast-paced action, and steamy romance.

“I’ve loved comics all my life and it’s really exciting to be working with Dark Horse to produce my very own graphic novel,” said Janet Evanovich. “I’m also excited that I could do this with my daughter Alex (the family comicaholic).”

“This is a groundbreaking project in which Janet and Alex are telling the third chapter of an established prose series in graphic-novel format,” said Dark Horse president Mike Richardson. “We feel that this book will open up the characters to a brand-new audience, as well as expanding the authors’ fan base.”

In celebration of the release, both Janet and Alex Evanovich attended San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, appearing on the company’s publishing panel on Friday, and signing in the Dark Horse booth later that day. Janet and Alex greeted hundreds of excited fans, and hosted one of the largest crowds of the convention.

Additionally, the two appeared at the Barnes & Noble in the Mira Mesa Market Center, and drew an even larger crowd of fans who could not attend the convention.

Janet and Alex Evanovich’s Troublemaker: Volume 2 arrives in November.

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

Emily at San Diego Comic-Con Booth #4639

from Emily the Strange:

Visit Emily at San Diego Comic-Con 2010!

Plans for San Diego Comic-Con are getting DOUBLE STRANGE!
We are proud to announce that Cosplayers Twin Bee Modeling and Design will be appearing as Emily AND Other Me from Stranger and Stranger on Friday and Sunday during the Convention! See you there — and Emily x 2!!

Meet the twisted minds behind Emily the Strange!
Meet Creator ROB REGER & Illustrator BUZZ PARKER

Signing Times:
Friday July 23 12pm-1pm
Smith Micro Booth #5238

Emily the Strange Panel Experience
Sunday July 25 10am-11am
Smith Micro Room 3

Sunday July 25 12pm-1pm
Dark Horse Comics Booth #2615

Also,
TWO Comic Con Exclusive Emily Contests!
Details at the Emily Booth #4639

See u @ The Con!
Mystery

Find Emily on: Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | YouTube

VIZ Media Delivers Sizzling Summer Reading with Three New Haikasoru Releases

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will deliver out-of-this-world summer science fiction and fantasy reading with the release of three new novels under its Haikasoru imprint this summer — Harmony by Project Itoh, Rocket Girls by Housuke Nojiri and Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse by Otsuichi.

Haikasoru is a unique imprint with a dedicated focus on publishing some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy for English-speaking audiences.

Harmony by Project Itoh
Price: $14.99 U.S. / CAN $19.99
Available July 20th
In the distant future, Utopia has finally been achieved thanks to medical nanotechnology and a powerful ethic of social welfare and mutual consideration. But this perfect world isn’t that perfect, and three young girls stand up to totalitarian kindness and super-medicine by attempting suicide via starvation. It doesn’t work, but one of the girls — Tuan Kirie — grows up to be a member of the World Health Organization. As a crisis threatens the harmony of the new world, Tuan rediscovers another member of her suicide pact, and together they must help save the planet… from itself.

Keikaku (Project) Itoh was born in Tokyo in 1974 and graduated from Musashino Art University. In 2007, he debuted with Genocidal Organs and took first prize in the “Best SF of 2007” in Japan’s SF Magazine. Itoh is also the author of Metal Gear Solid: Guns of the Patriots, a Japanese-language novel based on the popular video game series. After a long battle with cancer, Itoh passed away in March 2009. He wrote Harmony while in the hospital receiving treatment for the disease.

Rocket Girls by Housuke Nojiri
Price: $13.99 U.S. / CAN $18.99
Available September 21st
Yukari Morita is a high school girl on a quest to find her missing father. While searching for him in the Solomon Islands, she receives the offer of a lifetime. She’ll receive the help she needs to find her father, and all she must do in return is become the world’s youngest, lightest astronaut. Yukari and her half sister Matsuri, both petite, are the perfect crew and payload for the Solomon Space Association’s rocket launches, or they will be once they complete some rigorous and sometimes dangerous training.

Housuke Nojiri was born in Mie, Japan, in 1961. After working in instrumentation control, CAD programming and video game design, he published his first work in 1992, The Blind Spot of Veis, based on the video game Creguian. He gained further popularity with his subsequent works including the Creguian series and the Rocket Girl series. In 2002, he published Usurper of the Sun (published in English by Haikasoru in 2009) and ushered in a new era of science fiction in Japan. After first appearing as a series of short stories, Usurper went on to win the prestigious Seiun Award for Best Japanese Science Fiction Novel of 2002. Nojiri’s other works include Pendulum of Pinieru and Fuwa-Fuwa no Izumi.

Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse by Otsuichi
Price: $14.99 U.S. / CAN $19.99
Available September 21st
Two short novels, including the title story and Black Fairy Tale, plus a bonus short story. Summer is the simple story of a nine-year-old girl who dies while on summer vacation. While her youthful killers try to hide her body, she tells us the story — from the point of view of her dead body — of the children’s attempt to get away with murder. Black Fairy Tale is classic J-horror: a young girl loses an eye in an accident but receives a transplant. Now she can see again, but what she sees out of her new left eye is the experiences and memories of its previous owner. Its previous deceased owner.

Born 1978 in Fukuoka, Japan, Otsuichi won the Sixth Jump Short Fiction/Nonfiction Prize when he was seventeen with his debut story “Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse.” Now recognized as one of the most talented young fantasy/horror writers in Japan, his other English-language works include the short story collection Calling You and the Honkaku Mystery Prize-winning novel Goth.

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