Hatter M: Love of Wonder and Looking Glass Wars: Millinery Academy come to Kickstarter

 

New York Times best-selling author Frank Beddor (Looking Glass Wars trilogy) recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the publishing of his Hatter M graphic novel series and his latest prose series for fans of the LGW mythos.

Hatter M, Volume 5: Love of Wonder will be the FINAL graphic novel in the award-winning Hatter M Series and available to Kickstarter backers FIRST.

The campaign has been 20% funded in less then 24 hours from launch! Visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/149372651/the-looking-glass-wars-hatter-m to participate.

In addition, fans asked for another prose series from Frank and the result is Volume 1 of Looking Glass Wars: Millinery Academy.

Discover a young Hatter Madigan as a cadet attending the fabled Millinery Academy where he is trained to protect Wonderland’s Queens.

Beddor commented “It’s a great time to be creative, and I am so lucky to have such a remarkable platform to bring new work to life.”

LOOKING GLASS WARS: MILLINERY ACADEMY

Swordplay! Newfound friendships! School bullies! Budding love! Self-serving rivals! Scheming adults and soulless rebel plotters! Welcome to the world of Cadet Hatter Madigan, who has just entered Wonderland’s Millinery academy as one of the freshmen ‘Brims’. Those born to be Royal Bodyguards are trained at one of the four academies(Heart, Clubs Diamond, Spade) linked to the royal houses. Cadets will study the mystic and martial arts, as well as the sometimes more difficult art of successfully dealing with others. Once Hatter begins his training he is thrown into a competitive world of both boys and girls vying to be the best. Arsenal cubes, blade chasers and Hat blocking 101 are all rites of passage the young milliners first take on together but must eventually perfect, separately.

HATTER M: LOVE OF WONDER

In the 5th and final volume, looking glasses shatter as our worlds collide and characters from Wonderland increasingly cross over to aid or block Hatter in his single-minded quest to find Alyss and bring her home. Redd’s Black Imagination has ruled Wonderland for 13 years without fear of reprisal and now the specter of Alyss’ return to claim the throne has unleashed a storm of paranoiac rage. Hatter Madigan is at the center of this crusade as he must simultaneously battle the enemies of wonder as well as his own beliefs and loyalties. All paths through time and space, through blood and steel, from his world to our world, have led Hatter Madigan to this moment — a life or death confrontation with the only warrior in the Looking Glass Wars universe capable of defeating him and destroying the love of wonder.

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VIZ MEDIA BRINGS THE ACTION IN NEW BLU-RAY AND DVD HOME VIDEO EDITIONS FOR THE SCI-FI FANTASY ANIME SERIES ACCEL WORLD

AccelWorld-Set01-BD

From Reki Kawahara, The Creator Of SWORD ART ONLINE, A Bullied Teen Finds Power And Strength In A Virtual Reality Video Game; Special Premium Art Booklet Included As A Free Gift With Purchase From Select Online Anime Retailers

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, invites fans to accelerate with the home video release of the ACCEL WORLD anime series on DVD and Blu-ray on November 26th. The new 2-disc set features 12 episodes of the sci-fi fantasy series, is rated ‘TV-14,’ and carries a DVD MSRP of $44.82 U.S. / 43.24 CAN; Blu-ray MSRP is $59.97 U.S. / $66.15 CAN. Preorders are available now through select retailers.

A special 48-page premium art booklet featuring art and character profiles from this popular series and is also included (only while supplies last) as a special free gift with purchase from select online anime retailers including Right Stuf, Anime Pavilion, and Robert’s Anime Corner Store.

ACCEL WORLD dialogue features include English and Japanese stereo audio, English subtitles, as well as a character art gallery, clean opening and closing segments, and the original Japanese broadcast trailers.

In the year 2046, people use portable devices called Neuro-linkers to manage their daily lives in virtual reality networks. But advances in technology haven’t managed to do away with bullies, and 13-year-old Haruyuki Arita finds himself a frequent target. Haruyuki escapes his miserable life in virtual games – until the day Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, introduces him to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World. This set contains Episodes 1-12 on 2 discs.

“ACCEL WORLD is the hottest new anime title to join the VIZ Media home video library and we are very excited to also offer it to buyers with a gorgeous, full-color bonus art booklet that is only available for a limited time through select anime retailers,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “This series blends a highly imaginative online game with real world impact and adds a new twist to one teen’s solution to being bullied. ACCEL WORLD quickly became a fan favorite since VIZ Media debuted it on the same day as its Japanese broadcast and we look forward to the series drawing in new and veteran fans alike with this exciting release that arrives in time for the start of the holiday season.”

ACCEL WORLD is based on a series of popular light novels written by Reki Kawahara (Sword Art Online) and was produced by the famed anime studio Sunrise (TIGER & BUNNY, Mobile Suit Gundam, Code Geass, Cowboy Bebop, KEKKAISHI). Kawahara entered the first novel in the series into ASCII Media Works’ 15th Dengeki Novel Prize in 2008 and won the Grand Prize. ACCEL WORLD has also inspired a popular manga series and several video games.

For more information on ACCEL WORLD and other animated titles from VIZ Media please visit www.VIZAnime.com/accelworld

Brains have never been this sexy or … tasty.

Fifty Shades of Brains officially launches

What do you get when a comic-loving librarian and a professional smartass team up to poke fun at an erotic bestseller? Fifty Shades of Brains, a smart, snide and completely sick zombie apocalypse send-up of Fifty Shades of Grey. The soft launch occurred this summer to ensure that EVERYONE had a chance to get the book for Halloween.  The first fifteen chapters can be read for free at www.fiftyshadesofbrains.com. Digital copies of the book are available via the Kindle, Nook, and the Kobo store. DRM free copies area available via Gumdrop. Print editions can be ordered from INGRAM.

About Fifty Shades of Brains: Written under the pen name BF Dealeo, Fifty Shades of Brains tells the story of Aurora Foyle, a self-conscious, oversexed Survival School student who becomes enamored with Seattle’s premiere zombie hunter, Caligula Green. Intense, intelligent and incredibly perverse, Green takes Aurora on as his apprentice – both in bed and on the zombie-filled backstreets of the city. Will our heroine find true love in the arms of the controlling, charismatic Green? Will Seattle’s socks-and-sandal-wearing zombies destroy its lovingly-tended pea patches? Will Aurora ever stop biting her lip and blushing? You’ll have to crawl between the covers to find out.

Dark, droll and delightfully depraved, Fifty Shades of Brains will amuse you, disgust you and it just might eat your face.

Early Reviews:

“Gross, funny, and, god help me, a little bit sexy. Just what my inner surrealist was looking for. I haven’t read that other Fifty Shades book, but now I feel like I don’t have to.” — GoodReads.com

Fifty Shades hysteria + zombie apocalypse = hell yes! My grey matter sort of exploded all over the brilliance of this mashup.” —Jennifer Worick, New York Times-bestselling author of more than 25 books, including Things I Want to Punch in the Face

Sci-fi/fantasy anthology, Other Worlds, Debuts at Rose City Comic Con, Sept 21-22

Sci-fi/fantasy anthology, Other Worlds, Debuts at Rose City Comic Con, Sept 21-22

A Wave Blue World and Bricker-Down Productions are pleased to announce the release of their latest anthology, Other Worlds, a compilation of sci-fi, monster, and experimental comic one-shots by writer/creator Justin Zimmerman, featuring the artwork of Mike Lawrence as well as a variety of other incredible, independent talents. Hailed as “ingenious” by Giant Fire Breathing Robot and “unpretentious, simple, elegant and enjoyable” by Comics Forge, Other Worlds will premiere in print at the Rose City Comic Con on September 21st and 22nd after its digital release on ComiXology in early September. Fans can find the book at the con at Booth #728.

Artist Mike Lawrence, currently drawing an upcoming graphic novel for AMP!, headlines the book, contributing the cover and three interior stories done in a range of media from charcoal to watercolor and inked work. Mike enjoyed working on the anthology, but it was his collaboration with the book’s creator that he found particularly satisfying. “Justin is an extremely versatile writer,” says Mike. “The book has something for everyone, from robo-librarians to alien bugs, and Justin can do it all.”

Other artists who’ve contributed to the anthology include the up-and-coming talents of Grace Allison, who’s worked for both IDW and Monkey Brain, and Tym Godek, Russ Brown, Matt Grisgby and Terry Blas.

A Wave Blue World publisher, Tyler Chin-Tanner says, “While comics certainly have their fair share of recycled space battles and monsters, it’s altogether too rare to find stories that captivate our imagination and appeal to our sense of wonder like those found in Other Worlds.”

For more information about Other Worlds, please contact Tyler Chin-Tanner at tyler@awaveblueworld.com.

Or visit www.awaveblueworld.com, or find Other Worlds on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awaveblueworld.

 

OUTLANDER Casts Claire!

Photo: "Hard to believe lightning can strike twice, but it surely did.  The moment Caitriona Balfe came on screen, I sat up straight and said, ‘There she is!’  She and Sam Heughan absolutely lit up the screen with fireworks." – Diana Gabaldon. 

We wish there was a love button, but we’ll have to settle for LIKE.After a very lengthy search and multiple screen tests, Starz and Sony TV have found their Claire. Irish actress Caitriona Balfe (Now You See Me) has landed the lead in Outlander, a Ron Moore series based on Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling books.

It follows the story of Claire Randall (Balfe), a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

“Hard to believe lightning can strike twice, but it surely did,” Gabaldon said. “The moment Caitriona Balfe came on screen, I sat up straight and said, ‘There she is!’ She and Sam Heughan absolutely lit up the screen with fireworks.”

Added Moore, “The casting of Claire Randall was a long and difficult one because the role is so crucial to the success of our show. Outlander is told from Claire’s point of view and we experience the entire story through her eyes, so it was vital that we find exactly the right actor to play her. Caitriona wasn’t on anyone’s radar, she wasn’t on any list, but when we saw her audition tape, we immediately knew she was someone special. Then, after we had her read with Sam, we knew we’d found our Claire.

OUTLANDER Casts Murtagh

outlander-duncan-lacroix.jpg

Duncan Lacroix (Murtagh) is a native of Welling in Kent, South East Greater London. His notable screen credits include HBO’s “Game of Thrones” Season 2, “VIKINGS” and Sky Television’s Series ‘Primeval.’ Lacroix is also passionate about theater acting. His credits include Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and “Macbeth.”

 

OUTLANDER Casts Dougal and Colum MacKenzie

From OUTLANDER:

New addition to the “Outlander” Clan today.

We are pleased to announce that Scotsman Graham McTavish will join the cast of Outlander as Dougal MacKenzie, the War Chieftain of Clan MacKenzie, secret supporter of the rebel cause against the British, and uncle to Jamie Fraser.

 

Photo: New addition to the “Outlander” Clan today. We are pleased to announce that Scotsman Graham McTavish will join the cast of Outlander as Dougal MacKenzie, the War Chieftain of Clan MacKenzie, secret supporter of the rebel cause against the British, and uncle to Jamie Fraser.

 

Graham McTavish (Dougal MacKenzie) is a familiar face in the film and television world, starring in titles such as “Rambo,” “24,” and “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” He has also appeared on stage in multiple leading roles in prestigious UK theaters and has performed voices for animated films like “Dante’s Inferno,” “Wolverine and the X-Men,” and “The Avengers”.

More news: Colum MacKenzie has also been cast. Scottish native Gary Lewis will tackle the role of the MacKenzie Laird, clan leader, and maternal uncle of Jamie Fraser.

 

Photo: More news: Colum MacKenzie has also been cast. Scottish native Gary Lewis will tackle the role of the MacKenzie Laird, clan leader, and maternal uncle of Jamie Fraser.

Gary Lewis (Colum MacKenzie) is no stranger to show business either. He is known for high profile roles in “Billy Elliot” and “Gangs of New York.” His most recent work includes “Libertador,” “The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich,” and the acclaimed BBC One drama “Case Histories.”

OUTLANDER Casts Frank and “Black Jack” Randall

From STARZ:

Photo: Meet Tobias Menzies (Frank/”Black Jack” Randall):

Menzies is best recognized for his roles in “Rome” and Casino Royale. He was seen most recently as Edmure Tully in HBO’s “Game of Thrones”. He is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Join us in welcoming him with a LIKE.

You asked for casting news. We have just that:

Tobias Menzies will take on the dual roles of Frank Randall and Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall in the anticipated new Outlander series. Frank Randall is Claire’s 20th century husband and a professional historian with a deep interest in the 18th century and his own genealogy. Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall is Frank’s ancestor from the 18th century. A Captain in the English Army posted in Scotland during a time when rebellion was rife.

SHARE the news with your friends! #CantWaitForOutlander

Meet Tobias Menzies (Frank/”Black Jack” Randall):

Menzies is best recognized for his roles in “Rome” and Casino Royale. He was seen most recently as Edmure Tully in HBO’s “Game of Thrones”. He is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

OUTLANDER Gets Its Jamie Fraser

From Diana Gabaldon:

Photo: IT’S OFFICIAL!

SAM HEUGHAN CAST AS JAMIE FRASER IN STARZ & SONY PICTURES TV’S “OUTLANDER”

New Original Series Based on Diana Gabaldon’s International Best-Selling Novels 

From “Battlestar Galactica” Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore

Beverly Hills, Calif., July 9, 2013 – Starz in association with Sony Pictures Television has announced today that Sam Heughan will play the role of Jamie Fraser in the original series “Outlander,” adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling books, which will premiere on STARZ in 2014. The chivalrous young Scottish warrior, Jamie Fraser, has been adored worldwide by fans of the seven-book series that has sold more than 20 million copies and has graced the New York Times best-sellers list six times.

Diana Gabaldon said, “Oh. My. God. That man is a Scot to the bone and Jamie Fraser to the heart. Having seen Sam Heughan not just act, but be Jamie, I feel immensely grateful to the production team for their painstaking attention to the soul of the story and characters."

"From the very beginning, I knew the part of Jamie Fraser would be difficult to cast,” said Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore.  “I had no one in mind for the part.  I knew that someone would just come into the audition and be Jamie Fraser.  And that's what Sam did." 

In “Outlander,” Jamie Fraser strikes up a passionate affair with Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743. Armed with sheer grit and enduring strength, he is a strapping young Scottish clan lord with a complicated past and a disarming sense of humor.  He is intelligent, principled, and, by 18th century standards, educated and worldly, with a tenderness and compassion that stands out in contrast to his contemporaries. A natural leader of men, he has no political ambitions or desire for battlefield glories. Instead, he wishes to remove the price on his head and return to his family’s ancestral farm.   

Sam Heughan is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, he was a 2003 nominee for the Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Performance for his work in the program. Last year, he originated the role of Batman in the DC/Warner Brothers and Waterlane production of "Batman Live," an international tour which opened at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles and went on to tour in South America and throughout Europe.  In 2010, he was nominated for a British Soap Award for “Villain of the Year” for his role as Scott Neilson in the BBC soap opera "Doctors." He has also had roles in a range of television series including, "River City," "Island at War," "The Wild West," "Midsomer Murders," and, most recently, "Any Human Heart" as Lieutenant McStay. His TV movie credits include, "Breaking the Mould" for BBC Television, "A Very British Sex Scandal" for Channel 4 and "First Light" for BBC2. He was nominated for a "Grace award" for his performance as Prince Ashton, the son of Sir Roger Moore, in “A Princess for Christmas” for Hallmark Channel. His film credits include the short film Small Moments, and the feature films Alexander the Great from Macedonia and Emulsion. He will also be seen in the upcoming film Heart of Lightness. On stage, Heughan has performed at a variety of theatres in such productions as “King John,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Vortex,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and more. At the Royal Scottish Academy, Heughan starred in productions including “Crime & Punishment,” “The Seagull,” and “Prometheus Bound.” He is repped by United Talent Agency in the US and United Agents in the UK.

The series adaptation for “Outlander” will be written by Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation”). Ronald D. Moore and Jim Kohlberg are executive producers of “Outlander,” which is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining & Supply Company and Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television. 

The series will begin filming in Scotland this fall. 

About Starz
Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), www.starz.com.

Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies.  As of March 31, 2013, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 56.7 million subscribers, including 21.6 million at STARZ, and 35.1 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S.  STARZ® and ENCORE®, along with Starz Networks’ third network MOVIEPLEX®, air more than 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television.  Starz Distribution’s home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties.  Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.

About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com), a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, is one of the television industry’s leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, around the world and for a multitude of platforms.  In addition to one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) boasts a current program slate that includes top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT has 18 wholly-owned or joint venture production companies in 15 countries outside the U.S. and also maintains offices in 32 countries. SPT’s worldwide television networks portfolio includes 124 channel feeds available in 159 countries, reaching more than 800 million households worldwide.  SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE’s premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns production company Embassy Row and is a part owner of cable channel Game Show Network (GSN), 3D channel 3net, premier horror/thriller website and VOD service FEARnet and national U.S media sales company ITN Networks, Inc.  SPT advertiser sales is one of the premier national advertising sales companies and handles the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as in U.S. digital businesses including FEARnet, DrOz.com and PlayStation.  
###

“Outlander” Online 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/outlandertvseries.starz
Twitter: @Outlander_Starz - join the conversation with #Outlander and #STARZ 

Contacts:

Theano Apostolou			Robyn Harney				Shannon Buck
Starz					Sony Pictures Television			Starz	
(424) 204-4052				(310) 244-3202				(424) 204-4173
theano@starz.com			robyn.harney@spe.sony.com  		shannon.buck@starz.com

IT’S OFFICIAL!

SAM HEUGHAN CAST AS JAMIE FRASER IN STARZ & SONY PICTURES TV’S “OUTLANDER”

New Original Series Based on Diana Gabaldon’s International Best-Selling Novels

From “Battlestar Galactica” Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore

Beverly Hills, Calif., July 9, 2013 – Starz in association with Sony Pictures Television has announced today that Sam Heughan will play the role of Jamie Fraser in the original series “Outlander,” adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling books, which will premiere on STARZ in 2014. The chivalrous young Scottish warrior, Jamie Fraser, has been adored worldwide by fans of the seven-book series that has sold more than 20 million copies and has graced the New York Times best-sellers list six times.

Diana Gabaldon said, “Oh. My. God. That man is a Scot to the bone and Jamie Fraser to the heart. Having seen Sam Heughan not just act, but be Jamie, I feel immensely grateful to the production team for their painstaking attention to the soul of the story and c

haracters.”

“From the very beginning, I knew the part of Jamie Fraser would be difficult to cast,” said Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore. “I had no one in mind for the part. I knew that someone would just come into the audition and be Jamie Fraser. And that’s what Sam did.”

In “Outlander,” Jamie Fraser strikes up a passionate affair with Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743. Armed with sheer grit and enduring strength, he is a strapping young Scottish clan lord with a complicated past and a disarming sense of humor. He is intelligent, principled, and, by 18th century standards, educated and worldly, with a tenderness and compassion that stands out in contrast to his contemporaries. A natural leader of men, he has no political ambitions or desire for battlefield glories. Instead, he wishes to remove the price on his head and return to his family’s ancestral farm.

Sam Heughan is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, he was a 2003 nominee for the Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Performance for his work in the program. Last year, he originated the role of Batman in the DC/Warner Brothers and Waterlane production of “Batman Live,” an international tour which opened at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles and went on to tour in South America and throughout Europe. In 2010, he was nominated for a British Soap Award for “Villain of the Year” for his role as Scott Neilson in the BBC soap opera “Doctors.” He has also had roles in a range of television series including, “River City,” “Island at War,” “The Wild West,” “Midsomer Murders,” and, most recently, “Any Human Heart” as Lieutenant McStay. His TV movie credits include, “Breaking the Mould” for BBC Television, “A Very British Sex Scandal” for Channel 4 and “First Light” for BBC2. He was nominated for a “Grace award” for his performance as Prince Ashton, the son of Sir Roger Moore, in “A Princess for Christmas” for Hallmark Channel. His film credits include the short film Small Moments, and the feature films Alexander the Great from Macedonia and Emulsion. He will also be seen in the upcoming film Heart of Lightness. On stage, Heughan has performed at a variety of theatres in such productions as “King John,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Vortex,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and more. At the Royal Scottish Academy, Heughan starred in productions including “Crime & Punishment,” “The Seagull,” and “Prometheus Bound.” He is repped by United Talent Agency in the US and United Agents in the UK.

The series adaptation for “Outlander” will be written by Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation”). Ronald D. Moore and Jim Kohlberg are executive producers of “Outlander,” which is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining & Supply Company and Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television.

The series will begin filming in Scotland this fall.

“Outlander” Online
Facebook: www.facebook.com/outlandertvseries.starz
Twitter: @Outlander_Starz – join the conversation with#Outlander and #STARZ

 

AT LAST! Diana Gabaldon’s Genre-bending Series OUTLANDER Being Adapted by STARZ

The popular novel Outlander – TV Series is coming to a TV near you!

Today, STARZ and Sony Pictures Television announced plans for a new original series adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling books. Outlander is a grandiose tale of action, adventure, time travel, and romance. SHARE to spread this exciting news!

I can’t tell you how awesome this news is for fans of Diana Gabaldon’s series of books. A blend of history, time travel, magic, mythology and romance, OUTLANDER follows the adventures of nurse Claire Randall who finds herself bound to young Jamie Fraser after somehow traveling from 1946 to 1743. While I don’t care for romance novels in general, the main theme of the first two books is the Second Jacobite Uprising in Scotland that culminated in the battle of Culloden in 1745. A friend of mine who knew my family were Jacobites gave me the first book as a gift and I’ve been a fan ever since.

How could a card carrying geek like me like a ‘romance’ series? Well, how could I NOT love a series that was inspired by the Doctor Who episode “The Highlanders” in with The Doctor meets Jamie (played by actor Frazer Hinds), who went on to appear in more episodes than any other companion. Hopefully that will be enough geek cred to get skeptics to tune in along with the millions of fans who can’t wait for the premier.

Aluna Trilogy in the Works!

Aluna, the Latin American superhero created by actress Paula Garces and her creative partner, Antonio Hernandez will be released as a trilogy starting with book one this Fall.

aluna

Aluna is the story of a young woman, taken from the New World by the Spaniards and raised as royalty in Spain during the 1500s. As if by fate, she is forced to travel back to the New World, only to discover that she has great powers that she must harness to defend her new homeland.

The creators tapped Seattle based Allegory to develop and publish the series.

“I’ve always been a fan of comic books but felt that strong female Latina leads were lacking, so along with my creative partner, Antonio Hernandez, we created Aluna. We’re so happy with how well the character has been received by fans playing the Aluna character in Heroes of Newerth that we can’t wait to release the first of three books this Fall” comments Paula Garces.

Allegory’s publishing imprint will develop the books and will eventually produce a portfolio of digital products and merchandise based on the title.

“We’ve wanted to create a compelling female heroine for two years now. A character who is strong and has a complex back story. When Paula and Tony shared the story of Aluna with us, we knew we needed to be apart of this franchise. This is a groundbreaking book and we feel honored to be apart of it” said Chad Smith, CEO of Allegory.

Dooma Wendschuh and Corey May, founders of sekretagent Productions, have been attached to write all three books. This writing duo is the creative force behind such popular game titles as Assassin’s Creed and Army of Two.

“This story is full of action, but it also has pretty epic romance elements. Aluna is a badass. She’s tough as nails given everything she’s been through. We’re going to help her find her softer side”, remarks Dooma Wendschuh.

Ibraim Roberson, whose recent credits include X-Men, Hellraiser and mostly recently, Max Brooks’s, The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, has been attached to create the art.

“Ibraim Roberson is just the right artist for Aluna.  His work on The X-Men and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser has consistently demonstrated a pacing and organic style that is a perfect mesh to Dooma’s writing.  Giving the adventures of Aluna a whole new level of realism, action, and drama. Plus, the artwork produced by Ibraim is going to be lush and beautiful and will perfectly capture the majesty of the old world” remarked Lee Koshe, Allegory’s Creative Director.

Additionally, S2 Games, the creators of the popular online game series, Heroes of Newerth have partnered with Paula Garces’ Further Lane Productions and Allegory to develop an ongoing portfolio of avatars for the Heroes of Newerth game based on the Aluna character. The first avatar, Stardust Aluna, was recently released by S2 games.  The second avatar will be released at Comic Con International this July and will be followed by future avatars.

About Paula Garces

Paula Garces is well known as “Maria” from the hit 2011 film, “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas”, starring in all three installments of the Harold & Kumar franchise. Ms. Garces can been seen as Flora Hernandez in Marc Cherry’s new series “Devious Maids” on Lifetime network.  Paula will also appear as Lea Marquez on the legendary soap, “All My Children,” premiering on Sunday June 23rd at 10pm on Hulu.com. On the small screen, Paula began her career on the daytime drama, “Guiding Light”, and later earned Alma Award nominations for her portrayal of Officer Tina Hallon on FX’s “The Shield”.

About Allegory

Allegory is a transmedia company engaged in several aspects of entertainment including publishing, children’s education, games, applications, television and digital platforms. Allegory employs some of the most talented artists, writers and developers in the entertainment and interactive industry. Allegory is headquartered in Seattle and maintains offices in New York and San Diego.

Allegory is committed to design driven experiences and exceptional storytelling with a purpose. For more information about Allegory, please visit www.allegorymedia.co.

About sekretagent Productions

sekretagent Productions creates and/or produces the characters, worlds and stories behind some of the best selling and most critically acclaimed filmed and interactive entertainment on Earth. In the business of imagining and producing new, original IP, sekretagent works with the world’s leading publishers, studios and corporations, providing content creation, screenwriting, interactive development and film /video production services in the motion picture, video game and advertising industries. For more information about sekretagents Productions, please visit www.sekretagents.com.

About S2 Games

S2 Games is a game publisher and developer with a mission to identify, develop, evolve and unleash the future of online multiplayer games. Since its inception in 2003, S2 has been focused on driving innovation into the global online game space, through identifying and solving industry issues, listening closely to its passionate gamer base and incorporating features that gamers truly want.

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INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED GRAPHIC NOVEL THE LEANING GIRL

 

After over a decade, the world-renowned, multi award-winning graphic novel series, Les Cités Obscures (The Obscure Cities) returns to the United States with The Leaning Girl, a classic story translated into English for the first time.

Writer Benoît Peeters and artist François Schuiten, the creative team behind The Obscure Cities series, have teamed up with US publisher Stephen Smith’s Alaxis Press to bring one of their most important stories, The Leaning Girl, to the English-speaking audience for the first time.

Smith, a longtime fan of the series and of the creators, licensed the rights to the entire series from Casterman Editions, Belgium, owners of the classic international comic series TinTin, and publisher of Les Cités Obscures since the debut volume, Les Murailles de Samaris (The Great Walls of Samaris) in 1987. He then proceeded to translate the volume himself.

“I have been surrounded by the very best in commercial and fine art throughout my career,” Smith said. “But after seeing the film, HUGO, I realized it was important to bring the incredible European comic strip art form to the US and to the English-speaking public.”

Smith launched a Kickstarter campaign on Monday evening, May 23rd, with the goal of raising $30,000 in 45 days. In his first four days, the campaign was at $12,500, just $2500 away from the halfway mark.

“This is my opportunity to share these great stories and beautiful art with the American market,” Smith added.

When the earlier volumes were published in English, the graphic novel format was still considered very much a lowbrow medium relegated to comic book shops. Following the successes of Pulitzer prize winner, Maus, by Art Spiegelman, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, and The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, the graphic novel has become an accepted literary form. The Obscure Cities is an excellent almost Kafka-esque storytelling by internationally acclaimed author and biographer, Benoît Peeters, and stunning visuals by François Schuiten, whose visual sensibilities contributed to the looks of such films as Taxandria, The Perils of Gwendoline, The Golden Compass and the 2012 science fiction masterpiece, Mars et Avril.

The Leaning Girl is the first graphic novel to be produced under Smith’s new imprint, Alaxis Press and will release in October 2013.

For more information, visit www.theobscurecities.com and www.facebook.com/alaxispress

The Kickstarter link is:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/51096880/the-leaning-girl-translated-graphic-novel-project