Indie publishers take on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY with a little help from KICKSTARTER

from FUBAR Press:

FUBAR PRESS, publisher of the Kickstarter funded New York Times Best Seller FUBAR: Empire of the rising Dead are teaming up with fellow Independent publisher 215 INK to bring free comics to shops all across the country via the brand new Indie comic distributor Liber on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. Both publishers are contributing 28 page stand alone comics to the event and are launching a Kickstarter campaign to secure funding for the printing of those comics.

DONATE TO CAMPAIGN BY VISITING http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1607639297/fubar-press-215-ink-free-comic-book-day-2012

“Kickstarter has been an immense game changer for independent comics in general and small-press indie comics in particular. A few years ago we couldn’t even hope to participate in an event like Free Comic Book Day. Kickstarter has been great because not only does it help us raise funds, but it also is an excellent tool to help spread the word on events like FCBD and introduce comic shops to a new distributor like Liber.” says Jeff McComsey, Editor in Chief of FUBAR PRESS.

Andrew DelQuadro of 215 INK had this to add, “My only regret is that we didn’t start this project earlier and pull in a few more of our fellow indie publishers and make this a gigantic event. Next year We want to go bigger.”

215 INK and FUBAR PRESS are asking for a modest $1,200 in their campaign but have said,  “The more money raised, the more books will be printed and the more shops we can ship our books to.”

Any questions can fielded through Jeff McComsey: humansmartbomb@gmail.com.

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THE LINE UP:

FUBAR PRESS’s contribution:

FUBAR: THE DEVIL’S DANCE FLOOR.

Cover by: Steve Becker   Story and art by: Jeff McComsey

The Devil’s Dance floor is a 28-page stand alone World War II story about the remnants of the British 6th Army in North Africa’s last stand against zombie Erwin Rommel’s Undead Afrika Korp. Down to the very last bullets, bombs and bayonets these battle hardened Brits are out to prove that he who dares, Wins.

From 215 ink:

We have 2 shorts in one awesome book. 215’s book will be a flip style book.

SIDE 1

VIC BOONE: SEA OF TROUBLE.

Cover by: Jim McMunn Story by: Shawn Aldridge Art by:Jason Copland

This 12 page short follows Future Portland’s notorious ex motorcycle daredevil turned private eye as he takes a vacation from the non stop robot ass beatings, femme fatale double crosses and cigarette smoking to relax at the shore… where he is immediately attacked and double crossed.

SIDE 2

APES WITH UZIS: THE PACKAGE

Cover by: Jeff McComsey Written by Mark Bertolini Art by Peebo Mondia

Created by Rolf Ledejgard

This 12 page short introduces Milford “Ecus” Lang as the premier black market delivery-monkey in the Primate Nation. After getting handpicked to deliver a mysterious package, Ecus then lands the job offer of a lifetime…is he monkey enough to take it?

Pocket God Comics Issue No. 14 Haunts the App Store with “Para-Abnormal Activity”

Ape Entertainment and Bolt Creative announced today that Pocket God Comics issue No. 14 is now available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

In “Para-Abnormal Activity,” the last issue before a new story arc begins, the two-tribes crash into a mysterious island while trying to get home from their previous adventure.

Straight from the spooky aisles of ghostliness and with the girls unable to regenerate, this may not be the best time to hang out on a haunted island. Yep… ghosts, a mystery, and a dubious murder make this an ooky-spooky, extra-kooky issue of Pocket God.

Based on Pocket God, one of the best-selling iPhone apps of all-time, the full-color digital comic book series is one of the most successful digital comics to-date. The comics are available on the App Store via iVerse Media, a digital distribution partner of Ape Entertainment.

And remember, the Pocket God Comics App is updated frequently with all kinds of free extras including The Pygmy Peril newsletter, an exclusive re-mastered version of the first Pocket God animated short, free Little Green Men comic short stories, and more cool stuff!

Pricing and Availability:

The Pocket God Comics App is available for $.99 USD from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch or atwww.itunes.com/appstore.

For more information, please visit http://www.ApeComics.com or www.boltcreative.com.

About Bolt Creative

Bolt Creative is a San Francisco-based developer creating original iPhone applications and games, including 2009’s blockbuster iPhone game Pocket God. Bolt Creative’s goal is to create games that are not only fun to play, but fun to develop and make them laugh. For more information please visitwww.boltcreative.com.

About Ape Entertainment

Founded in 2003, Ape Entertainment is the brainchild of lifelong comic book devotees David Hedgecock, and Brent E. Erwin.  Ape Entertainment is the comic book home to innovative new titles as LITTLE GREEN MEN, SCOUTS, and HEROIC.  Ape is also the North American publisher for licensed properties SHREK, THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, KUNG FU PANDA, RICHIE RICH, CASPER, STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, and CUT THE ROPE.

Visit Ape Entertainment online at http://www.ApeComics.com.

About iVerse Media, LLC

iVerse Media(http://www.iversemedia.com)is a digital content distributor focused on the world of comics and popular culture. Founded in 2008, the company was one of the first to launch digital comics on Apple’s iOS platform. As of Oct 2011 over 5 Million products in the iOS App Store have been downloaded that are powered by iVerse, making the “iVerse Engine” one of the most popular and widely used platforms for reading digital comics in the world. The company is principally located in Waco, TX. For more information on iVerse Media, please visit: http://comicspl.us

VIZ Media Treats Attendees To Special “Test Drives” Of New WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA Digital Manga Magazine

From VIZ:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, returns to WonderCon 2012 as the show comes to Anaheim, CA, March 16th-18th at the Anaheim Convention Center. WonderCon is one of the country’s best comics and pop culture conventions. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 206. Complete details on WonderCon are available at: www.comic-con.org/wc.

Throughout the convention, VIZ Media will treat WonderCon attendees to special “test drives” of the company’s new WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA digital manga magazine. Drop by the VIZ Media booth, sample the new digital content, and complete a special survey to be entered to win a new Apple iPad 2! The winner will be notified following the show.

Each new digital edition of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA treats manga fans in North America to the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series only two weeks after they debut in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine. Featured series include BAKUMAN, BLEACH, NARUTO, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, ONE PIECE, and TORIKO. WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA is available through an annual membership that provides 52 weeks of access to 48 weekly issues for just $25.99; members also receive an annual collector’s yearbook, collectable YU-GI-OH! game cards four times a year, and access to exclusive content.As a show special, attendees that become new members will receive a special bonus premium (while supplies last).

Celebrate all things SHONEN JUMP at a special SHONEN JUMP Fan Meet-Up on Friday March 16thfrom 2:30pm – 3:30pm in Room 208 and learn about the benefits of being a WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA member! Grill the WEEKLY SJ ALPHA editors in a live Q&A session! Win prizes at the trivia contest and join in the live fan art jam! Meet editor Urian Brown, the lead hype-man of #TEAMJUMP, specializing in video games, anime, and assorted fun wacky antics. Also meet Misaki Kido, female leader of #TEAMJUMP, and challenge her manga knowledge or ask for advice about your own manga!

Finally, sit in with WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA editor Urian Brown as he joins NAMCO BANDAI Games to celebrate NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations in a special panel discussion on Sunday March, 18th from 4:00pm-5:00pm in Room 207. With over 10 million units of the popular game, based on the smash hit anime/manga series, sold worldwide, all fans of NARUTO are encouraged to attend this celebration of the series. In addition to being treated to an appearance by Production Head Director Hiroshi Matsuyama of CyberConnect 2, fans can enjoy a panel covering the exciting world of NARUTO video games, with a guest host, Urian Brown, master of all things video game-related at WEEKLY SJ ALPHA. Don’t miss all of the action happening live on-stage with this exciting and breakthrough game franchise.

For more information on WEEKLY SJ ALPHA and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit SJAlpha.com or VIZManga.com.

 

Wizard of WonderCon: Ralph Bakshi Makes Magic, Again

from The Nerdist:

See 35th anniversary edition of Wizards in Anaheim; win it from us now.

It’s fitting that Ralph Bakshi is known for his take on Mighty Mouse, because in a world where animation is still perceived as being mostly for kids, here he comes to save the day. Wizards, his darker, racier take on Tolkien fantasy, sees release as a 35th anniversary Blu-ray today, and we’re giving two of them away. But we also got an earful from the ever-entertaining auteur in a no-holds-barred interview.

NN: Back in 2008 there was some talk of doing a Wizards sequel. Is that still in the works?

RB: I wanna do a sequel because it was written for a sequel; it was written as a trilogy. I had just finished reading Lord of the Rings when I wrote Wizards…I think it’s another franchise like Rings or Star Wars. But I won’t do it for a million dollars – I need a budget that’s bigger than a million. I’ll take a million and a half.

NN: Was it a struggle for the PG rating at the time, or have we just backslid in what we tolerate?

RB: No, because basically they were just happy to see me stop cursing! I’m dead serious – they were so happy, they thought I’d reformed, that I’d changed my wicked ways from Hey Good Lookin‘ and Traffic and Street Fight…they were so pleased I was doing fairy tales that they let it slide. I don’t know how the hell I got away with that.

Conjure your way to our full-length interview with Bakshi, then enter to win the Wizards Blu-ray. For extra chances at the magic, journey to our Facebook and Twitter.

Nintendo News: Party like you’ve never partied before with Mario Party 9

From Nintendo:

Nintendo invites everyone to party with Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom friends like never before. Mario Party 9 is now available exclusively for the Wii console, loaded with scores of fun minigames, unlockable extras and new elements that add some unexpected twists to the fan-favourite Mario Party franchise. With a unique mix of competitive and cooperative challenges that up to four players can enjoy together, this super-charged game delivers classic characters, boundless replay value and nonstop smiles for everyone in the household.

In Mario Party 9, players vie to become the Superstar as they make their way through adventurous new stages, overcoming obstacles and collecting Mini Stars. For the first time, players also travel across each stage together in vehicles and join forces in boss battles to defeat a common enemy. This means they must work together to beat classic villains like Bowser and King Boo while still giving their individual scores a boost. Throughout the stages, players take turns acting as Captain of the vehicle, hitting Dice Blocks to move the party toward the goal. As they progress, players may encounter 80 new minigames that might have them making pizzas, escaping haunted houses, bowling shells at Goombas and more.

“There’s no party like a Mario party,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “The lineup of classic Mushroom Kingdom characters in Mario Party 9 will have longtime series fans feeling right at home, while new elements like cooperative boss battles and vehicles really ratchet up the excitement.”

Each stage in Mario Party 9 has its own progression from a starting point to a destination and contains multiple paths for players to choose. In addition to collecting Mini Stars, players also earn Party Points that can be taken to the in-game Museum to unlock a variety of extras, such as character constellations, additional vehicles, a Donkey Kong-themed stage and more. There are also new minigame modes that let players compete in shorter amounts of time, plus a Free Play mode for practicing individual minigames and a fun Extras mode. Additional Wii Remote controllers are required for all multiplayer modes and are sold separately.

Mario Party 9 is the first new Mario Party game since 2007. To date, more than 32 million console and hand-held games in the Mario Party series have been sold worldwide.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wii.

For more information about Mario Party 9, visit http://marioparty9.nintendo.com.

The Wondrous Road to WonderCon: Secret Circle

from The Nerdist:

Are you ready to find out how the west was Won-dercon? Puns aside,WonderCon, the massive convention for all things nerd, is happening this weekend in Anaheim, CA and we’ll be letting you know what to get excited for all week long – from the superheroic to the supernatural. Speaking of which, forget vampires and werewolves; we’ll take witches any day of the week. The crafty coven of CW’s Secret Circle are bubbling, bubbling, toiling and troubling up a storm this season and we sat down with the spellbinding Jessica Parker Kennedy to talk about her otherworldly oeuvre:

Nerdist News: You play a witch on the CW’s Secret Circle. Have you ever had any supernatural scares? Don’t worry; your secret is safe with us.

Jessica Parker Kennedy: My mom and I lived in a house back in Calgary, AB that we were convinced was haunted. Things were always going missing and turning up in utterly ridiculous places that we thought we never would have put them.

NN: What has your experience with fandom been? Any awkward fan interactions you can tell us about?

JPK: Their support and enthusiasm is always on my mind everyday when I go to work.  No crazy stories yet but I keep getting stopped by women in changing rooms when I’m buying clothes which is definitely awkward.

WonderCon kicks off in earnest this Friday and be sure to check out the Secret Circle panel at 4PM to see a never-before-seen episode. Then, stick around afterwards for one of the most wonderful events of the evening: an incredibly awesomeNerdist panel with Chris Hardwick and surprise guests, in which secrets will be revealed! In the meantime, read our full interview with Jessica Parker Kennedy and stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter for continued con-derful updates and exciting giveaways.

Carter Blanche: Martian Musings at the John Carter Premiere

from The Nerdist:

The critics have had their say. Starting today, you can weigh in on our Facebook page. But at the Los Angeles premiere, we got to ask some of the creative forces behind John Carter about reviving Edgar Rice Burroughs’ century-old pulp trip to Mars. “When you’re talking about Middle Earth andLord of the Rings, do you worry that paleontology hasn’t turned up any elf skeletons in the Permian layer?” asked cowriter Michael Chabon, rhetorically. “It may not be the Mars you see when you look through a telescope, but it’s the Mars you see when you look in your heart.” (He also told us that the Kavalier and Clay movie isn’t happening, but he is in talks with HBO).

Likewise, composer Michael Giacchino did his best not to worry about how sound or native music might be generated on our planetary neighbor, saying, “It doesn’t even matter what planet they’re on or if they’re a rat or on the Enterprise out in space – you go for the character and the emotions that the people carry.” Star Taylor Kitsch did his best to prepare with as much reality as could be found in the story of a Confederate soldier in space, citing, “months and months and months of immersing myself in the Civil War and, of course, the aesthetic part of it, which was just this silly, strict diet.”

The masive-budget, sword-and-sandal-and-spaceship epic is directed by Andrew Stanton, best known for…Wall-E andFinding Nemo? It’s not as big a stretch as you might think; Like Nemo’s dad, Carter has also lost a child, and like Wall-E, he finds himself the hero of a desert ravaged by environmental destruction. Also, says Stanton, “I never really left animation. There are more animated shots in John Carter than in Wall-E.”

John Carter opens today on our planet.

 

Mighty “Bite Me” – Machinima’s Zombie Comedy Series Returns

From The Nerdist:

If zombies attacked your home and city, would you be shocked? Would you flail around with trial and error methods before finally figuring out that you have to hit them in the head and avoid their bite? Or would you know exactly what to do, thanks to years of watching George Romero movies and playing Capcom games? Characters in vampire movies generally know what a vampire is and how to fight it, but most zombie fiction features stunningly ignorant protagonists (that member of your party with a bandaged bite wound? Shoot her now, dumbass!).

Not so with Bite Me, the horror-comedy web series from Machinima, the second season of which starts today. Slacker waiter Jeff (Yousef Abu-Taleb), put-upon insurance clerk Mike (Ryan Welsh) and mouthy sign-twirler Greg (Justin Giddings) have arguably been preparing for this apocalyptic event their whole lives, constantly playing Left 4 Dead andResident Evil while debating inconsistencies in the cinematic zombie-verse. You may know there’s controversy about whether 28 Days Later actually depicts zombies or not, but were you aware that there’s also a heated Evil Dead debate, i.e. does it count as zombies if demon possession is involved?

We had a chance to visit the set of season 2, and find out where each cast member stands on the best ways to fight the dead. Though our lips are sealed when it comes to specific details, we can tell you that the second season is a lot broader in scope, with many more characters, locations and plot points. If you haven’t already, check out the first season online right now, then head on over to our exclusive set visit report to prepare for a second round.

Bite Me Season 2 begins today on Machinima’s YouTube channel.

The Nerdist Channel: Finally, a Network That Gets You

From The Nerdist:

It’s just like FUBU, but for nerds…so FUNBUN. Yeah, FUNBUN.

No one likes doing shameless plugs; that’s how infomercials and US Weeklyare born. Fortunately for us, there’s no shame in telling you that we are a proud part of Nerdist Industries, a fine flock of folks who have you covered on everything from funny to film to fashion and beyond. Without them our newsletter wouldn’t be possible, so we’d like to help repay the favor by urging you to check out the brand spankin’ new Nerdist Channel on YouTube, especially since a zombified Chris Hardwick is here to introduce it to you.

You may be wondering, “what can the Nerdist Channel offer me, a discerning aficionado of anime, manga and Asian pop culture?” Well, the Nerdist Channel has the antidote for your anime ails, the nerdy nostrum for your manga maladies and the pop cultural Japan-icillin for, well, you get the picture. Consider it the first step in otak-u-pational therapy. One of our partners, Yoshimoto Kogyo (the producers behind Epic Meal Time Japan) will be bringing their aptly-titled Weird S#!t from Japan to the channel, a pop cultural smorgasbord of the weirdest, wildest things that Japan has to offer.

There’s plenty of other premium content on the horizon too, all of which should make The Nerdist Channel your one-stop shop for videographic nerdly delights. From a Neil Patrick Harris project with puppets and the Awkward Family Show to a mysterious Rob Zombie project and the lightsaber-filled relay race Course of the Force, these are just hors d’oeuvres in the quest to sate your nerdy appetite. They’ve got our official seal of approval so, go ahead, subscribe to The Nerdist Channel – you know you want to.

Fantasy and Intrigue Await Readers in the New VIZ Media Shojo Manga Series The Earl and The Fairy

From VIZ:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, launches a fantastic tale of fairies and fantasy set in against the backdrop of Victorian England with the debut of THE EARL AND THE FAIRY on March 6th. The new Shojo Beat series, created by Mizue Tani with artwork by Ayuko, is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Lydia Carlton is a fairy doctor and one of the few people with the ability to see the magical creatures who share our world. During one of her rare trips to London to visit her father, Lydia’s quiet life is suddenly transformed when she is rescued from kidnappers by a mysterious young man!

Edgar Ashenbert claims to be descended from the human ruler of the fairy kingdom, and he urgently needs Lydia’s help to find and claim his birthright, the legendary sword of the Blue Knight Earl. Things will never be the same for Lydia as she is pulled into a dangerous quest against dark forces!

“Author Mizue Tani originally wrote THE EARL AND THE FAIRY as a popular collection of light novels, and the story has been captivatingly adapted into a manga series with beautiful artwork created by Ayuko,” says Pancha Diaz, Editor. “Intrigue awaits readers as the Earl tells Lydia that he is the descendant of the Blue Knight. But a serial killer is also on the loose, and Edgar matches his description. Could this charismatic aristocrat really be a murderer?”

Mizue Tani is the author of several fantasy novel series and received an honorable mention in 1997 for the Shueisha Roman Taisho awards. Aside from THE EARL AND THE FAIRY, her other major series is Majo no Kekkon (The Witch’s Marriage).

Artist Ayuko debuted with the story, “Us, You and Me,” in the Japanese shojo magazine Bessatsu Margaret, and has gone on to publish several manga titles in addition to THE EARL AND THE FAIRY.

For more information on THE EARL AND THE FAIRY, or other shojo manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit ShojoBeat.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Comic Book Day: Getting Closure with Garth Ennis

From The Nerdist

If you’ve read a comic with hard drinking, heavy cursing and a staggering body count, there’s a good chance Garth Ennis was behind it. His twisted take on the superhero genre, The Boys, may be coming to an end, but the Irish writer has plenty to say about tackling an iconic comic property, Hollywood, and why he hates superheroes so much.

Nerdist News: You seem to have something of a penchant for turning the superhero paradigm on its head, especially with The Boys. What is it about the genre that makes you want to approach it from this angle?

Garth Ennis: A total lack of respect.

NN: After a powerhouse run, The Boys is coming to a close. Do you feel a sense of relief, an eagerness to move on to the next project or are you sad to see it go?

GE: In this instance, I’m a little sad because I know I’ll never write Butcher and Hughie again. When I finished Preacher I was happy to walk away, job done, nothing more to be said- and everyone got their happy ending. This time… you’ll have to wait and see

NN: Next up, you’ll be taking on a comics legend, The Shadow. Is it a challenge to tackle such an enduring character? What do you think gives a character like this staying power?

GE: It’s no more of a challenge than anything else, because I never really consider that side of things. He survives because he’s a great-looking, mysterious, slightly sinister – and occasionally lethal – character.

Be sure to click through to read our full interview with Garth Ennis, in which truth bombs are dropped.