Category: Arts & Culture

Find Out What It Takes to Make It to the Top as a Manga Creator in the New Shonen Jump Series “Bakuman”

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the upcoming release of the manga series Bakuman. The series, rated “T” for Teens, will be released on August 3rd under VIZ Media’s popular Shonen Jump imprint and will carry a MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.
Previews for the series will start to run in the May 2010 issue of VIZ Media’s popular monthly manga anthology — Shonen Jump magazine which is on stands now.

Bakuman is written by the author of Death Note, Tsugumi Ohba, and the artwork is by Takeshi Obata, the artist known for series such as Death Note, Hikaru no Go and Ral Grad. The story follows average student Moritaka Mashiro, who enjoys drawing for fun, but when his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world?

In the opening volume, Moritaka is hesitant to seriously consider Akito’s proposal because he knows how difficult it can be to reach the professional level. Still, encouragement from persistent Akito and the motivation from a girl he has a crush on help push Moritaka to test his limits!

“Bakuman is an outstanding, behind-the-scenes manga about manga, and the artists who create it, written and drawn by the creative team that produced the Death Note series,” says Elizabeth Kawasaki, Senior Editorial Director at VIZ Media. “The series is a great read for all manga fans, and especially fun for aspiring artists.”

Born in Tokyo, Tsugumi Ohba is the author of the hit series Death Note. The writer’s current series Bakuman is serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan.

Takeshi Obata was born in 1969 in Niigata, Japan, and is the artist of the wildly popular Shonen Jump title Hikaru no Go, which won the 2003 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize: Shinsei “New Hope” award and the 2000 Shogakukan Manga award. Obata is also the artist of Arabian Majin Bokentan Lamp Lamp, Ayatsuri Sakon, Cyborg Jichan G, and the smash hit manga Death Note.

For more information on this title, and other Shonen Jump titles, please visit shonenjump.viz.com.

ThinkGeek’s newest glowy umbrellas + $10 off

from ThinkGeek:

Dear Space Chimps,

Our intergalactic dreams came true when our monkeys toured NASA Goddard on Saturday and partied with some Stormtroopers and R2-D2 at Yuri’s Night. Timmy even got to kiss a rubber chicken and ride in a Tang purse.

But we know your squishy minion hearts are set on seeing certain April Fool’s Day items come to life. We are awash in a sea of your emails, tweets, and wall posts. Begging, pleading, crying delicious salty tears. No updates just yet, but we will say that some wishes will be granted…

Magical LED Umbrellas Usher in H2O Gravity Celebration
What’s that old saying about April showers? Oh yeah… it rains a lot in April but we’re supposed to be grateful for the rain because it makes flowers come out in May, if you’re into that kind of thing. But mostly, rain. It’s wet and it sucks to be out in it. Why not make your outdoor excursions simultaneously more dry AND awesome? Both of these umbrellas look like standard black umbrellas at first, but each has a special superpower. The Lumadot LED umbrella has dozens of blue LEDs that can be switched on to look like little glowy raindrops and the Blade Runner Style Umbrella’s LEDs are in the shaft, lighting the way through futuristic L.A. as you chase down replicants. Rain sucks, but don’t let it make YOU suck. That’s what we say. Battle rain in pure techie style right now.

Save $10 — The cure for the spring cleaning blues
Beautiful weather means spring cleaning, and spring cleaning means you now have less stuff! You know what that means, right? More room for newer, cooler stuff! How to Redeem: Add $40 or more of products to your cart now through 11:59 pm EDT on Friday, 4/16/10. Use code SCREWZPLUSTEN at checkout and your order will be automagically adjusted to reflect the discount and the free Screwz-All.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

Win Trip to New Zealand plus Raygun Fabulatoria

from Weta:

Tri-dimensional Industrial Design Contests!

Win a trip to New Zealand (sharp left at Australia)

The good people at Grordbort Industries in cohorts with the clever buggers at InterGrid are introducing a contest for digital artists to contrive and loco-mote electro-phosphorous models based on rayguns from the Dr. Grordbort’s universe.

This shootout is aimed at inexperienced upstarts as well as seasoned computational artists who will use new-fangled contraptions monikered: “InterGrid’s innovative Cloud rendering system, the Green Button”, to multidimensionalise and locomotate their creations.

Hong Kong braintrust Cyberport’s Digital Media Centre (DMC) will support the competition by making technological wizardry and remote meteorological computational bric-a-brac available to the contestants via The Green Button.

Monthly rewards for the most accomplished and acclaimed entries will be selected by Grordbort Industries and InterGrid lackeys. The supreme over-achiever and celebrated winner shall be announced in the month of October and the Grand Prize is a trip to New Zealand to meet Richard Taylor Esq. and Greg Broadmore (the Buffoon) at Weta Workshop, the designated manufacturing facility for some of Grordbort Industries’ designs.

For more competition ephemera, please visit raygunshootout.com.

But that is certainly not all! Create your own Alien!

Weta and frisky fresh-faced fraternisation phenomenon Frenzoo are likewise launching a competition. The honour here will be bestowed upon those who create the most outrageous extra-terrestrial life forms and far-off lands. Again in more than just a handful of dimensions. All and sundry can enter this contest and contestants could win monthly prizes from the Weta range of trinkets and collectibles.

For more information, visit frenzoo.com.

Go forth and create! Hazzaah!

Read the full press release in 21st Century English — PDF file (53kb)

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

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the upcoming release of four new science fiction novels under its Haikasoru imprint. Slum Online, by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, and The Stories of Ibis, by Hiroshi Yamamoto, will hit stores on April 20th. Loups-Garous, by Natsuhiko Kyogoku, and The Next Continent, by Issui Ogawa, will be released on May 18th.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess — “Instructions” Book Trailer

from HarperKids:

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

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

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

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

…and home again.

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

from VIZ Media:

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

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

The nominated titles from VIZ Media are:

Oishinbo by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Slanket

The Slanket, Walk the Slank

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank You for Your Slanket Order!

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

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

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

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

Order directly through The Slanket website.

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

VIZ Pictures Brings the High Flying Action of “K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces” to DVD

from VIZ Pictures:

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, will release the action film, K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces, on DVD on April 20th. The film will carry an MSRP of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN, and will be distributed exclusively across North America by VIZ Media.

Director Shimako Sato assembled a strong cast and used cutting edge special effects to bring K-20 to life. The movie is set in the fictional city of Teito in the late 1940s, in a world where World War II never happened and the nobility system established during the Meiji Era still exists. An extreme divide exists between the upper and lower classes, with 90 percent of the country’s wealth being held by the upper class. The capital of Teito is in crisis with the emergence of a menacing phantom thief known as “The Fiend (Kaijin) with Twenty Faces” or simply “K-20.” The film is based on The Story of Nijyumenso, a novel written by Soh Kitamura, and also features the mesmerizing theme song, Shock of the Lightning, by the British band Oasis.

Heikichi Endo (played by Takeshi Kaneshiro) is a circus acrobat who is deceived by K-20 and framed to take the fall for the phantom thief. Using his incredible physical dexterity, Heikichi wages war against K-20 in order to clear his name and fights alongside K-20’s next wealthy target, Duchess Yoko Hashiba (Takako Matsu) and her fiancée, the brilliant detective Kogoro Akechi (Toru Nakamura). But what is the ultimate decision Heikichi has to make?

Actor Takeshi Kaneshiro is internationally renowned and made his screen debut in the film Executioners (1993) followed by the critically acclaimed Wong Kar-Wai film Chungking Express (1994). More recently he has starred in films including House of Flying Daggers (2004) and The Battle of Red Cliff (2008).

To celebrate this new release, VIZ Pictures has also announced a special theatrical screening of K-20 at VIZ Cinema in San Francisco on April 20th at 7:00pm. Tickets are $25.00 and also will include a copy of the DVD, a K-20 poster and more! VIZ Cinema is located at: 1746 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94115. Tickets are available at the box office and online at vizcinema.com.

“The character of K-20 was originally born in the best-selling 26-volume Boy Detectives series, written by Japanese literary master Rampo Edogawa, and over the years the stories have been enjoyed by more than 100 million people,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures. “The inspired film uses a potent mix of eye-catching visual effects and gravity-defying high wire stunts to bring the unique story to the screen with incredible results. We look forward to fans discovering this thrilling new action feature from VIZ Pictures.”

For more information on K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces or other VIZ Pictures titles, please visit viz-pictures.com.

New Star Wars MIMOBOT release!

from Mimoco:

NEW! Star Wars MIMOBOT Series 5

MIMOBOT Brings “A New Hope” to USB Ports Everywhere!

Devoted to the film that started it all — Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope — the latest series of classic characters immortalized as USB flash drives includes astromech droid extraordinaire R2-D2 and the shooting-impaired Stormtrooper — both back by popular demand from the original Star Wars MIMOBOT series. Two newcomers also join the 2010 series, including that scavenger of the desert, the Jawa, and the fan selection from the first-ever Star Wars MIMOBOT Audience Choice poll — Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Shop Now!

R2-D2 MIMOBOT designer USB flash drive
Everyone’s favorite astromech droid extraordinaire R2-D2!
starts at $29.95

Stormtrooper Unmasked MIMOBOT designer USB flash drive
The completely redesigned Stormtrooper Unmasked MIMOBOT features a removable helmet with a 50/50 chance of revealing either Han or Luke beneath.
starts at $29.95

Obi-Wan Kenobi MIMOBOT designer USB flash drive
Obi-Wan joins the collection via the first Star Wars MIMOBOT community vote.
starts at $29.95

Jawa MIMOBOT designer USB flash drive
The techno-scavengers who nearly fried dear Artoo know good electronics when they see them.
starts at $29.95

Video Premiere
Star Wars MIMOBOT Series 5 Video!
These are the droids you’re looking for! Starring the characters from the Star Wars MIMOBOT Series 5 collection.

Shop all Star Wars MIMOBOT Series

FREE Shipping on orders over $75*!

Immedium: April 2010 Book Spotlight

from Immedium:

The Octonauts chart new horizons

In America, this is National Week of the Ocean! If you don’t live near a beach, do the next best thing — join The Octonauts on one of their adventures!

“The Octonauts are a team of eight underwater explorers who resemble Hello Kitty and friends, but have the gumption of Jacques Cousteau. Capt. Barnacles Bear and his crew, which includes a bunny, octopus, and otter, find their vacation to the Great Reef City interrupted when they discover that the reef is silent and white, like a ghost town. Investigating reveals that the buildings were blocking the sun and preventing healthy algae growth. Kids should be drawn in by the zippy graphics and comprehend the message about conservation.” — Publishers Weekly

Then on the web, you can join their growing Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/octonauts

Plus we are proud to announce that the Octonauts will debut as an animated TV series this fall in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Scandinavia, and more countries! We’ve partnered with Chorion UK, who has produced shows such as Mr. Men and Olivia the Pig. Stay tuned for more news to come!

Meet the creators Meomi who will sign books at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo on April 24-25th.

Immedium stories available on iPad

It seems everyone is buzzing about Apple’s new tablet and its potential impact on publishing. So we’re glad we put our books online earlier with astorybeforebed.com, because now their applet is available on the iPad, as reported by Media Bistro’s Galley Cat.

You can record yourself reading our stories on your Mac or PC (with a webcam and microphone), and watch your story times (play them back) on the iPad.

“I’m totally gaga, though, over their new site, A Story Before Bed. This might be one of those things that parents and grandparents will flip out with happiness about while everyone else scratches their heads, but as a new parent, finding it made me feel like a special delivery had arrived expressly for my daughter… My daughter’s happy reaction at seeing relatives — or me, when I’m traveling — on iChat makes the webcam in my laptop worth the whole cost of the machine. We read her three books every night before bed, and the idea of one of those being by a ‘guest reader’ from afar is wonderful. This is one of those ways of connecting people that I can’t help but be excited to see.” — Marc Hedlund, O’Reilly Radar

Bookmark our Blog | Add us on Twitter | Snag a T-shirt

VIZ Media Announces New DVD Releases for May-June 2010

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced their list of DVD titles scheduled for release in May through June 2010. This includes the latest box set and episodic releases of the popular Naruto and Bleach series. Also releasing are the live action feature films — Makoto Aida: Cynic in the Playground, 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption and Katsura Funakoshi: Whispering Gaze from VIZ Pictures. VIZ Media DVD titles are distributed (in English) in the U.S and Mexico by Warner Home Video and in Canada by Allegro.

Bleach releases include:

Bleach Uncut Box Set 5
Rated “T” for Teens
MSRP: $49.95 US / $71.99 CAN
Available June 8
The deadly Bounts have infiltrated the Soul Society seeking revenge, and Ichigo and his comrades are quick to follow. But with the large amounts of reishi available in the Soul Society, the Bounts’ power seems nearly limitless, and even the most formidable Soul Reaper captains have a grueling fight on their hands. At the Department of Research and Development, Bount leader Jin Kariya is after the Bount Crest known as Jokaisho, which has the power to blow all of the Seireitei away, and only Ichigo and Chad stand in his way! Contains episodes: 92-109 (Original and Uncut).

Bleach Volume 28
Rated “T” for Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available May 25
Captain Hitsugaya, along with Lieutenant Matsumoto and other Soul Reapers, arrives in Karakura Town to protect the living from the murderous Arrancars. Led by the Arrancar Grimmjow, the Arrancars have entered the World of the Living with the goal of killing anyone who possesses the slightest amount of Spiritual Pressure. As they fan out looking for victims, they find a fight with well-trained Soul Reapers instead. Ichigo, Chad, and the Advance Troops fight hard to protect Karakura town from the dangerous intruders. Contains episodes 114–117.

Bleach Volume 29
Rated “T” for Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available June 22
The streets of Karakura Town become the scene of a fierce battle between Soul Reapers and the Arrancars. Ikkaku Madarame faces off against the Arrancar Edrad, who dodges his wild attacks, forcing him to release his Bankai, which he has long kept secret. And Captain Hitsugaya struggles against the Arrancar Shawlong, who reveals to him the existence of far more powerful Arrancars called the Espada. Contains episodes 118–121.

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

Naruto releases include:

Naruto Uncut Season 3 Box Set Volume 1
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $49.95 US / $71.99 CAN
Available June 29
Naruto returns from his training journey eager to see his friend Sasuke. But Sasuke has only one thing on his mind: his quest for revenge against his older brother. His unquenchable thirst for power knows no bounds, and soon he is lured from the Leaf Village by Orochimaru’s minions, the Sound Four. Determined to get him back, Shikamaru and Naruto put together a team of the top genin in the village to go after him, and the chase begins! Contains episodes 107–135.

Naruto: Shippuden Volume 9
Rated “‘T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available May 18
Everything about Team Kakashi’s newest member Sai rubs Naruto the wrong way, and Sakura and their new leader Yamato have their hands full trying to keep them apart. A night at a hot springs inn doesn’t do much to promote team unity, but Naruto decides that he will do anything, even pair up with Sai, to help their mission succeed: to find Sasuke and bring him back. Sai has a hard time understanding Naruto’s feelings, but that may be because he himself has no feelings at all! Contains episodes 35–39.

Naruto: Shippuden Volume 10
Rated “‘T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available June 1
In the midst of their spying mission, Team Kakashi is suddenly confronted with the Leaf Village’s sworn enemy, Orochimaru. Naruto challenges him, and during their battle, his anger brings forth the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Naruto will never give up his determination to find Sasuke and bring him home, but in his rage he risks losing all awareness of himself and hurting those he cares for the most. Contains episodes 40–43.

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

From VIZ Pictures (Live Action Feature Films):

Makoto Aida: Cynic in the Playground
Artist Series Volume 5
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available May 4
Known for his diverse and controversial works in various media, Makoto Aida shares his work and private life as he creates his “Human Project” and “Shinjuku Castle.” Through his creative process his unique character surfaces.

20th Century Boys 3: Redemption
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available June 1
Based on Naoki Urasawa’s phenomenal hit manga, 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption is the third and final chapter of the sci-fi action film trilogy. With an all-star cast and input from the original creator himself, the characters truly come to life in this exciting live-action motion picture, which is directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. Toshiaki Karasawa, Etsushi Toyokawa, Takako Tokiwa, Teruyuki Kagawa, Airi Taira and others once again star in the film.

Katsura Funakoshi: Whispering Gaze
Artist Series Volume 6
MSRP: $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN
Available June 15
Witness the visionary sculptor Katsura Funakoshi as he breathes life into camphor wood. His human-like sculptures are known for their distant gaze as if pondering philosophical thoughts and projecting subtle yet bold emotions.

For more information on VIZ Pictures, please visit viz-pictures.com.