Category: Announcements

Joe Hill, bestselling author of “Horns”, makes his debut in Canada!

Horns

from HarperCollins Canada:

The author of the critically acclaimed Heart-Shaped Box, Joe Hill is a two-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award and a past recipient of the Ray Bradbury Fellowship. His stories have appeared in a variety of journals and Year’s Best collections. His latest book is Horns, the hottest thing in fantastic horror since Stephen King’s last book (Joe Hill, incidentally, is Stephen King’s son), and it is an amazing read. Hill will be signing copies of Horns and meeting his fans at the Toronto Public Library. This is seriously an event not to be missed.

Monday, March 22
7:00 PM
Toronto Public Library — Lillian H. Smith Library
The Merril Collection, 239 College Street
For more information, call (416) 963-9993

Joe Hill’s Official Website
The Joe Hill Message Board
Joe Hill on Twitter

VIZ Media Announces the Exciting Finale to “Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka” Manga Series

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media will be releasing the much anticipated final volume, Volume 8, of Naoki Urasawa’s manga masterpiece Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka on April 6th.

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!

In the final volume Atom is back, and the fate of the earth is in his hands! Now that Atom has all the answers to the unsolved mysteries around Pluto, Bora and more, he’s prepared to put everything on the line. With the memory of his fallen brethren — Gesicht, Mont Blanc, North No. 2, Brando, Hercules and Epsilon — etched deeply into his heart, Atom is headed for one last battle to save the world!

Naoki Urasawa’s career as a manga artist spans more than twenty years and has firmly established him as one of the true manga masters of Japan. Born in Tokyo in 1960, Urasawa debuted with Beta!! in 1983 and hasn’t stopped his impressive output since. Well-versed in a variety of genres, Urasawa’s oeuvre encompasses a multitude of different subjects, such as a romantic comedy (Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl), a suspenseful human drama about a former mercenary (Pineapple ARMY; story by Kazuya Kudo), a captivating psychological suspense story (Monster), a sci-fi adventure manga (20th Century Boys) and a modern reinterpretation of the work of Osamu Tezuka (Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka; co-authored with Takashi Nagasaki, supervised by Macoto Tezka, and with the cooperation of Tezuka Productions). Many of his books have spawned popular animated and live-action TV programs and films, and 2008 saw the theatrical release of the first of three live-action Japanese films based on 20th Century Boys.

No stranger to accolades and awards, Urasawa is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award, a two-time recipient of the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize, and has received the Kodansha Manga Award. Similarly, Monster has been nominated three times for the Eisner Award in America. Urasawa has also become involved in the world of academia. In 2008 he accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University, where he teaches courses in, of course, manga.

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka is rated “T+” for Older Teens and has a MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 Canada. For more information on this and other titles from VIZ Media, please visit viz.com.

Weta News: Avatar podcast and a new Sword!

from Weta:

Exciting times! As many of you know, we are just about to take delivery into our warehouses of the first of our Miniature shields, the Numenorean. They look fantastic and we’re about to start processing pre-orders. This is something we’re really looking forward to, as it’s the first tangible evidence that we have truly returned to Middle-earth and our “collectible roots”.

SPECIAL OFFER! Buy two Dr. Grordbort’s Books and get a Miniature Raygun for US$10!
For a week, we have put together a special package for those who want to acquaint themselves with the wonderful world of Dr. Grordbort’s. When you buy Greg Broadmore’s two beautiful and hysterically funny Dr. Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory and VICTORY, you get your first collectible Miniature Raygun, the Mini Victorious Mongoose, for US$10 (usually US$49)! And not only that — we throw in four postcards, one of which will be signed by Greg Broadmore. Start your Raygun collection here!

Listen to the Weta Cast Episode XV — Avatar Special
Listen to Richard Taylor and some of the designers and workshop crew talk about Avatar. Also an excerpt from an interview on Fictional Frontiers and LOTS of news! All you need to listen is a pair of headphones or speakers! Listen to it here!

Strider’s Sword now available for order
The second sword in the Master Swordsmith’s Collection of swords from The Lord of the Rings is now open for orders in our shop. It follows Anduril, which sold out in the first week. Three edition numbers are available for new collectors — first come, first served!

Neil Gaiman visits the Weta Cave
Neil Gaiman, the science fiction and fantasy author of short stories, novels, graphic novels and comics came to see us at the Weta Cave last week! It turns out Neil is also a huge Doctor Who fan.

Follow Weta Online! Twitter | Facebook

VIZ Media Launches VIZ Anime, a New Official Web Destination for Some of the Hottest Anime Content

from VIZ Media:

In a significant news announcement, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has detailed the launch of VIZ Anime — a brand new, free-to-use interactive web destination that will become a permanent home to some of the company’s best-loved animated series as well as new content which will be added on a weekly basis. VIZ Anime is accessible at: VIZAnime.com.

VIZ Anime kicks off with more than 400 episodes from hit series such as Bleach, Buso Renkin, Death Note (complete series), Hikaru no Go, Honey and Clover, InuYasha (complete series) and InuYasha: The Final Act, Nana, Naruto (complete series) and Naruto: Shippuden as well as The Prince of Tennis. The site will also be the future web home for many other eagerly anticipated anime series set to launch later this year!

Episodes can be streamed for free with new ones being added weekly. A variety of interactive social networking tools and features also help foster an official online home and community for VIZ Media anime fans allowing them to connect on and discuss favorite shows, and offer ratings and opinions of various episodes. New functionalities will be added regularly.

  • Users can “follow” as many series as they like and choose to be notified each time a new episode is released, as well as keep track of the last episode they’ve watched. This makes it easy to stay current on series like InuYasha or Naruto, which feature more than 100 episodes.
  • Users can comment on individual episodes and also meet and interact with other fans, invite friends to join, ask questions and debate plot twists and characters, voice their opinion on what’s happening in a particular series, and also find out what else is going on across the anime and manga spectrums.
  • Users can rate their favorite episodes by using a “Like” button on each episode page. They can quickly access a list of all the episodes they’ve similarly liked to compare how other users have liked an episode.
  • Users can make a personalized profile page to keep track of the episodes they’ve watched and enjoyed, the series they’re currently following, and comments they’ve made. Mail tools can also be used to send private messages between individual users. Privacy controls let users decide what information is shared publicly and who is able to send them messages.

“We’re committed to developing VIZ Anime as a premiere online destination, and hope to offer a real community for VIZ Media fans to interact with each other and share their love of anime,” says Ken Sasaki, Senior Vice President & General Manager of VIZ Media. “We will also utilize the site as a means of two-way communication to better understand what our fans enjoy most and want, and how they engage with anime and manga online. With a lot of content to select from, VIZ Anime will become a favorite site to visit again and again!”

For more information on VIZ Media or VIZ Anime, please visit VIZAnime.com.

“Dawn of the Dreadfuls” Book Trailer

from Quirk Books:

First there was the Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters trailer.
Now, we at Quirk Books would like to give you even more Regency-era drama, delivered with some intense martial arts and brilliant brain-eating action.

a Book Trailer by Dirty Robber,
based on the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith,
starring Anabella Casanova, Cameron Cash, Martin Roe,
and several thousand gallons of blood.

Irreference TV on YouTube

Get the first chapter of Dawn of the Dreadfuls free for your e-reader.

J!NX: The World of Warcraft Spring ’10 Line is Here!

from J!NX:

The World of Warcraft Spring ’10 Line Launched!
The Gods have smiled on all you WoW-heads out there, for they have bestowed upon the world the most honored and coveted of gifts: fresh content! We’ve got a slew of new designs, some you may recognize as they were previously available only at Hot Topic Stores. Now we have released them from their mall-bound prison to run free over the Plains of the Barrens. Oh, and we threw in brand new StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 designs, just because we can. Taz’dingo!

Wanna See J!NX in Your Town?
If you’d like to buy J!NX apparel from your local peddler of wares, tell them to contact us. The next time you visit your preferred clothing/gaming/comic/card shop, march right up to the person who seems to be in charge and tell them that they should be carrying J!NX. If they look at you funny, just tell them to email us at wholesale@jinx.com for more details. While you’re at it, let us know who you talked to and we can bug them.

15% off all products for orders $25 or more
Use Promotion Code: GUDTIMEZ
This offer expires Friday, March 19, 2010 at Midnight EST, so don’t wait!

I, Zombie

from Things from Another World:

Do you have an extra dollar $0.80 to spare and want to try out a new comic book series? We suggest you check out I, Zombie. Gwen Dylan is a gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery… and a zombie detective. Once a month, she has to eat a human brain — both to keep from going all “Night of the Living Dead,” and to keep her own memories intact.

As a result, Gwen’s mind is crowded with the dead person’s thoughts. And lately, she feels compelled to fulfill their final requests. Torn between a mysterious mummy and a dashing young monster-hunter, Gwen is set for adventures beyond imagination!

A were-terrier, a swinging ’60s ghost and a pack of paintball-blasting vampires complete the cast of I, Zombie. Written by World Fantasy Award finalist Chris Roberson (Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love) with art by Eisner Award-winning superstar artist Michael Allred (X-Statix, Madman), I, Zombie is a monster of a tale with razor-sharp prose and powerful pop artistry.

Sounds cool, right?

Order the First Issue of I, Zombie Today for Just $0.80!

ThinkGeek resurrects the T-Shirt Grab Bag

from ThinkGeek:

We’re baaaack!

Last week, the entire ThinkGeek staff braved the sunrise for an early morning flight, shambled to the island of Puerto Rico, made nefarious global domination plans, slathered ourselves in SPF 90 (and still got burned), imbibed many a local beverage, horked down our weight in pork (and that’s a lot of pork!), saw the Arecibo Radio Telescope (but sadly, did not contact aliens), and even relaxed in a hot tub with an iguana.

All that, and we STILL prepared an amazing deal for you loyal minions. Feast on the t-shirt grab bag, nerds!

Return of the ThinkGeek Grab Bag (of Holding)!
Reach in and pull out a random new shirt for as low as $5.99. Try your (+3) luck while supplies last!

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

News that Squishes!

from Squishable:

Hello Folks!

If you were dipping strawberries in some melted news, you wouldn’t want it to be greasy, grainy news! No! You’d want that accompaniment to be delicious, chocolately, Squishy News! And here it is!

New Understudies! We’ve got some!

Eco Harp Seal Understudy — Basically we were gonna have a riot on our hands if we didn’t find a seal somewhere. Riots are bad! Snuggling is good! Here he is, made of eco-friendly fabric and joy!

Really Big Walrus Understudy — He’s really big! Not giant, but still large enough for a fuzzy, squishy body pillow, or to pretend you have an extra person in your car for the carpool lane. Incidentally, don’t use your walrus to fake your way into the carpool lane.

Squishable Turtle Coupon! — What’s more nifty than a Sea Turtle? A Sea Turtle in love! To honor the start of Sea Turtle nesting season here’s a coupon for 25% off a Squishable Tortoise (not a Turtle but close). Just enter the coupon code GOTORTOISEGO at checkout, good until Sunday the 14th at 11:59 PM EST. Reproduce, Sea Turtles! We’re rooting for you! (Excludes shipping. No cash value. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda.)

Many many thanks to everyone who sent in a picture to support Doctors Without Borders! Goodness do you guys kick rear — well done! And from now until the end of April, for every picture of you and your Squishy we receive we’ll send a dollar to Dress for Success to help prepare low-income women for economic empowerment (up to $250)! Send ’em to HugMe@squishable.com. The world needs more empowered ladies, folks! Send a squishy pic!

Spring holidays: Easter/Passover/Solstice/Fertility ritual! Basically, if your Spring celebration has bunnies or ducks involved, here are the dates you need to know about!

For delivery by April 2nd:
Continental US:
Standard Shipping — Order by March 24, 2010 at 3 pm EST!
Third Business Day Shipping — Order by March 29, 2010 at 3 pm EST!
Second Business Day Shipping — Order by March 30, 2010 at 3 pm EST!
Next Business Day Shipping — Order by March 31, 2010 at 3 pm EST!

Alaska, Hawaii, Canada and (other) International Orders:
Orders are not guaranteed, but we strong recommend ordering by March 15th for the best shot at delivery!

APO/FPO Orders:
Order delivery isn’t guaranteed, sorry! Order ASAP for the best chance!

Thanks folks!

Zoe and Aaron
Squishable.com

VIZ Media Debuts “Dorohedoro”, a Battle Between Diabolical Sorcerers and the Monsters They Created

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will publish manga creator Q Hayashida’s gritty urban sci-fi/horror series Dorohedoro on March 16th. The new series under the company’s VIZ Signature imprint, is rated “M” for Mature Audiences and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

In a city so dismal it’s known only as “the Hole,” an underground group of Sorcerers have been abducting people off the streets to use as guinea pigs for atrocious “experiments” in the black arts. In a dark alley, Nikaido found Caiman, a mutant man with a reptile head and a bad case of amnesia. To undo the spell, Nikaido and Caiman hunt and kill the Sorcerers in the Hole, hoping that eventually they’ll kill the right one. But when En, the head Sorcerer, gets word of a lizard-man slaughtering his people, he sends a crew of “cleaners” into the Hole, igniting a war between two worlds.

Dorohedoro blends bloody mutant action with the classic horror elements — zombies, demons, and ghosts — and an intricate postapocalyptic urban setting,” says Leyla Aker, Editorial Manager, VIZ Media. “At the same time, the characters are likable, the dialogue’s funny, and I think readers will be surprised by its charm.

Manga creator Q Hayashida is known for her bold art style and the way she seamlessly integrates alternate universes into her stories. Hayashida made her manga debut with Maken X Another, which ran in Magazine Z in Japan and was subsequently adapted into a video game. She followed with a sequel, Maken X Another Jack. Dorohedoro is her latest creation and is serialized in Shogakukan’s manga magazine IKKI and also featured on SigIKKI.com, the publication’s innovative online joint venture with VIZ Media.

For more information on SIGIKKI, please visit SigIKKI.com.

For more information on this title, or others from VIZ Media, please visit viz.com.