Category: Announcements

Peter Kelamis Joins the Cast of Riese!

Peter Kelamis

Actor and comedian Peter Kelamis has joined the cast of the new fantasy web series Riese. Currently seen as Adam Brody on Stargate Universe, Kelamis has appeared in nearly 100 projects including film, television and voice work in cartoons and video games. Details are forthcoming, but according to series co-creator Ryan Copple, Kelamis will be playing the role of Ormand.

Riese the Series premiered simultaneously on YouTube and KoldCast.TV on November 2nd. With nearly 70,000 views on YouTube so far, Riese has caught the attention of big media outlets including The New York Times and The Globe and Mail, as well as other traditional sci-fi outlets such as Sci-Fi Talk and GateWorld. The premiere episode got so many hits when it launched that YouTube quickly contacted Copple about adding Riese as one of their featured shows, and it’s also a featured show on KoldCast.TV.

Riese is a sci-fi/fantasy series richly influenced by history, mythology, folklore and steampunk. Riese follows a young woman and her companion, a wolf named Fenrir, who travel a collapsing world trying to piece together the fragmented memories of her past while trying to evade the dangerous religious cult that hunts her. With a high budget compared to other web series, and filmed on the RED camera in high definition, the show is visually beautiful. The wardrobe, music and depth of story all contribute to creating the world of Eleysia.

Riese features sci-fi regulars such as Christine Chatelain (Sanctuary, Supernatural, The Collector), Sharon Taylor (Smallville, Stargate Atlantis, Eureka), Patrick Gilmore (Stargate Universe, Battlestar Galactica), Ben Cotton (Harper’s Island, Stargate Atlantis, Taken) and Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary, Caprica, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate Atlantis).

Episode 2, “Fragments”, premieres November 16th on YouTube and KoldCast. If you haven’t watched it yet, check out Episode 1, “Hunt” now.

Interested in learning more? Check out more information about Riese the Series here:

Riese the Series Official Web Page
Riese the Series Channel on YouTube
Riese the Series on KoldCast.TV
Riese the Series Official Forum
Riese the Series on Facebook
Riese the Series on Twitter
Riese the Series Fansite

Barriss Offee Speaks

from StarWars.com:

This week, The Clone Wars introduces a new character to the ranks of the Jedi Order. Barriss Offee was first glimpsed in Episode II, Attack of the Clones, and now is given the spotlight on an important mission to destroy a Separatist droid factory. Actor Meredith Salenger talks about her role as Barriss Offee.

First, how did you find yourself voicing “Dependable Barriss,” as Ahsoka calls her, in The Clone Wars series?

Although I started acting in film when I was only 10 years old, I never even knew about voice-over acting until three years ago. I was so thrilled once I finally understood how the whole voice-over thing works and started loving playing animated characters! I also have been obsessed with accents and foreign languages since I was little and always practiced my English accent and my Australian accent incessantly. So when the audition came up for Barriss Offee, I was ready to put my skills to use. And I feel so grateful to be part of the cast and more importantly, the Star Wars universe!

So far, our exposure to Padawans in The Clone Wars has been pretty much limited to Ahsoka. In “Weapons Factory,” we get a rare glimpse of the relationship between a different master and apprentice. How would you compare the Barriss/Luminara relationship to that of Ahsoka/Anakin?

Well, Barris Offee’s Jedi Master is Luminara Unduli who is very by-the-book and ordered. As her loyal student, Barriss tends to be just as ordered in her approach to dealing with situations. There is a great amount of respect that Barriss affords Luminara. She is definitely her subordinate and their relationship is very formal. Whereas, there is a lot of familiarity between Ahsoka and Anakin. He even calls her by a cute nickname, “Snips.” I think he allows her to give a lot of input. I don’t think Barriss would ever presume to tell Luminara what she thought was best. However, I think that the more time Barriss spends with Ahsoka, she learns to improvise a bit more and trust her own instincts as opposed to always having to follow the rules exactly.

Lumina Jumps from the Little Screen to the Big Screen at the Clockenflap Music & Multi-Media Arts Festival

Lumina Poster

from Lumina:

Hong Kong’s original fantasy web series Lumina jumps from the little screen to the big screen at this past weekend’s Clockenflap Music & Multi-Media Arts Festival held at Hong Kong’s Cyberport. An estimated 3,500 festival attendees had the opportunity to view the Saturday and Sunday screenings of the first Lumina webisode, which to date has been available exclusively online.

“Clockenflap is a huge supporter of local artists and filmmakers and it’s great to see the bar being raised on independent production here year after year,” says Lindsay Robertson, Film Programmer, Clockenflap. “The film tent has grown enormously since last year’s festival — with 80 films screened this year — and we were thrilled to be screening such a diverse range of quality content from Hong Kong as well as from around the world. Screening films as part of a music festival environment allows a wider demographic to watch films they may not otherwise get to see.”

“It’s an honor to be invited to the Clockenflap festival and to be part of this exciting time in Hong Kong indie cinema,” says Lumina writer/director Jennifer Thym. “We’re excited about expanding our audience worldwide.” With over 30,000 views online from word of mouth and grassroots marketing, Lumina’s viewership is growing strong, especially with the young female set. In the last month, 30% of all Lumina viewers on YouTube were females between the ages of 13 and 17; the next largest demographic (15%) were males between the ages of 25 and 34.

The entire nine part first season of Lumina is now available to view on luminaseries.com as well as on Lumina’s American distribution partner’s website, koldcast.tv. A special DVD release with behind the scenes footage and bonus material is on the way.

About Lumina the Web Series:

Written and directed by first time Asian American director Jennifer Thym, Lumina the Web Series is a dark densely woven fantasy series set against the sparkling backdrop of Hong Kong. Lumina stars actress and model JuJu Chan, who also starred in the recent RTHK reality show on poverty and is the winner of Miss United Nation International Ambassador 2009, Miss United Nation China, Miss Congeniality and Miss TVB People’s Choice for Miss Chinatown USA Pageant 2009. Michael Chan, star of the viral hit Wall Street Fighter IV, and Vince Matthew Chung, winner of The Amazing Race Asia 3, co-star.

The series features music from around the world, including songs from groundbreaking music collective The Enigmatic Army, American college circuit favorite Tim Be Told and China Global Battle of the Bands winner Killer Soap. “Good music is integral to drawing viewers into the story, and I’m honored to have collaborated with such talented musicians,” says Jennifer Thym.

Lumina the Web Series is signed for distribution by American Web TV Channel KoldCast TV to join their award-winning slate of original online content.

About the Clockenflap Music & Multi-Media Arts Festival:

Clockenflap is a pioneering outdoor music and multimedia arts festival held over two days with over 3,500 attendees. It is currently the largest outdoor music and arts festival in Hong Kong. The festival provides a platform for both internationally and locally sourced live music, film, installation art, digital arts and animation, brought together as a great weekend out for all ages. The Clockenflap festival aims to support local artists by providing a large-scale event to showcase their talent, and to inspire others to become active through exposure to high quality international and local artists. It is the organisers’ view that a thriving art scene, across varied media, is critical for the social well-being of a large city. In addition, Clockenflap actively pursues the objective of making a profit with a view to nurturing the festival in Hong Kong and expanding the event into neighboring cities throughout the region.

VIZ Media Makes it a Holiday Season of Shojo with Fun New Releases

The Art of Gentlemen's Alliance

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, presents several new shojo manga (graphic novel) titles that fans and gift givers of all types might consider for wish list priority this holiday season.

The releases include The Art of Gentlemen’s Alliance, a collection of lavish drawings and designs from the hit series by famed shojo artist, Arina Tanemura. New manga title, Beast Master, as well as the latest volume of the popular gothic high school drama Vampire Knight, and the VIZBIG omnibus editions of Fushigi Yugi and Hot Gimmick.

“Shojo manga fans have much to look forward to during this year’s holiday season, with a variety of selections that make wonderful gift ideas to suit any budget,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media. “Many of these series have dramatically expanded the core Shojo audience, receiving universal renown and acclaim. From Vampire Knight, which has become a national bestseller, to the launch of the wild new manga, Beast Master, and gorgeous new omnibus editions of other shojo favorites, bookstore shelves have never been stocked with so much must-read Shojo manga!”

The VIZBIG editions each compile three volumes from the original graphic novel series, presented in a in a larger 5-3/4 x 8-5/8 size (larger than the standard 5 x 7-1/2 manga) with special features including new cover art, bonus color pages and added content such as author interviews, updated text and character art. The new editions serve as comprehensive introductions for new readers to some most-loved shojo manga titles, or a great way for seasoned fans to revisit favorite titles from a new perspective.

Beast Master Vol. 1
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN
Available Now!

Leo Aoi looks like a crazy animal with wild eyes — and no one at his new high school will go near him! He does seem to have a special connection with animals, which intrigues overzealous animal lover, Yuiko Kubozuka. In reality, Leo isn’t nearly as frightening as he appears, but Yuiko finds out that he goes berserk whenever he sees blood! Will Yuiko be able to get through to Leo during one of these violent fits? Or will his ferocious side eventually devour her? The debut volume also includes a special bonus short story called “Fly”.

Manga artist Kyousuke Motomi debuted in 2002 in Japan’s popular shojo manga magazine Betsucomi with No Good Cupid, and she was also the creator of Handsome! Beads Club. Her latest work, Electric Daisy, is also currently serialized in Betsucomi.

Vampire Knight Vol. 8
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN
Available Now!

Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorms, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy’s dark secret — the Night Class is composed of vampires!

In Volume 8 of this best-selling series by Matsuri Hino, after trying to recall her past, Yuki’s hallucinations become more vivid and she tries to strangle Zero during a fit of temporary madness. Locked in her room, all she can see is a world dyed in blood, but things will become really dangerous when the vampire Kaname comes for her and tells her it’s time to wake up and sinks his fangs into her neck!

The Art of Gentlemen’s Alliance
MSRP: $19.99 US / $27.00 CAN
Available November 17th

Renowned manga artist Arina Tanemura exemplifies the shojo style with this collection of highly stylized artwork presented with a swirl of billowing ribbons, romance and heartbreak. The glossy illustrated edition features designs for all the major characters from The Gentlemen’s Alliance and includes exclusive art for the North American edition and a full color double-sided, fold-out poster. Tanemura is a prolific manga artist and the creator of several popular shojo series such as I-O-N, Time Stranger Kyoko and Full Moon (all of which are published in North America by VIZ Media).

Hot Gimmick VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 3
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN
Available December 15th

Miki Aihara turned the manga world upside down with her salacious, outrageous, and funny hit series which concludes in this final VIZBIG omnibus edition. If you think being a teenager in America is hard, wait until you read Hot Gimmick. These Tokyo boys and girls are really messed up!

Fushigi Yugi VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 4
Rated “T+” for Older Teens
MSRP: $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN
Available December 15th

Read the manga by creator Yuu Watase that helped to define the shojo genre! Fifteen-year-old Miaka Yuki is transported back to an ancient Chinese kingdom by an old library book called The Universe of the Four Gods. Following the legend of the book, Miaka becomes the Priestess of Suzaku and must find her seven Celestial Warriors before she can save the kingdom and return home. In the latest VIZBIG volume, with one of the Celestial Warriors lost forever, Miaka and her men are more desperate than ever to obtain the two Shentso-Paos in order to summon Suzaku. But once Miaka has one in her grasp, it’s stolen away by the Seiryu Warrior Nakago. Miaka goes to Nakago to get it back, but he assaults her. Believing she is no longer worthy of becoming Tamahome’s bride, Miaka flees on her own, only to be saved by a man whom she initially thought was her enemy. Meanwhile, Tamahome falls under the Seiryu Warrior Tomo’s power of illusions.

For more information on VIZ Media titles please visit Viz.com.

Masque.com, ElfQuest.com Announcements

from ElfQuest:

SHORT FORM #1: The new website for Wendy’s Masque of the Red Death is up and running!

Longer form #1: Go there and you’ll find not only a very spiffy home page but also links to the web comic (which has been marvelously brought up to date), a brand new Masque CafePress shop, and an overview of the entire tale — with no spoilers!

You’ll also discover there are links yet to be activated. The fine folks at Ripe Media are still working diligently at readying those parts of the new site. Soon there will be a completely revamped forum (with many new interactive features), as well as some special audio-visual content.

Important note: The original Masque forum is still up and running at Go! Comi.

If you want to join and comment on the new site, please go ahead! The old forum will be open for business up to the moment when it needs to be taken offline so that all the existing posts can be migrated to the new site. This could take a day or two, so when it happens be prepared — nothing’s wrong, it’s just moving time. There will be announcements. Enjoy!

SHORT FORM #2: Development on the new ElfQuest website is chugging right along, on schedule!

Longer form (but not much longer) #2: We’re very excited about this newest overhaul, which actually represent the first major structural change in the EQ site since it premiered back in 1994. Keep checking the homepage at elfquest.com for updates and announcements, and be sure to visit the Scroll of Colors forum too.

Shade and sweet water,
Richard Pini

“Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls” Dolls Available for Pre-order

from Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls:

That’s right! The Galaxy Girls are landing and are available for pre-order at FAO.com!!! Milky Way, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Pluto are scheduled to ship November 19th for any Earthling who wants to secure their order now. This initial run of “series 1” gGirls have only been made in limited quantities, so don’t wait too long to secure yours!!

Over and out,

Mother Earth (Lauren Faust)

“The Guild” Season 3, Episode 10: “The Return!”

from The Guild:

The Guild Season 3 Episode 10: “The Return!” is now up on MSN, Xbox and Zune Marketplace. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, Vork returns to rebuild the Guild. Not really that dramatic, but you get the idea.

Streaming on MSN | Downloadable in HD on Xbox | Downloadable on Zune

Also, this link to MSN’s Parallel Universe hub should always have the latest episode of The Guild as they are released.

Tauntaun Now on Pre-order at ThinkGeek

from ThinkGeek:

Friends of the Rebellion,

What a day for geek kind. We are so happy to have your full attention. Seriously. We are just amazed that you’ve been able to get off the couch to come up for air with Modern Warfare 2 in your possession. We here at ThinkGeek Psionics™ are predicting a wave of worker bees calling in sick to the office or skipping classes which will last approximately 3-4 days. There is no known vaccine and we are afraid it’s highly contagious. There is an antidote, however. You see, we’ve just shipped our first herd of Tauntaun sleeping bags from the frozen tundras of our Hoth factories, and they’re available to pre-order in limited quantities! Placing your pre-order now will distract you from the soul-sucking whirlpool that is MW2…

Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

Infectious X MIMOBOT Design Challenge Winners

from Mimoco:

And the winner is… Drum roll please! Introducing the Infectious X MIMOBOT Design Challenge Grand Prize Winner… GiddyUp by Hila Rosenberg Arazi! Hila is an Australian artist who was born on the shortest day of the year. Hence, she loves to draw tiny things. Her whimsical, dreamy illustration is going to make for a killer MIMOBOT. Watch for Hila’s design to be available in MIMOBOT form in early 2010. The five runners-up will each receive a MIMOBOT X Infectious prize pack. Congrats to all the winners and thanks to all the participants for making this the biggest and best Infectious design challenge yet!

Also you still have two days left to enter our Ginchy Rockabilly trivia contest, so get your entries in ASAP for a super limited edition re-released 8GB Ginchy MIMOBOT!

VIZ Media Offers an Emotional Mix of the Real and Imaginary in the Debut of Taiyo Matsumoto’s “GoGo Monster”

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 Taiyo Matsumoto’s celebrated manga GoGo Monster on November 17th. GoGo Monster will be published by the company’s VIZ Signature imprint, rated “T” for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $27.99 U.S. / $36.00 CAN.

Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, he is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see. In the other world, the supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits who bring chaos into the school, the students’ lives, and even nature itself.

“Taiyo Matsumoto’s clever stories and striking art have placed him among the best of a new generation of influential manga artists and we are privileged to present GoGo Monster to U.S. audiences,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media. “This story continues to show Matsumoto’s fascination with youth as he seamlessly blends themes of alienation with the paranormal. For anyone with an overactive imagination or has even just daydreamed during class, GoGo Monster offers an emotional tale that shows how what we see and imagine, whether real or imaginary, shapes our personality in profound ways.”

Taiyo Matsumoto made his manga debut in the Japanese magazine Comic Afternoon with the short story “Straight”. He went on to travel throughout France and became heavily influenced by the French comics he studied there including those created by pioneering European artists like Moebius and Enki Bilal. Matsumoto has become internationally acclaimed for stories that capture the essence of disaffected youth and adolescent alienation. His other notable works include Blue Spring, NO. 5 and Tekkonkinkreet: Black & White, which are all published in North America by VIZ Media. Tekkonkinkreet won a prestigious Will Eisner Award in 2008 and was also adapted for an animated feature film. Another Matsumoto manga story, Ping Pong, was turned into an award-winning live action film that is available from VIZ Pictures.

Fore more information on other VIZ Signature titles please visit VizSignature.com and Sigikki.com.

VIZ Pictures to Release “20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End”

20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End

from VIZ Pictures:

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, will release the science fiction feature 20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End on DVD on December 15th in the United States through its distributor, VIZ Media. 20th Century Boys will carry an MSRP of $24.92 US / $35.99 CAN.

The 20th Century Boys saga was directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi (who also directed the live-action film, Happily Ever After which is also available from VIZ Pictures) and is based on a popular manga series by Naoki Urasawa. It all begins in 1969 when a young boy named Kenji and his friends write “The Book of Prophecy” in which they write about a future where they fight against an evil organization trying to take over the world and bring about doomsday. Years later in 1997, a mysterious cult being led by a man only known as “Friend” emerges and begins to gain strong influence over society. A series of catastrophic events begin to occur mirroring the prophecies made up by the young Kenji and the greatest fear is the climax of “The Book” becoming a reality; December 31st, 2000, a terrifying giant virus-spreading robot will attack the entire city of Tokyo leading to the end of mankind. The only people who know about “The Book” are Kenji and his childhood friends. Who is “Friend”? Will Kenji and his friends be able to save mankind and live to see the 21st Century?

“20th Century Boys mesmerized audiences at its U.S. theatrical premiere in San Francisco this past summer and we’re very proud to announce its North American debut on DVD,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures. “Naoki Urasawa’s multi-layered story of childhood mystical prophecy, government conspiracies and alien invasion is given a lavish production treatment and the film’s ending is a real cliffhanger that’s also very different from the original manga series. We look forward to introducing audiences to this exciting 3-part science fiction saga!”

VIZ Pictures has scheduled theatrical screenings of 20th Century Boys 1 in December at VIZ Cinema, the nation’s first theatre venue devoted exclusively to Japanese film operated by VIZ Pictures, Inc. On December 10th, starting at 7:30pm, VIZ Pictures has a special event to celebrate the DVD release of the first chapter of the trilogy. Tickets are $25.00, which includes a pass to the film screening, the brand new DVD, a poster, and more! VIZ Cinema is located inside NEW PEOPLE, a newly opened entertainment destination in the heart of San Francisco’s Japantown offering the latest examples of Japanese popular culture. Tickets are available at vizcinema.com or can be purchased at the theatre box-office. For more information about this event, please visit vizcinema.com or viz-pictures.com.

For more information on 20th Century Boys or other VIZ Pictures titles please visit viz-pictures.com.

Emily the Strange Goes GREEN with a New Line of Organic Cotton Emily Wear

from Emily the Strange:

Introducing… Black is the New Green!
The new line of organic cotton Emily wear…

Zombies Recycle: Everybody should recycle and this tee shows that even the undead do it. Be it bottles, paper or brains — donations are always welcome!

Give Strange a Chance: Inspired by the 60’s, this graphic features Emily and a strange pal promoting Strange as well as peace.

Mean and Green: This empowering image shows Emily and a gang of strange creatures taking a stand for what they believe in.

Find Emily on: Facebook | MySpace | YouTube