Category: Announcements

VIZ Media Becomes Master Licensor for Gothic Animated Series “Vampire Knight”

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 that it has acquired the domestic TV, Home Entertainment, Streaming, DTO, and Merchandising rights to the hit Vampire Knight animated series.

With this license VIZ Media will hold the rights to Vampire Knight for TV (including IPTV and VOD) and Home Video (all platforms including Blu-ray), Streaming, DTO and Merchandising (including digital Merchandise and mobile).

Vampire Knight is based on the best-selling gothic-romance manga series created by Matsuri Hino. 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 dorm, 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 full of vampires!

Matsuri Hino burst onto the manga scene with her title Kono Yume ga Sametara (When This Dream Is Over), which was published in LaLa DX magazine. Hino was a manga artist a mere nine months after she decided to become one. With the success of her popular series Captive Hearts and Meru Puri, Hino has established herself as a major player in the world of shojo manga. Vampire Knight is currently serialized in LaLa magazine in Japan and was also serialized in Shojo Beat magazine in North America. The Vampire Knight manga series is currently published in the US by VIZ Media and continues to keep its place in the Top Ten on The New York Times Best Selling Manga List.

For more information on Vampire Knight please visit shojobeat.com/manga/vk.

Hello Kitty Apple MIMOBOT is finally here, and she’s got a new friend!

from Mimoco:

Hello Kitty Apple MIMOBOT, Hello Kitty Fun in Fields MIMOBOT, AND Hello Kitty x MIMOBOT, oh my!!!

Get psyched! You’ve been waiting patiently for Hello Kitty Apple MIMOBOT to drop and now check out the newest Hello Kitty x MIMOBOT! Equal parts Hello Kitty and MIMOBOT, she’s adorable rockin’ the MIMOBOT suit! And don’t forget Hello Kitty Fun in Fields MIMOBOT too!

What could be better?!

Hello Kitty x MIMOBOT
Hello Kitty x MIMOBOT USB is here, just how you like her! She’s got her play clothes on and wants to celebrate her 35th anniversary with you!
* Preloaded Digital Content Includes: desktop wallpapers, icons, avatars, and screensavers.

Hello Kitty Apple MIMOBOT
You’ve seen her around, and now she’s ready to be yours! Hello Kitty Apple MIMOBOT is ripe and ready for the picking!
* Preloaded Digital Content Includes: desktop wallpapers, icons, avatars, and screensavers.

Infectious X MIMOBOT Design Challenge
One More Week Left!
There’s only one more week left before the design challenge comes to a close — deadline is October 6! So, get your designs in while there’s still time!

“The Guild” DVD in Retail Stores Today

from The Guild:

Today marks the release of the new Season 1 and Season 2 DVD release. While the individual seasons have been available from us at conventions or on Amazon.com, this release is exciting because it means The Guild is now in retail stores!

The content on the discs is exactly the same as the previous DVD releases, the only difference is this release packages both DVDs in one case, there’s new packaging artwork and there’s a bonus “Note from Felicia” inside. As of this post, the confirmed retail outlets that will be carrying this are FYE, Suncoast and Coconuts. Check your local retailer, too, as they may be stocking it — and if they aren’t, ask them to! Oh, and Netflix users, you can help us by posting a review of the DVD and adding it to your queue — this will help encourage Netflix to add the discs to their inventory. Here’s the Netflix link.

We’re celebrating the release of this DVD with a contest — please post a photo of yourself purchasing this DVD in a retail store today (9/29) and we’ll pick 10 winning pictures to receive an autographed DVD. You can either post your picture to our Facebook page as a Fan Photo (here’s the link) or post to Twitter with the hashtag #myguilddvd. (Note: we reserve the right to pick the winners at random if there are too many entries!). Contest ends at midnight Pacific Time.

The Guild: Season 3 Episode 5 is Posted

from The Guild:

We’re happy to announce that Guild Season 3 Episode 5 “Application’d” is now live. After watching it, you might remember this from before.

Streaming on MSN
Downloadable in HD on Xbox
Downloadable on Zune

We are working towards a resolution for international Xbox release, please check with @theguild on Twitter for updates.

Introducing Emily’s Strange Days Blog

from Emily the Strange:

Well, well. What do we have here?…

Welcome to Emily the Strange‘s new Strange Days Blog, the newest feature of EmilyStrange.com.

Share comments, get instant updates and keep an eye on what’s up in Emily’s world — a whole new way to share the strange!

EmilyStrange.com/blog

Find Emily on: Facebook | MySpace | YouTube

Get more free digital goodies when you attend the Encore of RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 From Outer Space!

from RiffTrax:

The encore screening of RiffTrax: Plan 9 From Outer Space is almost here! The original evening of live riffing captured on August 20th will be rebroadcast Thursday, October 8th in movie theaters nationwide!

And now there are EVEN MORE FREE DIGITAL GOODIES! In addition to receiving the Flying Stewardess downloadable short, autographed digital photo of the guys, and RiffTones song, all event attendees will also get two more RiffTones songs and an animated short of the failed Plans 1-8! More goodies! More fun! All FREE!!!

Tickets are only $10 each and are on sale now! Simply go to the RiffTrax Encore page on Fathom, where you can enter your zip code to find the closest theatre and purchase tickets.

Don’t wait! Get your tickets today!

VIZ Media Announces “Inuyasha: The Final Act” Scheduled to Stream in the U.S. Simultaneous to Airing in Japan

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, delighted anime fans at New York Anime Festival yesterday with an announcement of the near simultaneous Japanese/American simulcast of the action-packed conclusion to the Inuyasha animated series — Inuyasha: The Final Act.

Beginning on October 3rd, Inuyasha: The Final Act (subtitled) will stream on ShonenSunday.com/anime and Hulu.com mere hours after it airs in Japan. A new episode will air every Saturday thereafter. Inuyasha: The Final Act anime is rated “T” for teens.

Inuyasha is a hit TV anime series based on the manga by famed creator Rumiko Takahashi, who won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for Inuyasha in 2002. Many of the Takahashi titles have been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. Takahashi’s manga, as well as the other formats her work has been adapted into, have continued to delight generations of fans around the world. Distinguished by her wonderfully endearing characters, Takahashi’s work adeptly incorporates a wide variety of elements such as comedy, romance, fantasy, and martial arts. Rumiko Takahashi is an artist who truly represents the very best from the world of manga. Please visit the new official North American web site for all Rumiko Takahashi-related news and information located at TheRumicWorld.com.

When an enchanted well draws her into the past, Kagome, an ordinary modern schoolgirl, finds her destiny tied to the doglike half-demon Inuyasha and a mythical gem called the Shikon Jewel, or “Jewel of Four Souls,” of which the smallest shard can grant the user unimaginable power.

Throughout their quest to restore the shattered Shikon Jewel, Inuyasha and Kagome have never faced an enemy more deadly or more cunning than the demon mastermind Naraku. With the Shikon Jewel nearly whole and in Naraku’s hands, the race to collect the remaining shards intensifies and a battle of epic proportions is brewing on the horizon…

Featuring the works of some of the top shonen manga creators in the world today, Shonen Sunday magazine in Japan provides the content for some of VIZ Media’s most impressive new titles. The magazine recently celebrated its 50th anniversary since its first issue arrived on newsstands in March of 1959. Rin-ne is the brand new Shonen Sunday manga series by Rumiko Takahashi and the first series ever to be published simultaneously in Japan and North America.

“Inuyasha is one of the longest running anime series in North America and we’re very proud to present the final episodes of this epic adventure to fans in the U.S. mere hours after episodes air in Japan,” says Ken Sasaki, Vice President Strategy & Business Development, VIZ Media. “Rumiko Takahashi created a classic with Inuyasha, and ShonenSunday.com/anime will be THE online destination where Inuyasha fans can watch all 167 previously available episodes, as well as follow the newest episodes from Inuyasha: The Final Act!”

VIZ Media publishes multiple series by Rumiko Takahashi, including her brand new manga series Rin-ne, the Inuyasha manga, Inuyasha ani-manga and The Art of Inuyasha. For more information on the Inuyasha anime please visit ShonenSunday.com.

The Cabonauts: New Miracle Laurie Video and Human League News

from The Cabonauts:

Two amazing bits of news to share regarding The Cabonauts. First up is a brand new video interview with Dollhouse‘s Miracle Laurie where she discusses the plot of The Cabonauts pilot that she co-stars in alongside James C. Leary (Clem, the loose skinned demon from Buffy) and, of course, Star Trek‘s Nichelle Nichols.

You can see that here.

And we’re proud to announce that our first official remixer has come on board — none other than Jo Callis! Jo has co-written, played and sung on all The Human League’s biggest hits. Don’t You Want Me, (Keep Feeling) Fascination, Mirror Man and TONS more. He’s also a founding member of The Rezillos and has written hits for them and Feargal Sharkey (The Undertones). Jo will remix various tracks from The Cabonauts series and they’ll be sold via iTunes when we launch.

Jo is a big sci-fi fan so it’s a perfect match and you can read all about it here.

All hail!

More Weta News: September 2009

from Weta:

Hey Weta fans,
New products, new book signings, a flourishing forum, special offers and more exciting news than you can shake a stick at. We’re manifesting our return to Middle-earth by releasing our first new polystone collectible from The Lord of the Rings, The Argonath flanking the river Anduin. This is total Deja Vu for us and extra exciting because that’s how Weta started its foray into collectibles back in the heady days of 2001. Enjoy!

Pre-order The Argonath!
Weta’s return to Middle-earth and specifically to polystone collectibles from The Lord of the Rings is celebrated with a truly iconic piece. It continues on from previous environments that have been popular with collectors the world over. The big difference this time is that the edition size is a mere 500. They will not last long, so get your pre-order in now. The Argonath will be shipped world wide!

Book signings galore at the Weta Cave:
2 October — Ian Brodie signs The Lord of the Rings guidebooks
3 October — Alan Lee signs advance copies of his new book
1 November — New Champ the Chopper book to be launched

In the News:
Weta will be attending the Armageddon Pulp Expo in Auckland on New Zealand’s Labour Day weekend, 24-26 October. This will be the first opportunity for many to see some of our new ranges. We will also be attending the Trinity of Terrors in Las Vegas at Halloween, after an invitation from our friends at Fangoria. This will be totally insane.

And don’t forget:
Vote for the best Voice of Gollum
A Yeti? In Queenstown?

WotWots DVD, books and toys available to buy online!
Every pre-schooler’s favourite alien twins, Spotty Wot and Dotty Wot have their own line of DVDs, toys and books and we have made a selection available to buy on our site. Check it out now!

Hot Tip:
If you’re seeing the wrong currency on our site, you can change it to one that makes more sense to you. We display our prices in US Dollars, Great Britain Pounds or New Zealand Dollars and we show you the one we think you’d prefer. But if you don’t agree — feel free to change it.

Have you pre-ordered your VICTORY yet?
As you are no doubt aware, we’re now taking pre-orders for: Victory! Scientific Adventure Violence for Young Men and Literate Women. It follows the style of Dr. Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory that was released last year. This is what Guillermo del Toro thinks about the book:

Wild, bizarre adventures told by the fireplace in a smokey, wood-panelled Gentleman’s club… but not in Victorian England but in a dazzling “Uchronism” that works both as a satire of our times and as a convex mirror for a future that never was. A violent, vibrant Neverland, witty and brilliantly realized. This book is your passport into a fully-formed habitat populated by dangerous, unstoppable predators — both human and inhuman…

Weta’s NEW FAN FORUMS are more popular than ever!
A few of the Weta artists (as well as a couple of us here in the office) have been completely hooked and are participating actively in the boards on the Shadow and Flame. Come and join us!

Weta Dollars Reminder:
Don’t forget — if you hold Weta Dollars that were earned on our OLD website, these expire 31 December 2009, so make sure you spend them before then!

This is how you find us online!
http://fans.wetaNZ.com/Magnus/ | Twitter: @wetaworkshop | Facebook: Weta Workshop

Mystery Science Theater 3000: XVI

from Shout! Factory:

Some of you might remember that when we first unleashed a Mystery Science Theater 3000 collection, the original run included a Crow T. Robot figurine. Well, it’s been a year, and we’ve heard over and over again just how lonely that little guy is. He’s in need of a friend, a partner in crime, one might say. We’re pleased to inform him that his long wait is almost over. MST3K Vol. XVI is on the horizon and will indeed include a limited-edition Tom Servo figurine. Here’s a picture of how we imagine this will work out on your shelves. Heart not included. Oh, and the set will contain four DVD debuts as well: The Corpse Vanishes, Warrior of the Lost World, Santa Claus and Night of the Blood Beast. Available 12/15.

So much happens at Shout! on a daily basis that we feel compelled to live up to our name and SHOUT it out. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for regular updates about things you just might be interested in.

The Guild Answers Your Questions on How to Make Web Video

from The Guild:

We frequently receive questions about how to make web video, and so we’re going to create an Extra/Bonus Feature for the Season 3 DVD called “Tips on Making Web Video.” In it, Felicia Day, Kim Evey and Sean Becker will provide tips and how-to’s, and answer some questions.

That’s where you come in! We’re asking for fan questions on the subject. You can submit your questions three ways:

1) Post a comment here (this post)

2) Tweet your question with the hashtag #guildquestion

3) Reply to the Facebook discussion thread that we’ve started.

Submit your questions no later than October 4, 2009 and we’ll pick some to use.

Thanks,

Felicia, Kim & Sean