Category: Events

Stars Will Shine Brightly at Celebration V

from StarWars.com:

Autograph fans attending Celebration V in Orlando August 12-15 can look forward to meeting their favorite cast and crew stars from the Star Wars movies, particularly from The Empire Strikes Back, when Official Pix returns to Celebration with a great list of guests.

“We are once again honored to be chosen to produce the autograph program for Lucasfilm, and for Reed Exhibitions at Celebration V,” says Ben Stevens, co-owner of Official Pix.

Stevens and Philip Wise, partners in the company, plan to bring guests whose combined careers span all six episodes of the saga, with special attention to guests from The Empire Strikes Back to honor the 30th anniversary of the beloved movie, and from the popular television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Official Pix will use an efficient fast path system to minimize time spent waiting in line, allowing more time for fans to enjoy the abundance of Star Wars programming at Celebration V. The company is the licensed supplier of authentic Star Wars autographs, and have brought memorable guests to Celebrations II, III, IV, and Japan. Collectors can rest assured that they will get their autographs on high-quality prints of unique images of the stars.

The company plans to use a coupon system at the show, with details soon to be announced. In general, fans will purchase and use an appropriate number of coupons for each autograph. The coupons will be good for autographs on Official Pix Celebration V images, or can be used for autographs on items brought from home. Fans should note that licensed Star Wars products are typically acceptable, but signing non-licensed items, like homemade images or toys, is up to the discretion of each autograph guest.

Collectors who do not wish to wait may purchase previously-signed photos from many of the stars who will be signing in the Official Pix area in the exhibit hall.

Autograph guests who will appear at Celebration V will be announced soon, and new guests will be added and announced as the show draws near. Look for updates at starwarscelebration.com and officialpix.com.

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

“Naruto: Shippuden” Collectible Card Game Shonen Jump Championships

from VIZ Media:

Bandai America Inc. (Bandai) and VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media) are pleased to announce the new Naruto: Shippuden Collectible Card Game (CCG) Shonen Jump Championship Tournaments in North America. There will be multiple tournaments held throughout the United States at select hobby retailers culminating in the National Championships to be held at the Gen Con Indy to take place in Indiana on August 7th and 8th.

Naruto: Shippuden CCG, Bandai America’s top selling collectible card game, is a game of strategy where players construct card decks of Ninja that use their powerful Jutsu to complete Missions and protect their villages. The Naruto: Shippuden CCG currently has hundreds of tournaments held each week at local hobby retailers throughout the United States.

Shonen Jump Championship Tournaments will be accessible to Naruto fans, beginners and experienced CCG players. Experienced players will test their skills against other players in the Shonen Jump Championship Tournaments to win special prizes. New players may redeem special coupons found in Shonen Jump magazine and receive a free Naruto: Shippuden CCG demo kit. Bandai volunteers will also be on location to teach new players how to play. Naruto fans will have the opportunity to receive special Shonen Jump promo cards through special promotions and attendance at the tournaments. Finally, one lucky person will win an autographed promo card signed by Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of Shonen Jump.

Shonen Jump Championship Prizes:

  • 1st Place: Shonen Jump Championship Trophy, PlayStation 3 Console, PSP handheld, Naruto: Shippuden CCG hobby booster box, Naruto: Shippuden CCG game mat, and a one year subscription to Shonen Jump magazine
  • 2nd Place: IPod Touch 32GB personal music player, Naruto: Shippuden CCG hobby booster box, Naruto: Shippuden CCG game mat, and a one year subscription to Shonen Jump magazine
  • 3rd-4th Place: PSP Console, Naruto: Shippuden CCG hobby booster box, Naruto: Shippuden CCG game mat, and a one year subscription to Shonen Jump magazine
  • 5th-8th Place: Naruto: Shippuden CCG hobby booster box, Naruto: Shippuden CCG game mat
  • 9th-16th Place: 12 Naruto: Shippuden CCG booster packs
  • 17th-32nd Place: 6 Naruto: Shippuden CCG booster packs
  • 33rd-64th Place: 3 Naruto: Shippuden CCG booster packs

For the most up to date information on the Naruto: Shippuden CCG and to see the official rules, Shonen Jump Championship Tournaments or Bandai America Inc., please visit bandaicg.com/shonenjump or naruto.viz.com/sjtourney.

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

VIZ Pictures Continues to Expand the NEW PEOPLE Artist Series with the DVD Release of “Hisashi Tenmyouya: Samurai Nouveau”

from VIZ Pictures:

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC, that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, will release the newest volume of its ongoing NEW PEOPLE Artist Series — Hisashi Tenmyouya: Samurai Nouveau. This interesting documentary follows the life of one of the most talented young artists in Japan today. The DVD, due to release on March 9th with an MSRP of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN, will be distributed by VIZ Media.

Hisashi Tenmyouya: Samurai Nouveau presents a look into the artist Hisashi Tenmyouya, a graphic designer turned contemporary artist, and his NEO-Traditional Japanese Painting style. He uses gold foil and fine brushes to prepare for various exhibitions while people surrounding the artist share their thoughts. In this film, Tenmyouya reveals his soul through the melding of modern urban subjects with traditional painting methods.

In celebration of this new release, VIZ Pictures has scheduled special screenings of Hisashi Tenmyouya at VIZ Cinema on Saturday, March 6th at 1:00 pm, and Sunday, March 7th at 3:00 pm. VIZ Cinema is located inside NEW PEOPLE, a newly opened entertainment destination in San Francisco at 1746 Post Street devoted to Japanese pop culture. For more information about this event, please visit vizcinema.com or viz-pictures.com.

“Hisashi Tenmyouya has shown steadily since his first show in 1990 at age 24, including shows at the Whitney in New York and others in Tokyo, Berlin, London, Paris, Madrid, Kiev and Sao Paulo,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures and the founder of NEW PEOPLE. “Besides winning the Taro Okamoto Memorial Award in 2003, he was chosen as one of 14 artists in the world to participate in the design of the FIFA World Cup Poster for the 2006 World Cup. We’re honored to release this new documentary and look forward to more people discovering the world of Hisashi Tenmyouya.”

The NEW PEOPLE Artist Series is an intriguing collection of documentaries introducing modern Japanese Pop artists to the American audience. All of the highlighted artists possess unique views and inspirations, allowing them to create captivating works of art. For more information on the NEW PEOPLE Artist Series visit viz-pictures.com or newpeopleartistseries.com, and for information on movie schedules at VIZ Cinema, please visit vizcinema.com.

For more information on DVD titles distributed by VIZ Media please visit viz.com.

ElfQuest at WonderCon: San Francisco, April 2-4

from ElfQuest:

Hello!

If you’re in (or able to get to) the San Francisco area April 2-4, Wendy and Richard Pini will be attending WonderCon (http://comic-con.org/wc/) for the entire show. We’ll also have a table in Artist’s Alley promoting both ElfQuest and Masque of the Red Death, so stop on by to chat or get a book (or ten) autographed. We’ll look forward to seeing you there!

Shade and sweet cable cars,
Richard Pini

Irreference Report: March 2010

from Quirk Books:

March 3: The Feeding Frenzy Is Imminent
On Wednesday, March 3, our all-out blog explosion begins! Over 200 bloggers will be participating in our Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls review event and contest. Go to Quirk Classics to see who’s talking about Dawn of the Dreadfuls. We’ll be featuring links to our favorite blogger reviews starting March 5!

March 7: Director’s Cut
The Academy Awards are rapidly approaching. To celebrate, we give you Secret Lives of Great Filmmakers by Robert Schnakenberg. From tales of missing belly buttons and appalling personal hygiene to irrational fears and outlandish fetishes, this collection has all the dirty little secrets you really want to know about the world’s most renowned filmmakers. For instance, what do Bea Arthur and George Lucas have in common?

George Lucas: Burn After Watching
The harsh critical response to the last three Star Wars movies may not have fazed Lucas, but there’s one project he’s still too mortified to even discuss: the catastrophic two-hour Star Wars Holiday Special that aired on CBS television stations on November 17, 1978. Larded with misbegotten musical numbers, badly animated cartoons, and guest appearances by Z-list seventies “stars” such as Jefferson Starship, Harvey Korman, and Bea Arthur, the variety extravaganza has been disowned by Star Wars fans and repeatedly ridiculed in popular culture. When prodded by interviews, Lucas will only say it “does not represent my vision for Star Wars.” He once confessed, “If I had time and a hammer, I’d track down every bootleg copy and smash it.”

Beauty and the Geek
In the mid-1980s, Lucas embarked on a long and stormy relationship with pop singer Linda Ronstadt. The seventies hit-maker was in the midst of a protracted career slump and had just come off a nasty break-up with up-and-coming comic Jim Carrey when the recently separated Lucas swept her off her feet. To most observers, it was an unlikely match — especially given Ronstadt’s rock-star looks and Lucas’ nebbishy demeanor. According to People magazine, when the lovebirds walked into a San Anselmo, California, drug store one day, the owner didn’t even know who Ronstadt’s companion was. “I just thought he was her houseboy,” she said. Friends tried to warn Lucas the relationship was doomed: Ronstadt was notorious for cycling through lovers like chewed-up wads of bubble gum. But the smitten director remained ever hopeful. He took guitar lessons, exchanged his nerdy glasses for contact lenses, and even talked of building a honeymoon cottage on his Skywalker Ranch. Sadly, it was not to be. After about five years of on-and-off dating, the odd couple broke up for good.

Check out The Vault on Irreference.com for more fascinating trivia about our filmmakers. It may even earn you some extra credit with your Oscar picks this year.

Find Quirk Books on Facebook and Twitter
Find Quirk Classics on Facebook

Split Reason: Twitter Contest and Olympics Discount

from Split Reason:

Lately, we’ve been taking part in the Alien Vs. Predator 2010 Olympics! Acidic blood has poured, spines have been removed, and many, many marines have uttered their final words. It’s been a gruesomely stimulating event.

On a more positive note, we’ve started a new recurring contest on Twitter called Win Wednesday! We’re offering 1 free t-shirt every week to the first person who can answer a geek/gamer trivia question. Check our blog for details and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for a chance to win!

If your brain is not a repository of nerdy facts acquired over a lifetime of video games, comic books, and science fiction, fear not! We’re also offering a 15% off promotion for the duration of the Olympics, just enter the promo code ZOMBIEOLYMPICS during the check-out process and save a few bucks! (This offer expires on March 8th, 2010)

Hot Topic Presents an Exclusive “Almost Alice” Listening Party

from Hot Topic:

Dress up as your favorite Alice in Wonderland character and stop by any Hot Topic location on Friday, February 26th at 7:00 PM to hear the Almost Alice CD in its entirety. Plus, you’ll hear special messages from Christofer Drew of Never Shout Never. But it gets even better! If you pre-order your copy of the CD during the listening party, you’ll get a special gift.* Click here to find a Hot Topic location near you.

*Subject to availability while supplies last. Limit one per person.

J!NX: Game Night, New Tee & MASSIVE Sale!

from J!NX:

New J!NX Classic Tee: No One Cares
Agriculture is hard. Caring for crops and livestock against the elements, economy and pesitlence is a helluva job. Farmers, we salute you. However, “farming” via the interwebz from the comfort of your office chair is in no way an achievement, so quit cloggin’ up our Live Feed, yo. Srsly.

Retro Gaming Party!
If you find yourself in the San Diego area this week, come join the J!NX Crew this Wednesday, February 24th for a Retro Gaming Party at the La Jolla Brewhouse! We had such a blast at our last event that we’ve decided to do it all over again. Now is your chance to challenge one of us to one of your favorite retro games. Nintendo? Atari? What’ll it be? Find out all of the juicy details right here.

2010 Blowout Sale: Buy 3+ Tees, Get $5 Off Each!
A sale? Woot! This week, when you place an order of three or more T-shirts, you’ll receive $5 off of each tee! This offer ends Friday, February 26 @ 11:59pm EST and is not valid in combination with any other discount or sale price. No code necessary!

Murlocs On Sale!
Good news, everyone! From now until the end of February, our Murlocs are only $29.99! Order yours soon and receive an Official Adoption Certificate. While we’re on the subject, check out the Save the Murlocs Campaign and find out how you can make a difference!

Star Wars: 2010 Toy Fair Wrap Up

from StarWars.com:

This past week saw New York City welcome Toy Fair. The Official Star Wars Blog was there, actively reporting on all of the amazing new products unveiled at the show. Here are some of the highlights, in case you missed it.

Mega AT-AT on the North Ridge!
Hasbro wowed many with a slew of new products, including Clone Wars and Vintage action figures, a flying Millennium Falcon, and the long overdue issue of a rocket-firing classic Boba Fett figure. But the big draw was an enormous AT-AT walker designed for 3 3/4-inch action figures packed to the armored plate with all sorts of play features.

Bricks for Clones and Empire
LEGO’s new assortments celebrate both The Empire Strikes Back and The Clone Wars, with standouts like a new wampa playset and a clone turbo tank.

We Need the Funko, Give up the Funko
Funko surprises and delights with new Star Wars character lamps and bobble-heads that turn Star Wars characters into classic monsters. Spoooky!

Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Puzzles
New licensee Cardinal unveiled a variety of “3 in 1 Panoramic Puzzles” and lenticular ones as well.

Say Uncle for Great New Toys
Uncle Milton followed up on last year’s head-turning Force-trainer with a variety of new products, including a Remote Controlled Lightsaber Room Light and a Holographic Animation Lab.

Rush for New Plush
Comic Images unveils new plushes, including two backpacks that — in retrospect — seem like no-brainers. Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Empire with a blasted C-3PO backpack, or a Boba Fett style rocket pack.

For more Toy Fair coverage, visit the Official Star Wars Blog here.

Cinematic Titanic: New Episode Trailer!

from Cinematic Titanic:

Hi Everyone,

We’re very pleased to announce the upcoming release of our new DVD, Cinematic Titanic LIVE: “The Alien Factor”, on sale next Tuesday 2/23!

Click here to see the first five minutes of riffing.

CT ON THE ROAD

NEW DATE: We’ve added another date to our spring East Coast run: April 15th at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, MA. We’ll be doing Danger on Tiki Island.

Other Dates:

This Friday Night, 2/19 at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, MI (7pm War of the Insects, 11pm Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World).

This Saturday Night, 2/20 at Turner Hall in Milwaukee, WI (1st show, SOLD OUT, still a few tix left for the second show, Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World).

4/16 — The McCarter Center in Princeton, NJ — Click here to VOTE for which movie we do that night.

4/17 — The Nokia Theatre Times Square in New York City (Danger on Tiki Island).

As always, thanks for supporting Cinematic Titanic, and please keep helping us spread the word.

Love,
Us