Category: Television

“Batman Beyond” Continues!

from Things from Another World:

Terry McGinnis — the Batman of the future — and an elderly Bruce Wayne — the original Batman — are the sworn protectors of Neo-Gotham, but when someone targets The Dark Knight’s old foes, the new Batman must begin a case that reaches back into Bruce Wayne’s past and puts Terry’s future directly in danger!

This summer heralds the long-awaited return of the popular Batman Beyond franchise! The six-issue Batman Beyond miniseries will be penned by Emmy Award-nominated animation writer Adam Beechen (Batman: The Brave and the Bold) with art by Ryan Benjamin (Batman & the Outsiders).

Fans of Batman Beyond won’t want to miss the Superman/Batman Annual #4 from writer Paul Levitz and artist Renato Guedes starring the Batman Beyond characters!

Pre-order Batman Beyond #1

Log In & Set Up a Batman Beyond Series Subscription

Pre-order Superman/Batman Annual #4

Spock is “Beaming” home to Vulcan, Alberta on April 23, 2010

from Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station:

On Friday April 23, 1010, actor Leonard Nimoy, best known for his portrayal of Mr. Spock in the original Star Trek series will be visiting Vulcan, courtesy of the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. To mark this historic occasion, town officials have commissioned sculptor Nathan Scott to create a bronze bust of Mr. Spock that will be unveiled by Nimoy during his visit.

While in Vulcan, Nimoy will leave behind his iconic “live long and prosper” handprint that will be immortalized in bronze, and will present the Town of Vulcan two unique items on loan from his personal Star Trek collection. These items include: the Spock ears that he wore during the filming of the Original Star Trek TV series and a lithograph of the Original Star Trek cast, autographed by all of the original cast members. These unique memorabilia items will be on display at the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station for the next year.

Schedule of Events:

2:00PM — Dignitaries begin to arrive and parade begins to line up at the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station.

2:30PM — Mr. Nimoy arrives at the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station (Good opportunity for photo and video footage).

3:00PM — Parade-style procession from Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station to downtown Vulcan.

See:

  • The RCMP lead off the parade in their Red Serge,
  • The County Central High School Concert Band performing music from Star Trek,
  • Vulcan’s Mayor and Council in their Star Trek uniforms aboard a Starship float,
  • Representatives from the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, and
  • Mr. Nimoy as honourary Parade Marshall.

3:30PM to 4:15PM — Mr. Nimoy’s official “Welcome to Vulcan” Ceremony on stage in downtown Vulcan (Good opportunity for photo, video and sound bites)

  • Vulcan’s Mayor will present Mr. Nimoy with the Key and Transporter Coordinates to Vulcan,
  • Mr. Nimoy will unveil a bronze bust of Mr. Spock that the Town of Vulcan had commissioned in his honour, and watch him leave behind his famous “Live Long and Prosper” handprint,
  • Mr. Nimoy will address the spectators and Vulcan residents.

For a complete list of other celebrity guests who will be attending the 2010 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo on April 24 & 25, visit calgaryexpo.com.

Be Like the Hero of Canton in this New Jayne Cobb “Troublemaker” Replica T-Shirt!

from Quantum Mechanix:

Troublemaker
Let's Be Badguys!

Jayne Cobb — whether he’s your crappy town’s biggest hero or the guy who just clothes-lined some pee yen lookin’ to ruin your day — he’s the best good guy to have by your side when it’s time to be bad guys.

What Jayne is best known for, besides naming large weapons after girls and having a girl’s name his own self, is his vast collection of awesome t-shirts. And best known of these shirts is “Troublemaker”, an apt title for the man who made it famous.

For the first time ever, QMx has created an exact replica* of Jayne’s Troublemaker t-shirt. Troublemaker is made from a custom fine cotton jersey ringer with full front and wing pallet sleeve printing. The original Troublemaker shirt was printed on a crew neck Old Navy t-shirt — a t-shirt that’s no longer available. So QMx had to recreate the t-shirt from the ground-up — from the weave to the custom dyes color-matched to the original screen-worn shirt.

The artwork is printed with a 5-color process using plastisol heat-cured, deep-penetration inks. The shirt was silk-screened to spec, based off one of the screen-used shirts now owned by Propstore.com.

Troublemaker is available in men’s sizes only from S-3XL and starts at only $26.95.

* Sweat stains not included. Afraid you’ll have to add those the old-fashioned way.

New “Star Wars” Animated Series in the Works

from StarWars.com:

Lucasfilm Animation is currently developing an all-new animated Star Wars series, focusing its efforts on the comedic aspects of the “galaxy far, far away.” Featuring creative involvement from Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, creators and executive producers of the Emmy and Annie Award-winning Robot Chicken, as well as writing from The Daily Show‘s Brendan Hay, the series will look at the Saga’s characters with a playful and irreverent tone. The series will be produced by Daytime Emmy and Gemini Award-winner Jennifer Hill (The Backyardigans), and directed by Emmy-nominated Todd Grimes (Back at the Barnyard).

“There are so many stories taking place in the Star Wars universe, and they don’t all have to focus on the fate of the galaxy,” said Grimes. “We’re looking at Star Wars from a new perspective; this will be a glimpse at how the rest of the galaxy is affected by the events of the Saga. There’s a lot of humor to be mined from that.”

“The Star Wars universe is so dense and rich; it’s crazy to think that there aren’t normal, mundane everyday problems in a world so well-defined,” said Green. “And it’s even crazier to think of what those problems might be, since it’s all set in a galaxy far, far away. What do these characters do when they’re not overthrowing Empires?”

Said Senreich, “We’re going to pull back the curtain of some of those behind-the-scenes shenanigans. It’s going to appeal to all ages, the way Star Wars should — but there’ll be plenty buried under the surface, as well. As Obi-Wan might say, ‘it all depends on your point of view’.”

Riese is moving to SyFy!

Riese

from Riese:

We’re thrilled to announce that SyFy has licensed Riese! Full Press Release below:

Syfy remains on the forefront of cutting edge fantasy based digital entertainment with the acquisition of the highly acclaimed web series, Riese, it was announced today by Craig Engler, SVP and GM of Syfy Digital. Syfy Digital has acquired the rights to the entire 10-part series — which is distributed by Fireworks International, the television and digital distribution arm of ContentFilm plc — with an eye towards development for a broadcast air. Riese consists of two five-part episode seasons, with season two premiering fully for the first time exclusively on Syfy.com. Season one and two are both slated for a digital launch in the fall 2010.

“Riese is a fantastic web series with a lot of room to grow, and we’re excited to work with the very talented cast and crew to help them take the show to the next level, backed by the full promotional efforts that Syfy can bring to the table,” said Engler. “At the same time we’ll be working hand-in-hand with our TV development team to see if Riese has the potential to make the jump to TV, just like our hit show Sanctuary did.”

Riese recently scooped the Streamy Award for ‘Best Cinematography in a Web Series’ with a further three nominations for Best Sound Design, Best Foreign Series and Art Direction. The digital series starring Christine Chatelain (Sanctuary, Fringe), Sharon Taylor (Smallville, Eureka), Ben Cotton (Stargate Atlantis, Harper’s Island), and Patrick Gilmore (Fringe, Stargate Universe), was shot in Vancouver, BC, and is created by Ryan Copple and Kaleena Kiff and produced by Galen Fletcher and Nicholas Humphries.

Jonathan Ford, Executive Vice-President, Digital Acquisitions and Distribution at Fireworks International added, “Syfy is highly regarded in the digital community with a fantastic background in identifying and securing the best in new multiplatform content. We are delighted to announce this significant deal for the important US market and look forward to working with the Syfy team on the web series as well as developing Riese for television.”

Riese is a fantasy-adventure based web series that chronicles a mysterious wanderer named Riese, (portrayed by Chatelain). A life-on-the-run from a world with a dim future, Riese and her trusted wolf companion, Fenrir flee their dying land of Eleysia in search of freedom as they are hunted by assassins of ‘The Sect,’ a terrifying religious entity. As she tries to piece together her mysterious past, Riese will take on a life and death journey with the balance and the fate of the world lying in the palm of her hands.

About Fireworks International:

Fireworks International is Content Film’s international television and digital distribution division with over 3,000 hours of high-quality and commercially appealing programming including an extensive slate of major drama series, non-fiction entertainment, kids live action comedy and drama series, TV movies, mini-series and special event programming. Recent additions include comedic drama series, Republic of Doyle, primetime drama series, The Border and heart-warming family drama series, Heartland; non-fiction primetime documentary specials Hunting the Lost Symbol and I Know What I Saw; U.S. tween comedy The Assistants; high definition multi-platform thriller series Valemont, Girl Number 9 and Sci-Fi thriller, Riese; new children’s programmes Half Moon Investigations, Family Biz as well as the classic anime series, Robotech; plus over 200 U.S. network mini-series and TV movies; and specials including the Annual U.S. Primetime Emmy Awards show. This new product is combined with the large and valuable Fireworks library catalogue, which is complemented by a raft of formidable television shows including Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, Mutant X and Relic Hunter.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 95 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. Syfy. Imagine greater.

This all wouldn’t be possible without your support. Thank you so much for everything, as this is all thanks to you. We’ll keep you updated when we hear more news! And, let us know what you think on our forum!

-Ryan

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

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The Legend of Neil: Streamys

from The Legend of Neil:

Happy day! Atom.com and Effinfunny produced series The Legend of Neil raked in 4 nominations for the 2nd annual Streamy awards! We couldn’t be more happy with our take (well I guess 5 would’ve been nice, but who’s counting?). We pulled in nominations for Best Comedy Show, Best Directing in a Comedy Series (Sandeep Parikh), Best Writing in a Comedy Series (Sandeep Parikh & Tony Janning), and the Audience Choice awards which you can vote for here! Voting begins right now and lasts through April 11th. It’s super easy, no registration required, just click to vote! We know that we’re up against some stiff competition but winning that would mean the world to us. We couldn’t have gotten this far without our fan support so thank you all for spreading the word about the initial voting rounds and the tremendous push we got from our Facebook and Twitter pages. You guys rock. Kill Link!

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.

More on Lil’ Guildies

from The Guild:

Most of you caught on yesterday but for those who didn’t, we’d like to be the first to say APRIL FOOLS!

Although the show isn’t real, a ton of hard work went into orchestrating this elaborate prank. Extra special thanks goes to Greg Aronowitz and his animation team for doing 3 months of work in 3 weeks, Paul and Storm for writing a theme song so catchy that only death will get it out of our heads and Marc Hustvedt and Jenni Powell at Tubefilter for writing hilariously convincing articles that kept some of our fanbase guessing! The full credits have been added to the “more info” box on YouTube. And there are a few behind the scenes photos on The Guild’s Flickr page.

The reactions to this ran the whole spectrum, from “this is awful” to “this is amazing” and from “please be an April Fool’s joke” to “I hope this ISN’T a joke.” We appreciate all the comments and discussion and encourage you to continue discussing them in the comments of the video on YouTube.

And for those of you wondering about Season 4, don’t worry, it’s coming. We’ll have some announcements coming soon. Here’s the video from yesterday in case you missed it (bonus! we uploaded a deleted scene of Vork’s monkey for those of you that want more Lil’ Guildies).

–The Guild Management

Announcing: Lil’ Guildies

from The Guild:

We were saving this announcement for tomorrow’s comic book signing at Golden Apple Comics, but this inadvertently got leaked via our YouTube Channel and then picked up by the web TV news site Tubefilter.tv. Yes, The Guild is moving into animation. This is one of the new projects that has been in development from Knights of Good, as has been mentioned in several interviews. Especially exciting is that the animation studio that approached The Guild intends on bringing it to Saturday mornings as a half-hour program.

We’ll post more details as soon as we are allowed to (or as soon as we make another mistake that leaks top secret project info!), but for now, you can read Jenni Powell’s exclusive write up on Tubefilter, watch the opening credits sequence on YouTube, and discuss the new development in Guild Chat or on our discussion boards.

Special thanks to the fabulous Paul and Storm (website, Twitter) who created the theme song and Greg Aronowitz (blog, Twitter) who is leading the project. Behind the scenes photo below of Greg working on the animation.

Thanks,

The Guild Management

Greg Aronowitz

Second Season of Classic “G.I. Joe” Cartoon Returns on DVD April 2010

from Shout! Factory:

G.I. Joe Season 2.0

For the First Time, the Collectible Complete Second Season That Has Previously Been Unavailable on DVD in a Single Season Set Will Hit the DVD Shelves Nationwide April 27, 2010 from Shout! Factory

Season 2.0 Features Fan Favorite Characters Including Beach Head, Leatherneck, Low Light, Mainframe, Zandar and Zarna!

Arise, Serpentor, arise! General Hawk, Flint, Snake Eyes and the rest of the G.I. Joe team are ready for action in the explosive second season of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. When the members of the G.I. Joe team are caught off guard after a vamped-up Cobra makes a surprise attack, they turn to Sgt. Slaughter and new recruits Beach Head, Blowtorch and Dial Tone to help bring an end to Cobra and their new Emperor, Serpentor.

For the first time ever, the complete second season of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is available in a stand-alone DVD collection from Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro, Inc. The box set contains 30 episodes of the epic G.I. Joe saga, beginning with the 5-part mini-series Arise, Serpentor, Arise!, and other exciting bonus content, including fan-favorite PSAs, archival Hasbro toy commercials and special featurette Greenshirts: The Legacy of G.I. Joe. A must-have for heroes of all ages, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Season 2.0 4-DVD box set arrives in stores April 27, 2010 and is priced to own at $29.93.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Season 2.0
Synopsis
After Cobra’s countless defeats by the heroic Special Forces unit known as G.I. Joe, the mad super genius Dr. Mindbender seeks to dethrone the maniacal Cobra Commander by genetically combining the DNA of history’s most formidable conquerors. The result is a threat more menacing and power-hungry than Cobra Commander can ever hope to challenge: the mighty Serpentor! Armed with a new master, a new army of Battle Android Troopers (B.A.T.s) and a new set of plans for world domination, Cobra seems unstoppable! That is, of course, unless General Hawk and his team of commandos have anything to say about it. Yo Joe!

Bonus Features Include:

  • Greenshirts: The Legacy of G.I. Joe
  • “Knowing is Half the Battle” PSAs
  • Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials

Technical Information
Street Date: April 27, 2010
Packaging: The 4 DVDs are collected in thin packs with a deluxe foil board sleeve with embossed accents
Rating: Not Rated
Suggested Retail Price: $29.93
Running Time: approx. 8 hours
Discs: 4
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Technical Info: English, Stereo.