VIZ Media and Shonen Jump Magazine invite fans and artists to participate in a new art contest inspired by the hit manga (graphic novel) series Bakuman. Contest submissions will be accepted until April 29th and may be mailed to:
Bakuman Fan Art Contest
C/O VIZ Media
P.O. Box 77010
San Francisco, CA 94107-9913
A release form must be signed and included with each submission. More information and the release form is available at: ShonenJump.com/bakumanfanartcontest.
Winners will be announced on June 7th.
One First Place winner will receive a DELETER Manga Manga Tools Set ST, a Sakura Pigma Manga Comic Pro 8 Piece Set and a Manga Studio EX 4 software package. Three runner-up winners will each be awarded a DELETER Manga Tools Set ST along with a Manga Studio Debut 4 software package. Special Honorable Mention awards will go to five other winners who will each receive a Sakura USA Pigma Manga — Comic Pro 6 Piece Set.
Bakuman (Rated ‘T’ for Teens) is written by the author of Death Note, Tsugumi Ohba, with artwork by Takeshi Obata, the artist known for series such as Death Note, Hikaru no Go, and Ral Grad. The story follows average student Moritaka Mashiro, who enjoys drawing for fun, but when his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world?
For more information on Bakuman or other Shonen Jump titles, please visit ShonenJump.com.
Since 1984, DELETER has manufactured an innovative line of high quality manga art supplies and accessories, including pens and markers, paper, screentones and instruction books. The company’s products are sold in Japan and 25 other countries. More information is available at: deleter-mangashop.com.
Sakura of America supplies art products exclusively from their parent company, Sakura Color Products Corporation of Japan (founded in 1921), whose history of product innovation and superior product quality is recognized around the world. Product brands include Cray-Pas oil pastels, Pigma Micron fine line pens, Gelly Roll pigmented roller pens and Solid Markers. More information may be found at: sakuraofamerica.com.
The new album from The OneUps — straight from outer space and into your CD player (or digital player if you prefer). You can purchase the CD from our Web site** or buy it either digital-only or digital AND CD from Bandcamp!
I recommend Bandcamp. You’ll be able to:
– Buy the physical copy of the CD
– Get an immediate digital download in whatever format you wish (MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, etc.)
– Pay a minimum of $5.94 (for digital only)
– Get to hear the whole album for free before you buy to make sure you’re making a smart purchase.
It’s the future. And this album is the future. Check out the amazing new sound from The OneUps. Classics like “Contra”, “Super Metroid”, “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” and more — in ways you’ve never heard them before.
“I love the music that this outfit puts together and, having listened to this album a few times this evening, think it’s some of their best work.” ~ Conrad Zimmerman, Destructoid.com
“…if you’re looking for an interesting take on video game music that doesn’t fall into the same pitfalls that much of it does, The OneUps are a truly unique band deserving of your attention.” ~ Eric Stuckart, PrimaryIgnition.com
Bad Dudes vs. OCReMix — Heroes vs. Villains Heroes vs. Villains is a free album from both the Bad Dudes and OverClocked ReMix, bringing opposing hero and villain themes together as remixed by “opposing” Bad Dude and OverClocked ReMix artists. The OCR peeps took on the hero themes, and the Bad Dudes, appropriately, handled all the villains. This album marks the first official collaboration between these two factions in the video game remixing world, and the end result can only be called incredible. To think, one project that includes top-notch arrangements from classics such as The Legend of Zelda, The Secret of Monkey Island, Super Metroid, Mega Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, God of War, and more. You can download the entire album as a torrent, complete with both MP3 and FLAC versions of each track, or grab each of the 20 tracks individually.
New The OneUps Shirts
New shirts! We have a new “legendary” shirt for boys and for girls, and also a new shirt with our logo “icon” (designed by Mykola Dosenko) — the logo shirt GLOWS IN THE DARK! We hope you’ll check ’em out and snag you one. Show your love for the band. Visit the store and pick OneUp.
It’s Order of the Phoenix time and the entire gang is back! Harry, Ron, Hermione, Old Weird Harold, Beezus, Ramona, Moomintroll, Peppermint Patty, Churchy LaFemme, Handsome Pete, Kimmy Gibler, Trevor Ochmonek, Chris-R, Sawyer, CCH Pounder, The Fat Kid from “The Sandlot”, Snoopy’s brother Spike, Gobbler, Muffy the Mouse, Minkus, Van Go Lion, Two Bad, Fin Fang Foom, Ugly Naked Guy, Clamps, Yaddle, Carl Winslow, Strong Sad, Mr. Digger, Funky Kong, Error, U-God, Flute Cop, Lester Freamon, The green sumo wrestler thing from the Commodore 64 version of “Bruce Lee”, Dr. Robotnik, Earl Sinclair, Cedric Diggory… Wait, scratch that last one…
Yes, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the series continues its descent into the dark, twisted real world problems that the wizards face. Namely, the addition of an irritating wizard named Tonks to the cast of characters.
Hogwarts is taken over by the Ministry of Magic, who installs a puppet regime in the form of Dolores Umbridge. Because if there’s one thing kids love in their fantasy novels, it’s ham-fisted satire of totalitarian regimes! Will Harry master occulmency? Will he describe his first kiss simply as “wet”? Will he severely overreact to the death of a character he had only really met a couple of times? Will Mike, Kevin and Bill imply that Dobby has taken up pimping as a way to earn extra cash? All these questions and more will be answered in the affirmative in this RiffTrax of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix!
Illia does his best to remain in control as he takes on his schoolyard rivals. Luckily for him though his friends are there to keep things from getting too far out of hand.
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A.D. After Disclosure: The People’s Guide to Life After Contact is a new book about what happens after the powers-that-be acknowledge ET/UFO reality. Written by Richard Dolan and Bryce Zabel, it is a work of speculative non-fiction, published by Keyhole Publishing. The trailer is set to the tune of “Need-to-Know: The UFO Disclosure Song” by Cherish Alexander.
An idealistic Congressional aide discovers evidence of aliens living among us. When he stumbles into the government’s longtime cover-up, his life changes forever. In the landmark television series Dark Skies, freedom fighter John Loengard declares that “history as we know it is a lie,” and sets out to find the truth before it’s too late. He and girlfriend Kim Sayers embark on a cross-country crusade, attempting to derail plans by the sinister alien “Hive.” Majestic-12, a covert government agency assigned to secretly fight the aliens, monitors Loengard; and Capt. Frank Bach is ready to silence him — or quietly aid his quest. Call it alternative history or call it the unthinkable truth. Either way, call it… Dark Skies.
Created by Bryce Zabel and Brent V. Friedman, Dark Skies, a brilliantly intense sci-fi drama, explored the thrilling intersection of history and mystery, politics and paranoia. Starring Eric Close (Without a Trace), Megan Ward (General Hospital, Boomtown) and the late J.T. Walsh (The Negotiator, Pleasantville), the series, set in the turbulent 1960s, won devoted fans throughout its 1996-97 run on NBC. Besides its fresh focus on the debate over UFOs, the show also incorporated historic figures’ participation into its plots: Bobby Kennedy, Jack Ruby, Timothy Leary, J. Edgar Hoover and other famous names helped to advance the story.
Fifteen years after Dark Skies first aired on network television, the entire series [was finally unleashed for the first time on DVD when Shout! Factory debuted] the Dark Skies: The Declassified Complete Series DVD box set on January 18, 2011, marking the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s inauguration. Newly remastered, this collectible 6-DVD box set includes all 19 episodes, an international TV pilot, a special commemorative booklet featuring a behind-the-scenes essay by Zabel, and extensive bonus content. The show’s creators Bryce Zabel and Brent V. Friedman, along with stars Eric Close and Megan Ward, discuss the series and their roles in an intimate look back Signal to Noise: Uncovering Dark Skies. Dark Skies: The Declassified Complete Series is a must-have for fans of science fiction, mystery and intrigues. This collectible DVD box set is priced to own at $44.99 SRP.
With fast-paced writing and innovative twists, Dark Skies offered alternative answers for that mysterious crash in Roswell, New Mexico, and the secrets surrounding JFK’s death in Dallas: was the president killed because he planned to tell the country the truth about UFOs? The period drama chronicled America’s path, in official Washington as well as small-town Main Street, from the roar of Cape Canaveral’s space-race excitement, through the haze of Viet Nam and the groovy “summer of love.” Everywhere, Hive aliens lurked, ready to “implant” ordinary citizens — including Kim, and John Loengard’s own brother — while moving toward the goal of world domination and “singularity.”
Dark Skies won an Emmy for its edgy opening sequence, and received four Emmy nominations during its run. The show’s richly detailed look, often embellished with real news footage, featured iconic, accurate touches of the times: chrome-grilled cars, TV dinners, and pastel telephones. Musically, Dark Skies offered an eclectic soundtrack of the 1960s, whether folk, rock, or in between. Recognizable names from real life enhanced the show’s premise: Howard Hughes’ famous fear of germs leads the reclusive billionaire to join John and Kim in their search for a Hive tunnel; Attorney General Bobby Kennedy orders a meeting with the pair on a country road; and music artist Jim Morrison has relevant, if volatile, information. Other familiar names cropping up in Dark Skies include Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan, Hubert Humphrey, Colin Powell, Gerald Ford, Norman Schwarzkopf, Carl Sagan, Dan Rather, the Beatles and columnist Dorothy Kilgallen — all realistically portrayed in dramatic reminders of a different era.
For sci-fi enthusiasts and imaginative observers of history, Dark Skies: The Complete Series is a gem of a time capsule, revisiting a familiar period in history with new angles on what we know — or think we know.
Dark Skies: The Declassified Complete Series DVD Bonus Features:
• International pilot
• Cast & creator commentaries
• Signal to Noise: Uncovering Dark Skies — A 3-part intimate look back with creators Bryce Zabel & Brent V. Friedman and stars Eric Close & Megan Ward
• Network promos
• The Dark Skies Glossary
• Original sales presentation
• EPK
• Never-before-seen Season Two proposal
• …And more!
VIZ Pictures, Inc., the film distributor and producer behind the Japanese pop culture venue in San Francisco known as NEW PEOPLE, has announced that it will now operate as a newly established company, NEW PEOPLE, Inc., to re-brand and create synergy between all corporate divisions. The company’s film distribution and licensing division will now operate as NEW PEOPLE Entertainment.
NEW PEOPLE Entertainment is complemented by the launch of another dedicated film and event production division — NEW PEOPLE Productions — that will organize and manage the annual J-Pop Summit Festival as well as future film premieres, live events, and the development of original programming. The J-Pop Summit Festival takes place in San Francisco every summer and has become one of the largest events in the U.S. devoted to Japanese pop culture, film, fashion, food, art, and music. The 2010 festival attracted over 40,000 people. The 2011 J-Pop Summit Festival is currently being planned for August. More information on NEW PEOPLE Entertainment is available at: NewPeopleEnt.com.
“The re-branding and launch of these new divisions within the NEW PEOPLE organization will allow us to better execute our core mission to bring Japanese and Asian pop culture in a variety of forms to U.S. audiences,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of NEW PEOPLE Inc., and the founder of the NEW PEOPLE venue. “We’ve also expanded our corporate operations to include a recently opened office in Tokyo that will act as a channel to help facilitate future creative endeavors and partnerships with Japanese-based artists and film and media companies, as well as work to bring select U.S. brands to Japan.”
Horibuchi has spent his career working to popularize Japanese pop culture throughout North America. He founded VIZ Media in the 80s to distribute anime and manga comics for English audiences, and the company has become one of the largest and most successful publishers of Japanese entertainment media based in the U.S. In 2005, he founded VIZ Pictures, Inc., a company dedicated to bringing Japanese live-action films to the American audience. In 2009, he founded NEW PEOPLE as a first-of-its-kind destination devoted to film, fashion, art and unique retail brands and a company to foster creative collaboration among artists, filmmakers, fashion labels, and retail brands influenced by Japanese popular culture.
With Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom pals on your side, why take up just one sport when you can play four? Launching today exclusively for the Wii system, the Mario Sports Mix game invites players to enjoy the outrageous, fast-paced fun of four different sports — volleyball, basketball, hockey and dodgeball — each packed with imaginative twists and challenges. All four sports are available on a single game disc at a suggested retail price of $49.95, offering inclusive, irresistible game play at an unbeatable value. Best of all, players can share the spotlight with Mario and his friends by playing each sport as their own customized Mii characters.
Mario Sports Mix enhances the basic elements of all four included sports with a flurry of eye-catching power-ups, obstacles and unexpected twists. Players might fling banana peels and green shells to thwart an opponent, or an entire court might move from side to side under players’ feet. Each character also has a powerful special move, such as Mario’s ability to swirl in the air and dunk a basketball from anywhere on the court. Throughout the game, players can also boost their scores by collecting coins to earn bonuses. Whichever sport they choose, newcomers and experienced players alike can count on a memorable mix of athletics and imagination.
“With Mario Sports Mix, players get four full sports games packed onto one disc, which is a great value,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “In addition, the ability to jump into games as your own Mii character and play with Mario and other Mushroom Kingdom characters makes Mario Sports Mix a unique sports experience that can’t be found anywhere else.”
Mario Sports Mix offers multiplayer options that allow friends and family to hit the court together. Up to four players can play together in the same room using additional Wii Remote controllers (sold separately). Up to four players with broadband Internet access can also connect online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and play cooperatively or competitively in two-on-two or three-on-three matches.
To help commemorate the game’s launch, Mario himself will conduct a press conference on February 7 to answer some of the most pressing questions of his illustrious career in sports. The conference will begin at 5 p.m. Pacific time and can be viewed by fans and media alike via the Web at mariosportsmix.com.
Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit wii.com.