Independent Propaganda

(From a Zuda Comics press release:)

OK, so this is the second Zuda Comics update. You can blame the San Diego Comic-Con for the big pause between the first update and this one. Plus we were working with the IBM guys pretty late last night so we’re kind of tired today — but there’s no rest! No, no rest for us because this week we have officially crossed the line from planning into development. In other words, no more “This new feature would be cool!” conversations — I’m talkin’ to you, Oliver!

Anyway, despite being out of the office for a while, the Zuda Comics team was hard at work. You may have seen the slideshow of a little party we had in San Diego. The highlight of that party (which was the talk of the con) was almost certainly the sneak peek at the Zuda Comics viewer. What viewer you ask? This one:

You can click through the screens using the navigation in the center or jump to any screen in the series by typing in the screen number in the center box.

The control bar on the bottom appears and disappears with a rollover.

You can zoom in on any part of the art for closer inspection using the slider (or with key commands)

You can browse by screens too.

A special thanks to the massively talented Pop Mhan, Ramon Perez, Karl Kerschl and Tim Smith 3 for helping us out by creating those webcomic pages for the viewer demonstration. If you are attending WizardWorld Chicago this weekend, maybe you’ll get to see the viewer in real time at the Zuda panel. Y’know. Maybe… if there’s any room left in the 1200-seat auditorium.

You may have also noticed that we started showing some of the postcards we collected from the convention in the postcard section of the site. Check it out. We’ll keep posting more of those as they come in. We’ll be handing out more at Chicago too!

Finally, don’t forget to read the message boards. There are plenty of good conversations going on over there and we often pop in to answer questions.

(From a Dark Horse Comics press release:)
The Deadliest Ball since Phantasm!
GANTZ Brings Its Hardboiled Universe of Ultra-stylish Violence, Pathos, and Sexiness to Dark Horse

Inarguably the most highly demanded manga in the last half-decade, the enormously popular seinen manga series, GANTZ, has taken the bright path to Dark Horse. Hiroya Oku, creator of GANTZ, has put together a cast of characters that are both sympathetic and strong to which anyone can relate. The wildly renowned anime, also entitled GANTZ from ADV, primarily follows the same story and has been translated in several different languages captivating audiences all over the world.

Gantz tells the story of a team of dead people who are forced to take part in a “game” that has them hunting aliens and other creatures who live among the populace of Japan. The story focuses on Kei Kurono, a teenage boy who died saving a homeless man from a train. He, along with a band of others who are recently deceased, is forced to complete a series of dangerous and complicated missions by a strange device called Gantz. On these missions characters can even die again, only to be quickly replaced by others like them. As the plot progresses, so does the intricacy of relationships between characters.

“Throughout the years, there has been one title that fans approach us about again and again, and that is GANTZ. Dark Horse President/Publisher/Founder Mike Richardson has been pursuing the book since it was released, and we’re finally happy to bring GANTZ to English readers. Considered along the same lines as Ghost in the Shell and AKIRA, it is one of the greatest seinen manga ever created. GANTZ has found itself a very fitting home at the world’s greatest English-language seinen publisher,” explains Michael Gombos, Director of Asian Licensing at Dark Horse Comics.

Dark Horse is proud to deliver one of the most requested manga ever to be released. GANTZ has obtained a cult-like following that crosses mediums from print to DVD and back again. The devotion of the fans and excitement of the critics push this manga into a category all its own, surpassing any other in its genre.

GANTZ is tentatively scheduled for a summer 2008 release.

(From a Virgin Comics press release:)

SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT UNITES WITH VIRGIN COMICS

TO CREATE ONLINE VIDEO GAME FRANCHISE

Leading Game and Worldwide Comic Companies Join Forces to Develop and Publish Massively Multiplayer Online Video Game Based On the Popular Ramayan 3392 A.D. India -Mythology Inspired Comic Book Series

SAN DIEGO, California & NEW YORK, New York (August 9, 2007) — Through a deal that joins two of the world’s most innovative entertainment brands, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), a global leader in the online gaming industry, is teaming up with Sir Richard Branson and Deepak Chopra’s Virgin Comics to bring the popular, India-based Ramayan 3392 A.D. comic book universe to life as an MMO video game initially for the PC.

The deal was announced today by John Smedley, President of SOE and Sharad Devarajan, Co-Founder and CEO of Virgin Comics.

“Ramayan has inspired the lives of millions of people through the ages. The re-imagining of this great ancient epic through the creativity of a game platform re-affirms the fact that Ramayan is one of the greatest stories ever told,” said Deepak Chopra. “The fact that the same creative team of young Indians that created the story will be involved in working with SOE’s game development team, is a testament to the innovative and mythic minds of these gifted Indian creators who will take a new generation to new frontiers across the seas of consciousness into new realms of mystery, magic, adventure, and transformation.”

Through this exclusive multi-year, worldwide license agreement, SOE will develop and publish an MMO based on Ramayan’s story of mythological lore. Virgin Comics will serve as a creative consultant on the project. Virgin’s creative involvement with SOE’s game development team will be spearheaded by its President and head, Suresh Seetharaman , who has also overseen the development of the comic series. Also involved is acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, a co-founder of Virgin Comics.

“Virgin Comics approached us with a portfolio of amazing comic properties based on Indian lore. We particularly love Ramayan 3392 A.D., as we feel Virgin Comics’ telling of The Rāmāyana is particularly gripping, graphically brilliant and lends itself extremely well to an MMO,” said Smedley. “This a fantastic time for us to expand our games to include this culturally rich storyline and we are honored to do this with a diversified, creative and experienced company like Virgin Comics.”

Virgin Comics’ Ramayan 3392 A.D., initially released as a comic in late 2006, re-imagines one of India ’s greatest epics into a futuristic realm. Gotham Chopra, Virgin Comics’ Chief Creative Officer commented, “While many of the characters and settings remain familiar to the original lore, we never intended to re-tell the story, but essentially use it as the key inspiration for something fresh. What remains intact to our story are some of the core universal themes like duty, honor, sacrifice, and fraternity while also mining uniquely Indian ideas like karma (how action and consequence are linked) and the malleability of time itself. To bring all of these ideas into a game with SOE is just awesome.”

Devarajan concluded, “In a world increasingly dominated with games influenced by a western Tolkien mythos, Ramayan will offer gamers a chance to experience a whole new universe of characters and archetypes derived from one of the oldest cultures on Earth. Our mission at Virgin Comics has always been to allow this generation of Indian youth to have a creative platform through which to speak to the world. Through this collaboration with the likeminded visionaries at SOE, our young Indian creators will make gaming history worldwide.”

About Virgin Comics

Virgin Comics is a character entertainment company creating original stories and epic myths for worldwide audiences. The company was founded in November 2005 by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Enterprises Ltd., alongside author Deepak Chopra, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and entrepreneurs Sharad Devarajan, Gotham Chopra and Suresh Seetharaman . Virgin is developing new stories with acclaimed filmmakers, actors and musicians including John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Terry Gilliam, Dave Stewart, Ed Burns, Nicolas Cage, Duran Duran, Sachin Tendulkar and others. Feature films based on Virgin Comics’ characters are also in the works, including an animated feature The Secrets of the Seven Sounds and theatrical live action feature films, The Sadhu in development with actor Nicolas Cage as well as Gamekeeper in development with Warner Bros. In India , Virgin Comics recently established a partnership with Studio 18 to pioneer the Indian “teen-horror” genre and a separate partnership with UTV Motion Pictures to develop new Indian superheroes. Virgin Comics also formed a joint venture with NBC-Universal to create new science fiction properties for graphic novels and television with the Sci Fi Channel. www.VirginComics.com

About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Los Angeles, CA, Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development. SOE is owned by Sony Pictures Digital and Sony Computer Entertainment America.

SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. Untold Legends is a trademark of Sony Online Entertainment LLC.

August marks the start of Scott O. Brown (writer of NIGHTFALL from
Platinum Studios) and Horacio Lalias’ haunting horror graphic novel,
THEY DO NOT DIE! online serialization
(http://theydonotdie.ambrosiapublishing.com/) from Ambrosia
Publishing.

THEY DO NOT DIE! is a lurid, horrifying tale about a young girl name
Megan on the cusp of adulthood. As her boyfriend and classmates change
around her, Megan discovers that once anyone in the town turns
eighteen their souls are traded to a cyclopean beast in the mountains
for immortality. She doesn’t believe that immortality is worth trading
your soul, and tries to save both herself and her little sister from
their fate. THEY DO NOT DIE! is scheduled to run online till its
conclusion in late 2007 when it will be collected and published with
bonus material in early 2008.

THEY DO NOT DIE! joins a growing number of innovative and unique weird
fiction / horror projects coming from new publisher, Ambrosia
Publishing this year. You can learn more about THEY DO NOT DIE! at
Ambrosia Publishing’s web site (http://www.ambrosiapublishing.com) and
you can read THEY DO NOT DIE! online at
http://theydonotdie.ambrosiapublishing.com.

(From a Top Cow press release:)

Witchblade Takeru Manga #7

(W) Yasuko Kobayashi (A) Kazasa Sumita (C) Blond (Cov) Sumita, Mack

Takeru, the wielder of the demon blade, and the demon Kira fight to determine the fate of her love. How much of her humanity can Takeru maintain if she hopes to defeat the demon and save Kuo? And will Kuo’s hand be forced if Takeru does become a demon? The questions are answered here! Originally serialized in Japan’s popular magazine, Champion Red and written by Witchblade Anime head writer, Yasuko Kobayashi, this issue also features a second beautiful alternate cover by artist David Mack (Kabuki: Alchemy, Daredevil).

Cover A) Kazasa Sumita

Cover B) David Mack

Full Color 32 pages $3.99 continuing series

(From the Red 5 blog

Atomic Robo Debuts October 2007

ATOMIC ROBO ACTION-SCIENCE ADVENTURES DEBUT FALL 2007

8-BIT THEATER CREATOR BRINGS PULP SERIES TO RED 5 COMICS

Calgary, AB – June 25, 2007 – RED 5 COMICS is proud to announce that the company’s debut title will be ATOMIC ROBO by renowned creator Brian Clevinger and artist Scott Wegener. The first issue is expected on shelves October 10, 2007 and will be available for pre-order this August.

The title follows the larger-than-life exploits of ATOMIC ROBO, an automatic intelligence created by famed inventor Nikola Tesla in 1923. ROBO finds himself entangled in some of the 20th century’s most important events – from the Second World War, space race and civil rights movement, to the defense of Earth against all manner of catastrophes.

Clevinger is best known by legions of online fans as the creator of webcomic phenomenon, 8-BIT THEATER, which boasts over 100,000 visitors daily. He is also the author of the acclaimed super-hero comedy novel, NUKLEAR AGE.

“Robots! Monsters! Explosions!” exclaimed Clevinger. “Evil geniuses and the lightning guns that kill them! That’s ATOMIC ROBO. We took everything that’s fun about pulps and brought it into the modern day.”

Series co-creator, Scott Wegener (Killer of Demons), provides the art and distinct look for ATOMIC ROBO. “Robo is very much my speed — a very retro-pulp-sci-fi-action kind of thing all mashed together into this little robot guy,” Wegener said. “Of course, you have to have a World War II stint. Punching Nazis is very popular in comic books.”

ATOMIC ROBO is colored by Ronda Pattison (Star Wars: Dark Times). Michael Avon Oeming (Bulletproof Monk, B.P.R.D.) supplies the cover art for the debut issue.

ATOMIC ROBO is a six-issue monthly miniseries, debuting October 10, 2007 from Red 5 Comics. Be sure to contact your favorite comic shop and ask them to order your copy from the August issue of Diamond Previews catalog.

About Red 5 Comics
Red 5 Comics creates and produces cinematic-style comic book entertainment, with first issues debuting in October 2007. It was founded by Paul Ens, former director of Lucasfilm’s Lucas Online, and Scott Chitwood, co-founder of TheForce.net. Red 5 is proudly presented by ComingSoon.net and SuperHeroHype.com.

For updated information on Red 5 Comics and their titles, visit www.red5comics.com

(From a Heroic Publishing press release:)

CHAMPIONS #38: RETURN OF CAPTAIN THUNDER SELLS OUT
The first new issue of Heroic Publishing’s CHAMPIONS comic book series (issue #38), featuring the long-awaited return of Roy & Dann Thomas’s CAPTAIN THUNDER AND BLUE BOLT, has completely sold out. No copies are available for reorder, and Heroic has announced that there will not be a second printing.

If you can’t find a copy of this first CT&BB story in almost fifteen years, you may have to wait a while. The story, by writers Roy Thomas and Dennis Mallonee, and artist Benito Gallego, is scheduled to be reprinted in the third Captain Thunder and Blue Bolt trade paperback, but that collection will not appear until the “Merchants of Menace” storyline is wrapped up in a future issue of CHAMPIONS, most likely in late 2008.

In the meantime, you will be able to enjoy classic adventures of comics’ greatest father-and-son superhero team, beginning with CHAMPIONS #39, on sale in late August, and with the first CT&BB trade paperback, currently scheduled for a mid-December release date.

CHAMPIONS® is a registered trademark of Heroic Publishing, Inc. CAPTAIN THUNDER™ and BLUE BOLT™ are trademarks of Roy & Dann Thomas.

More information about Heroic Publishing can be found on the Heroic Publishing website at http://www.heroicpub.com

Heroic Publishing’s full-color comic book titles are distributed by Diamond Comics Distributors.

Retailers who haven’t been ordering Heroic Publishing titles may want to register on the Heroic Publishing website at www.heroicpub.com/retailer and take advantage of Heroic Publishing’s back issue services. Back issues of all Heroic titles are normally made available for wholesale purchase beginning 30 days after their on-sale date.

For more information, please contact:
Heroic Publishing Inc
news@heroicpub.com

(From an Image Comics press release:)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEAR THE CRAWL SPACE

Kieron Dwyer, Rick Remender and Tony Moore return to horror comics!

Rick Remender and Kieron Dwyer return to the genre they helped reinvent with their all-new, full color ongoing horror series, CRAWL SPACE.

“CRAWL SPACE is a series of horror stories Kieron and I have been cooking up for years. Like an expanded Tales From the Crypt where each tale is given many issues to develop — it’s not an anthology,” explains Remender, the series’ writer. “Since completing SEA OF RED, Kieron and I have been cooking up new horror stories together and over the next few years, they’ll all be wedged out of the CRAWL SPACE and into the horrible light of day.”

CRAWL SPACE’s first arc, the four-issue “XXXombies,” promises to be the last word in the zombiesploitation with its twisted tale of sex stars, cannibalism and the ’70s. Our story’s focus is a sleazy producer who has gathered a bevy of adult stars for a weekend film shoot. When they emerge, they discover a zombie plague has overrun a now-quarantied Los Angeles. The results are unlike any previous tale of the undead, especially with Rick and Kieron’s special guest collaborator - Tony Moore, the original artist of THE WALKING DEAD.

“Tony, Rick and I have been talking about doing an end-all zombie tale together for years. To do it exactly how we think it should be done before walking away from the genre for good,” adds Dwyer, who helped resurrect the zombie craze with his miniseries, REMAINS. “Tony’s cover work is absolutely disgusting. It’s perfect.”

Moore is along to co-plot as well as contribute covers to the arc. Future stories will also be done by the Remender/Dwyer team, but who knows who else we’ll find lurking in the CRAWL SPACE?

CRAWL SPACE #1 (AUG071979) is in stores October 24th with a cover price of $2.99. In addition, Rick Remender will be at the San Diego Comic Con signing 100 limited edition XXXOMBIES movie posters at the Image Comics Booth (#2729) on Saturday between 2-3 PM.

Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in

1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time,

Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in

the United States. There are currently four partners in Image

Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim

Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses

(Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and

Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every

genre, sub-genre and style imaginable, offering science fiction,

romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more

by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today.

Visit www.imagecomics.com