Archive for the ‘THE COMIC VAULT’ Category

Barack Obama and John McCain graphic novels coming from IDW

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008
Seldom has there been a presidential election year as momentous as this one. The larger-than-life personal stories and come-from-behind political victories of the presumptive candidates, Senator Barack Obama (Dem; IL) and Senator John McCain (Rep; AZ), have electrified the political discourse in this country and around the world. Now IDW Publishing is pleased to present a unique venture in the history of comics publishing: a pair of graphic novel biographies, PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL: BARACK OBAMA (Author: Jeff Mariotte/Artist: Tom Morgan) and PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL: JOHN MCCAIN (Author: Andy Helfer/Artist: Stephen Thompson) presented in one of the true American art forms, the comic book. These graphic novel biographies are painstakingly researched with beautifully drawn depictions highlighting key incidents in the lives of the two men. Sure to be a hot collector’s item, the books can be pre-ordered starting today at www.presidentialcomics.com in advance of the October 8 publication date. In addition to the separate tomes, the two issues will also be available in a special trade paperback flip-book edition.

“We’re tremendously proud of these books,” says IDW president Ted Adams. “Comics and graphic novels speak to millions of people encompassing all demographic, social, cultural and economic stripes. It’s a great way to get beyond the headlines on these two candidates.”

In addition to the print versions, mobile phone users can purchase the books for downloading through Uclick’s GoComics at www.gocomics.com/presidents. The books will be available on phones through top U.S. carriers and on the mobile Internet at http://m.gocomics.com. A leading digital entertainment provider offering a broad mix of popular products for the Web and mobile phones, Uclick’s content lineup includes other IDW properties, among many other leading brands.
“The Presidential Material books are the latest example of why IDW is considered one of the most innovative comic book publishing companies,” said Jeff Webber, Uclick Vice President of Product Development. “The simultaneous release of these books in print and on mobile phones has never been done in the U.S. before. We’ve seen a lot of new ground broken so far in this presidential contest, so it’s fitting that these books should be released in a way that’s unprecedented.”
The powerful cover art for both books was created by fan favorite J. Scott Campbell. His first book was the popular Gen13, which he followed with Danger Girl, a runaway bestseller that spawned a video game as well as a series of toys. More recently he has been working on a Spider-Man series that will debut in 2009.

Senator Barack Obama’s meteoric rise to the top of the Democratic Party is the stuff of political legend. His epic battle with Senator Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic Party’s nominee has ensured, regardless of outcome, a historic election in November. Obama author Jeff Mariotte is an award-winning, bestselling writer of more than 30 novels, including original supernatural thrillers River Runs Red and Missing White Girl, horror epic The Slab, and Stoker Award nominated teen horror series Witch Season, as well as books set in the universes of CSI: Miami, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Supernatural, Spider-Man, Superman, and Star Trek. He is a veteran comics author, including his original Western series, Desperadoes.

Senator John McCain comes from a family steeped in public service—both his father and grandfather were Admirals in the U.S. Navy—and he has followed in that tradition. His Navy tenure included an extended period as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and he has been a longtime member of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Andy Helfer, author of the John McCain bio, has been one of comics’ most innovative forces since 1980. During his tenure in charge of Paradox Press, an experimental imprint of DC Comics, he published the original graphic novels Road to Perdition and A History of Violence, both of which became major feature films. He is also the author of well-received and critically lauded graphic novel biographies of Ronald Reagan and Malcolm X.

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Ferryman Comic synopsis

Monday, July 21st, 2008
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Illustrated By: Jonathan Wayshak
Publisher: Wildstorm division of DC Comics

Gideon was a decorated cop, until he took the law into his own hands to bring down the man who murdered his wife, getting himself killed in the process. Sent to Hell for his sins, Gideon became a Ferryman, a bounty hunter for Lucifer. When people make deals with the Devil--strength, beauty, wealth and power in exchange for their souls--the Ferryman is the one who comes to collect. The souls, imbued with incredible supernatural powers because of their arrangements with Satan, don't go easily. But Gideon is the best Ferryman in the Devil's army, and he drags the souls back to Hell in one explosive showdown after another. After decades of retrieving lost souls, Gideon wants Lucifer to keep his end of the bargain: to release Gideon from his contract and allow him to go to Heaven, where he can finally be with his wife. However, the Prince of Lies has one last job for Gideon. He wants him to find the Outcast, a soul that has destroyed countless Ferrymen and eluded Satan for thousands of years. It is the most dangerous mission of Gideon's life, one that will take him across the globe and into his own dark past, ultimately revealing an ancient mystery that threatens the very foundations of Heaven and Hell.

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Comics icon Stan Lee takes aim at political humor in Election Daze

Saturday, March 8th, 2008


POW Entertainment announces a new book by Stan Lee. When superhero creator Stan Lee releases his new book of political humor, the expression “Super Tuesday” will take on a whole new meaning.

The name Stan Lee is usually synonymous with the famed Marvel Comics characters he co-created, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men and many others.

Yet, many people don’t know that Lee has a soft spot for writing humor and he’s showcasing his gag-writing skills with the release of his new book, “Election Daze.” The book features his irrepressible, wildly funny dialogue balloons which accompany eye-catching photos by Capitol Hill photographer, Lauren Victoria Burke.

The subjects of the photos range from Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, and President Bush, to political celebrities such as George Clooney, Chuck Norris, and Stephen Colbert among others. “I’ve always gotten a kick out of combining far-out captions with serious pictures,” says Lee. “It’s a great change of pace from writing fantasy tales, although sometimes politics seems more like fantasy than my own stories.”

Stan Lee first published a book of photo humor back in 1961 called “Golfer’s Anonymous.” The golf-themed book utilized the same formula--humorous dialogue and captions, with photos of people on the links. Fans everywhere gobbled it up and it quickly sold out its entire run. Lee recalls that he was so busy writing his superhero stories at that time that he never got around to following it up with similar books.

However, at a recent comic book convention where Stan was making a guest appearance, a fan asked him to autograph an old, carefully preserved copy of “Golfers Anonymous.” Lee was happy to comply. “I had almost forgotten about that book. But, seeing it after all those years made me wonder if this wouldn’t be the perfect time to write a similar book, but this time zeroing in on the political campaign that’s on everyone’s lips.”

Stan mentioned his idea to publisher Tom Filsinger who enthusiastically agreed that this was the right time and the right market for such a book. “I loved the idea,” said Filsinger, aware that political personalities are particularly ripe for Lee’s offbeat type of humor.

“Election Daze” focuses on what politicians and celebrities “might have been saying” from the beginning of the presidential primaries and beyond. “Stan’s book will turn out to be a perfect keepsake for this historic election year,” said Filsinger.

The success of “Election Daze” will undoubtedly lead to the publication of an entire new series of Stan Lee’s books of photo humor. “They’ll deal with everything people are interested in--sports, music, movies, TV, and celebrities of every type. And that’s just for starters!” says an ebullient Lee.

So the man best known for superhero icons such as Spider-Man, now adds humor books to his amazing list of published works as he adds, with a smile, “After years of writing stories to keep readers on the edge of their seats, it’s fun to write a book that’ll make them kick back with laughter.”

“Election Daze,” which is available for pre-order on the Internet, is scheduled to arrive in bookstores like Barnes & Noble at the end of March. Stan Lee, ever the busy author and creator, is making several appearances that will coincide with the release of the book, including the New York Comic Con on April 18-20, Borders in Washington, D.C. on April 21, and BookExpo America in Los Angeles at the end of May.

POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment, an advanced media and entertainment company, was founded by world-famous comic book and motion picture icon Stan Lee, together with award-winning producer Gill Champion and intellectual property specialist Arthur Lieberman, Esq. POW!’s principals have extensive backgrounds in the entertainment industry encompassing the creation, production and licensing of original intellectual properties, including some of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. POW!, capitalizing on this combined expertise, specializes in franchises for the entertainment industry, including animation and live-action feature films, plus television, DVDs, video games, merchandising and related ancillary markets, all of which contribute to global expansion. POW! partners with other individuals and entities of entertainment’s top echelon, including studios and networks, in the creation, licensing and distribution of new POW! character franchises.

Election Daze MySpace

http://www.myspace.com/electiondaze
Title: Stan Lee's Election Daze
Subtitle: What Are They Really Saying?
ISBN: 978-0-9702631-5-5
Price: $9.95
96 pages

Order online at: http://www.atlasbooks.com

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Global roster of winners take 2nd annual Aniboom Awards for Cartoon and Animation

Monday, February 18th, 2008
Aniboom, the premier animation network, has unveiled the winners for its 2nd Annual Aniboom Awards, the leading online animation festival. Choosing from more than 1600 entries from over 60 countries, millions of online viewers and an esteemed panel of judges have granted top spot to “Jungle Jail,” a humorous short by French animator, Aymeric Palermo.

“Congratulations to all of these talented artists from around the world,” Uri Shinar, founder and president of Aniboom, said. “After the successful launch of our awards program last year, it is a pleasure to see that the Aniboom Awards have truly become a showcase for our mission: inspiring and bringing together untapped talent worldwide, highlighting their work for a mass audience to see and partnering with these preeminent creators to develop original animated brands for multi-platform distribution.”

In addition to the significant cash prizes, winners of the Aniboom Awards will benefit from substantial exposure across Aniboom’s multi-platform network and will be considered for original series development deals. The category winners are:

Jungle Jail - By Palermo Aymeric, France (Grand Prize and Funny Category)
http://www.aniboom.com/Player.aspx?v=119216

A small and timid inmate runs through the motions of finding a place within the social jungle behind bars; from new school neophyte to big house kingpin, this convict has something up his sleeve.

Tonnellage - By Ivan Maximov, Russia (Drama Category)
http://www.aniboom.com/Player.aspx?v=128417

An interpretation of the Russian parable about two frogs, two prisoners live out their lives in a cold jail cell, as one religiously struggles to escape and one remains the idle watcher.

Esperando a morte chegar (Waiting for Death to Come) - By Luis Guilherme Campos, Brazil (Unpolished Category)
http://www.aniboom.com/Player.aspx?v=1189

One dog tries to escape his destiny and the consequence of a life of consumption as he confronts the face of Death at a bus stop.

Red Ocean - By Kenny Frankland, Great Britain (Music Video Category)
http://www.aniboom.com/Player.aspx?v=62995

Deep beneath the ocean, a strange new life form comes to be as it makes its journey to the surface. A CG animated music video created for the band Audio Mainline.

Illuminations - By Itai Froumin, Israel (Experimental Category)
http://www.aniboom.com/Player.aspx?v=56268

A color rich sequence of interpretive dance and transformation highlighting the contrast between line and form within nature and the human body based on an original musical score from Itai Foumin and Jonathan Albalak.

The panel of judges was made up of Paul Driessen, known for his work on The Yellow Submarine (1967) and winner of more than 70 international awards including the ASIFA-International Lifetime Achievement Award, George Sifianos, filmmaker and professor of animation at the acclaimed Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs (ENSAD) in Paris, Rony Oren, current head of the animation department at the award-winning Bezalel Art & Design Academy in Israel and the producer of over 500 critically-acclaimed animated films as head of independent animation studio Claytoons since 1978, Cold Hard Flash founder and Emmy-nominated producer of "Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island" Aaron Simpson, Daniel Paul, VP, Content Acquisition and Strategy at JOOST, and Barbara Corday, a top American television executive, writer and producer best known for co-creating the television series “Cagney and Lacey.”

Aniboom aims to meet the exploding demand for state-of-the-art animation for primetime television and feature films, digital gaming, the web and mobile broadband platforms at an unprecedented cost-efficiency by creating a new production and distribution pipeline. This pipeline identifies and mobilizes the thousands of professional independent animators all over the world with the talent, the passion, and the same toolsets utilized by the large animation studios – but no meaningful access to the markets that need them. Aniboom’s Creators Studio allows animators of all levels to pitch, produce and monetize high-quality original animated content spanning a variety of genres for worldwide channels of distribution, all year round. Animators are able to earn money based on the popularity of their creation within both the Aniboom community and other distribution platforms.

Aniboom (www.aniboom.com) is a premier multi-platform animation network that teams up with untapped talent around the world, to create, produce and distribute compelling high quality animation brands at unusual speed and cost efficiencies to web, mobile, gaming and TV media industries worldwide.

At Aniboom.com, the company has brought together a vibrant community of world class animators and animation enthusiasts to create, watch and share a growing library of original independent cartoons and animations that crosses multiple genres and interests. Users can easily create and showcase their work using the site’s dynamic features including a robust DIY tool set called Animachines. Throughout the year Aniboom also engages its community with a variety of creative contests offering prizes of up to $50,000 each. The company is based in Israel with its U.S. headquarters in San Francisco.

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