ARCHAIA IS OFF TO EMERALD CITY COMICON!
 Archaia launches its 2013 convention season at the largest comics and pop culture convention in the Pacific Northwest, highlighted by the debut of HAWKEN: GENESIS, signing sessions, and special giveaways!

Seattle, WA (February 28, 2013) – Award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment is excited to announce it will be exhibiting at Emerald City Comicon (ECCC), taking place March 1-3, 2013 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Washington!

Several Archaia creators will be on hand to sign copies of their books or promotional items at the Archaia booth (#808), including: Andrew E. C. Gaska (Critical Millennium: The Dark Frontier, Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes, Space: 1999: Aftershock and Awe); Chandra Free (The God Machine, Fraggle Rock Vol. 2);Charles Soule (the upcoming Strange Attractors); Dave Marquez (Syndrome, Days Missing Vol. 2: Kestus, the upcoming The Joyners in 3D); David Petersen (Mouse Guard); Royden Lepp (Rust); Yehudi Mercado (Pantalones, TX).

Special advance copies of the HAWKEN: GENESIS anthology graphic novel hardcover, which is based on the hit online, free-to-play mech game from Meteor Entertainment, will debut at ECCC and be available for sale. Writers Khang Le and Jeremy Barlow will be on hand to sign copies at the Archaia booth (#808) and at the Meteor booth in the Gaming Area.

In addition, a promotion through FourSquare will give fans the chance to win a prize pack comprised of autographed copies of Mouse Guard Vol. 1: Fall 1152, Rust Vol. 1: Visitor in the Field, and HAWKEN: GENESIS. Just be sure to check in at the Archaia booth through the FourSquare app on your iOS or Android phone once you’re at the show and you’re automatically entered!

For programming, Archaia will put on an exciting, entertaining panel at the show:

Archaia Presents: How I Broke in to Comics (and How You Can, Too!)Friday, March 1, 4-5pm, Room 3AB
Ever wonder how some of your favorite creators broke in to comics, or were curious how some up-and-comers get to be “up-and-comers”? Join some of Archaia’s creators for a lively discussion of how they got their first break in comics, and to hear their advice on how you can, too! Panelists include Chandra Free (The God Machine, Fraggle Rock), Andrew E.C. Gaska (Space: 1999: Aftershock and Awe, Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes), Royden Lepp (Rust), David Marquez (Syndrome, The Joyners in 3D), Yehudi Mercado (Pantalones, TX), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), and Charles Soule (Strange Attractors).


About Archaia Entertainment, LLC
Archaia is a multi-award-winning graphic novel publisher with more than 75 renowned publishing brands, including such domestic and international hits as Mouse Guard, Return of the Dapper Men, Rust, Gunnerkrigg Court, Old City Blues, Awakening, The Killer, Syndrome, Artesia; and an entire line of The Jim Henson Company graphic novels, such as Tale of Sand, The Dark Crystal, The Storyteller, and Fraggle Rock. Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds, building one of the industry’s most visually stunning and eclectic slates of graphic novels. In 2012, Archaia was honored with six Harvey Award nominations, two Harvey Awards, six Eisner nominations, and three Eisner Awards (Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand won for Best Graphic Album–New, Best Penciller/Inker, and Best Publication Design). Also in 2012, Archaia earned both Gold and Silver awards from ForeWord Reviews. In 2011, Archaia was honored with nine Eisner Awards nominations and two Eisner Awards for Best Graphic Album and Best Anthology. Archaia was named Graphic Novel Publisher of the Year by Ain’t It Cool News, Comic Related, and Graphic Policy, which honored the publisher two years in a row. In addition to print and digital publications, Archaia has successfully emerged as a prolific storyteller in all facets of the entertainment industry, extending their popular brands into film, television, gaming, and branded digital media. For more information, visit the Archaia website at www.archaia.com.

SEQUENTIAL PULP COMICS ANNOUNCE NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL

BASED ON EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS JUNGLE TALES OF TARZAN

Sequential Pulp Comics, a graphic novel imprint distributed by Dark Horse Comics, specializing in works of classic and pulp literature is proud to announce a new graphic novel based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic novel, Jungle Tales of Tarzan.

The one hundred and forty four page graphic novel will be authorized by ERB, Inc. through Sequential Pulp’s distribution arrangement with Dark Horse Comics. The book will be designed as an anthology collecting the twelve loosely connected short stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs chronicling the life of his most famous character, Tarzan of the Apes. All the events of the original work take place within chapter eleven of Tarzan of the Apes between Tarzan’s avenging of his ape foster mother’s death and his becoming the leader of his ape tribe. The original stories ran in Blue Book magazine from September 1916 through August 1917 prior to the book’s publication in 1919.

Writer Martin Powell will helm the graphic novel. Powell is well known for his work as the author of hundreds of science fiction, mystery, and horror stories. He has worked in the comic book industry since 1986, writing for Marvel, DC, Malibu, Caliber, Moonstone, and Disney, among others, and has been nominated for the coveted Eisner Award. He is also a respected and award winning author of children’s books, and frequently contributes prose for many short story anthologies. He resides in Saint Paul, MN.

Along with Powell, Sequential Pulp is bringing a veritable who’s who of exciting illustration talent.  With an amazing cover and specialty art by Daren Bader to exciting story art by Pablo Marcos, Terry Beatty, Will Meugniot, Nik Poliwko, Antonio Romero Olmedo, Mark Wheatley, Diana Leto, Steven E. Gordon, Lowell Isaac, Tom Floyd and Jamie Chase. Each story has been matched up with an artist whose passion and love for Burroughs’ Tarzan and specifically for the story selected will go a long way towards making this one highly anticipated book in the Tarzan canon.

Each story will run twelve pages in length and the book will be in full color. Sequential Pulp is planning a standard trade paperback and a very limited signature deluxe signed edition. 

About Sequential Pulp Comics:
Sequential Pulp is a new imprint and production house whose focus is on publishing graphic novels based on classic to neo pulp of all genres. Its books will include both licensed and creator-owned material.

About Dark Horse:

Founded in1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, including The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton’s Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material

San Francisco, Calif. (February 26, 2013) – eigoMANGA is excited to announce the release of the 2D fighting game, Vanguard Princess via Amazon, Gamersgate, and CNET. The original Vanguard Princess game was developed by Tomoaki Sugeno and released as an independent Japanese freeware game in 2009. eigoMANGA releases an enhanced and localized version of the game with revised features such as reformatted anime visuals and cut scenes, as well as updated gameplay mechanics.

Vanguard Princess features an all-female cast each with their own unique fighting style. Choose from ten girls with unique fighting skills and pair them with a younger assistant partner to form an unstoppable team. Together they battle against other teams of women warriors. Navigate the adventures of a Vanguard Princess in the Story Mode or engage in head-to-head battles in Versus Mode.

Vanguard Princess is available for digital purchase on http://www.eigoMANGA.com/vanguard, Amazon, CNET, and Gamersgate.

Background Story About The Game:

Government experiments on a young girl triggered a cosmic shock wave that gifted many young girls with mystical powers. The girl re-emerges into the world and vows to destroy all of mankind in an act of revenge. A brave group of girls who embraced their powers venture out to confront her; not just for the sake of the world, but to pursue their own personal motives and dreams.

Platform: PC
Categories: Action, Casual, Fighting
Player(s): Single, Local Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: Not Rated
PEGI/USK Rating: Not Rated

System Requirements:

Windows 2000/XP/Vista (with DirectX 7.0)
Pentium III 400MHz, 128MB RAM
Graphics card with 32MB video RAM
400MB hard disk space
4-button game controller (Optional)

About eigoMANGA:

eigoMANGA is a comic book publishing company that specializes in creating original, comic books, animation, and digital media productions. The company formed an independent game development studio in January 2011 to localize and publish independent Japanese games.

More information about eigoMANGA can be found at www.eigoMANGA.com

What would you do if a millionaire offered you a chance to solve all your life’s problems? Would You Rather explores how far desperate people will go for a once in a lifetime prize.

After the tragic death of her parents, Iris (Brittany Snow) is desperate to make ends meet as she struggles to even find a job all while caring for her terminally ill younger brother when she gets a call from his doctor offering her what seems to be a chance of a lifetime. Enter in smooth talking uber rich guy Shepard Lambrick (Jeffery Combs) who invites her to an exclusive dinner party where she has the chance to win not only riches galore, but preferential treatment and every chance to save her brother. It all sounds too good to be true, but she takes a chance, and finds nothing is as it seems.

What starts out as some harmless fun quickly takes a dark turn as Lambrick pits his eight guests (Enver Gjokaj, Sasha Grey, John Heard, June Squibb, Eddie Steeples, Robin Taylor, and Robb Wells) in a deadly game of Would You Rather, where the participants must perform their outlandish choices at the expense of their fellow players.

While Would You Rather is most certainly twisted, it won’t please those looking for torture porn or gore. Instead it’s smart and reminiscent of Saw while not really exploiting the violence. Instead most of the brutality is taken off scene, which by no means takes away from the impact of the scene.

The high level of psychological twists are far scarier without the high amounts of gore found in the normal horror thriller of this kind. That paired with a fantastic, well rounded cast of diverse actors easily makes   Would You Rather a flick not to be missed. Not only is Would You Rather highly entertaining, its completely engrossing, and the twists of the script are fantastic.

Would You Rather is now playing in select theaters, SundanceNow, Cable VOD, and other digital outlets (iTunes, Amazon Streaming, PS3 Playstation Unlimited, XBOX Zune, Google PLAY and YouTube).

Check back soon for the Q and A with the director, David Guy Levy! 

Meet your victors! The winners of the 74th HUNGER GAMES, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, have officially embarked on this year’s Victory Tour.

 

Lionsgate has released two VICTORY TOUR POSTERS for their most anticipated sequel, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE, directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson!

 

Check out the new posters from THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE and stay tuned to TheCapitol.PN for updates https://www.facebook.com/TheCapitolPN?group_id=0.

Make sure to head over to the Official Hunger Games Facebook page to Share #TheSpark for a chance to be featured  in THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE end credits.

 

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE opens nationwide November 22, 2013!

 

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SYNOPSIS:

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark.  Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts.  Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) - a competition that could change Panem forever. 

 

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE will be directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the second in a trilogy that has over 50 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.   

 

Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE on November 22, 2013.

 

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Official Facebook Page: facebook.com/thehungergamesmovie

Official Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/TheHungerGames

#TheSpark

#CatchingFire

Can you believe it? The 2013 Emerald City Comicon begins is THIS FRIDAY! So here is one last GIANT Newsletter to get you jazzed about the show!

2013 Tickets

If you don't have your ticket to the show, please note that 3-Day and Saturday Tickets are SOLD OUT online and will not be sold at the door (there are some available at stores, while supplies last). As of this morning, we have a limited amount of Sunday Tickets available and will likely sell out in the next couple days, so expect that we will have just Friday Tickets to sell at the door. [Tickets Page]

Celebrities!

Since our last newsletter, we've finished updating our celebrity guest list. Appearing at the 2013 ECCC are: Gillian Anderson (X-Files), Kristin Bauer (True Blood), Dirk Benedict (A-Team), Misha Collins (Supernatural), Felicia Day (The Guild), Lexa Doig (Continuum), Carrie Fisher & Billy Dee Williams (Star Wars), Danai Gurira & Michael Rooker (Chandler Riggs is unable to appear) (The Walking Dead), Walter Koenig (Star Trek), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Paul McGillion &Michael Shanks (Stargate), Ray Park (GI Joe), Chris Sarandon (Princess Bride), Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Natalia Tena (Harry Potter), Adam West & Burt Ward (Batman & Robin) and Wil Wheaton (Big Bang Theory)! Check our Celebrity Guests page for details about their days of appearance, autograph & photo fees and more! [Celebrity Guests]

Voice Talent!

Our list of amazing Voice Talent includes Jim Cummings (Winnie the Pooh), Grey DeLisle (Scooby Doo), Quinton Flynn (Metal Gear), Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect),Richard Horvitz & Rikki Simons (Invader Zim), Phil LaMarr (Futurama) and Kevin Michael Richardson (The Cleveland Show)! Voice talent sign the first item (supplied by attendee) free, otherwise and after which autographs are charged. [Voice Talent]

Special Guests!

We have a number of cool guests coming to the show that will be appearing in various capacities:

- Takahiro Yoshimatsu - Our fist ever Special Guest from Japan, Mr. Yoshimatsu has been an Animation Director and/or Character Designer on many anime, most famously on Trigun! He will be appearing in the Autograph Area daily!
- Clayton "Clay" Anderson - A real-life astronaut who spent six months on the International Space Station as part of the ISS Expedition 15 crew. Mr. Anderson will be appearing all three days of the show in the ECCC Kids! area.
- Coop! - A world-renowned artist who has spent more than two decades creating subversive, vice-centric images. This is his first visit to ECCC and he'll be appearing at the Baby Tattoo booth throughout the weekend!
- Paul Scheer - Co-writer of Boom!'s upcoming Aliens vs. Parker, he plays Andre on the FX show The League and Trent Hauser on NTSF:SD:SUV:: on Adult Swim. He will be appearing at the Boom! Studios booth on Saturday only.
- Larry Elmore - The legendary fantasy artist whose work includes creating illustrations for video games, comics, magazines and fantasy books, including famous illustrations for D&D! Appearing in the Gaming area all weekend!
- Morgan Gendel - Hugo-award winning writer of the beloved Star Trek: TNG episode The Inner Light as well as writer of episodes of DS9, he served as Executive Producer of MTV'S Spider-Man and The Dresden Files. Appearing all weekend.
- Yaya Han - A costume designer, model and cosplay entertainer with 13 years of experience, she has made 200 (and counting) costumes. She will be a guest and judge for the ECCC Costume Party and will be appearing in the Gaming section!
- Jordan Hembrough - The founder of of Hollywood Heroes, a vintage and modern collectibles company and host of Travel Channel’s original series Toy Hunter. He will be filming an episode of Toy Hunter at their booth on the show floor!
- Israel Idonije - Best known as a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears, Israel Idonije is a longtime comics fan who has founded his own publishing company, Athleta Comics. Appearing in the ECCC signing area on Sunday from Noon-1pm.
- Buddy Levy - The popular co-star of History Channel’s Brad Meltzer’s Decoded, he will be hosting the Gillian Anderson panel and moderating a special live presentation "Decoding Comicon."
- Brian Posehn - A comedian, actor and writer, known for his work on the TV show The Sarah Silverman Program and on tour as one of the original members of the Comedians of Comedy. Appearing all weekend at table Y-06!
- Paul & Storm - Paul and Storm have been writing and performing funny songs together for a long, long time, starting with their stint together in a cappella band Da Vinci’s Notebook. Appearing in the Gaming Area!

Comic Guests!

Where to even begin? We have over 200 of the best writers and artists in comics appearing at the show. Just a few of the great names include: Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Scott Snyder (Batman), Chris Claremont (X-Men), Mike Dringenberg (Sandman - making a rare convention appearance), David Finch(Batman), Andrew Hussie (MS Paint Adventures), David Marquez (Ultimate Spider-Man), Neal Adams (Batman), Cory Walker (Invincible), Natasha Allegri (Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake), Simon Bisley (Lobo), Gerry Conway (co-creator of The Punisher), Larry Hama (GI Joe) and that's just a few of the ones that have never been to Seattle before! View the complete list here: [Special Guests]

Special Events!

We have a lot of great Special Events happening in and around ECCC! Click each one for more information - The Saturday Night Costume Party, MINTcondition Issue #2,Variant Cover Girls Burlesque, Bushwick Book Club, Kracklefest 3, Hunger Games Costume Exhibition, Model Mayhem and much more!

Exhibitors & Artist Alley!

Don't forget that we've doubled the show floor at ECCC, so we have over a hundredsExhibitors and a giant Artist Alley for all your shopping needs!

Programming & flipon.tv!

We've listed all the programming at ECCC, over 180 hours worth! We have something for everyone, and for those who can't split themselves in to two (or seven) to catch all the panels, we are teaming up with FlipOn.tv to stream some of the content online, and archiving it as well, so check it out and sign up if you're interested. For the complete list of programming, please visit the Programming Page!

Costume Party!

The time is nigh upon us! Uatu the Watcher and The Doctor have teamed up for an event so big, so EPIC, SO COMPLETELY MIND-BLOWING, that we could only call it Crisis of Infinite Costumes! The party this year will be hosted by Penny Arcade's own Greg "Porkfry" Hjertager and James "Uatu" Harleman. Applications for the contest open in just a few weeks so get your sewing machines ready and start planning who you will be appearing as. Universes will collide! Heroes and Villains will emerge and only a select few will survive the coming Crisis! The fate of the universe may just hinge on your costuming skills!

Exclusives!

Aside from our own cool exclusives, like Monsters & Dames, t-shirts, hats, scarves and more, make sure to check out all the cool ECCC exclusives that publishers like Boom!, Image Comics, Dynamite and others have in store for ECCC. [Exclusives]

Gaming!

With over 31,000 square feet of additional space this year, ECCC Gaming is bigger than ever! More tournaments! More casual play! More vendors! More guests! Don't forget to check out the  "ECCC ElecTRONica Arcade Party" on Friday and Saturday night! Brought to you by Dorky's Arcade, Disko Warp Music and Video Game Scoreboard. Don't miss out on all the fun! Come check out the ECCC Gaming area. [ECCC Gaming!]

What else can we say, we are very excited for you to check out what we have in store for you at the 2013 Emerald City Comicon. Enjoy the show!

Sac-Con is Sunday March 3rd at the Scottish Rite Center in Sacramento (6151 H Street).  10am - 5pm.  Admission is $6 at the door. Early Bird (9am Entry) is $10 at the door.  FREE Adventure Time Art Print  created by Dan Brereton, Tone Rodriguez and Mike Hampton While Supplies Last (Early Bird Fans are guaranteed to get an art print)             SPECIAL GUESTS:  John DiMaggioFuturama's Bender, Adventure Time's Jake the Dog 1st Autograph Free, each additional $20 12pm - 3pm    DC DouglasMass Effect's Legion, Resident Evil's WeskerFree Autographs - limit 2 per person   Joe Weems V Jimmie Robinson Thomas Yeates Ron Lim Morrie Turner Dan Brereton Nicolas Caesar Greg Espinoza Adrian "Age" Scott Mike Gray Brandon Bracamonte Jose Gabriel Angeles    Check out some of our great events at the show: Cosplay Costume Contest Classic Video Game Tournament Huge Vendors Room 3pm Charity Raffle Panels/Q & A's with our guests as well as the  Sac Geeks  Free Yugioh & Magic Tournaments Anime Viewing Room  and more!

DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES

EMERALD CITY COMICON 2013 SCHEDULE!

February 25, MILWAUKIE, OR— Dark Horse Comics is headed to the Pacific Northwest’s foremost and fastest growing pop culture convention – Emerald City Comicon. 

Join us for signings at booth #1102! Free comics and/or prints with each signing while supplies last. Please note that lines may be capped or tickets issued as needed; ask early about your favorite signings!

Comics, books, and collectibles will be available for purchase from Dark Horse or your favorite retailer.

DARK HORSE SIGNINGS & PANELS

Friday, March 1

2:30 p.m.                        Tyler Crook (B.P.R.D.)

3:30 p.m.                         Doug Sneyd (The Art of Doug Sneyd)

4:30 p.m.                        Superhero Signing: Frank Barbieri (Blackout), Francesco Francavilla (The Black Beetle), Michael Avon Oeming (The Victories), Josh Williamson (Captain Midnight)

6:00 p.m.                        Steve Lieber (Alabaster)

7:00 p.m.                        Camilla d’Errico (Helmetgirls, Femina & Fauna)

*Free limited-edition 11" x 17" print of The Forge Machine for first 50 people in line.

Panel:

DARK HORSE SUPERHEROES, Hall B (608-610),
3:10 p.m.–4:05 p.m.

Saturday, March 2

10:00 a.m.                        Alexander Freed (Dragon Age, Star Wars: Purge, Star Wars: The Old Republic)

11:00 a.m.                        Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT, 3 Story)

11:00 a.m.                        Howard Chaykin (Marked Man, Custer)

12:00 p.m.                        Eric Powell (The Goon, Billy the Kid, Chimichanga)

1:00 p.m.                        Brian Wood and Garry Brown (The Massive)

*Free limited-edition 11" x 17" print of The Massive 3-in-1 cover and The Massive #7 for first 50 people in line.

2:00 p.m.                        Paul Tobin (Colder)

3:00 p.m.                        Rob Reger and Emily Ivie (Emily and the Strangers)

4:00 p.m.                        Jeremy Barlow and Tony Parker (R.I.P.D.)

5:30 p.m.                        Mike Mignola (Hellboy, Hellboy in Hell, B.P.R.D., Abe Sapien, Baltimore, Sledgehammer 44, Lobster Johnson, Witchfinder)

Panels:

FROM VICTIM TO HERO, Hall C (602-603), 3:20 p.m.–4:15 p.m.

FROM THE PAGES OF HELLBOY: A CONVERSATION WITH MIKE MIGNOLA,

Hall B (608-610), 4:10 p.m.–5:05 p.m.

Sunday, March 3

10:00 a.m.                        Brian Wood and Garry Brown (The Massive)

*Free limited-edition 11" x 17" print of The Massive 3-in-1 cover and The Massive #7 for first 50 people in line.

11:00 a.m.                        Tyler Crook (B.P.R.D.)

12:00 p.m.                        Christos Gage (Angel & Faith)

12:00 p.m.                        David Walker (Number 13)

1:30 p.m.                        Brian Wood (Star Wars)

1:30 p.m.                        Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko (Star Wars: Legacy)

2:00 p.m.                        Randy Stradley (Star Wars: Dark Times)

3:00 p.m.                        Jeff Parker and Erika Moen (Bucko)

Panel:

STAR WARS IN COMICS!, Hall B (608-610), 12:10 p.m.–1:05 p.m.

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Sadly, this announcement isn't the worse news we've heard from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles front, can me even call them that since they're not teenagers, or mutants? But it looks like Megan Fox and Michael Bay will be teaming up again.

For a while, it seemed as though the only news about the proposed new take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was about as welcome as someone pooping into their sewer living room. Fans were up in arms about proposed changes to the mythology, the writers kept changing and then it was delayed for yet more script work. Today, however, there was a much more surprising announcement: Megan Fox is on board.

“But!” we hear you cry, “good burghers of Empire! How can that be? Didn’t Fox and Bay have a huge falling out after Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen? With insults hurled back and forth?!” All of that is true, and please don’t call us burghers. It sounds rude.

Time, apparently, has healed the rift and Michael Bay Bay broke the news on his website with a basic announcement. “TMNT: we are bringing Megan Fox back into the family!”

The Hollywood Reporter has tapped its sources and discovered that Bay and his former Transformers leading lady reconciled over several meetings, and that Turtles director Jonathan Liebesman won her over with storyboards and descriptions of the film, which will blend humans such as Fox (playing roving reporter and Turtle pal April O’Neil) with motion-captured heroes in a half shell.

They’re still looking to return to our screens on May 16, 2014, so it would appear that everything is up and running again. We can’t help but think that Fox might not be seen as the ideal choice by many fans, however…

Source-Empire

BARRY JOSEPHSON TO PRODUCE

DAN GILROY’S SCRIPT OF STAN LEE’S SUPERHERO FILM ANNIHILATOR

Los Angeles, CA (Feb. 21, 2013) - Prolific film & television producer Barry Josephson (ENCHANTED, BONES) has signed on with Magic Storm Entertainment to produce the legendary Stan Lee's creation ANNIHILATOR.  The film script has been penned by Dan Gilroy (BOURNE LEGACY/REAL STEEL).

ANNIHILATOR tells the story of a young Chinese expatriate, Ming, who must choose between remaining in prison or enlist in a secret US super soldier program.  The program uses targeted genetic enhancements from various animal species.  Ming chooses to undergo this nearly fatal procedure and through his extreme resolve, gained as a result of his family’s tradition of practicing Qijong and martial arts, he survives. Now, armed with remarkable abilities, he must confront a former rival with his own set of enhanced faculties. Our reluctant hero is forced not only to face his personal demons, but also to defeat the villain who will destroy everything that he knows and loves.

“Barry is the perfect partner at every level to produce a film of this magnitude that targets a global market, including mainland China.” said Eric Mika, CEO of Magic Storm Entertainment. “Barry’s talents combined with Dan Gilroy’s explosive script makes Stan Lee’s treatment extremely powerful and a cornerstone for a unique franchise. " 

Also producing is Douglas Falconer. Doug’s recent credits include THE WARRIOR'S WAY starring Kate Bosworth and Jeffrey Rush and HEAVEN'S RAIN starring Mike Vogel.  Doug is currently producing the biopic film chronicling the life of Wall Street legend Reginald Lewis, WHY SHOULD WHITE GUYS HAVE ALL THE FUN starring Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, THE MAGICIAN, THE MARLIN BRISCOE STORY, screenplay by Gregory Howard (ALI, REMEMBER THE TITANS), LAST DAYS HERE starring Kim Coates (OPEN RANGE, BLACK HAWK DOWN), and 500, a screenplay by Angelo Pizzo (RUDY, HOOSIERS).  "Doug brings a unique business perspective to this film and understands the global brand value", says Eric Mika CEO of Magic Storm Entertainment.

Yang Buting, Chairman of China State run National Film Capital, NFC, who In July 2012 inked a Co-Production/Co-Finance agreement with Magic Storm Entertainment, commented, “We are delighted to have Barry Josephson as our Producer for the ANNIHILATOR.  He will create a genuine co-production that will have both a global appeal and perform well with audiences in China.  We are very pleased to have Barry and Doug join this major co-production.”  "National Film Capital will draw on an initial $422 million raised by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and other partners."

“One of my dreams when I became a producer was to work with Stan Lee. Now with Dan Gilroy's magnificent script, that dream will become a reality “ said Barry Josephson.

Josephson has over 30 years in the industry, during which he was the president of Worldwide Productions at Sony Columbia Pictures and has been an independent producer at Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, and Universal Pictures. As a studio executive, some of the films Josephson developed were MEN IN BLACK, AIR FORCE ONE, IN THE LINE OF FIRE, THE FIFTH ELEMENT, BAD BOYS, THE PEOPLE VS LARRY FLYNT, and THE PROFESSIONAL. During those years he worked with international superstars such as Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. As a producer Josephson has produced the hit family film ENCHANTED, which has grossed over 350 million at the worldwide box office. Among his many other credits are HIDE & SEEK (Robert DeNiro), THE LADYKILLERS (Tom Hanks), LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (Katherine Heigl), WILD WILD WEST (Will Smith), and the long running international hit FOX television series BONES.

POW!’s Stan Lee commented “Connecting with my fans in China and worldwide has always been incredibly important to me and so I am beyond thrilled that I get the chance to create such a fascinating and powerful Chinese superhero with the ANNIHIILATOR, in partnership with Magic Storm Entertainment and Barry Josephson. Dan's story and character is unlike anything I have developed before, so I wait with intrigue as we begin to reveal more details about the ANNIHIILATOR franchise and to hear what audiences think as they immerse themselves into his world through the film. We are thrilled to welcome Barry Josephson on board to produce the film."

James Thoma of Stradling is providing legal services for the project.

Magic Storm Entertainment, www.magicstormentertainment.com

is a global joint venture film financing entity formed by Eric Mika in 2010.  It is a joint partnership between Stan Lee’s Pow! Entertainment, RiccoCapital (Holdings), and Fidelis Entertainment.  Magic Storm's primary focus is to develop globally appealing Hollywood branded Stan Lee film franchises that have a unique brand and consumer appeal to audiences throughout the world and China.

DARK HORSE DELUXE PARTNERS WITH TOY2R TO DISTRIBUTE LIMITED EDITION HELLBOY MINI-QEE VINYL TOYS!

MILWAUKIE, OR–At this year’s International Toy Fair, Dark Horse revealed what is sure to be one of the year’s most-talked-about toy releases! Hong Kong’s innovative designer-toy company Toy2R will produce a new range of 5” vinyl figures in their popular “Mini-Qee” format, putting their unique design spin on Mike Mignola’s popular Hellboy character. 

Mike Mignola’s Hellboy has emerged as one of the classic comic book characters of the modern day, spawning a successful series of graphic novels, motion pictures, animation, interactive games, and toy lines. Excitement around this character is at an all-time high, as Mignola takes him back to whence he came in the smash-hit series Hellboy in Hell, currently in its third issue.

Raymond Choy’s Toy2R is recognized as being among the first companies to explore the potential of the designer/art toy movement since their arrival in 1995. Choy managed to turn his passion for collectible toys into an internationally known company, which today continues to push the boundaries of product design, art, and graphics.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be involved in this program,” Dark Horse Product Development head David Scroggy said. “We have worked with Toy2R for many years, and to see their fun take on Hellboy is a thrill. These vinyl figures will be in very tight edition quantities, so we expect a quick sellout of most of the variants.”

Toy2R’s trademark Qee format gives Hellboy a new look, altering his appearance in several ways, all of which were personally approved by Mignola. The results have already gotten comics fans and toy collectors alike talking, after they were revealed on Tomopop last week. All three were  on display at the Dark Horse exhibit booth at this year’s Toy Fair at the Jacob Javits Center.

Dark Horse Comics is the exclusive North American distributor of the Hellboy Mini-Qee line and will handle sales to the specialty market in Europe and other territories. Toy2R will be the exclusive sales entity to Asian territories.

Slated for release in July 2013, the figures will be produced in various limited edition sizes, all with a retail price of $19.99.

STEPHANIE THORPE Takes ELFQUEST

 Over The Rainbow

at Emerald City Comic Con 2013

Los Angeles, CA – Geek Icon STEPHANIE THORPE to moderate panel celebrating 35^th Anniversary of legendary comic series “ElfQuest” at the Emerald City Comic Con 2013 on Saturday, March 2, 2013.

Joined by creators Wendy and Richard Pini, you’re invited to share in an examination of all things “ElfQuest”: past, present and an exciting look ahead at what the future holds for this beloved series.

Recently announced on the front page of Variety, Thorpe and producing partner Paula Rhodes acquired the film/TV rights to the ElfQuest franchise. As one of the driving forces behind the award-winning cyber-phenom “ElfQuest: A Fan Imagining”, Thorpe will bring her unique perspective to the lively discussion. This short live-action production has had over 300,000 views since its debut, earning numerous awards and accolades from film festivals, conventions and the media with over 100 articles and interviews to date.

Thorpe comments, "I think ElfQuest resonates with fans on so many levels. Wendy and Richard Pini are really incredible visionaries and the art is absolutely beautiful. People are also really attracted to the grand adventures that Cutter and his tribe go on, and despite being elves, these conflicts make for very human stories."

Her acting & producing work continues in returning series “Shelf Life” (www.shelflifeseries.com), which has completed 4 seasons of 40 episodes, and was featured at Comic-Con 2012 and at Social Media Week in LA.

And coming soon, Thorpe creates and stars in the new series “Slumber Con.” Touted as ‘The View...for nerds’, Thorpe and fellow geek girl Jennifer Landa host slumber party-style chats about the latest in nerd news, entertainment, crafts, food & style (www.slumbercon.com). Thorpe is also one of the writers, directors, producers & actors in the new comedy series “The Ladies & The Gents," exploring the shenanigans during ‘One night, One club, Two restrooms’ (theladiesandthegents.com), which will premiere in mid-March 2013.

A growing presence in the New Media scene, Thorpe is in demand as an expert panelist & speaker, a host and presenter, a writer & producer, content creator, actress and director. She speaks at events around the country, appearing on such panels as Geek Girls Create at WonderCon 2012 and The Most Dangerous Women at Comic-Con at SDCC 2012. She was honored to speak on 3 panels at Comic-Con 2012 and GeekGirlCon 2012; and she appeared on 2 panels at Stan Lee's Comikaze in September 2012, with her hit series “Shelf Life” featuring at Social Media Week in LA. Thorpe has been nominated twice to the Board of Directors for IAWTV, hosted 4 events for the non-profit organization Celebrate the Web and is a founding member of The League of Extraordinary Ladies.

Where:

Emerald City Comic Con 2013 – Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, WA

Panel:

“ElfQuest: 35 Years and Beyond!”

When:

Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 11am in Panel Room 3AB.

For Information About STEPHANIE THORPE visit:

www.TheStephanieThorpe.com

Follow Her on Twitter @thestephthorpe