Something to Muse About: Mike Richardson

Dark Horse Comics and Dynamics Inc. To Reveal Two Exclusive Comic Book Series For Next-Generation ePlate Credit Card At New York Comic Con
Limited Number of Special Edition Prototype ePlate™ Devices To Be Distributed At An Exclusive Event

October 9, New York – Dark Horse Comics will reveal two new exclusive comic book series for the ePlate™ payment device at New York Comic Con.

The Dark Horse experience™ application is a payments application for the new battery-powered ePlate™ credit card.

With every purchase, card carrying comics fans can earn exclusive issues of two new series of Dark Horse comics. The first exclusive series is Conan: The Phantoms of the Black Coast. The second exclusive series is a team-up of Dark Horse characters X, Ghost and Captain Midnight!

To celebrate, Dark Horse will be hosting a signing with Dark Horse president, Mike Richardson, as well as Ghost artist, Phil Noto, and Captain Midnight writer, Joshua Williamson at New York Comic Con on Friday October 12 at 10AM in booth #1528, and will distribute a limited number of special edition prototype, demonstration ePlate™ devices to attendees.

At any time, an ePlate™ user can select to use the Dark Horse experience™ application for the ePlate™ payment device. The Dark Horse application allows users to earn pages of exclusive Dark Horse comic books with each purchase. After all pages of a particular comic are obtained, the user is provided with a complete digital comic. After a certain number of digital comic books are collected, Dark Horse provides, at no cost to the user, a collectible print copy of each exclusive comic book earned, unavailable anywhere else!

“Dark Horse will not only introduce two new exclusive comic book series, this will also introduce a revolutionary new way to earn and experience comics” said Mike Richardson, president and founder of Dark Horse.

“Conan and the new team-up are an amazing set of properties to feature on the new ePlate™ platform,” said Jeff Mullen, CEO of Dynamics. “Consumers can now receive comics just by living their life – just by using their ePlate™ device to pay for meals, comic books, movie tickets, or any other everyday item.”

The ePlate™ payment device is subject to a credit approval.

About the Dynamics ePlate™ Payment Device

Dynamics' ePlate™ payment device is a paper-thin, flexible computing platform in a payment card format. The device includes the Electronic Stripe® -- the world's first fully card-programmable magnetic stripe. The Electronic Stripe® can be read at any existing point-of-sale (POS) magnetic stripe reader. The device includes two buttons – one for a first experience and one for a second experience. Based on which experience option was selected, the device changes the information on the Electronic Stripe™ to reflect the selected experience so the user can swipe the card in any store and enjoy the selected experience.

A user can change the experiences associated with the buttons on the ePlate™ device at any time. All a user has to do is use the Dynamics Experience Manager™ software through their favorite phone or accessible through their online banking account. The Experience Manager™ provides an ecosystem of experiences that can be assigned to the buttons on a user’s ePlate™ device.

The ePlate™ device is as durable as a traditional payment card and will last over three years on a single battery charge. The technology does not require any change to the 60 million 1970s-era magnetic stripe readers or reeducation of its merchant base.

About Dynamics Inc.

Dynamics Inc. was founded in 2007 by Jeff Mullen. Dynamics produces and manufactures intelligent powered payment cards and advanced payment platforms. The company has won many of the world's most prestigious international business plan competitions, including the Rice Business Plan Competition, Carnegie Mellon McGinnis Venture Competition and the University of San Francisco Business Plan Competition. The company won DEMOgod and the $1M People's Choice Award at DEMO Fall 2010, Best of Show at FinovateFall 2010, FinovateFall 2011, FinovateEurope 2012 and FinovateFall 2012, Best of Show at Cartes 2011, and Best of Show at BAI Retail Delivery 2011. Dynamics won Best in Show for Personal Electronics and Technology Honors at the 2012 International CES show. Dynamics investors include Adams Capital Management and Bain Capital Ventures. Dynamics is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. For more information, visit: www.dynamicsinc.com

About Dark Horse.

Since 1986, 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 like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, and comics legend Will Eisner, Dark Horse has developed such successful properties as The Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton, Trigun, 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 licensed comics material.

RICHARDSON & SAKAI TEAM UP FOR 47 RONIN!

APRIL 12, MILWAUKIE, OR–Dark Horse Comics is proud to announce a historical comic adaptation of the tale of the 47 ronin: A story of loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor.

Written by Dark Horse president Mike Richardson and drawn by multiple Eisner Award winner Stan Sakai, 47 Ronin tells the tale of a daimyo (feudal lord) who was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) and his samurai-turned-ronin who avenged his wrongful death.

“I’ve been fascinated with this story from the earliest days of Dark Horse, visiting the significant locations and doing research during my trips to Japan. For years I’ve been looking for just the right artist and it finally dawned on me that he was right here at Dark Horse,” said Mike Richardson. “Stan Sakai is a master storyteller who knows the material, and his artistic interpretation is perfect for the story. What’s more, my friend, legendary manga writer Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf and Cub), has served as editorial consultant for the project.”

47 Ronin marks the first time Stan Sakai has collaborated extensively with another writer. He promises stylized artwork in the vein of traditional Japanese woodblock prints—one of the most popular depictions of the 47 ronin.

“I have known the 47 Ronin story about all my life, and I paid a pilgrimage to their gravesite when I was in Japan in 2009. This is a significant event in Japanese history, and when Mike asked me to illustrate the story I jumped at the chance. I’m known for the research I do, but I was amazed at the research and knowledge Mike already had. I’m having a blast with this,” said Stan Sakai.

47 Ronin will be on comic stands November 2012. Watch solicitations for more details!

About Dark Horse Comics

Since 1986, 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 like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and best-selling prose author Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and the Occultist. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan the Barbarian, Mass Effect, Serenity, and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry’s leading publisher of licensed material.