Well, gang, I think this is the end of Independent Propaganda.

I can’t keep it up anymore. The posts alone take an hour or more every single day. I am still paying for the site out of my own pocket, which is incredibly tough right now. There is no revenue. There are no new writers. I really don’t know if there are any readers.

 I wish I could keep it up. I really do. But I can’t.

 At the end of the month, IndependentPropaganda.com will cease.

I will be doing some reviews through my personal blog, The Butcher Shop, at http://mjb0123.blogspot.com but I just can’t continue the updates on IP.

 Thanks, everyone. And if you are out there, drop me a line at mjb0123@yahoo.com

Bye.

(Courtesy of Viz)

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES UNPRECEDENTED IN-PERSON APPEARANCES FOR JUNE 11

Character Designer Masashi Kudo And Producer Ken Hagino To Give Unique Insights On New Feature Film Based On Hit Animated Supernatural Action Series 

San Francisco, CA, June 2, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced a special event for its New York City movie event BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY on Wednesday, June 11 at the Regal Union Square Stadium 14 Theatre at 7:00pm. Theatre information follows at the end of this press release.  

VIZ Media will welcome rare in-person appearances by BLEACH Character Designer Masashi Kudo and Producer Ken Hagino, who will offer insights to the audience prior to the start of the film. A costumed version of the character KON from the movie will also be on-hand to welcome guests and pose for pictures. The first 100 attendees on June 11, at the Regal Union Square Stadium 14 location, will also receive a special BLEACH armband courtesy of Great Eastern Entertainment, Inc., a leading licensed manufacturer of animation and entertainment merchandise. 

Adapted from the wildly popular animated series and best-selling manga series (both distributed and published in North America by VIZ Media) by acclaimed Japanese artist Tite Kubo, BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY will make its North American debut in a special two-night theatre experience in 300 cities nationwide on June 11 and 12. The screening will also include an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the talent behind the characters as well as interviews with the Japanese Director, Noriyuki Abe, Producer Ken Hagino and Character Designer, Masashi Kudo. VIZ Media has partnered with NCM FATHOM, the entertainment division of National CineMedia, to present this epic action anime hit nationwide. For a complete list of theatre locations and prices, please visit the www.FathomEvents.com website (theatres are subject to change).  

BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY begins as unidentified beings known as “Blanks” start popping up. They are soon followed by a Soul Reaper named Senna who makes them disappear. Puzzled by these unknown beings and the even more mysterious girl, Ichigo and Rukia set out to learn more, but uncover an evil plot when a menacing clan tries to kidnap Senna. Banished from the Soul Society long ago, the clan’s leader has sent sending the World of the Living and the Soul Society on a collision course, and Senna seems to be the key to his diabolical plot for revenge. Can Ichigo and his fellow Soul Reapers save the two worlds from annihilation? 

“Anticipation is steadily building for this special movie event of BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY and we are very excited to welcome character designer Masashi Kudo and producer Ken Hagino for rare in-person appearances at the June 11 New York City screening,” says Liza Coppola, Sr. Vice President “This will be a unique opportunity to see one of the hottest animated supernatural action thrillers on the big screen and glean some insights straight from the creative forces behind the film.”                                                                                                          BLEACH is a tremendously successful multimedia property internationally. The manga series (rated ‘T’ for teens) has been licensed to more than a dozen countries, and has sold over 50 million copies in

 

Fans are encouraged to show up in their in their best BLEACH gear in support of this exciting movie. For more information on BLEACH and BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY please visit the official BLEACH website at bleach.viz.com or www.viz.com.  

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in

San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs and audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and web site at www.VIZ.com.

(Courtesy of Fantagraphics)

F.B.I. Informant: June 2, 2008

Dear Friends of Fantagraphics,In this edition of the F.B.I. Informant newsletter: • Now Available: FREE Exclusive Signed Bookplates! • Recent Fantagraphics Releases • Upcoming Arrivals Coming Soon (with previews!) • Upcoming Events: Jason! MoCCA! Ditko! Pin-Ups! • New Website Features Don’t forget, you can keep up with all of our latest releases, events, new website features and other hi-jinks on FLOG! The Fantagraphics Blog. If you use an RSS feed reader you can subscribe to the FLOG! feed to keep up to date with the latest posts: http://fantagraphics.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&Itemid=113&task=rss MONTHLY SPECIAL Actually, our newest special offer is ongoing as long as supplies last: we are pleased to announce that the FREE signed bookplates that we offered along with selected books in our last Ultimate Catalog are now available to customers on our website! Bookplates are available with over 50 of our most popular titles, from cartoonists like Peter Bagge, Charles Burns, Dan Clowes, Kim Deitch, the Brothers Hernandez, Tony Millionaire, Joe Sacco, Jim Woodring and many more! Click here for the complete selection! The bookplates are uniquely designed for each book, and each bookplate is printed on acid-free cardstock and hand-signed by the author. Note that you must select the option to include the signature plate before adding the item to your shopping cart. NOTE: Signature plates are VERY limited in quantity and available only WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. If the bookplate option displays for a particular book, signature plates are still available for that book as of the previous business day; however, in the event that we run out, signature plates will not be backordered. Bookplates are NOT available separately from their respective books. RECENT FANTAGRAPHICS RELEASES Rebel Visions: The Underground Comix Revolution 1963-1975 (New Softcover Edition) By Patrick Rosenkranz 292-page 9″ x 12″ color/b&w softcover • $34.99 USD Now available in a newly designed and affordable softcover edition! This is a provocative chronicle of the guerilla art movement that changed comics forever. This comprehensive book follows the movements of 50 artists from 1967 to 1972, the heyday of the underground comix movement. Through interviews with the participants and other materials, Rebel Visions is the most intimate look ever at the people and events that forged the phenomenon known as underground comix, from New York to San Francisco, from the corn belt to deep in the heart of Texas, beginning that day in 1968 when R. Crumb debuted ZAP #1 from a baby carriage on Haight Ashbury Street. Rosenkranz has spent over 30 years researching this book and acquiring the cooperation of every significant underground cartoonist who worked throughout this period, including Crumb, Gilbert (Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers) Shelton, Bill (Zippy) Griffith, Art (Maus) Spiegelman, Jack Jackson, S. Clay Wilson, Robert Williams, and many more. The book is illustrated with many never-before-seen drawings by all of the underground cartoonists and exclusive photographs. The book is centered in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district, where Crumb and the rest of his Zap cronies commingled with the rest of the city’s counter-cultural scene, notably musicians like the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin. The counterculture was omnipresent in San Francisco for those few years, with underground tabloids like Yellow Dog and the San Francisco Oracle steering the zeitgeist out-of-control, along with the music, political, and psychedelic drug scenes, all of which found a group of unlikely revolutionaries who drew cartoons right at the epicenter. This is the definitive book on a memorable and historic era, available for the first time in paperback in this newly designed, expanded and revised edition. Click here to read the Introduction in its entirety. Registered users, click here for a downloadable PDF preview of this book. Add to Cart • More Info Bottomless Belly Button By Dash Shaw 720-page 6″ x 8.5″ monochrome softcover • $29.99 USD Bottomless Belly Button is a comedy-drama that follows the dysfunctional adventures of the Loony Family. After 40-some years of marriage, Maggie and David Loony shock their children with their announcement of a planned divorce. But the reason for splitting isn’t itself shocking: they’re “just not in love any more.” The announcement sparks a week long Loony family reunion at Maggie and David’s creepy (and possibly haunted) beach house. The eldest child, Dennis, struggles with his parents’ decision while facing difficulties of his own in his recent marriage. Believing that his parents are hiding the true reasons behind their estrangement, Dennis embarks on a quest to discover the truth and searches through clues, trap doors, and secret tunnels in attempt to find an answer. Claire, the middle child, is a single mother whose 16-year-old daughter, Jill, is apathetic to the divorce but confounded by Claire and troubled by her own “mannish” appearance. The youngest child, Peter, is a hack filmmaker suffering from paralyzing insecurities who establishes an unorthodox romance with a mysterious day care counselor at the beach. In a six-day period rich with atmospheric sequences, these characters stumble blindly around one another, often ignoring their surroundings and consumed by their own daily conflicts. Visually, Shaw employs a leisurely storytelling pace that allows room for exploring the interconnecting relationships among the characters and plays to his strength as a cartoonist — small gestural details and nuanced expressions that bring the characters to vivid and intimate life. If the controversial R.D. Laing wrote an episode of The Simpsons, it might read something like Bottomless Belly Button. NOTE: This book is available with two different covers. When ordering, please indicate your preference for “Mom” or “Dad.” Registered users, click here for a downloadable PDF preview of this book. Add to Cart • More Info Comic Arf By various artists; edited and designed by Craig Yoe 120-page 9″ x 12″ color/b&w softcover • $19.99 USD Another great Arf book for 2008, and it features one of the greatest comickers of all: Milt Gross! The Gross-ness starts off with a stunning cover painting done in the 1930s but, as they say, ripped from today’s headlines. It’s all about immigration: Uncle Sam grinds up a sea of immigrants and out come… classic comic strip characters! Milt Gross drew a 1920s comic that left the last panel blank for aspiring cartoonists. Editor Craig Yoe drafted a who’s who of contemporary cartoonists to complete Gross’s unfinished masterpieces. Art Spiegelman, Seymour Chwast, Patrick McDonnell, Mort Walker, R. Crumb, Bil Keane, Johnny Ryan, Jaime Hernandez, Mike Mignola, Bill Griffith, Kaz, Gene Deitch, Joost Swarte and a dozen more cartooning celebrities contribute art especially done for this Arf Happening! The Arf books are famed for unearthing unknown Old Skool cartoonist geniuses. Comic Arf showcases the brilliant Dudley Fisher who amazingly drew crowded scenes all from a bird’s eye view. And Arch Dale is another unsung genius getting his due with his Smurfs-meet-Dr. Seuss characters, the Doo-Dads, who populated Canadian comic strips 75 years ago. Arf also highlights unusual work from recognized masters. Walt Kelly, famed for his Pogo strip, did a surreal nightmarish strip for children presented in all its glory in this latest Arf tome. Amongst all this fun, Comic Arf is also proud to present a hard-hitting chapter this volume entitled “The 15 Most Powerful Anti-War Cartoons of History,” drawing from every major conflict of the last 200 years. All this and much more, from 1950s devilish horror comics to cartoonist portraits by Gary Panter and Mitch O’Connell. Registered users, click here for a downloadable PDF preview of this book. Add to Cart • More Info Explainers: The Complete Village Voice Strips (1956-1966) By Jules Feiffer 568-page 9.25″ x 5.25″ black & white hardcover • $28.95 USD In 1956, a relatively unknown cartoonist by the name of Jules Feiffer started contributing a strip to the only alternative weekly published in the US, a small radical newspaper called The Village Voice. His strip tackled just about every issue, private and public, that affected the sentient American: relationships, sexuality, love, family, parents, children, psychoanalysis, neuroses, presidents, politicians, media, race, class, labor, religiion, foreign policy, war, and one or two other existential questions. It was the first time that the American public had been subjected to a weekly dose of comics that so uncompromisingly and wittily confronted individuals’ private fears and society’s public transgressions. Explainers is the first of four volumes collecting Feiffer’s entire run of weekly strips from The Village Voice. This edition contains approximately 500 strips originally published between 1956 and 1966 in a brick-like landscape hardcover format. Click here to read Gary Groth’s introduction in its entirety, with a preview slideshow of 11 strips selected by Groth. Registered users, click here for a downloadable PDF preview of this book. Add to Cart • More Info More recent releases UPCOMING ARRIVALS COMING SOON Angry Youth Comix Vol. 2 #14 By Johnny Ryan 24-page 6.75″ x 10.25″ black & white comic book • $3.50 USD In this issue Boobs Pooter reveals THE WORLDS FUNNIEST JOKE! Add to Cart • More Info Hank Ketcham’s Complete Dennis the Menace 1951-1952 (Softcover Edition) By Hank Ketcham 624-page 5.125″ x 6″ black & white softcover • $18.99 USD The first volume of Hank Ketcham’s Complete Dennis the Menace, collecting every single panel strip from 1951 and 1952, is now available in this handsome and affordable softcover edition. Dennis the Menace began on March 14, 1951 (four months after Ketcham’s friend and colleague Charles Schulz started his own historic comic strip). He went on to become the second most popular cartoon kid in the world — after Charlie Brown, of course. Dennis the Menace first appeared in 16 American newspapers; by the end of 1951, he was appearing in over a hundred. The reason for Dennis‘ success is easy to figure out: It was one of the most brilliantly observed and empathetic comic strips about childhood ever drawn. Ketcham captured the mischievousness, rambunctiousness, and anarchy of a kid’s world better than any other cartoonist. The strip appeals to both parents and children — while parents shake their heads ruefully at how accurately Ketcham caught the essence of children’s natural zest for mayhem, children identify with Dennis and the chaos that he leaves in his wake — just a hop, skip, and a jump away from their own fantasy of themselves! Ketcham was a cartoonist with a vivacious line that was exquisitely suited to depicting adults and children. His gags were funny, subtle and touching. Ketcham drew Dennis the Menace from 1951 to 1994, when he retired and let his assistant take over the strip. Click here to read Brian Walker’s introduction to this book. Add to Cart • More Info Pocket Full of Rain and Other Stories By Jason 160-page 7″ x 10″ b&w/color softcover • $19.99 USD This multifaceted anthology collects over 25 stories from the first decade of Jason’s career, including his remarkable calling card, the novella-length thriller “Pocket Full of Rain,” which has never before been published in English. Like a number of his initial stories, “Pocket” is actually drawn with realistic human beings instead of blank-faced animal characters — a true revelation for Jason fans. In fact, this book showcases three distinct styles: his earliest “realistic” drawing style (used to unsettling effect in some particularly creepy stories), an intermediate “bighead” cartoony style that still features humans (used for both humor and drama), and the “funny-animal” style he’s now best known for. The book reveals a young cartoonist experimenting with styles, working through his obsessions (love, loneliness, film, Hemingway) and paying tribute to his cartooning heroes (Wolverton, Moebius, Pratt). Also, croquet-playing nuns, sentient cacti, autobiographical drunken escapades, lists of people who deserve to die, and a color gallery featuring God cheating at Trivial Pursuit. Click here to read James Sturm’s introduction in its entirety. Registered users, click here for a downloadable PDF preview of this book. Add to Cart • More Info Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko By Blake Bell 216-page 9″ x 12″ full-color hardcover • $39.99 USD Steve Ditko is best known as the co-creator, with Stan Lee, of Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and other classic Marvel and DC characters. But, in the context of Steve Ditko’s 50-year career in comics, his creative involvement with Spider-Man is merely the tip of the iceberg. Strange & Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko is a coffee table art book tracing Ditko’s life and career, his unparalleled stylistic innovations, and his strict adherence to his philosophical principles, with lush displays of obscure and popular art from the thousands of pages of comics he’s drawn over the last 55 years. Click here to read the Introduction in its entirety. Registered users, click here for a downloadable PDF preview of this book. Add to Cart • More Info The Number 73304-23-4153-6-96-8 By Thomas Ott 104-page 6.25″ x 10″ black & white hardcover • $28.95 USD Swiss horror master Thomas Ott returns with the first full-length graphic novel of his career. When clearing up the cell of a prisoner who has been sentenced to death and subsequently executed, a prison guard finds a small piece of paper with a combination of numbers on it. On the spur of the moment, he puts it into his pocket. As the guard lives a solitary, monotonous life, the numbers on the paper awake his curiosity. To find out their hidden meaning could add a new meaning to his life as well, so the guard stumbles into situations in which the number or part of it seem to achieve a certain importance and offer him hints and possible solutions. And the numbers signal a radical change in his luck. He gets to know a woman, falls in love with her, and one night, in a casino, he wins a huge amount of money when gambling on these numbers. But the next morning, the woman and money have disappeared. The man goes in search of the woman and the money. But from that day on, his luck changes and the numbers bring him only bad luck, sending him inexorably into an abyss that he might not recover from. Thomas Ott’s O. Henry-esque plot twists will delight fans of classic horror like The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt, or modern masters like filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan; his hallucinatory, hyper-detailed scratchboard illustrations will haunt you long after you’ve put the book down. Registered users, click here for a downloadable PDF preview of this book. Add to Cart • More Info More upcoming releases UPCOMING EVENTS FANTAGRAPHICS AT THE 2008 MOCCA ART FESTIVAL WITH SPECIAL EVENTS FEATURING JASON AND THE WORLD OF STEVE DITKO!   On June 7 & 8, Fantagraphics will be in NYC for the 2008 MoCCA Art Festival, one of our favorite shows of the year, and we’ll be bringing along a slew of new stuff and hosting round-the-clock signings. We’re also sponsoring two events over the weekend, on Friday and Saturday nights. Here’s your handy-dandy guide to all things Fantagraphics at MoCCA. First up, you’ll want to head out to Cobble Hill in Brooklyn on Friday night to pick up your MoCCA badges early at our very special Rocketship party, featuring an exhibition of original art and the debut of the new book, POCKET FULL OF RAIN, by the great JASON (see above). On Saturday night, we’re co-hosting with Jim Hanley’s Universe a special event celebrating the work of comic book legend STEVE DITKO and premiering our new book, STRANGE & STRANGER: THE WORLD OF STEVE DITKO (see above). Click here for the complete signing schedule and more information! FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKSTORE PRESENTS AN EXHIBIT OF CLASSIC PIN-UP ART Stay tuned for an announcement of our next great event at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery: an exhibit of original mid-century pin-up cartoon art, curated by Alex Chun, editor of our series of Humorama digest pin-up art books! The opening will be the last weekend in June, exact date and time TBA. Click here for our full listing of upcoming events in Seattle and elsewhere. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery 1201 South Vale Street (at Airport Way S.) Seattle, WA 98108 Mon. - Sat 11:30 - 8 Sun 11:30 - 5 206-658-0110 NEW WEBSITE FEATURES We’re adding great new content to our website all the time. Here are a few highlights from the past month: • Brian Walker’s introduction to Hank Ketcham’s Complete Dennis the Menace 1951-1952, excerpted in its entirety • James Sturm’s introduction to Jason’s Pocket Full of Rain and Other Stories, excerpted in its entirety • Rebel Visions - Multimedia Features: Audio and video related to the comprehensive book of Underground Comix history • Weirdos: Seattle’s Alternative Comics Culture in the Context of R. Crumb’s Underground: An interactive slideshow, with audio, from Larry Reid’s slide lecture at the Frye Art Museum on April 17, 2008 Click here for more recent additions!

(Courtesy of Top Cow)

Witchblade #118
(W) Ron Marz                  (A) Stjepan Sejic         (Cov) Stjepan Sejic
 
More than any other man, Kenneth Irons was the ultimate adversary for Witchblade wielder Sara Pezzini. But even though Irons is dead and buried, his reach may stretch beyond the grave. Sara’s past comes back to haunt both her and Dani, as the creative team of Ron Marz (Green Lantern, Samurai: Heaven and Earth) and Stjepan Sejic (First Born) race toward the climax of their first storyline.
 
Full Color      32 pages        $2.99       Continuing Series

Witchblade #118 goes on sale June 4. Also on sale June 4 are two highly anticipated collections:

Witchblade Volume 4 Trade Paperback
(W) Ron Marz        (A) Adriana Melo, Stjepan Sejic, and Sami Basri     (Cov) Stjepan Sejic
 
Following the stunning revelation of her mysterious pregnancy, NYPD Sara Pezzini decides to abdicate the Witchblade to a new bearer. Ron Marz (First Born) and artists Adriana Melo (Ms. Marvel), Stjepan Sejic (Pilot Season: The Angelus), and Sami Basri (JLA Classified) introduce young dancer Danielle Baptiste and change the face of WItchblade forever! This beautiful collection comes wrapped up in a brand-new painted cover by Sejic! Collects Witchblade #101-109.

Full Color      226 pages       $17.99      Trade Paperback

Pilot Season 2007 Trade Paperback
(W) Jason Aaron, Joe Casey, Ian Edginton, Joshua Hale Fialkov, and Joshua Ortega   (A) Jorge Lucas, Kevin Maguire, Rick Mays, Jonboy Meyers, and Stjepan Sejic  (Cov) Kenneth Rocafort
 
Now that the voting is over and the two winners of Pilot Season 2007 have been announced, here’s your chance to take another look at all the candidates in one neat collection! This star-studded volume features original stories and art by a cool mix of fresh newcomers and seasoned veterans, including Ian Edginton (Judge Dredd), Stjepan Sejic (First Born), Joshua Hale Fialkov (Elk’s Run), Rick Mays (Ultimate Marvel Team-Up), Joshua Ortega (Spider-Man Unlimited), Jonboy Meyers (Ninja Scroll), Jason Aaron (Wolverine), Jorge Lucas (The Incredible Hulk), Joe Casey (Uncanny X-Men) and Kevin Maguire (JLA Classified).

Collects Pilot Season #1 issues of The Angelus, Cyblade, The Necromancer, Ripclaw and Velocity. Features an original cover by Madame Mirage artist Kenneth Rocafort.

Full Color      144 pages       $14.99      Trade Paperback

(Courtesy of AAM Markosia)

AAM Markosia launches Web Comic division

AAM Markosia, publisher of King Kong, Starship Troopers, and the upcoming N-Guard, announces its new Web Comic division. Two debut properties, ‘Baby Boomers’ by writer Richard McCauliffe and artist Chad Cicconi, and ‘Digging For Apples’ by Donna Stewart, are available to view for free. 

“I am extremely excited by these two new properties,” says publisher Harry Markos. “They are in complete contrast to anything we’ve ever done before. ‘Baby Boomers’ is hilarious, I can only describe it as ‘two babies beating the crap out of each other when their parents aren’t looking!’ ‘Digging For Apples’ is our first foray into Manga — something I have been keen to explore for a while now. Donna Stewart has come up with an amazing story drawn in that style, but in full and lush color.”

Both titles will be published once their run on the site has concluded. In addition, the company will be featuring Starship Troopers segments. More titles will be added on a continued basis, with the goal being to have a new web comic appear everyday.

Please visit www.markosia.com for more details.

(Courtesy of Ambrosia Publishing)

(Courtesy of Boom!)

LATE BREAKING NEWS:

This June 4th BOOM! Studios debuts its new horror-comedy mini-series SCREAM QUEEN. Written by Brendan Hay with art by Nate Watson, it’s the tale of a murderous lunatic who is about to kill his next teenager, but instead falls head over heels in love with her. To celebrate the release, SCREAM QUEEN writer Brendan Hay from THE DAILY SHOW, THE COLBERT REPORT, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, THE SIMPSONS & FRANK TV will be signing at MELTDOWN from 8PM to ????.

Free Beer! (While Supplies last!)

Where: Meltdown Comics & Collectibles 7522 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90046 (323) 851-7283

When: June 4th, 8PM to ????

(Courtesy of Red 5 Comics)

Shipping August 2008 from Red 5:

Atomic Robo Vol 2 #1 (JUN084181)
ATOMIC ROBO is back! And this time, it’s war — THE DOGS OF WAR! June, 1943: Nazi super mechs threaten to halt the Allied Invasion of Sicily before it even begins and only ATOMIC ROBO can stop them. But does he stand a chance against Hitler’s personal commando, Otto Skorzeny? And what connection does HELSINGARD have to these new weapons?

32 pages, $2.95, 2008-08-13

Neozoic #6 (JUN084182)
Lilli and Pax escape the dinosaur hoard into an ancient village at the tops of the trees where they find a clue to unlocking the mystery of the little girl and the reptile attacks. Meanwhile, the scattered Predator Defense League looks to find allies in their fight against the Talpid occupation.

32 pages, $2.95, 2008-08-27

(Courtesy of Radical Comics)

John Bolton and Tomm Coker get Radical for July

May 30^th, 2008, LOS ANGELES – For issue #3 of Hercules and Caliber solicited for July 2008 in Diamond’s May Previews, Radical wanted to assign one special artist to each of the covers. After searching for the perfect fit, Radical Publishing is proud to announce that award winning British artist John Bolton is providing a cover for Hercules: The Thracian Wars #3 and director/writer/artist Tomm Coker is providing one for Caliber: First Canon of Justice #3.

“Getting John Bolton and Tomm Coker respectively for Hercules and Caliber couldn’t have been a better choice.” stated Barry Levine, Radical Publishing’s President and Publisher. “John knows a thing about a character such as Hercules, having done Robert E. Howard’s Kull the Barbarian for Marvel years ago, as well as his Marada, the She-Wolf he co-created with Chris Claremont.  I really love how he brings across the glory of battle in this one scene. Tomm’s cover for Caliber is just beautiful. With Arthur on the run in the Telacoma winter countryside for issue #3, this cover brings an iconic look to Lance that fits Sam Sarkar’s story.”

Tomm Coker adds, “Creating the Caliber cover was a real challenge — trying to envision a character as classic and recognizable as Lancelot in a completely different time and world — I can’t wait to see where the rest of the story leads.”

Hercules: The Thracian Wars #3 (DCD# MAY084083) is featured in May 2008 Diamond Previews catalogue and will ship in July of this year. Hercules: The Thracian Wars #3 will ship with two covers, one by John Bolton for cover A and one by Svetlin Velinov of Imaginary Friends Studios for cover B. Cover A will ship in 3:1 ratio to cover B.  

Caliber: First Canon of Justice #3 (DCD# MAY084082) is featured in May 2008 Diamond Previews catalogue and will ship in July of this year. Caliber: First Canon of Justice #3 will ship with two covers, one by Tomm Coker for cover A and one by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau of Imaginary Friends Studios for cover B. Cover A will ship in 3:1 ratio to cover B.  

About Radical Publishing

Radical Publishing is founded by BARRY LEVINE (Producer for Rogue Pictures’ BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, Executive Producer for the in development Warner Brothers’ REX MUNDI movie, written by JIM UHLS, starring JOHNNY DEPP and Universal Pictures’ R.I.P.D), his protégé JESSE BERGER, and longtime writer/publisher DAVID ELLIOTT (Atomeka Press and Tundra Publishing).

Radical Publishing is bringing the best in writing, storytelling and fully-painted cover and interior artwork to the global comic book market by prominent international talents such as YOSHITAKA AMANO, JOHN BOLTON, LUIS ROYO, JIM STERANKO, STEVE NILES, IAN EDGINTON, STEVE MOORE, SAM SARKAR, STJEPAN SEJIC, DAVE WILKINS, STEVE PUGH, JAMES HEFFRON, TOMM COKER, CLAYTON CRAIN, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, WETA WORKSHOP, IMAGINARY FRIENDS STUDIOS, and many more.

www.radicalcomics.com 

(Courtesy of Heroic Publishing)

COMICS’ GLITTERING GODDESS OF LIGHT RETURNS IN AN ALL-NEW ELECTRONIC EDITION OF FLARE #37! The first new issue of FLARE in more than a year is now available for downloading in electronic format exclusively from Wowio.com. FLARE #37 features the new twenty-page Flare adventure, “The Secrets of Lady Arcane,” written by Dennis Mallonee, with artwork by Dick Giordano and Mark Beachum. This story featuring a guest appearance by Doctor Arcane, and sets the stage for next year’s long-awaited return of Lady Arcane by revealing for the first time how Lady A and Flare first met. This issue also features an all-new seven-page story, “A Tale of Malice,” by Wilson Hill and Franco Urru, starring Dark Malice and the original Giant.

FLARE #37 and many other Heroic Publishing titles are being made available in electronic format well in advance of publication. This advance edition of FLARE #37 can be downloaded absolutely free from Wowio.com at http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=4596.

FLARE™, LADY ARCANE™, DOCTOR ARCANE™, GIANT™, and DARK MALICE™ are trademarks of Heroic Publishing, Inc.

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 magazines are distributed by Diamond Comics Distributors.

Retailers interested in stocking back issues of classic Heroic Publishing titles may want to register on the Heroic Publishing website at www.heroicpub.com/retailer and take advantage of Heroic’s back issue services.