2013 Shelf Dorf awards handed out at FanFare

DEARBORN — Anyone that has attended a comic convention owes a debt of gratitude to the late Shel Dorf.
He helped to found and run one of the earliest conventions in the country, the Detroit Triple Fan Fare, and later moved to San Diego where he founded what has become the largest pop culture convention in the world, San Diego Comic Con International.
Shortly after his passing in November 2009, the Detroit FanFare was founded, and with it came an awards ceremony that honors the best in comics each year. Each year the Shel Dorf Awards are handed out in honor of the man, and what he represented to the world — greatness in comics.
Three special awards were presented, The Shel Dorf Torch Bearer's Award went to Jeff Smith for, “preserving the flame of the spirit of comics and carrying the torch forward in the comic industry."
The Jerry Bails Comic Book Fandom award went to Craig Yoe for “excellence in the pursuit of the essence of comic fandom.” Finally the Shel Dorf: Legacy of Comics award went to Steve Geppi for “shaping the industry through a lifetime of innovation and work.”
Below are the 2013 award winners and the other nominees in each category. The winners are marked with an asterisk.

Writer of the Year:
Brian K. Vaughn *
Robert Kirkman
Dan Slott
Scott Snyder
Mark Waid
Robert Kirkman

Penciler of the Year:
Fiona Staples *
David Aja
Greg Capullo
Jim Lee
Ryan Stegman

Inker of the Year:
Bill Sienkiewicz *
Jonathan Glapion
Mark Morales
Scott Williams

Colorist of the Year:
Fiona Staples *
Laura Allred
Brandon Graham
Nei Ruffino
Dave Stewart

Editor of the Year:
Steve Wacker *
Scott Allie
Raven Gregory
Chad Lambert
Craig Yoe

Cover Artist of the Year:
Alex Ross *
David Aja
Francesco Francavilla
J.H. Williams III
Scottie Young

Letterer of the Year:
Chris Eliopoulos *
Joe Caramagna
Todd Klein
Jaymes Reed
Chris Ware

Mini Series of the Year:
Five Ghosts *
47 Ronin
Age of Ultron
Godzilla
Star Trek The Next Generation: Hive

Original Graphic Novel of the Year:
District Comics: An Unconventional History of Washington DC *
Arsenic Lullaby - The Big Stall
Building Stories
Parker: The Score
God Hates Astronauts

Web Comic of the Year:
Battlepug *
Adventures of Dr McNinja
Girl Genius
Penny Arcade
Questionable Content

Syndicated Print Strip of the Year:
Beardo *
Dilbert
Funky Winkerbean
Pearls Before Swine
Pickles

Comic To Multi-Media Adaption of the Year:
The Walking Dead *
Arrow
Injustice: Gods Among Us
Iron Man 3
Man of Steel

Comic Blogger of the Year:
Decapitated Dan *
Heidi MacDonald
Rich Johnston
Robot 6
Tom Spurgeon

Continuing Series of the Year:
The Walking Dead *
Batman
Daredevil
Hawkeye
Saga
Superior Spider-Man

Self Published Comic of the Year:
Touching Evil *
Aw Yeah Comics
Demeter
Rachel Rising
Rainbow In The Dark

Kids' Comic of the Year:
Adventure Time *
Bodie Troll
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Princeless
Sonic The Hedgehog

My Little Pony Micro Fun Packs ship today

IDW Publishing is offering a new product, My Little Pony Micro Fun Packs, designed specifically for sale in proximity to trading card products.  Packed in cello, each pack will contain one Micro-Comic (3.75" x 5.75") with the cover visible through the packaging, plus one each of 16 sticker sheets, one of 16 posters, and one of 16 removable tattoos, all randomly inserted and blind packed.  MSRP is a reasonable $2.99. 

The pages are smaller versions of pages from the My Little Pony comics, relettered in some cases to make the smaller size more readable, according to IDW CEO Ted Adams. 

"We’ve had huge pre-orders, which way exceeded our expectations," Adams said of the company’s orders from mass merchants.  "Everyone we’ve shown it to has responded in a big way.  We’re very optimistic about it."  Initial orders from the mass channel were over 100,000, Adams said.   

My Little Pony Micro Fun Packs will ship today.

It’s an auspicious time to be trying to get new products into the trading card sections of mass merchants; the sports card business is weak, freeing up in-store real estate.

PHOTOS: Images from fourth annual Detroit FanFare

Angus Oblong

These are just a few of the photos I shot. The rest are available in a slideshow format at the link. I'll also be posting at least one, possibly more stories out of the convention.

Thanks for checking out my work.

How cute is this?

Bender

Dave Santia

Scarlett Witch and Green Lantern

Keith Pollard

Josh Blaylock and "Merci Sparx"

Dave Dorman, left, and John "Ben" Davis

Cosplay group

Sarah Michelle

North Carolina City works with youths to make comic book

While checking out what comic shops I'd stop into while I'm on vacation at the end of November, I ran across the following information on the Chapel Hill's website. Very cool. I wish some communities around here would do something similar. I'll definitely be trying to check out this book when it's done.

The 2013 Community Arts Project: Comics Speak

In collaboration with the NC Dream Team and The Ella Baker Women's Center for Leadership and Community Activism, local visual artist Luis Franco and poet and writer Kane Smego organized a project with African American, Latino, and multiracial youth to discuss racial identity and issues of racism through the expressive medium of the graphic novel or comic book.

During a series of twelve Saturday morning workshops at the Street Scene Teen Center (and additional outside work) the teens developed their characters by writing poems about themselves and their own experiences with racism.  They then crafted story lines, storyboards and plot sequences, and drew and colored the various frames to bring their superheroes to life on the pages of their very own comics. The teens' artwork and poetry debuts in an exhibition at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro on May 17 from 6-8 p.m. where the community will have the opportunity to speak with the young artists and ask them questions about the project.

“Comics Speak!” grew out of a response to a community need for expression, discussion, and collaboration. The goal was to empower youth of color to use the arts to confront the obstacles they and their communities face on a regular basis, as well as celebrate the vibrant cultural identities they possess. The project provided space and instruction for these youth to connect and identify these issues, by using both visual art and spoken word as a means of communicating with the community at large. The project was an extension of two earlier community workshops conducted by Chapel Hill’s Sacrificial Poets that identified a desire for an artistic means of expression for the teens that was positive and identity-affirming. 

Mad Magazine Duck Dynasty edition

I've only seen the cover, but the magazine has been on news stands for about a week now. Have any of you checked out the Duck Dynasty edition of Mad Magazine?

What did you think of it?

Iron Man: Fatal Frontier #4 On-Sale Today

Iron Man has been many things: An Avenger, S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Guardian of the Galaxy. But today, Tony Stark takes on strangest title yet as the moon’s first-ever sheriff in Iron Man: Fatal Frontier! Brought to you by comic superstars Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing and Lan Medina, Iron Man: Fatal Frontier #4  takes Infinite Comics to new frontiers in digital storytelling! As the moon’s newly deputized lawman, Iron Man must confront  the galaxy’s most surreal and astounding threats—starting with King Arthur of the Knights Martial! Designed specifically for mobile devices while fully embracing the technologies of tomorrow, Marvel’s follow-up to WOLVERINE: JAPAN’S MOST WANTED brings digital comics to life like never before!. Accessible for new fans, but also set in current continuity with ramifications in Kieron Gillen’s IRON MAN, IRON MAN: FATAL FRONTIER defines the storytelling possibilities that make Infinite Comics so exciting.

Available right at your fingertips, IRON MAN: FATAL FRONTIER #2 is available on the Marvel Comics app and online in the Marvel Digital Comics Shop.

As the Knights come crashing down on the solar system’s fragile lunar embassy, how can Tony keep the peace? And more importantly—how will he ebb the growing threat of DOOM?  Find out today by downloading one of the boldest digital comics series available.

Belleville High freshman promotes self published comic

DEARBORN — Many of the comic book artists and writers at last weekend’s Detroit FanFare Comic Con self published their work, but even among the self published, one artist stood out.
Gavin Schultz stood out from the crowd, as the youngest creator in the room. Schultz, 14, is a freshman at Belleville High School.
Along with other Belleville students Danny Platt (co-writer) and Olivia Rainey (colorist) Schultz founded a company, Furr Comics Incorporated, and published two comics. First was the black and white book  “The Enforcers,” and later the full color “The Wraith,” which is what he brought to the convention last weekend.
“I’ve been drawing for years,” Schultz said. “It started in second grade when I made this character called ‘Otterman.’ He was part of this team called ‘The Avengees.’ It was a huge rip-off of ‘The Avengers. I’ve slowly progressed from there.”
He said that his next major creation came in fifth grade when he created “Smoke,” a character similar to that seen on the failed NBC TV series “The Cape.”
By the time he hit seventh grade, Shultz had created “The Enforcers,” and earlier this year his creative team published “The Wraith.”

Cover Art for the first issue. 

“I came up with Wraith because I was extremely dissatisfied with ‘The Enforcers,” he said.
The main character in the book is Lt. Andrew Smith, an injured-war veteran that gets another chance after some bionic upgrades give him a new lease on life.
“It’s set in 2005,” he said. “It’s a slightly different reality than ours, basically a suicide bomber attacks (Smith’s) unit and he saves his commander by pushing him out. In the process of that Smith loses his arm and goes into a coma.”
After those events Smith wakes up in a Seattle hospital five years later, without a clue of what is going on in the world around him. His former commander left instructions for Smith to see him upon release from the hospital.
“The commander had inherited a lot of money,” Schultz said. “He gives him a robotic arm, and the superheroics fly from there.”
Before self publishing, Schultz attempted to get the idea off the ground going through a major publisher, but was rejected.
“I sent a submission to Image (comics),” he said. “It didn’t go bad, but they rejected me. The letter told me that I needed to work on my art and that my storytelling was a little off.

“I was like whatever, and we did it ourselves.”
A lot of comics that inspired Schultz were published in the late 1980’s, before he was born.
“The Ninja Turtles” and “The Dark Knight Returns,” are the two books he points to as his main inspiration to get involved in comics.
“As far as ‘The Wraith’ specifically,” he said, “It’s basically just Boba Fett with a robotic arm.”
Schultz said that the first issue is “cool,” but it is a build up for the soon to be released second issue.
The book is currently available at Warriors 3 Comics & Games, 35613 W Michigan Ave. in Wayne, and could soon be available in other area stores.

O’Halloran talks about upcoming ‘Clerks III’ at FanFare; Details about 'Hit Somebody' also discussed

DEARBORN — For the third time in the four year history of the Detroit Fanfare Comic Con, actor Brian O’Halloran, served as the event's master of ceremonies.
The convention was held last weekend at the Adoba Hotel, during a down moment, O’Halloran sat down to chat about his career, including his thoughts on the upcoming “Clerks III.” O’Halloran’s first feature film role was as Dante Hicks in 1994’s “Clerks,” written and directed by Kevin Smith.
“I think it’s one of the best things (Smith) has ever written,” O’Halloran said between bites of pizza. “He’s put so many dimensions now into the characters, there are a couple of scenes that made me cry; Literally, physically stop and cry.
“The fans are not going to know what him them when they see this.”
O’Halloran said that the film will be in production in early 2014.
“Kevin is in the middle of shooting a film called ‘Tusk’ right now in North Carolina,” he said. “Once he wraps that up and gets it to (The Sundance Film Festival) we can get started on it. Hopefully if all of the logistics of who’s distributing it gets worked out we can start shooting in March. Kevin has time to edit it during the summer, then knowing him he’ll want to release it in October.”
The reason for the speculated October release date is that would be the official 20 year anniversary of when the original “Clerks first saw a wide release on the big screen.
“Romantically it sounds nice if we can get that done that way,” he said.
When asked about how he feels playing the same role 20 years after he debuted it on screen, O’Halloran quipped about feeling old, but then said that he likes where Smith has taken the characters.
“I truly feel blessed that the fan base is still as vibrant as it was five years after the first film,” he said. “Now seeing people who are my generation who have kids that are in their teens and 20’s that are seeing this for the first time.
“It truly is a testament to Kevin’s writing that it still can carry over from generation to generation.”
The original film initially ended with the Dante character being killed in a botched store robbery. That ending was cut out prior to the film being released to general audiences, the change in the ending has allowed for the two sequels. The main characters of Dante and Randall Graves (Jeff Smith) also appeared in 2001’s “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” and an animated version of the movie that aired just two episodes on ABC in 2000.
“(Clerks III) is a natural progression of who we are as people,” O’Halloran said. “In a way Kevin has really developed this tremendous growth in the characters. Tackling the character of Dante again shouldn’t be an issue.”
Part of the character growth included buying the store that Hicks worked in during the original, and now

raising a son with Becky (Rosario Dawson) who was introduced in the first sequel.
“Now that there is a child onboard,” he said, “It’s a different dynamic. There are going to be a lot of great challenges to tackle.”
Another project, “Hit Somebody,” that O’Halloran hopes to work on next year is also a project written and set to be directed by Smith.
“Hit Somebody,” was initially set to be a movie based on the Mitch Albom and Warren Zevon song of the same name. That project is now scheduled to be an 8-part miniseries produced by the BBC.
O’Halloran hasn’t been offered a role yet, but talked with Albom about the project after appearing on his radio show last week.
“I told him that I was a gigantic hockey fan,” he said.”Even if I’m just a heckler in the audience I want to be a part of this.”
O’Halloran joked about one hitch that could keep him from the project.
“Kevin’s a huge Devils fan,” he said. “I’m a Rangers fan. That may come against me on this one.”
“Hit Somebody,” tells the story of a Canadian hockey player that grows up to become a goon in the professional leagues. The main character just wants to score one goal before he retires.
O’Halloran also spoke about his upcoming appearance on the AMC TV series “Comic Book Men.” That show stars several of Smith’s childhood friends and is set in the New Jersey-based comic book store owned by Smith.
“I was on last season,” O’Halloran said. “I had a blast with those guys. The people who are coming in with merchandise to sell are actual customers. They make appointments ahead of time then the producers pick the most interesting ones to come in.”
O’Halloran said that after his appearance last year, he was asked to come back for the current season.
“I filmed an episode with myself and Jason Mewes, and a few other people,” he said.
“Comic Book Men,” airs Sunday nights after “The Walking Dead.”

Lions’ Israel Idonije, invades Detroit FanFare to promote self-published comic book; Ndamukong Suh makes appearance in support of teammate

Detroit Lions Defensive End Israel Idonije
talks to fans about his new self-published
comic book Saturday at the fourth annual
 Detroit FanFare Comic
Con at the Adoba Hotel in Dearborn.

DEARBORN — When it comes to Israel Idonije, there is more than meets the eye. Yes he is the tough as nails defensive end for the Detroit Lions, but he’s also the creator of a new independent comic book, “The Protectors.”
Idonije brought the comic to the region for the first time Saturday when he held a signing during the fourth annual Detroit FanFare Comic Con. In addition to the signing he held an hour-long panel where he talked about everything from comic books to football. Lions Defensive Linemen Ndamukong Suh also showed up to support his teammate, but didn’t participate in the signing or question and answer session.
“I think the market has been missed a little bit,” Idonije said about the comic. “The ability these athletes have in their sport on the court, on the field ... what’s the true origin of that? That’s what ‘The Protectors’ tells.”
Idonije, 32, said that he came up with the idea for the book during training camp in 2007 while he was a member of the Chicago Bears. The story combines sports action and superhero action to tell the tale of football's Isaac Chike, baseball's Miguel Montiero, basketball's Douglass Larter, soccer's Danielle Peters and hockey's Gerard Rioux. The group, all stars in their respective sports, come together to form “The Protectors,” a group of genetically gifted individuals with abilities beyond a normal humans.
“The gift that they were given,” he said, “Is to save humanity from this evil force that controls everything, government, media and religion.”

Idonije started Athleta Comics, the company that published The Protectors #0 in time for C2E2 in Chicago earlier this year, as an entertainment company, not a publishing house. The company is currently finalizing a deal with a publishing company to print the first five issue mini-series that is ready to roll off the press.
“It’s going to make sure we have rights distribution,” he said. “So that whoever wants to get the book can get it. The new age fans can get it digitally, the throwbacks can have actual hard copies that they can read and distribute.”
According to Idonije, a deal to print the first run of the book could come in the next few days.
“We’ll finalize out deal with the publisher and go from there,” he said.
Fun is exactly what Idonije is having while working on the books. He said he’s been reading comics since he was 12- or 13-years old, and reached out to two of his favorite people in the industry to help with the book.
Helping to make the books happen is the creative team of writer Ron Marz and artist Bart Sears.
“I joke that I’m the rookie in this game,” he said. “They tell me what to do.”
Marz has an extensive list of past successes in the industry including lengthy runs on “Green Lantern,” “Silver Surfer” and “Witchblade.”
“Before I wrote comics, my first 'real' job was a sportswriter, so I'm familiar with both of these worlds,"  Marz said in a release. “Sports in comics usually don't look or read very well, which is a weird thing to say about an industry that makes people flying or running at super-speed look realistic. But it's a challenge we gladly accept. The audience will embrace these characters, and believe the sports action just as much as the superhero action.
Sears also has extensive background in the industry. His artwork has been featured in runs on titles such as “Justice League Europe,” “Legends of the Dark Knight,” “X-O Manowar,” “Turok,”  and “Violator,” to name a few.

Lions Defensive Linemen Ndamukong Suh
talks to a woman from Athelta Comics Saturday
 at the fourth annual Detroit FanFare Comic
 Con at the Adoba Hotel in Dearborn.
Suh appeared briefly at the convention
 to support teammate Israel Idonije
 who will soon release a self published comic book. 

“When you think about the statement, ‘pro athletes as superheroes’ that makes a whole lot of sense,” Sears said in a release. “The athleticism of the superstars in every sport is unbelievable, human beings with powers far above and beyond normal man. Every single time a pro athlete takes to the playing field he or she is ‘in it to win it’, exactly like every hero who stands up to evil. We call our athletes ‘gladiators’ and ‘warriors’; it’s not a stretch to think of them as superheroes. It’s very exciting to be involved in a project like this.”
Idonije said that the company has already lined up two more potential properties to work on.
“We’re going to take our time on that,” he said. “One step at a time is something my mentor told me. I’m the type of person to say ‘bring your story, and bring your story,’ but then we’re sitting there and the boat is going under.”
He said that his advisors told him to tell his story first, and then expand.
“The big thing is just to have fun,” he said. “I wake up, my knees don’t hurt, my back doesn’t hurt, I’m not sore.”

Scare Bears offer new twist to old stuffed animals

One of the Scare Bears designed
by Langley.

They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re all together ooky ... no not “The Addams Family,” but the locally created Scare Bears.
Dearborn Heights native Jay Langley invented the twisted teddy bears that have quickly went from unknown commodity to popular craze after celebrities such as Danny Trejo and Michael Rooker have purchased the unique works of art.
The bears are taken from stuffed animals that are picked up from various places, and then turned into horrendous creations straight out of a nightmare. The designs cross traditional stuffed animals with a zombie twist to make a creation fit for the truly macabre.
Many of the bears and other animals have blood and guts oozing out of them, some are holding their eyeballs in their hands or tugging along a pile of their own entrails.

Inspiration
The idea for the creations came not from a nightmare though, but from Langley’s daughter.
“She asked me to do something funny with her brother’s teddy bear,” he said. “The first thing I did was stick a plastic hatchet in its head.”
His son was just over a year old at the time.

Standing with one of his Scare Bears
 is Jay Langley. The bears are 
available at WonderWorld Comics
 in Taylor or online at ScareBears.com

“From that it went to a little bunny I made,” he said. “She started taking pictures of them and sending them to her friends. They all loved them, so I decided to start making them and see what happens.”
Ideas of what to do with each bear or rabbit come from a variety of sources, but mainly straight out of Langley’s head.
“I’ll go to the store and see a bear or a rabbit that I can use and just stare at it,” he said. “I look at it and what to do with it just comes to me.”
Bears and rabbits aren’t the only stuffed animals he is redesigning. He said he’ll do “anything that he can find that fits what he wants to design.”

Making Art
Each bear or other animal is handmade by Langley and includes a name and short biography of the creature.
The creations take anywhere from one to four hours, sometimes longer, to build.

Reaching for the last Scare Bear
on the shelf is WonderWorld
 Comics owner Dennis Barger.
According to Barger,
the bears sell as fast as
 he can get them in stock.

While he has been an artist for a long time, Langley said that making the graphic stuffed animals is the first time he’s done anything of that sort.
“I’ve always been into art,” he said. “I used to do a comic book that I stepped away from.”
He said the comic, “Mean Kid and Fish Head,” had a cult following but that he had to quit as his family grew and demanded more of his time.
“It was just silly cartoon humor,” he said. “But it was a lot of work.”
The first Scare Bear sold for profit was about two years ago at Trenton’s Scarecrow Festival.
“Surprisingly the people that were buying them the most were older women,” Langley said. “That was the crowd; significantly older woman.”
Langley said the main customers he had were at the festival for arts and crafts, then stopped by his table and left with one of his outlandish creations.
The bears have been sold at horror and pop culture conventions across the Midwest for the past two years.

Hardcore Pawn
Langley got national exposure for the bears when he sold some at American Jewelry and Loan, the store featured on the TruTV network show “Hardcore Pawn.” The bears were featured on an episode last season.

Actor Danny Trejo can be
 counted among  the fans of
the Scare Bears. The unique
 creations are made by
Dearborn Heights native Jay Langley.

Being on the show also brought Langley and the bears a local retail outlet to sell through. WonderWorld Comics owner Dennis Barger Jr. was also featured on an episode of the show when he sold a life-sized Silver Surfer model. While in the store he saw the bears, from there he reached out to Langley and they worked out a deal to sell the bears in the store.
The Taylor-based comic shop is the only retail outlet currently with the rights to sell the bears.
“It’s a neat new idea,” Barger said. “I love it. I think it’s going to be a big deal. We’re selling them as fast as
he can bring them in.”

TruGore
A new line of bears called “TruGore,” debuted at the Detroit FanFare comic convention held in Dearborn last weekend.
The bears are designed by Patrick Hart and have a more “realistic gore,” factor to them than the original creations.
“Patrick Hart is an amazing artist whose work is renowned in the horror community,” Langley posted on his Facebook page. “I am honored to be working with him.”

Actor Butch Patrick stands
with a Scare Bear that he
purchased.

Dearborn Heights native Jay Langley
 shows off his creations,
 the Scare Bears during the
 Free Comic Book day celebration in May.

Lions Idonije to appear at Detroit FanFare this weekend

THE PROTECTORS is the first release from Athleta Comics, a publishing company
founded by Detroit Lions’ defensive lineman and lifelong comic fan Israel Idonije. The story
combines realistic, exciting sports action with superhero spectacle, to finally merge sports
and comics in a successful way.

In The Protectors, football's Isaac Chike, baseball's Miguel Montiero, basketball's Douglass
Larter, soccer's Danielle Peters and hockey's Gerard Rioux are all stars in their respective
sports. Each is blessed with a genetic gift that, when fully activated, will give them amazing
abilities and awesome responsibilities. They each learn about their abilities in their own
way.

The initial five-issue mini-series will introduce the characters, concepts and conflicts,
recounting the origin of the Protectors, as well as their first major battle with the forces of
the Dissenters. Each of the Protectors must choose between their lives of athletic stardom,

and the great responsibilities placed before them. They must “Join the Fight” against those
who would enslave the world.

The series balances widescreen visuals with character-driven drama. It’s an epic storyline
that will continue to unfold over the coming years. It perfectly unites sports action with
classic superhero excitement making the book appealing to both sports fans and comics
aficionados. People of all backgrounds will appreciate the amazing artwork, connect
with the core elements of the story and enjoy the diversity (ethnic and otherwise) of the
characters.

Within the story is an underlying message to youth that they too are each blessed with gifts
and abilities that are to be nurtured and developed. That they too will be confronted with
difficulties and obstacles – drugs, negative peer associations, struggles with schoolwork,
and other temptations that might cause them to lose focus of their potential. That they too
will need to set goals, make good choices and stand firm to achieve success in their pursuits
and to become all that they can be. That they too can become “Protectors” of all that is
good.

The Protectors series is designed to promote literacy as well. Idonije understands the
power of reading and education. He works hard to instill the importance of literacy and
of doing well in school. He consistently shares with youth that education is the number
one equalizer and that literacy is the platform on which it all begins. The Protectors is an
appealing story with a positive message.

Athleta Comics self published and released Issue#0 of The Protectors in April of 2013 at
Chicago C2E2.

A World on the Brink – Marvel Presents Your First Look At INFINITY #5

The Marvel Universe prepares to turn the tide against Thanos and the Builders – but first, Marvel is proud to present your first look at Infinity #5! From the star-studded creative team of Jonathan Hickman, Jerome Opena & Dustin Weaver comes another thrilling chapter of the blockbuster comic event of the year!

With our heroes fighting the Builders at other end of the universe, Black Bolt and Maximus have done the unthinkable – detonated a Terrigen Bomb over New York City! Thousands of dormant Inhumans living amongst us have begun to awaken, possessing new and fearsome powers. Earth’s last hope may be in the hands of these new super beings! But will they be enough to stand against Thanos and his sinister Black Order? Or will they join him?

Every issue of Infinity includes a code for a free digital copy of that same Marvel Comics app for iOS and Android devices. Additionally, each issue of Infinity features special augmented reality content available exclusive through the Marvel AR app – including cover recaps, behind the scenes features and more that add value to your reading experience at no additional cost.

BOOM! Studios Announces Alamo City Comic Con and Detroit Fanfare Comic Con Plans

Two conventions…two states…one weekend! BOOM! Studios splits the country in half and continues its 2013 convention tour during the weekend of October 25-27 by exhibiting at both the Alamo City Comic Con in Texas and the Detroit Fanfare Comic Con in Michigan.

The Alamo City Comic Con 2013 will take place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, located at 200 East Market Street, San Antonio, TX 78205. The hours on Friday, October 25th are from 11am to 8pm, Saturday the 26th from 10am to 7pm, and Sunday the 27th from 11am to 6pm.

BOOM! Studios is thrilled to host Ian McGinty (ADVENTURE TIME: CANDY CAPERS) and Travis Hill (ADVENTURE TIME, CARS) at the KaBOOM! booth (#B41) all weekend long. Fans of all-ages comics won’t want to miss the opportunity to get an original sketch by these terrific artists!

Fans also won’t want to miss their chance to pick up the hottest BOOM! Studios comics, trades, and variant covers, including the ACCC exclusive for ADVENTURE TIME #21, available only at the KaBOOM! booth (#B41).

For tickets and more information about Alamo City Comic Con, visit the official website at www.alamocitycomiccon.com.


The Detroit Fanfare Comic Con 2013 will be held in the West Building at the Adoba Hotel Dearborn, located at 600 Town Center Drive, Dearborn, MI 48126. On Friday, October 25th the show will run from 6pm to 9pm, on Saturday the 26th from 10am to 7pm, and on Sunday the 27th from 12pm to 6pm.

BOOM! Studios is excited to host Brian Joines (IMAGINE AGENTS), Jeff Stokely (SIX-GUN GORILLA, THE REASON FOR DRAGONS), and Eric Esquivel (FREELANCERS, BRAVEST WARRIORS) at the BOOM! Studios booth all weekend long.

BOOM! Studios is also proud to welcome “Balls of Fury,” “Fanboys,” and “Take Me Home Tonight” star Dan Fogler (MOON LAKE) at the Archaia booth, where fans can purchase his newest graphic novel, MOON LAKE VOL. 2, before it hits the streets and have it signed by Dan.

Allison Strejlau (REGULAR SHOW) will be on hand at the KaBOOM! booth all weekend long, sketching original covers for fans of all ages!

IMAGINE AGENTS #1 Orange Variant and ADVENTURE TIME #21 are two DFCC exclusives sold through the convention that fans are not going to want to miss!

For tickets and more information about Detroit Fanfare Comic Con, visit the official website at www.detroitfanfare.com.

ABOUT BOOM! STUDIOS

Founded by Ross Richie in 2005, Diamond Gem Award-winning “Best Publisher” BOOM! Studios (boom-studios.com) generates a constellation of best-selling Eisner and Harvey Award-winning original and licensed comic books and graphic novels with the industry’s top talent. BOOM! Studios is the home of Mike Carey’s SUICIDE RISK, Clive Barker’s NEXT TESTAMENT and HELLRAISER, Paul Jenkins and Humberto Ramos’ FAIRY QUEST, PLANET OF THE APES, Max Bemis’ POLARITY and Mark Waid’s IRREDEEMABLE. Steven Grant’s graphic novel 2 GUNS was recently released as a feature film from Universal Pictures starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. BOOM!’s all-ages imprint KaBOOM! publishes Charles Schulz’ PEANUTS, Jim Davis’ GARFIELD, Cartoon Network’s ADVENTURE TIME and REGULAR SHOW, Mike Kunkel’s HEROBEAR AND THE KID, and Roger Langridge’s Eisner Award-winning SNARKED. In June 2013, BOOM! Studios acquired Archaia Entertainment (archaia.com). Archaia is the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning graphic novel publisher of MOUSE GUARD, COW BOY, GUNNERKRIGG COURT, RUST, SPERA, JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND, RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN, and other many great titles. In October 2013, BOOM! Studios entered into an exclusive partnership with 20th Century Fox, giving the studio access to its library of combined titles, and giving the publisher access to Fox’s vast catalog of films.

Iron Man: Fatal Frontier #3 On-Sale Today

Today,  Tony Stark finds himself imprisoned in his deadliest trap yet—The Moon itself—in Iron Man: Fatal Frontier #3! Brought to you by comic superstars Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing and Lan Medina, Iron Man: Fatal Frontier  brings Infinite Comics to their next startling level! Trapped without his armor or a prayer, Iron Man is left exposed to the brutalities of space! With oxygen in short supply, can Iron Man survive outer space and the Udarnik’s cosmic machinations? Designed specifically for mobile devices while fully embracing the technologies of tomorrow, Marvel’s follow-up to WOLVERINE: JAPAN’S MOST WANTED brings digital comics to life like never before! Accessible for new fans, but also set in current continuity with ramifications in Kieron Gillen’sIRON MAN, IRON MAN: FATAL FRONTIER upgrades the storytelling possibilities that make Infinite Comics so exciting.

Available right at your fingertips, IRON MAN: FATAL FRONTIER #3 is available on the Marvel Comics app (for iPhone®, iPad®, iPod Touch® & AndroidTM devices) and online in the Marvel Digital Comics Shop!

As the clock ticks, will someone come to the Armored Avenger’s aid, or will these fatal hours also be his final? Don’t hold your breath and find out today by downloading one of the hottest digital comics series available!

Dynamite Entertainment Expands with New Division Dynamite Toys and Games

Dynamite Entertainment, a leading publisher of original and licensed comic books, graphic novels, and e-books, proudly announces the creation of a new division, Dynamite Toys and Games, dedicated to the production and manufacture of action figures, novelty products, gaming cards, board games, and more.


"With our tenth anniversary coming up in 2014, the time is right to expand into new categories, develop cool collectibles based upon our many company-owned and licensed characters, and grow our business to incorporate exciting new licenses," says Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite. "Dynamite is currently ranked as the sixth most prominent supplier of comics and graphic novels to Diamond Comic Distributors, North America's leading distributor to the comic shop specialty market. With significant gains in the sale of ancillary product such as toys, novelties, and games into brick-and-mortar comics and specialty stores, the market is ripe for expansion, and as an established and trusted supplier to our retail partners, Dynamite will prove to be a leader in the creation and marketability of original and licensed merchandise. Our experience with manufacturing 3D products, including our successful licensed statues, inspired this expansion. We have been building toward Dynamite Toys and Games for several years, waiting for a special occasion to re-enter the 3D market, and our tenth anniversary is that moment."

Initial planned releases include the following properties:

• The Six Million Dollar Man 40th Anniversary
• Chaos Comics, via the reintroduced Eternal Toys brand
• Red Sonja
• Army of Darkness
• Vampirella

"Our anniversary in 2014 will see some exciting new releases, including action figures, a statue, and novelties relating to The Six Million Dollar Man, timed to celebrate the character's 40th anniversary," Barrucci said. 

Leading into 2015, Dynamite Toys and Games plans to grow organically, building upon licensing partnerships, revealing new licenses throughout the coming year, as well as developing a new line of figures based on their popular horror character Vampirella, reflecting the character's forty-five years of publication. The toy division will also reinstate the Eternal Toys brand, associated in the 1990s with the Chaos Comics library of characters, for limited edition reissues of classic sculpts, including such action figures as Evil Ernie, Chastity, Jade, Lady Demon,Purgatori, and more.

"We have broad plans for Dynamite Toys and Games," Barrucci, said "Our initial plans and projections for action figures, novelties, gaming cards, board games, calendars, t-shirts, plush products, and more has everyone involved very excited. Our licensing arrangements allow for manufacture and distribution through numerous channels both domestic and international. Retailers and fans worldwide can expect to see themed promotions moving forward, including such genre-based themes as Dynamite Women, science fiction, fantasy, sword and sorcery, magic, horror, and so much more. Our expansion here into new markets will pave the way for Dynamite's explosive second decade as a top entertainment and merchandise supplier, and I couldn't be more excited."

Walt Disney Japan Announces Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers

 The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd. announced today that it will produce the first Japanese Marvel animated television series targeted at boys. Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers is based on Marvel’s most popular team of Super Heroes, The Avengers and will premiere nationwide on terrestrial television in spring 2014.

      Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers will be produced by Nerima-ku, Tokyo-based Toei Animation Co., Ltd., which has produced multiple successful animated series for kids in Japan. Taito-ku, Tokyo-based Bandai Co., Ltd., which has a highly successful track record with major titles, will be responsible for character merchandising. The three companies will collaborate in creating a fully localized Japanese series as well as providing a lineup of attractive products and merchandise targeting the boys market.

      The story will revolve around how The Avengers – Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk together with the help of Spider-Man and a group of teens, will harness their respective fighting skills and superhuman powers to foil Loki’s scheme to take over the world. Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers will target boys in the 6-12 age group.

      Walt Disney Japan, through its local content strategy—delivering content tailored to meet the needs of local consumers—is actively localizing content to fit the tastes and sensibilities of Japanese audiences. Though the company has produced and broadcast several localized programs, from the animated short-form series Fireball in 2008, Disney’s first animated series produced entirely in Japan, toStitch!, which stars the popular Disney character with a change of setting from Hawaii to Okinawa. Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers will be its first animated television series specifically targeted at boys and will delight Japanese viewers with an entirely new action-packed storyline that unfolds before their eyes in a high quality 2D animated format. Most recently, this Super Hero team was seen in the 2012 live-action movie, Marvel’s The Avengers, with a world-wide box office revenue that exceeded $1.5 billion and was the third-top grossing film of all time.

      Through this collaboration, Marvel, Walt Disney Japan, Japan’s top animation studio Toei Animation, and character merchandising leader Bandai will together leverage their respective strengths to deliver a television series for nationwide broadcast and a range of merchandise that is sure to breathe new life into the boys market in Japan.

A Lover’s Quarrel….To The Death! Your First Look At SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #21!

Otto Octavius has battled the likes of the Kingpin, the Hobgoblin, and the Vulture, but this November he faces his greatest threat yet in Superior Spider-Man #21 – the next installment in the biggest, boldest superhero comic of the year! From the blockbuster creative team of Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli - Stunner is back in town, and she’s out to avenge the death of the only man she’s ever loved, Doc Ock! Now she’s on a mission to obliterate the man who killed him – the Superior Spider-Man! Can Otto defend himself from Stunner’s onslaught without revealing his dark secret? What does this mean for the tangled web of Otto’s love life? Don’t miss the stunning Superior Spider-Man #21 this November for the answer!

Halloween ComicFest offers free comics to everyone

 Anyone looking to get back into comic book collecting, or wanting to pick up a comic for the first time can do so for free this weekend at three area locations.
Halloween ComicFest, which mimics Free Comic Book Day in giving away completely free comic books to anyone that enters a participating store is Saturday and Sunday. Comics will also be available in the stores on Halloween. This is the second year for the celebration.
“This year we have 16 publishers creating Halloween themed comics and mini-comics for the event,” said Dan Manser, Director of Marketing for Diamond Distributors, the company that provides most of the comic books to area stores. “There are 11 new full-sized comics and 11 new mini-comics being released with titles such as “Batman,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Thor,” “Archie” and many more all written with a Halloween twist.”
One of the places to pick up the free comics over the weekend is in Allen Park, the other two are both in Dearborn.
“We’re excited to get to participate in ComicFest,” said Gary Banac, manager of Big Ben’s Comix Oasis in Allen Park. “Anytime we can bring in new potential readers to comics in general is

 a good event.”
Comix Oasis isn’t the only local store involved in ComicFest, Green Brain Comics in Dearborn and WonderWorld Comics in Taylor will be giving out books as well. WonderWorld won’t be open over the weekend, as the store is hosting the Detroit Fanfare Comic Convention at the Dearborn Adoba Hotel, but will instead hand out the free comics at the convention and again on Halloween in the store.
“Fanfare is our participation in ComicFest,” WonderWorld owner Dennis Barger said.
There are more than a dozen books that will have special edition prints for ComicFest, including, Simon Spurrier’s new web-comic “Disenchanted,” which will

have a printed preview version to advertise the webseries. The series is all about what happens to leprechauns, goblins pixies and other fey people when no one believes in them any longer. Spurrier surmises that they all end up in Vermintown, a disgusting city filled with inch tall malcontents.
Avatar Press will both put out the preview comics and compile the webseries twice a year into a print book.
Spurrier recently spoke with BleedingCool.com about his new series.
“Look, my aim was pretty simply to approach urban fantasy without fear, hesitation
or sentiment,” he said. “No punches pulled. No cutesy. No twee. No surrender. Disenchanted I hope, in all its ugly, funny, beautiful, frightening, maddening splendour, is magical realism done right.”
Other full length books that will be available for the weekend include the following.
• “Skyward: Into the Grim” — Terror lurks at every turn in this sneak peek at the darker, creepier corners of our heroes' world. “Enter: The Grim!” From Harvey award winner Jeremy Dale.
• “Sonic the Hedgehog” — Hitch a ride alongside the truest, bluest hedgehog around as this timeless video game icon takes on the biggest baddies of them all with his faithful pal Tails at his side.

• “Soulfire: Genesis” — Showcasing the original Soulfire zero issue by the acclaimed Jeph Loeb and Soulfire creator Michael Turner, along with a first look preview at the upcoming all-new Soulfire series, debuting in November, by newcomer V. Ken Marion and longtime Soulfire writer J.T. Krul.
• “Batman: Li’l Gotham” — Robin needs Batman’s help to learn the true meaning of Halloween. Plus, on Thanksgiving, Batman and Robin join the families of Gotham City around the table for a holiday feast—and birds of a feather flock together to stage a march against the city led by the Penguin.
• “Batman: The Long Halloween” — First chapter of the critically acclaimed graphic novel that pits a young Batman against a killer who only murders on holidays.

• “Cartoon Network Super Sampler” — The Powerpuff Girls take on "The Big Green Monster," then Samurai Jack finds himself in a game of "Double Dutch Death Valley," and finally Ben 10 gets into a bull fight in "Olé."
• “Thor: God of Thunder” — Throughout the ages, the gods of the Marvel Universe have been vanishing, their mortal worshippers left in chaos. Now, the mighty Thor follows a trail of blood that threatens to consume his past, present and future selves. The only hope for these ravaged worlds lies with the God of Thunder unraveling the gruesome mystery of the God Butcher.
• “Ultimate Spider-Man Adventures”  — By day, he’s Peter Parker, mild-mannered high school student. But by night, he’s the ultimate in super heroics — Spider-Man

— and he’s just the beginning of a super-hero.
• “Uzumaki” — Kurouzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: uzumaki, the spiral, the hypnotic secret shape of the world. It manifests itself in everything from seashells and whirlpools in water to the spiral marks on people's bodies, the insane obsessions of Shuichi’s father and the voice from the cochlea in our inner ear. As the madness spreads, the inhabitants of Kurôzu-cho are pulled ever deeper into a whirlpool from which there is no return.
• “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” — A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob on a journey to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its

abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow impossible though it seems they may still be alive.
The 11-shorts include: “Vamplets: The Legend of the Ghost Pony,” “Zombie Kid Diaries 3: The Walking Dad,” “Sesame Street,” “ Pantalones, TX: Zombinata,”
“Archie’s Pals ‘N’ Gals,” “Adventure Time,” “Itty Bitty Hellboy,” “My Little Pony: Halloween Edition,” “Super Dinosaur,” “Sketch Monsters: Attack of the 100-Foot Booger,” and “Ben 10 Omniverse Halloween Special.”