Deadworld soda to debut Friday

Detroit will be delivering a new taste in soda beverages for America soon and it will be promoted in a zombie theme.  Caprice Brands is announcing its company launch of branded beverages and leading the way is a line of premium zombie soda based on the iconic zombie comic book, Deadworld.

Deadworld has been published for over 25 years including stints at the nation's third and fourth largest comic publishers (Image and IDW, respectively) and has been nominated (and winning some) for numerous industry awards.  The storyline is based on a zombie apocalypse but in addition to the shuffling undead, Deadworld features intelligent zombies and they have a plan for taking over the world. 

Caprice Brands, like Deadworld, is from a Detroit area based company.  Caprice was formed earlier this year from three local entrepreneurs who decided to combine their expertise and launch the new company. 

Tim Dabish is the CEO of Intrastate Distributors Inc. a family owned beverage distribution company in Detroit.  Dabish has expanded the company during his tenure especially with the company’s own brand of Towne Club and Frostie.  Dabish noted that in his experience, “themed beverages do quite well in the beverage industry and popular culture characters such as zombies have a great and wide appeal.”

Paul Burke was a partner with Stan Lee on the Comic Book Greats video series before teaming up with Todd McFarlane in launching McFarlane Toys which in just three years’ time became a 100 million dollar company. 

Gary Reed, the creator and writer of Deadworld, is also the publisher of Caliber Comics, one of the leading independent publishers in the comic book market and a company that launched the careers of many of today’s top comic writers and artists.  Caliber is the largest comic publishing house ever based in Michigan.

The soda line will feature characters from the Deadworld series and most of the artwork is newly created by primarily local artists. “The Detroit area has always been a hot bed for talent in the comic book industry,” said Reed, “so it wasn’t too hard to find so many talented artists to contribute artwork to for the labels and containers.  The need for artists was considerable as Caprice is releasing twelve different flavors, with names such as Morbid Mix and Grisly Swill, and each flavor will have four different versions. Burke noted that having variant versions of the bottles, “adds to the collectible market as well as those who just want a cool product and great all natural taste.”

The Deadworld premium soda line is scheduled to be released in late November and is expected to be carried at major retailers and chains as well as specialty shop.  Intrastate Distribution will handle and process orders and fulfillment.

Pith helmet from "Space Balls" up for sale on Ebay

Wonderworld Comics co-owner Dennis Barger often buys things simply because they are “cool.”
Barger, the self-proclaimed “King of the nerds,” at least in this area, is showing off some of his geek cred this week with a new Ebay auction for a screen used Pith Helmet from “Spaceballs.”
RELATED: Photos of Wonderworld Comics Vintage Toy Room.
Barger has decided to put the helmet up for sale recently after he brought it out of storage for his re-grand opening party for his Taylor-based brick and mortar store.
The helmet was the only one produced for the 1987 movie, and was used again on screen when Barger travelled to New Jersey and attempted to sell it on AMC’s hit show “Comic Book Men.”
The helmet is listed on Wonderworld’s Ebay Store for a buy it now price of $8,000, with free shipping.
Barger said in the listing that he hasn’t seen any screen-used props from the movie go on sale in over 10 years.
The item comes with all of the paperwork from the original auction where it was purchased and certified to be real. Furthermore, the man that sold the helmet to Barger is still a customer at the store and gladly tells the tale of how he came to own it when asked.
Check out the Ebay listing here: http://goo.gl/LQKkNU
 (Video courtesy Terrell Culbert/Breathe Again Magazine, was partially filmed at WonderWorld Comics.)

Vintage toy room opens at Wonderworld Comics in Taylor

If there is one thing Dennis Barger and R.J. Bowman, co-owners of Taylor-based Wonderworld Comics know better than comics it’s vintage toys.
Selling vintage toys has always been a key part of the business model for the store, but generally it was done through private showing in the jam-packed warehouse.
SLIDESHOW: Photos of Wonderworld Comics Vintage Toy Room.
Recently the pair debuted their new Vintage Toy Room at the store, 22347 Ecorse Rd., within the room are toys dating back up to 50 years.
“Shopping at Wonderworld is like having Santa Claus with a time machine.” Barger said.
There are vintage toys “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” “Captain Planet,” “Transformers,” and just about any other line of toys released from the 1970’s through the mid 1990’s. Also included are some rarer pieces that date back earlier than the 70’s.
“With the exposure we got on “Toyhunter” (A TV show on the Travel Channel) we realized the stuff we had in the back is actually a bigger draw than we thought,” Barger said. “People started showing up wanting vintage toys so we moved back to the other end of the strip mall and put in the vintage toy room.”
The vintage toy room is about the same size as the regular store is, and can be used to host events as well. There is also a spot for vintage video games where several systems will be set up to test out games and accessories.
At the toy room’s debut party about 40 people came in on a Friday night to celebrate, and gawk at all of the merchandise that was previously only available to select few.
The crown jewel of the toy room so far is a “G.I. Joe” playset that is rare to come by with all of the parts. The USS Flagg, which is about 8 feet long and three feet high when assembled was expensive in the 1980’s when it was released and never sold well because of the size and price issues with it. Now the toy goes for huge money when complete. The vintage toy room has one proudly on display, with rumors of at least one more waiting for space to be displayed.
Contact Wonderworld Comics at 1-313-292-8697.
 (Video courtesy Terrell Culbert/Breathe Again Magazine, was partially filmed at WonderWorld Comics.)

MTV artist Steven Cooper to perform in Allen Park

A rising star in the MTV universe will bring his fresh spin on hip hop to Allen Park.

Steven Cooper will take the stage tonight at Simons After Dark, 4936 Allen Road, in Allen Park.

His music fuses pop and hip-hop elements with aggressive delivery and lyricism.

Cooper’s latest tune, “Bigger,” features Akon and, at the time of its release, broke into the top 100 downloaded singles on iTunes.

He recently was featured alongside Akon and Tech N9NE and has been signed to MTV.

His catchy songs have been featured on ESPN, Fox, MTVu and ABC Family. Cooper recently headlined the Promise Land Festival in Ottumwa, Iowa, performing for more than 3,500 attendees.

Born in the Midwest, he was raised by a young mother and never knew his father.

He recalls growing up in a home surrounded by sex, drugs, violence, and addiction, which eventually left his family homeless.

After dealing with depression and anger issues in his teenage years and being bullied in school, he began to write lyrics and decided to share his songs with the kids at school.

His new EP titled “One Night Out” is available now on iTunes.

Visit iamstevencooper.com for more information about the singer.

The Marvel Universe Goes Nuts in January’s THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #1

This January, there’s a new heroine on the block – and the Marvel Universe will never be the same. Prepare yourself for an all-new adventure starring the nuttiest super hero in the world in THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #1, a new ongoing series from Eisner Award-winning writer Ryan North (Original Sins, Adventure Time) and rising star Erica Henderson!

Wolverine, Dr. Doom, Deadpool, Thanos. What do they have in common? Squirrel Girl has beaten them all! True story. She may not be the most popular hero. She may not even be known by most of the general public. But she loves being Squirrel Girl, loves helping people, and even though they don’t know it, she’s saved the world more times than she can count. But now she faces an enemy unlike any she’s ever faced before – college!

“The first arc kicks off with Squirrel Girl moving into campus, and then confronting Kraven the Hunter who is cheesed off at squirrels for reasons that will be revealed,” says series writer Ryan North, in an interview with Marvel.com. “It’s like a stand-alone adventure where we get to see the kind of life she’s trying to have, and then that all gets thrown for a loop when someone even more powerful than Kraven shows up.”

With her steadfast squirrel sidekick and best friend Tippy-Toe at her side, Squirrel Girl’s misadventures in higher education will take her all across the Marvel Universe, and put the greatest of the Great Lakes Avengers up against some of the deadliest foes in the Marvel Universe, including Galactus, Whiplash and more!

She’s happy, she can’t be defeated and she’ll unleash an army of squirrels on you before you can blink. She’s THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL – and she’s coming to comic shops and digital devices everywhere in January 2015!

Isn't it great when big business has a sense of humor?

If you love Halloween as much as Ford does, then maybe you're looking to scare and entertain your friends too.
To go full fright, Ford put on a little Haunted Car Wash and had 30 strangers stop for a car wash on the way to film a "Ford test drive," but they never reached their final destination...

Two Projects Approved for Digital Media, Film Incentives in Michigan

Two Projects Approved for Digital Media, Film Incentives

The Michigan Film Office announced today that Onu was approved for a digital media incentive and the television series Craftsman’s Legacy also received a film incentive.

“These projects highlight the diverse range of projects that are being driven by talent right here in Michigan,” said Margaret O’Riley, director of the Michigan Film Office.

Onu is an interactive website and cloud-based platform being developed by Southfield-based PIXO Group that will allow users to upload their existing content (3D models, videos, images and links) to create single, unique interactive maps. The end result may be utilized for entertainment, showcasing video game models and interacting with existing models.

The project was awarded an incentive of $413,701 on $1,206,724 of projected in-state expenditures. The project expects to hire 10 Michigan workers with a full time equivalent of 20 jobs.

A Craftsman’s Legacy was awarded an incentive of $102,414 on $345,652 of projected in-state expenditures. The project expected to hire nine Michigan workers with a full time equivalent of three jobs.

The show follows Michigan native Eric Gorges on his quest to discover true craftsmen in today’s world. Each episode explains the history of an old world craft and its importance in the building of America. Episodes are airing at 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays on Detroit Public Television.

Both projects fall under Fiscal Year 2014, with 21 projects being awarded $60,599,163 on $232,985,495 of approved production expenditures for the year. These projects are expected to create 1,704 hires with a full time equivalent of 1,249 jobs.

Pure Michigan is a brand representing business, talent and tourism initiatives across Michigan. These efforts are driven by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which serves as the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business growth, jobs and opportunity with a focus on helping grow Michigan’s economy. 

*Editor's Note, this is a republished release from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.