[Press] DarkBrain.com Offers Entire Comic Lineup Free – PR.com

DarkBrain.com Offers Entire Comic Lineup Free – PR.com

DarkBrain.com Offers Entire Comic Lineup Free

Former pay-to-view webcomic site offers content at no charge.

DarkBrain.com Offers Entire Comic Lineup Free
Warwick, RI, August 31, 2010 –(PR.com)– Webcomic publisher DarkBrain, LLC announced this past weekend that effective immediately, all content on their website (http://darkbrain.com) – including over 240 pages of comics – will now be available to readers at no charge. Each comic includes graphic novel quality art, original music, and voice-over narration. Stars with voicework in DarkBrain comics include adult film actresses Tabitha Stevens and Raylene, as well as rock star Tony Campos (Prong, Ministry, Asesino, Static-X).

DarkBrain produces edgy content designed specifically for PG-13 and R+-rated audiences. At its inception, the site utilized a state of the art preferences system where readers control how intense they wish their viewing experience to be. With the restructure, readers will now have free access to 12 original series on the site with preset PG-13 content. In addition, DarkBrain.com will now offer advertising space.

To reach readers who prefer R+-rated content, DarkBrain.com now offers monthly memberships. For $4.99 a month, members have access to the preference system that allows them to choose the intensity of their content, as well as access to Members-Only and pre-released content and an ad-free environment. Members may also purchase a 6-month membership for $24.95.

To improve visibility and revenue to the site, site publisher Andrew Zar found this recent change timely and appropriate. Since the change, DarkBrain.com has had over 40,000 page views per day. As an added feature, DarkBrain is also asking all registered users to vote on the titles they wish to see continue, in an attempt to streamline their product line to the trends of its readers. In addition to the survey, the stories on DarkBrain.com have been organized by genre, aiding readers in finding the content that most appeals to them.

For more information on DarkBrain, LLC or to become a member, visit http://darkbrain.com.

Media Inquiries should contact SJS Comic Promotions at susan.soaores1971@gmail.com.

DC Universe: The Source » Blog Archive » FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DC ENTERTAINMENT NAMES EXECUTIVE TEAM

So does this mean that Johns will have creative control instead of DiDio?  I certainly hope so!!

DC Universe: The Source » Blog Archive » FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DC ENTERTAINMENT NAMES EXECUTIVE TEAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DC ENTERTAINMENT NAMES EXECUTIVE TEAM

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

By David Hyde

Jim Lee and Dan DiDio Named Co-Publishers DC Comics

Geoff Johns to Serve as Chief Creative Officer

John Rood Named EVP, Sales, Marketing and Business Development
Patrick Caldon Named EVP, Finance and Administration

(February 18, 2010 – New York, NY and Burbank, CA) DC Entertainment, founded in September 2009 to unleash the power of the DC Comics library of characters across all media platforms, has named its executive management team, including new co-publishers of DC Comics and a Chief Creative Officer, as well as heads of Sales/Marketing/Business Development and Finance/Administration. Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment, made the announcement today.

The new senior executive team includes Jim Lee and Dan DiDio, who have been named Co-Publishers of DC Comics, and Geoff Johns, who will serve as Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment. Additionally, John Rood has been named Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Business Development, and Patrick Caldon will serve as Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration. Each of these executives will report directly to Nelson.

“DC Entertainment’s new executive team is a creative ‘dream team,’ with accomplishments and talent unrivaled in the business,” said Nelson. “This announcement continues and underscores DC’s legacy as the ultimate destination for creators. We’ll benefit enormously from the deep experience this team represents, while re-energizing the direction and focus of the company. I’m excited and honored to have each of them with me at the helm of DC Entertainment.”

“With this new leadership team, Diane will be able to fully and respectfully integrate DC’s brand and characters, not only as key content drivers in the film division, but across all of the businesses of Warner Bros. and Time Warner,” said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “I am very proud and excited about the accomplished executives who are charged with expanding this powerful library. They each have a diverse and complementary skill-set and are deeply committed to contributing to the DC Comics legacy.”

Prior to his current post, Lee served as Editorial Director, where he oversaw WildStorm Studios and was also the artist for many of DC Comics’ bestselling comic books and graphic novels, including “All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder,” “Batman: Hush” and “Superman: For Tomorrow.” He also serves as the Executive Creative Director for the upcoming DC Universe Online massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment.
Lee is an award-winning comic book illustrator/creator/publisher who started his professional career at Marvel Comics where his work on the X-Men continues to hold the all-time sales record for single issue sales at eight million copies sold in one month. At Marvel, he also drew the Punisher and co-created many characters, the most popular being Gambit, featured in 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” feature film. In 1992, he started his own production company, WildStorm Productions, and co-founded Image Comics, an independent comics company which quickly grew to become the number-three North American comics publisher. His most notable creations, “WildCats” and “Gen 13,” saw life beyond comic books as a CBS Saturday morning cartoon and as a direct-to-video animated movie distributed by Disney, respectively. In 1998, he left Image Comics and sold WildStorm to DC Comics.

DiDio most recently served as Senior Vice President and Executive Editor, DC Universe, overseeing the editorial department for the DC Universe imprint, including the ongoing adventures of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and scores of heroes and villains. He also worked to develop new titles with the industry’s premier writers and artists. At DC Comics, DiDio has spearheaded such bestselling projects as “All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder,” “Identity Crisis,” Green Lantern, Teen Titans and The Outsiders.

Before joining DC in 2002, DiDio was with Mainframe Entertainment, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs, overseeing the development, distribution, marketing and promotion of all Mainframe’s television properties. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of Children’s Programming for ABC, where he was also a publicity manager, having started his television career at CBS, working in a variety of positions.
Johns builds on his current role at DC from being one of today’s most prolific, popular and award-winning contemporary comic book writers with this new executive role. He is a New York Times bestselling author who has written highly acclaimed stories revitalizing Green Lantern, Superman, the Flash, Teen Titans, and the Justice Society of America for DC Comics.

Johns began his comics career creating and writing “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.” for DC Comics while at the same time working with film director Richard Donner. After acclaimed runs on Flash, Teen Titans and the bestselling “Infinite Crisis” mini-series, Johns co-wrote a run on Action Comics with his mentor, Donner. Johns has also written and produced for various other media, including the acclaimed “Legion” and “Absolute Justice” episodes of Warner Bros. Television’s “Smallville” and Adult Swim’s “Robot Chicken” and “Titan Maximum.” He also wrote the story of the DC Universe Online massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment.

Rood returns to Warner Bros. after 10 years with the Disney ABC Television Group, where he most recently was Senior Vice President of Marketing, ABC Family. While at ABC, he also consulted for ABC News during the recent transitions at “Good Morning America” and “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.”

Prior to Disney, Rood worked for six years at Warner Bros. Consumer Products, negotiating promotional deals with national advertisers using Warner Bros.’ properties, including the DC Comics characters. He has also worked in promotions for Equity Marketing on the Burger King account and in advertising for Leo Burnett on the McDonald’s and Miller Brewing accounts.

Caldon most recently served as Executive Vice President, Finance and Operations of DC Comics and MAD Magazine. Before that, he served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations, and his other posts at DC include Vice President, Finance and Operations, and Controller, the position in which he joined the company in 1985. Prior to joining DC Comics, Caldon spent a decade at Warner Communications in corporate accounting and as Senior Vice President and CFO of the Cosmos soccer team (owned by Warner Communications at the time).
DC Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, is charged with strategically integrating the DC Comics business, brand and characters deeply into Warner Bros. and all its content and distribution businesses. DC Entertainment utilizes the expertise the Studio has in building and sustaining franchises to prioritize the DC properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of the Studio, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products. The DC Comics publishing business is the cornerstone of DC Entertainment, releasing approximately 90 comic books through its various imprints and 30 graphic novels a month as well as continuing to build on its creative leadership in the comic book industry.

[Press] FORTE AND GUCUNJA’S DTOX ETCHED IN HEAVY METAL

FORTE AND GUCUNJA’S DTOX ETCHED IN HEAVY METAL
DTOX, A POST ARMAGHEDDON HUNTER OF MUTANTS, GETS AN 8-PAGE STORY PRINTED IN THE NOV. 2009 ISSUE OF HEAVY METAL

Asylum Press announced today that an eight page story featuring the character DTOX will be featured in the November 2009 issue of Heavy Metal magazine.   DTOX is written by Frank Forte (Warlash, Undead Evil) and illustrated by Nenad Gucunja (Satan’s 3-Ring Circus of Hell, Girls and Corpses).

DTOX takes place in a post-Armageddon future.  The lone biohazard warrior fights to cleanse the earth of a rising toxic mutant population.  Killvixen, a knife-wielding femme fatale, soon joins him.  Together, armed with the mobile arsenal code-named DTANK, they travel the ravaged mid-west in search of rogue monstrosities and fuel.  Their destination is to locate the evil bio-scientist Scourge and destroy him and his mutant factory.

“This episode printed in Heavy Metal is actually episode 2 in the DTOX story.  It works alone as a twisted sci-fi tale, but is part of a larger “Scourge” storyline, explains creator Frank Forte, “In this tale DTOX and Killvixen come upon a   recent battlefield between the military and mutants.  With corpses littering the area they stumble upon one lone survivor, a woman who pleads for her life.  All is not what it seems as DTOX drops his guard and the woman turns into a giant slug-like mutant who wants to feast.”

“The character DTOX is inspired by the Heavy Metal Magazine and EPIC Illustrated I used to read in the 1980′s.  Characters like Ranxerox and Den showed how far comics could really go.  Pepe Moreno, Guido Crepax and Caza just blew me away.  I grew tired of costumed superheroes after a while and wanted something more.  I found it in the pages of Heavy Metal, ” explains Frank Forte. ” Now I’m giving back.”

“DTOX was a great addition to the November issue of Heavy Metal and we look forward to printing the next episode in the coming issues, ” says Howard Jurofsky, VP Heavy Metal.

“Working on DTOX was fantastic, ” says Nenad Gucunja, ” I was able go off on the script and expand the scenes.  Then Frank would go back and rewrite it.  What came out was something fun and demented.”

The DTOX  trailer can be seen here: http://www.dtoxcomic.com/

[Press] MST3K ALUM MARY JO PEHL JOINS BLUEWATER’S CAST OF COMIC CREATORS

MST3K ALUM MARY JO PEHL JOINS BLUEWATER’S CAST OF COMIC CREATORS

For four years she was part of a cruel cabal subjecting a lone astronaut and his robot buddies to a series of tortuously bad B-movies, but now Mary Jo Pehl is sharpening her wit for a new comic book project with Bluewater Productions.

Pehl, best known as a writer and character Pearl Forrester from the cult show Mystery Science Theater 3000, is penning an original limited series comic entitled “Jailbait.”

Written as a tongue-in-cheek B-movie serial, “Jailbait” follows the adventures of an all-female undercover organization looking to hunt down predatory perverts by any means necessary and prevent children from becoming targets. It has been described as “To Catch a Predator” meets “Charlie’s Angels” meets Ed Wood’s “The Violent Years.”

“The story may be firmly rooted in satire and Mary Jo’s unique humor will be keep you laughing, but it has a serious message about keeping kids safe from predators, both online and off,” said Bluewater president and title creator Darren G. Davis.  “In each issue we will provide information on important resources parents and children need to know; phone numbers of organizations and law enforcement.”

Slated for a first-quarter 2010 release, this four-issue mini-series, pairs Pehl with artist Alejandro Figueroa (Watchmen spoof “Whatmen?”) and cover artist Azim Akberal.

“There’s a great story there to be told, and I hope to do it with honesty, accuracy and humor, and well-rounded characterizations.” Said Pehl, who is currently a writer/producer for the direct-to-DVD comedy series, Cinematic Titanic, which takes on badmovies in the same spirit as MST3K.

Pehl has also written numerous magazines and newspapers, and has appeared in several anthologies, including “Life’s A Stitch: The Best of Contemporary Women’s Humor,” and “Travelers’ Tales: The Thong Also Rises.” In addition, her commentaries have aired on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and “Weekend America.”

And yes, in case it has been nagging you for 4 years, her name was the answer to 2 across in the April 18, 2005 issue of the TV Guide crossword puzzle.

About Bluewater Productions

Bluewater Productions Inc. is one of the top independent production studios of comic books, young adult books and graphic novels. Its extensive catalog of titles includes the bestsellers “10th Muse” and “The Legend of Isis.” Bluewater publishes comic books with legendary filmmaker Ray Harryhausen and have recently launched a series in partnership with sci-fi icon William Shatner.

Bluewater aims to unite cutting-edge art and engaging stories produced by its stable of the publishing industry’s top artists and writers.

Following its commitment to green publishing, Bluewater comic books are printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper. FSC certification guarantees that the paper used in Bluewater books contains fiber from well-managed and responsibility harvested forests that meet strict environmental and socioeconomic standards.

For more information, visit www.bluewaterprod.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Jason Schultz, Bluewater Productions
(360) 828-1696
jason.schultz@bluewaterprod.com

[Press] The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology —New from No Starch Press

[Press] ASYLUM PRESS SIGNS WITH COMIXOLOGY FOR DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ON THE IPHONE

ASYLUM PRESS SIGNS WITH COMIXOLOGY FOR DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ON THE IPHONE

In the first week of release Steve Mannion’s Fearless Dawn #1 races to #3 in sales on the Comixology App.
Asylum Press announced today that it has signed a non-exclusive agreement with Comixology for distribution of its comics on the iPhone.  Among the titles to be released first if Steve Mannion’s Fearless dawn mini-series and Elizabeth J. Musgrave’s Farmhouse.

“”I am very excited to work with Comixology on delivering Asylum Press’ comics to the iPhone.  There are millions of iPhone users and it opens up our reader base quite significantly, “says publisher Frank Forte, “The comics market has needed to get to new fans for over a decade and this seems to be the best way to do it.  We hope it will drive readers to their local comics shops.”

The first Fearless Dawn 4-issue mini-series sub-titled “The Belly of the Beast” is an action packed thrill-rid. Jet riding good girl FEARLESS DAWN battles her arch nemesis Helga Von Krause in this mini-series from Steve Mannion. Fearless Dawn infiltrates the vaunted “Manitoba Sector” to discover the secret behind Helga’s chemically induced NAZI MONSTERS. Meanwhile, all is not well back at home base when Fearless Dawn’s boss discovers our hero has broken probation and flown the coop.

Farmhouse is a dark character drama set in a mental institution set in the town of Paintsville in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. In this tale, Sam Corneile, A drifter, returns home to take a job at a local mental institution where he discovers a group of patients being exploited under an art therapy regimen. While there, he falls for Helen, a feisty but troubled female who dares him to confront his past.  Farmhouse is written by Elizabeth J. Musgrave and Illustrated by Szymon Kudranski.

In the coming months Asylum Press will release Asylum of Horrors, Undead Evil, Zombie Terrors, Billy Boy The Sick Little Fat Kid, The Vampire Verses and other upcoming titles for Comixology’s iPhone app comic store.

The Comics by ComiXology App is a digital comic store, library and reader for iPhone and iPod touch that is launching with over 100 titles available from twenty popular comic publishers and many independent comic writers.“The stunning display and innovative multi-touch user interface of iPhone and iPod touch have finally made comics appealing in a digital format,” said David Steinberger, CEO of Iconology, Inc. “By combining great comics with iPhone OS 3.0’s In-App Purchasing and location awareness features we are creating a revolution in the way comics are sold and read which could only happen with iPhone and iPod touch.”

The Comics by ComiXology App heralds an entirely new comic book publishing and connected commerce model. With the Comics by ComiXology app, comic book enthusiasts can not only read their comics in a format designed to preserve the comic book experience on an iPhone or iPod touch, but also locate and connect with local retailers to purchase the printed version of the titles. Through relationships with comic book retailers, Comics by ComiXology will increase both digital and print sales of comics and deliver a powerful mobile marketing tool for comic book publishers and retailers. Comics by ComiXology offers a “guided view” that keeps the entire page of a comic intact, unlike other solutions where the page is cut into individual pictures the user browses like a photo application. Comics by ComiXology is a reader app that contains all a user’s comics and offers its own digital comics store that supports multiple publishers.
About Iconology, Inc.
Since 2007 Iconology, Inc. has been working to expose more people to the world of comics, through comiXology.com and related applications. ComiXology.com, brick-and-mortar comic book retailer tools, iPhone and Blackberry apps and digital comics are all connected through the ComiXology platform.

ABOUT ASYLUM PRESS:
Founded in 1999 by Frank Forte, Asylum Press is a unique publishing house specializing in high profile projects from some of the industry’s biggest names. Publishing superhero comics with Warlash: Zombie Mutant Genesis, continuing their tradition of horror with Undead Evil, Satan’s 3-Ring Circus of Hell, the upcoming Asylum of Horrors and Beyond Lovecraft, venturing into dark humor with Billy Boy The Sick Little Fat Kid and The Cletus and Floyd Show, Asylum Press continues to be on the cutting edge of comic and graphic novel publishing.   Asylum Press is distributed by Diamond Comics, Haven Distributors, Tony Shenton and Partners Publishers Group to the booktrade.

[Press] ‘TRIBUTE: MICHAEL JACKSON, KING OF POP COMIC BOOK OFFERS LASTING REMEMBRANCE FOR FANS FROM BLUEWATER

‘TRIBUTE: MICHAEL JACKSON, KING OF POP COMIC BOOK OFFERS LASTING REMEMBRANCE FOR FANS FROM BLUEWATER

To millions he was the King of Pop; one of the world’s most cherished entertainers and a celebrated international icon. With his untimely passing, Michael Jackson left an extraordinary and tragic legacy. Bluewater Productions is paying tribute in October to his memory and legacy with a special collectors edition biography comic.

The newest addition to the publisher’s critically acclaimed biography library will trace Jackson’s rise as a musical prodigy with the “Jackson 5” through last Thursdays sad end. The book will feature highlights from his storied career and cover his enigmatic private life.

“Michael Jackson’s music served as the soundtrack to countless lives…including mine,” said Bluewater president Darren G. Davis, “His influence on our culture has been profound.”

“TRIBUTE: Michael Jackson, King of Pop,” features a wraparound cover and foreword by “The Official Michael Jackson Fan Club’s” Giuseppe Mazzola. Mazzola was also Jackson’s personal friend.? The issue is being written by Wey-Yuih Loh, (Political Power: Colin Powell” and “Political Power: Joe Biden) and illustrated by Giovanni Timpano (Vincent Price Presents). Noted cover artist Vinnie Tartamella will also provide an alternate wraparound cover.

“This is a celebration of his life and what he meant to a legion of fans,” Davis said. “Although the book won’t shy away from some of his personal troubles, we try to tell a balanced story that shows Jackson as a musical genius, an unparalleled superstar and as a complex person.”

Davis noted that he initially waffled at producing a tribute comic, but after receiving dozens of emails and phone calls he knew it was the proper way to show respect and give fans a lasting remembrance.

In recent months, Bluewater has become one of the leading producers of biography comics. Launched earlier this year, Bluewater’s “Female Force” has featured influential women such as Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Princess Diana, Sarah Palin and Oprah Winfrey. A follow-up series, “Political Power” launching in July is set to turn the spotlight on politicians like Colin Powell, Barack Obama, and Al Gore.

Bluewater’s biography titles have drawn considerable media attention, including features on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and “Live with Regis and Kelly.” It has also been featured in such periodicals as People Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today and thousands of blogs and other media outlets.

To find a comic book store near you, go to the comic shop locator, www.comicshoplocator.com. “Female Force” books are also available on Amazon.com, where they have been ranked among the site’s top 300 books.

High-resolution images and interview opportunities are available upon request.

About Bluewater Productions

Bluewater Productions Inc. is one of the top independent production studios of comic books, young adult books and graphic novels. Its extensive catalog of titles includes the bestsellers “Female Force”, “10th Muse” and “The Legend of Isis.” Bluewater publishes comic books with legendary filmmaker Ray Harryhausen and the recently launched partnership with sci-fi icon William Shatner.

Bluewater aims to unite cutting-edge art and engaging stories produced by its stable of the publishing industry’s top artists and writers.

For more information, visit www.bluewaterprod.com.

[PRESS] Bluewater Comics for June 2009

Warlock #4
Author(s): Nick Lyons
Artist(s) Jacob Bear
Cover Artist(s): cover by Matt Bellisle
In the climactic final issue of this mini-series, Tom, Hugh, and Rachael face off against the seven Warlocks. Can the Warlocks be stopped once and for all or will the they continue their reign of terror on everyone and everything in their path?

Vincent Price Presents #10
Writer: Darren G. Davis & Chad Helder
Pencils: Pat Broderick
Cover Artist(s):? cover: Pat Broderick
Vincent Price Presents: shocking tales of the macabre and the mysterious in the Gothic tradition of horror icon, Vincent Price.? In this month’s issue, an advertising executive encounters a nightmarish retribution when a fender-bender unleashes “Road Rage” in the twisted mind of a sinister adversary. Drawn by DC Comics artist Pat Broderick

William Shatner? Presents: Tek War #1
Writer: William Shatner & Scott Davis
Pencils: Erich Owens
Cover Artist(s): 2 covers: Erich Owens & Mike Coffey
After spending 4 years in cryogenic stasis for crimes he is certain he did not commit, Jake Cardigan is mysteriously released. Finding himself lost in a world that has changed since his incarceration, Jake tries and put his life back together. His wife and son are gone, or in hiding, and Jake; fights the strong urge to self-medicate using a digital drug called Tek. Offered a job to locate a missing enigmatic scientist, Jake can already feel the puppet strings manipulating him to return to the life that got him jailed in the first place. And his troubles are only beginning. The epic futuristic adventure, based on William Shatner’s best-selling TekWar novel series begins!

Lionsgate Films: Leprechaun #2
Writer: Zach Hunchar
Pencils: Kris Carter
Cover Artist(s):? cover: Photo cover
From the cult film from Lionsgate. Imagine simple tales of legend. Which are not tales or legends at all. And far from simple. Imagine no further as Leprechaun issue 2 continues the journey of the last of the Leprechauns. The dark forces have scattered his one true love. Now, new allies emerge that hold? keys to his survival.

Female Force: Caroline Kennedy
Author(s): Neal Bailey
Artist(s) Ryan Howe
Cover Artist(s): cover by Vinnie Tartamella
This comic series has been featured on CNN, FOX NEWS & OK! Magazine. Join Bluewater as we explore the life and times of Caroline Kennedy in the final installment of the first series of politically themed Female Force series, exploring strong women and the events that shaped their lives. From Camelot to the recent election, see the impact that the last child of the Kennedy dynasty has had in shaping the new America!

Legend of Isis #2
Writer: Aaron Stueve
Pencils: Ivan Barriga
Cover Artist(s): 2 covers van Barriga and Neil Chenier
Who or what is the Scarab Queen?!? Why is Isis is in the hospital?!? Who destroyed the museum?!? And just who the heck is that pointing a gun at Scott?!? Find out some of the answers to the above questions in the second outstanding issue of The Legend of Isis.

[Press] Atlanta comic book writer creates the new Atlanta Comics Creators networking group

Atlanta comic book writer creates the new Atlanta Comics Creators networking group

Contact:
Sean Taylor
mail@taylorverse.com
http://atlcomix.ning.com/

Atlanta, GA; December 4, 2008 — Gene Simons Dominatrix writer Sean Taylor, a local boy who was able to beat the odds and break into the comic book industry, has created a brand new group on the networking site Ning just for other locals who are currently in the industry or operating on the fringes in the indie field.

The group is open to all comics creators, including pencilers, inkers, colorists, writers, letterers, editors, publishers, involved in mainstream, indie, manga, or web comics. Membership is also open to pop art and low brow artists who include comic style art or influences in their toy and exhibition work.

The Atlanta Comics Creators group’s goals include:

* breaking the isolation the comics industry tends to foster of creators sitting in their studios and offices and seldom seeing other creators
* building effective networks branching locals to national and international markets
* fostering creative partnerships among locals
* mentoring up-and-comers
* promoting occasional real-life events to get local creators together in a relaxing, non-work atmosphere,? ? both in small “lunch groups” or larger “membership-wide” get-togethers
* and more to come as the group decides

With so many existing networking groups from Facebook to MySpace to ComicSpace, another group like the Atlanta Comics Creators might seem superfluous, but according to Taylor, the idea for the group grew out of the camaraderie he felt after joining a small group of local comics folks from time to time for lunch.

“As I went about my day-to-day job of scripting and putting together pitches, I realized how much working in this industry tends to keep us away from each other instead of pulling us together. Some folks have the luxury of working in studios, but others don’t and we all need those occasional opportunities to sharpen each others’ iron and to just hang out and shoot the breeze.

“Also,” he adds, “the industry is changing so much so quickly with the inclusion of webcomics, digital techniques, new book formats, pop art, low brow, the growth of manga in the U.S., etc., that it seems to me we need each other more than ever to stay on top of our game.”

For more information, visit http://atlcomix.ning.com/

For more information about Sean Taylor, visit http://www.taylorverse.com

The Associated Press: `Star Trek Online’ is ready to beam up

The Associated Press: `Star Trek Online’ is ready to beam up

`Star Trek Online’ is ready to beam up

By DERRIK J. LANG – 5 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Star Trek Online” is finally going warp speed ahead.

After years in development limbo, the “Trek”-themed massively multiplayer online game will engage, according to game developer Cryptic Studios Inc.

Jack Emmert, Cryptic Chief Creative Officer, said players will begin “Star Trek Online” as the captain of a small Starfleet or Klingon Empire ship. They can customize their characters from pre-existing “Trek” species — from Klingons to Gorn — and can create entirely new alien races. As they progress through the game, players can increase in rank and gain larger vessels and more crew.

“You’ll venture through space exploring new civilizations and life-forms,” said Emmert. “You’ll also beam down to planets and have adventures inside your ship. It’s a galactic-wide game. There’s going to be tons of space to investigate. We have a great system for exploration, which will allow for almost infinite possibilities.”

Cryptic recently announced it had secured the rights to develop and publish “Star Trek Online” from CBS Consumer Products after now-defunct Perpetual Entertainment set the besieged project to kill.

“We had a friendly relationship with them,” Emmert said. “As it became apparent they weren’t going to continue to function, they decided to sell off the license. We swooped in and grabbed it. We took no assets. There was nothing to be had, to be honest. We’re building everything from the ground up.”

Players will also be able to battle against other vessels in laser-blasting, missile-firing deep space scuffles reminiscent of “The Wrath of Khan” and the Dominion War in “Deep Space Nine.” Because the game will be set a few generations following the last “Trek” film, players shouldn’t expect to run into James T. Kirk or Jean-Luc Picard.

“There might be a ship called Enterprise flying around, but it’s probably not the same ship anymore,” said Emmert. “Most of the characters will have either retired or passed on, but you’ll definitely be going to all the places you know and love from ‘Star Trek.’ Expect to see oldies like Vulcan and Bajor but also fan favorites like Andoria and Qo’noS.”

Emmert plans to unveil footage and more details about “Star Trek Online” — which has no release date set — with Leonard Nimoy at a “Star Trek” convention Sunday in Las Vegas at the Gene Roddenberry Theater inside the Las Vegas Hilton. The “Star Trek Online” panel will also be broadcast live at StarTrekOnline.com.

“You’re going to see the actual game working and functioning,” said Emmert. “This isn’t renders. This isn’t concept art. Everything that people will see on Sunday is going to be taken right from ‘Star Trek Online’ as it stands today, so hardened people should know that a release date might be closer than they think.”

Cryptic, the developer originally responsible for “City of Heroes” and “City of Villains,” is also working on the superhero-themed online game “Champions Online,” scheduled for release for Windows PC and Xbox 360 next year. Emmert said “Star Trek Online” would definitely be available for Windows PC and perhaps Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

Other online games based on popular entertainment franchises include “The Lord of the Rings Online,” “The Matrix Online,” “Pirates of the Caribbean Online” and “Star Wars Galaxies.” Sony Online Entertainment is currently developing “DC Universe Online” while MGM Interactive is working on “Stargate Worlds.”
On the Net:

* http://www.startrekonline.com/

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