ComicsPRO.org

ComicsPRO is the only trade organization dedicated to the progress of direct market comic book retailers.

Friday, December 09, 2011

Top Cow: Artifacts End of the World Party

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sarah deLaine
510-644-4980 x26
sarahdelaine@imagecomics.com


IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!

Top Cow and ComicsPRO Celebrate Artifacts With a Nationwide Event

Berkeley, CA – 9 December 2011 –- Top Cow Productions and ComicsPRO are teaming up to celebrate the end of the entire Top Cow Universe as we know it with a nationwide event! Many of Top Cow's best creators and some of North America's finest comic retailers will be bringing in the new year and new universe in style. In addition to hosting a variety of signings, all ComicsPRO member retailers will also have access to two limited edition variant covers for ARTIFACTS #13 and WITCHBLADE #151 to commemorate the event!

ARTIFACTS #13 concludes the Top Cow Universe's biggest event to date with sweeping changes to the status quo of some of Top Cow's biggest franchises including THE DARKNESS and WITCHBLADE. Written by Top Cow architect Ron Marz with art by legendary artist Dale Keown, ARTIFACTS #13 arrives in stores on January 4th, 2012, kicking off the new year in a big way! The very same week, fans will be introduced to the new direction and creative team in WITCHBLADE #151 by Tim Seeley and Diego Bernard.

"This is truly the most ambitious change to the Top Cow Universe we've ever attempted," commented Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik, "And a great opportunity for new readers to try out these titles. We've had a long, successful relationship with ComicsPRO and wanted to involve their forward-thinking retailers in some way. This nationwide event will allow us to interact with the biggest group of fans and we want to be there first hand to see their reactions!"

The following creators will be appearing and signing on January 4th, 2012:


Ron Marz (ARTIFACTS, WITCHBLADE)

Main Street Comics
157 Dolson Ave
Middletown, NY 10940
Phone: 845-342-0458
Email: mscomics@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/mainstreetcomics


Tim Seeley (WITCHBLADE)

DCBS
10202 Coldwater Road Suite C
Ft. Wayne, IN 46825
Phone: 260-489-1787
Email: customer.service@dcbservice.com
http://www.dcbservice.com


Jeremy Haun (ARTIFACTS)


Fantasy Shop Florissant
8232 N Lindbergh Blvd
Florissant, MO 63031
314-831-5211
fantasyshopflo@gmail.com
www.fantasyshoponline.com


Fantasy Shop South County
10560 Baptist Church Road
St. Louis, MO 63128
314-842-8228
fantasyshopsoco@gmail.com
www.fantasyshoponline.com


Phil Hester (THE DARKNESS)

Krypton Comics
2819 S. 125th Ave Suite 261
Omaha, NE 68144
Phone: 402-391-4131
Email: dphillips68@cox.net
http://www.kryptoncomicsomaha.com


Dave Marquez (MAGDALENA)

Austin Books
5002 N Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78751
Phone: 512-454-4197
Email: brad@austinbooks.com
www.austinbooks.com


Filip Sablik and Troy Peteri (ARTIFACTS, WITCHBLADE)

Collector's Paradise
319 S. Arroyo Prkwy Unit 4
Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: 626-577-6696
Email: store@comicsandcards.net
www.comicsandcards.net


And on January 11th, 2012:


Nelson Blake II (MAGDALENA)

Manhattan Comics and More!
10-12 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010
Phone: 212-460-5322
Email: NYCcomics@aol.com
http://manhattancomics.com


For more information about Top Cow's titles, the "End of the World" party and a list of all the retailers participating in the ARTIFACTS #13 and WITCHBLADE #151 ComicsPro "End of the World" Variant Covers, visit topcow.com.


ABOUT TOP COW PRODUCTIONS INC.
Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise,WITCHBLADE, was TNT’s #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008.WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow’s other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. A second game is slated for release from 2K Games in the Fall of 2011. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow’s other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games.


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

2012 ComicsPRO Annual Meeting

As announced earlier this year, the 2012 ComicsPRO Annual Membership Meeting will be held February 9-11 in Dallas, Texas.

The annual meeting is an opportunity for retailers, publishers, distributors, manufacturers and other vendors to meet and discuss the topics facing the comic book industry. Our goal is to work together to improve sales and profits industry-wide.

All comic book retailers are invited to the annual meeting--ComicsPRO membership is not required. For retailers, registration includes attendance at DC Comics "DC Day" on February 9th, 6 meals during the 3 day meeting, and a retailer gift bag filled with products donated by sponsors.

Publishers, distributors and vendors are invited to attend the ComicsPRO portion of the meeting on February 10th and 11th, and sponsorship includes attendance at panels, roundtables, meals and many other benefits.

For information about the ComicsPRO Annual Membership meeting, visit www.comicspro.org/meet12

For information about Sponsorship, visit www.comicspro.org/sponsorship12

To register, visit www.comicspro.org/register12

To reserve your hotel room at our group rate, visit the DoubleTree Dallas registration page.

Retailers: get a discount on your registration fee if you register before 12/31!

Questions? Please contact us!

See you in Dallas!