BC Refugees Blog

REVIVAL Vol. 1 Writer: Tom Seely Artist: Mike Norton Image Comics | graphic novel | $12.99 Image  is one of my favorite publishing companies. Along with  Vertigo  and  Dynamite , Image is a great place to find creator owned, non-capes and tights stories that are consistently compelling.  Revival  is the latest breakout hit from the same company that brought us such fan favorites as  Fatale ,  Elephantmen ,  Invincible  and  Saga . You might know  Tim Seely  as the writer of  Hack/Slash  and as the penciler of the  New Exiles .  Mike Norton  has illustrated extensively for  DC  and has his own webcomic,  Battlepug . Revival is the story of a small town in  Wisconsin  where the dead are returning to life but it’s not a  Walking Dead  wannabe. When the dead rise they are just as you remember them, a doting grandmother, a son taken too soon or a dearly missed spouse. In a town that is under government quarantine, decried by the clergy and under siege from grave robbers looki

  EDITOR’S NOTE: I agree with Matthew Phillion:  we definitely live in interesting times.  One of the things I most appreciate is the ease of networking compared to a decade ago.  This guest column is the result of that, and here’s how it occurred thanks to networking:  When I receive a press release that I believe would be of interest to BC Refugees readers, I follow up with a thank-you email to the publisher or marketing source.  I emailed PFP Publishing to thank them for the information about The Indestructibles and they in turn forwarded my email to Matthew Phillion, the author.  My preface to the blog article intrigued Matthew, and he wrote to me to ask if I was going to expand my thoughts and write about a connection between Young Adult (YA) novels and comics.  I wasn’t prepared to do that, but thought the idea was a good one.  So, I invited Matthew to write about it.  . . . And, here we are . . . . . . Guest column by author MATTHEW PHILLION As superhero or comic book fans, w

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you’re going to Baltimore Comic Con, please spend some time to check out and meet the many indie comics publishers who will be there. They need your support, and a Comic Con is a great way to get introduced, beginning with PLB Comics. from the official press release . . . . . . . BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 21, 2014 - PLB Comics will be debuting their third annual Halloween Special at Baltimore Comic-Con 2014.  The special offers up tales of horror and suspense from such notable creators as Nikkol Jelenic (table A220), Cheltsey Vann, Brian Spicer, Ryan Thompson, Frank Dawson Jr., Josh Shockley, James Dufendach, and Isai Jose Leal Garza, with a cover by the incomparable Neil Vokes. PLB is the Eastern Shore of Maryland's most prolific indie comics publisher, with 14 books in print and thousands of copies sold.  Their main titles, The Fall (a gritty vigilante title) and Gideon & Sebastian (a buddy cop, vampire slayer, action comedy with no sparkling) ha

EDITOR’S NOTE: I was contemplating the state of young adult novels just the other day, wondering if the recent interest in reading would drive some new customers to comics and whether anyone has written a young adult novel featuring super-heroes, when  I hear about this . . . . . . . . . from the official press release . . . . . . . The Indestructibles : an ‘indefatigably entertaining’ new superhero novel A solar powered girl.  A ballerina vigilante.  A boy with an alien living inside his brain.  A werewolf with confidence issues.  A girl with a black hole for a heart. Five teenagers, each with their own unique abilities, are gathered by veteran hero Doc Silence to become their generation’s super-team.  But when they find out someone else is building their own monsters to change the world, will the Indestructibles be ready in time?  Or will their inexperience be their downfall? Both a coming of age adventure and a love letter to comic book heroes, The Indestructibles , the first bo

THE DELINQUENTS #1 of 4  (Valiant Entertainment, August 20, 2014 release date) Written by James Asmus.  Story by James Asmus and Fred Van Lente.  Art by Kano.  Letters by Dave Sharpe.   Hidden amongst the very entertaining but serious (and often dark) action-adventure series published by  Valiant Entertainment   are two successful titles that manage to take a light-hearted approach to story-telling and mix in some humor and satire in clever ways that don't insult the intelligence of the reader.  If you are not reading  ARCHER AND ARMSTRONG   and  QUANTUM AND WOODY then you are missing out. Good news!  Valiant has teamed up both couples in a mini-series called THE DELINQUENTS that debuts tomorrow. It is truly the perfect jumping on point if you have been curious about either of these books and weren't sure where to start.      THE DELINQUENTS   is a funny book in every sense of the term.  It may not make you bust out laughing (that could be embarrassing, depending on wh

EDITOR'S NOTE: Great to see that geek culture is making a significant contribution to the economic recovery. Read more below From the official press release . . . (August 18, 2014-Madison, WI) Pop culture experts ICv2 released today the results of their study on the hobby game market and it shows that the North American market totaled $700 million at retail for 2013. Breaking down the estimate for the total industry by category shows that collectible games was the largest at $450 million; miniatures second at $125 million; boardgames were third at $75 million; card and dice games fourth at $35 million; with RPGs coming in last at $15 million. “Hobby games” are defined as those games produced for “gamers” and are most often sold in the hobby channel or game and card specialty stores, but these items are not limited to sales in that market. ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp commented, “A $700 million market is a significant geek culture market segment. With the growth it’s been experiencin

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 16, 2014 - On Saturday night, September 6th, the comic book industry, including professionals, retailers, and fans, will gather at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore to honor the 2014 Harvey Award Nominees for 2013 comic work and present the Harveys to their recipients.  This is an exciting evening, highlighted by our host Michael Uslan, Originator and Executive Producer of the dark and serious Batman film franchise, from 1989's "Batman" through "The Dark Knight Trilogy" to the upcoming "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice." Harvey Awards tickets are on sale NOW!   Tickets to the event, which includes full cocktail hour (cash bar), full service dinner (featuring a Baltimore Crabcake!), awards ceremony, and a gift bag, are now available for $125.   Tickets are available at our website via credit card at baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets . Host Michael Uslan is a titan in the entertainment industry.  His projects have won Emmy Awards

TERMINAL HERO #1 (Dynamite Entertainment, August 06 2014 release date) Written by Peter Milligan. Illustrated by Piotr Kowalski. Colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick. Lettered by Simon Bowland. Cover Art by Jae Lee. Kowalski's dynamic art explodes across the opening pages in fiery fashion with images that will burn into your memory. Is this a foreshadowing of later events or someone's bad dream? Cut to five years later and London junior doctor Rory Fletcher views an x-ray of a huge inoperable brain tumor as he learns he has approximately two months to live. His best friend Raza hacks into a clandestine medical research center and steals files on Treatment Q, a radical program that was shut down and classified as top secret after some unpredictable side effects. Of course, Raza thinks he can re-create the program and improve it, with a willing Rory as first patient. At first results are encouraging. The tumor is shrinking and the only side effects are hallucinations and

From the official press release . . . . . 2014 Baltimore Comic-Con/StylinOnline.com Costume Contest on Sunday, September 7th 2013 Costume Contest Winners BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 6, 2014 - This year, StylinOnline.com is bringing back their "Tower of T-shirts" to the Baltimore Comic-Con -- being held Friday, September 5th through Sunday, September 7th, 2014 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor -- and they're once again sponsoring the highly-demanded and hugely popular Annual Costume Contest. And this year, we've doubled the Grand Prize! The Baltimore Comic-Con Costume Contest is one of the most popular events at the show, attracting fans from far and wide who come to dress up as their favorite characters, show off their hard work in creating fantastic-looking costumes, or to observe and/or photograph costumed attendees -- just look at our Facebook photos sections to see where the volume of photos are! 2014's prize packages incl

from the official press release . . . . . . . BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 11, 2014 - Come to Baltimore's Inner Harbor to experience the Baltimore Comic-Con's inaugural 3-day event on Friday-Sunday, September 5-7, 2014 at the Baltimore Convention Center!  Returning to our show in 2014 are titans and veterans of industry Paul Levitz, Laura Martin, Brian Stelfreeze, and Karl Story! Paul Levitz has been a mainstay at DC Comics since 1972, serving as a writer, editor, and President (2002 - 2009) over the tenure of his career.  His name is synonymous with the Legion of Super-Heroes , which he wrote from 1977-1979 and 1981-1989, and he created such notable characters as the Stalker, the Earth-2 Huntress, and Lucien the Librarian.  Levitz has since returned to writing the Legion of Super-Heroes for the New 52, as well as the Earth-2 centric book, World's Finest .  Earlier this year, Levitz moved onto the next phase of his career, accepting a Board of Directors position with BO

From the official press release. . . . . He survived NINJAK… He survived UNITY… But can X-O Manowar survive his first encounter with the all-new ARMORINES? This November, Valiant proudly presents "ENTER: ARMORINES" – a new three-part story arc beginning in X-O MANOWAR #30 by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (ARMOR HUNTERS, The Flash) and red-hot rising star Diego Bernard (Red Lanterns)! Start reading here with an all-new jumping-on point for the series that IGN calls "fantastic, action-packed storytelling that never fails to satisfy" as X-O Manowar fires the first shot in an all-or-nothing battle against a ruthless new fighting force – codename: ARMORINES – fixated on disarming the world's most powerful weapon and eliminating Aric of Dacia once and for all. London was attacked… Moscow was attacked… Rome was attacked…and the world blames X-O Manowar! As an international firestorm pushes the world toward war, it's come down to the bleeding-e

From the official press release . . . . . (BALTIMORE, Maryland) — (August 5, 2014) —Graphic novel publisher Creative Mind Energy (CME) has signed a supply agreement with Diamond Comic Distributors to distribute their line of products worldwide to comic book specialty stores, book stores, mass-market merchandisers, libraries and other outlets excluding markets in Asia. CME is an up and coming comic book and graphic novel publisher providing a wide range of genres for readers of all ages to enjoy. The publisher’s first original graphic novel The Gifted is showcased in the October issue of Diamond’s PREVIEWS catalog. The first volume in an ongoing series, The Gifted, shows what life is like for animals struggling to survive in a world laid to waste by humanity’s violence, abuse and exploitation. Through the eyes of the lone wolf the reader gains a unique perspective experiencing first hand his desperation, hunger and fight for survival. Hand painted watercolors and minimal text is all tha

Kids Love Comics" at the Baltimore Comic-Con 2014! Baltimore Comic-Con Offers Interactive Kids' Comics Area with cartoonists, comic creation, capes, and light saber training! BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 6, 2014 - Kids 10 and under get in free at the Baltimore Comic-Con September 5-7, 2014 at the Baltimore Convention Center -- and show organizers are once again presenting a kid-friendly comics area, full of all-ages comics, as well as the artists and writers who make them. Creators from such companies as Archie, Scholastic, Disney, Simon & Schuster, First Second, Marvel, and DC will be on hand to sketch, say hi, and help to teach young ones about the magic of comics through mini-How-To's through the weekend, right at the Kids Comics Pavilion! Plus, kids can take part in comic crafts, game shows, and more! Activities in this super cool section of the show include: * Interactive Comics Talks from some of Kids' Comics top creators, such as Ben Hatke (Zita the Spac

  from the official press release . . . . . It's hard being a princess... A Ninja Princess Media Release -- Shianndrea Toshigawa is just your average, ordinary ninja -in -training.  On the run from her father, the Emperor Terminus and the Azumi ninja clan, Shianndrea trains with the legendary Toshigawa clan to embrace the mysterious power within her.  Shinobi: Ninja Princess , (a six issue comic book series) is written, illustrated and created by mastermind Martheus Wade.  A prequel to Wade's most famous creation 'Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa' , Shinobi; Ninja Princess explores her formative years as Shianndrea struggles against her destiny as well as being a teenager.  The all ages action/adventure series takes a manga inspired spin on this classic coming of age story and returns to a universe of warring clans, futuristic intrigue and high adventure. Wade's approach is accessible to readers who may cross over from that realm but it manages to stay just light en

from the official press release . . . . . .                     Valiant is proud to announce that all printings of RAI #1 – the red-hot launch book of the VALIANT FIRST initiative by New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt ( THE VALIANT , Mind MGMT ) and superstar artist Clayton Crain ( Carnage ) – and RAI #3 have again sold out at the distributor level, and will soon return to store shelves with new printings and covers featuring the stunning interior artwork of Clayton Crain.      Look for the RAI #1 FOURTH PRINTING VARIANT and RAI #3 SECOND PRINTING VARIANT to arrive in stores on August 27th , the same day as RAI #4 – a brand new installment of the astonishing new ongoing series that Comic Book Resources calls "an immersive experience…unlike anything in comics today." "The critical praise and retail demand for RAI is only continuing to mount, and the first issue has now matched X-O MANOWAR #1 in terms of sell-outs and reprintings," said Valiant

from the official press release . . . . . BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 4, 2014 - The Baltimore Comic-Con's inaugural 3-day event takes place on Friday-Sunday, September 5-7, 2014 at the Baltimore Convention Center!  We are pleased to announce the addition of Christina Blanch, Norman Lee, and Pop Mhan! Christina Blanch came to comics via education -- she is a teacher who found the medium geared for the classroom and one-on-one instruction.  She has taught on college campuses, in the correctional system, and in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) such as "Gender Through Comic Books".  Her Thrillbent Comics title The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood is making the transition to print through Dynamite Entertainment. Norman Lee went to school for fashion illustration.  After experiencing some burnout in that field, he began helping a friend in the comics industry in 1995 with backgrounds, and his career as an inker was underway!  He spent most of his professional life working

from the official press release . . . . . Valiant Comes to iVerse’s ComicsPlus with Complete Digital Comics Library Award-winning publisher will also participate in new library distribution platform as part of their growing educational outreach. Waco, TX (August 1, 2014) Leading digital comics provider iVerse Media announced today they have teamed with award-winning comic book publisher Valiant Entertainment to bring Valiant’s complete library of modern and classic content – including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, Shadowman, Rai, and many more – to iVerse’s ComicsPlus app and affiliated platforms. Effective immediately, iVerse will offer Valiant’s monthly comics titles day-and-date via the ComicsPlus app, and will soon host Valiant’s complete catalog of comics and collections. To launch their newly announced partnership, iVerse is also now offering each of Valiant’s best-selling #1 issues for free on the ComicsPlus app throughout the month of August. Visit Valiant’