BC Refugees Blog

 compiled from various press releases and web sites . . . . . IDW’S RARITY REPORT IDW Publishing continues to pioneer over-sized collector’s editions of original artwork, prints and special items of interest.  Their latest offerings include a signed, limited-edition hardcover of N OS4A2, the recent novel by author Joe Hill with 26 new chapter illustrations by C. P. Wilson III, as well as a full-color dust jacket and an illustrated map of Christmasland, a debased cloth cover as well as the inclusion of the prequel comic, WRAITH, written by Hill and illustrated by Wilson.   Also available for order now is the latest entry in I DW ’s Marvel Artist Select Series, an exclusive line of limited-edition books (999 copies only) featuring iconic issues from Marvel’s most legendary artists.  Presented in an oversized 9” x 13” format, each book features issues hand-picked by the artists, beginning with Sal Buscemi’s favorite work on THE INCREDIBLE HULK.  This volume is available in two

compiled from various press releases, and web site bulletins . . . . . . .   LOOK INSIDE FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2016 COMICS Fre e Comic Book Day 2016 takes place 100 days from now at your local comic shop.  There is an advance look at 50 of the possible free choices you can get on May 7th.  Go to this Free Comic Book Day site to see cover scans of the issues . . . . . . . . . http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/981 DC COMICS ANNOUNCE FREE COMIC BOOK DAY TITLES In anticipation of the August 5 screen debut of SUICIDE SQUAD the movie, writer Adam Glass and artist Marco Rudy introduce the villains that take on the dirtiest jobs in the DC universe.  The special edition of SUICIDE SQUAD #1 for Free Comic Book Day includes the first chapter of the graphic novel SUICIDE SQUAD VOL 1: KICKED IN THE TEETH . The other FCBD title from DC is a sneak peek of the upcoming original grap hic novel DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: FINAL CRISIS , courtesy of Shea Fontana and Yancey Labat.   MARVEL COMIC

FAITH #1 of 4  (Valiant Entertainment, March 2016)  “Faith Begins, Part 1”  Jody Houser, writer.  Francis Portela, artist.  Marguerite Sauvage, fantasy sequence art.  Joe Quinones, re-cap art.  Andrew Dalhousie, color art.  Dave Sharpe, letterer.        Of all the current Valiant Universe characters, Faith Herbert a.k.a. Zephyr is one of the most beloved.  It’s time for her to have her own book, and with any luck this four-issue limited series is just the beginning.      What makes her so likable is her ultra positive mental attitude and her approach to everyday life, loving and savoring every minute.  She’s not another cut-out from the cookie cutter mold of heroine, physically and mentally endowed and brimming with confidence. She’s a full figure woman, a true heavyweight who’s not ashamed of her physical appearance.  She’s still relatively new to the game, still learning and often uncomfortable with her abilities.  Orphaned at an early age, she was raised by her grandmother and fo

from the official press release . . . . . . . . . . . . The Ghastly Awards are Proud to Introduce You to the New Ghastly Award Trophy Thanks to our amazing sponsors and a very successful fund raising campaign this year, the Ghastly Awards were able to have an official trophy created. Showcasing the master craftsmanship of Artist Gus Clark, these trophies are something to behold. The Ghastly Awards are proud to be able to offer these to this year's Winners. ______________________________________________________   The Ghastly Awards are Proud to Announce Celebrity Judge John Everson Starting in 2016 the Ghastly Award Judges will be joined by a Celebrity Horror Judge to help in determining the Ghastly Award Winners. The Celebrity Judge will have a Horror background in media other than Comics. We are happy to announce our first Celebrity Judge, John Everson. John Everson is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of eight novels of horror and the macabre, including his latest, the

EDITOR’S NOTE:  The SCUTTLEBUTT column returns with our first installment for 2016.  This is meant to be a quick summary of recent events in the comics world (and other pop culture genres from time to time) pulled from various press releases, websites and blogs.  According to Wikipedia “Scuttlebutt” in slang usage means rumor or gossip, deriving from the nautical term for the cask used to serve water.  The term corresponds to the colloquial concept of a water cooler in an office setting, which at times becomes the focus of congregation and canal discussion.  Water for immediate consumption on a s sailing ship was conventionally store in a scuttled butt: a butt (cask) which had been scuttled by making a hole in it so the water could be withdrawn.  Since sailors exchanged gossip when they gathered at the scuttlebutt for a drink of water, scuttlebutt became Navy slang for gossip or rumors.  Thanks, Wikipedia for that detailed explanation!  We plan to focus on what we perceive as pure news

Alan Tudyk Covers the Whole ‘Spectrum’ of Free Comic Book Day Details in a New Video From The Official Press Release . . . . . . .           (BALTIMORE, MD) – (January 22, 2016)-  With slightly more than 100 days left until Free Comic Book Day 2016, it’s time for comic fans to start planning how they will be spending the first Saturday in May. Thankfully, actor Alan Tudyk has provided a video with information to get people excited about this 15 th annual nationwide event! Tudyk, perhaps best known for his role as Hoban 'Wash' Washburne in the cult sci-fi Western series Firefly , has teamed up with co-star Nathan Fillion to present the first Spectrum comic from their highly successful webseries, Con Man !  Tudyk will pen with comic with novelist/producer PJ Haarsma ( The Softwire Series ) and artist Sarah Stone ( Transformers ).  Fans can learn more about the title, as well as general information about Free Comic Book Day, in a new video and interview starring Tudyk on the

EDITOR’S NOTE:  We continue a new monthly feature where we recommend some upcoming titles from the current PREVIEWS catalog.  These are not going to be Marvel or DC titles, as every self-respecting comic book store will have every single issue available on their shelves.  This has more to do with current comic shop economics.  Since retailers cannot return unsold books, titles from lesser known publishers are not as well-represented.  Sometimes stores can’t afford to take a chance on a new book, so they order few or no copies.  By highlighting some titles worthy of attention, we hope to take a step to correct that mis-representation.  The rest is up to you, the reader.  If you are interested in a book you learned about on our site, then you need to pre-order it through your local comic shop.  That’s the best way to make sure you will get a copy. GHOST WOLF: BORN IN SNOW AND BLOOD TP (STK698045)  is offered through Amigo Comics and can be found on Page 282 of the current January 2016 is

From the official press release . . . . . Valiant is proud to announce that FAITH #1 (of 4) – the FIRST ISSUE of the long-awaited solo series debut for the breakout star of HARBINGER – has sold out at the distributor level in advance of its January 27th street date and will immediately return to store shelves with the FAITH #1 (of 4) SECOND PRINTING. To meet surging demand for Faith’s solo series debut on the heels of mainstream recognition by a diverse array of media outlets including The A.V. Club, Bustle, Cosmopolitan, The Guardian, MTV, People, Seventeen, The Washington Post, Vox, and many more, Valiant is providing participating retailers with a complimentary overship of the FAITH #1 (of 4) SECOND PRINTING that will arrive in stores alongside the issue’s first, sold-out edition just in time for the title’s January 27th on-sale date. “Even before the first issue has hit stores, FAITH #1 has managed to over-perform on nearly every level,” said Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce. “From st

From the official press release . . . . . IDW Publishing Hires Steven Scott As PR Manager Fully Integrated Media Company Expands to Meet Growing Presence in Marketplace San Diego, CA (January 20, 2016) – IDW Publishing has named Steven Scott as their new PR Manager, who will be responsible for overseeing the company’s public outreach and social media strategies. Scott joins the ranks of IDW after his most recent stint as PR Manager for the San Francisco-based tech startup, Humble Bundle. During that time, Scott led several successful publicity campaigns for a wide variety of digital content bundles for video games, e-books, and digital comics including IDW’s Transformers and My Little Pony series. In addition to working closely with some of the most universally recognized brands and licenses in pop culture, Scott has taken point on promotions for such renowned creators as Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Stan Lee, Kevin J. Anderson, and Star Trek’s George Takei. Scott previously served

EDITOR’S NOTE:  New publisher AfterShock Comics has debuted some impressive titles so far, with more to come.  You can expect to see some reviews here, once we get caught up and get our act together.  In the meantime . . . . . . . from the official press release . . . . . . AfterShock Comics Digitally Debuts Inaugural Slate from Industry’s Top Creators on ComiXology and Amazon’ s Kindle Store January 20, 2016 (New York, NY)  – AfterShock Comics, comiXology and Amazon today announce a distribution agreement making AfterShock Comics’ growing slate of edgy, new titles from top creators including Garth Ennis, Paul Jenkins, Brian Azzarello, Marguerite Bennett, David Hine, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Jordan for sale on the  comiXology  platform as well as  Amazon’s Kindle Store . Today’s debut sees the addition of comics such as  Replica,   InSeXts ,  SuperZero ,  Dreaming Eagles  and  American Monster , available on both comiXology and the Kindle Store. “Since our official

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Just in time for the NFL playoffs, here comes a biography of a popular quarterback.  Storm Comics now, and Bluewater before, have done a credible job over the last decade of publishing biographies of celebrities, political figures, and musicians.  I can remember a time ( although I have to go all the way back to middle school) when one of the most utilized sections of the library by young people was biographies of former presidents, sports figures, etc.  Considering the short attention span of some of today’s readers, we applaud the efforts of this publisher to provide similar content in an illustrated book.  Hopefully it encourages reading in the longer format as well.  from the Official Press Release . . . . . . SEATTLE SEAHAWKS QUARTERBACK RUSSELL WILSON GETS COMIC BOOK TREATMENT As the Seattle Seahawks finish their football season, the teams leader, quaterback Russell Wilson is the focus of STORM Comics’ s comic book treatment.   FAME: RUSSELL WILSON  is releas

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Scott Fogg is a newcomer to comics.  ACTION LAB, DOG OF WONDER from Action Lab Entertainment , his first published work co-written with veteran Vito Delsante, will be released to comic shops in March 2016. In the  following interview there are some notes that offer further explanation/reference to some of the comments. These can be seen in bold italics.  If you already understand the references, please ignore the notes.  They are being offered as a public service since not all readers share the same background /familiarity with all types of works.      ABOUT SCOTT FOGG :  “I’m from Chattanooga, Tennessee.  By day I’m the manager of a Kid to Kid (a children’s resale store) and by night I write like it’s going out of style.  My wife Kelly and I just celebrated our ten year anniversary, and we are proud parents to a three year-old blond blur named Amelia.  We live in an ark with three cats (Desmond, Scarlett and Penelope) and two dogs (Gwen and Tumnus). Life is good and g

EDITOR’S NOTE:  We begin a new monthly feature here where we recommend some upcoming titles from the current PREVIEWS catalog.  These are not going to be Marvel or DC titles, as every self-respecting comic book store will have every single issue available on their shelves.  This has more to do with current comic shop economics.  Since retailers cannot return unsold books, titles from lesser known publishers are not as well-represented.  Sometimes stores can’t afford to take a chance on a new book, so they order few or no copies.  By highlighting some titles worthy of attention, we hope to take a step to correct that mis-representation.  The rest is up to you, the reader.  If you are interested in a book you learned about on our site, then you need to pre-order it through your local comic shop.  That’s the best way to make sure you will get a copy. ACTION LAB, DOG OF WONDER is offered through Action Lab Entertainment and can be found on Page 268-269 of the current January 2016 issue of