Participation in the animators’ event is not required to download free comics, videos and other content.

Reallusion’s John Martin said, “The opportunity for anyone to animate JFH comic artwork, have those animations seen by comic industry professionals and shared via Graphicly.com is an elite exposure opportunity. Reallusion’s CrazyTalk gives storytellers and fans of JFH storytelling the ultimate comic creator for motion comics. We’re happy to sponsor the JFH event and enable not only pros but also comic fans to become animators. Even comic fans that are first-time animators can apply what they know about good action sequences and bring the characters from JFH to life with their voices and CrazyTalk. Everything you need to be a motion comic animator is in the JFH Free-for-All!”

JFH lead animator and founder of Willow Road Animation, Zach Shelton, adds, “We’re excited to push motion comics to the next level with such great creative and technical partners. Thanks to the facial animation we’re able to achieve with Crazytalk, we’re able to really push the kind of emotions that our characters are feeling. We also have access to top-notch martial artists to bring the kind of bone-snapping action that you’ve never seen before in motion comics.”

With the mantra of being a multimedia playground for artists who fuse the mediums of comics, films, music, and games, Creative Impulse Entertainment is an award-winning production company that develops multimedia content. The core of the CIE initiative is the creation of cutting-edge, engaging, and meaningful entertainment geared toward the growing global marketplace on all platforms.

Graphicly is a cutting-edge entertainment and digital content publishing platform designed to deliver what authors and publishers need to share their work with audiences across all digital channels, including the Apple iPhone, iPad and Newsstand; eBook stores including Amazon Kindle, Kobo and Apple iBooks; Android devices including the Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet and Color and the Amazon Kindle Fire; websites and blogs through an industry leading HTML5 web app; and the only way to read, share and sell books on Facebook. Graphicly provides a system to publish and promote content, providing an immersive solution to tell, share and collaborate around story and understand how consumers are interacting with the content.

JFH Free For All runs through March 9th, 2012 and is live now at Facebook RIGHT HERE.

Aliens: Colonial Marines will be in stores this Fall for PlayStation, XBox 360 and PC.

Check out some new screenshots from Aliens: Colonial Marines, below.

DC Comics’ Before Watchmen includes:

• RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo
• MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
• COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones
• DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
• NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
• OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee
• SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner
• Each week, a new issue will be released, and will feature a two-page back-up story called CURSE OF THE CRIMSON CORSAIR, written by original series editor Len Wein and with art by original series colorist John Higgins. There will also be a single issue, BEFORE WATCHMEN: EPILOGUE, featuring the work of various writers and artists, and a CRIMSON CORSAIR story by Wein and Higgins.

Below is a gallery of additional covers I found from around the net from Before Watchmen.

Additional Sources:
USA Today: RORSCHACH – Interview with writer Brian Azzarello
LA Times Hero Complex: MINUTEMEN – Interview with writer/artist Darwyn Cooke
The New York Times: THE COMEDIAN – Interview with writer Brian Azzarello
Entertainment Weekly: SILK SPECTRE – Interview with writer Darwyn Cooke
The Hollywood Reporter: NITE OWL – Interview with writer J. Michael Straczynski
Wired: OZYMANDIAS – Interview with writer Len Wein
Comic Book Resources: DR. MANHATTAN – Interview with writer J. Michael Straczynski
Associated Press: CURSE OF THE CRIMSON CORSAIR – Interview with writer Len Wein and artist John Higgins

“It’s a new era at DC Entertainment and the new look reflects a dynamic, bold approach while at the same time celebrates the company’s rich heritage and robust portfolio of characters,” said DC Entertainment’s John Rood. “It was just a few months ago that Superman, Batman and many of our other Super Heroes were updated when we launched DC Comics – The New 52 and now it’s time to do the same for the company’s identity while remaining true to the power of storytelling which is still at the heart of DC Entertainment.”

DC Entertainment worked with leading brand consulting and design firm Landor Associates to develop the new identity, meant to create a visual connection among the company, its three brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD, along with its vast array of properties. The design of the new DC Entertainment identity uses a peel effect, with the D strategically placed over the C with the upper right-hand portion of the D peeling back to unveil the hidden C – symbolizing the duality of the iconic characters that are present within DC Entertainment’s portfolio.

The new brand identity will come to life across all consumer touch points in order to create a clear and consistent message in support of DC Entertainment. The new identity will begin to appear on comic books and graphic novels as well as new websites in March. Consumers will also see the new identity rolled out over time on other DC Entertainment products from Warner Bros. including film, television, interactive games and merchandise.

“We believe our new brand identity will strongly resonate with our loyal fans who will want to proudly express their affinity for DC Entertainment and their passion for their favorite stories and characters, this new look allows them to easily do this. In addition we were excited to update our identity, it’s not often a company gets to revisit something as important as its brand and we took the opportunity to make sure it represented the multi-media business we set out to build with the formation of DC Entertainment,” said DC Entertainment’s Amit Desai.

Check out a gallery featuring the new brands, below.

The iconic characters of course, include Rorschach, Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl, Ozymandias, Silk Spectre, and the 1940s superteam The Minutemen. Each will be featured in stories from noted comics creators including the previously mentioned J. Michael Straczynski, Brian Azzarello, Darwyn Cooke, Adam Hughes, Andy Kubert and Joe Kubert, among others.

Watchmen is the top-selling graphic novel of all time and was part of a wave of comics in the 1980s that redefined the genre. The work has remained untouched, never integrated into the larger DC Comics universe, due partially to the reverence by fanboys and partially to Moore’s insistence that it is a singular vision. Moore came out against the 2009 movie adaptation directed by Zack Snyder.

According to the report, DC, which owns the characters, insists that enough time has passed to explore new stories featuring the Watchmen. The company has also enlisted the blessing of Watchmen original artist Dave Gibbons, with hopes of appeasing most comics fans, and gaining wider acceptance of the Before Watchmen project.

“It’s our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant,” said DC Entertainment co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee in a statement. “After twenty five years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told.”

Straczynski, known as the co-creator of the sci-fi show Babylon 5, as well as a writer of Superman and Spider-Man stories, will pen the four-issue Nite Owl series, which includes art by Andy and Joe Kubert, along with the four-issue Dr. Manhattan, with art by Hughes.

CLICK HERE for an interview with J. Michael Straczynski, where he discusses why he personally felt the time had come to return to the world of the Watchmen.

Below is the cover of Before Watchmen: Nite Owl, written by J. Michael Straczynski, with art work by Andy and Joe Kubert.

UPDATE: I added a gallery of the covers from Before Watchmen RIGHT HERE.

Source: THR

Sina Mora is the beautiful dieselpunk game by Digital Reality and Grasshopper Manufacture. The game is considered one of the most visually stunning titles coming to Xbox Live to date.

Co-developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality, and published by Microsoft Studios, Sine Mora is a dieselpunk shoot’em up that provides a unique take on the genre, where time is the ultimate factor. Mixing classic shooter sensibilities with next-gen presentation, Sine Mora is a gorgeous shmup that appeals to both hardcore and casual gamers alike. Coming exclusively to XBLA, Sine Mora features over 60 combinations of planes, characters and time manipulation devices to complete every beautifully-crafted stage with scaling difficulty. All of this is set to an epic score of soaring heights, composed by Akira Yamaoka, acclaimed for his works on Shadows of the Damned and the Silent Hill series.

Check out a gallery of screenshots from Sina Mora, below.

In partnership with Twentieth Century Fox and developed by critically acclaimed studio Gearbox Software, Aliens: Colonial Marines will bring new levels of bone-chilling suspense and adrenaline-filled action to the renowned franchise. The game pits players against the universe’s ultimate alien killing machines, the Xenomorphs, in claustrophobic environments guaranteed to produce blood curdling thrills that the movie is renowned for.

Aliens: Colonial Marines begins with an ostensibly abandoned ship, the U.S.S. Sulaco, recovered in orbit around LV-426. Players lead a group of highly trained United States Colonial Marines as they board the deserted craft to uncover the fate of the crew. They will have to fight to survive unspeakable horrors and their own anxieties as they chase down the truth behind a galaxy-spanning deception that places humanity at the mercy of the most murderous and deadly species in the universe. Aliens: Colonial Marines features authentic environments, such as the surface of LV-426 and Hadley’s Hope, weapons inspired by the film series and is designed to provide an exhilarating and engaging new chapter in the Aliens universe.

Check out the Aliens: Colonial Marines first contact trailer, below.

Also just added to the guest list is Jerky Boys creator Johnny Brennan (who’s also the voice of Mort Goldman on Family Guy).

The New York Comic Book Marketplace will be held at The Penn Plaza Pavilion, located at The Hotel Pennsylvania, 401 Seventh Avenue (7th Avenue between West 32nd Street and West 33rd Street), in New York City.

Here is a current list of talent for the New York Comic Book Marketplace:

• Stan Lee
  comic book industry legend
• Mark Texeira
  ARTIST: VAMPIRELLA, GHOST RIDER, THOR AND MOON KNIGHT
• Michael Golden
  ARTIST: BATMAN FAMILY, THE MICRONAUTS AND THE ‘NAM
• Billy Tucci
  Artist/Writer/Film Maker Creator of Shi
• Johnny Brennan
  Jerky Boys Creator; Mort Goldman (Family Guy)
• Ethan Phillips
  Neelix – Star Trek: Voyager
• James O’Barr
• Creator of The Crow
• Steven Roman
  author – Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback
• Ian Dorian
  Artist – Tales from the Star Light Drive In
• Guy Dorian
  Professional Artist/Illustrator
• Renee Witterstaetter
  She Hulk editor, Avengers colorist
• Dan Sehn
  Argo Comics Publisher
• Jim Calafiore
  Exiles and Secret Six Artist
• Dan Fogel
  Hippy Comix publisher
• Mike Royer
  Classic Bronze-Age Inker of Jack Kirby
• Bob McLeod
  Co-Creator/Artist – New Mutants
• Mark Bode
  Creator – Miami Mice
• Louis Small, Jr.
  Artist – Vampirella
• Rich Buckler
  CREATOR OF DEATHLOK AND CO-CREATOR OF THE ALL-STAR SQUADRON
• Max Wasa
  writer/artist Hopey the hound dog
• Joe Sinnot
  JACK KIRBY INKER; CO-CREATor of THE SILVER SURFER AND GALACTUS
• Alex Saviuk
  Artist – Web of Spider-Man
• Buzz!
  Vengeance of Vampirella Artist
• Brian Kong
  Marvel Artist and Illustrator
• Rodney Ramos
  Transmetropolitan artist
• Sean Chen
  Iron Man, Nova, X-Men Artist
• Dick Ayers
  CO-CREATOR OF THE ORIGINAL GHOST RIDER
• Dave Fox
  DC and Freelance Artist
• GREG THEAKSTON
  AUTHOR OF THE COMPLETE JACK KIRBY
• Irwin Hasen
  CO-CREATOR OF THE COMIC STRIP DONDI

CLICK HERE for the Facebook event page or check out the official website for details at www.nycbm.com.

Other contributors to the series include Kyle Baker, J. Scott Campbell, Eric Canete, Paul Dini, Michael Golden, Dave Johnson, David Lapham, John Paul Leon, Bill Morrison, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, Chris Sprouse, Tom Taylor, Matt Wagner, Colin Wilson and more. Rocketeer Adventures is in the current issue of Diamond Previews.

As with the first series, a portion of the profits from Rocketeer Adventures will be donated to the Hairy Cell Leukemia research. Dave Stevens, the creator of The Rocketeer, died of the disease in 2008 at the age of 52.

Rocketeer Adventures Volume 2 #1 will be available in March 2012.

Nosferatu Wars takes place during The Black Plague – a time of death and misery – except for the undead. For vampires, the Black Death was a welcome relief from being hunted and a time of incredible growth for the undead. On the night of their wedding, two vampire lovers are torn apart and separated for five hundred years, setting off a sequence of events that will bring the modern world to its knees.

Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith redefined the vampire genre with the groundbreaking comic series 30 Days of Night in 2002. Ten years later, Niles is poised to make history again, as he and Nosferatu Wars artist Menton3 blow the sparkle off of the undead in Nosferatu Wars, premiering in Dark Horse Presents later this year.

Check out screenshots from Nosferatu Wars, below.

Beginning on January 20, IDW will digitally release one new ZVR prose story each week for eight weeks.

“We’re calling this our 8×8 plan,” explains Jeff Conner, the IDW contributing editor responsible for the Zombies Vs. Robots prose line. “Each week, from January 20 to March 9, we’ll debut a new short story torn from the festering jaws of the shambling, clanking world that is Zombies Vs. Robots. And these all-new tales will be a tasty $0.99 each—it’s our New Year’s gift to the brain-eating reading public.”

Pammi Shaw: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger is the first 8×8 offering, and comes from the multi-talented actress/writer Brea Grant (Heroes, Dexter, Halloween II). Told via blog entries, her story extends the recent Zombies vs. Robots: Undercity comic book miniseries, which introduced readers to the young blogger from India, and ended with the members of an elite subterranean enclave underneath the Washington Monument being wiped out by ravenous zombies—or so we are led to believe.

Debuting weekly starting on January 20, 2012, the ZVR e-singles will be available on the Kindle, Nook and in iBooks.

The full 8×8 schedule is:

Brea Grant — Pammi Shaw: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger (1/20/12)
UnderCity’s lone survivor continues her blog and meets (creates?) a digital deity with its own ideas about fighting the zombie apocalypse. Brea Grant is sometimes a writer (We Will Bury You; Suicide Girls), sometimes an actress (Heroes; Dexter; Halloween 2) and all-the-time a nice person. She is currently directing her first film.

Steve Rasnic Tem — To Denver (with Hiram Battling Zombies) (1/27/12)
What happens when high-test chronic is tainted with potent zombie blood? Will it be a high to die for? Multiple award-winning author Steve Rasnic Tem has published over 300 short stories in the areas of fantasy, science fiction, crime, and horror. His latest novel is Deadfall Hotel.

Nancy A. Collins — Angus: Zombie-Versus-Robot Fighter (2/03/12)
A young man is trained by his scientist father to fight zombies, robot-style. What could go wrong? Nancy A. Collins is the author of numerous novels and short stories, including the best-selling Sunglasses After Dark, and was a writer for DC Comics’ Swamp Thing. She is a recipient of the Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Awards, and has been nominated for the World Fantasy, Eisner & International Horror Guild awards. Left Hand Magic, the newest installment in the acclaimed Golgotham series, is now available.

Nick Mamatas — Throckmorton’s Bad Day (2/10/12)
Years before the zombie apocalypse, an enterprising and amoral young college student (later to become Dr. Throckmorton in the ZVR comics) tests experimental street drugs on the local users. The results will have unforeseen consequences for his future self. Nick Mamatas is the author of several unusual novels, including The Damned Highway with Brian Keene, and The Last Weekend. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov’s SF, Long Island Noir and many other magazines and anthologies.

Amber Benson — Mademoiselle Consuela and Her Army of One (2/17/12)
Like a princess locked in a tower, Consuela lives on a secluded island with only her loyal warbot for company. Then the pirates come. Amber Benson is an actor, filmmaker, novelist and amateur occultist who sings in the shower. Best known for her work as Tara Maclay on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, she is also the author of the Calliope Reaper-Jones series and the co-director (with Adam Busch) of the feature film, Drones.

Don Webb — The Wizards vs. the Bots (2/24/12)
Can black magic control zombies? What about warbots? Don Webb has 20 published books ranging from the nonfiction occult classic Uncle Setnakt’s Nightbook to the best weird west book, Webb’s Weird Wild West.

Kaaron Warren — The River of Memory (3/02/12)
An Amazon goddess thinks she can restore humanity to zombies; a warbot has doubts.
Kaaron Warren is an award-winning horror and science-fiction writer based in Australia. She has two short story collections and three novels in print.

Lincoln Crisler — Kettletop’s Revisionary Plot (3/09/12)
A distraught scientist travels back in time in a desperate attempt to save his wife and prevent the discovery of the deadly Z Virus. Lincoln Crisler is author, editor and reviewer as well as an active-duty soldier in the United States Army. His books include Magick & Misery and Wild. He is the editor of the dark-superhero anthology Corrupts Absolutely? He has served as a contributing writer for The Horror Library and Shroud Magazine.

Analog media fans needn’t worry that IDW’s new ZVR stories will only be available in e-pub formats. “We aren’t abandoning print in any way,” confirms Conner. “From the beginning we designed the ZVR prose program to have distinct identities for print and digital. So while it’s true that there will never be print incarnations of any of the 8×8 series themselves, we do have a full slate of ZVR collections and novellas in production on the print side; the 8×8 stories will appear there, just in different contexts.”

The first print collection will be Zombies Vs. Robots: This Means War!, set to appear in March, 2012.

Pammi Shaw: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger will be available on theKindle, the Nook, in iBooks, and Kobo on January 20, 2012.

Zombies Vs. Robots: This Means War! will be available in stores this March.

Debuting in June 2012, IDW’s comic series will offer the first stories of an all-new Mars Attacks universe, bringing the brand’s outrageous action and dark humor to a new set of tales. Writer John Layman, author and co-creator of the Eisner-winning series Chew, will pen the series, with art by John McCrea, best known for his collaborations with Garth Ennis, including Eisner-winner Hitman.

Created in 1962, Mars Attacks celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012 with major product launches throughout the year. IDW’s new comic series, as well as high-quality reprints of existing material, will be a cornerstone of that effort.

Originally published by Topps as a series of trading cards, Mars Attacks was created by Len Brown and Woody Gelman, after Brown was inspired by the Wally Wood cover to Weird Science #16 (EC Comics). The cards went on to achieve cult status for their then-shocking imagery—fully painted by pulp legendNorm Saunders and based on designs by Wood and Bob Powell—and remains a staple of pop culture. Topps revived the franchise in the mid 1990s with a second card set, comic book series and toy line. The story was also adapted into the 1996 feature film Mars Attacks!, directed by Tim Burton.

Mars Attacks will include covers by McCrea and alternate covers by such comic-book luminaries as Sam Kieth, Ben Templesmith and Eric Powell. The first issue will also feature a unique approach to variant covers: It will ship with 55 different covers, each depicting one of the original trading cards from the debut set of Mars Attacks from 1962. A complete collector’s set of the 55 covers in a box that replicates the original card packaging will be offered separately as well.

Mars Attacks #1 hits stores this June.

Halo 4 brings back the most popular character of the Halo universe, the Master Chief, and kicks off an all-new trilogy of games. Dubbed the “Reclaimer Trilogy” by 343 Industries, the new games explore the characters of the Master Chief and Cortana, expand the Halo fiction in bold new ways and bring even more of the innovation that the Halo series is known for to the gaming world. McFarlane Toys’ Halo 4 action figures bring the all-new characters, weapons and vehicles of Halo 4 to game fans and collectors worldwide.

The Halo 4 figure series continues in the 6-inch size introduced with their Halo: Reach figures. They’re also introducing a series of larger, boxed figures. These deluxe items are in scale with their 6-inch figures, but include larger accessories, such as Master Chief’s Cryotube.

McFarlane Toys is part of a select group of licensees with Halo 4 products available at game launch. Halo 4 Series 1 kicks off this August with four carded figures and one boxed figure set, and expands to include more figures later in the fall.

Todd promises, “343 still has some surprises to reveal, so we can’t give you all the details just yet. But we’ve seen what they’re working on, and Halo 4 will be worth the wait!”

Meanwhile, there’s more Halo figure news out of McFarlane Toys, today. The company will introduce their sixth line of action figures and vehicles from the blockbuster video game, Halo: Reach, starting in February 2012. You can see a gallery of images from the figure series below, which includes:

Jun (Unhelmeted)
The Noble Team Spartans of Halo: Reach, unlike Master Chief, are seen both with their helmets and without. This new, alternate version of Noble Three brings back Jun with his unhelmeted appearance. Figure includes his signature Sniper Rifle and a Frag Grenade.

Kat (Unhelmeted)
The Noble Team Spartans of Halo: Reach, unlike Master Chief, are seen both with their helmets and without. This new, alternate version of Noble Two brings back Kat with her unhelmeted appearance. Figure includes her signature Magnum and a Frag Grenade.

Brute Major
The fearsome Jiralhanae, better known as Brutes, dominate the battlefield with their raw strength and savagery. Only those warriors who have proven themselves in battle may earn the right to wear the distinctive gold armor of the Major class. Figure comes with Spike Rifle and Plasma Grenade.

Elite Zealot
The Covenant dispatch Elite advance teams to hunt down artifacts of value to their religion. Such teams are small, nimble, and almost always Zealot-class. Our latest Elite figure features the unique armor and maroon color of the Sangheili Zealot. Figure comes with Concussion Rifle and Plasma Grenade.

Sabre Pilot
When the planet Reach was threatened by a Covenant supercarrier, Noble Team initiated the daring Operation: UPPER CUT to take it down. Noble Six and Jorge took the lead, but they couldn’t have succeeded without the assistance of the brave Sabre pilots of Echo Team. Our Sabre Pilot figure features the simple blue flightsuit and enclosed helmet of the UNSC Air Force — essential for the cramped cockpit conditions and proximity to the vacuum of space. Figure comes with DMR.

Spartan Hazop (Male) (Rust)
Some operations are considered hazardous even for a fully armored Spartan. These ops call for the specialized HazOp armor set. This Spartan features the Hazardous Operations helmet and shoulders, orange “rust” paint, and includes a Focus Rifle and a Plasma Grenade. Exclusive to Toys “R” Us.

Spartan Recon (Male) (Team Red)
Developed in ONI’s Beta-5 Division Ordnance Testing Facility, the Recon armor was intended to offer stealth capabilities with little or no loss of endurance. This figure comes with matching Recon helmet, shoulders, and chestplate; is painted in bright “team one” red; and includes the intimidating Rocket Launcher weapon and a Frag Grenade. Available at Target, Walmart, and GameStop.

Spartan JFO (Male) (White)
The Joint Fires Observer helmet is reserved for Spartans of Lieutenant Colonel rank and above. Figure comes with matching JFO helmet and shoulders, white armor, a Plasma Grenade, and an all-new weapon: the devastating Target Locator. Exclusive to Walgreens.

Not enough Halo news for you? Well you’ll be excited to hear that this fall, McFarlane Toys, Xbox LIVE, and 343 Industries are joining forces to bring Halo fans an all-new series of unique collectibles: Halo Avatars. While our standard 6-inch figures are based on the Halo video games themselves, Halo Avatars are based on the stylized representations of the Halo characters that are available on the Xbox 360 console itself.

First introduced in 2008, avatars are the online representation of a gamer’s Xbox LIVE profile. Players can select from thousands of unique bodies, hairstyles, clothing, and accessories to create their own custom character. Through the online marketplace, gamers can add themed avatar gear from dozens of video game licenses, including Halo. From Halo-themed t-shirts, to Spartan helmets, to full suits of character armor, gamers can make their avatars look like true Halo fans, or even characters from the Halo universe.

Lastly, McFarlane Toys expands its long-running, best-selling line of Halo collectibles this fall, with the addition of Halo Micro Ops. This all-new series consists of miniature figures, vehicles, and locations from the entire Halo universe, at roughly 1:100/15mm scale.

Check out a gallery of the figures from the upcoming Halo: Reach Series Six, which hits stores next month.

With Election Day looming in Damaged #5, the disappearance of five corrupt police officers becomes a tipping point in San Francisco as policemen and vigilantes alike engage in their pursuit. While Lieutenant Jack Cassidy seeks these officers through legal means, recently retired SFPD veteran Frank Lincoln abandons his long-held moral code in search of his brother, Henry, and Isaac Lordsman, dead-set on doing whatever he must in order to stop their destructive path. However, he may already be too late, as Henry Lincoln’s troubled protégé finally spins out of control, leaving unimaginable tragedy in his wake.

Damaged was created by John Schwarz and Michael Schwarz, and is executive produced by actor Sam Worthington. Issue five was written by David Lapham, penciled by Leonardo Manco, Kinsun Loh, Jerry Choo & Sansan Saw, lettered by Todd Klein, and edited by Renae Geerlings.

Check out the preview, below.

Amala’s Blade Coming to Dark Horse Presents

Dark Horse Comics has announced a brand new three-part story from Steve Horton (DC Holiday Special, Superman 80-Page Giant) and Michael Dialynas (Popgun, Trinkets), which will appear in Dark Horse Presents #9 – Amala’s Blade.

Amala was once chosen as a child to be the spiritual leader for her country, to unite the Purifiers and Modifiers and prevent war. She fled into the night. Twenty years of war later, she makes a living as an assassin, but her past is ever ready to catch up to her. Aboard a massive pirate ship, Amala stalks the fearsome pirate captain Cha’Kooh … but the voices in her head, manifesting as ghosts, keep getting in the way!

Amala’s Blade will be featured in issues 9, 10 and 11 of Dark Horse Presents.

Writer and letterer Steve Horton describes Amala’s Blade as “the steam punk-with-swords epic that I’ve been dying to tell.”

Dark Horse Presents Number 9 will be out February 22nd, 2012.

Dark Horse and Bioware team up for new Dragon Age digital comic series

Dark Horse Comics recently announced an all-new digital comic series based on BioWare’s dark fantasy RPG series, Dragon Age. Written by Dragon Age Lead Writer, David Gaider, and featuring original art by Chad Hardin (Stan Lee’s The Traveler, Web of Spider-Man, The Spirit), the deep and fascinating lore surrounding the Dragon Age universe will unfold, as new adventures will come to light in the comic series.

The thrilling, six-part series will feature a riveting story that takes fans of the critically-acclaimed Dragon Age franchise deeper into the RPG’s mythology. Readers will follow Alistair, Isabela, and Varric, three important heroes from Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II, as they travel to Antiva, a nation ruled by deadly assassins. The comic series’ heroes will embark on an epic journey to uncover one of the greatest secrets in the history of Thedas while encountering a dangerous prison break and the mysterious and feared Witch of the Wilds.

Dark Horse Comics will release the six-part comic series exclusively at digital.darkhorse.com starting February 22, 2012.

Caitlín R. Kiernan’s Alabaster finds a home at Dark Horse

Caitlín R. Kiernan is the author of numerous works of dark fantasy and science fiction, including nine novels, several comic-book series – including Sandman spinoff The Dreaming – and over two hundred published short stories and novellas. Now, she brings her tales to the land of Dark Horse Comics with Alabaster.

Alabaster is based on Caitlín R. Kiernan’s fan-favorite Dancy Flammarion stories, a dark fantasy series centered around a female teenage protagonist of striking appearance and hidden, terrible depths. For nearly as long as she can remember, seventeen-year-old Dancy Flammarion has fought monsters, cutting a bloody swath through the demons and dark things of the world, aimed like a weapon by a merciless seraph, more taskmaster than guardian.

Part continuation, part re-imagining, the series begins with Dancy making and breaking an oath in the name of her seraph, who subsequently abandons her. Injured and alone, Dancy has to find her own way for the first time in her life—and the wolves are closing in.

Alabaster will first appear in Dark Horse Presents #9 (on sale February 22, 2012), followed by the five-issue miniseries Alabaster: Wolves, which throws readers into Dancy’s world with a bang, strips away her seraph, and introduces the two characters who will become her long-term supporting cast. Alabaster: Wolves #1 is on sale April 11, 2012.

Alabaster features art work by Eisner Award–nominated artist Steve Lieber and cover art by Greg Ruth.

Stargate creators start manufacturing Dark Matter

Fresh off their long tenure on Stargate, one of television’s most successful science-fiction epics, series writers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie flex their comic-book storytelling muscles to create a thrilling new science-fiction universe for Dark Horse Comics.

Dark Matter begins as a derelict ship floats in space, its troubled crew awakened from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got onboard. Their search for answers triggers the vessel’s deadly security system, awakening a relentless android bent on their destruction. Facing threats at every turn, they will have to work together to survive a dangerous voyage charged with vengeance, redemption, betrayals, and ultimately, hidden secrets best left unknown.

Dark Matter #1, the first in a four-issue mini-series with artwork by newcomer Garry Brown, went on sale January 11, 2012.

HBO and Dark Horse team up for Game of Thrones-themed product line

One of the most popular and critically acclaimed cable television shows of 2011 was Game of Thrones, created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. The hit series is based on A Song of Ice and Fire, the best-selling fantasy novel series by George R. R. Martin.

Dark Horse Deluxe, in partnership with HBO, are creating a vast Game of Thrones product line that will debut this spring, leading up to the show’s second season premiere in April. Licensed product categories derived from the series will span a large range, including statues, busts, action figures, prop & jewelry replicas, barware, stationery, along with other collectibles.

Based on the best-selling fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones debuted on HBO in March 2011. In a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime, trouble is brewing. From the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and the ancient Wall that protects the realm from the darkness beyond, two powerful families are engaged in a deadly cat-and-mouse game for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. As betrayal, lust, intrigue, and supernatural forces shake the four corners of the Kingdoms, their bloody struggle for the Iron Throne will have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences.

Barbiere and Radl’s White Suits invades Dark Horse #11

From the Cold War to the present day, a mysterious group of killers known as the White Suits have left their bloody fingerprints throughout modern history. Making their Dark Horse Presents debut, Frank Barbiere and Luke Radl turn back the clock to a time of Iron Curtain brutality with The White Suits.

When a young girl trying to scrape by in a crime-ridden late-1980s Moscow ghetto encounters one of the Suits during a mob deal gone wrong, she is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever – or end it.

Dark Horse Presents #11 goes on sale April 18, 2012.

Five new B.P.R.D. (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) titles coming in 2012

The epic story line that began back in 2010 with B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: New World is coming to a head in 2012. Dark Horse announces the most ambitious B.P.R.D. publishing schedule yet, with five new titles and some of the most earth-shattering events in the history of the series.

First up, this February comes B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Long Death, written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, with art by James Harren (Abe Sapien: The Devil Does Not Jest, Heralds). A team is sent to the deadly woods from New World to investigate a new series of disappearances, but they discover more than just the monster responsible, as loyalties are questioned and tensions mount!

March will see the release of B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Pickens County Horror, written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, with art by Jason Latour (Wolverine, Scalped) and an all-new cover by Becky Cloonan! This chilling two-issue series brings a B.P.R.D. crew into the grips of a backwoods vampire clan hiding out in a Gothic southern home.

Next, in May comes B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth­: The Transformation of J. H. O’Donnell, pairing Mike Mignola with Scott Allie again for the discovery of what drove the Bureau’s expert on ancient foes to near madness after a mission with Hellboy twenty-four years earlier. This supernatural thrill ride features art by B.P.R.D. newcomer Max Fiumara (Amazing Spider-Man) and a cover by Becky Cloonan.

That same month features the return of the regular B.P.R.D. team of Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, and Tyler Crook, with B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Devil’s Engine. The Zinco Corporation again rears its ugly head after a devastating earthquake, pitting Devon and Fenix in an uneasy alliance against bat-faced monsters and the evil empire’s other mad-science experiments! Additionally, this new series will feature covers by former Hellboy artist Duncan Fegredo.

Finally, Cameron Stewart returns to the B.P.R.D. universe in June with B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth­: Exorcism! In this story we learn more about Ashley Strode’s evolution as an agent after she meets up with a familiar face for a series of exorcisms in a rural Indiana town. Mike Mignola and Cameron Stewart team up to share writing duties, with pencils by Cameron and covers by Viktor Kalvachev.

B.P.R.D. is sure to be the most-talked-about series of the coming year, as the team stands at the brink of the end of the organization and the world itself.

Axe Cop returns in March

Axe Cop returns with a collection of exciting and unpredictable stories written by the endlessly inventive six-year-old Malachai Nicolle and drawn by his Eisner Award–nominated thirty-year-old brother, Ethan Nicolle.

This stellar volume collects eight Axe Cop stories previously published online and features “Stolen Pizza, Stolen Lives,” a crossover special with fellow webcomics superstar Dr. McNinja! It also contains the Halloween story “The Night Monster” and a special Christmas episode, “The Power of Christmas”! Axe Cop joins his comrades Uni-baby, Bat Warthog Man, and Dinosaur Soldier to fight bad guys and restore justice for kids—and grownups—everywhere.

Axe Cop Volume 3 goes on sale March 28, 2012.

Dark Horse announces biggest Free Comic Book Day ever

Dark Horse rolls out the announcement of all four titles that will be featured in two different comics to be given away to thousands of fans on May 5, 2012.

First comes a special flip book featuring both Felicia Day’s gaming web series turned comic, The Guild, and Dark Horse’s best-selling comics continuation of Joss Whedon’s iconic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Buffy has never needed a vacation as badly as she does now, with the world overrun with zompires and other fallout from Season 8. After an old friend suggests a relaxing getaway from all things that go bump in the night, it turns out to be harder than she could ever expect for a Slayer to get a day off.

Felicia Day, creator of The Guild, continues to bring on the funny with high jinks from her diverse group of gamers when the Guildies struggle to find a meeting place they can all agree on. A little in-game battle becomes the deciding factor, and the circle follows the decree of the winner: the beach?!

Next up is one of the biggest flip books we’ve ever published, when Zack Whedon brings you tales of the coolest guy in the galaxy and the most charming rebel in the ’verse! That’s right; we’ve paired Star Wars with Joss Whedon’s Serenity.

Han Solo and Chewbacca have a falling-out after a deal with their slickest—and shadiest—customer goes bad. But when the client gets designs on the Millennium Falcon, Han and Chewie present a united front that can’t be beat!

Meanwhile, Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds is no stranger to jobs gone wrong himself. But when the chips are down, he’s able to rely on the amazing, odd, and diversely talented crew of Serenity.

Dark Horse Free Comic Book Day 2012: Four great stories for the price of, well, none.

Buffy Season 8 gets hardcover treatment

Series creator Joss Whedon brought Buffy the Vampire Slayer back to life with this comics-only follow-up to Season 7 of the television show. Now the wait is finally over for Buffy fanatics everywhere as Dark Horse announces the deluxe, oversized, dust-jacketed hardcover collection of Buffy Season 8.

This hardcover edition contains the first two arcs of the series (Buffy Season 8 #1–#10), written by Joss Whedon and Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Runaways), with art by the acclaimed Georges Jeanty. It includes two one-shots, a cover gallery, and exclusive, never-before-seen sketch material.

After the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers—newly legion—have gotten organized, but it’s not long before new and old enemies begin popping up. Buffy, Xander, Willow, and a very different Dawn are introduced to the season’s big bad, Twilight, and are only beginning to understand the incredible reach of this mysterious threat. Meanwhile, rebel Slayer Faith teams up with Giles to handle a menace on the other side of the Atlantic.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 Volume 1 goes on sale May 30, 2012.

Not long after, Buffy Season 9 will also be making its way to a collected series. Written by series creator Joss Whedon and Andrew Chambliss of the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, Freefall collects Buffy Season 9 #1–#5. That series goes on sale August 1st.

Dark Horse Presents The Return of Nexus

Dark Horse Comics announces the return of Nexus in Dark Horse Presents #12. The fan-favorite title returns with its team of creators, Mike Baron (The Badger) and Steve Rude (The Moth), in their respective positions of writer and artist. Baron and Rude created Nexus in 1981 and have been continuing their canonical tale for thirty years. The Eisner Award winners will craft a brand-new three-part story for readers eager to quench their thirst for what’s next to come in the Nexusverse.

Dark Horse Presents #12 goes on sale in May of 2012.

New projects from Matt Kindt and Gilbert Hernandez

Dark Horse Originals is proud to announce two new amazing series from critically acclaimed creators Matt Kindt and Gilbert Hernandez.

Matt Kindt outdoes himself in his bold new espionage series, Mind MGMT. Reporting on a commercial flight where everyone aboard lost their memories, a young journalist stumbles onto a much bigger story, the top-secret Mind Management program. Her ensuing journey involves weaponized psychics, hypnotic advertising, talking dolphins, and seemingly immortal pursuers, as she attempts to find the flight’s missing passenger, the man who was Mind Management’s greatest success—and its most devastating failure. But in a world where people can rewrite reality itself, can she trust anything she sees? If you think you know what Matt Kindt can deliver, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Comics luminary Gilbert Hernandez envisions his strangest, most thrilling future yet in Fatima: The Blood Spinners, a horrifying new take on zombies. A drug called “spin” offers the wildest trip imaginable, followed by its users’ inevitable, rapid deterioration into undead flesh eaters. Despite the side effect, the drug is so popular that the human population is dying out! With no cure to be found, the beautiful, lovesick Fatima may be the only thing standing between the survivors and the apocalypse. Get ready for four issues of zombies, drug lords, and gorgeous women.

Also, announced last week was multiple Harvey and Eagle Award winner Peter Bagge’s Reset, which leads off the Dark Horse Originals variant-cover program.

• Reset #1 is on sale April 18, 2012, and features a variant cover by Matt Kindt.
• Mind MGMT #1 is on sale May 23, 2012, and features a variant cover by Gilbert Hernandez.
• Fatima #1 is on sale June 20, 2012, and features a variant cover by Peter Bagge.

Check out a gallery of covers and sample art from these Dark Horse projects, below.

Retailers who order fifteen copies of any of the following titles will receive 5 percent off of their initial orders for that title: Knights of the Old Republic: War, Dawn of the Jedi, Knight Errant III, Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison, Blood Ties: Boba Fett Is Dead.

Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison—Ghost Prison takes place a year after Revenge of the Sith and will showcase Darth Vader’s impact on the galaxy in ways fans have never seen. Darth Vader will serve the Emperor to the best of his abilities. After all, Darth Vader makes no mistakes.

Knights of the Old Republic: War—The Knights of the Old Republic video games and comics chronicle one of the most popular eras in Star Wars, making Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic—War the perfect entry point into the Star Wars galaxy.

Dawn of the Jedi—Here’s your first look at the Star Wars of 25,000 years ago—before there were lightsabers, when the ties to the Force were new, and before the Jedi spread out into the galaxy. It began with the mysterious pyramid ships—the Tho Yor—scattered to the eight corners of the galaxy, and ended with the establishment of an order that would change the universe forever.

Blood Ties: Boba Fett Is Dead—Boba Fett is dead. The most infamous hunter in the galaxy has been hunted. He’s lying, broken, on the desert floor. He’s more blaster holes than man. It’s the ultimate ending. However, this is just the start of our story. With the fall of Fett broadcast across the galaxy, someone rises to avenge him.

Knight Errant III—Jedi Knight Kerra Holt continues her one-woman crusade against the Sith from behind enemy lines on her most dangerous mission yet.

Below is the cover of Dawn of the Jedi Number 1.

The all-new digital comic series will be broken into three original stories that bridge the gap between the original game and its, Prototype 2. The first entry, The Anchor, illustrated by Paco Díaz, continues the story of Alex Mercer, the protagonist from the first game, while the second story, The Survivors, illustrated by Chris Staggs, follows a small group of residents of New York trying to escape the city after it has been transformed into NYZ with the outbreak of the Blacklight virus. The third and final story, illustrated by Victor Drujiniu, is The Labyrinth, and provides a deeper look into the backstory of Prototype 2’s new protagonist, Sgt. James Heller.

Each comic in the series will be available at Digital.Darkhorse.com every other week beginning February 15, 2012.

Check out two images from the new Prototype series, below.

For the first time in an officially licensed Olympic video game, London 2012 will support motion control in a number of different Olympic events. Budding sports heroes will have an enhanced and realistic way of competing in a number of events that are compatible with PlayStation Move and Kinect including 110m Hurdles, Beach Volleyball (Kinect only) and 25m Rapid Fire Pistol (Move only). Over 30 Olympic events have been authentically recreated in their official Olympic arenas with a host of new disciplines making their debut for London 2012. Keirin (Cycling) at the Velodrome, 10m Synchronized Platform (Diving) at the Aquatics Centre and Trampoline at North Greenwich Arena are just some of the new events in which you can compete for that coveted gold medal.

In another first for this iteration of the video game, London 2012 will take the world’s biggest sporting event online in the form of global leaderboards. The leaderboards will track personal medals gained while playing online, with each personal medal won added to that nation’s medal table. Every medal won will help to improve a nation’s standing in the leaderboards, creating even more moments of sporting glory and fame across the globe. London 2012 will contain a number of game modes including single player Olympic Games mode, online and offline multiplayer and party play.

“London 2012 sees the successful relationship between SEGA, ISM and the IOC become even more exciting in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games,” commented SEGA’s Gary Knight. “With all new Olympic events and returning favourite sports brought to life with the very latest video gaming technology, everyone can truly compete in the greatest sporting event on earth.”

For more information about London 2012, go to olympicvideogames.com/london2012.

Free weekly model drawing sessions will be held on Wednesday evenings, from 7 – 10pm, and will run January 18 – April 11, 2012 (Please note: There is no session on March 7 during Spring Break). The drawing sessions will be held at the George Washington Residence Hall, in the Solarium, located at 23 Lexington Avenue in New York City.

You must provide your own drawing materials. An SVA Alumni ID card and photo ID required for entry. If you need a copy of your Alumni ID card, visit alumni.sva.edu/IDcard.

Contact the Office of Alumni Affairs for more information at alumni@sva.edu.

Wizards is an adventure fantasy set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, that follows the story of Avatar (Bob Holt), the kindly, eccentric sorcerer-ruler of Montagar, a rainbow paradise inhabited by elves and fairies. Avatar’s evil brother, Blackwolf (Steve Gravers), dominates Scortch, a bleak land of goblins and wraiths. When the power-hungry Blackwolf attacks Montagar, Avatar, accompanied only by a spirited young woman and a courageous elf, must enter the darkness of Scortch to save his world.

In addition to Hamill, Wizards also features the voice talents of Bob Holt, Jesse Welles, Richard Romanus, David Proval, Jim Connell, Steve Gravers, Barbara Sloane, Angelo Grisanti, Hyman Wien, Christopher Tayback, Peter Hobbs, Tina Romanus, Victoria Bakshi, Susan Tyrrell and Ralph Bakshi himself as Fritz, as well as the Storm Trooper & various other characters.

Wizards Original Release Date: February 9, 1977

For those of you unfamiliar with the work of legendary artist and animator Ralph Bakshi, here is a partial list of cult classic animated film projects he has either animated, directed, or both.

• Christmas in Tattertown TV movie (1988)
• Mighty Mouse, the New Adventures TV series (1987-1988)
• Fire and Ice (1983) – Collaboration with fantasy artist Frank Frazetta
• Hey Good Lookin’ (1982)
• American Pop (1981)
• The Lord of the Rings (1978)
• Wizards (1977)
• Coonskin (1975)
• Heavy Traffic (1973)
• Fritz the Cat (1972)
• Martin Luther King, Jr. (1971)
• Spider-Man TV series (1968-1970)

Check out screenshots from Wizards below.

Shoot Many Robots follows P. Walter Tugnut on his mission to kill as many robots as possible after a factory begins to ominously produce killer robots. With an RV full of guns and beer, gamers will experience a four-player co-op run-n-gun side-scrolling RPG shooter filled with tons of weapon and item customization. Shoot Many Robots will also feature two game modes: Traversal, where players must progress linearly through a level, and Survival, where players fight against waves of robot hordes, delivering hours of robotic carnage and fun. Shoot Many Robots will be released sometime in 2012.

Check out the trailer below.

Deputy Rick Grimes

After waking from a coma in an abandoned hospital, deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) finds the world he knew gone – ravaged by a zombie epidemic of apocalyptic proportions. McFarlane’s figure of Rick Grimes features the exact likeness of the actor, taken from a 3D scan of Andrew Lincoln himself. The figure comes with a revolver, shotgun, walkie talkie, baseball bat, and hand grenade accessories.

Daryl Dixon

An abrasive survivalist, and brother of the outspoken racist Merle, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) is an all-new character created specifically for The Walking Dead AMC television show. McFarlane’s figure of Daryl features the exact likeness of the actor, taken from a 3D scan of Norman Reedus. The Dixon figure comes with crossbow, hunting knife, fire axe, pick axe, and a string of squirrels.

Zombie Walker

What Walking Dead figure series is complete without a few “walkers.” This memorable zombie, clad in a dirty business suit, was encountered by Rick Grimes during his first excursion into Atlanta. Upon Rick’s arrival, the walker rose from the wreckage of a city bus and followed Rick to an abandoned tank – left behind by the miltary’s futile attempt to stop the zombie plague. This figure features all the attention to detail that McFarlane Toys is known for. Additionally, as with all of The Walking Dead zombie figures, the Zombie Walker features unique play action for even more fun. This one includes a special wind-up feature.

Zombie Biter

This gruesome zombie was an important part of fans’ introduction to Daryl Dixon. Found feeding on a deer in the forest near the survivors’ camp, the Zombie Biter was beheaded by the group – but didn’t stop until Daryl arrived and shot it in the brain with his signature crossbow. The Zombie Biter figure features all the attention to detail that McFarlane Toys is known for. Plus, like all of The Walking Dead zombie figures, the Zombie Biter features unique play action. This one features a deer meat accessory and a spring-loaded moving jaw, so your Zombie Biter will actually bite.

Check out images from the four available The Walking Dead Series 1 figures below.

Warner Bros. has revealed the first trailer for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which brings fans back to the Oscar-winning director’s world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey follows Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths ofguile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey stars Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas and Aidan Turner.

Check out the trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which hits theaters on December 14, 2012, below. The second film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, opens on December 13, 2013.

The Creep begins in the summer of 1987, when a teenage boy commits suicide. The boy’s mother is unsatisfied with the police’s lack of interest in the motivation behind it, or what connection it might have to the suicide of the boy’s former best friend. She remembers that she heard an old college boyfriend of hers, Oxel, is a private detective. What she doesn’t know is Oxel suffers from a debilitating condition called acromegaly. Will the contact from his old flame be all that Oxel needs to take the case?

Dark Horse Presents #11 is on sale April 18, 2012. Check out the cover for The Creep below.

Check out the screenshots and trailer below.

The project is the brainchild of IKA Collective’s Ronni Thomas, whose professional career has been everywhere from legend horror studio Troma Entertainment to working with iconic commercial and music video director Bob Giraldi. Thomas created this original webseries to shine a light on these intriguingly odd characters.

“I didn’t have any idea where this might lead,” explains Thomas. “Doing this series has been an eye opening experience for me, meeting people just like myself and realizing just how many people have the same interests. The most interesting thing to me is that beyond the subject matter, you have these incredible characters. And they range from what I call niche scholars to punk rock intellectuals. It’s that fringe element where art, science and history converge.”

While the series can currently be seen at www.themidnightarchive.com, and on YouTube, IKA Collective is actively pursuing television distribution deals as well.

The Midnight Archive springs from Thomas’s experiences lecturing at the Brooklyn Observatory, an artistic space in Brooklyn, NY, hosting screenings, classes and exhibitions focused on topics residing at the intersection of art and science, history and curiosity, magic and nature. After meeting many of these unusual characters, Thomas, Karr and producer Joanna Ebenstein (one of the founders of the Brooklyn Observatory), set out to share their stories with the world.

For Thomas, one of the things that he’s most proud of is that unlike most web series’ The Midnight Archives looks like something you might actually see on television.

“With so much content available online, to keep viewers coming back you have produce something that is not only interesting but also watchable,” Thomas adds. “Our goal from the outset was to make a broadcast quality show for the Internet and that’s what we’ve accomplished.”

Watch an episode of The Midnight Archive below.

Visit themidnightarchive.com for additional episodes and info on the show.

DMZ and The Massive creator Brian Wood launched an all-out assault on the comics medium in 1997 with Channel Zero, an influential, forward-thinking series that combined art, politics, and graphic design in a unique way. Hitting on themes of freedom of expression, hacking, cutting-edge media manipulation, and police surveillance, it remains as relevant today as it did back then.

The Channel Zero collection contains the original series; the prequel graphic novel, Jennie One (illustrated by Becky Cloonan); the best of the two Public Domain design books; and almost fifteen years of extras, rarities, short stories, and unused art. Also featuring the now-classic Warren Ellis introduction and an all-new cover by Wood, this is the must-have edition. A blistering take on media control in a repressive future America.

Brian Wood says of the series, “Channel Zero is literally the start of my comics career, the first proper comic I ever made, and as such as informed everything that’s come after it, especially DMZ and the upcoming The Massive. It also put me and Becky Cloonan together, helping build a creative partnership that has lasted a decade. This edition here is the definitive one, including everything worth printing, including a color section that includes the original covers to the single issues.”

At the outset of the film, which premieres Friday, December 16th at 10 pm on Chiller, a radioactive blast transforms every tourist and local in Reno, Nevada into mindless, ravenous zombies. But before the action begins in Reno, somewhere just outside the city a lone mechanic (Morgan West) is learning first-hand what’s required to survive the undead.

With Remains: Road to Reno, Chiller’s official prequel to Steve Niles’s Remains, viewers can head back before the blast to watch as the virus descends upon an isolated gas station. Imagined by writer Steve Niles, this exclusive online event reveals the origins of Remains characters – both alive and undead – and pits zombie against zombie on the blood-soaked road to Reno. Remains: Road to Reno is written by John Doolan and directed by Colin Theys.

The Remains graphic novel by Steve Niles is available where books and comics are sold.

Based on the IDW Publishing graphic novel written by 30 Days of Night creator Steve Niles and illustrated by Kieron Dwyer, Remains is set in a chilling post-apocalyptic Reno, Nevada, and follows the survivors of a bizarre accident that reduced most of the world’s population to zombies. The group takes refuge in a vacant casino and fights a losing battle against the undead, who grow steadily stronger, smarter and more aggressive by the minute. The movie stars Grant Bowler (True Blood, Ugly Betty), Lance Reddick (Fringe, Lost, The Wire), Miko Hughes (Pet Sematary) and Tawny Cypress (Rescue Me, Heroes). Remains is written by John Doolan and directed by Colin Theys; Andrew Gernhard and Zach O’Brien will serve as producers for Synthetic Cinema International. Steve Niles and IDW CEO and Publisher Ted Adams will serve as executive producers. Remains premieres Friday, December 16 at 10pm.

CLICK HERE to watch Remains: Road to Reno.

Hi! My name is Bob Pendarvis and 20 years ago I was asked to create and teach the first comic book illustration classes at the Savannah College of art & Design. They were so successful that I was asked to develop comics-based BFA and MFA degree programs. At Atlanta’s Dragon Con, I recruited artist Bo Hampton and writer Mark Kneece to help me found this new major, which I decided to call Sequential Art (as a tribute to the legendary Will Eisner).

During the 18+ years I worked at SCAD, my focus was to concentrate on storytelling, allowing students to write and draw stories using their own unique approaches and styles. I was especially dedicated to making sure my classes were as female-friendly as possible.

My new graphic novel, A GIRL CALLED ANA TEACHES KITTENS HOW TO DRAW, is meant to provide inspiration for the next generation of young sequential artists and storytellers. It is the first in a series of books aimed especially at young girls, but hopefully entertaining for readers of all ages, girls or boys. Each 8.5″ x 11″, hardcover, full color book has over 200 pages and tells the story of how ANA helps kittens realize that communicating with art is simpler than they’d suspected, yet much more complicated than they’d ever imagined. The goal of my kickstarter project is to be able to produce a high quality, full color hardcover book and send copies to potential publishers and school libraries. My ultimate goal would be to develop the ANA books into an animated tv series.

Gearing up for its 16th edition in 2012, the Fantasia International Film Festival is taking things up a notch, embarking on a new venture that will contribute to the future of cutting-edge genre filmmaking worldwide: Frontières, the Fantasia International Co-Production Market. The event will be part of the Fantasia Film Market, which will make its official debut in 2012 to support the sales efforts for the features that will be part of Fantasia’s programming.

Frontières will curate 12 standout projects by filmmakers from Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, Australia and the United States. The projects will be presented to international producers, sales agents and distributors with the objective of creating working relationships that will allow these projects to see the light of day.

Fantasia is establishing the first international co-production market to connect Canada with Europe, Scandinavia, Australia and the United States, in an environment focused specifically on genre films. Only two other co-production markets are specialize in genre cinema: The Network of Asian Fantastic Films of the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (Pifan), focusing on Asia, and the Baltic Event Film and Co-Production Market of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, focusing on Eastern-Europe, Scandinavia, the Balkans and Russia.

Frontières will be held from July 26-29, 2012, during the Fantasia Festival. Over the course of four days, various meeting sessions will be held and a series of conferences will be organized to assemble the participants around current industry topics.

To participate in the market, select projects will have to be market premieres and will need to be applicable to an international co-production environment where there would be a Canadian production element. The market is open to both seasoned directors and directors looking to produce their first feature film project.

The early-bird application deadline is January 9, 2012, with a late deadline of March 5, 2012. Selected projects will be announced in early May 2012. Directors wishing to apply to the market should consult the application guidelines RIGHT HERE.

The Fantasia International Film Festival will be held from July 19 to August 7, 2012.

The Exotique 7 editorial staff has painstakingly choreographed the layout of each page in the new volume so that the art work thematically matches, allowing it to tell a story independent of the original intended use of the work. Because the Exotique series spans genres as diverse as science fiction, fantasy, manga & anime, photorealism and stylized realism, fans and collectors across the spectrum will find much to appreciate while browsing Exotique 7′s page. Like each Exotique book previously published, Exotique 7 bills itself as a snapshot of the world’s best character art, with contributions from more than one third of the countries on the planet. However, after gazing at the other-worldly images contained in the volume, one might just think there are artists not of this earth involved in its creation. More than 700 artists from 71 countries submitted almost 3,000 entries to make Exotique 7 the largest collection of digital character art ever assembled in print.

As with all Ballistic Publishing books, the artists and art in Exotique 7 take center stage. Every image is carefully color-corrected to ensure that it’s as vibrant and detailed as the artist’s original vision. The work of 223 highly-talented artists fill Exotique 7 with 358 pieces of electrifying character art including twelve amazing double-page spreads and 92 full-page images.

Check out our exclusive gallery of sample images from Exotique 7, to see just what I mean when I say “electrifying.”

Exotique 7 is available at major art book and comic retailers, as well as online at ballisticpublishing.com.

These are just examples of the amazing body of work in Exotique 7. Included are paintings by Yu Cheng Hong, Kristen Carter, James Strehle, Andrew Hibner, Arnon Neisoongnoen, Frank Torrealba and Fan Yang.

Redline, which was produced by Ninja Scroll creators Studio Madhouse, won the Audience Official Selection Award for Animation at Fantasia and the Outstanding Achievement in Feature Filmmaking Animation Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival. It has received rave reviews even from those admittedly not anime fans. From its premiere at Fantastic Fest, AICN’s Harry Knowles said “Redline should not be missed, everyone came out smiling and happy. Fantastic!” He called it the “coolest Speed Racer ever, and that counts the Wachowski film.” Anime News Network called Redline “the most insanely exciting, visually exhilarating anime film you’ve seen in decades. Incredible fun!”

Redline is a racing film created by Japan’s Studio Madhouse (Paprika, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars), and centers on the biggest and most deadly racing tournament in the universe. Only held once every five years, everyone wants to stake their claim to fame, including JP, a reckless dare-devil driver oblivious to speed limits with his ultra-customized car – all the while, organized crime and militaristic governments want to leverage the race to their own ends. Amongst the other elite rival drivers in the tournament, JP falls for the alluring Sonoshee – but will she prove his undoing, or can a high speed romance survive a mass destruction race?

Check out stills and the trailer for Redline below.

Reverb Games’ Nano Assault tasks players to stop the deadly Nanostray virus from spreading and contaminating all of human civilization. Blast your way through 32 twisted cell stages and dark worlds with rugged landscapes that adjust in difficulty based on your skill level. Prepare to battle and defeat extreme nemeses including the Black Nucleus, Hyper Blobs and Spore Plants using powerful beams, energetic bombs and other unlockable and devastating assault weapons.

Check out the screenshots for Reverb Games’ Nano Assault below.

Find out more about Nano Assault at nanoassaultgame.com.

The evening will feature the debut screening of “When You Find Me,” shot using Canon cameras, as well as the Project Imagin8ion Making Of movie, produced by Grey Advertising, which provides a behind the scenes look at the project’s journey.

Following the screening, a Q&A panel will be moderated by New York Magazine film critic David Edelstein. “When You Find Me” will then be released online in mid-December at www.youtube.com/imagination, as well as being screened at select festivals in 2012.

Here is the synopsis for “When You Find Me”:

“When You Find Me” tells the story of two sisters whose childhood bond is tested by a tragedy they are too young to understand. Alternating between past and present, when you find me is an emotional fable of two people coping with loss in very different ways, and what it takes to find peace within yourself and reconciliation with the ones you love.

Check out the winning photos below.

Originating in the classic Star Trek episodes and expanding to pop culture at large, a “redshirt” is a character that dies soon after being introduced. With the “Be a Reshirt” contest, the winning fan will have the honor of dying while heroically saving their retailer. The grand prizewinner will be featured as a redshirt on an upcoming cover of IDW’s new Star Trek ongoing series, placing themselves between their local retailer and a phaser blast. The “Be a Redshirt” contest is open to any comics reader who thinks their local retailer is the best in the business.

To enter the Be A Redshirt contest, fans must e-mail their explanation in 300 words or less about why their retailer is the best to IDW at contests@IDWPublishing.com with the subject: Save My Retailer. The winning fan and their retailer will be depicted on a limited-edition variant cover of Star Trek. This special cover will be limited to only 300 copies: 100 each to the winning fan and their retailer, plus 100 to CBLDF to help them continue the important and challenging work of defending retailers everywhere. The winning fan will also receive the original art, by the Sharp Brothers.

Launched in September, IDW’s new Star Trek ongoing series explores the new Star Trek universe, following the events of the game-changing, blockbuster 2009 film. Joining forces with Star Trek writer/producer Roberto Orci, IDW and CBS explore the vast implications of the alternate timeline created by the film in this new, monthly, ongoing comics series that reimagines classic Star Trek episodes.

Under the creative direction of Orci, fan-favorite Star Trek writer Mike Johnson and artists Stephen Molnar and Joe Corroney bring this alternate universe to life and begin the countdown to the highly anticipated Star Trek sequel. Following alternate-reality versions of “Where No One Has Gone Before” and “Galileo 7,” Star Trek #5 kicks off a two-part re-imagining of “Operation: Annihilate.” This gripping episode brings Captain Kirk comes face to face with ghosts from his past when a rescue mission reunites him with the last person he expects to see.

In addition to print, Star Trek comics are also available digitally through a variety of free apps, including, through the Apple’s iTunes: the Star Trek Comics app, the Comics by comiXology app and the IDW Comics app.

The artists will face off in a battle between which comic book style works best – American or Manga style. DeJesus will represent the Manga Comic Style and Belanger will represent the North American Comic Style. The contest will give both artists the opportunity to create a digital graphic novel based on a Detective Dee treatment, which was provided by Indomina.

The artists completed their work on October 28th, including pencils, inks and lettering, and voting began on November 1st. Once the voting ends on November 14th at 12 am EST, the winner will be announced on Facebook.

Vote for your favorite now at www.Facebook.com/DetectiveDeeFilm.

About The Artists

Melissa DeJesus
Mel was born and raised in Queens, New York. She studied cartooning in Art & Design High School and animation at The School of Visual Arts. Mel also taught cartooning to children for several years at a local community college in Queens, teens at Hostos Community College in the Bronx, and substituted a senior portfolio class at The School of Visual Arts.

While not slaving over her desk buried in work, Mel likes to play video games and paint model kits – which isn’t very often.

Andy Belanger
Andy Belanger works as a freelance cartoonist/illustrator out of the Toronto-based Royal Academy of Illustration & Design. He does work in the mainstream and children’s comic market, plus a wide variety of work for the Canadian Film and Television industry. In the mainstream comic market, Andy has worked for such comic publishers as D.C. Comics, Wildstorm, Devil’s Due, and Boom! He is currently the artist on IDW’s new title Kill Shakespeare. For D.C. Comics, Andy is also the creator of the digital comic series Bottle of Awesome, which is launching its second season. In the web collective Transmission-X, Andy is the writer and artist on Raising Hell.

If that weren’t enough news to make fantasy art fanboys drool, Spectrum also announced that with the hardcover and softcover arrival of Spectrum 18 anticipated in the coming weeks, a book preview video has been released online, which you can watch below. Featuring cover artwork by J.S. Rossbach, Spectrum 18 highlights the work of over 300 of the best and brightest contemporary fantasy artists.

This year’s stunning Call For Entries poster was designed by artist Rebecca Guay, and can be downloaded from Spectrum’s website, along with an entry form RIGHT HERE.

Rebecca Guay Spectrum 19 Call for Entries Poster

Sweet’s exhibition will showcase a number of his latest works including large-scale oils, watercolors, and never-before-seen concept art. Select concept art for major motion pictures will also be on display during the opening reception. In addition, fans will have the opportunity to purchase a very limited edition giclée reproduction signed and number by the artist.

The opening of the show is on November 5th from 7 – 10 pm and the exhibit runs through November 28th, 2011. Gallery Nucleus is located at 210 East Main Street in Alhambra, California.

Find out more about the upcoming Justin Sweet exhibition at Gallery Nucleus RIGHT HERE.

Kull painting by Justin Sweet