Thursday, June 23, 2011

Marvel Comics Reveals Plans For New York Comic Con



Joe Quesada and Axel Alonso to Join Other Guests of Honor Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Kieron Gillen, and Stuart Immonen

Many top writers and creators will be joining Marvel Comics at New York Comic Con (NYCC) as the renowned comic books and media entertainment company reveals preliminary plans for the 2011 edition of the annual pop culture extravaganza which will take place at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, October 13 - 16, 2011. Marvel will not only have a 3000 square foot booth on the show floor where attendees will have an opportunity to mingle with creators and staff, but the company will also be conducting numerous high profile panels throughout the weekend which will feature their top talent. Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment, and Axel Alonso, Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, will be Guests of Honor at the show and will be joined by many other notable Marvel creators including Guests of Honor Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Kieron Gillen, and Stuart Immonen.

“The enthusiastic participation of premiere companies like Marvel is critical to our success,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for NYCC. “We are always eager to host Marvel at New York Comic Con and to provide their talent with a range of opportunity. Our show not only brings thousands of fans together with their favorite writers, artists and creators but we are a preeminent venue for launching and displaying new content and product. Marvel’s participation is a huge validation of our efforts and we are grateful to them for their energy and commitment. We look forward to making the 2011 edition of New York Comic Con one of the best ever!”

JASON AARON: Jason Aaron is an Eisner and Harvey Award nominated comic book writer whose work includes the critically acclaimed crime series Scalped for Vertigo and stints on Black Panther, Ghost Rider andWolverine: Weapon X for Marvel. Current and upcoming projects include Wolverine, Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine, PunisherMAX , X-Men Schism and Wolverine & the X-Men, all for Marvel. He was born in Alabama but currently resides in Kansas City.

AXEL ALONSO: A 17-year comics industry veteran, Axel Alonso got his start at DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, where he edited such seminal series such as Preacher, Hellblazer and 100 Bullets, before leaping to Marvel Comics in 2001. Since that time, he has overseen many of the publisher’s biggest franchises – including Spider-Man, Hulk and the X-Men – and edited some of its most talked-about series – including Truth, Rawhide Kid and X-Statix. In 2011 Axel was promoted to Editor In Chief, a tenure during which he has overseen major events such as the Death of Ultimate Spider-Man and the chart-topping Fear Itself. Besides comics, Alonso’s passions include basketball, hip-hop, 8-year-old shooting guard Tito “Mr. T” Alonso, Asian food and preparing for the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse.

MATT FRACTION: Matt Fraction is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer known for his work on The Invincible Iron Man, Thor, The Immortal Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics, Casanova for Icon Comics. This summer he masterminds Marvel’s mega-event Fear Itself alongside Stuart Immonen. He’s written the graphic novels Last of the Independents and The Five Fists of Science, and comics like 30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales and The Order. He’s recently contributed to the storylines and dialogue of both theIron Man 2 and Thor video games for Sega, and was a consultant on the Iron Man 2 film. He lives in Portland Oregon with his wife, the writer Kelly Sue Deconnick, and his two children, two dogs, two cats, and frog. There were two frogs but they died.

KIERON GILLEN: Kieron Gillen is a foul writing worm who crawls inside artists' ears and makes them do his bidding. Products of this evil symbiosis include Journey Into Mystery and the award-winning Phonogram. This fall Kieron will be launching Uncanny X-Men #1 with Carlos Pacheco & Greg Land. There is no known cure.

STUART IMMONEN: Since his self-published debut in 1988, Stuart Immonen has worked for almost every publisher in the comics industry from Archie to Rip Off Press, with notable tenures at DC, where he wrote and drew Adventures of Superman; Gorilla, where he co-created Shockrockets with writer Kurt Busiek; and Marvel, where he pencilled Ultimate Spider-Man, Nextwave and New Avengers, and most recently the event title Fear Itself. Stuart is known for employing diverse drawing styles as seen in his sketchbook series Centifolia published by AdHouse Books, and in his work with writer Kathryn Immonen, including Boom! Studios' Never as Bad as You Think and Moving Pictures, published by Top Shelf. He lives in Toronto.

JOE QUESADA: Joe Quesada wears many creative hats, as both an acclaimed writer-artist and the Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment, the world’s largest and most dynamic comics publisher. In this role, Joe is steward of such legendary characters as Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Captain America, and the Fantastic Four. His tenure as Editor-in-Chief recently drew to a close after 10 successful years – the longest term since Stan Lee himself. Under Quesada’s guidance, Marvel underwent a creative boom and became home to the comic industry’s greatest talents, which continues to hold true today. He brings this same vision to his role in the whole of Marvel Entertainment across the worlds of publishing, film, and television.

Customers interested in signing up for New York Comic Con should contact Larry Settembrini atlsettembrini@reedexpo.com. Tickets for NYCC are now on sale via the website www.NewYorkComicCon.com. Limited 4-Day tickets are available. For further information about all ReedPOP shows and activity, please visit Lance Fensterman’s blog, www.MediumAtLarge.net. Convention organizers note that many more guests will be announced over the next few weeks and months and fans should keep their eyes on NYCC’s website and blog for additional comics, entertainment and anime announcements.

Many additional top creators to participate in panels, signings and appearances!!

ABOUT REEDPOP: ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration VI, New York Anime Festival (NYAF), andUFC Fan Expo. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

Fairy Tail Cast Comes To New York Anime Festival





Leads Of FUNimation Series Take Part In Anime Event At New York Comic Con


The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) and FUNimation Entertainment today announced that the leads of its new anime series Fairy Tail will be coming to this October's New York Anime Festival. The New York Anime Festival will take place October 13-16, 2011 at the Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan as part of the sixth annual New York Comic Con (NYCC). NYCC, which attracted 96,000 attendees in 2010, celebrates comics, television, movies, toys, games, and the popular arts from around the planet. NYCC's Anime Festival shines a specific spotlight on anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture. NYCC has already

announced guests including Kevin Smith, Felicia Day, and Robert Kirkman. Fairy Tail voice actors Todd Haberkorn, Colleen

Clinkenbeard, Cherami Leigh, and Newton Pittman are today announced as guests and will appear at NYAF at NYCC for panel sessions, autograph signings, and an introduction to a premiere Fairy Tail screening.

Todd Haberkorn leads the Fairy Tail cast as the voice of Natsu, Colleen Clinkenbeard provides the voice for Erza, Cherami Leigh is Lucy, and Newton Pittman is the voice for Gray. The series, currently broadcast in Japan, is based on a manga by the same name by Hiro Mashima. The Fairy Tail manga is published in America by Kodansha Comics. In the world of Fairy Tail, sorcerers band together in Guilds to take on paying assignments, including hunting monsters, finding lost items, and running odd errands, for non-magic users. The story follows Lucy, an aspiring wizard who wants to join the most prestigious Guild around, Fairy Tail. And, when she meets the (literally) fiery Natsu, she's well on her way to joining the ranks of Fairy Tail.

FUNimation is currently streaming subtitled episodes of the series at www.funimation.com/fairy-tail and will release the complete series on DVD and Blu-ray later this year.

"The New York Anime Festival is excited to welcome Todd, Colleen, Cherami, and Newton to New York City," NYAF and NYCC Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. "Fairy Tail already has a thriving fanbase in both America and Japan, and Todd, Colleen, Cherami, and Newton are an all-star cast! We're looking very forward to presenting a premiere Fairy Tail screeningin English -- and couldn’t be happier than to do so with the cast right here with the fans!"

For bios, headshots, and additional information on Todd Haberkorn, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Cherami Leigh, and Newton Pittman, please visit www.newyorkcomiccon.com.

Details around NYAF's Fairy Tail events and its full schedule will be announced later this summer. Tickets are available at www.newyorkcomiccon.com now. For the latest information, please follow @ny_anime_fest and@ny_comic_con on Twitter as well as read NYAF and NYCC's official blog, www.mediumatlarge.net.

ABOUT FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT:

FUNimation® Entertainment is the leading company for home video sales of Japanese animation in the United States. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution. For more information about FUNimation Entertainment and its brands, visit www.funimation.com.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL:

The New York Anime Festival is a celebration of Japanese popular culture from the creators of New York Comic Con. NYAF conducts, promotes and is involved in anime and Japanese cultural activities year-round in New York City, including events at Kinokuniya Bookstore, Japan Society, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Sakura Matsuri. Our flagship event is the New York Anime Festival at New York Comic Con. Taking place at the Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan on October 13-16, 2011, the New York Anime Festival at New York Comic Con showcases the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music and games as well as anime-influenced comics, animation, and films from around the world. The festival features exclusive and extensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the some of the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia and America, and explores the Japanese cultural experience with displays of both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese life. (www.newyorkanimefestival.com)

ABOUT REEDPOP:

ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration, New York Anime Festival (NYAF), Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC), and UFC Fan Expo. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.


Kevin Smith And Jason Mewes To Appear At New York Comic Con


Jay and Silent Bob Get Old Goes LIVE from IGN Theater on Friday, October 14th!!

Noted filmmaker, comic book writer, and internet radio personality Kevin Smith, who first appeared at New York Comic Con (NYCC) when the convention debuted in 2006, will return to NYCC in 2011 with television and film actor Jason Mewes. Smith and Mewes will appear together on Friday, October 14th at 7:00pm in the IGN Theater for a live performance of their popular podcast Jay and Silent Bob Get Old. Fans who are interested in attending the live performance must have a New York Comic ticket and also purchase an additional ticket to the podcast. All ticket prices are based on seating location: $50 for prime seats with a pre-signed item, $35 for second tier seating, and $10 for general admission. Tickets will go on sale June 15th and further information about ticket prices and seating locations will be available at the website. All NYCC Ultimate VIP ticket holders will be provided a free ticket to the live podcast

Beginning with the 1994 independent film Clerks, director Kevin Smith and longtime friend Jason Mewes have worked together on several films, often playing the fictional duo Jay and Silent Bob. The act has evolved intoJay and Silent Bob Get Old, a wildly successful weekly live show and podcast for Smith’s growing podcast network. The show, which is frequently broadcast from The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club, at Universal CityWalk, has also played to numerous audiences at various venues throughout the country. This will be the first-ever live performance of Jay and Silent Bob Get Old at a comic convention.

“I am enormously excited to announce this performance at New York Comic Con,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for NYCC. “Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes are insanely funny and their appearance at our show is nothing short of huge. We will not only have a packed house, and a terrific live performance for all our fans, but this sets the tone for the weekend. New York Comic Con is not just about ‘meet and greets’ but also about providing the very best in leading edge comedy and entertainment. This live performance of Jay and Silent Bob Get Old raises the bar considerably and is testimony to the type of entertainment that we will be hosting at NYCC in the future.”

Tickets for NYCC are now on sale via the website www.NewYorkComicCon.com. Limited 4-Day tickets are available. For further information about all ReedPOP shows and activity, please visit Lance Fensterman’s blog,www.MediumAtLarge.net. Convention organizers note that many guests will be announced over the next few weeks and months and fans should keep their eyes on NYCC’s website and blog for additional comics, entertainment and anime announcements.

Kevin Smith:

Smith has spent nearly twenty years as a writer/director making Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, Clerks II, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Cop Out and his newest film Red State, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Mystifyingly, Smith also sports three DVD releases of his various college Q&A’s (An Evening with Kevin Smith; An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder; A Threevening with Kevin Smith) as well as an EPIX Original Q&A special Kevin Smith: Too Fat For 40.

He’s published two books full of essays and blog postings (Silent Bob Speaks and The New York Timesbestselling My Boring-Ass Life), as well as Shootin’ the Sh*t with Kevin Smith – a collection of the best material from SModcast, Smith and producer Scott Mosier’s weekly podcast.

Aside from the films he’s directed, Smith has served as a producer on indie efforts including Bryan Johnson’s Lionsgate release Vulgar, multiple Academy Award winner Good Will Hunting, and a pair of Sundance-selected documentaries including Reel Paradise and Small Town Gay Bar.

One of the first filmmakers to venture into cyberspace, Smith has built his fan base primarily on the web, via the thirteen year old binary village at www.viewaskew.com. Smith took the cyberworld by storm when, in February 2007, SModcast debuted online. The back-and-forth banter of Smith and Mosier has kept on for over four years paving the way for the SModcast Podcast Network.

From its January 2010, launch, smodcast.com has grown into a full-fledged network, hosting a full week of original programming featuring SMonsters of Talk, who regularly claim the top slots on the iTunes as the Best Podcasts of 2007 and 2010. Audiences around the world have created a following for many other weekly shows which have also gone on to enormous success. In September 2010, SModcast officially began playing on SiriusXM's "The Virus" channel, alongside Opie & Anthony and Ron & Fez.

The success of SModcast brought to life Smith’s idea of a black box theater in Los Angeles where he and his team could perform live podcasts whenever they wanted. In July 2010 SModcastle – the world’s first live podcast theater – opened. SModcastle quickly became the house that ‘Babble-On’ built. Garman and Smith packed audiences in weekly, routinely selling out the 50 seat venue – a feat matched only by Mewes and Smith when they launched Jay & Silent Bob Get Old.

Smith’s podcasting success did not end with SModcastle. In May 2011 S.I.R.: SModcast Internet Radio, premiered with 24 hour a day, seven days a week programming featuring live and archived Smodcast Network programs. The S.I.R. suite of shows is available through www.smodcast.com and Stitcher’s free mobile and iPad™apps.

And if film and digital domination aren’t enough, there’s always retail: Smith owns a comic book store named Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash in Red Bank, New Jersey.

As for the hood ornaments he’s collected, there’s plenty of tin on display: the Filmmaker’s Trophy at Sundance for Clerks; the Prix de la Jeunesse and the International Critic’s Week Awards at the Cannes Film Festival, also forClerks. He also has an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay for Chasing Amy, and a Humanitas Award for Good Will Hunting. Smith also received the Defender of Democracy Award from Norman Lear’s People for the American Way organization for his production of Dogma. Clerks II won both the prestigious Audience Award at the Edinburgh Film Festvial as well as the Orbit Dirtiest Mouth Moment at the MTV Movie Awards. For his writing in the comics field, Smith has received a Harvey Award, a Wizard Fan Award, an Eagle Award, and saw his Green Arrow: Quiver named as one of 2003’s Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Service. In the fall of 2002, the town of Paulsboro in New Jersey named a street after him: Kevin Smith Way. In 2004, the Video Software Dealers Association gave Smith the DVD Visionary Award, and in 2005, he collected the Independent Spirit Award from Britain’s Empire Magazine. In April of 2006, this award-whore was given UCLA’s Jack Benny Award for Comedy, and in 2008, Smith was given the Maverick Award by the Woodstock Film Festival, as well as the Vision Award from the DGA-affiliated Filmmaker’s Alliance.

But he’d chuck it all for his wife and kid. Smith married wife Jennifer in April ’99 and celebrated the birth of their daughter, Harley Quinn, in June of that same year. The wedding was not white, to say the least.

Jason Mewes:

A New Jersey born and bred actor, who burst onto the cinema screens in 1994, playing the voice half of the on-screen comedy duo of Jay and Silent Bob, Mewes' cult-fan's beloved character "Jay" in his long time friend's (Kevin Smith) award winning Clerks.

Mewes would continue on the role of "Jay" in a series of indie hits-Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and later Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

In 2006, the View Askew team went back to the well and Clerks II hit movie screens. Once again Mewes reprised the role of the fast-talking, foul mouthed and over sexed but very likable "Jay" to go on to win MTV's Dirtiest Mouth Award in 2007.

Moving beyond "Jay", Mewes has completed various commercials, music videos, and animated features as Jason's unique voice has added color and dimension to a variety of entertainment media, including video games.

ABOUT REEDPOP: ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration V, New York Anime Festival (NYAF) and UFC Fan Expo. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

CONTACT: Roger Bilheimer
(203) 966-0792