Support Leroy on Patreon.
TELEVISION - From Variety: "Gilmore Girls'" Rory Gilmore meets First Lady Michelle Obama in this video clip.
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OBIT - From Deadline: The author and screenwriter, Michael Herr, has died at the age of 76, Thursday, June 23rd, 2016. Herr was the author of the heralded Vietnam War memoir, "Dispatches." Herr also contributed to two seminal Vietnam War movies, "Apocalypse Now," and "Full Metal Jacket," for which he shared an adapted screenplay Oscar nomination with Stanley Kubrick and Gustav Hasford.
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COMICS - From CinemaBlend: Director David Ayers warns fans - Suicide Squad is like nothing they've seen.
From YahooNews: Viola Davis says she almost pepper-sprayed fellow "Suicide Squad" actor, Jared Leto (Joker).
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LGBT - From YahooCelebrity: Celebs remember their first experience at a gay bar.
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POLITICS - From YahooFinance: Because the United Kingdom is leaving the the European Union, as a result of the "Brexit" vote, J.K. Rowling says "Goodbye, U.K."
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TELEVISION - From Deadline: Starz releases a first-look image from "American Gods."
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MOVIES - From YahooMovies: Hear "Ghostbusters (I'm not Afraid)," the theme for the new "Ghostbusters" film. The track is by Fall Out Boy featuring Missy Elliot. The song uses some of Ray Parker Jr.'s theme for the 1984 film.
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COMICS - From BleedingCool: Bokeem Woodbine joins "Spider-Man: Homecoming," apparently to play a villain.
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OBITS - From Variety: Conductor and composer, Harry Rabinowitz, has died at the age of 100. He is known for conducting the music for "Best Picture" Oscar-winner, "Chariots of Fire," among his many credits.
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MUSIC - From YahooMusic: Led Zeppelin wins the "Stairway to Heaven" copyright infringement lawsuit.
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SPORTS/MOVIE - From YahooNews: Ben Affleck goes on anti-NFL deflate-gate rant.
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LAW - From YahooNews: Affirmative Action had a major victory in college admissions in regards to a case brought against the University of Texas. It must be a bitter loss for neo-segregationist Edward Blum and his skank surrogate, Abigail Fisher.
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STAR WARS - From TheWrap: Who Forest Whitaker plays in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" Plus, a photo gallery.
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MOVIES - From TheVox: Jesse Eisenberg talks about being a successful Jewish American.
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COMICS - From YahooMusic: Hannibal Buress joins "Spider-Man: Homecoming."
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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: John Boyega to star in Kathryn Bigelow's movie about the 1967 Detroit riots. The movie also re-teams Bigelow with screenwriter Mark Boal and financier Megan Ellison.
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MOVIES - From Variety: Kate Winslet in final negotiations to appear in Woody Allen's next film, which begins shooting in the fall.
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COMICS - From CBR: Abraham Attah, who played the child soldier, "Abu" in "Beasts of No Nation," will appear in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."
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MOVIES - From YahooMovies: Will Smith most regrets 1999's "Wild Wild West" (which I kinda like), but what hurt the most was the box office failure of 2013's "After Earth" (which I really like), because his son Jaden was involved.
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COMICS - From TheWrap: Lots of information is leaking out about the "Justice League" movie.
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MUSIC/LEGAL - From YahooMusic: Led Zeppelin wants a halt to the "Stairway to Heaven" copyright infringement trial.
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COMICS - From IGN: In the Doctor Strange" film, Mads Mikkelsen will play...
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MOVIES - From BleedingCool: Noomi Rapace to appear in "Alien: Covenant," a follow-up to the film, "Prometheus."
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TELEVISION - From Indiewire: J.J. Abrams and Tavis Smiley come together for an event TV series about Michael Jackson. Bad Robot is developing the project on a Smiley book.
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ANIMATION - From TheWrap: Sony Pictures Animation announces animated TV series based on "Ghostbusters" and "Hotel Transylvania."
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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Eli Roth to make his big studio debut by directing a remake of "Death Wish" with Bruce Willis.
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PIXAR - From WashPost: Sigourney Weaver and Ed O'Neill steal the show in "Finding Dory."
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COMICS - From Gamespot: The new poster for the "Suicide Squad" is eye-popping.
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SPORTS - From YahooSports: Cleveland Cavaliers are the 2015-16 NBA Champions. LeBron James wins the NBA Playoffs MVP.
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BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 6/17 to 6/19/2016 weekend box office is Pixar's "Finding Dory" with an estimated take of $136.1 million. This is the largest opening weekend ever for an animated feature film.
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STAR TREK - The Death of Anton Yelchin:
OBIT - From YahooMovies: The actor Anton Yelchin died early Sunday, June 19, 2016. He was 27-years-old and was best known for his role as Pavel Chekhov in the "Star Trek" reboot film series that began in 2009. Yelchin's death was apparently an accident and involved his car.
From IMDb: Remembering Anton Yelchin.
From Variety: Yelchin's life and career in photos.
From Variety: Anton Yelchin leaves behind several unreleased films (including "Star Trek Beyond") and a high-profile animated series.
From Variety: J.J. Abrams, who directed the 2009 "Star Trek" reboot and its 2013 sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness" mourns Yelchin.
From YahooMovies: Hollywood mourns Yelchin.
From YahooMovies: Anton Yelchin's most memorable roles.
From YahooMovies: The original Pavel Chekhov of "Star Trek," Walter Koenig, mourns the death of Anton Yelchin, who played Chekhov in the "Star Trek" reboot film franchise.
From IndieWire: Anton Yelchin's death made be tied to recently vehicle recall.
From YahooCelebrity: Anton Yelchin apparently died about a minute after his accident.
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SPORTS - From YahooSports: Dustin Johnson wins golf's U.S. Open, his first victory in one of professional golf's four "Major" tournaments.
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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Warner Bros. moves the release date of Ben Affleck's upcoming directorial effort, "Live By Night," presumably for Oscar consideration.
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TELEVISION - From TheWrap: Everything that has led up to "Game of Throne's" "Battle of the Bastards."
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POLITICS - From TIME: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Trump and ISIS depend on irrationality.
TRAILERS:
From YouTube: New trailer for "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back," starring Tom Cruise and releasing October 21, 2016.
From YouTube: This is the second official trailer for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - from Tim Burton.
From YahooMovies: Here is a new clip that gives the first straight-on look at the title character from Steven Spielberg's "The BFG."
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Image Comics Announces "The Black Monday Murders"
THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS— A DARK MIX OF THE OCCULT AND INTRIGUE
Hickman and Coker launch new crypto-noir
Image Comics is pleased to announce the all-new, ongoing crypto-noir series THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS by New York Times and Eisner Award winning writer Jonathan Hickman (EAST OF WEST) and Tomm Coker (Undying Love) will launch in in August.
THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS is classic occultism where the various schools of magic are actually clandestine banking cartels who control all of society: a secret world where vampire Russian oligarchs, Black popes, enchanted American aristocrats, and hitmen from the International Monetary Fund work together to keep ALL OF US in our proper place.
“I’ve gotten to work on some pretty interesting books over the past few years,” said Hickman. “This is, by far, the most proud I’ve been. I can’t wait for people to read it.”
THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS is a story about the power of dirty, filthy money… and exactly what kind of people you can buy with it.
THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS #1 (Diamond Code JUN160575) will hit comic book stores on Wednesday, August 10th, 2016. The final order cutoff deadline for comic book retailers is Monday, July 18th, 2016.
ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
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Image Comics Announces ""Liberty" Collected
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO READ FREELY WITH CBLDF PRESENTS: LIBERTY TP
Collecting LIBERTY ANNUAL 2008-2012 into trade paperback
Celebrate creative freedom with the industry's top talents in this paperback edition collecting LIBERTY ANNUAL 2008-2012 this August 2016.
LIBERTY TP’s 216 pages include rare work, such as a THE WALKING DEAD tale by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard, 100 Words by Neil Gaiman and Jim Lee, and CRIMINAL by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, plus stories and never-before-seen content from dozens more! All proceeds benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's work protecting the freedom to read!
LIBERTY TP (ISBN 978-1-60706-996-6) hits comic book stores Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016 and bookstores Tuesday, August 9th, 2016, and will be available for $19.99. It can be preordered now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Indigo. It can be ordered by retailers with the Diamond Code MAY160672, and the final order cutoff deadline is Monday, June 20th, 2016.
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Friday, June 24, 2016
Michael Sheen Gets Financing for His Directorial Debut, "Green River Killer"
QC ENTERTAINMENT TO FINANCE MICHAEL SHEEN’S FEATURE FILM DIRECTORIAL DEBUT “GREEN RIVER KILLER”
Sheen To Star As Infamous Serial Killer Gary Ridgway
QC Entertainment, Dark Horse Entertainment and Sheen To Produce
LOS ANGELES, CA — QC Entertainment announced today the company will produce and finance the true crime thriller “Green River Killer,” which marks the feature film directorial debut of acclaimed actor Michael Sheen who will also star in the film. The screenplay written by Sheen made the coveted The Black List in 2015, and is adapted from the Dark Horse Entertainment’s award-winning graphic novel Green River Killer: A True Detective Story. The novel was written by Jeff Jensen, based on his father Tom Jensen, and artist Jonathan Case.
The film will be produced by Dark Horse Entertainment’s Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg, Sheen and QC Entertainment’s Sean McKittrick and Ray Mansfield. QC’s Edward H. Hamm Jr. and Shaun Redick will serve as Executive Producers. The film will be co-represented for domestic film sales by ICM Partners and QC Entertainment, which is the recently formed partnership between McKittrick, Hamm, Mansfield and Redick.
The film is the story of Tom Jensen, the man who spent twenty years looking for the ‘Green River Killer,’ and Gary Ridgway (to be played by Sheen), the man he caught. After a two-decade hunt and forty-nine official murders, the two men are forced to live and work together in a dark alliance to uncover the truth.
“Michael has written an elegant script which brings his sophisticated vision to subverting the typical serial killer movie,” said QC Principals McKittrick and Mansfield. “Jensen and Ridgway are terrific roles for both an actor of Michael’s caliber and the actor cast opposite him. As producers who have long championed actors making the move to directing, we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it.”
“This is a dark story but one that ultimately finds hope and meaning in that darkness,” said Sheen. “The story of Tom and Gary, and how they are bound together in time, pulled me in from the beginning and wouldn’t let go. I hope that by now bringing it to life on screen it can make audiences feel the same way.”
“’Green River Killer’ presents the ultimate insider’s account of America’s most prolific serial killer,” said Dark Horse Entertainment President Mike Richardson. “Michael Sheen’s passion for the material was clear when he insisted on adapting the book on spec. His screenplay proves that Jeff Jensen’s Eisner Award-winning graphic novel is perfectly suited for the screen.”
Sheen is repped by ICM Partners, Tammy Rosen of Sanders Armstrong Caserta Management and attorneys James Adams and Ira Schreck of Schreck Rose Dapello & Adams LLP. The deal for Sheen was negotiated by ICM Partners and Schreck Rose Dapello & Adams LLP. The deal for Dark Horse Entertainment was negotiated by attorney Keith G. Fleer. Ray Mansfield negotiated the deals on behalf of QC Entertainment.
ABOUT MICHAEL SHEEN
Michael Sheen has proved himself equally accomplished on both stage and screen.
Sheen’s diverse range of film credits include starring in three Best Picture Academy Award®-nominated films: “The Queen,” directed by Stephen Frears; “Frost/Nixon,” directed by Ron Howard, and “Midnight in Paris,” directed by Woody Allen. He also starred in the blockbuster “Twilight” saga films as a vampire, and as a werewolf in “The Underworld” franchise. His other feature credits include the role of William Boldwood opposite Carey Mulligan in Thomas Vinterberg’s “Far From The Maddening Crowd”; as Brian Clough in “The Damned United,” directed by Tom Hooper; the white rabbit in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”; and Zuse in “Tron: Legacy,” directed by Joseph Kosinski.
Among his upcoming films: “Oppenheimer Strategies,” opposite Richard Gere; and the sci-fi film “Passengers,” opposite Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt and directed by Morten Tyldum opening later this year from Sony.
On stage, among Sheen’s many award-winning performances are: the starring role in “Caligula,” directed by Michael Grandage at the Donmar Warehouse; as David Frost in “Frost/Nixon,” directed by Grandage at the Donmar Warehouse; and the starring role of “Hamlet” at the Young Vic. In addition, Sheen created, co-directed, and performed in the groundbreaking three-day live event “The Passion” in his hometown of Port Talbot for National Theatre Wales.
On television, Sheen earned awards for his starring roles in “Kenneth Williams: “Fantabulosa!” directed by Andy De Emmony, and “Dirty Filthy Love,” directed by Adrian Shergold. Additional credits include as “Wesley Snipes” opposite Tina Fey on “30 Rock”; starring in Funny or Die’s three-part miniseries spoof, “The Spoils Before Dying”; and HBO’s sports mockumentary, “7 Days in Hell.” In 2010, he received an Emmy® nomination for his starring role as Tony Blair in HBO’s “The Special Relationship,” directed by Richard Loncraine.
Currently, Sheen can be seen in his critically acclaimed starring role as William Master on Showtime’s “Masters of Sex,” which he also serves as a producer. Among the accolades Sheen has received include a 2014 Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama, as well as a Critics’ Choice TV Award nomination. The Golden Globe-nominated series was named the “Most Exciting New Series “from the Broadcast Television Critics’ Association in its first season as well as being named on AFI’s Top 10 Outstanding Television Programs. “Masters of Sex” will have its Season 4 premiere on Sunday, September 11.
In 2009, Sheen was honored by the Queen of England with an O.B.E. for his services to Drama.
ABOUT QC ENTERTAINMENT
QC Entertainment is the recently formed partnership between veteran filmmakers Sean McKittrick and Ted Hamm’s Darko Entertainment and Movie Package Company’s Ray Mansfield and Shaun Redick to finance and produce director driven films.
With principals who have a consistent track record for championing and supporting filmmakers with a unique voice and raising the profile of independent films to a wider audience, QC – standing for Quality Control – is focused on expanding that same quality in producing feature films and television within a controlled, fiscally responsible budget range. A one-stop solution for filmmakers looking to have all business and creative matters handled in-house by one company, QC can develop, produce on-set, finance productions, handle sales and distribution, and everything in between.
Among QC projects: “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” released earlier this year; the recently wrapped “Get Out,” which the company teamed with horror master Blumhouse Productions on to produce the feature directorial debut of Jordan Peele who wrote the script for this fresh take on the horror-thriller genre; and Executive Producing the Netflix feature, “A Futile & Stupid Gesture,” directed by David Wain and starring Will Forte and Domhnall Gleeson that is currently in production.
ABOUT DARK HORSE
Dark Horse Comics founder and publisher Mike Richardson determined early on that great stories are great stories, no matter the medium in which they’re told. This belief led the publisher to explore the world of filmmaking and started him on the path to Hollywood, where he established his own filmmaking company, Dark Horse Entertainment, in 1992.
The company’s first two major films – “The Mask,” starring Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, and “Timecop,” starring Jean-Claude Van Damme -- were based on Richardson’s creations and premiered to enthusiastic audiences. Under his leadership Dark Horse has produced over two dozen film and television projects since 1994 including “Mystery Men,” “R.I.P.D.,” Fox Kids’ Saturday-morning cartoon series “Big Guy and Rusty The Boy Robot,” the “Hellboy” film series, and the Emmy Award–winning documentary, “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.” Current projects include “Tarzan” for Warner Bros., starring Alexander Skarsgard, opening July 1, 2016; and “Dark Matter” for SyFy, which has its second season upcoming this summer.
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Second Annula Dwayne McDuffie Awards Goes to "Awkward" by Svetlana Chmakova
Svetlana Chmakova’s AWKWARD Wins Dwayne McDuffie Award
The second annual Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics was presented to Svetlana Chmakova’s Awkward at the recent Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF).
Awkward tells a story that is very much of this moment but at the same time ageless—a story about the missteps of middle school, about rivalries and hurt feelings, and about the many twists and turns of friendship. Of the scores of comics from 2015 read by the judges, Chmakova’s book best met the four main criteria for selection: Quality, Timelessness, Originality and Diversity.
Those four values represent core concerns of Kids Read Comics, the nonprofit that sponsors A2CAF and the McDuffie Award. They also fit the man the award was named for. Dwayne McDuffie was a comics and animation writer, a winner of the Humanitas Prize, and the creator of Static, the teenaged superhero who first appeared in 1993, and Static Shock, the animated series based on the comic. McDuffie was an enthusiastic supporter of Kids Read Comics who believed in comics and believed in kids. He shared KRC’s belief that comics can expand young minds and change young lives for the better.
There is no more appropriate name to attach to an award that showcases the incredible variety of outstanding comics currently being created for kids and teens.
In accepting the award on video, Svetlana Chmakova said, “When I heard about the award, I was so happy to see that one of the four judging criteria was diversity. When I create my work, inclusion is something that’s always at the forefront of my mind. And not just because I think it’s actually overdue…but also because I was an immigrant, and I experienced it. I experienced inclusion.” Recapturing what that experience meant to her, she added, “I was a kid and it was so important.”
“While I’m truly, truly thankful to be the recipient of this year’s award,” Chmakova went on to say, “I’m even more thankful that this award exists.”
Judges for this year’s Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics were Edith Donnell, a Kids Read Comics cofounder and youth and teen librarian; Andrew Woodrow-Butcher, manager of Little Island Comics, a comic shop exclusively for kids; Eva Volin, a children’s librarian and comics-in-libraries advocate; and Marv Wolfman, a comics and animation writer and editor whose storied career goes back nearly half a century.
The Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival is held annually at the Ann Arbor (Michigan) District Library, and features over fifty artists alley guests ranging from national bestselling authors and award winners—this year including Cece Bell, Kazu Kibuishi, Nathan Hale, Tom Angleberger and Ben Hatke—to teenaged cartoonists and even younger students from local cartooning classes. A2CAF programming focuses largely on hands-on workshops and interactive drawing games, allowing event attendees of all ages and skill levels to participate. The event attracts approximately 3,000 visitors each year.
See Svetlana Chmakova's acceptance speech: https://youtu.be/smeYqRCQqJ4
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The second annual Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics was presented to Svetlana Chmakova’s Awkward at the recent Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF).
Awkward tells a story that is very much of this moment but at the same time ageless—a story about the missteps of middle school, about rivalries and hurt feelings, and about the many twists and turns of friendship. Of the scores of comics from 2015 read by the judges, Chmakova’s book best met the four main criteria for selection: Quality, Timelessness, Originality and Diversity.
Those four values represent core concerns of Kids Read Comics, the nonprofit that sponsors A2CAF and the McDuffie Award. They also fit the man the award was named for. Dwayne McDuffie was a comics and animation writer, a winner of the Humanitas Prize, and the creator of Static, the teenaged superhero who first appeared in 1993, and Static Shock, the animated series based on the comic. McDuffie was an enthusiastic supporter of Kids Read Comics who believed in comics and believed in kids. He shared KRC’s belief that comics can expand young minds and change young lives for the better.
There is no more appropriate name to attach to an award that showcases the incredible variety of outstanding comics currently being created for kids and teens.
In accepting the award on video, Svetlana Chmakova said, “When I heard about the award, I was so happy to see that one of the four judging criteria was diversity. When I create my work, inclusion is something that’s always at the forefront of my mind. And not just because I think it’s actually overdue…but also because I was an immigrant, and I experienced it. I experienced inclusion.” Recapturing what that experience meant to her, she added, “I was a kid and it was so important.”
“While I’m truly, truly thankful to be the recipient of this year’s award,” Chmakova went on to say, “I’m even more thankful that this award exists.”
Judges for this year’s Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics were Edith Donnell, a Kids Read Comics cofounder and youth and teen librarian; Andrew Woodrow-Butcher, manager of Little Island Comics, a comic shop exclusively for kids; Eva Volin, a children’s librarian and comics-in-libraries advocate; and Marv Wolfman, a comics and animation writer and editor whose storied career goes back nearly half a century.
The Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival is held annually at the Ann Arbor (Michigan) District Library, and features over fifty artists alley guests ranging from national bestselling authors and award winners—this year including Cece Bell, Kazu Kibuishi, Nathan Hale, Tom Angleberger and Ben Hatke—to teenaged cartoonists and even younger students from local cartooning classes. A2CAF programming focuses largely on hands-on workshops and interactive drawing games, allowing event attendees of all ages and skill levels to participate. The event attracts approximately 3,000 visitors each year.
See Svetlana Chmakova's acceptance speech: https://youtu.be/smeYqRCQqJ4
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Titan to Produce Comic Books Based on Balls-to-the-Wall Indonesian Film, "The Raid"
TITAN SECURES LICENSE TO PUBLISH THE RAID COMICS.
Publisher teams up with director Gareth Evans to make all-new comics based on the popular martial-arts blockbuster.
Titan Comics are thrilled to announce that The Raid is punching its way into comic books, in late 2016. Titan is working closely with the director Gareth Evans (The Raid, The Raid 2) and XYZ Films to develop all-new stories featuring characters from the series.
Premiering in 2011, Indonesian martial-arts movie The Raid (also known as The Raid: Redemption) sent pulses racing at the Toronto International Film Festival and secured unanimous critical praise, rocketing to cult film status across the world.
The movie captured audiences with its boundary-pushing, inventive choreography and piston-pumping narrative where a lone, isolated SWAT team are trapped by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs inside a tenement block, and they have to fight through to the top.
Directed by Gareth Evans and produced by PT. Merantau Films and XYZ Films, the high-octane franchise has garnered great success since its release. The first film had 10 nominations at the 2012 Maya Awards. It was followed, in 2014, by The Raid 2, which featured the character of Rama returning to battle against corruption in his own police force.
“At Titan we’re thrilled to be publishing The Raid comic books,” said editor Martin Eden. “Gareth is a visionary and a huge talent. It’s a pleasure to work with him on developing his characters for the comic book page. We promise to deliver the same thrilling, fifth-gear adrenaline that fans have come to expect from the franchise.”
Titan’s The Raid comics are set to debut soon. Look out for more announcements about the creative team shortly.
To keep up to date with news about Titan’s The Raid comics follow Titan Comics on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr
ABOUT TITAN COMICS
Titan Comics offers astounding comics and graphic novels from the world's greatest licensed properties, alongside creator-owned comic books from new and world-renowned talent and classic graphic novels re-mastered for brand-new audiences.
For more information, visit: https://www.titan-comics.com
Connect with Titan Comics:
https://twitter.com/ComicsTita
https://facebook.com/ComicsTitan
http://titancomics.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ComicsTitan
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Publisher teams up with director Gareth Evans to make all-new comics based on the popular martial-arts blockbuster.
Titan Comics are thrilled to announce that The Raid is punching its way into comic books, in late 2016. Titan is working closely with the director Gareth Evans (The Raid, The Raid 2) and XYZ Films to develop all-new stories featuring characters from the series.
Premiering in 2011, Indonesian martial-arts movie The Raid (also known as The Raid: Redemption) sent pulses racing at the Toronto International Film Festival and secured unanimous critical praise, rocketing to cult film status across the world.
The movie captured audiences with its boundary-pushing, inventive choreography and piston-pumping narrative where a lone, isolated SWAT team are trapped by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs inside a tenement block, and they have to fight through to the top.
Directed by Gareth Evans and produced by PT. Merantau Films and XYZ Films, the high-octane franchise has garnered great success since its release. The first film had 10 nominations at the 2012 Maya Awards. It was followed, in 2014, by The Raid 2, which featured the character of Rama returning to battle against corruption in his own police force.
“At Titan we’re thrilled to be publishing The Raid comic books,” said editor Martin Eden. “Gareth is a visionary and a huge talent. It’s a pleasure to work with him on developing his characters for the comic book page. We promise to deliver the same thrilling, fifth-gear adrenaline that fans have come to expect from the franchise.”
Titan’s The Raid comics are set to debut soon. Look out for more announcements about the creative team shortly.
To keep up to date with news about Titan’s The Raid comics follow Titan Comics on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr
ABOUT TITAN COMICS
Titan Comics offers astounding comics and graphic novels from the world's greatest licensed properties, alongside creator-owned comic books from new and world-renowned talent and classic graphic novels re-mastered for brand-new audiences.
For more information, visit: https://www.titan-comics.com
Connect with Titan Comics:
https://twitter.com/ComicsTita
https://facebook.com/ComicsTitan
http://titancomics.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ComicsTitan
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Winners Announces for the Comic Book "Inkwell Awards 2016"
Inkwell Awards 2016 Winners Announced
(New Bedford, MA/USA) The Inkwell Awards has released the names of the winners of its ninth annual awards for excellence in the art form of comic book inking. As before, nominees were chosen by a separate and independent nomination committee. Voting via live ballot at the non-profit advocacy’s website ran from April 15-30, 2016. One winner was chosen in each of five categories based on American-based interior comic-book work cover-dated 2015.
Separately, the Inkwells selected internally the two recipients of the annual Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award and the Special Recognition Award (SRA) category. Winners were contacted and some invited guests were present to receive their trophies at North Carolina’s Heroes Con, the host show for the Inkwells, for the sixth live ceremony on Friday, June 17. Winners and nominees are listed below, along with the percentage of vote received, where applicable.
FAVORITE INKER: Joe Prado (24.5%)
(Batman '66 The Lost Episode; Cyborg [DC Comics]). Other nominees: Wade von Grawbadger (23.7), Scott Hanna (22%), Danny Miki (20.4%) and Karl Kesel (9.4%).
MOST-ADAPTABLE INKER: Walden Wong (26.8%)
(Earth 2: World’s End; Justice League Dark [DC]; Wolverines; A-Force [Marvel]).Other nominees: Norm Rapmund (20.2%), Scott Hanna (18.3%), Jonathan Glapion (14.4%), Wade von Grawbadger (12.8%) and Jay Leisten (7.5%).
PROPS (inker deserving of more attention): Wade Von Grawbadger (22.6%)
(All-New Captain America; Spider-Man [Marvel]; Justice League of America; Legends of the Dark Knight [DC]; Astro City [Vertigo/DC]).
Other nominees: Eber Ferreira (20.5%), Danny Miki (13.5%), Juan Vlasco (10.8%), Mark Irwin (9.8%), Jonathan Glapion (9.4%), Stefano Gaudiano (8.4%) and Sean Parsons (5.1%).
S.P.A.M.I. (Small Press and Mainstream Independent): Stefano Gaudiano (37%)
(The Walking Dead, Manifest Destiny [Image]). Other nominees: Jordi Tarragona (17.6%), Cliff Rathburn (16.6%), Ryan Winn (16.6%) and Rich Koslowski (12.2%).
ALL-IN-ONE (pencilling and inking together): Jason Fabok (37%)
(Justice League[DC]). Other nominees: Fiona Staples (17.7%), Erik Larsen (13.7%), Franchesco Francavilla (9.6%), Terry Moore (8.2%), Paul Gulacy (8.0%) and Ben Dewey (5.8%).
THE SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD: Vince Colletta. Other nominees: Allen Milgrom, Jack Abel (tie for runner-up), Violet Barclay (aka Valerie Smith), Gary Martin and Dave Simons.
THE JOE SINNOTT HALL OF FAME: Frank Giacoia and Josef Rubenstein. Other nominees: Bob McLeod and Jerry Ordway (tie for runner-up), Dan Adkins, John Beatty and Ernie Chan (aka Chua).
Joe Sinnott, the award’s namesake and first recipient, made a statement in April regarding this year’s inductees:
“I was quite pleased to hear that the Inkwell Awards has selected two very deserving inkers into the Hall of Fame class of 2016: Frank Giacoia and Jose Rubinstein.
Frank was a fabulous inker and a good friend of mine, who left us much too soon. It was always a pleasure meeting up with Frank at shows and spending time with him. Frank’s smooth, thick line graced the pages of virtually every Marvel title. I really enjoyed Frank’s inking over Jack Kirby on Captain America. Like myself, we pretty much inked the Marvel Universe.
Joe is an outstanding inker and portrait artist as well.
I absolutely am honored by the great job he did in capturing my likeness for the cover of the 2nd Annual Joe Sinnott Inking Challenge. I once pencilled a piece that Joe inked for The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Index collection. At that time Joe was doing all these Marvel Universe books and he told me that he had actually worked on more Marvel characters than I had. Joe also did some great background inks on the Superman Vs. Spider-Man Treasury Edition that I inked over John Buscema.
It is wonderful that Frank and Joe are the recipients of the 2016 Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award. These two superb artists make the already great list of Hall of Famers even more elite.
Thank you to the Inkwell’s committee for electing them, and thanks to everyone for their continued support of the Inkwell Awards.
Joe Sinnott
In cooperation with Special Inkwell Ambassador and award-winning author J. David Spurlock, the ceremony kicked off with a special appearance by industry legend Jim Steranko who discussed the artform of comic-book inking, his related experiences in the medium, and its artists, including Joe Sinnott and Frank Giacoia. Inkwell Awards founder and director Bob Almond acted as both ceremony host and presenter, joined by hostess “Ms. Inkwell,” as portrayed by Holly Black. Artist Breno Tamura accepted Joe Prado’s award as a pre-recorded video of Prado’s acceptance speech was played. Guest speaker, artist-writer Mike Grell, spoke for Rubinstein. Writer Todd Dezago spoke for Giacoia, and statements from their respective families, including for Vince Colletta, were read. Silver Inkwell trophies were presented to three nomination committee members who served five years: Michele Witchipoo, Bob Bretall and Johnny B. Gerardy. All acceptance statements from the winners can be found in the “Results” section of the Inkwell Awards' website in the near future.
The Inkwell Awards is the only existing, official 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and promote the art form of comic-book inking, as well as annually recognize and award the best ink artists and their work. The organization is overseen by a committee of industry professionals and assisted by various professional ambassadors and contributors. They sponsor the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Kubert School and host the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award.
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