Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 20, 2019

IMAGE COMICS

DEC180132    BEAUTY TP VOL 05 (MR)    $16.99
DEC180224    BITTER ROOT #4 CVR A GREENE (MR)    $3.99
DEC180225    BITTER ROOT #4 CVR B MACK (MR)    $3.99
DEC180226    BITTER ROOT #4 CVR C NOWLAN (MR)    $3.99
DEC180227    BITTER ROOT #4 CVR D BUSTOS (MR)    $3.99
DEC180061    BULLY WARS TP VOL 01    $12.99
DEC180068    BURNOUTS TP (MR)    $16.99
DEC180157    DAYS OF HATE TP VOL 02 (MR)    $17.99
DEC188797    DIE #1 3RD PTG (MR)    $3.99
OCT180190    EAST OF WEST #41    $3.99
DEC180242    ERRAND BOYS #5 (OF 5)    $3.99
DEC180243    EVOLUTION #14 (MR)    $3.99
DEC180244    EXORSISTERS #5 CVR A LAGACE & PANTAZIS    $3.99
DEC180245    EXORSISTERS #5 CVR B MORITAT    $3.99
DEC180082    HIGH CRIMES TP (MR)    $19.99
DEC180262    MIDDLEWEST #4 (MR)    $3.99
DEC180263    MONSTRESS #20 (MR)    $3.99
DEC180270    OUTPOST ZERO #7    $3.99
NOV180184    SAVAGE DRAGON #242 (MR)    $3.99
AUG180283    SEVEN TO ETERNITY #13 CVR A OPENA & HOLLINGSWORTH    $3.99
AUG180284    SEVEN TO ETERNITY #13 CVR B EDWARDS    $3.99
DEC180050    SHARKEY BOUNTY HUNTER #1 (OF 6) CVR A BIANCHI (MR)    $3.99
DEC180051    SHARKEY BOUNTY HUNTER #1 (OF 6) CVR B SKETCH BIANCHI (MR)    $3.99
DEC180052    SHARKEY BOUNTY HUNTER #1 (OF 6) CVR C QUITELY (MR)    $3.99
DEC180053    SHARKEY BOUNTY HUNTER #1 (OF 6) CVR D SCALERA (MR)    $3.99
DEC180054    SHARKEY BOUNTY HUNTER #1 (OF 6) CVR E YILDIRIM (MR)    $3.99
DEC180055    SHARKEY BOUNTY HUNTER #1 (OF 6) CVR F BLANK VAR (MR)    $3.99
DEC180056    SHARKEY BOUNTY HUNTER #1 (OF 6) CVR G KERSCHL (MR)    $3.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 20, 2019

MARVEL COMICS

DEC180888    AGE OF X-MAN AMAZING NIGHTCRAWLER #1 (OF 5)    $3.99
DEC180890    AGE OF X-MAN AMAZING NIGHTCRAWLER #1 (OF 5) INHYUK LEE CONNE    $3.99
NOV181033    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER TP VOL 02    $15.99
DEC180935    AVENGERS #15    $3.99
DEC180837    AVENGERS NO ROAD HOME #2 (OF 10)    $3.99
DEC180838    AVENGERS NO ROAD HOME #2 (OF 10) SUAYAN CONNECTING VAR    $3.99
DEC180986    BLACK ORDER #4 (OF 5)    $3.99
DEC180987    BLACK ORDER #4 (OF 5) CHRISTOPHER VAR    $3.99
NOV181043    BLACK PANTHER EPIC COLL TP REVENGE BLACK PANTHER    $39.99
DEC180978    BLACK WIDOW #2    $3.99
NOV181049    CABLE & X-FORCE TP ONSLAUGHT    $39.99
NOV181022    CAPTAIN AMERICA TP VOL 01 WINTER IN AMERICA    $17.99
DEC180854    DAZZLER #1 FACSIMILE EDITION    $3.99
NOV180967    DEADPOOL MPGN TP SECRET AGENT DEADPOOL    $14.99
DEC180967    DOCTOR STRANGE #11    $3.99
DEC180957    FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #3    $3.99
NOV181040    GHOST RIDER TP BOOK 01 WAR FOR HEAVEN    $34.99
DEC180852    GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #2    $3.99
DEC180908    HULKVERINES #1 (OF 3)    $4.99
DEC180910    HULKVERINES #1 (OF 3) KEOWN SKRULLS VAR    $4.99
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DEC180866    LOVE ROMANCES #1 ANNIE WU SKRULLS VAR    $3.99
DEC180865    LOVE ROMANCES #1 DAUTERMAN YOUNG GUNS VAR    $3.99
DEC180937    MARVELS AVENGERS ENDGAME PRELUDE #3 (OF 3)    $3.99
DEC180959    MILES MORALES SPIDER-MAN #3    $3.99
NOV181027    OLD MAN HAWKEYE TP VOL 02 WHOLE WORLD BLIND    $17.99
DEC180877    OLD MAN QUILL #2 (OF 12)    $3.99
NOV181029    PUNISHER TP VOL 01 WORLD WAR FRANK    $15.99
NOV180950    RETURN OF WOLVERINE #5 (OF 5)    $4.99
NOV180952    RETURN OF WOLVERINE #5 (OF 5) KUBERT VAR    $4.99
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DEC181012    STAR WARS SOLO ADAPTATION #5 (OF 7)    $3.99
DEC180927    TRUE BELIEVERS CAPTAIN MARVEL BINARY #1    $1.00
DEC180928    TRUE BELIEVERS CAPTAIN MARVEL EARTHS MIGHTIEST HERO #1    $1.00
DEC180926    TRUE BELIEVERS CAPTAIN MARVEL KREE SKRULL WAR #1    $1.00
DEC180906    UNCANNY X-MEN #12    $3.99
DEC180907    UNCANNY X-MEN #12 SUPERLOG CHARACTER VAR    $3.99
NOV181047    UNCANNY X-MEN BY GILLEN COMPLETE COLLECTION TP VOL 01    $39.99
DEC180991    UNSTOPPABLE WASP #5    $3.99
DEC180962    VENOM #11    $3.99
DEC180964    VENOM #11 JTC SKRULLS VAR    $3.99
NOV181030    WEST COAST AVENGERS TP VOL 01 BEST COAST    $17.99
DEC180867    WOLVERINE INFINITY WATCH #1 (OF 5)    $3.99
DEC180869    WOLVERINE INFINITY WATCH #1 (OF 5) JEE HYUNG LEE SKRULLS VAR    $3.99

Comic Books, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for February 20, 2019

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

DEC182293    ACCA 13 TERRITORY INSPECTION DEPT GN VOL 06    $15.00
NOV182244    ALICE & ZOROKU GN VOL 05    $12.99
DEC181765    APPALACHIAN APOCALYPSE #2    $3.99
DEC181616    ARCHIE AND ME JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #15    $6.99
NOV188449    ARCHIE MILESTONES DIGEST #1    $6.99
DEC181604    ARCHIE VARSITY ED HC VOL 01    $34.99
DEC182294    BARAKAMON GN VOL 17    $15.00
OCT181963    BEST OF STAR WARS INSIDER TP VOL 08 SAGA BEGINS    $24.99
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DEC182077    BLOODBORNE #9 SONG OF CROWS CVR B SHAVRIN (MR)    $3.99
DEC182078    BLOODBORNE #9 SONG OF CROWS CVR C CONCEPT ART (MR)    $3.99
DEC182091    BREAKNECK #3 (OF 4) CVR A RONALD (MR)    $3.99
DEC182092    BREAKNECK #3 (OF 4) CVR B GUGLIELMINI (MR)    $3.99
SEP182295    CAPTAIN HARLOCK CLASSIC COLLECTION GN VOL 03    $27.99
NOV181462    CASPERS GHOSTLAND #2 LTD ED RETRO ANIMATION CVR    $9.99
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DEC181552    CAVEWOMAN RAZORS RUN #1 (OF 1) CVR B MAGNUM LTD ED  (MR    $PI
DEC181555    CAVEWOMAN RAZORS RUN #1 (OF 1) CVR E PARSONS  (MR)    $PI
DEC181556    CAVEWOMAN RAZORS RUN #1 (OF 1) CVR F TAYLOR (Net) (MR)    $PI
DEC181557    CAVEWOMAN RAZORS RUN #1 (OF 1) CVR G MORENO  (MR)    $PI
DEC182384    CHI SWEET ADVENTURES GN VOL 03    $11.95
DEC182013    COMPLETE CABALLISTICS INC TP    $24.99
NOV182109    CONSPIRACY #3 (OF 5) DENVER AIRPORT CVR A COLAPIETRO    $4.99
NOV182110    CONSPIRACY #3 (OF 5) DENVER AIRPORT CVR B GOH    $4.99
MAY181646    DF AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #798 VENOM SGN DODSON    $39.99
SEP181734    DF BATMAN #50 B&W VIRGIN EXC JAE LEE SGN    $75.00
JUN181680    DF BATMAN #50 EXC JAE LEE SGN    $49.99
JUN181681    DF BATMAN #50 GOLD SERIES JAE LEE SGN    $89.99
JUL181800    DF BATMAN #50 JAE LEE SGN VIRGIN GOLD SIG    $193.90
AUG181882    DF BATMAN #50 LEE & CHUNG LTD PINK SGN    $39.99
DEC181825    DF DESPICABLE DEADPOOL #287 SGN RMRK HAESER    $89.99
OCT181643    DF FIREFLY #1 GOLD SIG SGN GREG PAK    $89.99
OCT181642    DF FIREFLY #1 SGN GREG PAK    $29.99
DEC181821    DF GREEN LANTERN #1 GREEN SIG SGN SHARP    $40.00
DEC181822    DF GREEN LANTERN #1 HAESER GREEN SKETCH RMRK    $89.99
AUG181876    DF MR & MRS X #1 DODSON SGN    $49.99
DEC181824    DF OLD LADY HARLEY #1 SGN RMRK HAESER    $89.99
DEC181823    DF SHAZAM #1 SGN RMRK HAESER    $89.99
AUG181885    DF SUICIDE SQUAD #1 DODSON LTD PINK SGN    $59.99
DEC182296    DIMENSION W GN VOL 13    $13.00
DEC182297    DURARARA RE DOLLARS ARC GN VOL 04 (MR)    $13.00
DEC182340    FIRE FORCE GN VOL 14    $10.99
DEC182299    FORBIDDEN SCROLLERY GN VOL 06    $13.00
OCT182055    FUTARIBEYA MANGA GN VOL 03 ROOM FOR TWO    $12.99
DEC182300    GABRIEL DROPOUT GN VOL 06    $13.00
DEC181766    GEORGE MCDONALDS LIGHT PRINCESS #1    $3.99
DEC182301    GIRLS LAST TOUR GN VOL 06    $15.00
DEC182279    GOLDEN KAMUY GN VOL 08 (MR)    $12.99
NOV182236    GRAND BLUE DREAMING GN VOL 04 (MR)    $12.99
DEC181494    GRUMBLE #4 CVR A MIKE NORTON    $3.99
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DEC182302    HAKUMEI & MIKOCHI GN VOL 04    $15.00
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OCT181338    HOT LUNCH SPECIAL #5 (MR)    $3.99
DEC181917    INCAL OVERSIZED DLX LTD ED    $125.00
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DEC182122    INCURSION #1 CVR B DE LA TORRE    $3.99
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DEC182124    INCURSION #1 CVR D BLANK    $3.99
DEC182125    INCURSION #1 CVR F #1-4 PREORDER BUNDLE ED    $3.99
DEC181938    INFINITY 8 HC VOL 03 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO EMMA    $19.99
DEC182304    IS WRONG PICK UP GIRLS DUNGEON FAMILIA LYU GN VOL 02 MANGA (    $13.00
DEC181605    JUGHEAD THE HUNGER #12 CVR A GORHAM (MR)    $3.99
DEC181606    JUGHEAD THE HUNGER #12 CVR B CALERO (MR)    $3.99
DEC181607    JUGHEAD THE HUNGER #12 CVR C GALVAN (MR)    $3.99
DEC182292    KAKEGURUI TWIN GN VOL 01 (MR)    $15.00
DEC181950    KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN SUN #4    $3.99
DEC182305    LAID BACK CAMP GN VOL 05    $13.00
DEC181964    LETTERS TO SURVIVORS GN    $15.95
OCT181827    LONG ROAD TO LIQUOR CITY GN (MR)    $19.99
NOV182251    MADE IN ABYSS GN VOL 05    $13.99
NOV182252    MISS KOBAYASHIS DRAGON MAID ELMA DIARY GN VOL 01    $12.99
DEC182281    MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT GN VOL 10    $14.99
DEC182040    MONSTROUS #4 (OF 4)    $3.99
DEC182306    OVERLORD GN VOL 09 MANGA (MR)    $13.00
NOV182256    PANDORA IN THE CRIMSON SHELL GHOST URN GN VOL 11 (MR)    $12.99
DEC188062    PASSOVER HAGGADAH GRAPHIC NOVEL    $19.95
DEC182307    PRISON SCHOOL GN VOL 12 (MR)    $20.00
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AUG181464    RELAY #4    $3.99
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DEC182309    SHIBUYA GOLDFISH GN VOL 03 (MR)    $15.00
NOV182182    SHUT IN SHOUTAROU KOMINAMI TAKES ON THE WORLD GN VOL 01    $30.00
DEC182310    SILVER SPOON GN VOL 07    $15.00
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DEC181439    STRONGHOLD #1    $3.99
DEC182311    SWORD ART ONLINE HOLLOW REALIZATION GN VOL 02    $13.00
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DEC182313    THOUGH YOU MAY BURN TO ASH GN VOL 04 (MR)    $13.00
DEC182241    TOKYO GHOUL RE GN VOL 09    $12.99
DEC182314    TRINITY SEVEN 7 MAGICIANS GN 15.5 (MR)    $13.00
JAN192170    TRUTH IS FRAGMENTARY TRAVELOGUES & DIARIES GN (RES)    $19.99
DEC182253    URUSEI YATSURA GN VOL 01    $19.99
DEC182315    VAL X LOVE GN VOL 05 (MR)    $13.00
DEC182035    WULFBORNE #1    $3.99
DEC182137    X-O MANOWAR (2017) #24 CVR A ROCAFORT    $3.99
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DEC182162    ZODIAC #1 CVR A VITORINO    $4.99
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MAGAZINES
DEC181789    COMIC SHOP NEWS [90CT BUNDLE] #1653    $PI
DEC181949    LOCUS #697    $7.50

BOOKS
SEP182058    ALITA BATTLE ANGEL ART & MAKING OF MOVIE HC    $45.00
SEP182061    ALITA BATTLE ANGEL DR IDOS JOURNAL SC    $24.95
SEP182060    ALITA BATTLE ANGEL OFFICIAL MOVIE HC NOVEL    $22.95
DEC182100    BATMAN COURT OF OWLS NOVEL    $24.95
NOV181927    CAPTAIN MARVEL REPLICA JOURNAL HC    $13.99
DEC182285    CERTAIN MAGICAL INDEX LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 18    $14.00
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DEC182287    IS WRONG PICK GIRLS DUNGEON SWORD ORATORIA NOVEL SC VOL 08 (    $14.00
DEC182101    KILLING JOKE NOVEL SC    $12.95
DEC181876    SECRET CODERS GN COMP BOXED SET    $65.94
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DEC182284    WOOF WOOF STORY LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 01    $14.00
DEC182288    YOUTH ROMANTIC COMEDY WRONG EXPECTED NOVEL SC VOL 07    $14.00

VIZ Media Revives Classic Manga "Urusei Yatsura" in a "Signature Edition"

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF URUSEI YATSURA SIGNATURE EDITIONS

Rumiko Takahashi’s Iconic Manga To Be Released in English In Its Entirety For The First Time Ever

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, announces the return of the classic manga comedy URUSEI YATSURA in all-new deluxe editions on February 19th, 2019.

Set for publication under the VIZ Signature imprint, URUSEI YATSURA depicts the hilarious misadventures of an unlucky human boy who meets a beautiful alien princess. The series is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens; Volume 1 will carry a print MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $26.99 CAN. URUSEI YATSURA’s volumes will present 400 pages of content in the larger VIZ Signature trim size. The complete series is scheduled for English publication by VIZ Media on a quarterly basis.

In URUSEI YATSURA, beautiful space alien princess Lum invades Earth on her UFO, and unlucky Ataru Moroboshi’s world gets turned upside down! Will Lum become Earth’s electrifying new leader? Or will Ataru somehow miraculously save Earth from space alien onslaught?

“URUSEI YATSURA is an iconic manga series, and until now, has never been fully published in English,” says Amy Yu, Editor. “Our new VIZ Signature editions allow readers to enjoy the complete URUSEI YATSURA for the first time ever. We hope new and veteran manga fans will add this legendary series to their collections!”

The spotlight on Rumiko Takahashi’s career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan’s prestigious New Comic Artist Contest for Those Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series, URUSEI YATSURA, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular in their own right. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another—MAISON IKKOKU ran from 1980 to 1987, RANMA 1/2 from 1987 to 1996, and INUYASHA from 1996 to 2008. Other notable works include MERMAID SAGA, RUMIC THEATER, ONE-POUND GOSPEL, and RIN-NE.

Takahashi was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame in 2018. She won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award twice in her career, once for Urusei Yatsura in 1981 and the second time for Inuyasha in 2002. A majority of the Takahashi canon has been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. Takahashi’s manga, as well as the other formats her work has been adapted into, have continued to delight generations of fans around the world. Distinguished by her wonderfully endearing characters, Takahashi’s work adeptly incorporates a wide variety of elements such as comedy, romance, fantasy, and martial arts. While her series are difficult to pin down into one simple genre, the signature style she has created has come to be known as the “Rumic World.” Rumiko Takahashi is an artist who truly represents the very best from the world of manga.

For more information on URUSEI YATSURA and other Rumiko Takahashi anime and manga titles distributed and published by VIZ Media, please visit viz.com.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.

Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at viz.com.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 10th to 16th, 2019 - Update #19

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From Variety:  Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" gets a November 2020 release date.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Chris Rock wild direct comedy pilot, "Saving Kenan," the NBC is developing for Kenan Thompson.

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Amazon teases its much-anticipated TV series, "The Lord of the Rings," with a map.

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MUSIC - From PhillyMag:  Meet the lawyer who sued Led Zeppelin.

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AVATAR - From ScreenRant:  James Cameron's "Avatar" sequels to start filming live-action sequences this spring.

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STAR TREK - From Newsarama:  Nickelodeon is developing an animated "Star Trek" TV series for children.

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STREAMING - From Variety:  Spike Lee's next project is a Vietnam veteran drama film for Netflix.  Chadewick Boseman eyed for a lead role.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Octavia Spencer is joining Anna Hathaway in a new adaption of "The Witches" (from the Roald Dahl book) for Robert Zemeckis.

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Millennium Film has put its "Red Sonja" film project on hold.  It was to be directed by Bryan Singer, who has been hit with multiple child sex-abuse allegations over the last few years.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor Chris Evans, director Antoine Fuqua, and super-producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and producer Mark Vahradian team for "Infinite."

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Fox Searchlight releases the first teaser trailer for "Tokien," it biopic of "Lord of the Rings" creator, J.R.R. Tolkien.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Warner Bros. has hired David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick to start writing "Aquaman 2."  He co-wrote the first film.

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GRAMMYS - From Deadline:  Here is a complete winners list.  Kacey Musgraves wins "Album of the Year" for her album, "Golden Hour."  Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) becomes the first rapper to win "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year" for his acclaimed song, "This is America."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:   The winner of the 2/8 to 2/10/2019 weekend box office is "The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part" with an estimated take of $34.4 million.

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AWARDS - From TheWrap:  The 2019 BAFTA Award winners have been announced.  "Roma" wins best film and best film not in the English language as well as best director for Alfonso Cuaron (one of four trophies for Cuaron tonight).  "The Favourite" was named best British film.

2019 / 72nd British Academy Awards (BAFTAs) winners list:

BEST FILM
“Roma” *WINNER

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
“The Favourite” *WINNER

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
“Beast,” Michael Pearce (Writer/Director), Lauren Dark (Producer) *WINNER

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
“Roma” *WINNER

DOCUMENTARY
“Free Solo” *WINNER

ANIMATED FILM
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” *WINNER

DIRECTOR
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón *WINNER

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara *WINNER

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“BlacKkKlansman,” Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel, Kevin Willmott *WINNER

LEADING ACTRESS
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” *WINNER

LEADING ACTOR
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite” *WINNER

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” *WINNER

ORIGINAL MUSIC
“A Star Is Born,” Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Lukas Nelson *WINNER

CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón *WINNER

EDITING
“Vice” *WINNER

PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Favourite” *WINNER

COSTUME DESIGN
“The Favourite” *WINNER

MAKE UP & HAIR
“The Favourite” *WINNER

SOUND
“Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
“Black Panther” *WINNER

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
“Roughhouse” *WINNER

BRITISH SHORT FILM
“73 Cows” *WINNER

EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
Letitia Wright *WINNER

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley

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GRAMMYS - From CNN:  Top nominees Kendrick Lamar and Drake and also Childish Gambino decline invitations to perform at tonight's 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

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STREAMING - From DreadCentral:  Shudder begins production on a "Creepshow" TV series with "The Walking Dead's" Greg Nicotero.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  AMC has announced the cancellations of its TV series, "Into the Badlands" and "The Son."

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COMICS-FILM - From HeyUGuys:  The third film in the "Kingsman," series will be a prequel, "Kingsman: The Great Game."  Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("Kick-Ass) and Gemma Arterton ("Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time") are joining the film.

OBIT:

From TheWrap:  Former President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Ron W. Miller, has died at the age of 85, Saturday, February 9, 2019.  Miller was president from 1978 to 1983 and was CEO in from 1983 to 1984.  Miller was married to Walt Disney's daughter, the late Diane Marie Disney, with whom he had seven children.  Miller also served in the U.S. Army and played one season in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams.

Review: "The Meg" is Enjoyably Cheesy

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

The Meg (2018)
Running time:  113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action/peril, bloody images and some language
DIRECTOR:  Jon Turteltaub
WRITERS:  Dean Georgaris and Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber (based on the novel, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, by Steve Alten)
PRODUCERS:  Belle Avery (p.g.a.), Lorenzo di Bonaventura (produced by) (p.g.a.) and Colin Wilson
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Tom Stern (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Steven Kemper and Kelly Matsumoto
COMPOSER:  Harry Gregson-Williams

SCI-FI/HORROR/ACTION

Starring:  Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis, Winston Chao, Sophia Cai, Ruby Rose, Page Kennedy, Robert Taylor, Olafur Darri, Olafsson, Jessica McNamee, and Masi Osa

The Meg is a 2018 science fiction, horror, and action film from director Jon Turteltaub and stars Jason Statham.  This movie is loosely based on Steve Alten's 1997 novel, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror.  A Chinese-American co-production, The Meg film focuses on a man who must save a group of people trapped in a sunken submersible vessel damaged by a prehistoric creature that no one but he believes still exists.

The Meg opens in the Phillippine Trench where there is a “deep sea rescue mission.”  Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) leads the mission to save the sailors aboard the damaged nuclear submarine, the “SSBN Rogue.”  Something attacks the Rogue, and Taylor is forced to leave some of his own men behind where they die when the submarine explodes.

Five years later, the story moves to the underwater research facility, “Mana One,” where its billionaire founder, Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson), has just arrived to meet the facility's lead researcher, Dr. Zhang (Winston Chao).  Morris hopes to witness a mission supervised by Zhang's daughter, Suyin (Bingbing Li), an oceanographer, in which a submersible will explore a previously unknown part of the Mariana trench.  Not long into the mission, a very large creature attacks and damages the submersible, forcing it down into a place from which it will be hard to rescue.

Zhang and one of his top crew members, Mac (Cliff Curtis), head to Samut Prakan, Thailand, to convince Jonas Taylor, retired since the SSBN Rogue incident, to help them rescue the Mana One's submersible.  Although Taylor initially refuses, he accepts the mission when he learns that someone close to him is trapped in the submersible and that its crew is being menaced by a prehistoric creature that Taylor believes to still exist today, the giant shark creature, the Megalodon.

The Meg is an entertaining, but not particularly good B-movie.  The Meg manages to be more than mediocre because of some highly-entertaining and thoroughly thrilling action sequences.  It seems to me that the director, Jon Turtletaub, was reluctant to really go wild with what is essentially a monster movie.  If what paleontologists say is true, the Megalodon was the terror of the seas, yet this cinematic “Meg” only commits a fraction of the terror that it could.  Maybe, it is the screenwriters' fault that this screenplay does not seem particularly imaginative.

The characters are not imaginative, either.  The only characters presented with any depth or personality are Jason Statham's Jonas Taylor and Bingbing Li's Suyin, and even they are little more than puffed up stock characters.  Taylor is the white savior slash rescue-mission-guy damaged by a recent “mistake” who will find redemption in getting this new opportunity to save some people.  Suyin is a by-the-book smart-Asian-cookie, but at least the filmmakers let her get in some girl-hero action time.

There is a cute kid, Meiying (Sophia Cai), that steals her scenes, and there is also the stereotypical Black guy, DJ (Page Kennedy), who is constantly letting everyone know that he did not sign up for fighting or being eaten by a prehistoric monster shark.  The Meg is a B-movie, a $130 million dollar-budgeted B-movie, but a B-movie, still.  And if you enjoy movies about sharks terrorizing humans, especially humans too stupid to avoid them (and, dear readers, I do enjoy such movies), then, The Meg is must-see shark-scare entertainment.

C+
5 out of 10

Monday, December 31, 2018


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Horror Comics Master, Junji Ito, to Attend 2019 Toronto Comics Arts Festival

JUNJI ITO TO ATTEND TCAF 2019

The Master of Manga Horror makes his first North-American appearance in Toronto, Canada, this May 11-12, 2019.

Toronto Public Library presents:
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2019
Saturday May 11th, 9am-5pm, and Sunday May 12th, 2019, 10am-5pm
@ Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada
Free To Attend | www.torontocomics.com

TCAF, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is proud to announce that acclaimed Japanese manga creator and international horror sensation JUNJI ITO will participate in TCAF as a Featured Guest and Official Poster Artist of the 2019 Festival, to be held May 11-12, 2019, in Toronto, Canada. Junji Ito is best known for his groundbreaking horror stories including Uzumaki, Gyo, Tomie, and “The Enigma of Amigara Fault,” and will travel to Toronto in support of his new short story collection Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection, to be published this April by VIZ Media.

“Junji Ito is a truly amazing creator, and we’re so proud to welcome him the Canada,” said TCAF Artistic Director Christopher Butcher. “Ito-sensei is a creator that we’d been hoping to feature at the Festival for more than a decade, he’s a personal favourite manga-ka of mine and of so many fans and comic creators. We’re so happy that he could find some time in his busy creative schedule to attend the Festival this year.”

Junji Ito will debut the new horror short story collection Smashed, the latest in an impressive line-up of great collections of his work in English. In the last 5 years horror fans have been treated to an incredible wealth of Ito’s material, including new hardcover deluxe editions of Uzumaki, Gyo, and Tomie, and all-new collections including Frankenstein, Shiver, and Fragments of Horror, among others, all available from VIZ Media.

“Ito-sensei’s work crosses so many traditional comics boundaries, and he has such a wide and enthusiastic audience for his work,” continues Butcher. “Whether it’s horror fans, comics fans, manga fans, or anime fans, there are so many people that count Ito among their favourite creators in the world, thanks to the omnipresence of his work across popular media including manga, film, and anime.  I know that meeting Ito-sensei will be a treasured memory for many visitors to TCAF.”

Junji Ito will participate in a wide variety of events at TCAF 2019, including an on-stage interview, live-drawing, and special ticketed autograph sessions (details To Be Announced). The full range of Ito-sensei’s in-print manga will be available for purchase on-site at TCAF at the Festival Shop, Page & Panel, and at his events courtesy of Festival Sponsor The Beguiling. Ito-sensei’s works are also well-represented in the circulating collection of Festival Presenting Sponsor Toronto Public Library.

Junji Ito will join more than 350 exhibiting creators and publishers for The Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2019, with many more guests still to be announced! Visit TCAF online for up-to-the-minute updates!

Website: www.torontocomics.com
Twitter: @TorontoComics
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TorontoComics
Tumblr: torontocomics.tumblr.com


ABOUT JUNJI ITO
Junji Ito made his professional manga debut in 1987 and since then has gone on to be recognized as one of the greatest contemporary artists working in the horror genre. His titles include Tomie and Uzumaki, which have been adapted into live-action films; Gyo, which was adapted into an animated film; Fragments of Horror, adapted into an animated series; and the short story collections Shiver and Frankenstein, with all works having been published in English by VIZ Media. Other works of Ito's in English include Dissolving Classroom, published by Vertical Inc., and Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Mon & Yu, published by Kodansha Comics. Ito’s influences include classic horror manga artists Kazuo Umezu and Hideshi Hino, as well as authors Yasutaka Tsutsui and H.P. Lovecraft.

ABOUT SMASHED: JUNJI ITO STORY COLLECTION
Thirteen chilling nightmares, presented by the master of horror! Try not to be noticed when you eat the secret nectar, otherwise you’ll get smashed… What horrific events happened to create the earthbound—people tied to a certain place for the rest of their short lives? Then, a strange haunted house comes to town, but no one expects it to lead to a real hell… Welcome to Junji Ito’s world, a world with no escape from endless nightmares. Hardcover graphic novel coming April 16, 2019, from VIZ Media.

ABOUT TCAF
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival would not be possible without the assistance of our sponsors and partners, including presenting sponsor Toronto Public Library and primary sponsor The Beguiling Books & Art.

TCAF is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.

We would also like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. / Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien.

Seneca College is a proud Sponsor of TCAF 2019.

TCAF would like to thank Festival sponsor VIZ Media, and Shogakukan Inc., for their support in arranging Junji Ito’s trip to Canada.

Sponsorship opportunities for TCAF 2019 are still available, please email us at: contact@torontocomics.com for more info.

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