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+++++ ART ASYLUM LAUNCHES BOX SET OF NEW X-MEN MINIMATES AND ORIGINAL ANIMATED DVD MINI-MOVIE Preview the All-New Characters Before Movie Hits Theatres May 26th New York, NY (March 14, 2006) - Art Asylum and Diamond Select Toys announce the launch of the all-new X-Men MiniMates (r) box set, which will include an original 9-minute CGI DVD mini-movie, X-Men Darktide (see trailer at www.artasylum.com/darktide ), and four MiniMates action figures - Wolverine, Cyclops, Magneto, and Juggernaut. The box set will hit stores including Toys "R" Us, Target, and specialty stores in early April. "We are very appreciative that Marvel has given Art Asylum the opportunity to bring our MiniMates brand into a new media format," said Adam Unger, Vice President of Art Asylum. "So far, the reaction from retailers and fans has been overwhelming. We hope that this will be the start of something very exciting for the growing MiniMates brand, and the loyal fans that have supported us in from the beginning," said Unger. Art Asylum's MiniMates brand, which debuted in 2002, has been a constant success that has driven the companies' growth. Look for other new MiniMates launching later this year including Speed Racer, StreetFighter, and Battlestar Galactica. "A great deal of hard work has gone into making this project happen from our friends at Marvel Entertainment, The Dave School, and Diamond Select Toys," said Unger. "It's really our fans that drive us to push the envelope, so we are excited to share our efforts with them," Unger said. About Art Asylum Manhattan, New York based Art Asylum was founded by Digger and Donna Soldano in 1996 as a creative, design studio providing premier work service to the toy industry. In 2001, the company partnered with Adam Unger and the founders of Play Along Toys, Inc., to launch a successful boy's action toy company that created products for major brands like Star Trek , Tony Hawk, Bruce Lee, Kiss and built the MiniMates toy brand that continues on to this day. In 2005, after Play Along's successful sale to Jakks Pacific (JAKK) the company continued it's progress and has moved on as a fully integrated toy manufacture. In 2006, Art Asylum will be launching with several new licenses including Speed Racer, Madballs from American Greetings, Battlestar Galactica, and Clive Barker's Jump Tribe . Visit www.artasylum.com for more information. About Marvel With a library of over 5,000 proprietary characters, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused in four areas: entertainment (Marvel Studios), licensing, publishing and toys (Toy Biz). Marvel facilitates the creation of entertainment projects, including feature films, DVD/home video, video games and television based on its characters and also licenses its characters for use in a wide range of consumer products and services including apparel, toys, collectibles, snack foods and promotions. Marvel's characters and plot lines are created by its publishing division which continues to expand its leadership position in the U.S. and worldwide while also serving as an invaluable source of intellectual property. MARVEL and all related characters: TM & (c) 2006 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved. www.marvel.com. This Diamond Select Toys product is produced under license from Marvel Characters, Inc. +++++ Students of the Unusual News! Dear Students Great News! There has been lots of interest in the Students of the Unusual Filmmaking Contest and there is only a month left for the contest! We are looking to have a seriously fun judging event for these fabulous fan films and we can't wait to get the DVD out with our next giant-sized fun-packed horrific issue! That's right a DVD with your favorite independent comic book!!! Other news includes: Eric Lindberg at Broken Frontier just posted a nice review of our convention-only Special! Straight out of Students of the Unusual comes the Recalcitrant Jones and the Dead Beats Convention Special illustrated by the incomparable J Chris Campbell! http://www.brokenfrontier.com/reviews/details.php?id=704 Best regards Terry Cronin! www.studentsoftheunusual.com www.myspace.com/studentsoftheunusual +++++ THIS JUNE, IT'S "BAD" MEMORY LANE FOR SONIC & HIS FRIENDS! When you've dedicated your life to saving the world for 15 years, you're bound to make many friends... and maybe even more foes... along the way. You're also likely to acquire a backlog of memories both good and bad... of victories won and lost, friends and alliances betrayed, and fallen colleagues. This June, Sonic fans will take a trip through memory lane with the blue blur, as they re-encounter some tough customers from Sonic's past, and relive the moving occasion of Princess Sally's death as another ally of Sonic falls. 2006 marks the 15th anniversary of the Sonic character. It certainly has been one heck of a year in the Sonic comics! In both the SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and SONIC X titles, Sonic and his friends have faced major threats from both old and new villains, in thrilling epic tales that have seen our heroes on the brink of destruction and then some! This June, the excitement doesn't let up for a moment, as the stakes keep rising higher and higher! Can you stand the pulse-pounding excitement and intrigue? Pick up these issues and find out! SONIC X #10, ships 6/14. 32-page, full color comic, $2.25 US. "No Thanks for the Memories Part 1 of 2": Sonic's 15th anniversary is turning out to be a raucous one, and this issue raises the bar for sheer Sonic mayhem! That's because the evil Eggman has trapped Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy and forced them to battle for their lives against Sonic's most dangerous adversaries from his early video game adventures! At least the Chaotix (Vector, Charmy and Espio) finally make a "Sonic X" appearance, but if they don't throw down soon, it could be game over for Sonic and his friends! The perfect "jump on" issue for new readers, and an exciting ride for long-time fans. SCRIPT: Joe Edkin. ART: Tracy Yardley. Rock-'n-Reelin' in the Years cover by Spaz! SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #164, ships 6/28. 32-page, full color comic, $2.25 US. "Darkest Storm Part 3 of 3": The cataclysmic conclusion of this epic tale finds a fallen hero and a hidden villain revealed! Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles have always been the greatest heroes the world has ever known, but can they stand up to the combined forces of mystical Ixis Naugus, megalomaniac Mammath Mogol and the world's most evil science geek, Robotnik? The most shocking story development since SONIC #50's death of Princess Sally! PLUS: Another nail-biting back-up tale! Featuring the third in a series of triptych covers by Spaz- collect all three issues (including last month's #162 and #163) for a complete image! For more about Archie and his friends go to www.archiecomic.com +++++ Gordon Lee: Case Dismissed, But Back To Square One The long-running case of Georgia v. Gordon Lee took yet another strange turn of events yesterday when the prosecution dismissed all charges against the Rome, Georgia retailer only to bring a new accusation arising from the Halloween 2004 incident that resulted in his arrest. When Judge Larry Salmon entered the courtroom shortly after 9 AM Monday, prosecutors declared the case nolle prosse, meaning that the charges that were to go to trial this week have been dismissed. Prosecutors are re-filing under a new accusation alleging that Lee handed "Alternative Comics #2" to a six-year- old minor and his nine-year-old brother, instead of solely to the nine-year-old, as has been previously, and repeatedly, declared. Lee now faces two misdemeanor counts of "Distribution of Materials Harmful to a Minor" (OCGA 16-12-103). One count alleges he "did unlawfully ... knowingly furnish and disseminate to a minor... a book, pamphlet, magazine and printed matter containing pictures, drawings and visual representation and images of a person or portion of the human body which depict sexually explicit nudity, sexual conduct, and sadomasochistic abuse and which is harmful to minors..." The second count alleges that he disseminated and furnished material containing "explicit and detailed verbal descriptions and narrative accounting of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, and sadomasochistic abuse and which taken as a whole is harmful to minors." The dismissal of the case against Lee is a victory for the retailer, though the new accusation sets his defense back to square one. The next step will be for prosecutors to bring a new arraignment for Lee, at which point the case proceeds down the long road to trial all over again. Defense Attorney Paul Cadle says, "This is a victory, but it means we have to keep going." Cadle adds, "Today's dismissal is recognition of the strengths of Gordon's case and our vigorous legal defense of him in this matter. We said all along that these charges are inappropriate and I think we've been vindicated by their dismissal. But, if they want to bring further charges, we'll be back in court again." Though the dismissal is a victory in the near term, there are abundant questions about how prosecutors arrived at this point. CBLDF counsel first heard of the intention to dismiss the existing charges and draw up a new accusation late Sunday afternoon. Lead counsel Alan Begner says, "I have never -- as a criminal trial lawyer for thirty years -- seen a complete changing of the facts like this. Throughout the last year and a half, through written statements, the investigation, and the presentation of evidence before the grand jury, as well as the written accusation and indictment, the State had steadfastly asserted that the comic book had been handed to the nine-year-old. The dismissal of the charges today reflects the prosecution's admission that everything that was presented as evidence before was untrue, and that they had stuck to the false facts through procedure after procedure in the case. We now intend to investigate how a year and a half of statements based on one set of facts has now been changed at the last minute to another set of facts." Cadle adds, "To find out about this significant factual change in the allegations against Gordon at 3 PM on a Sunday when we were supposed to be going to trial at 9 AM on a Monday is disconcerting. It unfortunately has the result of costing Mr. Lee and the Fund tons more time, effort, and money. As attorneys, we've done what we're supposed to do and we're going to keep doing that. Alan and I were ready, willing, and able to go to trial this week, but unfortunately we now need to incur more legal time and expense to move forward." To date the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has spent in excess of $40,000 defending Mr. Lee, and expects costs to hit the $50,000 mark later this month when invoices from the current round of legal fees arising from trial preparation arrive. Charles Brownstein, the Fund's Executive Director said, "Monday's proceedings represent one of the stranger legal episodes in the Fund's twenty-year history, but it is an episode that stands as vindication of our commitment to proving Gordon's innocence, as well as affirmative evidence of the larger importance of our organization's purpose. From the start of the courtroom process, our attorneys have proved that Mr. Lee has been unjustly overcharged, and yesterday's dismissal of that case is the most recent indication that his arrest and the charges brought against him were entirely without merit." Brownstein adds, "By the start of May we will have spent $50,000 defending Mr. Lee against these unjust charges - a sum that no small retailer, such as Gordon, would have been able to afford. Without the Fund, he would have had to risk personal bankruptcy or pleading to a crime that prosecutors have now admitted he is not guilty of committing. Our purpose is to defend retailers like Gordon against such unjust prosecution. And while the cost of proving his innocence is great, it is a pittance in comparison to seeing a member of our business community sold down the river for crimes of which he is innocent." He concludes, "I can only shake my head at the fact that the case has come this far, and that the prosecution appears ready and willing to sink even more of Rome's public resources into prosecuting such a meritless misdemeanor. That said, we intend to finish the job we started: to continue our march to prove Mr. Lee's innocence, and to ensure that no retailer in Georgia is harmed by any bad precedent that could arise from a conviction in this case. We hope we can continue to count on the support of the comics fan and business communities as we perform this important work, because there's still a long road left to travel before we reach a final victory." The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was founded in 1986 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community. Donations and inquiries should be directed to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at info@cbldf.org or 800-99-CBLDF +++++ Sparkplug Comic Books Premiers at Alternative Press Expo. Sparkplug Comic Books is proud to announce the publication of two new Books: Asiaddict by Mats!? This amazing collection of illustrated travel, chronicles the bizarre as well as the mundane experiences of a recent trip through Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Wiping off the nostalgic "Shangri-La " mystique off of contemporary monstro-"Cities" like Bangkok; it reveals a more western smearedbellished recent history...with a few "Bombs" dropped in between... With his flair for details, Mats!? takes us on a journey, littered with landmines, through a landscape of beauty and horror, humor and disbelief. Witness "Buddhisneyland" a theme park worthy of Walt's. Albeit, on ACID! Fathom! the horror of the "Khmer Rouge." Follow in the footsteps of the Buddha. Down alleys where the shadows are rarely one's own! The text lays it on thick and is hilarious in its infantilism, and is well complemented by the stunning cartoon very tay*(TM) style that infuses it with the immediacy of a newspaper photo. The book is also illustrated with some stunning photography by Peri B. Asiaddict is exactly the kind of guidebook you would want to read before going on a trip but not the kind of thing you'd ever find in a normal travel guide. Funny, but also really lurid. This is a co-publication of Sparkplug and Ben Catmull. 96 Pages/Color & Black and White/$15 Tales to Demolish #3 by Eric Haven Eric Haven is back with a new issue of Tales To Demolish... in eye-popping full color! Deconstructing the tawdry form of the traditional comic book, Haven builds layers of dark, dorkish humor to undermine the expectations of certain familiar genres. The lead story, "Mammalogy", begins during the time of the dinosaurs, then catapults forward to the present day... where we learn about a secret, ancient war between reptiles and mammals. The next story is a bizarre, almost wordless western tale called "The Gunslinger", which is followed by several strange, shorter pieces. The entire comic is drawn in an uncluttered yet highly-detailed style, and each panel is charged with quiet, intense drama. This issue will blow your eyes out and compel you to look back over the lush, almost lurid drawings many times over. Amazing stuff that needs to be seen to be believed. 24pgs/Full Color/6x9"/$5 http://www.sparkplugcomicbooks.com/ COME SEE THE ARTISTS AT APE April 8th and 9th. This weekend is the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco, CA. Sparkplug Comic Books and Global Hobo Distribution will be sharing the end cap of the second central island. We will be at booths number 429 and 443. Here is a floor plan: http://www.comic-con.org/ape/forms/ape06_floor.pdf Both Mats!? and Eric Haven will be there during the weekend, as will Ben Catmull and myself. We'll be right around the corner from Jason Shiga. This APE will also mark the San Francisco Premier of Austin English's wonderful Christina and Charles! Stop by and say hi. For more information on the show, check out their website: http://www.comic-con.org/ape/ +++++ TEAM ZOOM JOINS 360EP 360ep Will Represent Zoom Suit Licensing and Publishing Opportunities March 31, 2006 - 360ep, a full-service entertainment property management company, and John Taddeo, creator of Zoom Suit, the award-winning animated short and comic book, jointly announced today that 360ep would represent Zoom Suit for licensing and publishing opportunities. In Zoom Suit a series of extraterrestrial and government mix-ups result in a 13-year-old boy mistaking an alien battlesuit for a Halloween costume. Superhero action/adventure and hilarity ensue as Myles Mason struggles to control the Zoom Suit while juggling the pursuit of truth, justice, his friend Brittany, school and the American way. "We are very excited to be working with John to bring Zoom Suit to the marketplace," said Bill Jemas, 360ep CEO, and former President of Publishing for Marvel Comics. "Zoom Suit combines all of the elements of a successful property: great story, fun art, and an ever-growing, loyal fan base. That's what every licensee is looking for in a new property, and what every comic book fan wants." "Bill's knowledge of both the direct market and mass market make 360ep the perfect partner," said creator John Taddeo. "As a longtime comic fan I have a vested interest in the success of the direct market and this partnership will ensure that we address comic shops needs while we pursue mass market opportunities." Since its premiere at the Palm Beach Film Festival, Zoom Suit has appeared in over 60 major film festivals and won many awards including Best in Show, Grand Festival Award and numerous awards for best animation. The eagerly anticipated sequel will premiere at the 2006 Palm Beach International Film Festival. The Zoom Suit comic book hits comic shops on April 26, 2006. About 360ep: A full-service entertainment property management company, 360ep, inc. represents and services clients seeking expert navigation of the complex entertainment-licensing marketplace. 360ep was founded by Bill Jemas and Russ Brown, former senior members of the management team that guided Marvel Enterprises, Inc. from a struggling, near-bankrupt comic book publisher and toy maker into the biggest licensing and publishing-turn-around story of the decade. 360ep brings together the vast experience and expertise of successful entertainment and licensing executives with some of the top writers and artists from the comic book and consumer products industries. 360ep also represents intellectual property holders seeking to "license-out" their properties to the best business partners in the consumer products and entertainment industries, as well as manufacturers looking to "license-in" the right characters and trademarks to maximize their retail businesses. About Zoom Suit: Zoom Suit has appeared in over 60 film festivals since the world premiere at the Palm Beach International Film Festival on April 18, 2005 where it won "Best Animation" from the Palm Beach Film Society. Since then Zoom Suit has been featured in film festivals across the country, including New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Michigan, San Francisco and San Diego where it was an official selection of the 2005 San Diego Comic Con Film Festival. Zoom Suit has garnered numerous awards including "Best in Show," "Grand Festival Award," and multiple "Best Animation" awards. At the current rate, Zoom Suit will be viewed by over 500,000 fans of comics and animation. Zoom Suit the comic, written by John Taddeo with art by Billy Dallas Patton and featuring covers by Gene Colan, Jim Starlin, Bob Layton and Bart Sears, is planned for release in April, 2006. For more information or artwork, please visit the Zoom Suit web site at www.superverse.com. +++++ New Comic endorsed by Keith Giffen! Hello, My name is Jason Kruse. I work in the animation industry, recently animating and storyboarding on Paramount Picture's "The Barnyard" due out this Fall. I am writing to inform you of my graphic novel, "The World of Quest" published by Komikwerks.com. It will be featured in the Komikwerks section of MAY PREVIEWS and I really hope you'll all check it out. This 5-issue first storyline has been collected into TPB and has already received a number of accolades from within the comics and animation industry including Keith Giffen (52, Lobo) and Michael Ryan (Excalibur, New X-Men). In addition, it is also in development with the Kid's WB as an animated program. "'Conan the Barbarian' by way of 'Calvin and Hobbes'. Doesn't sound like it should work, does it? It does. Wonderfully. Do the comic book market a favor and support this book." -- Keith Giffen, Eisner-Award Winning writer and artist "Fun, imaginative, and frequently twisted, 'The World of Quest' smacks the traditional hero genre firmly in the jaw. Enjoy!" -- Tom Pugsley, writer and editor for Teen Titans, The Batman and Ben 10 "Quest Rocks! Fantastic Adventure. Beautiful artwork and writing! A must-read!"-- Tommy Castillo, artist on Detective Comics, Green Arrow and Evil Ernie "...check it out. It's smart, funny, and definitely worth it... plus there's mucus, lots and lots of mucus!" -- Michael Ryan, artist on New X-Men, Excalibur, and Spider-Man Thank you for your time and sincerely hope you take the time to check out my book and hopefully enjoy it. If you would like to read Komikwerks preview of the book it can be found here: http://www.komikwerks.com/ibook.php?ib=36 Thanks again! Jason Kruse +++++ SMASH! Comics Turns Five! The much talked about indie comics label will celebrate their anniversary with a bang! (Kincardine, ON)- In an industry fraught with fly-by-night financing and dreams that are often bigger than budgets it's rare to see an independent comic imprint that has survived more than one publisher, let alone survive for half a decade. SMASH! Comics, gearing up for the summer of 2006, has accomplished both and is ready to celebrate! In June of 2001 the now defunct Lightningstrike Publishing launched a new comic book imprint. Thanks to the friends and connections owner Mike Gagnon had made on the convention circuit he was able to gather a group of trusted creators and get a specialty investment firm to finance the operations. Thus SMASH! Comics was born. Through rocky circumstances the comics imprint survived the bankruptcy of the investment firm that backed it, the attempted illegitimate seizure of ownership by that firms bankruptcy lawyers, and the closing of its parent company. In fall of 2004 Gagnon met investor Chris Campanozzi and the two formed a new publishing house, Open Book Press. Open Book decided to keep SMASH! Comics alive as a logo used on all the graphic novels they publish. The thriving Open Book Press is expanding into the comic book market with the re-launch of the SMASH! Comics line of comic books which begin shipping in May 2006. Every comic is perfect bound instead of stapled and made of the same high quality paper and covers that the company uses for its graphic novels. This means that it will be the only line of comic books that can also be easily carried and stocked in traditional book stores. The new line-up of comics is mostly made up of established and successful self-published series such as Mr. Scootles by H.C. Noel, Underlords created by Greg Robinson, Monkeys with Machineguns by UK comic stars Chris Lynch and Stu.Art and others who have come looking to join SMASH! Comics. As part of the celebration to mark the five year survival of SMASH! Comics each comic will bear a commemorative 5th anniversary logo on the cover beginning in June. The company will also begin shipping a different comic every month with a cover price of only $1 U.S. These special editions will be released from August to December of 2006. The company will also be releasing a set of limited edition trading cards in fall 2006. For SMASH! Comics and further updates please check out www.openbookpress.com #### For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Christian Bonneray, Publicist, (419) 244-8828 or bonneray3@sbcglobal.net Thanks for subscribing to the Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine (CBEM) --------------------------->Disclaimer<--------------------------- This is an ANNOUNCE only mailing list, only the Editor can send messages to the list. No one else has access to the subscriber list. Replies to these messages will be received by the Editor ONLY, so you must CC: individual contributors if you want them to get your E-Mail. The E-mail to the E-mag MAY be used in future issues at the Editor's discretion UNLESS you specifically request that they not be. It is our policy to withhold names and/or Addresses, by request only, from letters of comment. All contributors are required to use their real name and have a valid Email address for their columns to be published. Send Email comments to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Material for inclusion in the Emag - press releases, solicitations, column submissions, Letters to the Editor, guesses for the trivia contest should be sent to ComicBkNet@aol.com The EDITOR, not the submitter, has final approval and edit rights on ALL material. Printed comic books and advanced copies for review in the Emag should be sent via US Mail or UPS to David L. 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