Press Release: WonderCon, part of the Comic-Con International (CCI) family of nonprofit comics conventions, today announced the opening of attendee registration for the increasingly popular comic book and pop culture convention. Attendees can register online at http://www.comic-con.org/wc/wc_reg.shtml.

WonderCon is a three-day event that has continued to grow in size and stature throughout its 25-year history. Because of renovations at its usual venue in San Francisco, WonderCon will be held in Anaheim for the first time, at the beautiful AnaheimConvention Center March 16-18, 2012. Featuring a large exhibit hall and programs and panels on all aspects of comics and popular art, WonderCon in Anaheim promises to be a must-attend event on the comics convention circuit.

The format so closely resembles Comic-Con in San Diego that many are referring to the relocated show as Anaheim Comic-Con. “Moving the convention was not something we wanted to do, and to be honest we were a bit concerned,” said David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for parent company Comic-Con International. “However, exhibitor interest has been so overwhelming, as has interest in programming, that we are convinced WonderCon 2012 will be among the best yet.”

Registration prices are as follows:

3-DAY BADGE (Best Value!):

Adult 3-Day: $40.00 Advance/$50.00 Onsite
Junior/Senior 3-Day: $20.00 Advance/$25.00 Onsite

1-DAY BADGE:

Friday OR Saturday Only:
Adult 1-Day: $20.00 Advance/$25.00 Onsite
Junior/Senior 1-Day: $10.00 Advance/$13.00 Onsite

Sunday:
Adult: $10.00 Advance/$15.00 Onsite
Junior/Senior: $5.00 Advance/$7.00 Onsite

WonderCon’s special guests include Sergio Aragones (cartoonist, Groo, MAD, Sergio Aragones Funnies), Mark Evanier(writer/comics historian, Kirby: King of Comics), Matt Fraction (writer, Invincible Iron Man, Casanova, Fear Itself, Mighty Thor), Michael Golden (artist, The ‘Nam, Micronauts, Bucky O’Hare), Mike Mignola (writer/artist/creator, Hellboy, B.P.R.D.), Steve Niles (writer/creator, 30 Days of Night, Criminal Macabre, Mystery Society), Eric Powell (writer/artist/creator, The Goon), Bob Schreck(editor-in-chief, Legendary Comics), Fiona Staples (artist, Mystery Society, SAGA), and J. Michael Straczynski (writer, Superman: Earth One). Information and biographies for these guests can be found on www.comic-con.org/wc/wc_guests.php. More guests will be announced soon.

WonderCon offers the best in comics programming, Hollywood and television panels, a huge exhibit hall, anime, games, portfolio review, autographs, and a masquerade all in one location. Now in its largest venue, WonderCon promises to be a show to remember for fans of any age.

About WonderCon:
WonderCon, one of the country’s best comics and popular arts conventions, is part of Comic-Con International (CCI), a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms. The organization achieves its mission primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. In addition to WonderCon, CCI organizes San Diego Comic-Con each summer (the world’s largest comics convention of its kind) and San Francisco’s Alternative Press Expo (APE) each fall. On the web: WonderCon.org, Facebook.com/comiccon, Twitter.com/wondercon.
 

Press Release: Big Wow! ComicFest Returns to San Jose on May 19th & 20th, 2012, bringing two great days of Comic Book, Art, Anime, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming and Cosplay FUN! Many of the country's best vendors of all things cool and collectible will tempt your wallets with the perfect gifts for Geek Grads and Dads!!!

Founded in 1979 as "Super-Con", Big Wow! ComicFest is not only Northern California's Longest-Running Comic Book Convention, but is next year's Only Major Comics Event in the San Francisco Bay Area!

As the Original Artist-Friendly Show, we have Fantastic Comic Book Creator Guests spanning all decades and genres! This year we are pleased to welcome as our Featured Guests: Legendary Illustrator Bernie Wrightson (Swamp Thing, Heavy Metal), Vampire Horror Author Steve Niles, creator of 30 Days Of Night, Fan-Favorites Travis Charest (Space Girl), Kevin Nowlan (Superman Vs. Aliens), and more Special Guests including: Dan Brereton (Nocturnals), Greg Capullo (Spawn), Joe Linsner (Dawn), Alex Nino (Dead Ahead), Stuart Sayger (Shiver In The Dark), and many more to be confirmed and added frequently to our website!

Press Release: The Alternative Press Expo (APE), the country’s largest alternative and independent comics convention, unveiled today the cover of its 2011 Program Book featuring original art by special guest and Eisner Award–winning cartoonist Shannon Wheeler.

APE offers the free program book to each attendee. This comic book-sized publication features a complete rundown on the show, including a comprehensive list of exhibitors and a map of the floor, as well as a complete programming schedule. “Each year we are privileged to have one of our special guests design the cover. It gives each edition a unique character while showcasing the extraordinary talents of our guests,” remarked David Glanzer, APE spokesperson and director of marketing and public relations for parent company Comic-Con International. Wheeler won the Eisner Award in 1995 for his series Too Much Coffee Man and again in 2011 for his humor publication I Thought You Would Be Funnier from BOOM! Studios.

Press Release: Coming off its biggest year yet in 2010 with attendance topping 5,500, the Alternative Press Expo (APE), returns to San Francisco this fall at The Concourse Exhibition Center. The Expo, taking place Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2, will again feature the expanded Exhibit Hall and additional programming tracks that debuted in 2010.

Five special guests have already signed on for the show: Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant!), Daniel Clowes (Wilson, Mister Wonderful; courtesy Drawn & Quarterly), Craig Thompson (Blankets, Habibi), Adrian Tomine (Optic Nerve, Scenes from an Impending Marriage), and Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffee Man, I Thought You Would Be Funnier).

“Interest in APE has never been higher as evidenced by our growing attendance and roster of exhibitors,” said David Glanzer, APE’s director of marketing and public relations. “This year’s terrific mix of special guests really helps us continue that momentum as one of the ‘must-see’ independent comics shows in the nation.”

APE showcases the best in alternative and small press comics, with an Exhibit Hall packed with cutting-edge creators featuring their comics, books, zines, original art, hand-made items, and much more. Further details on APE 2011, including a complete list of exhibitors and the full programming schedule, will be announced closer to the event.

About Alternative Press Expo:

Alternative Press Expo (APE), the country’s largest alternative and independent comics convention, is part of Comic-Con International (CCI), a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms. The organization achieves its mission primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. In addition to the San Francisco-based APE each fall, CCI organizes San Diego Comic-Con each summer (the world’s largest comics convention of its kind) and San Francisco’s WonderCon each spring. On the web: Comic-Con.org, Facebook.com/APExpo, Twitter.com/APExpo.

Comic-Con International (Comic-Con), the parent company of WonderCon, today released the much anticipated program schedule for the event, which will be held Friday through Sunday, April 1–3, at Moscone Center in San Francisco.

The popular convention features every major comic book publisher, as well as major Hollywood movie studios and stars of comics, movies, and television.

"This year's lineup is pretty spectacular," commented David Glanzer, WonderCon's Director of Marketing and Public Relations. "Programming is always at the heart of our shows, and I think this year's slate will prove to be among the most exciting yet."

Originally considered a regional show for Northern California, in recent years WonderCon has followed her sister event, the San Diego Comic-Con, in becoming a full-fledged national show attracting attendees and media from all over the country.

WonderCon 2011 features some of the premier stars of the comics world including Jason Aaron, Sergio Aragones, Berkeley Breathed, Tony Daniel, Mark Evanier, Adam Hughes, Robert Kirkman, Hope Larson, Bob Layton, Paul Levitz, Jeremy Love, Francis Manapul, Carla Speed McNeil, Terry Moore, Ryan Ottley, Joe Quesada, Frank Quitely, Amy Reeder, James Robinson, Seth, Bill Sienkiewicz, Len Wein, F. Paul Wison, Judd Winick, and Marv Wolfman.

Hollywood has a major presence at WonderCon this year as well, joining the action with an exclusive peek at Green Lantern with stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively and Peter Sarsgaard; a Cowboys & Aliens discussion with director Jon Favreau; a special presentation on the movie Immortals featuring Henry Cavill (the new Superman) and Kellan Lutz; and appearances by V's Elizabeth Mitchell, Priest's Paul Bettany, Super's Rainn Wilson,  Human Target's Mark Valley, and Breaking In's Christian Slater.

The complete WonderCon programming schedule can be found at http://www.comic-con.org/wc/wc_prog.php. WonderCon ticketing details and additional information about the Comic-Con family of conventions can be found at www.comic-con.org.

About WonderCon:

WonderCon, one of the country's best comics and popular arts conventions, is part of Comic-Con International (CCI), a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms. The organization achieves its mission primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. In addition to San Francisco based WonderCon each spring, CCI organizes San Diego Comic-Con each summer (the world's largest comics convention of its kind) and San Francisco's Alternative Press Expo (APE) each fall. On the web: WonderCon.org, Facebook.com/wondercon, Twitter.com/wondercon.

Animation On Display (AOD), San Francisco's convention for anime, video games, and other cool stuff, will be back Presidents Day Weekend (2/19-2/20) in San Francisco's Japantown! We are pleased to announce the appearance of the following guests of honor:

Cristina Vee, Voice Actress
Cristina Vee is an anime and video game voice actress residing near Los Angeles, California. Her story from a anime fan and cosplayer to a professional voice actress and singer is a unique one. She dreamed of becoming a voice actress years before she was discovered by Bang Zoom Entertainment at Anime Expo at the ripe young age of 16. Now she has starred in anime such as Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha as the titular character, Rozen Maiden as Kanaria, The Familiar of Zero as Louise, Aika in Aika R-16, and she is the announced voice of Mio Akiyama in K-ON. Other anime roles include parts in Kannazuki no Miko, Hare + Guu, and The Blade of the Immortal. She also has voiced for popular video games such as Luminous Arc 2 (Sylphy), Rune Factory Frontier (Cinnamon), Blazblue and its sequel (Noel, Mu-12, Nu-13, Lambda-11), Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow (Kluke), Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love (Anri). She also is the announcer for several Purikura photobooth machines.

Cristina has also gained popularity through her YouTube channel as MilkyCabbage and ValliereVee with her English dubs and Japanese covers of anime songs. In front of the camera, she has co-hosted AnimeTV and the Funimation On Demand recaps with Johnny Yong Bosch and Jonathan Meza. She helped promote Haruhi Suzumiya season 2 in the Adventures of the ASOS Brigade (as Haruhi Suzumiya) and she will share a similar experience with K-ON (as Mio Akiyama).

Robert Clotworthy, Voice Actor
Robert Clotworthy has appeared in over 100 feature film and TV programs and worked with numerous acclaimed Hollywood directors and stars. As a voice actor, Robert has amassed well over 1000 credits voicing nationally televised TV spots for numerous big-name companies.

George Lucas and LucasFilm have used Robert as the narrator on the Emmy-nominated documentaries "Empire of Dreams: The Making of the Star Wars Trilogy", "Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed" as well as "Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Quest". Robert is also the narrator of the critically acclaimed documentary "Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight" as well as the History Channel series, "Ancient Aliens."

Robert works extensively in the world of animation and interactive entertainment portraying both heroes and villains. His original voicing of Jim Raynor in StarCraft and StarCraft 2 was named one of the Top 10 gaming heroes of all time in a reader's poll by Gamespot.

Neil Kaplan, Voice Actor
Neil has been a voice over actor for more than 20 years in animation, dubbing, audio books, live performance, video games and other fields. During his varied career, he's been a theatrical and voice over director as well as a voice over teacher and coach. Neil is internationally known for his work as Tychus Findlay on Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, Optimus Prime on the animated television series Transformers: Robots in Disguise, and in Digimon, Bleach, and Naruto, as well as numerous other projects in various forms of media.

He is also the Founder and President of Audio Theater For Our Troops, a non-profit foundation whose mission is to provide respite and entertainment to current and former members of the U.S. military and allies via free audio theatrical productions featuring Hollywood's and Broadway's finest performers and writers.

These three guests join Ken Pontac, Tommy Yune, Ian McConville, and Matt Boyd as Guests of Honor at AOD 2011.

About Animation On Display
Animation on Display (AOD) is a weekend celebration of Japanese animation, video games, recent American cartoons, and their related interests. Based in the heart of San Francisco's Japantown, AOD features industry guests and speakers, seminars and workshops, a costume contest, vendors, community artists, and more, all squeezed into two exciting days! AOD 2011 will take place on February 19-20 at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco's Japantown. http://www.aodsf.org/

VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, has announced a variety of notable film screenings, festivals, lectures and other special events to be held throughout the month of March.

Tokyo Scope: The Wild and Crazy World of Japanese Cult Films:
Vol.1 YAKUZA NIGHT FEVER!
New activities kick off on March 5th with Tokyo Scope: The Wild and Crazy World of Japanese Cult Films. Come celebrate the launch of Japanese pop culture critic and Otaku USA Editor-in-Chief Patrick Macias’s new film/lecture series. Also sponsored by SEGA of America, the evening’s events begin at 6:00pm and will include a lecture on the history of Japanese yakuza (gangster) cinema and the debut of SEGA’s highly anticipated new video game, Yakuza 3, for the PlayStation 3. Tickets are only $10.00.

NEW PEOPLE Artist Series Festival
VIZ Cinema will present the NEW PEOPLE Artist Series Festival, a special collection of six insightful documentaries each profiling a unique Japanese contemporary artist. The 4-day festival runs March 6th – 9th and features the U.S. theatrical premieres of several films featuring the Neo-Japanese “Hip-Hop-Samurai” painter Hisashi Tenmyouya, the cynical artistic genius of Makoto Aida, and the life and work of master sculptor Katsura Funakoshi. By popular demand, the festival has announced encore showings of three documentaries on artists Yoshitomo Nara, Yayoi Kusama, and photographer Daido Moriyama. Summaries of each film and a list of screening times are available at: www.vizcinema.com. Special festival passes are available for $30.00 offer access to ANY screening at ANY time during the festival! General admission tickets for individual films are available for $10.00 each, Senior (+62) and Children (under 12) are $8.

NEW PEOPLE Artist Series Festival Films Include:
Hisashi Tenmyouya : Samurai Nouveau: 3/6 Sat, 1:00pm & 3/7 Sun, 3:00pm
Makoto Aida : Cynic in the Playground: 3/6 Sat, 3:00pm & 3/7 Sun, 5:00pm
Katsura Funakoshi: Whispering Gaze: 3/6 Sat, 5:00pm & 3/8 Mon, 7:00pm
Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara: 3/7 Sun, 7:00pm & 3/9 Tue, 5:00pm
Yayoi Kusama: I Love ME: 3/7 Sun, 1:00pm & 3/9 Tue, 7:00pm
Daido Moriyama: Stray Dog of Tokyo: 3/6 Sat, 7:00pm & 3/8 Mon, 5:00pm

The Allure of Hayao Miyazaki
Don’t miss a rare chance to attend a lecture given Fred Schodt and Beth Cary, the translators of Starting Point: 1979-1996, an autobiography written by Academy Award winning film director and anime visionary, Hayao Miyazaki! Hear some interesting stories of these two recognized experts on anime and manga who spent time with Miyazaki and glean deeper insights into his world of incredible imagination. The Allure of Hayao Miyazaki will be held on March 10th at 7:00pm; tickets are $8.00.

San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
VIZ Cinema also partners with the 28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival to present Dear Doctor, by award-winning director Miwa Nishikawa (Sway and Wild Berries). Dear Doctor is a drama centering on a physician that goes missing after moving to his post in a remote village with no other doctors. Notable for exposing the complicated human psyche, this touching film plays for one night only on Wednesday, March 17th at 9:15pm. Information and advance tickets ($12.00) are available at the festival website http://festival.asianamericanmedia.org/2010/.

U.S. Premiere Of Mobile Suit Gundam UCMobile Suite Gundam
Anime fans won’t want to miss VIZ Cinema’s just-added week long screening of the Mobile Suit Gundam UC feature film (58 min) running March 19th – 25th. Gundam has been popular for more than 30 years and this brand new story is based on a bestseller written by acclaimed science fiction author Harutoshi Fukui. The film makes a special U.S. debut only one month after its original premiere in Japan and was made possible via a special arrangement with Studio Sunrise.

In the year U.C. 0096, a colony called Industrial 7 is the stage for a young boy named Banagher's encounter with destiny: the white Mobile Suit called the Unicorn Gundam. A mysterious Laplace's Box becomes the basis for a galactic scale battle. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to catch the U.S. theatrical of the latest Gundam movie! Tickets are $8.00; no discounts apply.

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.

Press Release for February 24, 2010

Guardian Arts Series Invites Fans To RSVP For V.I.P. Reception Party And Screening Of Exciting SciFi Action Film At The Unique Japanese Pop Culture Venue

San Francisco, CA, December 10, 2009 – NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, joins with the San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper as the Guardian Arts Series presents a complementary V.I.P. screening of 20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End on Friday, December 17th at VIZ Cinema.

20th Century Boys Theatre-goers can enjoy snacks and beverages at San Francisco’s gateway to Japanese pop culture during a special reception from 6:00pm - 7:15pm with the film scheduled to screen at 7:30pm. The Guardian Arts Series presents a variety of exciting and affordable events appealing to the Bay Area’s arts enthusiasts

To attend this event, please RSVP to an invitation posted on the NEW PEOPLE web site at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com or also on the San Francisco Bay Guardian’s web site at: www.sfbg.com/promo. Only those who RSVP will be eligible to attend and reception capacity will be limited to 300 persons. The private screening of 20th Century Boys will be open to the first 125 people who check in at the V.I.P. reception so get there early!

Also browse the Guardian’s Facebook page for another opportunity to attend! The deadline to enter the Facebook contest is December 14th. NEW PEOPLE and VIZ Cinema are located at 1746 Post St. in the heart of San Francisco’s historic Japantown.

Based on the best-selling manga series by Naoki Urasawa, this first chapter of the 20th Century Boys film trilogy revolves around the “Book of Prophecy” written by a boy named Kenji and his friends, who imagine a hero who will stand up to an evil organization plotting to destroy the world. Thirty years later, a series of global catastrophes occur exactly as they were described in their book. With the power of music, will Kenji be able to save the world from destruction?!

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s first movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.