 Press Release: The Baltimore Comic-Con is excited to add prolific writer Garth Ennis and publisher Dynamite Entertainment to the growing list of talent and exhibitors attending this year's show. The show will take place September 8-9, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Ennis, who is probably best known for his work on the Vertigo series, Preacher, as well as the creator-owned series, The Boys from Dynamite Entertainment, began his career in 1989. After several critically acclaimed works in England, he broke into the American comic scene in 1991. Building a following on such titles as Hellblazer (Vertigo), The Demon (DC Comics), Hitman (DC Comics), Preacher (Vertigo), and PunisherMAX (Marvel Comics), Ennis is renowned as one of the best writers to come out of the "British Invasion" of the early-'90s and received and Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1998 and an Eagle Award in 1999 for Best Color Comic Book (for Preacher). Currently, Ennis is wrapping up his final story arc for The Boys, as well as handling writing duties for the relaunch of The Shadow for Dynamite Entertainment. Ennis will be working with artist Aaron Campbell ( Green Hornet: Year One, Dark Shadows) to bring the classic pulp franchise back to the printed page for a whole new generation of fans. " The Shadow is probably the last established character I like that I haven't gotten around to writing yet, certainly on this side of the Atlantic," said Ennis in a recent press release. "It makes a kind of bloody, bullet-riddled sense: I always had a feeling our paths would cross sooner or later." Dynamite Entertainment, whose publishing works includes both licensed properties and creator-owned work, will also be exhibiting at this year's show. Founded in 2004, Dynamite won the Diamond Gem Award for Best Publisher Under 4% of Market Share in 2011. Other confirmed guests for the show including: Laura & Michael Allred - Madman, iZombie Greg Capullo - Batman, Spawn Tommy Castillo - Grimm Fairy Tales Cliff Chiang - Wonder Woman Frank Cho - Avengers vs. X-Men, Liberty Meadows Steve Conley - Bloop Amanda Conner - Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre Dan Didio - O.M.A.C. Rich Faber - Roboy Red David Finch - Batman: The Dark Knight John Gallagher - Buzzboy Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez - Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman Keith Giffen - Superman, OMAC, Green Arrow Gene Ha - Justice League Larry Hama - G.I. Joe, Wolverine, The 'Nam Cully Hamner - Action Comics Dean Haspiel - Billy Dogma, ACT-I-VATE, Trip City J.G. Jones - Wanted, Doc Savage Scott Kurtz - PvPonline.com David Mack - Kabuki Ron Marz - Artifacts, Voodoo Bob McLeod - DC Comics Presents: Wonder Woman Jimmy Palmiotti - All-Star Western David Petersen - Mouse Guard Brian Pulido - Lady Death Frank Quitely - All Star Superman, Batman & Robin Don Rosa - Uncle Scrooge Stuart Sayger - Infestation 2: 30 Days of Night One-Shot Walter Simonson - Thor, Legion of Super-Heroes, Avengers Scott Snyder - Batman , Severed, Swamp Thing Brian Stelfreeze - ICE Karl Story - Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Peter Tomasi - Batman and Robin Billy Tucci - A Child Is Born, Shi Matt Wagner - Tower Chronicles, Mage, Grendel Mark Waid - Daredevil, Incorruptible, Irredemable...With more on the way! Stay tuned to our website or use the "Sign up" link at the bottom of our website to receive update announcements as we make them! Contact Information Please use the following e-mail addresses to contact the Baltimore Comic-Con: press@baltimorecomiccon.com - for any general press inquiries or to be added to our PR distribution promoter@baltimorecomiccon.com - for requesting exhibitor, publisher, and Artist Alley applications registrar@baltimorecomiccon.com - for inquiries about submitted registrations harveys@baltimorecomiccon.com - for communications regarding the Harvey Awards ceremony and banquet general@baltimorecomiccon.com - for general Baltimore Comic-Con inquiries About The Baltimore Comic-Con The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 13th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held September 8-9, 2012. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com. About The Harvey Awards The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 7 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.
 Press Release: Avatar Press and Mischief Maker Studios proudly announce that legendary comic book writer Garth Ennis will be premiering his short film, Stitched, at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday evening, July 21, at 8:15pm in the convention’s Room 6DE. Featuring Ennis’s debut as a filmmaker, Stitched blends supernatural horror with a contemporary war story, creating a terrifying landscape which will be explored further in an ongoing monthly comic book series. The 15-minute long film is written and directed by Garth Ennis, best known as the writer of such best-selling comic books as Preacher, The Punisher, The Boys, and Crossed. A Mischief Maker Studios production, Stitched was produced by Brian Pulido, Francisca Pulido, and Ed Polgardy. Adam Goldfine served as Director of Photography, while both Garth Ennis and William Christensen, the founder of Avatar Press, served as Executive Producers. In Stitched, three survivors of an American helicopter crash (played by actors Tank Jones, Lauren Alonzo, and Kate Kugler) struggle across the high mountains of Afghanistan. They’re injured, without food, water, or medicine, and moving through Taliban-controlled territory. Among the sun-bleached rocks, they discover something worse than enemy fighters: an ancient supernatural power – murderous, unstoppable, and serving a 21st-century evil. “I’ve been thinking about (directing films) for a number of years now,” says Ennis. “Ever since the interest in a Preacher film became more solid, and the options on it and The Boys were picked up. I've written screenplays and treatments for things like Crossed, but I haven't really devoted myself to a film project before, not the way I have with Stitched. I've always loved movies; my comics are much more heavily influenced by film and TV than they are by other comics. So having a go at this seems quite natural.” Regarding the concept, Ennis says, “Stitched began as little more than a series of images, really – three little figures stumbling across a barren landscape, exhausted people struggling to survive, blood on the rocks of the mountains, and lots of frantic, close-in combat.” As production got underway, “you’re watching Taliban fighters, SAS troopers, and a U.S. helicopter crew wandering around in full uniform and equipment, AKs and M4s slung, Berettas holstered. It all started as words on the page and then translated to so much hard work and commitment.” Hosting the premiere of Stitched at San Diego Comic-Con marks a first for the convention; although it regularly host panels featuring actors or sneak peak footage of upcoming films, SDCC has never previously premiered a film on-site. San Diego Comic-Con is the largest convention in the western hemisphere, drawing 130,000 attendees annually. With Ennis being a name brand in the comic book community, the convention anticipates that his one-evening-only film premiere will draw a maximum capacity crowd. San Diego Comic-Con attendees will also have an opportunity to purchase exclusive early release DVDs on site for an autographing opportunity with creator Garth Ennis. The footage filmed for Stitched comprises the opening conflict of a script intended as a full-length feature film. The full Ennis-penned script will be the basis of the first story arc in the upcoming, ongoing comic book series. From the behind-the-scenes footage available on the DVD release, Ennis says, “Stitched is going to have legs beyond just this 15-minute short. Most immediately, we're going to launch a new comic drawn by the always-excellent Mike Wolfer. The first series will tell the complete story that the film only begins.” The first issue of the comic book series will be released in November alongside the nationwide Stitched DVD release. Garth Ennis, a critically acclaimed writer from Northern Ireland, has been working in the comic book industry for over 20 years. He is most easily recognized as the creator of Preacher from DC/Vertigo, as well as a long-time contributor to Marvel Comics’ The Punisher. His previous comic book work published by Avatar Press includes Dicks, 303, Chronicles of Wormwood, Streets of Glory, and the increasingly popular Crossed franchise, a horror survival series set in a world overrun by sadistic homicidal maniacs. Avatar Press is a groundbreaking independent publishing company which produces a wide variety of cutting-edge comic books, graphic novels, and original web content. Their high-quality publications include the work of such industry luminaries as Garth Ennis (Crossed, Chronicles of Wormwood), Warren Ellis (Freakangels), David Lapham (Caligula, Crossed: Psychopath), and Alan Moore (Neonomicon). They also produce a diverse range of licensed projects including the classic zombie epic Night of the Living Dead and George RR Martin’s Fevre Dream. Their action-oriented Boundless Comics imprint publishes Brian Pulido’s original Lady Death and Mike Wolfer’s reimagining of the classic femme fatales Pandora, Hellina, and Widow in the series War Goddess. For more information about Avatar Press, their publications, and creators, please visit www.avatarpress.com. Mischief Maker Studios, owned by Brian Pulido and Francisca Pulido, is a multi-media entertainment company that develops, produces, and controls a library of properties and storylines, and partners with world renowned creators and clients to realize their full sales potential across all media platforms including film, television, print, online, mobile, gaming, and merchandising. Their first feature film, The Graves, sold to After Dark Films, Lionsgate, Syfy and a dozen international distributors. For more info, visit www.MischiefMakerStudios.com. For more information on the Stitched film, its DVD release, the film premiere at San Diego Comic-Con, and the comic book series, please visit the website www.FearTheStitched.com, or contact Keith Davidsen, Avatar Press’ Director of Sales and Marketing, via e-mail at keith@avatarpress.net.
Monday, 14 February 2011
GM
Major companies who help shape and define the pop culture universe will once again participate in the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). According to officials, many of the exhibitors and partners who have a significant stake in New York Comic Con will also have a major booth presence in Chicago and will be bringing many of their top artists and creators to meet and greet the thousands of fans who will be in attendance. Both C2E2 and NYCC are owned and operated by ReedPOP, a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions exclusively devoted to organizing events in the pop culture arena.
Also, for the first time this year, C2E2 will be providing free shuttle bus service to the convention facility from several key downtown locations including Graham Crackers Comics at 77 East Madison and the Hard Rock Cafe at 63 West Ontario. The shuttle service is designed to encourage “inside The Loop” participation at C2E2 by making it easy to get to McCormick Place. The readily available service to the convention center will add even more attendees to a show floor that will already be full of activity. To avoid lines, organizers encourage fans to purchase their tickets online and arrive early! Information about shuttle routes with times and additional pick up locations is available at the C2E2 website.
As noted, the show floor will be filled with exhibitors and merchandise, but organizers note that the show floor will be crammed with other activity for convention-goers, too. Over 250 artists have signed up to participate in Artist Alley, and other exhibitor hall features include Ink-Fusion, The Variant Stage, Electronic Arts Console Free Play, and Autographing. Ink-Fusion is the official tattoo organizer of C2E2, and they will once again be on hand and accepting appointments for some of their top tattoo artists. The Variant Stage provides a unique opportunity to see live entertainment on a continuous basis all day long for the entire three days of the show, including interactive programming, music, costume contests, and geek comedy performances. Electronic Arts’s Console Free Play will include over 20 Xboxs allowing fans to play a selection of upcoming titles. Finally, the Autographing Area will be a place fans can meet media guests including Jon Bernthal, Tahmoh Penikett, and Steve Gonsalves.
“We had a great inaugural show last year and we plan to have an even greater show this year,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for C2E2. “Our exhibitor base is fantastic with all the key players in place and taking large booths. Our programming is evolving daily and we have some major guest announcements still to make. The show floor will be totally packed with merchandise, artists, creators and a range of activities to suit all the needs and interests of our many fans.”
Some of the larger and notable exhibitors who will be participating in C2E2 include: DC (2500 ft.), Marvel (2500 ft.), Electronic Arts (800 ft.), Graham Crackers Comics (800 ft.), Archaia Entertainment (600 ft.), Dark Horse (600 ft.), Avatar Press (400 ft.), South Peak Games (NEW! 400 ft.), and Ugly Dolls (NEW! 400 ft.). C2E2 will occupy the West Building at McCormick Place Convention Center, March 18 – 20, 2011.
A few of the previously announced guests from the world of comics who will be appearing at C2E2 include: Brian Michael Bendis, Paul Cornell, Tony Daniel, Garth Ennis, Matt Fraction, Adam Hughes, Doug Mahnke, Tony Moore, Joe Quesada, Ivan Reis, Scott Snyder and Bill Willingham.
Customers interested in signing up for Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo should contact Larry Settembrini at lsettembrini@reedexpo.com. Tickets for C2E2 may be purchased at www.c2e2.com. Other information about the show, as well as news about ReedPOP, is available at Lance Fensterman’s blog, www.mediumatlarge.net.
Press Release For February 14, 2011
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
GM
 Garth Ennis, George R.R. Martin, and Max Brooks are Among Many Guests of Publisher!
“Avatar Friday Night” event to feature special presentations and mingling opportunity
Norwalk, CT, March 10, 2010: Officials at C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) have announced that Avatar Press will play a huge role at the new pop culture convention where the renowned independent publisher will not only have a significant presence on the show floor but will be bringing many notable writers and creators including Garth Ennis, George R.R. Martin and Max Brooks. Other leading Avatar guests who will be on hand at the convention will include: Jacen Burrows, William Christensen, Christos Gage, Matt Martin, Gianluca Pagliarani, Brian Pulido, and Mike Wolfer. All of these personalities will be at the Avatar Press booth, and will be participating in a variety of activities ranging from panel discussions to autographings.
Notably, Avatar Press will play host to the “Avatar Friday Night”, a special event from 8pm – 10pm, Friday April 16 which will feature Max Brooks and George R.R. Martin in their first ever joint appearance. Brooks, whose Zombie Survival lectures are a world-wide hit, will provide his own unique form of humor and entertainment while George R.R. Martin, one of the most acclaimed wordsmiths of the day, will provide a reading from one of his favorite works. Other Avatar Press guests and creators will be on hand to meet and greet fans.
“I am blown away by everything that Avatar Press is doing at our show,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2. “The quality of these guests is absolutely incredible and I am hugely grateful and pleased to see that Avatar finds such value in our event. Our show is going to be massive AND fun and it is in no small measure because of exhibitors like Avatar Press who build excitement and anticipation on our show floor and throughout the convention by making talented personalities and creators available to meet and greet the thousands of fans who will be on hand at C2E2. I am sure the ‘Avatar Friday Night’ event will be packed and I encourage people to buy their tickets fast!”
Other Avatar Press events that will take place during C2E2 are three panels, including a Max Brooks Q & A, as well as numerous autographings with all the Avatar guests at the Avatar Press booth. For ticket purchases and more information about the “Avatar Friday Night” event, fans should go to http://www.avatarpress.com/conventions/c2e2.
Organizers for C2E2 also note that tickets for the convention itself are selling fast and so all fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance. For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit http://www.C2E2.com or check out the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge at http://www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/c2e2.
AVATAR GUESTS:
MAX BROOKS: New York Times bestselling author Max Brooks has become one of the world’s leading authorities on zombies with his Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z titles. He has also written the graphic novel Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks which was produced in cooperation with Avatar Press. Brooks was a member of the Saturday Night Live writing team from 2001 to 2003, for which he won an Emmy. He also has a number of acting credits, including appearances on Roseanne and 7th Heaven, and voice work for Batman Beyond and Justice League. Paramount Pictures has acquired the film rights for World War Z.
JACEN BURROWS: A 1996 graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1996, Burrows has worked with several comic companies over the years including Caliber Press and London Night Studios, and is currently working under an exclusive contract with Avatar Press. Outside of comics, his work as included contributions to Rockstar Games’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and TSR’s Dungeons & Dragons.
At Avatar, Burrows has worked with the best writers in the industry, praised for his detail and free-flowing story-telling, he has just finished CROSSED with writer Garth Ennis and is currently working on NEONOMICON with Alan Moore. Previously he has illustrated graphic novels by Warren Ellis (SCARS, BAD WORLD, DARK BLUE), Alan Moore (COURTYARD, YUGGOTH CULTURES) and Garth Ennis (303, CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD).
WILLIAM CHRISTENSEN: Avatar Press editor-in-chief William Christensen’s 20-year career in the comics has included contributions in publishing, writing, and comic industry journalism. Christensen was a prolific freelancer for Wizard during the magazine’s formative years in the early 90’s, and went on to work with 90’s indy powerhouse Chaos! Comics in various capacities. His first comic book writing credit was in the 1995 series Chaos! Quarterly. After founding Avatar in 1996, Christensen became the architect of much of the early company line, including Pandora and The Ravening. As Editor-in-Chief of Avatar, he has become known for establishing Avatar’s famous policy of creative freedom as well as his knack for working with the industry’s best writers, including Warren Ellis, Alan Moore, and Garth Ennis.
 Garth Ennis GARTH ENNIS: Comic Book writer Garth Ennis is the creator of Crossed, Preacher, and the Boys. Among his numerous writing credits, he is also known for his work on Marvel’s Punisher and DC’s Hellblazer. Ennis has won Eisner and Eagle awards for his work on Preacher. After getting his start in comics in legendary UK anthology 2000AD in 1988, Ennis took on long-running DC/Vertigo title Hellblazer in 1991 and under his tenure the comic stood alongside Gaiman’s Sandman as DC/Vertigo’s best series. But his 1996 launch Preacher was to prove an even better showcase for Ennis’ unique talent. A compelling cast of characters in an eyes-wide-open drama unafraid to explore any subject quickly made Preacher one of the most important and controversial titles of the 1990’s. Ennis’ work on The Punisher subsequently became a cornerstone of Marvel’s direction in the Quesada era. At Avatar, Ennis has written 303, Dicks, Chronicles of Wormwood, and Crossed.
CHRISTOS GAGE: Christos Gage has written numerous screeplays and was a writer for the TV show Law & Order: SVU before he added comics to his impressive resume. He’s done several top -selling series like World War Hulk: X-Men, Thunderbolts, Iron Man, Avengers: The Initiative for Marvel and co-wrote GI Joe: Cobra for IDW. He created a whole new universe for his acclaimed series Absolution at Avatar and he is current working on the sequel to that series.
GEORGE R.R. MARTIN: Award-winning author George R.R. Martin is the creator of the epic fantasy series A Song of Fire and Ice and A Game of Thrones. Martin has written a number of other books and short stories in genres as diverse as horror, science fiction, and military fiction. As an editor, he was the creator and primary architect of the Wild Cards shared super-hero universe. Martin was active in early comics fandom and credits the attention he recieved from a letter to the editor in Fantastic Four #20 (1963) and fanzine activities with his interest in writing. His television writing credits include The New Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast. His lengthy list of awards includes Hugo, Nebula, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards. Martin’s A Game of Thrones is now in production at HBO. His Fevre Dream is about to begin at Avatar Press and The Skin Trade is also in production at Avatar.
MATT MARTIN: Writer/Artist Matt Martin is best known for his creator-owned title Snowman, a supernatural tale of revenge in the form of a creature of ice and snow. Martin has also written and drawn The Coven: Dark Sister for Avatar and drew a story for the Yuggoth Creatures collection of Lovecraft-inspired tales. Martin is a prolific cover artist at Avatar, with work on titles such as Lady Death, Alan Moore’s Glory, Warren Ellis’ Anna Mercury, and much more. He is currently working on an upcoming title written by Garth Ennis.
GIANLUCA PAGLIARANI: An artist on several Warren Ellis titles, Gianluca Pagliarani’s precise, detailed linework and retro sci-fi/fantasy influences have won him acclaim on Avatar books such as Ignition City, Aetheric Mechanics, and Wolfskin: Hundredth Dream.
BRIAN PULIDO: Brian Pulido has created and written hundreds of comic books including Lady Death and Evil Ernie, and licensed comic such as A Nightmare on Elm St. and Friday the 13th. As the founder and president of Chaos! Comics, Pulido was the leading independent comic publisher of the 1990’s
He is on The Hero Initiative’s fundraising board, has received the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Defender of Liberty Award and is the Chief Creative Officer for Mischief Maker Studios. Pulido also wrote and directed the feature film “The Graves”, starring Tony Todd (Candy Man) and Bill Mosley (The Devil’s Rejects). He is the co-writer, with Mike Wolfer, of the upcoming Lady Death monthly series, slated to debut in fall 2010.
MIKE WOLFER: With the self-publication of DAIKAZU #1 in 1987, Mike Wolfer began a comic book career which has spanned over 20 years. After creating and publishing 14 issues of WIDOW for his own Ground Zero Comics, Wolfer moved on to work on various series such as Dark Horse Comics’ GODZILLA, Chaos! Comics LADY DEATH, and many others. Wolfer’s largest body of published work has been for Avatar Press, where his unique brand of graphically illustrated horror and violence has been on display in Warren Ellis’ STRANGE KISS/STRANGE KILLINGS, Alan Moore’s YUGGOTH CREATURES and Garth Ennis’ STREETS OF GLORY. In addition, Wolfer has contributed to several licensed comic series, serving as both writer and illustrator on such well-known properties as George Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, New Line Cinema’s FRIDAY THE 13TH and John Russo’s ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD. Wolfer is currently serving as co-writer with Warren Ellis on Avatar’s GRAVEL and WOLFSKIN, and with Brian Pulido on the new LADY DEATH series.
ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:
The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain’s New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.
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