Comic Book News

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On the heels of producing their seventh and most successful Long Beach Comic Con in California last month, MAD Event Management  is proud to announce their debut on the East Coast with the New Jersey Comic Expo, Saturday, November 21st and Sunday, November 22nd, at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, NJ.

“Coming off of our strongest year of Long Beach Comic Con to date, we are excited to share two full days of celebrating the comic industry with fans in our own backyard,” remarked Martha Donato, a native of the region and President of MAD Event Management. “Most of our staff has been working in the industry for over 20 years, forging long lasting relationships with legendary talents. We are excited to showcase these incredible artists, writers and creative minds.”

The New Jersey Comic Expo is a family-friendly celebration of the rich culture of comic books, and is the place for comic fans, geeks, and creatives of New Jersey to come together as a community and revel in the fun and entertainment that MAD Event Management has become synonymous with. A virtual who’s who of incredible publishing companies, writers and artists will appear alongside celebrity guests from the world of television and film.

With a list that is constantly evolving, the New Jersey Comic Expo is pleased to announce the following confirmed guests, with many more to follow:

Chris Claremont (Legendary writer of Uncanny X-Men, The New Mutants, Fantastic Four)

Drea de Matteo (Actress from “The Sopranos,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)

Mark Bagley (Artist – The Amazing Spider-Man, New Warriors, Justice League of America, Batman)

Garth Ennis (Creator of Preacher, The Boys; Writer for Punisher, Hellblazer)

Fabian Nicieza (Co-Creator of Deadpool and X-Force; Writer for X-Men, X-Force, Thunderbolts)

Erica Schultz (Writer for Swords of Sorrow, Rise)

Ivan Reis (Artist – Green Lantern, Justice League, Infinite Crisis, Blackest Night)

Samantha Newark (Voice of Jem from Jem and the Holograms)

Rags Morales (Artist – Action Comics, Hawkman, Identity Crisis, Superman, Wonder Woman)

Dennis Calero (Artist – X Factor, Ash and the Army of Darkness, The Vampire Diaries)

Ethan Van Sciver (DC Artist: Green Lantern, The Flash, Batman: The Dark Knight)

Bob Schreck (Legendary Comics Senior Vice President/Editor-In-Chief)

Joe Harris (Comic book writer & filmmaker; IDW’s X-Files, Image’s Great Pacific, Bishop: The Last X-Man, Firestorm, Vampirella vs. Dracula)

Joseph Michael Linsner (Creator of Dawn, Artist – Dawn and Vampirella)

Tommy Walker (“Francis” from Marvel’s “Daredevil” series on Netflix)

Destiny Nickelsen (Cosplayer and costume designer)

YuffieBunny (Cosplayer and Alternative Fashion Model)

Vegas Power Girl (Notable Cosplayer)

With a full slate of programming planned, a full convention floor filled with exhibitors (including vehicles from pop culture history like the 66 Batmobile, Back to the Future DeLorean and Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1), and many surprises to come, #NJCE is poised to be a convention not to be missed …and the best news is that you won’t get shut out of this one. In fact, kids under 10 get in for free!

Get tickets now at www.newjerseycomicexpo.com where you will also find the most up to date list of guests, programming, show features and special events. Advance ticket holders get early admission!

Follow New Jersey Comic Expo for up to the minute news as it drops!

Facebook: facebook.com/NJComicExpo

Twitter: @JerseyComicExpo

Instagram: @njcomicexpo

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Late last night saw five injured and one person killed by gunfire at Florida’s ZombiCon.

According to reports and the local police, four of the five people that were wounded were sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries; one victim died, 20-year old Expavious Tyrell Taylor, 20, of Okeechobee, Florida.

A manhunt is currently underway with the police asking for assistance in identifying the shooter.

Police Lt. Victor Medico said there “a lot of witnesses down here, there were a lot of people taking pictures, videos with their cellphone. Anything that could help with this investigation would be greatly appreciated.”

The annual Florida ZombiCon was expected to draw 20,000 people. The incident occurred at 11:45 pm ET, just fifteen minutes before the event officially ended.

Pushing DaiZies, Inc., a charity comprised of artists who created the event, released the following satement on Facebook: “We take the safety of our patrons very seriously and take precautions in hiring security and police officers. Our prayers go out to the family members and individuals involved in the incident.”

Anyone with information on the shooting or who may have cell phone footage/photos is asked to call the Fort Myers police at 239-321-7700 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.

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The NYCC saw IDW Publishing announce the creative teams behind two of their most anticipated new series with Rom The Spaceknight and Micronauts, two once popular Marvel series whose licenses are owned by Hasbro.

Chris Ryall (Onyx) and Christos Cage (Spider-Man, Buffy) are writing Rom with art by David Messina and Paolo Villanelle.

Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun, Godzilla: Cataclysm) and artist David Baldeon (Skylanders) are tackling Micronauts.

Both series will hit in 2016.

Other announcements made at the NYCC by IDW include:

BERKELEY BREATHED’S BLOOM COUNTY IS BACK!

For the first time since 1989, Berkeley Breathed is producing new Bloom County comic strips, and beginning in Summer 2016, fans will see the publication of the first in a new series of Bloom County Collections from IDW Publishing.
 

TRANSFORMERS: ALL HAIL OPTIMUS
Coming in February, TRANSFORMERS #50 will see OPTIMUS PRIME declare Earth to be a part of CYBERTRON’S Council of Worlds—and the DECEPTICONS and the people of Earth won’t take it lying down! The story starts here, but the repercussions will last forever. TRANSFORMERS fan-favorites John Barber and Andrew Griffith continue their acclaimed run, with celebratory covers by Jonathan Hickman, Mike Choi, Andrew Griffith, Casey W. Coller and a retailer incentive cover by Alex Milne.

 
GHOSTBUSTERS INTERNATIONAL
This January there’s something strange in the neighborhood… and whether that neighborhood is in New York City or Venice, Italy, the Ghostbusters will be there! After a bust at the United Nations, the boys in gray are engaged to investigate an Old-World haunting, where they begin to unravel a mystery that sends them around the globe (while still trying to keep their contract with the City, County, and State of New York!). Series writer Erik Burnham and artist Dan Schoening invite you to join them for the next chapter in the Ghostbusters history!
 

JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS: DARK JEM 
JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS #11 starts the most truly outrageous event of the year, Dark Jem! Something is wrong with SYNERGY! As JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS’ first tour begins, something—or someone—called SILICA is after them… but who, or what, is she? Meanwhile, THE MISFITS need to replace their lead singer fast—and maybe even… permanently?! Artist Sophie Campbell rejoins series writer Kelly Thompson this January for “Dark Jem,” part 1. Don’t miss Campbell’s five stunning covers for this issue, which will also be available in the Complete Metallic Foil Box Set.

 

LUNA THE VAMPIRE 
From the mind of writer/artist Yasmin Sheikh comes an all-new, highly entertaining original series, Luna the Vampire. Ever wonder how it would be if outer space was populated by monsters? Or what it would be like to have a green ugly witch as your best friend? Then look no further! Welcome to the amazing everyday life of Luna the Vampire. (Zombie postman and crappy job included.) Coming this January!

MARS ATTACKS: OCCUPATION
Mars Attacks is back, along with that pesky human writer John Layman, too! The Martians came. The Martians saw. The Martians conquered. Now the space invaders cruelly rule over humanity, which has no hope for liberation… until Ruby Johnson decides that she has had enough. Each issue features Andy Kuhn’s vivid interior art and a throwback card cover with all-new art by Ryan Brown, highlighting the glory days of the Martian Empire®!

THE BEST OF DC WAR ARTIST’S EDITION 
DC Comics produced some of the very finest war comics ever with art by some of the best artists in the field. This spectacular 160 page 12”x17”Artist’s Edition will include an amazing selection of stories by the best of the best: Russ Heath, Jack Kirby, Joe Kubert, John Severin, and Alex Toth—a veritable pantheon of classic war artists doing what they do best. As with all Artist’s Editions, these complete stories are scanned from the original artwork and reproduced to the exacting standards that has garnered IDW five consecutive Eisner Awards for the Artist’s Edition series. If you are a fan of Classic DC war comics, you cannot afford to miss this incredible book!

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency: A Spoon Too Short 
A Spoon Too Short is Dirk Gently’s most baffling and incomprehensible case. Inspired by the tantalizing alternative title for the Dirk adventure Douglas Adams was working on prior to his death, writer Arvind Ethan David, along with executive producer Max Landis and artist Ilias Kyriazis, continues the adventures of the world’s weirdest detective.

Other projects announced were a new Wynonna Earp comic in February 2016 to coincide with the coming TV series; Star Trek #55: “Spock’s Legacy,” part 1 in March 2016; TRANSFORMERS: Titans Return (July 2016); the next Marvel Artist Select Series limited edition, featuring George Perez’s best Avengers stories.