An ICv2 Release. With the addition of Dario Di Zanni, an executive from Disney Publishing Worldwide New Media who was instrumental in the creation of Disney Digicomics (based in Italy), the ICv2 Comics & Digital Conference at New York Comic Con has taken on a global flavor.  Di Zanni joins Masaaki Shimizu of Bitway, which has a 70% share of the wholesale business in the amazing $650 million digital manga market in Japan, as panelists along with four American speakers on the “Digital Comics and Graphic Novels—Where We Are and Where We're Going” panel at the Conference on Thursday afternoon at the Javits Center.

With an international perspective that includes Europe and Asia, the panelists at this Conference will provide a great idea of what’s working and the direction of the market for digital comics and graphic novels worldwide.

Panelists recently added include:

·        Dario Di Zanni, senior manager, marketing and business development, new media at Disney Publishing Worldwide, who was instrumental in the creation of Disney Digicomics

·        Alison Hendon, Youth Selection Team Leader, Brooklyn Public Library, where the YA circulation passed  one million last year!

·        Rantz Hoseley, Eisner and Harvey Award winner and CEO of LongBox Digital.

·        Ron Richards, who heads up the iFanboy division of Graphic.ly.

·        Mark Siegel, Editorial Director of First Second Books, MacMillan’s graphic novel imprint, which also publishes TBC, a free Web magazine that serializes graphic novel content.

·        Douglas Wolk, author of Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean, who writes regularly about comics and graphic novels for Techland.com, the New York Times Book Review, and Publishers Weekly.

These new panelists join Ted Adams, CEO of IDW Publishing ; Dave Baxter, Deputy Director of Robot Comics and Senior Agent at Killing the Grizzly; Eric Beaulieu , Vice President, Transcontinental Premedia; Alex de Campi, Writer, Director; David Gabriel, Senior Vice President of Marvel Comics; Milton Griepp, CEO, ICv2; Lindsey Levinsohn MLIS, Collection Development Specialist at OverDrive; Heidi MacDonald, The Beat; Michael Murphey, CEO of iVerse; Calvin Reid, Senior News Editor, Publisher's Weekly; John Riley, owner of Grasshopper Comics; Masaaki Shimizu, General Manager of International Business Strategy Division at Bitway; David Steinberger, CEO of ComiXology; and Mark Waid, Chief Creative Officer, BOOM! Studios.

Sessions at the ICv2 Comics & Digital Conference include:

The ICv2 2010 White Paper Preview
This year's presentation will be a preview of the 2010 market overview planned for early next year, looking at first-half 2010 trends in sales of graphic novels and comics, along with info on digital trends.

Digital Comics and Graphic Novels—Where We Are and Where We're Going
Digital Publishers on the present and future of digital comics and graphic novels.

The Medium and the Message—Digital and Creativity
How will the digital medium affect how comics are created?

Print vs. Digital--War, Co-existence, or Collaboration
How the digital revolution will impact on print sales—from the publishing, retailer, and librarian perspectives.

Transcontinental Printing Cocktail Party
At 5 p.m., event sponsor Transcontinental Printing will host a cocktail reception, a time when attendees, speakers, and panelists can meet, mingle, network, and talk about the events of the day.

For More Information
For more information, or to contact us to inquire about speaking or sponsorship opportunities, click here, or e-mail Mgriepp@ICv2.com.

For general information about New York Comic Con, please contact Roger Bilheimer at bilheim@aol.com.

For more information on registration, go to the New York Comic Con Website by clicking here.

ICv2
ICv2 is the industry’s source on the business of comics and graphic novels, also covering manga and anime, movie/TV products (including cool DVDs, figures, and more), and hobby games (collectible, cool board, minis, RPGs) daily on its Website, ICv2.com, and in its magazine, Internal Correspondence.  For the people on the front lines of the pop culture business, staying ahead of the trends isn’t something that can be left to chance—it’s a basic necessity for being successful.  That’s why ICv2 is the #1 source of news and information for the buyers, gatekeepers, and tastemakers on the front lines.  ICv2 is where trend-watching has become a science.

Conference Sponsor:  Transcontinental Printing
Transcontinental provides printing, publishing and marketing services that deliver exceptional value to its clients and provide a unique, integrated platform for them to reach and retain their target audiences.  Transcontinental is the largest printer in Canada and in Mexico, and fourth-largest in North America.  Its Marketing Communications Sector provides advertising services and marketing products using new communications platforms supported by database analytics, premedia, e-flyers, email marketing, and custom communications.  Transcontinental is a company that seeks growth with a culture of continuous improvement and financial discipline, whose values, including respect, innovation and integrity, are central to its operation.  For more information about the Corporation, please visit www.transcontinental.com.

Conference Sponsor:  Publisher’s Weekly
Publishers Weekly is the leading publication serving all segments involved in the creation, production, marketing and sale of the written word in book, audio, video and electronic formats.  It is the prime source of comprehensive news and provides unique industry data including an annotated bestseller list, hot deals and retail news.  A 134-year old magazine—with over 100,000 dedicated readers—PW is recognized as the leading publication for international and U.S. book publishing needs.  PW's Website, PublishersWeekly.com is packed with great information from the hottest industry news to book reviews to the popular e-newsletters and much more.

Conference Sponsor:  Heidi MacDonald’s The Beat
The Beat, now in its sixth year, is dedicated to providing the timeliest and most pertinent news and information about comics, the people who make them, the readers who love them and the world that shapes them.  Heidi MacDonald is an award-winning writer and editor and a veteran entertainment industry journalist.  As an editor she has worked for Disney, Warner Bros., and Fox, among many others.

New York Comic Con
New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting pop culture convention!  With over 77,000 attendees and hundreds of exhibitors, our show floor plays host to the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television.  Our panels and autograph sessions give fans a chance to interact with their favorite stars and creators.  Our screening rooms feature sneak peeks at the newest films and television shows months before they hit either big or small screens.  And with dedicated professional hours, New York Comic Con is a market place, bringing together the major players in the entertainment industry.