Akira Merchandising and Marketing Weight Grows
April 26, 2001
AIA, a new game company, is preparing an Akira videogame for the Sony Playstation 2. The Akira game will be out in August, just a few weeks after the release of the remastered Akira video and DVD. Other Akira merchandise includes the McFarlane Toys second series of Anime toys, shipping in September, and the Dark Horse manga series.
Switch Will Take Effect in July
April 25, 2001
Just as Marvel has moved its bookstore distribution from LPC to Diamond, ICv2 has learned that Dark Horse is moving from Penguin to LPC for its exclusive bookstore distribution. Though no press release has been issued as of yet, we've been told that the switch will take effect on July 27, 2001. With its extensive backlist of comic trade paperback titles (only DC's is bigger) Dark Horse is a comic industry leader in bookstore sales.
Marvel Switches from LPC
April 25, 2001
At today's Marvel news conference, Marvel President Bill Jemas announced the renewal of Marvel's agreement with Diamond Comic Distributors to continue Diamond's exclusive distribution of Marvel titles in the direct market. In addition, the two companies agreed that Diamond would also represent Marvel's trade paperbacks in the traditional bookstore marketplace.
Focus on DC Artist Phil Jimenez
April 24, 2001
On Wednesday April 18, 2001, the Washington Post printed a lengthy article by Hank Stuever that focused on DC artist Phil Jimenez and his obsession with Wonder Woman . Stuever's essay covers the entire history of the character, who first appeared some sixty years ago just one month before Pearl Harbor.
First Marvel Title Since the 70s
April 27, 2001
Marvel has announced that X-Force #116 , the first issue written by Peter Milligan and illustrated by Mike Allred, will not carry the Comics Code Authority's seal of approval. This is the first time that this has happened since way back in the 1970s when a Stan Lee-penned issue of Spider-Man took on the issue of drugs.
Bay Area Show Has Banner Year
April 23, 2001
Just before the start of this year's show, Mike Friedrich and Joe Field, the co-producers of the Oakland-based WonderCon, approached Comic-Con International to take over the operation and ownership of the Bay-area comic convention.
Heads to UPN, Angel May Follow
April 23, 2001
Buffy the Vampire Slayer , the most critically acclaimed show on the WB network, will be heading to archrival UPN next fall. Buffy is important to specialty retailers since the show represents one of the strongest TV licenses of the past five years
Art School Confidential
April 23, 2001
'Art School Confidential,' one of Daniel Clowes most popular Eightball strip, has been optioned by actress Drew Barrymore. Clowes and Terry Zwigoff, who wrote the screenplay for Ghost World , are scripting 'Art School Confidential' which Zwigoff ( Crumb, Ghost World ) has signed to direct.
As of February, 2001
April 22, 2001
List of the many makers of POTA merchandise in conjunction with the Tim Burton movie.
Burton Film on Cover of Summer Movie Issue
April 22, 2001
Entertainment Weekly's influential 'Summer Movie Preview' issue which hit the stands Monday, April 23 features a spectacular fold-out Planet of the Apes cover. The coveted EW cover spot goes to the summer film with the most 'buzz' and Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes fits the bill for this highly competitive summer season.