Blog@Newsarama: Top Cow Hires New Direct Market Liaison

Top Cow has announced that Brave New World Comics’ Atom! Freeman, seen on the right, has been hired as the company’s new Direct Market Liaison.

Freeman will be working with retailers to promote Top Cow’s publishing lineup through comic shops and the Direct Market.

Brave New World won the Eisner Spirit of Retail Award in 2008. “He’s been one of the retailers I go to regularly for insight and advice on the direct market and Brave New World is one of my favorite stores in the country,” Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik said in a statement. “When the opportunity presented itself to hire Atom! to help us in our efforts in the direct market, I leapt at the chance.”

But fans of Brave New World, don’t fret just yet — Freeman’s wife and partner Portlyn will continue to run the Santa Clarita-based store.

Source: Newsarama

CBR: Top Cow Announces Comic-Con Plans

Top Cow Productions, Inc.’s race to Artifacts will include a stop at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, the world’s biggest and most exciting popular convention, from July 22nd – 25th.

Top Cow will once again storm into the convention and set up shop at booth #2629. Among the goods to prepare attendees of CCI 2010 for the race to Artifacts will be exclusives, preview books, free goodies, variant comics and trade paperbacks, including free copies of Artifacts #0 as well as other comics, posters and bookmarks (while supplies last).

See the full press release here.
Source: CBR

Newsarama: Image & Top Cow September 2010 Solicits

PILOT SEASON: 39 MINUTES #1
story WILLIAM HARMS
art JERRY LANDO
cover RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
SEPTEMBER 29
32 PAGES / FC / PILOT ISSUE
$3.99
Pilot Season Begins Anew as a 6-Week Event in 2010!

Robbing a bank is easy — it’s the getaway that’s hard. The bank’s surrounded by police officers, alarms are blaring, customers and employees are screaming, and the streets are blocked off. So what’s the solution?

Kill everyone in town.

Created and written by William Harms (Impaler) and debuting up-and-coming artist Jerry Lando along with a cover by Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire), 39 Minutes turns the heist story on its head.

See the full September solicits here.
Source: Newsarama

Multiversity Comics: Top Cow August 2010 Solicits

The Top Cow solicits are in, and it looks to be another solid month for Top Cow. With a Matt Smith drawn variant cover, the second issue of the big event Artificats, and a brand new Darkness mini which is described as the darkest Darkness story, there is something for everyone come August!

Read the full article here.
Source: multiversitycomics.com

An Important Note for The Cow

Hey Herders,

Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience and delays in getting you any information on the Top Cow website.

The Top Cow website, Moosletter and Top Cow Store are all being transitioned to go live soon! We're completely grateful that you've stuck it out with us as we transitioned ourselves.

Thank you so much for your patience and support! We can't wait to share with all of you everything we've got planning at The Cow!

- The Top Cow Team



Upcoming Releases:

5/26: Darkness/Darkchylde: Kingdom of Pain one-shot, Tracker #4
6/9: Angelus #4, Magdalena #2
6/16: Berserker #6, Velocity #1
6/23: Broken Trinity: Pandora's Box #3, Darkness #85, Witchblade #137
6/30: Pilot Season: Stellar #1

Newsarama: TOP COW August 2010 Solicits with IMAGE Text

New promised #1s, continuations of big crossovers, and more in this month's Solicitations from Image Comics and sister company Top Cow!

Newsarama Note: Due to technical difficulties, we'll have the Image covers for you this weekend, but for now, take a look at the full solicitations from both sides of the fence, and the images for the Top Cow August offerings!

TOP COW PRODUCTIONS AUGUST 2010 SOLICITATIONS



THE DARKNESS: FOUR HORSEMEN #1
story DAVID HINE
art & cover JEFF WAMESTER
AUGUST 4
32 PAGES / FC / LIMITED SERIES
$3.99
The Darkest Tale of The Darkness Yet!

Jackie Estacado has known little fear since he inherited the power of The Darkness on his 21st birthday. But when an old mafia boss blackmails him to hunt down four fiendish bikers in the California desert, he will find that even The Darkness can know fear.

From David Hine (Batman: Arkham Asylum) and up-an-coming artist Jeff Wamester (RAZE).




WITCHBLADE: DUE PROCESS #1 ONE-SHOT
story PHIL SMITH
art & cover ALINA URUSOV
AUGUST 4
32 PAGES / FC / ONE-SHOT
$3.99
Sara has to make amends with an innocent man she sent to prison.

Before young Sara Pezzini was called to bear the Witchblade she made a horrible mistake that destroyed a man’s life. Today that man is being released from prison and has to put the pieces of his life back together. In order to protect his family, this desperate father made a deal with demonic forces, and now it is time to pay. When Sara tries to reach out and make her past wrong right, she's confronted by demonic forces. The stakes: a man's very soul.

Written by Phil Smith (Trinity: Blood on the Sands) with art by Alina Urusov (X-23, Young Avengers).

To see what other offerings Top Cow will have for you this August, go here.

Source: Newsarama

Industry News: Free Comic Book Day Top Cow-Style

Christine Dinh at Marc Silverstri’s Top Cow Productions was kind enough to share with us a few pictures of the Free Comic Book Day 2010 signing at Collector's Paradise Comics & Gallery in Canoga Park, California.

The store hosted Silvestri (Cyberforce), Marv Wolfman (Tomb of Dracula), Bill Morrison (Simpsons Comics), Michael Broussard (The Darkness), Joe Benitez (Soulfire), Peter Steigerwald (Soulfire), Ray Friesen (Another Dirt Sandwich) and Rick Loverd (Milo Ventimiglia Presents Berserker), as well as having other attractions and specials to celebrate the event.

See more photos here.

Source: Diamond Galleries

What the Con: Image Comics Announces WonderCon Plans

Image Comics is bringing wonder back to WonderCon, April 2-4, 2010. Fans will have a chance to meet Jonathan Ross, the entire Man of Action crew, and pick up convention exclusives at booth #407!

An exclusive creator's edition of TURF #1 will be available at booth #407, and writer Jonathan Ross - popular UK television host and patron of cult entertainment - will be on hand for autograph sessions Saturday and Sunday. You won't be able to find this edition of TURF #1 anywhere else unless you make your way to Forbidden Planet in the UK!

When you visit the Image booth, you'll find Man of Action - Joe Casey (Godland), Joe Kelly (I Kill Giants), Duncan Rouleau (The Great Unknown), and Steve Seagle (Soul Kiss, The Crusades) - the creators of BEN 10 and the upcoming Cartoon Network series GENERATOR REX. We'll also be joined by ELEPHANTMEN creators Richard Starkings and Moritat, JERSEY GODS creator Glen Brunswick, and SAVAGE DRAGON auteur Erik Larsen! Top Cow creators Sheldon Mitchell (Pilot Season: Stealth), Michael Broussard (The Darkness, Artifacts), Rick Basaldua and Nelson Blake II (Witchblade) will also appear.

Read the full press release here.

Source: CBR

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Nerdage: Top 5 Marc Silvestri Book Runs

Happy birthday to Top Cow’s Marc Silvestri! Silvestri has proven his management skills with his quality team at Top Cow. But before that, he was a celebrated penciler for Marvel and DC. As one of the Image Comics founders, he created Cyberforce and co-created Witchblade and the Darkness. To celebrate, Silvestri’s birthday. I’m counting down my favorite 5 of his comic-book runs.



1. Wolverine 31-50, 52-53, 55-57

My favorite of his work is his 1990s run on “Wolverine” with Larry Hama. Silvestri, as shown here, can get a lot of characters on a cover and still clearly delineate what’s happening. His Wolverine was bestial yet honorable, and I enjoyed the storytelling throughout.



2. The Darkness 0-7

With Garth Ennis (“Preacher”), Silvestri creates Top Cow’s most-famous anti-hero, and, with Witchblade, the core of their supernatural comics. Silvestri was a great artist to create mob hitman Jackie Estacado’s dark world.

Find out who rounds out the rest of the list here.

Source: Nerdage

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Omnicomic: Top Cow at WonderCon

While we here on the East Coast (here in Boston specifically) are lucky to have three conventions in successive weekends (PAX East this weekend, Anime Boston next week and Boston Comic-Con in two weeks), the west coast seems to have a neverending parade of conventions. Take next weekend for instance, when WonderCon descends upon the Moscone Center South in San Francisco for three days (April 2-4). At the show will be some of the requisite publishers, including Top Cow, who has seen fit to make sure you know which both they'll be at and who they're bringing.

Top Cow is sharing a booth with Image Comics (Booth #407), and the following talent will be available: Michael Broussard, Nelson Blake II, Sheldon Mitchell and inker Rick Basaldua. Also at the show will be the expected limited edition exclusives, Top Cow comics and general debauchery and hoopla that come with a convention.

Full press release available here.

Source: Omnicomic

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Nerdage: ComicsPRO Annual Members Meeting Nears

Representatives from several top comics publishers will meet with comic-book retailers this week at the ComicsPRO annual members’ meeting in Memphis, Tenn. Representatives from DC Comics, Image, Top Cow, Boom! Studios and more will meet with retailers to discuss concerns and ideas.

The meeting begins with a meet-and-greet Wednesday night, followed by a DC Comics-sponsored day of programming on Thursday. Friday features more presentations and discussion sessions with all publishers, and the meeting wraps up with a breakfast presentation and closing statements on Saturday.

ComicsPRO, the largest organization of direct-market retailers, will honor individuals who help bring comic books to market on Friday night with the first ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award.

Robert Kirkman, creator of “The Walking Dead” and Image Comics partner, is the meeting’s keynote speaker, scheduled to speak on Friday. Image Comics, the industry’s third-largest publisher, is making its only retailer-focused appearance of 2010 at the ComicsPRO meeting.

ComicsPRO has more than 140 members comprising more than 180 storefronts in 36 states and six Canadian provinces. Stay tuned to Nerdage throughout the week for live updates from the ComicsPRO meeting.

Source: NewsOK

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Newsarama: Image & Top Cow's June 2010 Solicits

Berserker Volume 1 Trade Paperback
story RICK LOVERD
art JEREMY HAUN
cover DALE KEOWN
JUNE 16
176 PAGES / FC / TRADE PAPERBACK
$14.99

Produced by Milo Ventimiglia and DiVide Pictures!
The lives of Aaron and Farris, two young and completely different men, are turned upside down when they discover an animalistic and uncontrollable rage living inside them. Meanwhile, two mysterious organizations seek them out for their newfound strength and power for their own purposes. But what good is strength and power when you can't tell friend from foe?

From screenwriter Rick Loverd and artist Jeremy Haun (Chuck, Detective Comics) comes a raw, bloody series in the spirit of Wanted!




ANGELUS #6
story RON MARZ
art & cover STJEPAN SEJIC
JUNE 16
32 PAGES / FC / LIMITED SERIES
$2.99

The ARTIFACTS lead-in series concludes!
The final battle for the mantle of the Angelus reaches its climax as Dani Baptiste takes on a foe who knows her every weakness, inside and out. Will Dani have to sacrifice everything dear to her, even her humanity, to survive?




IMAGE'S HACK/SLASH OMNIBUS, VOL. 1 TP (new printing)
story TIM SEELEY
art STEFANO CASELLI, DAVE CROSLAND & SKOTTIE YOUNG
cover TIM SEELEY
JUNE 9
300 PAGES / FC
$29.99
At the end of every horror movie, one girl always survives... in this case, Cassie Hack not only survives, she turns the tables by hunting and destroying the horrible slashers that would do harm to the innocent! Alongside the gentle giant known as Vlad, the two cut a bloody path through those who deserve to be put down... hard!

See the full solicitations here.

Source: Newsarama

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What The Con: CBR's ECCC Coverage of Top Cow's "Herd It Through the Bo-Vine" Panel

Last year, Top Cow Productions had a limited presence at the Emerald City ComiCon: there was no official Top Cow panel, and publisher Filip Sablik only showed up to host an interview with acclaimed writer and BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Mark Waid. In 2009, Sablik had hosted a panel that was fun and informative, but ultimately lacking in major announcements or convention-exclusive dish (though they have established an ECCC tradition of giving out issues with special convention-only variant covers year after year). Fortunately, Top Cow rolled out with a much larger presence at this year’s Eighth Annual Emerald City ComiCon. The company’s "Herd it Through the Bo-Vine 2010" panel was one of the con’s first, and Sablik and panelists Phil Hester, Michael Broussard, and William Harm made an effort to kick Saturday off in style.

In true Top Cow fashion, attendees to the 12:00 PM panel were rewarded with a free copy of "The Darkness" #83, featuring a variant cover by the artist Whilce Portacio.

Read the full article here.

Source: CBR

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ComicsOnline Reviews The Crazies #1-4

Overall

The Crazies comic series is a great addition to the film. Each of the minor characters shown here really flesh out further details of the how the toxin affects the citizens in the film. As a separate entity, the comics are good, but as a supplement to the movie, they’re great.

ComicsOnline gives The Crazies comic series one-four 4 out of 5 bites from a pig.

Click here to read the entire review with commentary for each issue.

Source: ComicsOnline.com

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Associated Content: Comic Books in the Digital Age - Can Graphic.ly Get You to Pay for Digital Content You Can Have Free?

Graphic.ly is a strange name for a company; it's an adverb. I doubt that you have ever seen a business named, for example, "Rapidly Plumbing;" and if you did, you'd assume that the person who named the company doesn't speak English as his first language. As I recall, I had been Twitter searching art-related subjects and the Graphic.ly name popped up in the timeline. When I first read it on my computer screen, the name made me curious enough as to wonder what the eponymous Graphic.ly app Beta they were pimping might be all about.

Speaking of those publishers, they've got Top Cow and Marvel on board, as well as some others in the mix; with many more purportedly on the way. What with my being a Marvel guy at heart, I am admittedly excited at the possibility of having eternally mint interactive copies of the Machine Man collection that I have lost not once, but twice. Unfortunately, I can't see that happening at the cost of 99 cents per issue. If I am going to pay that much, I want the real book; since that's about how much Machine Man issues go for anyway.

So, can Graphic.ly create such a superior product and community experience around their application as to convince us to start buying our comic books in their digital format?

As always, the consumers will determine whether or not the Graphic.ly experiment is a success. What I can report at this point is that they've got a great application and some pretty big ideas. I sincerely hope they're not the type of big ideas that will scuttle the ship in the shark-infested waters of internet commerce before it ever leaves the harbor.

Read the full article here.

Source: Associated Content

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MTV Splash Page: 'The Crazies' Get A Motion Comic And Four-Issue Miniseries

The mental well-being of a rural Iowa town is about to be obliterated by a tainted water supply, and no amount of therapy can save survivors from their infected friends and neighbors.

Overture Films' new take on George Romero's 1973 film "The Crazies" looms close and with it, a companion comic book narrative set to flesh out the tale's horrific causes and effects.

Produced by Jeff Katz of American Original and printed by Top Cow, the four-issue miniseries follows four distinct chapters featuring individual creative teams. Ivan Brandon and Jon Buran handle "Hopman Bog," followed by Brian Reed and Hugo Petrus on "Dwyer Creek," Marc Andreyko and Vincent Spencer on "Black Pond" and Joshua Hale Fialkov and Rashan Ekedal handling "Ogden Marsh."


Read the full article here.

Source: Splash Page

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CBR: Advanced Image and Top Cow Solicitations for May 2010

Image Comics has provided CBR with a first look at cover artwork and solicitation information for new comics shipping in May, 2010. The full May solicitations will be released later this week, right here on CBR.

VELOCITY #1
story RON MARZ
art KENNETH ROCAFORT
cover KENNETH ROCAFORT, CHRISCROSS
MAY 26
32 PAGES / FC / LIMITED SERIES
$3.99
The Pilot Season Winner is Back
Carin Taylor is the fastest woman in the world. At least, she'd better be if she wants to save her own life and the lives of her Cyberforce teammates. When a former Cyberdata scientist -- and test subject -- seeks revenge against the members of Cyberforce, only Velocity can save her friends before the clock literally runs out. Bringing together writer Ron Marz (Witchblade, Angelus) and artist Kenneth Rocafort (Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer) for the first time. Featuring two covers by Rocafort and Chriscross (Captain Marvel).

THE DARKNESS #85
story PHIL HESTER
art SHELDON MITCHELL
cover AARON CAMPBELL
MAY 12
32 PAGES / FC
$2.99
Alkonost, Part 1 of 2!
When Jackie’s mission to destroy all of the Sovereign’s host bodies brings him into the collection of an eccentric Russian crime boss, he and his crew are confronted with an evil that is all too human.
Top Cow Pit artist Sheldon Mitchell (Pilot Season: Stealth) joins regular writer Phil Hester (Gen13, The Anchor) for a sinister two-part story. Featuring a cover by Aaron Campbell (Sherlock Holmes, Green Hornet)!

See the rest of the solicits here.

Source: CBR

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Jo Blo: The Crazies in Comic Book Form

In anticipation of THE CRAZIES impending release, Overture Films is going, well, crazy with all sorts of multimedia tie-ins, including comics, motion-comics, games, and more. We've got the four comic covers and the trailer for your eyes - just check 'em out below!

The Top Cow printed comic book is broken into four chapters: Hopman Bog, Dwyer Creek, Black Pond and Ogden Marsh. The comic series traces an outbreak that takes over the minds and bodies of the citizens in Ogden Marsh, Iowa and each chapter focuses on a different aspect of this epidemic. The books can be downloaded HERE.

Read the full article here.

Source: JoBlo.com

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USA Today: No Escape from 'The Crazies'

For the next two weeks, horror fans everywhere will get a heavy, multimedia dose of blood-spattered, carnage-filled promotions.

The Crazies, a remake of legendary filmmaker George A. Romero's 1973 low-budget cult classic, won't officially hit theaters until Feb. 26. In the days leading up to its release, however, fans will be inundated with story preludes, previews and promos in widespread locations from comic book stores to Facebook.

In addition to the actual movie, there will also be four comic books, digital motion comics, a Facebook game application, an e-mail game and an iPhone application based on the film.

The four comic books, produced by Top Cow Productions and American Original Press, will come out in two-issue installments on Feb. 17 and 24. Written by industry rising stars Ivan Brandon, Josh Fialkov, Brian Reed and Marc Andreyko, the comic book tie-ins present deeper preludes to some of the events depicted in the film.

Read the entire article here.

Source: USA Today

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CBR: Image Celebrates Their Firsts

Free Comic Book Day is one of the only days in the year that a comic book fan can randomly select an issue from his or her local shop and feel absolutely zero guilt over investigating a title with little to no previous knowledge, but the folks at Image Comics are doing their part to ensure that a few other days in the year are met with a similarly guilt-free attitude. At the end of March, Image is launching Image Firsts, a campaign that sees the reprinting of the first issues from ten popular Image titles over the course of five weeks, all for the meager price of $1.00 a pop.

Image Firsts isn't relegated only to titles from Image Central, as Top Cow's flagship series "Witchblade" also made the cut. For their own part, the decision-makers at Top Cow have done their best to get books into as many hands as possible with initiatives like the "Let Us Win You Over" campaign. "Whether it's introductory priced trades at $4.99 or $9.99, free comic giveaway programs, or reprinting entire issues of up-and-coming titles in established titles like 'The Walking Dead,' we've taken major steps to capture new readership," said Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik. "The Image Firsts program is another great way for new readers to check out long-running titles and for existing readers to get the experience of what it was like to pick a book like 'Witchblade' #1 off the stands over a decade ago."

Read the entire article here.

Source: CBR

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