MARVEL ANNOUNCES CREATIVE TEAM FOR NEW WOLVERINE ONGOING!

Hot on the heels of Marvel Comics' announcement of their newest ongoing series, WOLVERINE: ORIGINS, the industry giant unveils the creative team who'll tackle the new adventures of the feisty Canadian mutant.

Writer Daniel Way and artist Steve Dillon, known for BULLSEYE: GREATEST HITS, PUNISHER VS BULLSEYE, and SUPREME POWER: NIGHTHAWK, will reunite for WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #1...and beyond.

WOLVERINE: ORIGINS, premiering this April, will detail Logan/Wolverine's quest to set his past into order and fulfill a list of personal priorities. In the aftermath of HOUSE OF M, he knows his origins completely but wants to explore that history and perhaps relive some of it. The new series promises revenge, validation, passion, and not a little globe-trotting.


Daniel Way, one of Marvel's Ten Terrific writers, had a strong reaction when first offered the book. "When it was decided that I would be allowed to continue my story of Logan's past and future in a brand-new series, free from any entanglements with the various upcoming crossovers, I...well, as geeky as it sounds, I was honored. This is one of Marvel's top two characters, so getting the green light to go ahead meant a great deal to me. I'm confident, however, that I'll nail this one-I've been laying out the story for over a year now, cross-checking facts, keeping an eye on continuity, networking with other writers...in short, I've done my homework. To tell you the truth, I feel like the cat that ate the canary because only I and three other people on the planet know where this is all going...but only I know how it's going to get there."

"Logan never surrenders," says Way of the difference between writing Wolverine and any other character. "Even if winning the battle means losing the war. Wars come and go...Logan is forever."

When asked if there's a danger of Wolverine becoming overexposed with another starring vehicle like WOLVERINE: ORIGINS, Way is both bemused and confident. "He does seem to just 'pop up' everywhere, doesn't he? Actually, that's one of the big things we'll be exploring in ORIGINS...why is Logan always in the right (or, sometimes, wrong) place at the right time? But again, we'll be going forward and back...at the same time. We're going to be exploring Logan's past-and explaining it-while, at the same time, pushing him forward on his quest for revenge...but revenge against whom? Short answer: Everyone. No one is innocent."

And for those who wonder how the busiest X-Man alive can keep up the pace, we have a juicy tidbit for you. Beginning this June, Wolverine will not be a part of the other two X-teams. Look for more info on this (and other X-changes) in the coming months!

Artist Steve Dillon, veteran of many popular British comic such as 2000 AD and DR. WHO, will be know to American fans for such projects as HELLBLAZER and PREACHER and on the shores of Marvel Comics with ULTIMATE X-MEN and the aforementioned Bullseye, Punisher, and Supreme Power: Nighthawk books.

Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada will be tackling the covers for WOLVERINE: ORIGINS and is understandably excited about the writer-artist combo assembled for this newest ramble down the paths of merry mutantdom. "A fantastic new book deserves a fantastic creative team. Daniel and Steve have proven themselves time and time again, both separately and together. Putting them on ORIGINS is a no-brainer. Steering the Good Ship Marvel doesn't leave me as much time to draw as I'd like but when it was a done-deal for Daniel and Steve to take on Wolvy's new book, I just hadda do the covers! Nuff said!"

Stay tuned for even more late-breaking news of WOLVERINE: ORIGINS.

ZOOM SUIT WINS 15 MINUTES OF FAME FILM FESTIVAL

Zoom Suit has been awarded “Best Animation” by the 15 Minutes of Fame Film Festival & Workshop. The award was accepted by Zoom Suit writer and director, John Taddeo.

“This is a great way to start 2006,” said Taddeo. “It’s great to be selected and an honor to win, but getting a great reaction from the audience still gives us the biggest charge. I hope comic fans are as blown away by the April release of the comic as festival goers have been with the animation.”

The 15 Minutes of Fame Film Festival & Workshop was held on December 31, 2005 at the Oak Ridge Playhouse in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This year’s event marked the second year for the newly annual event, sponsored by the Oak Ridge Playhouse, Oak Ridge Convention & Visitors Bureau and HP Video.

The award-winning animated short Zoom Suit, created by John Taddeo, can be seen online at www.superverse.com. The Zoom Suit comic book will be solicited under Superverse in the February edition of Previews for items shipping in April 2006.

Industry-leader Marvel Comics is exceedingly proud to announce that its popular and long-running WOLVERINE series will be joined by a fresh new sibling, WOLVERINE: ORIGINS.

This March will see a shocking cliffhanger in WOLVERINE #40 that leads directly and pointedly in to April's WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #1, the newest Marvel ongoing series. Fans of Logan, the tenacious Canadian mutant hero, will witness a twist in Wolverine's world that will eternally alter the rules he lives by day-to-day.

How does WOLVERINE: ORIGINS differ from Logan's current series? Marvel Editor Axel Alonso chomps at the bit to spill his guts to curious readers: "Well, as we all know, in the aftermath of HOUSE OF M, Logan has regained his memory. He knows his past -- all of it. Armed with a clearer sense of who he is, why he is, and who done him wrong, Logan's got a whole new set of priorities. WOLVERINE: ORIGINS will see Logan don his brown costume and embark on a private mission to set wrongs right, get some revenge, deal with some demons, rekindle some lost relationships, and come to terms with major revelations about the complicated tapestry of his origin...and the patterns he seems doomed to repeat."

"In short, fans should expect major revelations about Wolverine's past."

Alonso is also determined to illustrate to fans that Marvel is deadly serious about every aspect of this new venture, with particular emphasis on the character's previously published past. "Long-time readers should feel validated because the creative team has painstakingly researched Logan's entire history and created connective tissue between the seemingly disparate periods in Logan's life. Major questions will be answered. How do you kill an indestructible man? Why do the women in Logan's life die? When did he really first encounter the Weapon X program?"

"WOLVERINE: ORIGINS is the Official Record," notes Joe Quesada, Marvel Editor-in-Chief. "Think of what happened in the original ORIGIN miniseries as Chapter One, and then WOLVERINE: ORIGINS as all the following chapters - except we're gonna give them to you in no particular order! Each chapter of the series will give another piece of the puzzle so fans should expect some serious globe-hopping -- from Japan to Madripoor -- and flashback stories that will fill in that gap in time between what happened in ORIGIN and today."

"Hey, no big surprise to hear that I feel pretty warm and fuzzy about this new series," says Quesada. "I didn't create Wolverine but I sure have come to think of ol' Logan as my baby - claws and all! This new ongoing is one of the House of Ideas' proudest moments, with one of our very, very best characters."

WOLVERINE: ORIGINS' creative team, including writer and both interior and cover artists, will be announced soon. Stay tuned.

Stand Alone Complex novels from DH Press

From the creative minds behind the television series, DH Press presents the prose novel Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex—The Lost Memory

Dark Horse Comics’ prose imprint DH Press is pleased to announce the first in a series of novels from the creative minds behind the animated television series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The Stand Alone Complex T.V. series and novels are based on the mythos of Shirow Masamune manga classics Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2 Man-Machine Interface.

Since being formed as a shadow peacekeeping organization within the government, Section 9 has faced almost countless adversaries both in the real world and in cyberspace, but none like “The Awakened,” a group of terrorists who seem to have the ability to take over the minds and bodies of almost anyone and use them to commit crimes against the state, leaving their pawns unaware of who was controlling them. When Major Motoko Kusanagi is able to capture one of the boys used as a pawn she hacks into his cyberbrain to find out who the ringleader is, but what she discovers will take her and the operatives of Section 9 on a journey deep into the heart of cyberspace, and the answers she finds will shake Section 9 to its core.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex—The Lost Memory is written by Junichi Fujisaku. It arrives on sale April 12 with a retail price of $8.95.

SPAWN COLLECTION TP & MANGA SELL OUT

Immediate reprints planned for both

With one volume of material back after years of being out-of-print and one volume of never-before- reprinted material out this week, one thing is for sure - the continuing popularity of SPAWN after all these years.

This week, the SPAWN COLLECTION, VOL. 1 TP and the SPAWN MANGA, VOL. 1 TP were released and before even hitting the shelves, both books have now completely sold out at Diamond.

“It’s great to see the enthusiasm for SPAWN after all these years," said Todd McFarlane. "We intended to invigorate the title and obviously the selling out of issue 150, the Trade, and Manga shows we’re on the right track. We appreciate the support, and plan to build on that momentum.”

Both collections were well overprinted, but advance orders in the weeks before the books hit the shelves depleted the entire inventory. With the huge demand for the collections, Image Comics and Todd McFarlane Productions are announcing an immediate reprinting of both volumes, which should arrive back in stores by early February.

SPAWN COLLECTION VOL 1 TP (AUG051640) collects issues #1-8, 10 and 11 of SPAWN by Todd McFarlane.
SPAWN MANGA VOL 1 TP (SEP051669) is the first of three volumes collecting the entire SPAWN Manga series, never before published in the United States and created by Manga Master Juzo Tokoro

HACK/SLASH: TRAILERS SLASHES WAY INTO COMIC STORES

Popular comedy-horror comic gives birth to demon-child one-shot

Cassie Hack and Vlad are back for more monsters, mayhem, and malevolence, in HACK/SLASH: TRAILERS (JAN062993), a one-shot, 3 cover, 32pg, full color comic for release in March 2006. HACK/SLASH writer Tim Seeley returns to the popular comedy-horror duo, in this collection of short stories, illustrated by Stefano Caselli (G.I. Joe: America’s Elite), JAL (Rival Schools), Josh Medors, Mike Norton (Gravity), Skottie Young (New Warriors), and Tim Seeley himself (Hack/Slash, Forgotten Realms).

“With HACK/SLASH: TRAILERS – busy, topnotch artists, who wouldn’t usually have time to do Hack/Slash stories, are being given free reign!” says writer/artist Tim Seeley. “These are fun, ‘what-if’ style film parodies, each told in only a few pages –the comic book equivalent of movie trailers.”

“Most of the artists on HACK/SLASH: TRAILERS have never worked with the characters before which is exciting to see their take on the characters,” notes DDP Senior Editor Mike O’Sullivan. “This is the perfect time for newer readers to jump on as well!”

ABOUT HACK/SLASH: TRAILERS –What’s the best part about going to the movies? The TRAILERS of course! Featuring 5, 4pg short stories that never were – until now, with some of today’s HOTTEST artists. Featuring ORBITUARY, drawn by Mike (Gravity) Norton, BLOOD AND NUTS drawn by Skottie (New Warriors) Young, TUB CLUB drawn by Tim (Hack/Slash) Seeley, and MORE! HACK/SLASH: TRAILERS (cvr C, Stefano Caselli - cvr B, Mike Norton – cvr A, Skottie Young

X-Factor Closes Out 2005 With Another Sell Out

After quickly selling out of its first issue, X-Factor #2 has managed to sell out at Diamond in even less time. This Decimation title has been on the receiving end of a seemingly endless amount of fan and critical praise, so Marvel is going back to press with a second printing variant of X-Factor #2.

Mike Rutschky of SilverBulletComics.com says the first issue of X-Factor is a “5 out of 5…really terrific and absolutely worth picking up and following.”

Comic Fanatic has labeled the new series as “easily the X-book of 2005.”

Don MacPherson of TheFourthRail.com says, “Peter David does it again. His X-Factor series of the 1990s was thought provoking and fun, and his more recent Madrox mini-series was clever and original. With this latest effort, he takes the best elements from both of those previous efforts and combines them to great effect.”

Writer Peter David and artist Ryan Sook are crafting a unique title combining noir, super-heroics, and humor. Set in what was once Mutant Town before the events of M-Day, X-Factor is now a private detective agency made up of old favorites like Madrox, Strong Guy, and Wolfsbane along with new recruits Siryn, M, and Rictor.

X-Factor has quickly become the favorite new series of many for 2005 so be sure to check out the title that everyone is buzzing about in the new year. And for those looking for classic X-Factor stories, be sure to check out X-Factor Visionaries: Peter David Vol.1 TPB, Essential X-Factor Vol.1 TPB, and Madrox: Multiple Choice TPB.

Retailers are also advised to check their orders for issue #3. Anyone who was a fan of the cliffhanger at the end of issue #1 will not want to miss the edge-of-the-seat ending of issue #3. It’s a real heart-stopper.

X-FACTOR #2 SECOND PRINTING VARIANT COVER (NOV058124)
Written by PETER DAVID
Pencils & New Pencils-and-Inks Cover by RYAN SOOK
32 PGS./T+ SUGGESTED FOR TEENS AND UP ...$2.99
FOC - 1/12, On Sale - 2/1/2006

X-FACTOR #3 (NOV052000)
Written by PETER DAVID
Pencils & Cover by RYAN SOOK
32 PGS./T+ SUGGESTED FOR TEENS AND UP...$2.99
FOC - 1/5, On Sale - 1/25/2006

X-FACTOR VISIONARIES: PETER DAVID VOL. 1 TPB (SEP052003)
Written by PETER DAVID
Pencils & Cover by LARRY STROMAN
144 PGS./T+ SUGGESTED FOR TEENS AND UP ...$15.99

ESSENTIAL X-FACTOR VOL. 1 TPB (SEP052007)
Written by BOB LAYTON, JACKSON GUICE, ROGER STERN,
LOUISE SIMONSON, WALT SIMONSON & JOHN BYRNE
Penciled by JACKSON GUICE, BOB LAYTON, JOHN BYRNE,
WALTER SIMONSON, JOHN BOGDANOVE, JOHN BUSCEMA,
SAL BUSCEMA, KEITH POLLARD, TERRY SHOEMAKER & MARC SILVESTRI
Cover by JACKSON GUICE
568 PGS./T+ SUGGESTED FOR TEENS AND UP ...$16.99

MADROX: MULTIPLE CHOICE TPB (JAN051886)
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by PABLO RAIMONDI
Cover by DAVID LLOYD
120 PGS./Marvel PSR …$13.99

FRESHMAN WRITER AVAILABLE FOR MEDIA REQUESTS

Southern Ohio writer, Ryan Scott Ottney, is on the rise to make a major impact in 2006, and is currently accepting media requests for interviews, features, previews, and more!

In only one-year since his first published comic book credit (THE LEGEND OF ISIS #1), Ottney has positioned himself as a major up-and-coming writer, not only in comic books but also in media and communications.

Ottney is the current writer of the ongoing "LEGEND OF ISIS" comic book series for Alias Enterprises, LLC - soon to be a major motion picture at Paramount Studios - writing issue #9 of his 10-issue contract! Writing credits also include "THE 10th MUSE," and an upcoming issue of "VICTORIA'S SECRET SERVICE" - both for Blue Water Productions and Alias Enterprises.

Also "THE PROMETHEUS EFFECT," appearing in DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS #26 (Dec 2005), featuring a short comic book commentary on the role of heroes and their negative influences in our modern society.

Additionally, Ottney is the current Media and Communications Director of Alias Enterprises, LLC. (http://www.aliasenterprises.com), and has in the past handled press release writing and media communications for various comic book creators, publishers, studios, websites, major film studios, advertising agencies, government organizations, and much more.

Ottney is a founding member of SCRYPTIC STUDIOS website (http://www.scrypticstudios.com) - the first and largest website devoted only to comic book writers and writing. Where writers can be writers, rather than sharing the site with artists. Though many fans and creators alike said a "writers-only" website would never survive, Ottney and his Scryptic Studios crew have proved them wrong! Offering sample scripts, story resources, writing news and reviews, and an active message board for writers to share ideas.

"It's my goal to bring more attention to writers in this industry, as well as to promote literacy and the credibility of comic books as serious form of art and literature," said Ottney. "If I can help show people the social value of comics and comic book writers, and use this medium to promote literacy amongst all people, but still never write a top-selling book myself - that would be fine because I'd have done my job here! It's not about me. It's about using my position to help others in something for which I believe strongly."

Ottney is an up-and-coming writer from Portsmouth, Ohio. He has a worked in media, journalism, public relations, comic books and screenwriting.

DVD RELEASES FOR 1/6

Alien Nation
All in the Family: Complete Fifth Season
Broken Flowers
Cartoon Adventures Starring Gerald McBoing Boing
The Cave
Dumb and Dumber - Unrated Edition
The Gospel: SE
Great Day in Harlem
Gunsmoke 1
Gunsmoke 2
Gunsmoke: Giftset
Gunsmoke:50th Anniversary Edition V1
Gunsmoke:50th Anniversary Edition V2
Have Gun Will Travel: Complete Third Season
Hunter: Complete Third Season
Masters of Poker:Annie Duke's Beginne
Masters of Poker:Annie Duke's Girl's
The Mob Box Set
My Date with Drew
Secuestro Express
Silk Stalkings: Season Four
Snatch - Deluxe Edition
Timeless Tales, Vol. 3 - Casey at the Bat/Little Hiawatha/Morris the Midget Moose
The Valachi Papers
Wedding Crashers - Uncorked