New Manga Titles Showcased At BookExpo America

Source: Media Lab

VIZ Media will highlight several notable upcoming manga (graphic novel) releases at the 2008 BookExpo America (BEA) show, taking place May 30-June 1, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. BEA is the preeminent yearly trade event for publishers and booksellers in North America. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 1647.

VIZ Media will further participate in three roundtable discussions on a variety of important topics central to the burgeoning manga industry in North America. Graphic Novel Distribution, Bookstores, and the Direct Market takes place Saturday, May 31, 9:30am-10:30am in Room 406B and will feature VIZ Media’s Vice President of Sales & Product Marketing Gonzalo Ferreyra. The discussion will review various changes the domestic manga industry has undergone, as well as the risks and rewards of distributing manga in the bookstore arena and what comes next for publishers.

On Saturday, May 31, 2008, 1:00pm-2:00pm in Room 406A, panelists will examine new challenges facing publishers, new changes in content and taste, and how publishers like VIZ Media are attracting new demographics in a panel entitled Manga's New Generational Trade-up: The Publishers Quest for New Readers and will feature Leyla Aker, Manga Editor, VIZ Media.

Leyla Aker will also be a panelist on the The Graphic Novel Buzz that will be taking place on Saturday, May 31, 2008, 4:00pm in Room 404B.

Some of the titles VIZ Media will be showcasing at BEA 2008 Include:

From the VIZKIDS imprint:

POKÉmon: the rise of the darkrai · Rated “A” for All Ages ·
MSRP: $7.99 · Available June 3, 2008

POKÉmon is more than just a game or a TV show: it's an international cultural phenomenon that has won the hearts of millions of fans worldwide! In POKÉMON: THE
RISE OF DARKRAI, the newest addition to the VIZKIDS imprint, our young hero Ash may
think he's seen everything when it comes to Pokémon, but is he ready to face the mysterious Darkrai in his latest awesome adventure? While touring Alamos Town—home of the Space-Time Tower—with the beautiful Alice, Ash and his friends discover that the town's special garden has been decimated! Baron Alberto, a dashing but arrogant fellow, immediately blames the destruction on Darkrai. As if it just overheard the accusation, Darkrai appears and confronts our heroes! Who is Darkrai? Is it a friend... or an enemy in disguise? And as a battle between Legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia rages directly above Alamos Town, and threatens to tear a hole in the space-time continuum, will Ash and his friends survive this showdown and learn Darkrai's true nature? Find out in this companion volume to the new feature film, also to be distributed by VIZ Media.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE OCARINA OF TIME · Rated “A” for All Ages · MSRP: $7.99 ·

Available October 7, 2008Based on the best-selling adventure video games from Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda manga are being made available for the first time in North America. The Legend of Zelda series details the adventures of Link as his destiny is revealed starting with the Ocarina of Time. Beloved by millions of fans around the world, readers will enjoy the additional details and in-depth explanation of game elements that are available nowhere else but in the manga.

From the VIZ Signature imprint:

CAT EYED BOY · Rated “T+” for Older Teens · MSRP: $24.99 ·
Available June 10, 2008

The latest horror masterpiece from Kazuo Umezu, the creator of DRIFTING CLASSROOM (also published by VIZ Media), Cat-Eyed Boy is a half-human, half-monster child who mostly resembles a human, and therefore cannot live in the demon world. He lives hidden in the shadows of the human world, hated by demons and humans alike, but wherever he goes, awful events occur. Humans interact with demons, but surprisingly it’s the humans that act more evil than the monsters. Cat-Eyed Boy acts like a Trickster, saving the innocent and helping the wicked receive the punishment that fate metes out. CAT EYED BOY features gripping tales of revenge and retribution for the evil acts that people commit. The series is broken into 11 individual stories, many full of extremely grotesque and disturbing images. Kazuo Umezu started drawing professionally in the 1950s and is considered the most influential horror manga artists. Umezu's weird style, incredible ideas and sometimes terrifying imagery have made him a fixture of Japanese pop culture, and his work has been adapted into movies, anime and collectibles.

REAL · Rated “T+” for Older Teens · MSRP: $12.99 ·
Available July 15, 2008

REAL is a gritty drama from Takehiko Inoue and offers a unique twist on the sports manga genre as it focuses on wheelchair basketball. A motorcycle accident, bone cancer, and a speeding truck crashing into a boy on a stolen bicycle all present tragic, life-changing events that turn the worlds of three young men upside down in this gripping new series. Three very different personalities have only one thing in common – their passion for basketball.

SOLANIN · Rated “T+” for Older Teens · MSRP: $17.99 ·
Available October 21, 2008

College graduates struggle to cope with the real world and music offers refuge in this modern manga with an American attitude. Meiko Inoue is a recent college grad working as an office lady in a job she hates. Her boyfriend Naruo is permanently crashing at her apartment because his job as a freelance illustrator doesn't pay enough for rent. And her parents in the country keep sending her boxes of veggies that just rot in her fridge. Straddling the line between her years as a student and the rest of her life, Meiko struggles with the feeling that she's just not cut out to be a part of the real world. SOLANIN was created by Inio Asano and was originally published as a two-volume series but will be released by VIZ Media as a single omnibus edition and will have six color pages.

From the SHONEN JUMP imprint:

SHONEN JUMP FIFTH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR’S EDITION · Rated “T” for Teens · MSRP: $24.99 · Available August 5, 2008

SHONEN JUMP is the most popular manga anthology in the English-speaking world and celebrates its fifth anniversary with this special edition. Each month, SHONEN JUMP publishes more than 300 pages of the world’s most popular manga—Japanese comics that range from the ninja action of NARUTO to the soul-reaping epic that is BLEACH to the ocean-faring adventures of ONE PIECE. Collected in this special edition is all the manga from the very first issue of SHONEN JUMP, published in December 2002—plus the first chapter of NARUTO, now one of the most successful manga series, which originally appeared in the second issue of the magazine. Also included are feature stories from the first five years of SHONEN JUMP, including Japanese lessons, manga sudoku and rare interviews with great manga creators such as Masashi Kishimoto (NARUTO), Akira Toriyama (DRAGON BALL Z), Tite Kubo (BLEACH) and Eiichiro Oda (ONE PIECE)—over a dozen in all. Plus a valuable YU-GI-OH! trading card, and essays by SHONEN JUMP’s American and Japanese editors.

SLAM DUNK · Rated “T” for Teens · MSRP: $7.99 ·
Available August 11, 2008

SLAM DUNK is the highly anticipated 31-volume basketball drama from Takehiko Inoue that was a smash hit in Japan. Sakuragi Hanamichi's got no game with girls – none at all! It doesn't help that he's known for throwing down at a moment's notice and always coming out on top. A hopeless bruiser, he's been rejected by 50 girls in a row! All that changes when he meets the girl of his dreams, Haruko, and she's actually not afraid of him! When she introduces him to the game of basketball, his life is changed forever. SLAM DUNK sold over 100 million copies worldwide and catapulted Inoue into the top ranks of Japanese manga artists. An ardent fan of the sport, he also worked on character design for the PLAYSTATION basketball game ONE ON ONE. Takehiko Inoue is also the creator of the VAGABOND manga series, also published by VIZ Media in the US.

From the SHONEN JUMP ADVANCED imprint:

NORA: THE LAST CHRONICLE OF DEVILDOM · Rated “T+” for Older Teens ·MSRP: $7.99 · Available October 7, 2008

Nora is an unruly demon that has defied his Dark Liege one too many times. For the sake of his "education," Nora is sent to live among mortals and enters a bond of servitude with cool-as-ice star student Kazuma Makkari. Kazuma is about to learn the ways of the underworld – and Nora will learn more from the "real world" than he ever thought possible! NORA: THE LAST CHRONICLE OF DEVILDOM is Kazunari Kakei's first manga series and debuted in Japan in the April 2004 issue of Monthly Shonen Jump and also spawned a sequel, SUREBREC: NORA THE 2nd, which premiered in Monthly Shonen Jump's March 2007 issue.

Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs Trailer

Sources: Quiet Earth / Avery Guerra

Good news, everyone! Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has released the trailer for the second of four direct to DVD Futurama movies entitled "Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs", which will be released June 24th.

"The Planet Express crew must work to fix rips between their universe and another inhabited by a planet-sized, tentacle alien which soon takes over the Earth and uses it's ability to control Fry to command an entire religion which takes over and convinces the inhabitants of Earth to abandon the Earth to live in a pseudo-heaven, leaving the robots of the world to inherit the planet. "

The film will feature voiceovers from: Brittany Murphy, David Cross as a tentacled alien named Yivo, Professor Stephen Hawking reprising as himself, and Dan Castellaneta will reprise his role as the Robot Devil.

See Also: Futurama Series 2 Action Figure Set / Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs

Do We Really Need A Plan 9 From Outer Space Remake?

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Joblo / Avery Guerra

There have been numerous awful science fiction movies produced over the decades. The most notable of these are "Robot Monster", "Starcrash", and at least a dozen Italian, Spanish, and Turkish films that were spawned by Star Wars in the late 1970s'. Out of all these truly dreadful cinematic features, one film has generally been considered to be the worst of the worst, I am, of course, referring to the Ed Wood classic, "Plan 9 From Outer Space". Now that being said, it would really make one scratch his head to learn that somebody has indeed decided to remake it.

This, of course brings up the questions, why? and of course, how? Honestly, how do you approach a remake of a terrible film? Do you pay homage to it by in turn making another horrible movie, or do you go the other way and try to take the films plot and make a decent one? I don't know the answer to that, but we will all find out next September when the film gets released.

The Royal Mail Pays Tribute To Hammer In Their Latest Stamp Collection

Source: Norvic Philatelics

On June 10th the Royal Mail (UK) will release a brand new series of stamps that will honor classic British cinema. Included in this set will be several stamps that feature poster art from some of Hammer's famous horror films. The most notable of these is a 50th anniversary tribute to the studios own rendition of "Dracula", which starred Christopher Lee as the vampire and Peter Cushing as his nemesis Van Helsing. Also included in the series are "The Curse of Frankenstein", and "The Mummy", which also starred Lee and Cushing.

The other three stamps will feature artwork from the popular "Carry On" films, "Carry on Cleo", Carry on Sergeant", and "Carry on Screaming." The last of which seems to be a more of a match to go along with Hammer's horror line than the other two.

Collectors in the UK will want to pounce on several special releases that go along with these "Cinema Classic" stamps. The Royal Mail will be releasing a special stamp book, limited edition cards for each stamp, mint sets, and special post marks commemorating the release.

Futurama Series 2 Action Figure Set

Buy Now From Entertainment Earth - Price: $27.99

Prepare To Party With Nixon!

Fun Futurama figures for you!
Reenact all your favorite episodes!
Each stands 6-inches tall and includes accessories.

They're out of this world… and the next millennium, too! Each outrageous action figure in this fabulous Futurama series stands about 6-inches tall, features multiple points of articulation and character-specific accessories, and comes packaged on a blister card. Grab these colorful characters and bring them back to Earth and present time in your home or office. You and your friends will be glad you did!

This Series 2 set of 2 pieces contains: 1x Planet Express Starship Captain Turanga Leela and 1x Democratic Order of Planets (D.O.O.P.) Commander (and hero-in-his-own-mind) Zapp Brannigan. Zapp also comes with the head of Nixon and best of all, each figure includes one of the 6 pieces needed to assemble the Robot Devil!

Collect all the wacky Futurama Action Figures and advance your collection by thousands of years!

Nothing Brightens Up A Home Like A Life-Size Cylon

Source: NBC / Universal

Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group today announced that "Battlestar Galactica's" infamous Cylon Centurion Robots have arrived… as full-size masterpiece replicas from Fred Barton Productions. The announcement was made by Bill Kispert, Vice President and General Manager, Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group.



This high-end replica was created by Fred Barton Productions through a licensing agreement with Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group. These amazing reproductions stand seven feet tall, feature advanced electronics and the trademark sinister red LED scanning eye movements that fans of the series have come to know. There are two life-size versions of the Cylon Centurions available for purchase, one is from the original classic series and the other is from the current Emmy Award-winning "Battlestar Galactica" series, which airs on SCI FI Channel (Fridays 10-11 p.m. ET/PT). Both are made in the USA and retail for $7,900.00. They are now available at specialty retailers and online through www.the-robotman.com and NBCstore.com.

"'Battlestar Galactica' is one of the most exciting and visually intense series on television, with the Cylons being one of its most intriguing character sets," said Kispert. "We are pleased to partner with Fred Barton Productions to create this museum-quality replica. Barton is a master craftsman, and his attention to detail on this project authentically captures the essence of one of the show's signature characters."

"I have always wanted to make the Battlestar Galactica robots," said Fred Barton, "so I was delighted when NBC Universal approached me about bringing the Cylons to life. I loved having the chance to create the re-imagined Cylon, based only on a computer generated design and I know that fans of the show will be as impressed as I am with how these Cylons appear in person."
The Cylon Centurion replicas were both molded and hand-sculpted to perfection in Barton's Los Angeles studios using an original costume from the 1970s and a computer generated, automated foam-cut Cylon, which was scaled to the imposing height of seven feet. The body is made of 100% fiberglass. The classic Cylon Centurion boasts a "reflective showroom finish," while the Cylon from the current series bears a "distressed multi-tone finish." Both incorporate synchronized stereo sound and lighting effects, advanced electronics and red LED light effects.

See Also: Interview - Richard Hatch /Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979) /Sci Fi Begins Production On Caprica

A 'Silent' Movie Teaser Trailer

Written By: Ken Hulsey

"Michael Pleckaitis has taken a bold step to> revive the long-lost era of silent films!"

"Silent is a triumph that takes the viewer back to a forgotten era of film!"

Michael Pleckaitis, the maker of the horror comedy "Trees" and its even kookier follow-up 'The Root of all Evil," contacted me today looking for a quote that he could use on the DVD box for his latest film "Silent." Hopefully he will pick one of the quotes I listed above. He also wants to send me some exclusives from the film, so stay tuned for those. "Silent" is a bold project for the director, no man-eating trees this time, so don't expect anything quite as over-the-top as his tree-themed Jaws parodies.

Silent is a far more ambitious film, one he describes as a "Gothic comedy." Done in the vein of a silent movie from the earliest days of cinema, this happy little silent medium suddenly finds itself in total calamity when one female amongst them suddenly develops a voice. The film's talky heroine quickly comes to find her blessing is quite the curse, soon finding herself in all manner of peril because of it, a number of which are supernatural in nature. You'll notice Nosferatu and Dr. Caligari types in the trailer.

Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai - DVD Release

Source: Viz Media

VIZ Media has announced the DVD release of the latest Pokémon movie – Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai to hit store shelves today and will carry an SRP of $19.98.



Pokémon remains one of the most successful children's properties worldwide, generating billions in global sales to date. In North America the Pokémon television series airs seven days a week on Cartoon Network and the property continues to be one of the network’s top ranked programs in all key demographics. Pokémon is also the top-ranked show on Toonami JetstreamT, an online service developed jointly by Cartoon Network and VIZ Media that allows users to watch streamed episodes from several of the network’s hit series.

In Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai, young hero Ash may think he's seen everything when it comes to Pokémon, but is he ready to face the mysterious Darkrai in his latest awesome adventure? While touring Alamos Town - home of the Space-Time Tower - with the beautiful Alice, Ash and his friends discover that the town's special garden has been decimated! Baron Alberto, a dashing but arrogant fellow, immediately blames the destruction on Darkrai. As if it just overheard the accusation, Darkrai appears and confronts our heroes! Who is Darkrai? Is it a friend... or an enemy in disguise? And as a battle between Legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia rages directly above Alamos Town, and threatens to tear a hole in the space-time continuum, will Ash and his friends survive this showdown and learn Darkrai's true nature?

“Pokémon continues to be a cornerstone of VIZ Media’s catalog of unique children’s titles and we’re extremely pleased to announce the DVD release of this latest feature film, Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai,” says Mark Chang, Director, Product Marketing, VIZ Media. “For more than a decade, Pokémon has captivated millions of kids with positive messages about cooperation and friendship. VIZ Media was one of the first companies to bring Pokémon home videos and DVDs to a domestic audience and in coming months we plan on releasing a variety of new Pokémon DVDs, manga and puzzle books and we look forward to fans catching them all!”

Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle (2003)

Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice: The Final Battle (2003)

Tsuburaya Productions

Directed By: Tsugumi Kitaura

Cast:

Takayasu Sugiura

Kazue Fukiishi as Ultraman Justice

Yurika Asada as Natsuki Kuramoto

Hidekazu Ichise

Runtime: 77 Minutes

Color: Color

Sound: Dolby Digital Surround

Released: December 21, 2003

While E.Y.E.S. prepare to safely transport the worlds monsters to a far off planet where they will no longer be troubled by humans, an army of giant alien robots appear to stop the project. Ultraman Cosmos arrives in time to temporarily stop the attack, when Ultraman Justice enters the battle aiding the alien invaders. Cosmos is defeated by Justice, and the Aliens destroy all the spacecraft that were to be used to transport the monsters. It becomes apparent that these aliens don't want any of Earth's species to leave the planet.

With Cosmos out of the way the invaders begin an onslaught against the Earth's major cities. Every attack is followed by the appearance of a mysterious woman in black who shows no emotion and no desire to interact with any of the victims. Without Cosmos the world is defenseless.

It is soon revealed that the mysterious woman is indeed Justice, who has been under the control of the the invaders as a means to oversee their plans. Justice appears at a meeting of top level E.Y.E.S. leaders to deliver a message from the invaders. In the near future life on Earth will become a threat to peace in the Galaxy. The Aliens have come to destroy all life on Earth so that they can begin a new genesis with new species that will be more acceptable to the other planets. The destruction of Earth will begin in 35 hours and there will be no negotiations.

Through interaction with a kind young girl, and her puppy, Justice is able to see the good in mankind and break free from alien control in time to revive Cosmos before the final destruction of Earth is set to begin.

With the combined efforts of the Ultramen the alien robots are overcome, but the aliens have another trick up their sleeve, all the robots combine into a one giant super robot. This new robot is far too powerful for the duo to overcome. Spiritual strength would come from the soul of a young man who is connected to the Ultramen. This new found energy source is all that is needed to push the balance of power in favor of Earth's defenders and the aliens are quickly vanquished.

The film features a lot of good kaiju battles though not quite up to the standards of the Godzilla & Gamera films. I would say that the film is above average for this genre and is suitable for all ages. Worth the time for any kaiju fan.

The Host (2006)

The Host

Magnolia Pictures (2006/2007)

Director... BONG Joon-ho
Screenplay... BONG Joon-ho
HAH Joon-won
BAEK Chul-hyun
Original Story... BONG Joon-ho
Producer... CHOI Yong-bae

Cast:
Park Kang-du... SONG KANG-HO
Park Hee-bong... BYUN HEE-BONG
Park Nam-il... PARK HAE-IL
Park Nam-joo... BAE DOO-NA
Park Hyun-seo... KO A-SUNG

The talk of the 2006 Cannes International Film Festival, THE HOST, the latest film from critically acclaimed visionary director BONG Joon-ho, has already garnered a substantial amount of international buzz. Utilizing state-of-the-art special effects courtesy of a creative partnership between Weta Workshop (King Kong, The Lord of the Rings) and The Orphanage (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Sin City), THE HOST is equal parts creature-feature thrill ride and poignant human drama.

Gang-du (SONG Kang-ho) works at a food-stand on the banks of the Han River. Dozing on the job, he is awakened by his daughter, Hyun-seo ( KO A-sung), who is angry with him for missing a teacher-parent meeting at school. As Gang-du walks out to the riverbank with a delivery, he notices that a large crowd of people has gathered, taking pictures and talking about something hanging from the Han River Bridge. The otherwise idyllic landscape turns suddenly to bedlam when a terrifying creature climbs up onto the riverbank and begins to crush and eat people. Gang-du and his daughter run for their lives but suddenly the thing grabs Hyun-seo and disappears back into the river. The government announces that the thing apparently is the Host of an unidentified virus. Having feared the worst, Gang-du receives a phone call from his daughter who is frightened, but very much alive. Gang-du makes plans to infiltrate the forbidden zone near the Han River to rescue his daughter from the clutches of the horrifying Host…

SONG Kang-ho - PARK Gang-du

“You wouldn’t need a lot of convincing to see that SONG is himself an otherworldly creature, erupting with an awesome level of explosive energy at the least expected moment.”
- Director BONG Joon-ho

Born in 1967, SONG Kang-ho’s name enjoys the kind of credibility and bankability among viewers and filmmakers unparalleled by any other actor in Korean cinema. He has never failed to win praise and admiration from both the paying audience and film critics. SONG’s immense faith in Director BONG Joon-ho showed when he agreed to participate in The Host after reading only its synopsis. In the film, SONG plays Gang-du, an immature and simple-minded character. With his hair dyed a tacky yellow and his uncertain posture wrapped up in loose-fitting jumpers bulging at the kneecaps, SONG is set to display yet more unknown aspects of his multifaceted talent.

PARK Hae-il - PARK Nam-il

“PARK is like a battery just taken out of a plastic package. He is so full of incredible energy.”
- Director BONG Joon-ho

Born in 1977, PARK Hae-il has commanded intense attention among viewers and critics since his debut. He has emerged as one of the leading actors among the younger generation, portraying a wide range of characters that ranges from a frightening murder suspect, to a fresh-faced, naïve youth, to a smarmy playboy, in which he garners critical praise at every turn. PARK transforms himself once again, this time into the slightly thuggish Nam-il in The Host. This is his second collaboration with Director BONG Joon-ho, following the magnetic “Memories of Murder.”

BAE Doo-na - Nam-joo

“To work with an actress like BAE Doo-na, who immerses herself completely in her roles, is a total pleasure for a film director.”

- Director BONG Joon-ho

Born in 1979, BAE Doo-na has proven to be a superb actress, who can refashion strong characters in diverse genres, in her own image. All of her characters are endowed with her own unique charm. Her commitment to this role is evident from the fact that she practiced archery for three months, in order to prepare for the character of Nam-joo. BAE’s fans might be stunned to see that she has foregone her trademarked short hair for a new wavy look, which was another choice of hers to best illustrate Nam-joo as a strong and silent type. Nam-joo’s character presents an opportunity for this powerhouse actress to take a new interesting direction in building up her already fascinating filmography.

KO A-sung - PARK Hyun-seo

“KO is young, to be sure, but I wouldn’t call her a child actress. She is an ‘actress,’ period.”
- Director BONG Joon-ho

Born in 1992, KO A-sung attracted attention in the TV drama Murmur of the Heart, capturing the hearts of many with her star-making performance. KO states, in her own words, “I believe to give a performance is to get closest to a character by plunging directly into the role.” In her enthusiasm and energy, not many adult actresses are her match. The beautiful and brave character of Hyun-seo in The Host, serves as her much anticipated screen debut.

BONG Joon-ho - Director

BONG Joon-ho studied Sociology at the University of Yonsei and graduated from the Korean Film Academy. By 1995 he made three short films Memories in My Frame, White Man and Incoherence.He wrote and directed his first feature, Barking Dogs Never Bite, which won a Fipresci Award at the Hong Kong Film Festival in 2001. His second feature Memories of Murder won the Silver Shell award for best director in the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2003. In 2006 his third feature film, The Host, was selected for the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Han River

The River has flown with us and around us.

A fearsome Creature makes a sudden appearance from the depths of this river, so familiar and comfortable for us Seoulites.

The riverbanks are instantly plunged into a bloody chaos.

The film begins at the precise moment, in which a space familiar and intimate to us, is suddenly transformed into the stage of an unthinkable disaster and tragedy.

The Family

Park Gang-du and his family have led ordinary, repetitive lives, never really extending beyond the confines of their small food stand on the banks of the Han River.

They are devastated by the emergence of the Creature.

Robbed of their peaceful daily routines, Gang-du and his family nonetheless throw themselves into a life-and-death struggle against the Creature.

The film shows how these exceedingly normal people, no different from our everyday neighbors, are transformed into monster-fighting warriors.

A Fight to the Death

The Creature is not the only adversary they have to fight.

For Gang-du and his family, impoverished, powerless “little people,” the whole world around them is revealed to be a true monster.

They have to fight against it tooth and nail.

In the end, the film is a record of their fight to the death against the indifferent, calculating and manipulative Monster known as the world.

Dragon Wars (2007)

Dragon Wars
Aka: D-War

Directed By: Shim Hyung-rae
Produced By: James B. Kang
Written By: Shim Hyung-rae

Cast:
Jason Behr- Ethan
Amanda Brooks - Sarah
Robert Forster - Jack
Aimee Garcia - Brandy
Craig Robinson - Bruce
Chris Mulkey - Agent Frank Pinsky
John Ales - Agent Judah Campbell
Elizabeth Pena - Agent Linda Perez
Billy Gardell - Zoo Guard

As a young boy, Ethan Kendrick (Cody Arens) encounters antiques dealer Jack (Robert Forster), who has a glowing dragon scale in a Korean chest in his shop. Jack tells Ethan that he is the reincarnated spirit of Haram, an ancient warrior apprentice from 500 years ago. This warrior saved his love Narin from Buraki, a 200 meter long Imugi serpent. Jack gives Ethan a powerful pendant and tells him to find the reincarnated version of Narin; for when she turns 20, the pair will be be forced to fight Buraki again. Twenty years later adult Ethan (Jason Behr) is a television news reporter who coincidentally meets Sarah Daniels (Amanda Brooks), the reincarnation of his love. Together, the duo must fight Buraki who has returned in modern day Los Angeles along with an army of reptilian monsters.


Originally titled Dragon Wars (A title used for the films US release), D-War has a long production history in South Korea. The film was announced in 2002 by director Shim Hyung-rae as his follow-up project to the disappointing Yonggary. An impressive show reel appeared in early 2003, showcasing the extensive amount of CGI the production would be using to create the various creatures. Despite heavy promotion via posters, press releases and videos, the actual filming did not begin until the fall of 2004.

Principal photography took place from October until December of 2004. Like his earlier Yonggary, Shim opted for a mostly American cast. Veteran actor Robert Forster landed a pivotal role and Jason Behr and Amanda Brooks were cast as the two young leads. Rounding out the cast are Chris Mulkey, John Ales, Elizabeth Pena, Geoffrey Pierson, Craig Robinson, Aimee Garcia, Matthias Hues and Holmes Osborn.

The next three years were spent creating the creature effects, all of which were done in house by Shim's Younggu-Art Movies company. The completed film premiered at the American Film Market in early 2007 with Variety calling it "visually entertaining, and superior to helmer Shim Hyung-rae's last monster outing (1999's Yonggary, aka Reptilian)," though the review also said the film had a "a Z-grade, irony-free script," and predicted it would become "the most expensive cult movie on DVD." The film was released in South Korea on August 1, 2007. In the U.S., the film will be released on September 14, 2007.

D-War was released in Korea on August 1st 2007. Within 9 days, it attracted 5 million viewers, setting a box-office record as the most watched film on opening week. Despite the film's popularity, film critics were particularly unimpressed by the movie's weak storyline, and questioned Shim's ability as a director.

The positive reaction among the Korean population is widely attributed to the film's appeal to Korean nationalism. At the end of the film in its Korean print, director Shim delivers a message, "D-War and I will succeed in the world market without fail," accompanied by the Korean folk anthem Arirang. Korean film critic Kim Bong-sok said, “They want it to be successful in the U.S. because it’s Korean, not because it's good," and called the film "immature and poorly made." Other reactions from Korean critics have been similar.

On August 7th, 2007 South Korea's MBC Morning Live TV Show broadcasted the movie's ending scene on TV, causing a controversy. A few days later the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released a statement that the incident did not violate current South Korean copyright laws, which also caused a buzz

D-War set a record of grossing $20.3 M in South Korea in its first five days in 689 theatres. As of September 1, the film has grossed $44 M in Korea and another $10 M in other countries, totaling a worldwide gross at this date of $53,587,404. The film is set to be released in the United States on September 14th.

Buraki's Army

Dawdlers: Massive, slow moving, two-legged, lizard-like monsters armed with dual missile launchers. They are fairly unintelligent and loyal to the Atrox soldiers. They look like a combination of a rhino and a reptile.

Bulcos: Bulcos are mutated birds that resemble European dragons in appearance. They are bred by the Atrox soldiers for aerial combat, and can spit flames up to 500 feet away from them. That combined with their incredible flight speed and agility makes them formidable opponents.

Atrox soldiers: The main infantry of the army, Atrox soldiers are commanded by a man known as the Evil General and are bred to serve Buraki. The Atrox soldiers use Shaconnes as mounts.

Shaconnes: Shaconnes resemble theropod dinosaurs and are used as mounts by the Atrox soldiers. They are the most intelligent of the three monsters used by Buraki's army.

Actor Profile - Eric McCormack

Source: Electric Artists

Jack Nash - The Andromeda Strain
An investigative reporter for NNT who struggles to control his addictive personality.

Eric McCormack hails from Toronto, Canada, where he got his start as an actor over 20 years ago.

After five seasons with the Stratford Shakespearean Festival and stints in theatres across Canada, he ventured into the United States, and television.

McCormack has appeared in dozens of television series and movies, including two seasons as Colonel Clay Mosby on “Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years.” In 1998, he began the role that would earn him five Golden Globe nominations and the Emmy® for Leading Actor in a Comedy: Will Truman in NBC’s hit series “Will & Grace.”

He made his Broadway debut starring in the title role in “The Music Man” in 2001 and returned to the New York stage in 2006 for Neil LaBute’s “Some Girl(s).”

McCormack recently starred in the independent film Alien Trespass and in “Truth in Advertising,” a pilot for TNT. He lives with his wife Janet and their five-year-old son Finnigan. The family splits their time between Los Angeles and their home away from home, Vancouver

See Also: Actress Profile - Christa Miller / The Andromeda Strain Trivia Contest! / The Andromeda Strain (2008)(A&E Mini-Series) / Get Infected By The Andromeda Strain On Memorial Day Weekend

One Mans Robot Collection Becomes A Museum Exhibit

Source: Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame


Experience Music ProjectScience Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMPSFM) is proud to announce a new exhibition, Robots: A Designer's Collection of Miniature Mechanical Marvels. The exhibition celebrates society’s long fascination with humankind's technological version of itself. The exhibition is drawn from a one-of-a-kind assemblage of toy robots, which noted graphic designer Tom Geismar has been collecting for decades. Robots: A Designer's Collection of Miniature Mechanical Marvels opens on Friday, May 16, 2008 and closes on Sunday, October 26, 2008.


The collection is inspired by Geismar’s interest in antique tin and wooden toys and mid-20th century Japanese film and anime characters. These intricately detailed and beautifully designed miniatures are set against EMPSFM's backdrop of life-sized robots, androids and cyborgs from the world of science-fiction film and television.

Geismar began collecting robots while designing the U.S. Pavilion at the 1970 World’s Fair in Japan. Since that time, he has amassed dozens of robots through visiting specialty shops around the world. The exhibition covers early toy robot figures from the Forbidden Planet-era up through various Voltron and Transformers-type robots. Robots: A Designer's Collection of Miniature Mechanical Marvels was designed by Pentagram Design.

“I’m proud to be able to show my collection, which exhibits the magic of toy robots,” said Tom Geismar. The imaginative creativity of these small sculptural wonders first appealed to me as a designer and eventually helped me to make cross-cultural connections.”

Robots: A Designer's Collection of Miniature Mechanical Marvelswill feature more than 125 robots from his collection, including two wooden robots specially made for Geismar by toymaker and children’s book author, David Kirk. Kirk is best known today for the Miss Spider series and Nova the Robot: Nova’s Ark.

“While putting this show together, we had an epiphany about the relationship between robots and children,” said Margie Maynard, director of education at EMPSFM. “The naiveté and candidness of robots (in science fiction) make them the perfect companions or guardians for children and likewise children are the logical choice to be the robots' pilots or operators.”

Tom Geismar is a founding principal of Chermayeff & Geismar, and widely considered a pioneer of American graphic design. During the past four decades he has designed more than a hundred corporate identity programs. His logo designs and graphics programs for Mobil, Chase Bank, PBS, Univision, Rockefeller Center, Best Products, Screen Gems, Gemini Consulting have received worldwide acclaim. Tom has also been responsible for many of the firm’s exhibition designs and world’s fair pavilions. Burlington Industries’ “The Mill” was a major NYC tourist attraction for 10 years as today are the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, the Statue of Liberty Museum, the Truman Presidential Library, and a series of special exhibits at the Library of Congress. He has received all the major awards in the field, including one of the first Presidential Design Awards for helping to establish a national system of standardized transportation symbols.

He is the co-author of “Spiritually Moving,” a major work on American Folk sculpture, “TM: trademarks designed by Chermayeff & Geismar” and “designing:” a book that describes his firm’s approach to design.

Geismar concurrently attended the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown, he received a master’s degree in graphic design from Yale University, School of Art and Architecture.

Museum Hours:

EMPSFM is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May 23, 2008 through September 1, 2008. EMPSFM will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from September 2, 2008 - May 21, 2009.

Museum Admission:

General adult admission to both Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMPSFM) is $15. Admission for seniors, youth, military and students (w/ID) is $12, and admission for children under 5 is free. One ticket gives access to both museums.

Web site: empsfm.org

Address: 325 5th Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
Box office:206-770-2702, 1-877-EMP-SFM1

Shatner Beams Into The Los Angeles Comic Book & Sc Fi Convention

Source: ShatnerVision

WILLIAM SHATNER, the Emmy award winning actor from Boston Legal, Star Trek, and T.J. Hooker appears to sign UP TILL NOW: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM SHATNER at 2:00 P.M. at the LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION on JUNE 8, 2008. UP TILL NOW covers WILLIAM SHATNER's entire career and personal life with many rare photos. WILLIAM SHATNER will sign all copies of UP TILL NOW purchased at the Convention, and all proceeds from the UP TILL NOW signing will be donated to WILLIAM SHATNER'S HOLLYWOOD CHARITY HORSE SHOW.

The LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION takes place at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, located at 700 West 32nd Street, right across from USC College.
Admission is only $8.00, five years and under are free. Call (818) 954-8432 or check
www.comicbookscifi.com for more information.

See Also: Sci Fi Acquires Ghost Whisperer, Star Trek TNG, Charmed And Mork & Mindy / Star Trek (1966-1969) / Interview - Chase Masterson

Wibbell Brings Weirdness To The UK DVD Market

Source: Allin Kempthorne

Independent British film distributor Wibbell Productions Ltd today announced the launch of their new niche DVD label 'The Weird World of Wibbell'.

With a very clear identity right from the start, the new label is set to specifically target cult, horror and science fiction feature films (or so called B-movies), short film compilations and some 'very odd' special interest documentaries.

Wibbell's 'Head of Weirdness', Content Manager, Allin Kempthorne explained:

"Wibbell are the new weird kids in town! We're the freaks, the nerds, the geeks and the weirdoes. We're the travelling freak show and the vampires castle! We're seriously into the so-called 'cult' or 'B-Movie' areas of Horror, Sci-Fi and Nostalgia, as are our huge potential audiences here in the UK and around the world. The followers of these genres care about them passionately and have an insatiable appetite for quality genre films. We at Wibbell aim to supply those films!

We also want to unearth some of the enormous new film-making talent that is emerging on the independent scene outside of the established film industry. We know through our own experience as film-makers ourselves that there are many great independent films that just can't punch through the Hollywood stranglehold on the worlds film markets. We aim to find the best of those films within the ‘cult’ genres and help get them out in front of the audiences they so richly deserve."

'The Weird World of Wibbell' launches this Summer with the UK release of their first film title, the jaw-droppingly funny independent British Vampire Comedy "The Vampires of Bloody Island", already being hailed by the press as 'a new cult classic' and ‘doing for vampire films what 'Shaun of the Dead' did for zombies!’

"The Vampires of Bloody Island" stars up and coming 'Scream Queen' Pamela Kempthorne as the evil and scheming vampiress Morticia de'Ath. The film is set on an abandoned island off the Cornish coast which has become home for demons and vampires, and also stars Oliver Gray, John Snelling and Leon Hamilton.

The soundtrack to the film includes songs by such giants of the Goth-Rock scene as The Suburban Vamps (from the USA), Theatres des Vampires (from Italy), Fever (from Portugal) and Britain's Premier Pagan Rock band, Inkubus Sukkubus - all names which are very familiar to their enormous international fan bases in the Goth music scene.

Following "The Vampires of Bloody Island", 'The Weird World of Wibbell' has a catalogue of several other DVD releases scheduled for over the next 12 months, showcasing the work of new emerging directors in the cult/horror/sci-fi genres, plus some very old nostalgic treats.

Releases will be initially in the UK and Irish markets while Wibbell forges relationships to release their titles world-wide.

Allin Kempthorne concludes "We aim to establish 'The Weird World of Wibbell' as a new name in weirdness for British B-Movie enthusiasts. We welcome interaction with our audience and have an active newsletter group which we encourage everyone to join on our website at www.wibbell.co.uk

Peter Jackson Wants To Chat With You About The Hobbit

Source: Peter Jackson / Dark Horse Comics

An Unexpected Party - A Special Message from Peter Jackson

Several years ago -- it seems like lifetime now -- I invited 20 questions from fans right at the start of embarking on The Lord of the Rings trilogy. For me, it was an important and enjoyable moment, when I was able to begin a relationship that helped define our attitude to that unique project. It gave me a sense of responsibility that stayed etched into my brain for the next 5 years.

Well, the time has come again! With us right on the cusp of beginning pre-production on the Hobbit, and its companion movie, it seems fitting to do the same thing again.

It's also fitting that our director, Guillermo Del Toro will join me in answering the questions, since he will be bringing his considerable personal vision to these two movies. It's my moment to hand the baton to Guillermo. It's time for him to address your concerns.

So this is how it will work: we ask all fans with an interest in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings to send one question to this website. Ask us anything! Guillermo and I will select and answer the 20 most common questions, so that we can both attempt to address the key issues as best we can.

Our answers will be released during a one hour live web chat, hosted by Weta, with both Guillermo and myself logged on. In addition to answering your 20 questions - for the entire hour, we'll take additional live questions and chat about the projects with anybody who's interested.

Please send us your questions and register for the live chat -- and we'll talk to you all in a couple of weeks!

Cheers,
Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro invite you to a live internet chat about The Hobbit.

Peter and Guillermo would love to answer your questions and hear your comments about our new adventure into Middle-Earth.Please register now - to make sure you don't miss out on the Unexpected Party and get regular updates on the movies.

Weta are excited to be hosting this one-hour live online chat on our website www.wetaNZ.com.

Please check the start time for your time zone below:
Los Angeles (Pacific) -- Saturday 24 May 1 pm
New York (Eastern) -- Saturday 24 May 4 pm
London -- Saturday 24 May 9 pm
Paris, Berlin, Rome -- Saturday 24 May 10 pm
Sydney -- Sunday 25 May 6 am
Wellington, Auckland -- Sunday 25 May 8 am

See you at the Unexpected Party!

P.S. Please invite your friends - just forward this to as many as you like!

SIF EX Oneechanbara Aya Statue

Order Now From Entertainment Earth - Sale Price: $43.38

SIF EX Oneechanbara Aya Statue Description:

Yeeeeee haaaaa! Aya is the sword-swinging Japanese cowgirl known for hacking and slashing her way through hordes of shuffling zombies and nightmarish boss creatures in the Xbox 360 console game, Oneechanbara. Clad in nothing more than a scarf, cowboy hat, bikini, and boots, Aya would love to hogtie you! This smokin' hot 1:6 scale PVC statue comes window boxed with display base and trademark katana. Better rope this'un, cowboy!

Cover Girl Feane Statue

Buy Now From Entertainment Earth - Price: $79.99

Cover Girl Feane Statue Description:

This item has features and themes that are for adults only. Ages 18 and up. Recommended for mature collectors.

Don't fall over, girl… you might hurt someone!
She's an eyeful, that's for sure!
Faene will make a huge contribution to your collection!

No matter which magazines have her on the cover, wouldn't you love to see them? Cover Girl Feane is a beautiful 1:6 scale ( statue that's entirely made of plastic, from the tip of her blue hair to the soles of her red boots to... certain other parts. She carries a hefty sword on her ample hips, and her more-than-ample bosom is held in place-- barely-- by what can only loosely be called clothing. On top of all of that, Feane is balancing on a single foot, careful not to fall over and cause any collateral damage to those around her. Standing a tad over 9-inches tall, she's quite a sizable young lady and would make a huge contribution to your collection!

Satsuriku no Jango Donne Anonime Statue

Order Now From Entertainment Earth - Price: $89.99

Satsuriku no Jango Donne Anonime Statue Description:

This busty blonde is smoking and hot! Donne's got all her sides covered, with her trusty guns, but luckily she is not completely covered for your viewing pleasure! This extremely-detailed statue of Donne Aononime is 1:8 scale and made of PVC. Donne is displayed beautifully as she is holding a six-shooter and another multi-chambered gun that would make any outlaw beg for mercy. She is detailed from her Western-styled attire, long-flowing blonde hair, and did we forget to mention, her luscious curves? Based off the popular erotic PC game, Satsuriku no Jango, this amazing work from Alter will please any fan cowboy-up for this statue.

The BBC Announces Some Changes For Doctor Who's 5th Season

Source: BBC

BBC Wales and BBC Drama has announced that BAFTA and Hugo Award-winning writer Steven Moffat will succeed Russell T Davies as Lead Writer and Executive Producer of the fifth series of Doctor Who, which will broadcast on BBC One in 2010.

Moffat has penned some of the series' most unforgettable and acclaimed episodes, including Blink, with its terrifying weeping angels, for which he was awarded the BAFTA Writer Award 2008 on Sunday 11 May.

His previous work on Doctor Who includes The Girl In The Fireplace for series two, which earned him his second Hugo Award.

His first was for the series one two-parter The Empty Child, which became famous for its terrifying refrain "Are you my mummy?"

For the current series, Moffat has written Silence In The Library, a two-parter starring Alex Kingston which transmits on 31 May and 7 June 2008 on BBC One.

Steven's career began with the landmark ITV children's drama Press Gang in 1989, for which he won his first Bafta.

Coupling, the hugely popular and award-winning sitcom he created and wrote for BBC Two, began in 2000 and ran for four seasons.

Jekyll, his six-part thriller starring James Nesbitt and Michelle Ryan, transmitted on BBC One last year.

Steven will continue as one of the directors on the board of Hartswood Films which produced Coupling and Jekyll, where he is also working on his new comedy Adam & Eve with wife Sue Vertue.

He has just delivered the screenplay for Tintin – the first instalment of the trilogy of films featuring the iconic Belgian comic-strip hero – to Steven Spielberg who will direct it for DreamWorks. Thomas Sangster and Andy Serkis will star.

Steven Moffat says: "My entire career has been a Secret Plan to get this job. I applied before but I got knocked back 'cos the BBC wanted someone else. Also I was seven.

"Anyway, I'm glad the BBC has finally seen the light, and it's a huge honour to be following Russell into the best - and the toughest - job in television. I say toughest 'cos Russell's at my window right now, pointing and laughing."

Lead Writer and Executive Producer Russell T Davies says: "It's been a delight and an honour working with Steven, and I can't wait to see where his extraordinary imagination takes the Doctor. Best of all, I get to be a viewer again, watching on a Saturday night!"

Jane Tranter, Controller, BBC Fiction, says: "Scripts and writers are at the heart of what BBC Drama is all about, and especially at the heart of Doctor Who. The past four series have been brilliantly helmed by the spectacularly talented Russell T Davies.

"As Lead Writer and Executive Producer, he has overseen the creative direction and detail of the 21st century relaunch of Doctor Who and we are delighted to have his continued presence on the specials over the next 18 months.

"But the challenge and excitement of the fifth series is now being handed to Steven Moffat. The Tardis couldn't be in safer hands. Steven's talents on both Doctor Who and beyond are well known. He is a writer of glittering brilliance, comedy and depth, with an extraordinary imagination and a unique voice.

"Steven has a wonderful mix of being a committed Doctor Who fan and a true artist, and his plans for the next series are totally thrilling."

The announcement follows the news that Piers Wenger will take over the role of Executive Producer from Julie Gardner on series five of Doctor Who.

Piers Wenger says: "The challenge of taking Doctor Who to a new future is a huge and thrilling one and BBC Wales is blessed to have someone with Steven's extraordinary talent in charge.

"His imagination and creativity have already given birth to some of the series' most unforgettable monsters though in this instance no-one need fear; time, space and the future of The Doctor are safe with him."

Wenger and Moffat are already working closely together on the planning of the series.

Menna Richards, Controller, BBC Wales, says: "BBC Wales is very proud of Doctor Who's phenomenal success. Steven Moffat is an extraordinary talent and we are very much looking forward to him joining the Doctor Who team."

Series four has achieved some of the show's highest audience figures to date and forthcoming episodes feature a stellar line-up of guests including Lesley Sharp, Lindsey Coulson, Alex Kingston, Colin Salmon and Michael Brandon.

Freema Agyeman and Billie Piper – The Doctor's two former companions – have also returned to assist The Doctor in series four.

Doctor Who will return in 2009 with four specials, and the full-length fifth series is currently scheduled to be broadcast on BBC One in Spring 2010.

Bleach Creator Tite Kubo Is Coming To Comic Con

Sources: Viz Media / Media Lab

Viz Media has announced that its SHONEN JUMP magazine will welcome prolific manga (graphic novel) creator Tite Kubo for a series of rare in-person appearances beginning on Friday, July 25 at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con International.

Mr. Kubo is the creator of the wildly successful manga series BLEACH and ZOMBIE POWDER. and this is the first time the artist will appear at a North American convention. Both series are published domestically by VIZ Media and BLEACH is currently serialized in SHONEN JUMP Magazine. Comic-Con International is renowned as the nation’s largest comic book and science fiction event and takes place July 24-27 at the Convention Center in San Diego, CA. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 4113.

Mr. Kubo is scheduled to appear throughout Comic-Con and to provide insight regarding his past, current and future projects on SHONEN JUMP magazine’s panel discussion and to further greet fans at VIZ Media’s booth and sign autographs twice on Saturday, July 26. Details will be issued shortly as times are still to be determined, but fans are also encouraged to regularly check http://www.shonenjump.com for updates.

Tite Kubo made his debut in 1999 with ZOMBIEPOWDER., a four-volume series serialized in Japan’s Weekly Shonen Jump until 2000. His second series, BLEACH, firmly established Mr. Kubo as major manga talent. Beginning its serialization in 2001, BLEACH remains a mainstay in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump and has spawned more than 300 chapters to-date. BLEACH was further named a winner of the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award in 2005. Published domestically by VIZ Media, BLEACH manga volumes have sold over 1.2 million copies to-date in the United States and the series is serialized monthly in SHONEN JUMP magazine. The title was further developed into a popular animated series that is distributed domestically by VIZ Media and seen weekly by millions on Cartoon Network.

Mr. Kubo begins his appearances on Friday evening at 8 p.m., when he is scheduled to make opening remarks at VIZ Media’s theatrical screening of the first BLEACH feature film, BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY, scheduled to take place in a theatre in downtown San Diego. Seating is limited and convention attendees are encouraged to stop by the VIZ Media booth prior to the event to secure tickets, which will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

BLEACH, rated T for Teens, follows the adventures of Ichigo, a fifteen-year-old student with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow—a malevolent lost soul—Ichigo encounters Rukia, a Soul Reaper, and inadvertently absorbs her powers. Now, he’s dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace. The pair encounters plenty of action as they investigate an intriguing range of spiritual mysteries and frequently run into all manner of malevolent and usually violent spirits and demons that are reluctant to return to their own world peacefully.

“VIZ Media and SHONEN JUMP magazine are privileged and extremely excited to welcome Tite Kubo to the 2008 Comic-Con International,” says Marc Weidenbaum, Editor-in-Chief of Shonen Jump Magazine and Vice President, Original Publishing, at VIZ. “His BLEACH and ZOMBIEPOWDER manga series have set new benchmarks in the field. BLEACH holds the attention of millions of fans internationally, and we look forward to offering those fans this very rare opportunity to interact with him personally. This is an incredibly rare situation when the manga creator of a weekly-serialized title is taking time apart from his busy work to visit with his fans outside Japan. I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate SHONEN JUMP’s 5th anniversary and the 40th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump, the Japanese magazine in which BLEACH is originally serialized. The enormous audience of manga fans at Comic-Con this year will truly have a hero around whom to rally.”

Ten lucky winners of a contest held by VIZ Media's parent company Shueisha, Inc., are also being flown from Japan to attend the Comic-Con Festivities as ambassadors from Shueisha and will participate in welcoming Mr. Kubo. Fans are encouraged to support BLEACH Day (Saturday) in their best BLEACH gear and will even have the opportunity to win great prizes if spotted in official BLEACH attire.

Yet Another Sneak Preview Of King Komodo From G-Fan #84

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Todd Tennant

Robo Japan readers won't have to wait until G-Fan #84 hits the stands to see another piece of King Komodo artwork, no siree Bob. Todd Tennant was cool enough to shoot us over an exclusive image from "Tales of King Komodo: Episode 2". That is sure one nasty looking customer!

Keep up the good work, Todd! I can't wait to see the rest of the comic in the pages of G-Fan magazine.

See Also: You Can Be The Victim On The New King Komodo Poster / King Komodo - G-Fan #84 Sneak Peak / Godzilla vs The Gryphon - Jeff Farley's Godzilla Sculpt / An Exclusive! Godzilla 94' Page 60 / An Exclusive Sneak Preview Of The Gryphon From Godzilla 94 / King Komodo Returns To The Pages Of G-Fan / Robo Japan Exclusive! - Godzilla 94 Page 56 / Godzilla Attacks!

The Andromeda Strain Trivia Contest!

Source: Electric Artists

Enter to win a prize pack from The Andromeda Strain on A&E!

Robo Japan readers can walk away with a cool prize pack courtesy of A&E and Electric Artists that includes an Andromeda Strain t-shirt, The Andromeda Strain DVD Collection featuring both the 2008 A&E miniseries and the Oscar-nominated 1971 film, and a copy of The Andromeda Strain novel. Two lucky contestants will be selected at random on May 15th.

How can you win these great prizes for yourself? Well my friend, you will have to answer me these questions three:

1. Andromeda Strain star, Rick Schroder, played the part of Ricky Stratton on which 1980s sitcom?

2. In the original 1971 movie adaptation of The Andromeda Strain, the part of Dr. Jeremy Stone is played by what actor?

3. In the A&E mini-series, The Andromeda Strain, a US satellite crashes to Earth in what small town? (Hint: In this series the town is located in Utah, but in the 1971 movie it was in New Mexico.)

Think you know the answers? If so, e-mail your entry to Robo Japan, and be sure to include "Andromeda Strain Contest" in the subject line. If your entry is selected then you will be contacted by e-mail. At that time you will need to supply your complete address and shirt size, so that your prize pack can be shipped to you. GOOD LUCK!

This Contest Is Only For Residents Of The United States And Canada! No Overseas Entries Please.

A&E ORIGINAL TWO-NIGHT TELEVISION EVENT “THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN” PREMIERES IN HIGH DEFINITION MONDAY, MAY 26 AND TUESDAY, MAY 27 FROM 9-11 PM ET/PT

It’s a bad day to be human this Memorial Day when THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN infects the airwaves. Based on the best-selling novel from Michael Crichton, THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, a four-hour original A&E television event, stars Benjamin Bratt, Eric McCormack, Ricky Schroder, Andre Braugher, Christa Miller, Daniel Dae Kim and Viola Davis.

In THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, a U.S. military satellite crashes in a small town and unleashes a deadly plague killing all but two survivors. As the military quarantines the area, a team of highly specialized scientists is assembled to find a cure to the pathogen code-named “Andromeda,” and a reporter investigates a government conspiracy only to discover what he is chasing wants him silenced.

The Andromeda Strain: <http://www.aetv.com/the-andromeda-strain/index.jsp>

Prize Package Includes: The Andromeda Strain t-shirt, The Andromeda Strain DVD Collection featuring both the 2008 A&E miniseries and the Oscar-nominated 1971 film, and The Andromeda Strain novel by Michael Crichton.

See Also: The Andromeda Strain (2008)(A&E Mini-Series) / Get Infected By The Andromeda Strain On Memorial Day Weekend

August Ragone at G-FEST XV

Daikaiju Enterprises is pleased to announce that August Ragone, author of a new book on Japanese special effects pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya, has agreed to be a part of G-FEST XV. Eiji Tsuburaya was the creator of Godzilla, Ultraman and a multitude of Japanese sci-fi characters. Mr. Ragone, a noted expert on Japanese

fantasy films and television, will be participating in several panels and presentations at G-FEST. Also, he will be available for signings of his book, Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, at the Clawmark Toys booth during the convention.

G-FEST XV will be held July 4-6 at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare International in Rosemont, Illinois.

Weekend admission tickets are $29.00 for adults, $10 for youth (12 and under). Daily admission (at the door) is $20.00 for adults, $5.00 for youths. Children 5 and under are admitted FREE.

For more information, log onto www.g-fan.com.

Anime Expo Presents Cosplay Masquerade 2008

Source: Chase Wang (Anime Expo)

Anime Expo® 2008 will be accepting online applications for one of the most highlighted and enduring traditions of the nation's largest anime and manga convention, the Masquerade, at this year's Anime Expo® 2008 held from July 3-6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org .

Amateur costumers hailing from around the world have graced our stage with their wonderful costumes and performances. Interested parties will be able to register, as a contestant, online on May 19, 2008 after 6:00 pm PST at www.anime-expo.org

Masquerade contestants come for the fame, the glory and that huge trophy,"Best of Show". Some of the other coveted Masquerade awards are:

* Top 4 Awards: These category of awards are presented to the entries that have shown the best combination of both Presentation and Costume Craftsmanship. To be eligible for these awards, all costumes of an entry must be presented at the Preliminary Costume Judging. Any entry that fails this requirement will not be eligible for any Top 4 Awards.

* Craftsmanship Awards: These category of awards are presented to the entries that have shown excellent costume craftsmanship and construction.

The awards are separated by Group and Individual achievement. Individual entries are further separated into the four skill levels as previously defined. There are two awards per skill level. To be eligible for these awards, all costumes of an entry must be presented at the Preliminary Costume Judging. Any entry that fails this requirement will not be considered for the Craftsmanship Awards.

* Presentation Awards: These category of awards are presented to the entries that have shown excellent stage presentation. This can be either by a performance or a simple exhibition of a costume. The awards are separated by Group and Individual achievement. Skill levels are not factored into these awards.

* Judges Awards: These category of awards are selected by the Judges for entries they deem worthy of award but did not fit any of the previous categories. Each Judge may present one award based on their personal selection.

Additional award categories and information can be found at www.anime-expo.org.

Current list of official Guests of Honor include up and coming director Masahiro Ando, legendary American voice actor David Hayter, famed POKEMON director Masamitsu Hidaka, the dynamic duo known as Jyukai and the new Japanese "It-Girl" Shokotan in Anime Expo® 2008's amazing line up of Guests of Honor.

Attendees that have pre-registered can also update their information and add on orders for main event tickets via the Anime Expo® 2008 Online Registration Area at www.anime-expo.org

This year's Red & Black Sponsors are FUNimation and Imagin Asian Television. Platinum Sponsor is Imagi Studios. Gold Sponsor is Digital Manga Publishing. Silver Sponsor is Gaia Online. Patron Sponsors are Central Park Media and COPIC Markers.

New Reptisaurus Poster Art

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Avery Guerra / Undead Backbrain / B Movie News

It has been quite a while since any news has surfaced on the Reptisaurus movie front, but the folks over at B Movie News and Undead Backbrain were able to rummage up a copy of the film's poster art.

It is always cool to see an image of a giant winged monster either attacking or being attacked by fighter jets, it always takes me back to the first time I saw Rodan. Now at this point I don't know how much of this ariel action we will see in the film, or how good it will look. A lot of special effects men have tried to pull off sequences like these and failed miserably, but then again they all can't be Tsuburayas.

Oh, yes before I forget, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. It does indeed say "Gill Gerard" across the top of the poster. Many of you may not know who that is, but to us Gen-X types his name will always be connected to the early 80s sci fi series "Buck Rogers" which also starred the lovely Erin Grey, but then again if you didn't know who Gil Gerard was then you probably wouldn't know who she was either. Wait....I'm rambling aren't I? Sorry, we old-timers tend to do that.

Back on topic.

Reptisaurus is based on the short-lived Charlton comic book "Reptisaurus The Terrible, " which ran for seven issues in 1962. Oddly enough the comic actually started out as an adaptation of the Danish monster movie Reptilicus, but the tie-in was abandoned after only two issues. In the comic, Reptisaurus was a giant, winged, reptilian, island-dwelling, monster that was worshipped by the ancient Aztecs who believed it to be the embodiment of their god Quetzalcoatl.

See Also: A Cool New Image Of The Reptisaurus / Chris Ray To Helm Reptisaurus Movie

Songs From Macross Frontier Race Up The Charts In Japan

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Japan Zone

Isn't it funny when history repeats itself? Twenty-five years ago songs from anime series, "Macross" were monopolizing the top ten singles chart in Japan. The original songs from the show, sung by Mari Iijima (as Lynn Minmay), made a lasting impact on that countries music industry and pop culture that lasts til this very day. In fact, Lynn Minmay (despite the fact that she was a fictional character) was as popular a pop star in Japan as Madonna was in America.

Now fast-forward to 2008, where once again music from a Macross series is climbing the charts. The ending theme song, "Diamond Crevasse", from the second episode of the latest Macross series, "Macross Frontier", entered the Oricon singles chart at No.3 this week. The song, composed by Yokko Kanno and performed by the series updated version of Minmay, Sheryl Nome, who is voiced by May'n, has become an instant classic. Likewise the shows opening theme, "Triangular,"(Also composed by Kanno and sung by Maaya Sakamoto) also debuted at No.3 upon its release in April.

Plot Summary From Wikipedia:

The series celebrates the 25th anniversary of the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross TV series (1982~1983), and is chronologically subsequent to Macross 7 (1994~1996). This third TV series introduces Earth's latest main variable fighter, the VF-25 Messiah and a new spaceship called the Macross Frontier, but retains the signature space opera theme constant to all series set in the Macross Universe (which intertwines musical numbers with fast-paced variable fighter combat). Two separate manga adaptations have been running in Shonen Ace and Comp Ace, since February 2008 and April 2008 respectively.

The series features the 25th Colonial Fleet, dubbed the Macross Frontier, en route near the galactic center. The fleet is very large and it contains both humans and their Zentradi allies, so many of its vessels appear to merge more metallic Human designs with organic Zentradi aesthetics. On the Macross timeline, the story is set on the year 2059, 47 years after the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross & 13 years after Macross 7.

During a mission to an unexplored asteroid belt, a reconnaissance New U.N. Spacy (N.U.N.S.) VF-171 is destroyed by extremely powerful and fast insectoid biomechanical alien mecha known as the "Vajra", which immediately begin their attack on the rest of the fleet. Not being able to stop the new enemy threat, the N.U.N.S. Colonial Defense Forces authorize the deployment of a Civilian Military Provider organization called S.M.S., which utilizes the new VF-25 Messiah variable fighter to destroy the alien menace.

See Also: The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?

The Andromeda Strain (2008)(A&E Mini-Series)

Source: Electric Artists

A U.S. satellite falls to Earth in Piedmont, a small town in Utah. When civilians decide to open up the satellite a mysterious plague is unleashed that kills virtually everyone who comes into contact with it, often driving them into acts of mad violence before they die. As the army quarantines the area, a team of medical specialists is assembled to stop the spread of the pathogen, code-named “Andromeda.”

Three of the scientists gear up in biohazard suits and inspect the town. They discover two survivors – an unhealthy old man and a colicky infant – and take them, the satellite and samples of Andromeda to “Wildfire,” a secret underground lab designed for a crisis of this nature.

As the scientists race to decode and find what kills Andromeda, it continues to spread and mutate. A reporter sees a government conspiracy is afoot and investigates, only to discover that murderous forces want him silenced.

The Wildfire team theorizes that Andromeda may have been intentionally sent as part of an alien invasion force. They discover that a specific, rare bacterium can destroy Andromeda and rush to manufacture enough to stop the outbreak. Meanwhile, the reporter flees both the spreading plague and government assassins, and rescues a young woman in the process.

Just before the outbreak can become uncontainable, the bacteria is dropped into the infected zone and kills Andromeda, but a military attempt to save a sample leads to an outbreak within the underground lab. The team must race to stop a nuclear countdown designed as a last defense against a lab breach – a blast that could feed Andromeda and reignite the outbreak.

THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN is produced by Scott Free Productions and Traveler’s Rest Films in association with Universal Pictures for A&E Network. Executive producers are Ridley Scott, Tony Scott and David W. Zucker for Scott Free and Tom Thayer for Traveler’s Rest Films. Mikael Salomon is director and co-executive producer and the screenplay is written by Robert Schenkkan.

Based on the best-selling novel from Michael Crichton, the miniseries stars Benjamin Bratt, Eric McCormack, Ricky Schroder, Andre Braugher, Christa Miller, Daniel Dae Kim and Viola Davis.

The four-hour original A&E television event will premiere in High Definition on Monday, May 26 from 9-11 PM ET/PT and Tuesday, May 27 from 9-11 PM ET/PT.

See Also: Get Infected By The Andromeda Strain On Memorial Day Weekend